Twists and Turns

So now the guy calls me and I began practicing.  This is the one who is talking doing shows, recording and whatnot.  No big money anytime soon.  But, I'm working with him and a girl who is classically trained with some kind of opera experience.   I guess everyone like that plays piano.  She does.

It is clear that this guy knows what he is doing in the sense that professional musicians who can go to a studio with charts and such know what they are doing.  Lots of original stuff to learn.  This is not electric ladyland.  Maybe just one step removed from what I do with the mountain friends but a little more polished, and I am being told specific things they'd like me to do.  That is a first.

Everyone I ever played with seemed incapable of telling me what they wanted.  All they ever said was play a little more, usually.  This guy says, how about playing this riff at this point in time.  Old habits die hard.  So this is the biggest challenge to date, but should result in more playing.  Then what?

I only have five or six tunes to figure out and become comfortable enough with from varying standpoints by next Saturday.  Since I haven't heard but maybe one of them in terms of knowing what is desired, I need to be ready to play harmonic things as well as straight melody lines and guitar lines.  That way I can do any of it at any point as suits the guy who wrote the tune.

This plays on all my shortcomings, however it is not beyond my scope to pull it off.  It is a learning opportunity.  They think I've got a good ear, but I noticed this guy tuning his 12 string and never saw him use any base line reference--no tuner.  Nothing.  And he did it while carrying on a conversation.  It sounded in tune to me.  Every time I've heard him he is in tune.

Fortunately I remember bits and pieces of music training as a kid.  Mostly I forgot or blocked it all out.  It helps that I know the notes on a piano.  So I have a little intuition about minor 2nd and related keys.

You never know what curves you might be thrown.  I played a tune tonight at open mic with a guy who was pretty sure the song was in G.  I had a host of harps at the ready.  I could tell immediately that cross harp for G nor straight harp were the ticket.  It worked out well using an Eminor harp.   The other option would have been 3rd position in D, but notes would be limited.  Guitar players who don't play in combos can really be out there when it comes to knowing what's what or communicating it.

I've become pretty good at knowing when I can't count on the key they think is needed.  It is a little game to me.  Lots of times the nature of the piece is better suited to something which is not the typical harp for that key situation.  Of course, tonight, I can see no way that tune was in G.  Whatever it was, use Eminor.

The house guitar player really hates me.  He will make a big deal introducing everyone else up there and conspicuously pretends I'm not there.  I think I got the better of him by ignoring his sleights.  Most people there know me and feed my ego enough.

This new challenge will do the trick of bringing me back down to reality.  It is cool to be recruited by people who seem extremely skilled and professional, and who appear to have a realistic plan.   We'll see how it goes.  It will take a little time, but maybe not that much.  Should be recording in July I think, and shows probably sooner.

I just want to sleep and eat and travel and hope my belly sets a trend and becomes the thing that defines the desirable new man of the new century.