music journal

I’m not qute a fan (yet) of Ben Gibbard and DCFC, since I havent heard much yet. but I think I’ll like it once I get a chance to check his stuff out. he had a good quote about songwriting that brings out what I’ve felt about writing songs. it seems like there’s an unwritten rule that you shouldnt be able to understand a song for it to be good? like for some reason for something to poetic it needs to be obtuse? these days I prefer straightforward. so does Ben, it seems:

I decided a handful of years ago that I just want to write songs that you can understand as soon as you put the record on. There’s no need to veil what’s happening in the song the way I used to.

My goal as a songwriter now is to simply write some memorable turns of phrase. The reaction I’d like from every song I write is, “Wow, I listen to this song, and it’s about such-and-such, and there’s this lyric in there that’s just awesome.” At the end of the day, that’s what I want.

later in the article there’s this bit, which I’ll consider a cautionary word. I guess he’s OK with it like this, but I find it quite sad although I feel drawn to this at times. I pray I’ll never put music or anything else this high on the pedestal:

…music is the most important thing in my life. It’s more important than anyone else could ever be. I don’t want to be overly dramatic and say it’s the only thing that gets me up and keeps me going. But people in your life come and go. As you go through your life, you make friendships, you break friendships, you have relationships. Music is the one thing I’ve always been able to rely on. So why wouldn’t it be the most important thing in my life?

from this article in Paste Magazine.

I’ve been a big fan of the band Vigilantes of Love since my freshman year of college (thanks Todd!) and they’re one of the few I’ve liked for a long time. it’s been a long journey for the band, some of which is detailed in this interview with Bill Mallonee. the interview made me pretty sad to see Bill so bitter at this point. his stuff will stand the test of time I believe, but it’s hard to see a musical hero on hard times.

anyway, in listening to some of their stuff lately (Slow Dark Train, Audible Sigh), and considering Bill’s lyrical style, I’m struck how often he makes sure to leave a strong thought at the end of the chorus or line. a lot of his songs revolve around a particular idea, and he encapsulates that idea in a short phrase that he drives home at the end of the line of the chorus (usually). sometimes this is the name of the song, sometimes he names the song from another snippet in the lyrics, leaving you something else to think about.

I suppose this isnt a revolutionary idea, but I thought it was good to note how effective it can be in creating a hook, using emphasis and repetition. I tried it a little with my latest song I wrote last night (”Mystery”). hopefully that’ll be ready to share in a little while.

This is a few years old, but definitely worth a look: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carterfamily/sfeature/sf_welch.html

this from JeffD on the Mandolin Cafe:

“A tune tells us a story. The better the story and the better its telling, the better the tune. Great tunes tell unforgettable, timeless stories, that delight us anew with each hearing. I am not talking about the feelings and experiences of our lives evoked by the tune. I am referring to something deeper - the way the tune is about itself. A great tune takes us on a unique little acoustic journey - a travel story  told in the language of melody and rhythm - without necessary reference to anything outside of itself. And the more fun the journey, the better the tune.

The journey of a tune should of course surprise and delight, by providing interesting and unforeseen elements. But in order to surprise us the tune needs to establish expectations - which are then in some way pierced. Finding an enchanting  balance between establishing expectations and piercing them - that is what separates a great tune from a merely good tune. In a great tune, we respond upon first hearing as if we have always known it.  You don’t have to “break in” a great tune. It is like a brand new “old friend”, talking to us about new and exciting things, but talking familiarly, confidently, in a language we understand, have always understood. Somehow it is new and simultaneously very old - fresh and even strange perhaps, while being intimate and conversant with our personal universe of  musical experiences.”

I’ve been thinking more about my long-term goals as a musician, especially as it relates to playing church music. since I play by ear and chords, it’s hard to accompany some things in church. and things are changing with our music at church (which isnt unusual), since Jim is heading to the mission field, so we’ll be down a mandolin player (among many other things) who can read music and play anything. plus it’d be really cool to pick up a fiddle tune (or whatever) and just play it (I’ve got a book with a ton of them).

so I’ve decided to finally do what I’ve wanted to do for a long time: learn how to read music for the mandolin. I know all the basics of reading music, having played trumpet long ago in school. but seeing a note and playing it without hesitation is of course another matter. so I’ve started with an old mandolin method book (from Jim).

I’ve got a lot of irons in the musical fire (my instrumental songs, writing various other songs that seem to always be coming up, church music, etc) but I’m sure this one will be as valuable as any other. I know it’ll be hard work to get proficient, but I’m hoping it doesnt take so long as to be frustrating. we’ll see how it goes.

a while ago when I first picked up the bass guitar I took right to it. lots of fun and not too hard to play. it didnt take too long to find a cheap old electric guitar to jam on, and my friend Andrew (of Infradig fame) taught me the pentatonic (blues) scale. when I was bored in class I’d map it out in the margins of my notebook, and eventually I knew the whole thing up the neck in any key. it’s good fun, but I dont play blues stuff much.

so a handful of chords and the blues scale has been pretty much all I know on guitar for a long time. I’ve known that the basics of the blues scale can work for non-blues stuff if it’s shifted up the neck to the right spot, but I could never figure it out, and would always forget to look it up.

well yesterday I was messing around with one of my favorite songs (all my tears) and I stumbled on how and where to apply the scales I know (with slight adjustments) to non-blues (major key) kinda stuff. now, in theory, I can play lead stuff on guitar pretty much like I do on mandolin. which ultimately may not be saying a whole lot, but it does expand my horizons by a large factor. I think mando will always be home for me, but being better on the guitar is always a good thing.