From: marc~anukau.ac.nz Date: Wed, 22 May 1996 16:30:11 +0000 Subject: (Fwd) Re: Playing by ear (was: theory fear)
[Snip] > > I'm not saying that the way I've learned to play is the "best" way, there's > no such thing. It's the way I've learned and it's worked for me to the > extent that I use my music, which is strictly for personal enjoyment at the > moment. I tend to think that music, like many other things, lends itself to > "paralysis by analysis", which is why I tend to avoid analyzing music. I > read somewhere that analysis is destructive because the thing being analyzed > is being torn apart bit by bit to determine its nature. When you're all > done, the thing doesn't exist anymore, except as a pile of torn up bits. > The opposite is synthesis, becoming one with the music. I prefer to feel > the music and try to fit into it. Makes more sense to me, but I do > understand that lots of people like to rip things apart to see how they > work. :-) > > Chon
Thanks Chon, for voicing my opinions. :-) I have always been one of those people who tore things to pieces to see how they worked. When I was a child, watches, clocks, toasters and all kinds of magical devices came to an untimely end in my small hands.
Strangely I ended up with a job in which I tear all sorts of software to pieces and put them back together in such a way as to be usefull on our network. I do this well and speak the language well. With music, which I love deeply, I do not speak or read the language, and so do not analyse or tear apart that which I play. Music is for me an expression of a mood or feeling. I can do this on harp, which is a wonderful intimate instrument for doing so. I feel the harp becomes a part of you when you are in the groove. Far more so than guitar, which I feel requires background knowledge and "speaking the language" before it can express what you are wanting it to.
When I am playing I tend to play things which I couldn't even begin to explain in notation or tab. Most of them I can't even remember in detail afterwards. They just happen according to mood or where I am taken by whoever I am jamming with. As someone who has never performed (with the harp) on stage I do not know songs or riffs or anything as rigidly imposed as that nor have I needed to.
I have a lot of learning to do in the ways of speaking the language of music. I think this is a necessary thing to do in order to allow me to overcome plateaus and ruts in my playing. I just haven't the time to really devote to it. My knowledge is improving as a byproduct of learning guitar though.
I am not implying my way is better or anything. I just feel that my Blues are deep within me and if I can get in touch with them and allow them to freely flow through my harp I can then express them for others to enjoy. If others don't enjoy them that is sad but hopefully they will still see the honesty in my music.
:-) This all started out as an "I agree with Chon" message.
I had better go and tear apart Borland Delphi now. :-)
