Hello fellow players,
This is Vic Lawson with todays newsletter.
Music is a language so the only way for people that dont speak it is to feel it through our emotions. Thats why its so important to learn to play from the heart. Once youve learned to translate what you feel into your instrument, thats when you can touch people with your playing.
Think about being somewhere where you hear a conversation in a foreign language. You really cant understand what they are saying, but if they start to raise their voice, you know they are frustrated, or if they are sobbing, you know they are sad. Its the same with the language of music.
When I play with a good band, I sometimes thing about this. I hear so many subtle things come together in a moment and wish everyone could appreciate what just happened. I believe thats why a lot of players tend to play just for each other, because we get it! But thats where playing from the heart comes in. If we learn to do that, the audience doesnt have to technically understand it, but they can feel it.
You dont have to know how to make biscuits to know whether they taste good. But as long as we can appreciate it, thats all that matters.
So think about this and the next time you play try to play with enough emotion that people will say Wow! That made me cry. Or try to play so your music gets them dancing. You will feel the satisfaction and that will make you a better player.
As a professional steel player, youre constantly being challenged to learn new material on short notice. I played 12 hours on Saturday and 4 hours last night, Im playing three shows this week with Darryl Singletary and Justin McBride so the next couple of nights will be spent learning Darryl Singletarys material.
Ive played for Darryl before but unfortunately I didnt retain it so now I have to refresh myself and do it in a hurry. The older I get, the harder it is to retain things, so what I do these days is learn the signature licks, solos and fills the way I want to play them so I dont have to copy everything note for note.
I make generous use of my Tascam Guitar Trainer. Its really the best tool for the job and Id be hard pressed to keep up if I didnt have it. A good suggestion for anybody learning new material is when you start having to replay the same part to remember it, get up and take a 10 or 15 minute break and come back. That gives the material time to sink in before you start cramming new material in on top of it.
Itll be three fun shows. If anybody wants to come out and say hi, were in Austin, Texas Thursday night at the country fair. Well be playing from 8 to 10 PM. Friday night well be at the Cotton Club in Granger, Texas playing from 8:30 until midnight. Saturday night well be in Delhi, Louisiana at the Cooterville Mud Rides playing from 11 PM until 1:15 AM. Come and say hi if you can.
For Columbus Day we have reduced all of our tracks CDs to $9.99, down from $15. Time to load up so you can practice playing with emotion.
www.steelguitar.net/playalongtracks.html
Check out our monthly specials at http://www.steelguitar.net/monthlyspecials.html
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Steel Guitar Nashville
123 Mid Town Court
Hendersonville, TN. 37075
(615) 822-5555
Open 9AM 4PM Monday Friday
Closed Saturday and Sunday