LR: Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Wed May 30, 2012 8:18 am
I really enjoyed those posts yesterday. Thanks.
LUNCH: We gotta do a weekly town run to get groceries & a few things. Probably go to the good ole Golden Corral buffet. I'll rely my usual restraint & likely have a fresh salad, some grilled chicken & cooked veggies, then treat myself to some melon for dessert. I really like the food at Golden Corral - hope you have one near you. The word "buffet" is the most common spoken word in this town..,.., & it shows.
Q-1: Whatcha think of buffet places - good idea? beware?
SONGWRITING: Every songwriter I know keeps a notepad or recording device [pocket recorder, cell phone, etc] handy to capture an idea, thought, phrase that just might wind up as a lyric or melody in a future song. One of my songwriting buddies' best work came when he & his wife were in a booth at McDonald's & he overheard a conversation in the booth behind him with a couple trying to quietly discuss getting a divorce while their kids were playing at their feet under their table. He jotted notes, lyrics, on his napkin until he could get home. From that came a song called "Waiting To Here" about the long way from playing grownup wearing Daddy's boots & Mama's heels to here in divorce court. He recorded it & gets requests for it at every performance.
I frequently make messages to myself into my iphone, wherever I am. Sometimes it's a full or partial lyric, sometime it's a concept. Sometime it is an actual bar or 2 on the guitar or a keyboard. Just bits & peices; never a full verse. I keep a pen in my hand in church, lectures, & presentations of all kinds. I make notes in a booklet of titles & phrases. I create a new title on a fresh page or add related words to that or existing pages as things hit me from out of nowhere. OK, so my mind wanders a bit.......... well, a lot, really. What I've done is found a way to USE that tendency. No one has ever questioned me about making notes on anything I was listening to. Example: one Sunday in church, I either heard, read, or thought of the words "River of...." Since then I've added these related words: life, God, soul, tears, fools, dreams, time, shame, whiskey, gloom, love, choice, peace, joy, truth, freedom, eternity, power, desire, evil, light, darkness, no return, mist, voices, blues, ..... & I'll keep adding to it & drawing from it over time. And that's only ONE page of many pages of unsensored possibilities for a song or song parts. I keep the booklet handy for deposits & withdrawals.
Q-2: Do you use any techniques like that or know of such used by others?
G&L: I have always enjoyed reading about the history & evolution of G&L. George Fullerton's books: "Guitar Legends ~ The Evolution of the Guitar from Fender to G&L" & "Guitars From George & Leo" I find very fascinating. To make them even more special, George Fullerton signed each of my copies of those books. Though his most recent one, "Guitars From George & Leo" is about 3 times as long & packaged more professionally, I still like his first one more. They're worth having in any G&L enthusiasts' library. Sometimes they show up on ebay for cheap.
Q-3: Do you prefer one of these Fullerton books over the other?
HUMOR: OK, let's see more. Here's one I got off this site a few years back
Tomorrow,
Jay
LUNCH: We gotta do a weekly town run to get groceries & a few things. Probably go to the good ole Golden Corral buffet. I'll rely my usual restraint & likely have a fresh salad, some grilled chicken & cooked veggies, then treat myself to some melon for dessert. I really like the food at Golden Corral - hope you have one near you. The word "buffet" is the most common spoken word in this town..,.., & it shows.
Q-1: Whatcha think of buffet places - good idea? beware?
SONGWRITING: Every songwriter I know keeps a notepad or recording device [pocket recorder, cell phone, etc] handy to capture an idea, thought, phrase that just might wind up as a lyric or melody in a future song. One of my songwriting buddies' best work came when he & his wife were in a booth at McDonald's & he overheard a conversation in the booth behind him with a couple trying to quietly discuss getting a divorce while their kids were playing at their feet under their table. He jotted notes, lyrics, on his napkin until he could get home. From that came a song called "Waiting To Here" about the long way from playing grownup wearing Daddy's boots & Mama's heels to here in divorce court. He recorded it & gets requests for it at every performance.
I frequently make messages to myself into my iphone, wherever I am. Sometimes it's a full or partial lyric, sometime it's a concept. Sometime it is an actual bar or 2 on the guitar or a keyboard. Just bits & peices; never a full verse. I keep a pen in my hand in church, lectures, & presentations of all kinds. I make notes in a booklet of titles & phrases. I create a new title on a fresh page or add related words to that or existing pages as things hit me from out of nowhere. OK, so my mind wanders a bit.......... well, a lot, really. What I've done is found a way to USE that tendency. No one has ever questioned me about making notes on anything I was listening to. Example: one Sunday in church, I either heard, read, or thought of the words "River of...." Since then I've added these related words: life, God, soul, tears, fools, dreams, time, shame, whiskey, gloom, love, choice, peace, joy, truth, freedom, eternity, power, desire, evil, light, darkness, no return, mist, voices, blues, ..... & I'll keep adding to it & drawing from it over time. And that's only ONE page of many pages of unsensored possibilities for a song or song parts. I keep the booklet handy for deposits & withdrawals.
