When most people think about writing music and/or words, they usually think about the content and filling the audible spectrum with this. Rarely do they think about its opposite....space or silence. But there's something called "groove" that most of us really enjoy in music and words. And ironically, it's usually the space or silence that sets up this groove.
Adding space (or silence) is actually one of my favorite song writing techniques. When I come up with a sweet riff, either verbally or on guitar, my first editing reaction is usually "how do I improve this?" As a young artist, my first reaction was of the form "What can I add to make this better?" But as the wisdom of age sets in on this artist, I realize that the focus of "adding something" is totally wrong. What makes something groove is the space. So now, when I'm trying to improve something artistically, I don't think about what to add. I think of what to remove. When you remove, you reveal the groove.
This especially comes into play when I improvise on guitar. The normal reaction for most lead guitar players is to "play fast in the scale". And when you hear most guitar solos, they are usually constant blitzes of notes that come off like a 30 second chance for the artist to show off. Rarely do guitar solos take the song to a new place. And I think it's lack of space, or the willingness of most lead guitar players to let their lines slow down and breathe, that is the usual cause.
In the realm of words, the same ego concept exists. The spoken word artist usually spews a string of words without time for the listener to reflect, just like that ego-fueled lead guitarist. The work comes off as if it's all about the artist, and not about the art.
Let me make an obvious connection to daily lives. What do you prefer? Constant motion? Or a little bit of silence here and there to reflect?
I don't think I need to hammer this concept home any further.
I think you get it.
Take the same approach with your artwork.
Give it some space.
Copyright ©2010 W.A. Blevins
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Rhythm Guitar Improvisation as Song Writing
I'm one of those weird guitar players, the kind who prefers rhythm guitar over lead guitar. It’s not that I can’t play lead. I know my scales backwards and forwards. And some of my most treasured live and studio moments involve lead guitar. But that’s not where my heart is.
It’s probably because I’m more than just a “guitar player”. Some of my highest achievements in music came during my time in Nashville as a bass player (an upright bass player). And although I primarily consider myself a guitar player, I’m also a drummer, a song writer, a lyricist, and a vocalist. So I tend to view everything from a more centric position than most guitar players. I tend to see every instrument for its role in the song, a single piece of the entire puzzle. Whatever instrument I’m playing, I like to find its place in the song, and maximize that instrument’s contribution to the entire work of sonic art.
And I think that’s why I prefer rhythm guitar. It has a more prominent role in the song as a whole. The lead guitar only adds embellishments here and there. Of course there’s the occasional (sometimes it’s not “occasional” as much as “obligatory”) guitar solo. But I despise the “show off” guitar solos. In my mind, and from my position as a “centric” guitar player and musician, I always want to see a lead guitar part actually take the SONG someplace, not just take the lead guitar player’s ego someplace. But that “someplace” for a lead guitarist is usually 30 seconds or less. But the rhythm guitar plays a role in the song’s evolution throughout most of its existence. So in terms of the view of guitar’s role in the song as a whole, it’s usually the rhythm guitar that’s more important.
What does this have to do with improvisation? It goes back to lead vs. rhythm guitar. Most guitar players learn to use improvisation in the context of lead guitar. But what about improvisation in terms of rhythm guitar? In my experience over the years in bands and as a music teacher, guitarists rarely think about improvisation from the perspective of a rhythm guitarist.
The obvious question is “Why?” Why would one even think of improvising on rhythm guitar? In a live situation it would create havoc. How could the rest of the band follow an improvised chord structure? But that’s not the appropriate place for “rhythm guitar improvisation”. The appropriate place for rhythm guitar improvisation is in the context of song writing.
What is song writing? At its core, from a purely music (not vocal or lyric) perspective, it is the creation of new musical concepts, primarily a chord structure with melody. Improvisation on lead guitar is synonymous with spontaneous creation of melody. And where the improvisation on rhythm guitar comes into the picture is in the spontaneous creation of those chord structures. And that’s the role of improvisation on rhythm guitar: spontaneous creation not only of the chord structures, but also the underlying rhythmic pattern that drives them.
When I pick up a guitar to write a new song, It’s obvious to me. Song writing at it’s core is improvisation on rhythm guitar.
Copyright ©2010 W.A. Blevins
It’s probably because I’m more than just a “guitar player”. Some of my highest achievements in music came during my time in Nashville as a bass player (an upright bass player). And although I primarily consider myself a guitar player, I’m also a drummer, a song writer, a lyricist, and a vocalist. So I tend to view everything from a more centric position than most guitar players. I tend to see every instrument for its role in the song, a single piece of the entire puzzle. Whatever instrument I’m playing, I like to find its place in the song, and maximize that instrument’s contribution to the entire work of sonic art.
And I think that’s why I prefer rhythm guitar. It has a more prominent role in the song as a whole. The lead guitar only adds embellishments here and there. Of course there’s the occasional (sometimes it’s not “occasional” as much as “obligatory”) guitar solo. But I despise the “show off” guitar solos. In my mind, and from my position as a “centric” guitar player and musician, I always want to see a lead guitar part actually take the SONG someplace, not just take the lead guitar player’s ego someplace. But that “someplace” for a lead guitarist is usually 30 seconds or less. But the rhythm guitar plays a role in the song’s evolution throughout most of its existence. So in terms of the view of guitar’s role in the song as a whole, it’s usually the rhythm guitar that’s more important.
What does this have to do with improvisation? It goes back to lead vs. rhythm guitar. Most guitar players learn to use improvisation in the context of lead guitar. But what about improvisation in terms of rhythm guitar? In my experience over the years in bands and as a music teacher, guitarists rarely think about improvisation from the perspective of a rhythm guitarist.
The obvious question is “Why?” Why would one even think of improvising on rhythm guitar? In a live situation it would create havoc. How could the rest of the band follow an improvised chord structure? But that’s not the appropriate place for “rhythm guitar improvisation”. The appropriate place for rhythm guitar improvisation is in the context of song writing.
What is song writing? At its core, from a purely music (not vocal or lyric) perspective, it is the creation of new musical concepts, primarily a chord structure with melody. Improvisation on lead guitar is synonymous with spontaneous creation of melody. And where the improvisation on rhythm guitar comes into the picture is in the spontaneous creation of those chord structures. And that’s the role of improvisation on rhythm guitar: spontaneous creation not only of the chord structures, but also the underlying rhythmic pattern that drives them.
When I pick up a guitar to write a new song, It’s obvious to me. Song writing at it’s core is improvisation on rhythm guitar.
Copyright ©2010 W.A. Blevins
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