"Muse" - ings on Rock & Life

So I may have written last night that I had been through every part of "Stairway" except for the solo. I was wrong. I forgot about the decidedly rockin' bit after the solo that goes (primarily) Am-G-F. You know, the bit that starts with the line "and as we wind on down the road..." Nevertheless, I took care of that tonight. The only part of it that took me at all by surprise was the full Fmaj7 chord near the end. It wasn't hard, so much as it was unexpected, and once I got it down, I was fine. So now, officially, the solo is all that hasn't fully been explored. What's fun about that is the fact that, in looking back on when I officially got started working on "Stairway," it turns out that it was the 6th of November. This means that I technically have until December 6th to get it all down. Which gives me a week to learn the solo and put all the pieces together. Considering how much I'll be working in the next 7 days, that still...

To say that today took a different path than I was expecting is an understatement. There was a little Zeppelin worked on (although not nearly as much as I had hoped), some reading in relation to music that got accomplished, and a bit of messing around with hard rock type stuff. I woke up in a decidedly Evanescence mood today. That hasn't happened in quite some time. I went from there to We Are The Fallen, only to re-confirm my theory that their record isn't sequenced right. I miss my band tonight... even if it was never a "full" band, I still miss it.

I can't even begin to express how tempting it was to start doing serious work on the "Stairway" solo tonight! I held off, though, thinking that a decent night's sleep and a day off from work will make that experience a better, more productive one. I did listen all the way through again, though, for the first time in a few weeks, and it dawns on me that the song seems to be slowing down in my head. This is good. Most of the sections are quite repetitive, and with the exception of the solo, should be easy to master once everything is sorted out in my head. Even the solo sounds slower. The triplets are going to be the roughest part, I think. Getting the speed and clarity right ought to be a wicked bit of fun. Still feeling good, and still making progress!

Another day of working followed by Zeppelin. I did some reading on the band (that's right, I'm getting closer to being done with that giant biography I feel like I've been mentioning here for ages), and then picked away at the bridges and the solo some more, worried more about continuity when it comes to the bridges, and more about stretching out my fingers when it came to the solo. I didn't get as much done as I could have, but nonetheless I still feel as though I made some progress. Soon, probably Monday on my day off, I'm going to break down and get out the guitar trainer I have that slows things down and lets you play along, and make use of that in the context of "Stairway," because I haven't done that yet. I expect that, with that in play, the solo will really start to come along nicely. The way my schedule breaks down, I've effectively got two days off between Sunday evening and Tuesday afternoon, so I'm hoping there will be ample op...

I dove back into "Stairway" tonight, starting with the first bridge, and working my way through the verse progressions and up to the solo. It feels like it's starting to gel a little bit. There are still things that I struggle with, and spots where I need to go slowly, but it's getting easier. I even moved one of my music stands (I have two), from the bedroom back into the living room in order to make approaching this easier. The other thing that helped was that I just did it. I didn't think too much as I went, and I kept going until I got stuck, and then just worked on the section I had just gone through. Slowly but surely I'm unlocking the secrets of this song, and at the same time, I'm figuring out the level of dedication necessary to get to where I want to be. The work is starting to pay off, if only in small dividends, but I can see it. Some things (which definitely include sight reading of tablature, and making it sound like the record) are g...

It felt good to get back to the Zeppelin today. I stubbornly started with the beginning, and worked my way through some of the bridge. The opening went really well, considering that I've been away from it for a while, and as for the bridge... that went smoothly too, if only because I actually focused in on what the music was telling me. I stopped worrying so much about where my fingers were going and just reacted to it, and surprisingly, it started to resemble Zeppelin. Four months into this, and I still can't get over how even the smallest bit of playing makes my hands feel good. Progress may still be slower than I hoped it would be, but it feels like progress by god! Having the last two days off has helped to clear my mind a bit, which no doubt helps. Creativity is so often stunted by having too much on your mind, and yet at the same time, it's having all that on your mind in the first place that puts you in a spot where the music can help you process. It's a b...

The hardest part about starting to work on a record, especially when you have the ability to pull from years of stored ideas, is the ideas themselves. It's getting past all these small nuggets of music that I really like, and trying to make a cohesive something out of all of them. If I'm doing it solo (which at this point I assume I am), I know I need to center everything around the acoustic. So, why then am I unable to get the electric out of my hands? Something tells me it might be a good idea to turn back to "Stairway," because while I want/need this record to be made, I think I need to sit with its direction a little bit longer.