Q-2: Do you use any techniques like that or know of such used by others?
G&L: I have always enjoyed reading about the history & evolution of G&L. George Fullerton's books: "Guitar Legends ~ The Evolution of the Guitar from Fender to G&L" & "Guitars From George & Leo" I find very fascinating. To make them even more special, George Fullerton signed each of my copies of those books. Though his most recent one, "Guitars From George & Leo" is about 3 times as long & packaged more professionally, I still like his first one more. They're worth having in any G&L enthusiasts' library. Sometimes they show up on ebay for cheap.
Q-3: Do you prefer one of these Fullerton books over the other?
HUMOR: OK, let's see more. Here's one I got off this site a few years back
Tomorrow,
Jay
Re: LR: Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Wed May 30, 2012 10:18 am
Jaystrings wrote:
Q-1: Whatcha think of buffet places - good idea? beware?
Q-2: Do you use any techniques like that or know of such used by others?
Q-3: Do you prefer one of these Fullerton books over the other?
Jay
Q-1: Buffet == horse trough
Q-2: I have a pocket recording device, but don't carry it around. Too big and bulky. Who doesn't have paper and pen close by? Aren't those everywhere?
"waiting to Here". I see, a play on words. Once, I heard a band that I like and wanted to buy their CD. Went to the store looking for the band "Fish". I didn't find it. Ended up getting a Prince CD instead. Business lesson: learn to spell.
Re: LR: Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Wed May 30, 2012 11:24 am
buffets are a bad idea. people want to get their money's worth and way over eat. few people have restraint. the evidence? just look around the buffets. obesity everywhere. i often feel like going up to the 400lbs+ people to ask them what are they thinking coming to a buffet. have been to golden corral, it's pretty mediocre.
what do you mean you make messages to yourself on your phone? there is a built in notepad app, and a built in sound recording app. do you use those, or really message yourself? i don't write lyrics, so i don't use any devices for that. for songs, i do use my phone's built in recorder.
what do you mean you make messages to yourself on your phone? there is a built in notepad app, and a built in sound recording app. do you use those, or really message yourself? i don't write lyrics, so i don't use any devices for that. for songs, i do use my phone's built in recorder.
Re: LR: Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Wed May 30, 2012 12:21 pm
I think it is good to have a recording device ready and available when you have something in your head and when it is better to verbal record than write down.
Louis gave a thumbs up review on "Igor Stravinsky Poetics of Music in the Form of Six Lessons "
Another book with positive reviews and is FREE
Paul Hindemith: A Composers World: Horizons and Limitations
http://archive.org/details/composersworldha002179mbp
Louis gave a thumbs up review on "Igor Stravinsky Poetics of Music in the Form of Six Lessons "
Another book with positive reviews and is FREE
Paul Hindemith: A Composers World: Horizons and Limitations
http://archive.org/details/composersworldha002179mbp
Re: LR: Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Wed May 30, 2012 1:44 pm
[quote="meowmix"][quote="Jaystrings"]
Q-1: Whatcha think of buffet places - good idea? beware?
not a big fan of buffets, i like to spend time over food and not be rushed! I always eat too big a starter at the buffet and then find that I have no more room!!
Q-2: Do you use any techniques like that or know of such used by others? tried singing ideas onto my phone recorder. played it back and it sounded awful!!! that'll be why I dont sing in the band! paper and pen for me
Q-3: Do you prefer one of these Fullerton books over the other?
I've only read the one, "Guitars from George and Leo" enjoyed it, would like to read the others, will have to search them out
john
Q-1: Whatcha think of buffet places - good idea? beware?
not a big fan of buffets, i like to spend time over food and not be rushed! I always eat too big a starter at the buffet and then find that I have no more room!!
Q-2: Do you use any techniques like that or know of such used by others? tried singing ideas onto my phone recorder. played it back and it sounded awful!!! that'll be why I dont sing in the band! paper and pen for me
Q-3: Do you prefer one of these Fullerton books over the other?
I've only read the one, "Guitars from George and Leo" enjoyed it, would like to read the others, will have to search them out
john
Re: LR: Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Wed May 30, 2012 2:07 pm
Q-1: Whatcha think of buffet places - good idea? beware?
