It’s Sunday and, it’s like this on Sundays; I got stuff I have to, like go to the bank and deposit some cash before the checks I wrote on Friday hit. And, since I’m going out anyway I might as well tackle some of the things I should do like go to the dreaded Wal Mart and get stuff like contact lens solution, deodorant etc. etc. etc. But, I’m sitting here, a half a pot of coffee in and, I don’t feel like doing any of it. Even though it’s an absolutely stunning day in the Ozarks, 80 degrees no humidity, blue skies, no wind; the kind of day that’s supposed to make you feel alive and motivate you to get off your ass dammit but, I’m not motivated.
We had a good crowd at Ahoy’s last night which is pretty remarkable because the place, even though it’s been a mainstay down here on the lake for 25 years, has been closed for a couple of months. They didn’t get their liquor license until Thursday afternoon. No chance to advertise or get the word out in any way really. Kind of slow Friday but, a good solid crowd last night.
The first set is kind of a transitional thing at this place because there are always families having dinner after a day on the lake then, the party crowd starts sifting in. You don’t want to shock the diners out of their family dinner but, you don’t want to be too low key when the party crowd wanders in or, they’ll head to the next whiskey bar.
Before we went up for the second set, the crowd was gathered around the TV to watch Michael Phelps win that 8th gold. The place went nuts. It was nice to see a reaction like that. After, they were ready to boogie.
I felt like I was playing pretty well and there were a few guitar heads that came up to me on break and said nice things. This is kind of strange considering the recent discussion; One guy, late 40s or so, was talking guitar players to me and he went off on this enthusiastic discussion of Rory Gallagher out of the blue.
So, I’m cruising along playing pretty good, it’s the last set and we have time for 2-3 more songs, dance floor is packed, people are on the floor doing the worm, it’s a scene man. And, we’ve got the last few songs lined out so, I’m mentally prepared for what’s next. We had a small little pause in between songs, no more than a few seconds and, some loudmouthed chick starts shouting “Brown Eyed Girl”. Which is fine, requests are fine but, this was a little different; It’s like this chick was demanding not requesting. And, after 30 years of these gigs that just irritates the hell out of me. And, the thing is, it’s a song we’ve never worked on. We’ve played it a couple of times but a meatball surgery version. The few times we’ve faked through it I’ve done the vocal and, forgotten a few lyrics which drives me nuts as well. And, it’s got that guitar intro on the twelfth fret that sounds as simple as cornbread but, in reality is pretty tricky. Somebody told me that Eric Gale played the lead stuff on that record. Don’t know if that’s true but, whoever it was is a hell of a guitar player. Anyway, I was all ready to play something else and Brandi looks at me and says; “You want to do ‘Brown Eyed Girl’?” So, yeah well whatever. I just kicked it cold, no count because people were ready to dance. I blew the intro as big as I’ve ever blown an intro in 30 years of blowing intros. Just out there by myself with a packed dance floor in front of me and I suddenly can’t hit my ass with both hands. Fuck! That pisses me off.
I’m not saying it ruined the night but, it kind of knocked me off my cloud. I’ll tell you this, first thing I did this morning was play through that damn lick about ten times.
Enough of that but, more guitar stuff. Here in the last month or so, I’ve been starting the day with a routine that involves playing scales and arpeggios through the cycle of fifths up and down the neck. I haven’t done this for a long time. A lot of people will tell you that you shouldn’t spend too much time working on scales when you practice because, you don’t want to sound like you’re just playing scales when you are actually playing. In truth, it’s one of those deals where there is no one routine that is a be all end all. In truth, you progress as a player by constantly making adjustments to the routine.
Since I started working the scales, I have increased my hand strength and precision to degrees that have surprised me. As a result, I have gone back to doing some peripheral things like using the thicker picks that I used for 20+ years. Once again every adjustment requires more adjustment. My tone is different and, it’s really apparent when playing a gig and moving some air. I was at a point where the settings on the amp, stomp boxes, remained the same gig to gig. It took a few nights to figure out what to do differently.
Now that I’m feeling a bit more salty, I realize that I have the strength to execute some string bends that I’ve been avoiding. So, later today, I’m going to raise the string action on the old Tele. I got a little more gazooch in the left hand so, I’m going to raise the strings to where I used to keep them. Little by little, I am able to get back to what is natural to me. Which is nice. Little things, you know?
