Conference napalm::guitar

    
    I started out late in life, basically I had no money until I joined the
    Army so I missed out on the usual high school garage band phase.  By
    the time I started playing, I had gone through some serious listening
    phases, you know, thinking that the Troggs were on the same musical
    plane as Stravinsky, then digging art rock, blues, avant jazz, etc.
    
    My big conversion was when I left the Army, I started getting into folk
    music more and more, so my first paid gig was playing in a bluegrass
    band.  I spent a number of years bouncing in and out of various
    country-western bands while here and there popping up and playing top
    40, MOR rock, etc. but I always found those bands boring.  What it came
    down to was I couldn't see myself going out to see my own band...
    
    Then I lucked out and met some like-minded folks who saw music as an
    open arena and not just a bunch of isolated genres.  The last five
    years I've been quite happy playing everything from country to hardcore
    to reggae to blues to Black Sabbath to old-timey folk in a ragtag
    ensemble that aims for having a lot of fun rather than playing the
    entertainment game. 
    
    Along the way, I've had some fascinating gigs, met a lot of interesting
    musicians and had lots of fun, got onto two LPs and a couple of tapes,
    played some of the better night clubs and festival stages in the area. 
    The only thing that never happened was making money!!!
    
    As far as my playing styles go, I really have been heading in the same
    direction all along, namely every which way at once!!!  Being
    overspecialized has its problems, namely it's harder to get out and
    play.  If somebody calls with a C&W gig, I put on my western duds and
    hit the road, if they say can I play at an artist's loft, I bring lots
    of effects pedals and wear black  8^)  8^)  8^), if they say it's going
    to be zydeco I'm in heaven  8^)  8^)  8^).  Any "phases" I've been
    through are based on what sort of material I'm learning to fit the
    current gig more than anything else (i.e. since my current gig is
    roots-oriented, learning "Lark's Tongue in Aspic" is on the back burner
    for now) and my practice routine reflects that somewhat as well.  
    
    But as far as what am I going to play tomorrow, tell you what, call me
    up with a good idea for a project and I'm ready!!!
    	
    								Brian

	My taste comes full circle in a matter of hours. I'd like to do it
	all. I can't of course so I'll work what's most interesting to me
	now. Guess you'd call that "Punk" or "Alternative Rock". There are
	a lot of places I'd like to stop along the way. There's this thing
	about the blues...

	I guess for me 'the joy is in the journey' and I'm willing to
	work hard and see where it takes me. When it comes to actual
	study I'm working the jazz side of the street cuz I heard enuf
	pseudo-classical gunk poured out in the `70s and `80s.


	So many notes, so little time.

Good topic Coop !

I guess people also take the path of least resistance sometimes.  I started 
playing guitar in the early 70's.  Back then there weren't as many labels 
placed on different forms of music.  I mean, if you played at a party and 
your set list included Black Sabbath (metal), Lynyrd Skynrd (Southern 
Rock), and Ted Nugent (straight ahead rock 'n roll), nothing much was 
thought about it.  It was all considered rock and roll, and that was cool. 
Now, if you play something like that, you're bound to p*ss someone off 
because they don't like that *type* of music.  But growing up (musically) 
in those times made me more of an all-around player.  Kind of a "jack of 
all trades" player, but a master at none.  Through the years I've played a 
little of everything from Country to Metal, none of them well enough to get 
world wide aclaim, but I'd say an overall "2".  In the past few years I 
tried my best to hop on the speed metal band wagon.  I enjoy the music a 
lot, but honestly, it's way over my abilities.  So I find myself playing in 
a band that covers a lot of the tunes I grew up with.  It's familiar to me 
in more than musical terms.  So I guess, the circle is complete.  I'm still 
open to new material, and I still practice at some of the thrashy stuff, 
but I'm not heart broken if I can't rip a Paul Gilbert run at will.  Don't 
get me wrong, I don't feel like I'm "selling out" at all.  My experiences 
over the years have helped me line up gigs with all kinds of bands.  Hell, 
one time in while I was in High School I jammed with Count Basie's band at 
a local club.  There's something to be said for a well rounded player.  I 
know a few guitarists that have only one strong suit, namely Metal, and are 
virtually worthless at anything else - ever tried an open jam with someone 
like that ?  Either they know the song ("where's my tab ?") or they watch 
as you play it.  Better to be a musical chameleon than a fish out of water.


