Hello all!
"I just go where the guitar takes me" ~ Angus young
Yes, yes..yes. This is the end!As much as I'd love to keep talking about my passion I must stop! Like this quote above says I just go where the guitar takes me, i dont control it, it controls me, and hopefully it takes me somewhere I wanna go!. For this last blog I will tell another story of "jamming"
I received a txt awhile ago from a drummer to an add I put out months ago. I never thought someone would actually reply but they did! I found myself congering up excuses that I didn't have time, too busy, didn't have gear etc. I'd sit in my room and say to myself "what am I doing?!" so after I found the much needed confidence all those weeks ago I finally arranged a time to meet this drummer and have a Jam!. Now I've been playing and singing with my flat mate so I was pretty comfortable around him at this stage. I begged him too come along as I knew he was keen to play with others as much as I was, to move to that next level of being a musician. He agreed and then the following week we were heading to this drummers house. I was quite relieved that the drummer had txt me saying that he didn't have a mic or anything so I let loose a sigh of relief in my mind that today I would just be playing guitar and not having to worry about the vocals, not that I dont feel comfortable, ive played to a crowd and he was just one man but that I didn't have to take on two roles straight away. When we got there, I have to admit I was shocked at how older he was haha, a bunch of young guys and this 30 year old something man but I soon got over that as age doesn't really matter, its how we he can play and his playing was top notch. For a start we got all our gear ready and both of them (flatmate & drummer) said I should start it off. I started playing a piece I had been working on with my flat mate (talked briefly about it in pst blog, song that reminded me of a drifter walking down a road alone). My guitar filledd the room, silence everywhere but this sort of lonesome tune. Soon the flatmate was putting some soft bluesy lead parts over top and I started to feel it coming together. Next the drummer came in with just a soft beat. After a while I got to some harder parts and I really started slamming my guitar with some dirty, loud power chords. i dont know why but I just had some slight aggression in my playing, I wasn'y upset or anything, it just felt right. The drummer seemed to agree cos he told me "thats awsum, keep playing that" and he started to really get into the drumming. My flat mate also picked up the pace, starting to get harder and putting more bends and little twists to it. I took the time to look up and see everyone in their "zone", just feeling the music, feeling the emotions, putting a piece of their soul and self into the music. Now this was an original piece of music, completely our own and I could tell this was the start of a really, really good song and maybe a future alliance!
(the next day)
I ran into my flat mate cooking tea and he came up to me with a certain look on his face that you can tell is not good. I knew what was coming, and I predicted right. he told me he didn't have time to play in a band, and that in a couple of months he would be leaving the country anyway as his degree finishes and he wants to get out of the country. I was a wee bit disappointed but I didn't mind really. He is a good guitar player and I still enjoy playing with him to this day but there is a difference in our sounds, the way we connect when playing music. A part of me knows what I want to hear and feel but I didn't get that to the level I wanted when playing with him. So its just me and the drummer but he said he's got a bunch of friends who play lead guitar and basss so I guess I'll be jamming again sometime soon!
Yesterday I heard an amazing song called "the A team" by Ed Sheeran. I had to go home straight away and try it out. Over the last nine weeks or so my confidence in guitar and singing has increased and I have been playing all around the place. So as its the last blog, and maybe someones been thinking "I wonder what he sounds like?" here's your chance! below is the link to my first (fast) attempt at "the A team" some of my other video's are there as well. Feel free to give feedback as long as its not too bad =P.
Thanks for reading!
Rock on!!!!!!!!
The A team cover
Peoples blogs ive commented on:
Anita
Charlotte
Dave
Judith
Merryn
Engleheart, M. & Durieux, A. (2008). AC/DC: Maximun rock & roll: The story of the world's greatest rock and roll band. HarperCollins: Australia
Hey Matt! that was an awesome cover of A-team. Great to see the passion you have for your music. When you have music in your life you are never lonely!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Exactly, as long as you have music =D
ReplyDeleteHey Matt, what a cool blog! You seems really passionate, about playing guitar and I think its cool you're trying to make the next step to being in a band, takes a lot of guts!
ReplyDeleteWatched your videos too, was really good!
Have you considered jamming with people who play instruments that don't traditionally fit with guitar? Could make an interesting mix!