Well, fifth show under my belt as a solo performer. My friend Arden and I have been putting on our own shows at a local church. This was our second, Jammin at The Beacon. Living in a small town it is hard to find places to play and more importantly getting people out when you do. So for a whopping 18 people the show went on. Solo performance is a completely different beast than performing with a band. I was up second on this particular bill, I was nervous but less so than last time. The first tune went off without a hitch, the second was even better, then the third, I lost my mind, totally forgot how to play this song after the first few bars lol...I've played this song a thousand times. I was playing two new songs, an opener and a closer and chose the three songs in the middle because they were songs I was most comfortable with, songs I would not fuck up, lol...Crash course in improv, not a strength of mine but I kept rhythm and stayed in key, may not have sounded horrible lol... but still dissapointing. So I finished the set a little reserved, not feeling great about my performance but on reflection realize that it is all part of the expirence, of the learning, of becoming a better musician and performer. To this end I will push. Till next time rip your guitar a new one!!
Reply
Bucks have them twice a year, every guitarist I know has them, not every guitarist wants them but it is something every musician must deal with at some point in their playing. Rutz. The longest rut I had lasted 3 years...lol no lie 3 years...lol. I know this seems excessive but after the demolishment of the second band I was in I had nothing going on musically. It was not long before I was not playing much and weeks lead to months, you get the picture. For thoes 3 years I picked up my guitar for about 10 minutes a week. I realize that this is on the extreme side and hope none of you will ever put your instrument down for that long.
In fact Im pretty sure the biggest factor in overcomming a rut or not falling into one is to keep playing. Stay Focused. Keep playing, keep playing, keep playing!! In today's internet world there are plenty of resources for you to watch and read to help you stay focused on playing and practicing.
There are a few things I remember now when I am feeling 'Blah' about my playing. Geddy Lee (Rush) said "keep writing songs". He also said that he doesn't feel he has written his best song yet, which I find facinating because he has written some brilliant material. Notice this perspective on song writting keep you focused forward pushing you to keep honeing your craft. I have heeded this advice and I can tell you that it does work. I keep writing, trying to write a better riff or song and eventually a break through comes and the rut is gone. Steve Morse ( The Dixie Dregs, Deep Purple) said, "If you can't play something then find another way to play it". I use this approach also when writing now. If there is something I am having trouble with, a run or chordal passage I can not seem to master then I find another way to express my intended musical idea. This may involve removing some notes, adding new ones, trying a new position on the neck, hammer-ons, pull-offs, using open strings or string skipping. A good example of this is in my song 'The Undertaker Stole The Coal' In the first few minutes of the song there were some fingerings I couldnt nail, so I kept changing them till I got the same musical idea just played using a different technique. It actually sounded better and was eaiser to play than it's origonall conception. I dont think that this idea is something totally new, but activally looking for a new perspective keeps the ideas and creativity flowing.
Lastly I remember a story I read about David Gilmour (Pink Floyd). He wanted to play faster like a lot of the player of the time, he tried and just did couldn't do it. So he decided it best to play the way he always did. To play like himself. He later went on to become one of the most noteable and recogonizable guitarist of all time. To me this story is uplifting and makes me realize that even the best players in the world have there struggles to. I remember this every time I am in a rut, writing or playing because i know it will not be long before the riffs are flowing. Stay true to yourself and keep your hands on your instrument...lol'd @ Instrument. Until next time rip your guitar a new one.
