You Don't Know True Music
This blog is full of technical and more serious aspects of music. It's about music alright, and you might find all your answers here, but today's post is going to be a little different.
Today, we are going to take the technical aspects of music and throw it out of the window. Today, we are going to talk about expressing ourselves in terms of music.
To be honest here, I have been posting on this blog for years now. We have regular readers, some who've been there since the beginning. Some of you send me nice emails.
My point is, in case I'm repeating something I already posted a few years ago, don't mind it. It'll be refreshing your knowledge.
Here's the thing: you go for your music classes, you go on YouTube and search for song lessons, and that's good. You learn good songs, you can play some nice things. Here's the catch though: What you're learning, it's not you. You are not what you learn from YouTube, or the technical things you learn in your guitar class...
Now...grab your instrument. Yes, right now. Just take it in your hands, ready to play. I want you to close your eyes, play something, not something you've learnt, something random. You shouldn't care about whether it's technically right to play B after A. Forget all that. Just let your hands be free...whether it sounds nice, or it doesn't.
Play those notes which sound good to you. Play them in a sequence. Play the notes you like in your own sequence...and here's the best part about it: 8 times out of 10, the tunes or the sequences that you come up with, comply with the technical aspects of music in some way. Here's why:
1. You've been programmed to like things the way it's technically taught to you.
2. Think about it: From where did these technicalities in music emerge? From humans! How did we come up with it? Well, we don't know it in depth, but we do know that music is all about sound...everything technical came from how it sounds. If it would sound wrong, it wouldn't be a scale. Scales were made because they sound right.
Therefore, when you go back to the roots of music, when you can detach yourself from the things you learn everywhere, you can find the real you!
How do I let go, Parth?
Well, here's the thing: you cannot let go until you forget about the people who are going to hear what you play.
99% of the people will not be able to detach from what they've learnt because they care about what others will think....What if someone hears me play something wrong? What if I end up playing absolute junk and someone hears me? My reputation will go for a toss...
Let me be honest with you: Unless you're some celebrity, nobody really gives a shit about what you play. Everyone's involved in their own life. They may notice you for a second, but before you know it, they'll forget about it. Plus, many others don't know anything about music either! So if it's one of them, they won't understand what you're playing in the first place.
Just let go...
Today, we are going to take the technical aspects of music and throw it out of the window. Today, we are going to talk about expressing ourselves in terms of music.
To be honest here, I have been posting on this blog for years now. We have regular readers, some who've been there since the beginning. Some of you send me nice emails.
My point is, in case I'm repeating something I already posted a few years ago, don't mind it. It'll be refreshing your knowledge.
Here's the thing: you go for your music classes, you go on YouTube and search for song lessons, and that's good. You learn good songs, you can play some nice things. Here's the catch though: What you're learning, it's not you. You are not what you learn from YouTube, or the technical things you learn in your guitar class...
Now...grab your instrument. Yes, right now. Just take it in your hands, ready to play. I want you to close your eyes, play something, not something you've learnt, something random. You shouldn't care about whether it's technically right to play B after A. Forget all that. Just let your hands be free...whether it sounds nice, or it doesn't.
Play those notes which sound good to you. Play them in a sequence. Play the notes you like in your own sequence...and here's the best part about it: 8 times out of 10, the tunes or the sequences that you come up with, comply with the technical aspects of music in some way. Here's why:
1. You've been programmed to like things the way it's technically taught to you.
2. Think about it: From where did these technicalities in music emerge? From humans! How did we come up with it? Well, we don't know it in depth, but we do know that music is all about sound...everything technical came from how it sounds. If it would sound wrong, it wouldn't be a scale. Scales were made because they sound right.
Therefore, when you go back to the roots of music, when you can detach yourself from the things you learn everywhere, you can find the real you!
How do I let go, Parth?
Well, here's the thing: you cannot let go until you forget about the people who are going to hear what you play.
99% of the people will not be able to detach from what they've learnt because they care about what others will think....What if someone hears me play something wrong? What if I end up playing absolute junk and someone hears me? My reputation will go for a toss...
Let me be honest with you: Unless you're some celebrity, nobody really gives a shit about what you play. Everyone's involved in their own life. They may notice you for a second, but before you know it, they'll forget about it. Plus, many others don't know anything about music either! So if it's one of them, they won't understand what you're playing in the first place.
Just let go...
What should I expect the first time I try this?
Honestly, it's wise not to expect anything. That's because you're not used to letting go. When you let go for the first time, you may sound like an absolute rookie playing for the first time in their lives...and when you play like that, that's when you know you've really let go of yourself.
As time passes and you practice letting go, you will see that you automatically come across some really good phrases, and over time, your playing will get better when you let go.
Do I really have to?
Well, no you don't. Is it important? Very. Playing an instrument is not just about sounding cool, unless you're learning it to impress girls...or guys, whatever you're into.
Playing an instrument is a meditative thing, and many people don't do this. By meditative, I mean it is a way of connecting with your inner self.
It is also about creating beautiful sounds, but this is an important aspect of it too....so it's good if you practice letting go every once in a while.
Well, that's about it! Thank you for taking out your time to read this post, I hope it helps in some way. Good luck!
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