Definitely something I stay away from as much as possible. I have some customers who like to go to a Chinese buffet. I like Chinese, but it's really, really bad for you. Even when I weighed 235, I still think I was the skinniest guy in the place.
Q-2: Do you use any techniques like that or know of such used by others?
I don't write songs, but I've heard of guys doing exactly what you're doing. Write it down or record something on the spot.
Q-3: Do you prefer one of these Fullerton books over the other?
I only have one of George's books - the last one. To be honest, I haven't really read it yet. I kind of scanned it when I first got it, but haven't opened it since. I need to sit down and have a good read with George!
HUMOR: OK, let's see more.
Here's a friendly jab I took at Deuce a few years ago . . .
Definitely something I stay away from as much as possible. I have some customers who like to go to a Chinese buffet. I like Chinese, but it's really, really bad for you. Even when I weighed 235, I still think I was the skinniest guy in the place.
Q-2: Do you use any techniques like that or know of such used by others?
I don't write songs, but I've heard of guys doing exactly what you're doing. Write it down or record something on the spot.
Q-3: Do you prefer one of these Fullerton books over the other?
I only have one of George's books - the last one. To be honest, I haven't really read it yet. I kind of scanned it when I first got it, but haven't opened it since. I need to sit down and have a good read with George!
HUMOR: OK, let's see more.
Here's a friendly jab I took at Deuce a few years ago . . .
Re: LR: Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Wed May 30, 2012 3:11 pm
louis cyfer wrote:what do you mean you make messages to yourself on your phone? there is a built in notepad app, and a built in sound recording app. do you use those
Sometimes I use the notepad if I can get to a place with privacy or have the time. The other times I use the recording app. I had a tune pop into my head once & I ducked quickly into a restroom, took out the iphone, & hummed enough of it to help me when I got back to my guitar. It worked.
Re: LR: Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Wed May 30, 2012 5:38 pm
Hey Jay, Haven't had time to respond much this week. Nice to have you back posting!
Buffet - Not really a fan. The last buffet place I walked into (accidentally mind you, we didn't know it was a buffet) smelled like an aeroplane after a long haul flight. Hygiene is always something to think about at a buffet. We stayed at a Club Med hotel in Malaysia that did buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food was great and beer and wine was included. Like anything, there are good and bad.
Songwriting tools - Last song I wrote I was on the tram home with nothing to write on but my mobile phone. I typed the chord changes and lyrics as a note and recorded it as soon as I got home. It was written and recorded in about an hour! The band spent a few hours together working out our own parts one evening and it's since been worked into our live set. The best songs are always the ones that take the least time to write
Fullerton's Books - I have 'Guitars From G&L". It'd be nice if it had more pictures and in COLOUR!
Buffet - Not really a fan. The last buffet place I walked into (accidentally mind you, we didn't know it was a buffet) smelled like an aeroplane after a long haul flight. Hygiene is always something to think about at a buffet. We stayed at a Club Med hotel in Malaysia that did buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food was great and beer and wine was included. Like anything, there are good and bad.
Songwriting tools - Last song I wrote I was on the tram home with nothing to write on but my mobile phone. I typed the chord changes and lyrics as a note and recorded it as soon as I got home. It was written and recorded in about an hour! The band spent a few hours together working out our own parts one evening and it's since been worked into our live set. The best songs are always the ones that take the least time to write
Fullerton's Books - I have 'Guitars From G&L". It'd be nice if it had more pictures and in COLOUR!
Re: LR: Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Thu May 31, 2012 12:12 pm
I love buffets! I mean a really love buffets!
As my Uncle Jim used to say- You don't get your money's worth until you go back for the fifth time! LOL
Song writing tools- Use whatever works . Some people have a better sense of melody than others. Some have a better sense of prose and poetry. I think the real skill is in telling a story with as few words as possible. The weakness of many novice song writers is that they are too verbose! Melody is the other real skill. It is very hard to separate a melody in your head as original and not write an existing song.
George Fullerton- I have "Guitars by George and Leo" I am not familiar with any other books by him. I think you were very lucky to have met the man.I wish now that I had gone to one of those G&L open house gatherings in 2007-2008.
As my Uncle Jim used to say- You don't get your money's worth until you go back for the fifth time! LOL
Song writing tools- Use whatever works . Some people have a better sense of melody than others. Some have a better sense of prose and poetry. I think the real skill is in telling a story with as few words as possible. The weakness of many novice song writers is that they are too verbose! Melody is the other real skill. It is very hard to separate a melody in your head as original and not write an existing song.
George Fullerton- I have "Guitars by George and Leo" I am not familiar with any other books by him. I think you were very lucky to have met the man.I wish now that I had gone to one of those G&L open house gatherings in 2007-2008.