Do You Have To Stay All Night?
Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 04:54PM Last night I was one of the two featured artists at the Main Street Songwriters Showcase (http://www.garretswayne.com/msss.swf), here in Woodland Hills, California. I was given a half hour to perform some of my songs and spent the remainder of the evening at the showcase listening to everyone else. I enjoyed almost everyone and gathered some insights about performing, arranging and singing.
One fellow, who wrote pretty good songs, was a less than serviceable piano player, so he ended up doing his good songs a disservice by playing essentially the same piano part for every song. I was listening. The songs were well written, melodic and intelligent lyrically, but they all sounded exactly the same, filtered thru his limited piano skills. And as i think about it, it wasn't that the skills were so limited as much as it was that he treated each song exactly the same arrangement wise.
This created a texture that never changed across the tapestry of his songs. He didn't need fiery chops as much as he needed to rethink the piano part. If that was as complex and rhythmic as he could get, then he should start from a simpler place and evolve to that place by the finale of the song. You can play one note and sing against it, or play tenths, as I've said before. Then when the full chorded two handed playing starts, you have a huge dynamic change. He did one other thing that i noticed. He played the piano in exactly the frequency midrange in which he sang, so both the voice and the piano were competing for the same space. All this got in the way of our appreciating his well written songs. I vowed to take a look at what I am doing and make certain that I am aware of this. You benefit from hearing others work...every time. Trust me.
There were another two fellows there whose voices rang like a bell. They sounded so great. Effortless and musical and I realized that they were singing their songs in exactly the right place for their voices. Which, of course, made me think about my own singing and my own placement of my voice in a song.
Because I’ve been playing guitar for so very many years, I have gotten to the place where, not only do I not use a capo at all, ever on stage, but I take a sort of perverse pride in not doing so. And because I have arranged certain songs in certain keys, because of the way they work on the guitar, I sing them in those keys…and here’s the stupid part…even tho it’s not the best key for my voice…I sing it there because I like the guitar voicing in that key. And I still won’t use a capo.
Think about it. I am serving my ego instead of my performance. If I can sing, “It’s All In The Game” better in E flat or E, to sing it in D, just because I evolved an arrangement in that key, and I pride myself on never using a capo, is just plain stupid. So from two gifted amateurs last night I learned that I was, once again, getting in my own way. How often do we sabotage ourselves by not asking the right question; by not recognizing what we really need to have happen and then serving that vision?
This realization also triggered something else as I was typing it. Tho I was one of the featured acts, and went on second (the cherry spot), I stayed all night…frankly I did so out of courtesy to the others who were performing, even though I didn’t feel like hanging there. I worked on my taxes all day and was tired, but it is my commitment to myself to stay when I play these showcases, because I remember when I was coming up, how much I wanted someone that I admired or respected as a performer or singer or composer to hear what I was doing. Turn about is fair play and you have to give back. So please, as a courtesy to the other artists and actually to yourself, stay for the whole event.
I learned something so valuable just because I stayed there and listened, not to mention the fact that there were some remarkably musical people there last night. But the big thing is that my next show will be better than my last.
Now, thanks to what i learned last night, I have to go and make certain that i am in the best keys for all the songs that I’ll be doing at my next gig, which happens to be the first house concert at the home of Hope and Laurence Juber (www.laurencejuber.com). I must say that I’m thrilled.
Laurence played for Paul McCartney in Wings before Beachwood Recordings was fortunate enough to release Laurence’s first two solo CD’s, Solo Flight and Naked Guitar. That they are presenting me is quite an honor and I want to make certain that I am all that they expect and then some. So I’m off to practice. I hope that you all are doing the same.
Reader Comments (7)
Yeah James. How to not stand in front of yourself (A direction usually fueled by a gas tank full of ego.).
Sometimes limitations - or what we perceive of as limitations - are the very things that propell us beyond where we thought we could go. I love that turmoil about best singing key or slave to the guiatr voicing example.
Perhaps brilliance always just drops down like fairy dust. It's up to us to be aware of it - AND IN WHAT GUISE IT PRESENTS ITSELF. For me that guise is often limitation ( As defined by my ego. ).
What is right, is right. What works, works
paul adams
paul, what a delightful surprize to see your post up here. for those of you not familiar with paul's work, check out www.pauladams.org. he makes wonderful and original music. on stage one of my standard lines is, "everything i've ever learned in life, i've had to learn again" and i wish it weren't so true. evidently getting out of our one way is one of the hardest things to do. thanks for the contribution and the time.
james
it's funny the difference between having limited skilled and limiting your skills...Billi Holiday had only an octave and three notes of vocal range...but her skills as a vocalist were great...
I always thought Joni mitchell did all of those signiture out there guitar tunngs because she was a terribley creative artist...and she is...but recently I heard in an interview her saying it was because she wasnt a very good guitar player so instead of trying to learn all these difficult parts she just changed her tuning
I cant play gutar as nearly as well as you can James or as Joni...or alot of other people playing and singing live is not my favorite thing to do usually...as I am a fluid performer and I gesture and act and dance...if I'm doing traditional folk its a different story...but i'm still not a great guitar player tho I have been plying since I was 7...thats 22 years...but I practice and keep my calusses...AND MY CAPO...I admire those who can play without one...but James JAMES!!! dont sacrifice your vocal skills and you are a very gifted vocalist...nost people dont know what a capo is anyway unless they play...and even then many dont know...in the end it doesnt matter...
I keep thinking about that pianist...i wonder if he took lessons...I wonder if he was nervous and that played a part...maybe he's just going down the convential path with his playing...for me that is always a mistake...I wish I could have heard him...and of course you as well James!
Thank you for being you, James. I was perusing John Batdorf's site because he'll be doing a house concert at our friend Joan Enguita's home in a few days, and found a link to you. I was enhralled by your art and your spirit when I did sound for your Folk Alliance gig a few years ago. So then nibbling through all the wondrous stuff on your web site, I came upon this blog, and within a few sentences, I found myself wiping back tears at the depth and truth of what you are sharing here. You go straight to essence, brother. I salute you.
wayne, thanks for taking the time to read and then comment, i truly appreciate it. also delighted that what i am puttting up here is helping people.
see you at a show i hope.
james lee
..thought I was the only thickhead(you should excuse the expression..)that didn't use a capo for the same reasons..lol thanks James
pat, delighted that you took a gander at the site. and it's weird, but i'm finding it difficult to get accustomed to using a capo. i've been practicing with it for the house concert at laurence juber's home on sunday night and it makes me really uncomfortable. i like the neck just like it is. i'll have to learn to play the songs in the real key...like the pros...