I have to admit I am quite new to this forum, but since I just got myself DSL at home,
I'm surfing more and more. I got to read some of the threads and posts of this forum
cuz a friend of mine wanted to get my opinion on one of the posts here.That post being
guitar 101 and Who's the greatest guitarist in the world? both by Carlo Borromeo.
Instead of posting an opinion there, I thought of making a new thread - Music 101
That way I can give my 5 pesos in about guitar players and the whole music Xperience.
From what I've read here, this is a basically rock types of forums, bands, electric guitar
players, electric guitar solos in songs etc., etc. Even the question why are cebu bands
just playing covers already tells you that.
First of all, music is a language, a form of communication of two things,
tension and release, and with songs, pretty much the gray area in between.If you'll notice,
songs are made with a 1,4, and 5 chord progression. All songs are ruled this way basically.
But to give it a different feel tunesmiths substitute related chords to any of the 1,4 and 5
and /or modulate. Did I lose you already? (sorry but this is for musicians).
We start with 1(root) is release or feel good, 4 is
slight and subtle agitation (sub-dominant) and 5 is tension(dominant), a need for resolve
or release back to the root. A song circulates around those sensations of
tension and release.
An added dimension to this is rythm and the use of minor(sad) and Major(happy) keys or chord.
Why am I explaining this?
Because that is how music works its magic, how it carries peoples' sensation, whether its
a sweet satriani solo or a thrashing dimebag or a pleading gary moore or an introspective
SRV. Same goes for all music since the time it was invented, bach, mozart, beethoven and
the gregorian modes. A balance of tension and release.
What makes songs very special is the fact that lyrics are attached to the sensations of
music, so that instead of vague generalized sensations, they are translated to real
feelings of love, sadness, hatred, and so many others.
That is probably why the major form of music in this century and the previous, is the
very simple
song form to the dismay of the classical artists who looked up to their
elaborate suites, sonatas,concertos, symphonies,etc., that have been relegated to
incidental music and to the uninitiated, very much the music used in the movies.
To paraphrase an 80's new wave song,
"Hang the DJ, hang the DJ, because the music they
play says nothing about my life"
We want music to communicate something to us, preferably
something familiar that we can grasp like the perfect girl
that got away
, or the boyfriend who slept
with your best friend or what not
.
So what does that have to do with cebu music?
To all those bands who say they don't have a venue to play originals or they cant sell
their albums. I'll tell you what you should be doing.
1. Originals, originals, originals.
If you can play 3 sets of good original songs then I guarantee you, you wont have a problem
getting gigs. most of the bands who say they can't play originals are not just dumb but
stupid and lazy,as long as the songs are good and not offensive, you can play them
almost anywhere.I used to tell the guys of sheila and the insects, when they had great
gigs at ribo's and marina, to sing their own songs in between the songs they usually sing.
That's what you do if you have only a few songs. If you have enough for three sets then
play all originals, it will be hard the first few times but it will get better. Name me an
unsigned, no album, relatively unknown group who can do 3 sets of originals.
Why 3 sets? because that is as long as you can play in a venue in one night.
The more times you play your originals live, the better your songs get and remember,
nobody is going to play your songs but you,(are any of you going to play sigbin or M16
)
and if you dont play them, nobody but your friends are going to know about them.
Do you want to communicate only to your friends or to as many people as you can get
to listen?
One thing I've heard too many times is this:
-Ganahan kaayo ko sa inyong banda,
-thank you,
-magbuhat unta mo ug original composition
-na-a man sad mi mga originals wa pa lang ma record
-nindot unta na da.nganong wa man ninyo gi tukar?
that's one opportunity for an album sale or song presentation wasted.
Also, songs are not timeless, they become timeless because of timing,they came out at the right
time and social weather. An example of this is stings' number 1 hit "The Russians". Even with its "Irish" folk melody and super super super relevant rhyming lyrics, it is nothing when it is not in the context of
the cold war or detente, if it came out today, it wouldn't be a hit much less a number 1 hit.
2.Style is your guile.
I once had an argument with our album producer in Manila, Larry Scott God rest his soul,
who was also the producer of Gary V. He was commenting about the Eraserheads who at that
time were only starting to get popular with their first album and comparing them to what
he called the countrys' premier band,Side A. Side A was getting about 150T per major
concert and was doing about 4 or 5 a year aside from their regular gigs.The eraserheads
however were getting about 30T per major out-of-town show, but then they were doing almost
1 concert a week, you do the math
. Side A and eraserheads are of different styles. The
other pop and the other the quintessential college or underground band.Side A the very
polished players with practically no original songs (they even asked cebuano roy llanes of
40 the band to provide them songs), eraserheads were horrible live, but that didn't matter because
the audiences were there to listen to them play their very good and relevant original songs.
("Hang the DJ, hang the DJ,because the music they play says nothing about my life") again
comes to mind.
So what is your style? POP? rock? hip hop? metal? Alternative? New wave? Standards?
If you are a rock/alternative band, do not expect to get gigs in venues like rattski
that are generally pop venues.If you are metal, don't expect to play in cafe Havana.
But if you have a lot of originals that are really good, cebuanos will hardly get to
hear you guys live because you'll be out of town most of the time.
Take urban dub, cueshe, and junior kilat for that matter.
Your style will dictate what course of action you should take and you can set a gauge for
your success. Like for instance, what music are people actually buying or listening to?
Songs are the key to your success, what made nina and mymp hits?, nina can't hit the highs
and mymp is flat a lot of times, but the great songs they covered carried their albums.(foolish heart, mysterious ways, everything she does is magic)
Don't expect to get a great song after writing only two because even the greatest songwriting group, the beatles, with more than 500 recorded songs, had about a ten to one success rate.
One no-no with original songs is making and performing songs way different
from what you
play in gigs or of what people percieve of you.If you are an incubus type of band like what
Urban dub started with, and you play your originals along with the covers you usually play,
People will easily percieve your songs in the manner they do your covers.
(You think anybody other than budoy can pull off sigbin and M16?)
Eraserheads, along with their originals, used to play beatles covers in the style only
they would play, hence they maintained their originality.
Side A were very polished players but were better arrangers than composers so it was easier
for them to rehash hits like tell me and foolish heart than to create their own.
3.Perseverance...(In the end.. china will win...)
You buy any songwriting book and it will tell you to write everyday. Don't think that
writing is something you get born with, its something you develop and polish, and the only
way to do that is to do just that, write. Again the 10 to 1 beatles ratio comes to mind.
A painter will keep on painting regardless that he doesn't have a venue to exhibit his
paintings. He scrapes money to buy the materials so he can practice his craft and hopes
somebody will appreciate his talents and buy them and while he doesn't have a venue to
formally display them, he probably does that at home or at a friends place.
Songs are not much different. Bands should record their originals(after first polishing them)
and like the painters who scrape to buy materials, you just have to scrape to get them
recorded and although you probably can't sell any right away, play them in front of an
audience in the hope that it touches somebody enough for them to get a copy.
In music as in guitar playing, there is no instant success, only instant gratification.
So write, write and write, or practice, practice, practice.
This is a very very long post so
Next time I'll post about
Who's the greatest guitar player in the world?
or something like
Who cooks the tastiest food in the world?
the question should be, who is your guitar hero?
or whose pancit is the best you've ever tasted?
because in the end, china will win.....
Music 101
Reply With Quote
Posting Permissions