It got serious tonight. I sat down with an empty notebook and my requisite cup full of pens and actually started making notes for this little project within a project. I'm sure that a lot of what gets me started will be the ideas that have been knocking around for quite some time, both musical and lyrical, and I'm also quite certain that this will more than likely end up as a single disc or an EP rather than a full fledged double album, but hey... as long as I'm embracing the music, I might as well be working on some songs while improving my playing, right? Also of note: I had an interesting conversation today with a customer regarding the need for a local music venue. It likely won't result in anything, but it was a good chat nonetheless. Off for the next two days, let's hope something musically productive gets done!

Having resigned myself to not going home for Thanksgiving, I sat down tonight with the electric and tried to start putting the ideas together for that odd double album I've been pondering. I know full well that I should've started with the acoustic, and that I probably need more work with the electric for the lead stuff and the other parts, but for tonight I was content to mess about with the electric and ponder what could be. Truthfully it's the lyrics I'm worried about. I've been through a lot in the last few years, and I know there's enough there to fuel the album, but getting it right will take forever. Or at least that's the way it feels right now.

It bothers me to no end that I don't have all that much to report tonight. But, I suppose that a long day does equal a relaxing evening at home with a guitar in my hands. The fact that I just played, and didn't really have a set goal in mind shouldn't really be seen as a horrible thing, should it? True to form, I'm still listening to Mellon Collie, and true to form, I'm pondering in a far off way the thought of a double album. Considering that I've never completed a full single album, this might be a little bit aggressive... but tell that to Nellie McKay. I bet I could do it, too. Musically for sure. Put me in a room with an acoustic, some pens, a notebook, and a pile of blank chord sheets for a week or so, and I could likely emerge with a double album's worth of music. Lyrically? Where I've always struggled a lot more? I'm not so sure. Not that I don't have all kinds of things to draw inspiration from right now. It would definitely be ...

All of the talk about Smashing Pumpkins the other day has got me on a bit of a kick with their stuff. I found an acoustic EP on iTunes, and dowloaded that. I got some free songs off of their website, and I've been listening to Mellon Collie . Just in fits and starts though, haven't really had the time to dive into the whole two discs, although that ought to be the way I do it. It's been a long time since I've gone through the whole thing in one sitting. Almost six years, I think. Every time I do get through the whole thing, though, I wind up wanting to make a double album. For a few days anyway. Hell, if I could get on that long of a creative jag, I just might do it. Tonight's playing wasn't dull, per se, it was just me running scales and trying to absorb them at the same time. Practicality at its best. Or something. The Pumpkins need a biography.

I tried to hit on a couple of different things today. True to form, most of my playing revolved around the Zep I'm learning. Still going slowly on the "Stairway" solo, but it is definitely coming easier. I also took another sip of the big Zeppelin book I've been picking away at for the last few months. There's so much information crammed into that book that it's almost easier to read in fits and starts. As for my non-Zep playing, I messed around briefly with a song by Jackie Greene called "Uphill Mountain." It's a tune off of an old in-store play at work that caught my ear. Doesn't seem all that tough, and once I sit with it for more than a few minutes, I ought to pick it up fairly quickly.

Not a whole lot to report today. More "Stairway" at a slow tempo. Feels like I'm making progress though, which is good. Two other things of note. First, I had an interesting discussion with a customer today regarding music in all its formats, and whether or not the CD was on the way out (seemingly for the thousandth time). Secondly, I had an interesting conversation tonight regarding the world of 90's music. Just to spark debate, I'll post the question here. If Billy Corgan and Kurt Cobain's respective places in music history were switched (i.e. if Corgan had died after the Pumpkins 3rd full length album), how much more of a legend would he be? Bear in mind that Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is the 3rd full length by the band.

Having broken the "Stairway" solo down into sections the other day, today I ignored the sections completely and just went through it slowly. It turns out my brother was right. It's not all that difficult of a solo. Sure, there are going to be parts of it that will take some getting used to. There are going to be some note combinations or runs that will take some time to perfect, especially for someone who so desperately needs to improve his lead playing, but the fact of the matter is that, if I just stick with it and go at my own pace, it's not going to be all that tough to learn. I have this problem... always have really, in that I expect things to come to me quickly. I want to dive in and grasp a concept immediately, and over time I'm realizing that certain things (music especially) take a little bit more concentration for a bit longer period of time. Hopefully by acknowledging this here, I won't let it get to me so much. I think the root of the prob...

