I have come to the –unproven- opinion that the time spent by a guitar instrumentalist figuring out a slowed down version solo, the I, IV, V7 or iim, V7, I chord progression, this riff, this lick, the multitude of fingering patterns, and Form(s) I, II, III for scales and modes and, and, and etc…INDEED does take HOURS of dedication, practice, and discouragingly enough, often with guitars of a lesser graded wood type, of poor quality, and whose value diminishes before the first set of strings is even changed.   A serious guitar player/musician, even a drunken/stoner, is as disciplined as a classical violin/piano/musician.  Although maybe with also a shorter career.  Anyway, that neither here or there.  This column, is –about- music and will be also about solfege.  Solfege?  Sol Fa?… Wikipedia here we come!   Pedagogy dictates.  Save thyself a desktop’s icon and as a researcher does for a writer who has an editor with expectations, use it as a means of reference.  Quite a lot of -musical- answers are found in the -printed- words, and knowing that it is what the brain assimilates that is “transmitted” to our fingers and definitely NOT the other way around.  Since we want to do our best for our audience, wisdom invites.   To enhance our individual musical growth by appreciating what is available in music Theory and Harmonization in books is to deprive oneself of absolute knowledge.  Shape and contour of a melody.   Melodic  motion.   Melodic phrases.  Big one, Antecedent and bigger two, Consequent Phrases… I know, I know Wikipedia, but next time when you feel like reading, read about motif, themes, cadence.   Smoke one, sit back and logically analyze and discuss with your band members what the fuck you just read about.    If an aspiring classical and/or jazz composer “must” know that there are twelve tonal cadence terms for musicians to perform, I’ll dare to suggest that an aspiring guitar player/composer/songwriter of rock/blues/pop music “must” as well.

One doesn’t have to rely on a private teacher,  discipline invites. You’re your own student and your own beginner’s teacher.   One wouldn’t  have to rely on another  guitarists to learn the ‘intro” and then the “chords” for Angie by Bert Jansch as opposed to Angie by Keith Richards. Appreciate the mutual relationship that must exist between Melody and Harmony, but like most relationship one must work at it.

I would like to recommend that a 1/4er or let’s say no more than 1/3rd of one’s time holding the instrument be dedicated to notation, sight reading, notes, key signatures, value, intervals,  actually reading, taking notes to get back to as if (for an exam) all that -stuff- so as to suggest that, at probably two hours a week of intensive attention to your studies.

Expecting one’s discovery and thereby knowledge to be infinite as is the case for the art of music, how can one truly reflect upon alternatives for composing when one has solfege to contend with…

 Jean-Pierre / One Man Band Pod

J’ai entendu dire, Que l’appel de la route me ferait sourire, mais en faite ils ont finis de construire ces routes et cela degoute

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