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TTrahan
Joined: 06 Nov 2004
Posts: 287
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 Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 8:15 pm Post subject: Where are you in your music career/journey? |
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Where is everyone in their music career?
What I mean is this:
Are you currrently in a band? If so, how serious are you?
Are you currently a session artist? How often?
etc..
Fill us in on your musical journey.
Right now I'm in a band, The Family Genes Blues Band. It's a trio, w/ yours truly on guitar and vocals. We've been together for about 1.5 with the current bass player, who is working out beautifully, and were together for about 2 years with the ex-bass player. We play 20 or so SRV songs, all of the popular one's and a few of the not so popular one's. There's a good amount of Hendrix in our set list as well. We also play a few other styles, like funk and swing blues stuff.
My guitar style is very SRVish, my phrasing is different at times, but as far as attack and dynamics, I got all of it from listening and learning SRV stuff. I have learned to apply many of his techniques to a few different styles. Think Philip Sayce, I also like to incorporate alot of major sounding blues licks into the songs. I'm kind of in an SRV rut, the licks are kind of second nature, but I can't really get away from them. I need to work on some different techniques and styles so I don't always sound like an SRV wannabe, because I definitely don't want to be an SRV clone. I like the way he plays, so I use alot of his licks. I also like the emotion he puts into the music, so I try to do that as well.
As far as tone, I pretty much sound like everyone else out there that has the SRV tone going on. The "strat and a hat" tone. Once I started to get that tone, it just grew on me more and more. Now it's very hard for me to sound any different. I recently bought a semi-hollow body Epi-Dot that helps me "feel" different while I play, inspires me to sort of get out of the SRV rut, and more into a BB King type thing.
Now it's your turn!
Cheers,
Troy |
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Blind Melon Chitlin
Joined: 01 Feb 2005
Posts: 56
Location: Austin Texas, Earth!
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| Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 11:41 pm Post subject: |
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I've pretty much covered all this in the "Hola From Austin" thread in the INTRODUCTIONS thread, but I'll try and talk about some other stuff I've not yet gone into detail about.
I was playing in a trio during most of last year. Then sometime around October I hit a wall and decided to join another band. Most of the trio stuff was blues. The band I'm in now is a funk band/rock band, though oddly enough we've been playing a lot of gospel gigs lately. 
I'm about as serious as I can be without taking myself too seriously, if that makes any sense. The recording industry has changed so drastically over the last fifteen years that I'm at the point now, where if someone put a record contract infront of me, I have serious doubts that I would actually sign it. Some people might call that a fear of sucess, but a fear of getting screwed over by a record label is more like it. Once you sign on the dotted line they've got you by the balls. So given the kind of stuff that the big labels are pushing these days, if the band I'm in got an offer from Sony Music I probably wouldn't sign the contract even if it meant being the odd man out. Here's why: they would have my name attached to a contract the size of a phone book and the best lawyers money can buy. And what would I have? A small advance and little if anything else. Should a dispute arise, who do you think would win? The guys with all the advantages. In other words: not me.
(to be continued)
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TTrahan
Joined: 06 Nov 2004
Posts: 287
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| Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2005 12:31 am Post subject: |
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I guess I should add that I have no desire to ever try and make it big.
I am content with covering the songs I love, and playing them in smoky, down home bars. |
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Blind Melon Chitlin
Joined: 01 Feb 2005
Posts: 56
Location: Austin Texas, Earth!
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| Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2005 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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| TTrahan wrote: | I guess I should add that I have no desire to ever try and make it big.
I am content with covering the songs I love, and playing them in smoky, down home bars. |
Hey man, there's nothing wrong with wanting something more! Whenever you feel like you want to reach for the brass ring don't let somebody's jaded opinion sway you. If you want to play music for a living you should aim a lot higher than playing bar gigs. Those places aren't going anywhere. So anytime you want to go back to them they'll still be there and you can spend the rest of your life playing them, if that's what you want to do.
You're about 18 right? I'm 30 and I've been playing shitty dumps since I was in high school. Believe me, it does get old after a while. I've listened to your clips and you're a good player. If you have the will to rise to the occasion and enough discipline you can do a lot more. It's not going to be a walk in the park and there are no guarantees, but if you want to go for it swing for the fence.
If you've got other plans and playing guitar is just something you do for fun then that's fine too. Whatever you do don't give up on your dreams. Most people who do end up bitter and cynical.
I haven't given up, but I'm not going to try and court the big labels either. When I was a kid you could still make it as a guitar player on the strength of your playing alone. All that has since changed, which is probably a good thing. On the down side, no one gives a shit how well you can play anymore. In other words, you've really got to play your ass off, and even then they might not care. It's all about playing good songs. Hot licks can't save a crappy song.
There's a good reason for why there isn't a market for rock guitar instrumentals: because they're tedious and boring. If I want to listen to some virtuoso players throw down, I can listen to jazz. Playing a bunch of solos just for the sake of playing them is not where it's at. Every great guitar player you can mention always utilized their talent in the service of the song. Anyone who has made technical prowess the main focus of what they do, probably didn't last very long. Well developed chops are great, but without substance it's just meaningless bullshit. If you decide you want to break out of the bars you've some growing to do and some things to consider, but it's not impossible.
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TTrahan
Joined: 06 Nov 2004
Posts: 287
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| Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2005 2:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Blind Melon Chitlin wrote: | | TTrahan wrote: | I guess I should add that I have no desire to ever try and make it big.
I am content with covering the songs I love, and playing them in smoky, down home bars. |
Hey man, there's nothing wrong with wanting something more! Whenever you feel like you want to reach for the brass ring don't let somebody's jaded opinion sway you. If you want to play music for a living you should aim a lot higher than playing bar gigs. Those places aren't going anywhere. So anytime you want to go back to them they'll still be there and you can spend the rest of your life playing them, if that's what you want to do.