Long day at work. The remedy? "Stairway" solo, of course! I'm going to go through it and break it down into manageable sections tonight, so that I can work on them tomorrow, on my day off! That's really all there is to report tonight. Short, I know. Hopefully more tomorrow!

So, I broke down today and started the solo. In so doing, I realized a few things: 1) I don't work on my scales/lead playing anywhere NEAR enough. 2) That being said, once I get the various phrases in my ear, things get better quickly. 3) Even working in short 5-10 minute bursts, I can feel my hand start to loosen up the more I work through a lead line. 4) I get intimidated before I start. But once I'm going, I just feel badly that I haven't sat down to work on my soloing more frequently in the past, oh I don't know... DECADE. and 5) Whenever I'm home, and not otherwise occupied, I NEED to be carrying my guitar with me everywhere until I'm not intimidated anymore!

It's funny how the smallest moments have a tendency to teach a bigger lesson. Tonight, as I sat down to page through the latest issue of Guitar World, I found myself thumbing to the tab for "Maybe I'm Amazed," arguably the greatest solo song Paul McCartney ever wrote... and on his first record by himself, no less. What was the lesson? The importance of an intro. The song proper starts with a Bb chord, going from there to F, then C, and G. I started there, only to find that the verses didn't feel "right." On having this realization, I went back to the intro, which begins with A major before going through D major, D minor, and E minor before returning to A. Following that progression, the verse made perfect sense in my head. It sounded right, and felt right all across the board. In that instance, the intro made all the difference in taking an otherwise pedestrian progression, and turning it into something classic. In some songs, the intro flows nic...

Long day at work today. Got paid for the soundtrack I made. That's right, I actually made money off of something musical today. Well, something that wasn't work related anyway. I played for a while after I got home tonight. Nothing serious or "Stairway" related, just as a way to de-amp from the day. Found a cool riff. It's dark in tone, like almost everything electric has been in the last few years... which means it might be the germ of a hard rock band type thing. I need to start writing for that again. Or for anything for that matter. Things have been sort of complicated lately, and I'm not such a big fan of life being complicated. Hopefully I can use the music as a way to process. Oh, and I'm finally feeling healthy enough to ponder vocals again. Yeah, it might just be time to fire everything up again...

To say that today didn't go as I had hoped it would is the great understatement of the week. I had hoped for a relaxing day off, and a chance to take a good chunk out of "Stairway." Instead, I found myself running errands in the rain for most of the day. That being said, I keep running the parts of it that I've worked through already, sorting out the subtle changes, and trying to psych myself up to take on the solo. I'm honestly not sure why the solo freaks me out as much as it does. I know that the key is to break it down into manageable sections, and then stitch them back together. It's probably due to the fact that my lead playing is STILL the part of my playing that I'm not so very confident about. Hopefully learning a legendary solo will help that...

Cutting it a little bit close again today when it comes to getting a posting in before the cut-off. Go me. Today's musical endeavor was a big one. A customer had asked me a few weeks back to make up a soundtrack they were unable to locate. I was fairly confident that I had some of the music they were after, so I took on the project. It turned out that I had more of it than expected, but I still had to download quite a bit of music from itunes. The toughest song to find wound up being the title track from the movie, and let me tell you, finding an mp3 of that song took some serious work... (2 hours of digging through all of the legal channels available) but I did it, and in so doing was able to genuinely make someone's day/week/Christmas. All in all, it was quite the musical undertaking, and proved to me that I'm getting better at what I do for a living. If you want to be technical, it also proved to me that the lines between what I do for a living and what I do on my...

Not all that much happened today. I read a bit of the huge Zep biography, and followed it up by going through the parts of "Stairway" I had worked on previously. No major developments, and I'm pretty upset with myself about that. I go in late tomorrow, and have Friday off, so hopefully a few major developments will happen then.

So, knowing that I've sworn off commenting on "Stairway" for a bit, I started messing about with "Free Bird" tonight for no good reason at all. I likely won't keep it up (at least until I conquer the Zeppelin), but it's interesting to note that the chord progression for "Free Bird" is easier than the one for "Stairway." The solo, on the other hand, is harder. Mostly because it's a ton of bends, and trying to get (and keep) them in tune can be a challenge. Back to "Stairway" tomorrow, but it was a fun change of pace for a night.