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Tags: Guitar, out of the blue, Rory Gallagher, Sunday, Tele
Ovidiu - GuitarFlame.com wrote,
That makes me think about something I wondered about a lot: is there anything like a perfect gig? Or every gig has something to it that could have been done better? I can’t remember playing somewhere and not having discussions with the band after the show : hey, you missed that or that, or I just didn’t know what you are going to do when you launched that part, etc. A gig where everything went fine and we all shake our hands and say hey, that was damn perfect? Well…I wonder Queen or Satriani, or Vai feel the same about their gigs?
Link | August 17th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Axe Victim wrote,
Sounds great mate. A nice day. The sun shines and you’re feeling positive about your playing. Cool. My playing ’still’ sounds like scales, but I have good finger strength though!
Link | August 17th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Pat Darnell and Friends wrote,
Ahoy, Mateo, is this one of those metaphysical fishing stories underlying a man pulling scales off his Tele like fish scales falling iridescently to the stage floor… his brown eyes looking down into them for that memory, as days of his life sparkle in laser lights, reminding him of many — yea, maybe too many — mornings after; while hiding his broken pants zipper from the adoring crowd?
I agree with the above commenter’s, never dwell on what went wrong… when so much of it is fishing on the lakes of triumphs.
[this coming from one who cannot pick and sing simultaneously] yo.
Link | August 17th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Ron Roskowske wrote,
Jack,
I’ve played that song longer than you have, and I’ll still fluff a couple of notes on that intro. I think it’s because I just don’t care about that song. Van Morrison is one of my favorite songwriters, but that one never did make it for me. Good luck on the woodshedding, I should do more myself. Lately I find myself thinking and hearing arpeggios and sequences away from the guitar, which I think helps as well.
Ron
Link | August 17th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Pribek wrote,
Hey Ron, coming from you that makes me feel better about it. I’m at a point with this that I’m able to far more than I thought was possible when I started to re-learn. Because I have made that progress, sometimes when frustration arises it is more intense I think.
Still striving for quality PD not pining for the “glory” days. Trying to live the moment and sometimes the moment is a wake up and rant one. Venting then moving on.
Sometimes you get a person or a small group of people that want to control the flow of your show. It’s different than somebody asking if you know a song or, a fan asking to hear a song that they know you do. I’m talking about somebody that takes every opportunity to shout out song titles in a demanding way. If you give in and start playing bad versions of songs you haven’t worked on, you are doing a disservice to the majority of the audience.
I don’t think there is ever a flawless gig Ovidiu. Even with great players and a well choreographed presentation there are still going to be little things even when it sounds seamless to some. It’s the human factor. And, it isn’t about perfection. Sometimes you can technically execute everything and it falls flat, doesn’t get to people. Sometimes you feel like you slopped through and it gets to them. There is a different level of transmission beyond the technical side and close self inspection. You don’t always really know or control what you are transmitting.
Axe-does it sound like scales to you or to them?
Link | August 17th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Pat Darnell and Friends wrote,
Hi Ron, remember us? Me and, my very own Brown-eyed Girl, Marinell?
Jack:
That’s what I thought, because it didn’t sound like a rant, more like a lyrical description of a Shanghai night with designing women’s calling you out, because they always have. They used to see I was with the Band [HA!!] and ask me and Marinell about “that one.” Remember I used to hand a bunch of cocktail napkins to you afterwards?
As you told that story about the B-E-Girl intro, I thought you were going to say you crushed it like grapes in a winepress, and turned it into a FZ improv’ blue rock epic…. you could’a told just a little white lie this once… no?
And that is why you will always represent quality to me, just anyone try to tell me any different. True blue.
Link | August 18th, 2008 at 12:40 am
Ovidiu - GuitarFlame.com wrote,
You are right, Jack. The fact is that since a few years I don’t care that much if I miss something as long as the general feeling is OK. 10 years ago it was all about that “perfect note”, now it is not anymore, just about how you feel on stage.
Link | August 18th, 2008 at 6:38 am
J wrote,
Raise the action, check the intonation, change the oil/filter and then put some “Super Slinkys”(tm) on it. And put some Rattles in the case!!
http://adsl-76-247-117-65.dsl.pltn13.sbcglobal.net/FRETSpages/Museum/BelieveIt/Rattler/rattler.html
Link | August 18th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Pribek wrote,
from J’s link:
Woah! don’t want your precious instrument to get molested now, do you?
If you have rats in your gee-tar, you haven’t played it for a while. My experience has been that at few tritones will send them scurrying.
Diggin’ the higher action with Power Slinkys ™
Link | August 18th, 2008 at 12:30 pm