You're about 18 right? I'm 30 and I've been playing shitty dumps since I was in high school. Believe me, it does get old after a while. I've listened to your clips and you're a good player. If you have the will to rise to the occasion and enough discipline you can do a lot more. It's not going to be a walk in the park and there are no guarantees, but if you want to go for it swing for the fence.
If you've got other plans and playing guitar is just something you do for fun then that's fine too. Whatever you do don't give up on your dreams. Most people who do end up bitter and cynical.
I haven't given up, but I'm not going to try and court the big labels either. When I was a kid you could still make it as a guitar player on the strength of your playing alone. All that has since changed, which is probably a good thing. On the down side, no one gives a shit how well you can play anymore. In other words, you've really got to play your ass off, and even then they might not care. It's all about playing good songs. Hot licks can't save a crappy song.
There's a good reason for why there isn't a market for rock guitar instrumentals: because they're tedious and boring. If I want to listen to some virtuoso players throw down, I can listen to jazz. Playing a bunch of solos just for the sake of playing them is not where it's at. Every great guitar player you can mention always utilized their talent in the service of the song. Anyone who has made technical prowess the main focus of what they do, probably didn't last very long. Well developed chops are great, but without substance it's just meaningless bullshit. If you decide you want to break out of the bars you've some growing to do and some things to consider, but it's not impossible. |
BMC,
I'm actually 20, but 18 is close enough LOL. Thanks for the compliments.
I have other plans, so music is just for fun. I'm going to school (just picked up my 2 associates degrees from school yesterday) for Finance so that's my career.
I haven't really dabbled in writing lyrics, I have plently of instrumentals but no lyrics, so my originality rating is a definite 0!
Following your dreams is important, and that's what I'm doin' 
BTW - I love the "Hot licks can't save a crappy song" line, it's true, and funny as hell. |
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Blind Melon Chitlin
Joined: 01 Feb 2005
Posts: 56
Location: Austin Texas, Earth!
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| Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2005 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Are you currently a session artist? |
No, but that's probably what I should be doing. For some reason I'm just totally at home in the studio. It seems like the studio is really where I'm in my element. I like recording, it's fun. Not that I mind touring, but it does get physically draining from all the bad food, lack of sleep, etc. I've done a few sessions, but I'd like to get to a point where I can do it full time as long as I don't have to do jingles. I know they pay well but...uuhhh....no thanks.
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The stars at night are big and bright.... |
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UncleSalty
Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 79
Location: Ibaraki, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 12:43 pm Post subject: Re: Where are you in your music career/journey? |
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| TTrahan wrote: | Where is everyone in their music career?
What I mean is this:
Are you currrently in a band? If so, how serious are you?
Are you currently a session artist? How often?
etc..
Fill us in on your musical journey.
|
I'm in a power trio called 'Cranky Old Bastards', singing and playing guitar. I put the band together with a Canadian bass player, who's also a long term resident of Japan - I've lived here ten years & he's been here 17 - about three years ago. We had a hell of a time finding a drummer. Our initial incarnation was called 'Shuffle Free' because there wasn't a chance in hell of the drummer doing one. Last May, we finally found a guy who's into blues and knows his way around the kit and the band has finally come together. We had a harp player for a while but he was an Australian guy and wound up going home. It was really good having another solo voice in the band and I love the sound of the harp.
Our set list consists of about 50% originals. In past bands I'd been quite content to play other people's stuff, but the bass player has really encouraged me to write. He writes the lyrics and I write the music. Although I was initially quite reticent, I've come to really enjoy writing and I think it's helped me to grow as a musician, as well as a player. I'm certainly no Willie Dixon, but I'm quite pleased with some of the stuff we've come up with. It's very satisfying to see people enjoy something you've written.
The covers in our set reflect our influences. Robben Ford & Albert King for me, an instrumental version of Black Dog & the North Mississippi Allstars for the bass player, and Chameleon & Mercy, Mercy, Mercy for the drummer. At the moment we don't do any SRV, although I love to pull out Pride & Joy for an encore. We also do some Hendrix, my favourite song to play being Spanish Castle Magic. I love playing in this band because we cover so many different styles. I tell people that we're a rock band, but there's a heavy blues influence, a lot of hard rock, some jazz and some funk in there, too.
Soundwise, I'm finally coming into my own and getting comfortable with my own playing after having played for almost twenty years. In addition to Stevie, my biggest influences are Hendrix and, particularly, early Clapton. I play a lot of slide, too. My big influences for slide are Duane Allman, Muddy and then, lately, Derek Trucks & Robert Randolph.
Gearwise, I play a 57 Vintage RI Strat, a '94 LP Standard and a Schecter Tele copy (for slide) through a Vox wah, a Voodoo Labs Proctavia, a homemade Fulltone 69 copy, a TS 9 DX, a MXR Dyna Comp, a homemade phaser & a Maxon digital echo into a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I love the Strat but the LP can be a struggle. I'd like to swap out the p-ups or something. Recently, I flipped the neck p-up around ala Peter Green and was surprised by the improved tone. The amp has some nice clean tones but I'm looking for something else. I think a 2 amp system might be the way to go.
The band is just for fun, though. My elder brother is a professional drummer in Australia and, after watching him struggle to make ends meet and play a lot of crap that he'd rather not I decided that I wanted music to always be fun. One of the main reasons I still live in Japan is that I have a good job that pays well, doesn't demand too much of me, and affords me the free time to practice everyday. |
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