Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 8 Oct 2009 10:00 am |
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Just got Bobbee Seymour's latest 'Tips'.......and as always, I read it with great enthusiasm and respect. However, my many years of playing in western dance bands, (in the REALLY Way Out West region!) have caused me to question one of his comments. This does not suggest any disagreement on my part but raises what I see as a reasonable question. Mr. Seymour is in the mid-west, I'm in the REAL OUT WEST!
Does memorizing a series of 'numbers' representing
chords really a necessary first step?
As 'P-51 Seymour' suggests, why not just lay-out on that first verse while listening intently and at the same time visualizing the chords being played and then take your turn playing that melodey?
If you really know the fret board on your guitar and and understand how the intervals of 1+5+7 is typical of a majority of tunes you're almost there. No matter what key the song is being played in, the fret spacing interval never changes.
Music to the beginner or fledgling is confusing enough without adding unnecesary intermediate steps in order to play a tune.
By playing with vocal records of others, ignoring the recorded steel players' parts, one can quite readily get the idea of how most songs are constructed. Put a stack of LP's on your olde Victrola and let them play. Don't memorize the song, but rather interpret the chords being played. Listen for the bassists RUNS and the 7th chord from the rhythm section for your clues.
Before you knock it, don't be afraid to try it for a couple of days. Noel Boggs used to do a lot of straight bar, chord position playing without ever playing the straight melody. It works! |
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