Funky Fingerstyle Guitar
Here’s a peek into my mind as to how I craft something musically for solo guitar.
I recently arranged the Beatles “Michelle” for solo fingerstyle guitar and while I feel it could be way better ‘technically’….it looks like people are digging it, from the comments. (thanks Youtubers!)
It is very far from perfect – but it feels good! There’s a different “perfection” in the good feeling I am talking about.
[Read more…] about What’s More Important – Musical Essence or Technical Perfection?
THE SCENARIO
This last week, I spent a lot of time online, doing my research, keeping up with social media, new (to me) sites like Pinterest.com and Chill.com.
(does this sound familiar?)
Sites like Facebook, twitter and Youtube are helping me reach fans and book gigs…so I wanted to see “what I’ve been missing” and how I could ramp things up, career wise.
Oh boy…all I did was make myself nuts!
Like many musicians, or managers or “labels” I’m scratching my (bald) head wondering what’s next, and will the sites I’m signing onto even last?
Some sites will be here to – stay (for a while) while others will bite the dust like Myspace.
My head started to hurt.
Questions like this plagued me this week (don’t worry – this post will end happy…)
Some of my personal issues:
then…my personal hell….since I get asked for tabs of my covers constantly…
The irony is…(drum roll please)
By asking these questions I was simply “creating my world” and seeing the world as “I am” not the way it is.
BUSTED.
What appeared to be “out there” was “in here.”
This is kind of heavyweight information when you think about it.
I create my world and you create your world, minute by minute, whether we complain and worry, or whether we rejoice and give thanks!
THE CURE
I picked up the guitar.
I decided to start learning a new tune….”IMAGINE” by John Lennon. It was time to be a musician and not a social media manager for a few hours.
After hours of ironing out an arrangement, I uploaded it to Youtube:
[youtube=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dELdAQ25kT0″]
This video was done with NO end result in mind….only “love” in mind, honest to God. I wanted my fans to have something nice and soothe them.
I fell completely into the song, the lyrics, the tone of the instrument, Lennon’s voice, intention, and so on.
THE AFTERMATH
As I walked out into the street in NYC after uploading the video and I felt “all my troubles seem so far away” 🙂
The pain, headache, uncertainty and frustration I was feeling were GONE.
What?
I found myself in a “bliss” state.
Immersion into music, with no thought of “what I’d get out of it” is what got me there.
I saw after this that I have the personal power to choose one state or the other.
THAT’S BIG! Do you get this?
What I previously thought “the world was doing” was MY creation.
My NEW (forgotten) mantra “I am responsible for 100% of my life.”
THE IRONY
Once I dropped the video onto Youtube, Facebook and Twitter – it was something useful that people wanted to share.
That’s the way to use social media! (I.E. that’s the horse before the cart…)
THE MEDIUM IS NOT THE MESSAGE
Social media is a pipeline.
Garbage in, garbage out.
Good meaningful stuff in, good meaningful stuff out.
The lesson….offer something good….really good and everyone wins.
I know I am making a very bold statement here about “musical success” but I am speaking to you 100% earnestly and from life experience.
If you are in search of a wider audience, greater appreciation with your current audience, and maybe even a better “way” to make a living as a musician, this will interest you.
I am about to help you remove a HUGE block and change your life….yes that’s right.
As they say, “if the show fits, wear it.”
I am going to teach you about my formula…
“C + Y = R”
But first…the proof.
In the last 6 years I’ve increased my joy, my feeling of aliveness, number and quality gigs and overall lifestyle due to this formula.
I’ll present you with the info, and then you decide.
I hope that by the end of this post, you’ll have a new understanding about connecting emotionally with your audience.
When you “connect” emotionally to people with your music this is the start of all good things for them and for you.
Gig bookings, more students, more connection to your loved ones and yes (gulp) more money, can come to you from doing what you love – playing music.
Maybe you are student and money doesn’t matter, but the RELATIONSHIP to your listeners still does. This post is all about emotion and connection….money is just a potentially nice side effect.