Three primary things on my mind tonight... sort of a musical "quick hits" of my day... 1) I need another day or two of practice on "Stairway" before I comment on it again. That way, hopefully I'll be able to offer a bit more insight into how it's going. 2) I'm kind of pumped to start a book I just got loaned on Beethoven and the creation of his 9th Symphony. I very rarely read about classical music, so this should be interesting. and 3) I could really use another album that turns my world upside down.

Okay, so, two things of note today. First, as mentioned in yesterday's entry, I did mess around a bit with the verses for "Stairway." Not as much as I would've hoped to, but st ill. I played enough to notice the subtle differences between the intro progression and the verses, and to start assimilating them. The second thing may just be the coolest thing I've seen in a long time. It's a music video for a song called "Take Me Out" by a band named Atomic Tom. The catch? They played the whole song (vocals, guitars, drums, & bass) on their iPhones! Check this out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19KBAcJ53ak Pretty cool, if you ask me.

So, having been distracted by other Zeppelin, and then various assorted things yesterday, I finally got down to a bit of "Stairway" tonight. I figured I'd start easy, and ve then work my way into the tougher stuff. So I did what everyone does... I started with the intro. I knew it in a general manner, of course (everyone does), but the smaller nuances and shifts in the chord progression were pleasant, unexpected surprises. Then again, it's always fun to go into something assuming you know exactly how it goes, only to discover that you really don't. Tomorrow, I'm adding the verses.

I took a slight detour from my stated path for November today. In fairness, it's based on three things. 1) I woke up in a decidedly Paul Westerberg mood. 2) I got to take home an in-store play that I've had my name on for 2 months now. 3) I ended the day with Seven Mary Three, while secretly craving something a bit quieter. I found the tab for 7M3's "Over Your Shoulder," and wailed away on that for a while. If there's any Zep to be had before bed, it won't be much.

Before I start tonight, I'd like to toss a shout out to a new co-worker of mine, J. who proceeded to re-introduce me to an album I've owned for years, without even knowing she did it. Thanks J! You're the best. Now, on to the whole "classic song" thing. I'm trying to be smart and break "Stairway" down into sections. It seems logical, also, to start at the beginning, which, coincidentally, is the part of the song I know the best. That being said, there's this huge part of me that just wants to start off by tearing apart the solo and learning that first. Both parts may win. We shall see. I'm off to play, and then pass out. Today was a long one. More tomorrow.

So, I started in on the "classic song" thing today... well, okay, I sort of did. My intention was to start with "Stairway," but I wound up getting distracted by the riff to "Rock & Roll" instead. Granted, after that happened, I did mess around a bit with "Stairway." Something else I'm discovering about myself: I'm doing better with this when I have a tune that I'm working on, something I'm working toward. This may seem obvious, but what I'm really getting at is that, at least lately, when I sit down to practice scales, I don't get much done. When I work on them in the context of a song, I have more success.

So, I found something today. I was organizing the workspace, going through everything that has wound up there of late, and I ran across a bit of guitar tab that has been sitting around for a few years at least... At the risk of sounding incredibly cliche, there has always been a part of me that aches to learn all of those rock classics that everyone always claims to learn on guitar. Initially, I stayed away from all of the hype, but I'm growing tired of avoiding it all, and I'm thinking I may break down and learn all the big classics. That being said, the obvious ones are as follows: 1) Stairway To Heaven 2) Hotel California and the one that I found... 3) Free Bird Tomorrow is my last day off for a week, and with the holidays approaching, now may not be the best time to try this, but instead of writing a novel in the month of November, I might just try to learn a classic. It's only a thought. Still in the embryonic stages, but it might be fun.

Not feeling all that well today, but that being said, I still managed to start the process of making the music area more user friendly. There isn't a whole lot of table space available, so finding a way to maximize writing surface will be helpful. I'm working on that while trying to keep the required resources that are frequently used readily available. It's proving to be a bit of a logistical challenge, but one that will work out well when finished off. Also, I did manage to squeeze in a little bit of time to play today, although I will admit that being sick lowered my concentration level, so not much got accomplished. Hopefully I can kick this once and for all. Not being able to sing has been killing me too. Stupid congestion.