Hi Gayle. Yes, I memorize the tunes I play as I also find it easier to play when I don't have to think too hard about what I'm doing. :) I find that staring at sheet music or tab will actually slow down the learning of a tune for me, so I try to break complicated tunes into small parts that I can quickly memorize, and then string together. Thanks for having at a look! I'd love to hear your version of this tune also <hint, hint>...
Hi Diane, Yes extra picking - he'll just pick the notes very quickly, or, he won't play them at all.
And thank *you* for taking the time to look and to comment. I really appreciate it. IncidentallyI saw your cigarbox dulcimers and the article you link to on your site - quite impressive!
09/18/11 08:42:13AM @brian-g:
Dusty - it's ok; I wasn't implying you were being critical at all, and I appreciate the discussion. In my own case, I think I tend to play too fast mostly because it fun. It may not be as musical, but I do enjoy it. I don't think it's to cover up mistakes, because although I make plenty of them, I mostly play alone just for my own enjoyment, so no-one hears most of them but me. :) I think this is an issue for many people who don't spend much time playing with others (i.e., starting to do your own thing without regards to musicality) as playing with others serves as a good reality check. (As does listening and watching the playing of others - one reason I love this site.) On the other hand, I also think it's important to do what makes you happy - I have a good dulcimer friend who absolutely hates that I use hammer-ons and pull-offs on traditional fiddle tunes. I ignore him and do it anyway. LOL. Thanks again Dusty.
09/18/11 02:05:24AM @dusty:
Brian, I have a tendency to play everything really fast on the guitar, but since picking up the dulcimer I've been working hard at playing slowly. I think I tend to play fast to cover up any mistakes or perhaps divert attention from the lack of creativity in my playing. But I've been working at letting the woody beauty of the dulcimer and the harmonies of the arrangements carry the tune and ring out more. Then again, maybe I'm getting older, too. Still, my comments were not meant to be critical. My point was that your playing is so precise, it looks and sounds smooth and easy, and yet on closer inspection, you are actually playing pretty quickly and the fretting is fairly difficult.
09/17/11 10:03:37PM @brian-g:
Thanks Dusty. As always, I appreciate you taking the time to listen, and to comment. As for playing fast, I really do have to slow down more. I tend to play just about everything a bit too fast. :) Thanks again!
09/17/11 05:20:23PM @dusty:
Great job as usual. Your fretting is so precise it is easy not to notice how fast you play sometimes.
09/15/11 04:19:53PM @brian-g:
Thanks John! (And I laughed at your comment about the shirt.) :)
09/15/11 06:25:23AM @john-keane:
Just right...really nice playing. Glad the shirt dried without incident lol.
09/15/11 06:04:13AM @brian-g:
Thank you Terry! That's a very kind thing to say. I find these tunes from any number of places...it's hard to say, really. From books, from listening to others, from the internet, and from my own reasonably large music collection, I guess. :)
Hi Gayle. Yes, I memorize the tunes I play as I also find it easier to play when I don't have to think too hard about what I'm doing. :) I find that staring at sheet music or tab will actually slow down the learning of a tune for me, so I try to break complicated tunes into small parts that I can quickly memorize, and then string together. Thanks for having at a look! I'd love to hear your version of this tune also <hint, hint>...
Hi Diane, Yes extra picking - he'll just pick the notes very quickly, or, he won't play them at all.
And thank *you* for taking the time to look and to comment. I really appreciate it. IncidentallyI saw your cigarbox dulcimers and the article you link to on your site - quite impressive!
Dusty - it's ok; I wasn't implying you were being critical at all, and I appreciate the discussion. In my own case, I think I tend to play too fast mostly because it fun. It may not be as musical, but I do enjoy it. I don't think it's to cover up mistakes, because although I make plenty of them, I mostly play alone just for my own enjoyment, so no-one hears most of them but me. :) I think this is an issue for many people who don't spend much time playing with others (i.e., starting to do your own thing without regards to musicality) as playing with others serves as a good reality check. (As does listening and watching the playing of others - one reason I love this site.) On the other hand, I also think it's important to do what makes you happy - I have a good dulcimer friend who absolutely hates that I use hammer-ons and pull-offs on traditional fiddle tunes. I ignore him and do it anyway. LOL. Thanks again Dusty.
Brian, I have a tendency to play everything really fast on the guitar, but since picking up the dulcimer I've been working hard at playing slowly. I think I tend to play fast to cover up any mistakes or perhaps divert attention from the lack of creativity in my playing. But I've been working at letting the woody beauty of the dulcimer and the harmonies of the arrangements carry the tune and ring out more. Then again, maybe I'm getting older, too. Still, my comments were not meant to be critical. My point was that your playing is so precise, it looks and sounds smooth and easy, and yet on closer inspection, you are actually playing pretty quickly and the fretting is fairly difficult.
Thanks Dusty. As always, I appreciate you taking the time to listen, and to comment. As for playing fast, I really do have to slow down more. I tend to play just about everything a bit too fast. :) Thanks again!
Great job as usual. Your fretting is so precise it is easy not to notice how fast you play sometimes.
Thanks John! (And I laughed at your comment about the shirt.) :)
Just right...really nice playing. Glad the shirt dried without incident lol.
Thank you Terry! That's a very kind thing to say. I find these tunes from any number of places...it's hard to say, really. From books, from listening to others, from the internet, and from my own reasonably large music collection, I guess. :)