Your audience can be your husband, wife, kids, friends, neighbors church group or even a club or concert audience. This applies to you whether you are a hobby player or pro player!
This “C + Y = R” formula was (and still is) used by artists and bands like:
Let me paint you a picture of how life was before “C + Y = R”
Years ago I played every little gig I could. I taught relentlessly, and it was as if my dreams of being a concert and festival performer just refused to become a reality.
I could hardly pay my rent! What was I doing wrong?
Then, I learned solo pop arrangement (my first Youtube Video was “I Wish” by Stevie Wonder) and a “flood” of activity started.
Later, I’d find that even on a small gig I could get the room’s attention and sell a ton of CD’s by playing “I’ll Be There” by the Jackson 5.
As if by magic, a whole audience of talkers would fall into silence and then applaud wildly after the song , as if it were some sacred ceremony sprinkled with gold fairy dust.
Why on earth did these little “ditties” turn heads, get people to shut up…when I could spin out endless jazz standards that only served to be “background music?”
I’m not dissing jazz. I am calling out musicians who overlook the all-important connection to the audience. Jazz can and should have that, and in it’s heyday – it did.
Back to the Stevie & Jackson 5 tunes….
I knew I stumbled on something deep after years of toiling away. Why did these tunes make life better?
Here’s my formula.
C + Y = R
Cover Song + You = Relationship
By playing a well known song, you access something ALREADY existing in your listeners mind, rather than teach them something new.
It’s like telling a little kid a bedtime story they already know…it provides a degree of security & comfort.
Rather than “confront” with new information – you give them the “warm fuzzies” by accessing a “corresponding” reality that they already know. As a result…
THEY FEEL GOOD and become open to YOU!
Very Important – and the Catch 22
In order to do this properly, you must be VERY honest with yourself because your “cover” songs must be infused with true love and dedication.
You have to let these ideas “sneak up” on you – otherwise they will feel “hollow” and “loveless” to you & your audience.
I know this because I have learned tunes that did not “vibe” with me. As a result, I basically never want to play them.
Use your head and your heart together when learning cover songs.
If you infuse the song with your love, your dedication, your touch, and your sound – it becomes an easy vehicle for you to connect with your audience.
They get to feel the love, warmth and passion that you have put in over hours, weeks maybe years.
They react to the “human-ness” you give them….
By doing this you build “R” – relationship.
By making it easy for them, you are communicating to them that YOU want a RELATIONSHIP and are taking the first warm friendly step towards them.
What About Original Songs?
Of course you should play your own music too.
Once your RELATIONSHIP is “activated” with C + Y = R your audiences will be open to your original music or more obscure tunes. Once you have bridged the gap, almost anything can go!
On the surface level it sounds like I am saying “play cover tunes”, and yes every wedding band does that.
I’m saying something deeper because it’s based on giving and not taking.
Make the RELATIONSHIP the priority in your performances.
For example – if I play for school kids, I’ll play a popular tune like “Billie Jean” so they feel “hey this guitar player guy is cool” and they’ll then feel open to my offerings.
Were I to barge into a school and play all originals – how long could I keep the attention of high schoolers?
The point is this…3 or 4 songs deep – everyone feels groovy and THEN I can say “Hey gang, here’s one of my tunes.”
Imagine for instance you have never heard my tune “Ciao Bella”.
If I come out and play1. Billie Jean2. Superstition3. I’ll Be There4. Ciao Bella
You’d likely be MUCH more receptive than if I played 3 originals, and then a 4th. (I speak of the general public.)
For some this would seem “un artistic”, but for me this allows greater possibilities to have a hungry audience for my own music and compose more music.
But Rock Stars Don’t Play Covers…Why Should I?
Actually they do if you think about it.
And – The Beatles and Stones started as blues bands covering Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry tunes…and slowly brought their tunes in…
Big rock groups are expected to play their “hits” in concert before they launch into the new album material.
Could You Imagine:
Of course not.
Pull your audience in with well loved songs FIRST, and then anything can happen.