				Scary

    
    Yup, I agree with Scary.  I "try" to play more than just one style of
    music(mostly within "rock"); it could be my downfall as far as learning 
    time goes.  I know some people that have been playing classically based
    rock(Bach n Roll?) 1/2 the time I've been playing, that just rips me
    up!  If I could spend most of my playing time on classical pieces only,
    I think I could have gone alot farther by now.  
    
    I started out as a hacker on the guitar 7 years ago, tried to learn 
    classical about 2 years ago, now I'm back to being a hacker again.
    So why not stick to something I'm more comfortable with?
    
    J. 

    Exactly !  If you can come away from a gig or practice knowing that you
    played "your style" the best you could, where's the problem ?  I still
    like to throw a two-handed tap in the middle of a old tune.  My band
    does "Third Rate Romance" by the Amazing Rhythm Aces, and I throw some
    over the neck harmonics in there ... makes people wonder what you're
    doing - including the boys in the band !
    
    
    					Scary

    I started playing in about 1973, when I was in the 10th grade.  We had
    a hard rock band in high school.  Played some Zepplin, Tull, and
    Hendrix, and some other stuff.
    
    I was an avid Tull and Zappa fan for years.  I know I've still got more
    of their albums than anything else.
    
    I had had 3 years of piano lessons when I was like 7,8 and 9 years old
    but just didn't get into it.  A couple years later, I took guitar from
    a local woman but didn't really get into that either.  Eventually, I
    guess I was ready for it and picked it up again and it stuck, much to
    the demise of my bank account!
    
    I remember being the only non-band-member in my high school music
    theory class.  I took another theory class in collage.  It was a great
    class, but the only music class I took.  EE doesn't leave a lot of time
    in the schedule for that kind of thing.
    
    Music was all around the house when I was little.  I sang in church
    choir.  My mother had played organ in the church when she was younger
    and could jam on blues piano.  I used to talk her into it whenever I
    could.  I think that's what did the trick for me when I think about it. 
    And my sister was a voice major in collage.  An incredible voice!  My
    brother decided he would learn piano and just went out and bought the
    sheet music for Gerschwin's Rhapsody in Blue.  He learned it start to
    finish and could play it beautifully.  So I got to listen to a lot of
    stuff when I was little.  I'm sure that's where it started for me.
    
    I just walked into a record store and bought Heart's new album,
    Brigade, and Horowitz at Home, his last album, released just about the
    time he died.  That had the clerk wondering.
    
    For me Beethovan's 9th is as heavy as any metal, just different
    instruments.  I figure that guy would really be crankin' out some wild
    stuff if he was alive today.
    
    Bach's organ music too.  Incredible intensity!
    
    I like barbershop quartets.  I like jazz.  Rock, hard or soft, some
    country, I love Bonnie Raitt's new album.  I like Ted Nugent to Roy
    Clark.  I think Andre Segovia was almost a god.  I'm sure Hendrix was
    and think that Vai is well on his way to being one if Satriani isn't
    already.  
    
    I just love people that can really play, whether it's very technical or
    just emotive.  Vladimer Horowitz could do things on a piano that may
    never be heard quite the same again.
    
    I don't know what I would call myself, but I play in a variety band. 
    We country, rock, schmaltzy jazz, uptempo jazz, 
    
    I don't know where to stop.
    
    One favorite practice thing of mine:  I light one candle in the room,
    turn off all the lights, turn off all the effects, make it guitar
    straight to the amp and start with drills to polish the technique. 
    Then the drills will turn into solos. When the solos are going good, a
    start adding back in the effects (but not before).  By the time I'm
    done, the gain's on 10 with almost everything else on!
    
    I play better in the dark, I swear, I think it's because I see less out
    of my peripheral vision that distract's me.
    
    Didn't mean to be to long winded to read,
    
    Will