We’ve been talking about music gear for nearly a decade.
So, what music are you making with that gear? Writing your own compositions or learning someone's?
I'm (still) taking weekly bass lessons. We do a new song every week or two. Sometimes I pick, sometimes he does. We just did Message in a Bottle. Tonight we're doing Cowboy Song.
I enjoy learning something new, plus we dive deeper. First, no tabs. I have to learn the notes and where to play them–and why to play them there. "Hear how he's sliding into the note? He can do that by playing it here." Of course, watching a video shows that Randy, my teacher, is always right. (Darn his ear.)
And then we'll often look at the history of the piece. Take the Kinks. Love their stuff. First punk band? Maybe, sorta? But then some digging turned up Los Saicos: Peru, circa 1964.
A few months ago, Randy goes, I have a song for you.
Okay, what?
Jenny.
Jenny?
Yeah, you know, 8675309.
That's not very punk.
Trust me, he said. I've been playing song for 40 years. It's fun and never fails to get people dancing. Plus it's in your favorite key, F#.
Darn it, he was right. It's fun, it has a hook. And the lesson: Each part of the song–verse, bridge, whatever–ends with the same A to B. Ah, so that's what helps the song work.
So, whatcha playing?
It's summer. Yacht Rock baby!!!!!!
La Grange. A-haw haw haw haw.
Great thread topic!
Back when I was an aspiring rockstar we would play a cover song or two at each gig. I wash there were recordings of some of those. My personal favorites were a couple tunes by Nick Cave, Thirsty Dog and As I Sat Sadly by Her Side. Not exactly what you'd call crowd pleasers, but I liked it.
These days I'll occasionally do Starman by Bowie, or any number of Alice In Chains songs, Touché by Godsmack, and some other stuff I dabble in. I don't practice as much as I should so I've forgotten more than a few.
I have a handful of unfinished originals I've been playing with too. And willing to send files/video if anyone wants to collaborate. I'm a fair guitar player/singer, also bass, and I dabble in drumming.
@David Wallens - as a punk guy from Florida, I thought I'd share Ive been listening to a lot of Against All Authority lately. Not sure if you ever got into them, a bit obscure and been gone for a long time.
Keith Tanner said:
La Grange. A-haw haw haw haw.
They gotta lotta nice girls. Hm-hm-hm-hmmm
Its Tricky -RunDMC.
Fun one to sing along to.
EvanB
MegaDork
6/22/22 3:04 p.m.
hybridmomentspass said:
@David Wallens - as a punk guy from Florida, I thought I'd share Ive been listening to a lot of Against All Authority lately. Not sure if you ever got into them, a bit obscure and been gone for a long time.
What do you do when there's nowhere to go? Empty pools and punk rock shows.
In reply to hybridmomentspass :
I'm actually not familiar with them but will give them a listen.
Currently listening to OFF! right now.
David S. Wallens said:A few months ago, Randy goes, I have a song for you.
Yeah, you know, 8675309.
...
So, whatcha playing?
Great song. Pairs well with My Sharona. Maybe throw in Rosanna while you're at it.
I recently created a bunch of fake emails for anti-phishing training. They all have an easter egg: the number is 867-5309, because dork. No one's noticed yet.
On topic: We got a "free" piano sometime ago (free = $500 delivery, $250 tune). I never learned to read the bass clef, and I was never very good at reading music to begin with, so I've been working on Bach's Prelude No. 1 in C Major:
I was never that good at bass clef, but you can use it as a cheat to transpose an Eb instrument. You can sight read cello parts with a baritone saxophone. You just have to remember that the accidentals indicate steps of a half tone, and they may be a little different due to the different key signature.
Haven't done that for a while, but I used to do it in university for some of my recitals.
So maybe you take a digital piano and set it to transpose, then you can read bass clef like treble :) It's a little harder to do with an acoustic piano but would be a fun mental exercise. Or just learn to read bass clef...
Gary
UberDork
6/23/22 8:37 p.m.
Appleseed said:
Keith Tanner said:
La Grange. A-haw haw haw haw.
They gotta lotta nice girls. Hm-hm-hm-hmmm
Curse you guys! Now LaGrange is stuck in my head and will be for the next few days. 
(Great song though)
After over 40 years of not playing I'm starting all over, soo...... Wipe Out.
Working on not releasing my folk punk record for the 22nd year in a row. Just needs a few little tweaks still...
In reply to Keith Tanner :
My special lady friend plays cello and piano, her dad was a musician and piano tuner, and her mom plays piano, too - I've got good learning resources :-)
Piano tuning is an amazing art. It's not as simple as people think.
Yesterday someone brought in a small dog in one of those backpack carriers with the clear plastic window, so of course I sang the opening lines of Bowie's Starman (as inspired by the recent meme here).
Today I was singing to myself during the course of the work day: Summertime, from Porgy and Bess (we had some Billie Holiday playing earlier), Whither Must I Wander, from a song cycle by Ralph Vaughan Williams, and In diesen heil'gen Hallen from Mozart's Magic Flute.
We're not currently participating due to the pandemic, but my wife and I are classically trained singers. Most recently, we have been singing with Choral Union at Stetson University for about ten years.
I tend to noodle and write new songs when I play guitar but I had been listening to Better By You, Better Than Me a lot so I sat down and figured that out. Interesting fairly simple song really
The original is better than the Priest cover though IMO, I think the same thing about The Green Manalishi too really
Keith Tanner said:
Piano tuning is an amazing art. It's not as simple as people think.
He was also blind! I'm sorry I never got to meet him -- he was an amazing man, by all accounts.
David S. Wallens said:
In reply to hybridmomentspass :
I'm actually not familiar with them but will give them a listen.
Currently listening to OFF! right now.
In that case Id prefer you start with this nugget.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWRqhepqLuE
Working on "Gimme Three Steps" by Skynrd. Super fun bass line to play...
If I told you all the song I heard the other day that made me laugh, some of you wouldn't be able to handle it. I love music, but some people really push boundaries, and that should be respected too.