You are still free to play what you want…only you are in a better position to do so.
I bet you’ll be closer to being a flourishing and successful musician if you use C + Y = R.
“Try it, you’ll like it!”
=-=-=–
P.S. The All-New Volume II “How To Play Stevie Wonder for Fingerstyle Guitar DVD” launches tomorrow June 27, 2012.
If you want to try out your C + Y = R with 4 great new Stevie tunes (Isn’t She Lovely, Higher Ground, Cherie Amour, You Are the Sunshine of my Life), I’ve laid them all out or you in video lessons and written guitar tabs!
Coming June 27, 2012…
Wow!
Gang, I just got some amazing news….just in time for the launch of the Volume II “How to Play Stevie Wonder Fingerstyle Guitar DVD”…
What I am about to tell you is making me grin ear to ear right now! I can’t believe it.
A friend and DVD student of mine – guitarist Shaun Hopper was at the L.A. NAMM show and performed solo guitar on the “All Star Guitar Night”.
He had purchased the Vol I of my “Stevie Wonder” DVD series and plays all the material from the DVD. (Shaun is a killer player by the way!)
He performed some of the Stevie Wonder guitar arrangements at NAMM and guess what?
Stevie Wonder himself was there at NAMM, and got word of the solo guitar arrangements!
Stevie and Shaun met – and Stevie loved the arrangements of his music for fingerstyle guitar. Shaun kindly told Stevie about me & the DVD instruction.
It just don’t get any cooler than that! Here’s the email & pic….
Hey buddy! Wanted you to know I played the All Star Guitar night in LA. at the NAMM show and stole the show with a standing O!! Thanks to you!!!
I gave you complete credit on the mic in front of 1300 people for teaching the style of Stevie Wonder on the guitar and because of that Stevie had his people come find me today and he wanted to hear more.
I got to play for him and HE LOVED IT!! I told him I learned from you! Channeling your style made me a one of a kind player at NAMM!! You’re amazing, Adam.
Update – Vol I & II of the Stevie Wonder fingerstyle guirar DVDS are now available as a bundle – Click Here
There’s an urban legend about a world class violinist named Joshua Bell who played his solo violin concert program of J.S. Bach on a 3.5 million dollar instrument in the Washington Metro at rush hour.
Riders walked past, no one “listened” except for snippets – and he earned about 32 bucks.
The writer’s slant on the story is this:
“If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?”
I disagree COMPLETELY with is idea.
Joshua Bell demonstrated an “unsuccessful gig” in the midst of his “successful gigs” and showed all musicians that presentation counts – since the music was a “constant” in the equation. Do’h!!!
Holding the public accountable for “not noticing us” is a victim mentality, and is very disempowering for musicians.
Whether we see ourselves as concert hall worthy, restaurant gig worthy or street worthy – we will end up playing places that are in accordance with our beliefs.
We are 100% responsible for our vision of where we want to be – even if it is not yet manifest. That starts inside, not outside.
How can I say this utterly blunt stuff?
For years I saw myself as the restaurant guitar guy – which is fine, and not a criticism of anyone playing gigs like that. My self image kept me there, but I realized I wanted more.
Only when I changed the self image (not easy) to being a concert and festival player….life changed around me – as if by magic.
If I did it, you can do it too.
Let me ask you….
To the victim this seems really unfair, as if evil is winning over good.
To the empowered musician, it makes 100% perfect sense and is totally fair.
It’s all obeying the Law of Attraction.
We all create our worlds in accordance with our beliefs.
The Empowered Take Away Idea:
Even if your music is absolutely world class…you now know, from the subway story, that the “public” needs more than your music alone.
If you want to reach your audience, then this matters too:
I’m making a new moral of the story:
“If we do not have a moment to think about how we present ourselves and our best musical efforts, how many gig opportunities are we missing?”
I’m not posting this to add to the lump of online “how to get gigs” articles.
I am posting this because the victim mentality is poisionous to musicians, and the “take 100% responsibility” mentality is healthy, empowering and leads to greater happiness.