Music

[Paul_B]

I might not like to hear others choice of music in the wilds but my main reason for not carrying a musical instrument is nothing to do with that. It is purely the fact that I am not musically inclined.

I have a lot of musical talent in the family (royal college of music trained and various others who played in orchestras and chamber music groups, etc), but that gene skipped me completely.

My Dad has musical interest just not playing it. He did however have what our musical matriarch (his mum) called a perfect ear. Apparently that is very rare thing. He did however have no interest in learning any musical insterest (did learn trumpet and violin) and preferred to listen to modern jazz. You know the kind of jazz that is a load of notes with no connection to each other played in seemingly random way. The type of jazz that almost nobody else can stand. It was a good way to get us kids to leave the house, my mum would suddenly get her bag and car keys to take us somewhere for a few hours when he got his records out!!

My dad did however have the talent of playing any modern music on the piano having heard it just once. I met a guy at uni like that and it was quite a talent. Listening to a guy playing some Beethoven that morphed into beattles then nirvana is a wierd thing to hear!! He simply played anything he felt like at the time he was playing including original classical music made on the fly!!

 

[Paul_B]

If I had talent, and it didn't annnoy anyone, I would possibly go for the campfire favourite the guitar. Or perhaps one of the smaller stringed instruments like banjo or ukelele.

Perhaps a tovshuur or morin khuur ( I am really getting into the band called The Hu of late - google wolf totem and seek out the original not the ones with an American nu-metal singer). I will not try throat singing though!!

 

[Glow_worm]

a second tune would not have been

And given our post-Victorian societal tendencies for politeness over truthfulness, there's always somebody who says "Well done, that was excellent", and that only encourages

 

[Pattree]

am really getting into the band called The Hu of late -

Yay!!!! Me too! “How Strange”

For those not familiar:- One of The Hu’s anthems: Yuve Yuve Yu means “how strange” but has overtones of regret - a bit like an aggressive version of deary deary me
(Link deleted - off topic sadly, it really is an anthem!)


Strings are no longer me. It’s a very long time since I played mandolin in a pub but
there are some great backpack guitars and ukes.
If you want to play music then just play. Don’t care about what you are playing - just make music. Play just for yourself. Once the notes become instinctive you will be able to play anything.

 

[Paul_B]

You know how some people have two left feet. Well when it comes to playing guitars and other plucked string instruments then I have two left hands!!

I took a fancy to learn guitar so the last term of my second year in a shared house a guy who could play the guitar taught me. He was left handed and I kind of liked it. So he took me to choose my own guitar. Now I am right handed in most things so got a right handed guitar. I just could not play it. I worked out that my left hand could strum, pluck and work the fret too. My right hand could do nothing!!! I really mean nothing on both left and right handed guitar my right hand did not work.

I am like this with drawing. I hear so many people say that anyone can draw but they have never met me!! Even my stick men aren't realistic!! I am like this with the guitar. I could learn piano I guess and did when about 9 or 10. I would not be any good. As a kid I struggled with piano and as an adult I can only play one hand at a time. It is purely about lack of coordination, as in I have none!!

It is this reason why when people say things like your last three sentences it kind of grates with me. It simply isn't true for all that you will be able to play anything. It is a far cry playing and making a noise. I can make a noise on my dad's trumpet but hell I cannot play even after lessons for a term!!

 

[Pattree]

Have you ever tried playing slide guitar on your lap with an open tuning?

 

[Kadushu]

Sounds like you're a natural bass player, Paul!

 

[Paul_B]

Sounds like you're a natural bass player, Paul!

Not if it involves strings!! I never fully got the hang of taking the buzz out of the strings. you know when your fingerwork on the fret is not good. I can do it with my left hand but not my right. Then I can pluck the strings with my left but not the right. It is like my right hand is not coordinated.

I might be a natural percussion as I can hit anything, but not if it is to a beat!!

 

[Kadushu]

Yoko Ono tribute act then!

 

[Paul_B]

Yoko Ono tribute act then!

Yoko Ono has talent compared to me. I liken my musical ability to the singing ability of Ringo Starr perhaps or more likely Captain Kirk actor. Although that is being unfair on both of them!! Of course, you should hear my singing, or rather not. It even scares me when I hear it!!

 

[Pattree]

It even scares me when I hear it!!

THAT’S the problem.

The rest of us wouldn’t notice down the pub. Have you ever been to a karaoke party?

 

[Kadushu]

Thai karaoke is used by recycling plants to break up the glass!

 

[Paul_B]

THAT’S the problem.

The rest of us wouldn’t notice down the pub. Have you ever been to a karaoke party?

In my student years did a lot of karaoke. I never claimed to be good but a mate who thought he was a great performer got kicked off.

The pub we went to for karaoke had a thing where the crowd in the pub if they thought the singer or singers were bad they'd put their hands in the air. Enough hands and the dj would mute them and the crowd shouted "you're shoot! Aaahhh!" If it's loud enough the singers got booted off. My mate got booted off in 20 seconds! I never got booted off as I chose popular songs thar the crowd liked to join in with so never booed me off. If you're not good best be smart / cunning.