From drums to guitar

[Tombo 7/4]

There's this but I've seen something TV:
http://www.plexusinstitute.org/blogpost/656763/126983/Improvisation-The-Most-Complex-Human-Ability

Improvisation: The Most Complex Human Ability?
Posted By Prucia Buscell, Friday, June 10, 2011

What goes on in the brains of jazz musicians at work?

Guitarist Pat Metheny gave some clues in a recent panel on "Music and the Spark of Spontaneity" at the World Science Festival at Cooper Union in New York. "When Melody Takes a Detour, the Science Begins," a New York Times story by Pam Belluck, captures the thoughts of musicians and scholars who are looking at the importance of music in human development, cognition and communication. One of the ways music touches us, apparently, is by its tonal and rhythmic patterns. We like familiar and predictable patterns, but we also like a certain amount of surprise.

Brain imaging studies by Edward Large at Florida Atlantic University, and research by Daniel J. Levitin at McGill University show that we like the novel and familiar combined, the story says. We like Chopin piano pieces with rich variations in volume, duration and combinations of notes, but not random mixes. So what processes are in play when musicians improvise, spontaneously creating melodies and harmonies that haven't been played before? Metheny and bassist Larry Grenadier improvised a new arrangement of the song "Autumn Leaves" -the notes and timing diverged from the classic version. But the audience knew the song, because the new and the known run on dual tracks in our brains.

Jamshed Bharucha, a neuroscientist and the incoming president of Cooper Union, and a violinist himself, said our brains must also manage conscious and unconscious processes simultaneously. "The vast majority of stuff that goes on in our brains we do not have conscious access to," he told The Times. "But music requires "years and years of practice in order to make what is conscious unconscious." So musical improvisation requires discipline and technical mastery.

Gary Marcus, a New York University psychology professor, told Belluck improvising maybe one of the most complex abilities a human can develop because it requires extraordinary skill, the ability for empathetic interaction, and "fantastic motor control" because a performer needs to be fast and accurate, and the natural tendency of the brain is to do one or the other, not both.

Read Pam Belluck's story here and enjoy Daniel Levitin's discussion of his book, This is Your Brain on Music.

[Rhythmatist]

I've had a "thing" going with guitar since high school and a while back I picked up a serious Ibanez acoustic. Some recent purchases for my son have now gotten me plugged in (strat and an Ibanez bass) and I'm gaining some new interest in guitar these days. I'm using it as a composing tool more than anything else but my skills are improving. I'd like to get back to the abilities I had when I was in college...I actually was good enough to do gigs...

My goal now is to get some material written and then think about doing a CD, with someone else handling the guitar duties though. I don't think I'll become accomplished enough to be able to stand alongside my guitar monster friends.

[Julián Fernández]

Thanks Tombo!

I started playing guitar, and I keep playing the whole time... Actually a buddy of mine just gave me a cheapo Strat that´s going to the luthier to change frets and tuning pegs... To me, tone is everything; that´s why I love Beck, Landau, Stern, Robben Ford, Hendrix, BB and other master...
It might get loud is nice : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1229360/

[Tombo 7/4]

Yes, It Might Get Loud is good! 3 totally different approaches.
II go see Steve Vai next month. Anyone know who's on drums for his current tour?

I know it's a drum forum but I haven't signed on a guitar forum yet. Dunno if I will. I don't feel a sense of community among guitarists.
Discussing with drummers who play guitar is cool!

Talking about tone, here's the guy I take lessons with for technique.
He's an ascetic, has been practicing 40 hours/week for years.
He deeply studied every imaginable aspect of the electric guitar to from pick equilibrium, hand physiology, finger weight transfer, body ergonomics to unimaginable aspects like compensating for the headstock capturing kick drum frequencies on stage...!?!?
He insists that the student plays on the exact same guitar that he plays during lessons. So he has 2 (+1 spare) Y. Malmsteem Sig Strats with scalloped neck, super jumbo frets, 8 gauge strings tuned down a half-step and a stone pick so has to minimize friction and tension, to optimize flow in order to play as effortlessly and as fast as possible.

[Tombo 7/4]

Here’s a pic of my 1st gig as a guitarist last Friday.
It was lots of fun but the thing I found hard was to not feel the music in my body.
When you play drums you have a direct strong physical and acoustic sensation of what you play. But when playing guitar on a loud and large stage with your amp 10 feet behind and your vocal monitor (always poorly mixed) on the floor 5 feet in front, I felt like I played/sang nothing. People told me I was jumping all over the place, moving a lot taping my foot and playing the axe very physical. I guess I unconsciously needed to do that to compensate and get a physical feel like on the drums.
(very unlike Ace who was a stoic living wreck on stage; our little tribute needs a little lots of polish, like getting my smoking guitar to work properly... ).

[deseipel]

What's the reason that your teacher insists on using the same guitar as him? I could see it as sort of a 'control', but it strikes me funny also.

I take it you want to sound like Yngwie?

[Odd-Arne Oseberg]

I've gone the other way, from to guitar to drums. I still play and teach guitar, though.

That teacher's attitude seems strange to me, because if you want to play any other type of music than neo classical shred with any sort of expression, you'll need a much wider technical vocabulary.

Turn down the gain and there ain't much tone in strings like that. Makes it impossible to play any sort of really groovy rhythm guitar, which is what we do as well 99% of the time.

I had a period when I was moving along and grooving really hard to TOP, RHCP and stuff like that to build up and be conscious of my internal groove, but it's sort of gone away and I just flow.

Playing drums hasn't really changed that.

[Tombo 7/4]

Sounding like Yngwie? NOOOOO!!!
I took 4 lessons with him for hand placement, scale fingering and picking to start on a good ground and not develop bad habits, he's really good at that.
What threw me off is when I asked him if he wanted to join my fusion band since our guitarist quit: "NO man, I'd be scared to death and lost after 2 bars if I see a jazz chord!"
I couldn't understand how a guy playing for 40 years with that amount of chops and knowledge couldn't read and improvise. Well like any other musician you can be totally unidimensional.
What interest me is the harmonic, melodic and improvisation side to be able to play in any setting. Next teacher will be a polyvalent player.
I still play drums in the municipal Big Band and some freelance though, but practice time is for guitar.

[langmick]

ACE FREHELY! LEAD GUITAH!

[Jim Richman]

ACE FREHELY! LEAD GUITAH!

SHOCK ME!!!!!