Reply
I started playing guitar when I was 16. My grandfather bought me my first guitar and what a yard sale beauty it was. He drew out three chords C,D,G, and away I went on my journey of discovery. It was not to long and I was jamming with my cousin, also a guitarist, and his friend a bass player. They had been playing a year or to longer than me so I was amazed at their skills, playing tunes like Highway Star, Seek and Destroy and Black Dog. I spent the next several months learning Sabbath songs and Kirk Hammett solos trying to catch up. After a year or two of bedroom guitar playing I found my self in my first band. A death metal band with some friends from school. I remember going to the audition, they wanted me to learn a fill to one of their songs and after accomplishing this short task I was in the band and designated the lead guitar player. During this time, about 3 years, I recieved many positive comments about my playing and my ego began to grow. In fact it began to grow so much that I began to feel threatened by anyone else who played guitar and had to make sure that I was better than anyone who crossed my path. By this point I was an ego-maniac trying to be the best guitarist on the planet or at least in my small town. It was not too long before I realized how harmful this way of thinking was and soon began resenting all the compliments feeling like I had to be someone I was not, there was just no way I was going to be the best. When I finally realized that I was not going to be able to play like my idols it was also the first time I realized that I could play like Brian Doane, it was very liberating. In the years after the band dissolved I set aside the ego and adopted a much more realistic attitude. I had learned a valuable lesson in humility. Since then I have played in a blues/funk band, became a solo artist and still bring the heavy in my current band, The Bombing of Dresden. No matter how long you have played it is never to late to learn something new. Until next time rip your guitar a new one!
Reply
I have always had a love/hate releationship with guitar magazines. Over the years I have collected 300-400 magazines, mostly Guitar World and Guitar for The Practising Musician. In the early days, 1990-94, Guitar for The Practising Musician was my mag of choice. I loved being able to follow the tabs, learn a solo or two, learn about your favorite players or bands and of course their music. It was exciting. Then came guitar world, a little more flashy, a little more inaundated with product placement, but still exciting.
Over time things change. I find today guitar mags more focused on selling magazines and guitar releated products than on the music itself. I guess this is not a big surprise considering this modern, social media, internet age we live in. Information is everywhere. It has to be hard getting the average Joe to part with his $10 when you can find anything you want somewhere online. However, I grew up when the internet was in its birthing stage and still prefer printed media. From 2006-2010 I had a subscription to Guitar World. The hoarder collector in me needed every issue... lol. Over this five year period I began to realize the impact guitar media had on me as a guitarist. In a lot of ways, for me, Guitar World replaced the Sears Wish Book we used to look at every Christmas and circle everything we wanted....lol. I want that guitar, that amp, that effect, etc, etc. The average working class Joe can not afford most of the products advertised. I'd love a Les Paul, but who has $2000 sitting around... lol.
I think mags today are pretty much telling people that they need this gear or that gear and they need to play or sound like (insert player-band here), leaving little room to discover your own identy. How many covers does EVH need? Yes, he is a guitar God, but come on. Time to let some new blood in and some new tabs also. http://www.guitarworld.com/photo-gallery-eddie-van-halen-guitar-world-covers-throughout-years With that being said I fukking love his Wolfgang guitars!!
So in closing, I have given up my addiction to GW and I am doing just fine. Until next time rip your guitar a new one!!
Reply
I am pretty sure I have broken all the 'rules' when it comes to playing guitar. I never had lessons,I never learned theory,I never practiced for hours on end,and I never learned all the scales and chords so many teachers and guitar videos tell you to. Some of my favorite guitar playing moments have come while watching movies or T.V.(a big no no for the serious player) Something I love to do but my girlfriend hates,lol. I have tried to practice, to learn the theory and scales but the more I had to think about guitar and what I was playing the less fun it was. So I decided to just play guitar and have fun.
Two thing I have always done as a guitarist is to learn to use your ear as much as possible and write songs. Writing songs is a valuable practice tool as it allows you to use all the techniques you have learned along the way and gives you a context to use them in.
Probably the biggest rule I have broken,is, after playing guitar for about 10 years I stopped learning other peoples music and concentrated on writing and learning my own. This I feel has been the biggest factor in developing my own style and voice as a guitarist. When you hear David Gilmour you know it's him, when you hear Stevie Ray Vaughn you know it's him. As a guitarist it would be nice to have this impact. I do not follow rules anymore when playing or writing songs. I trust my ear and use what sounds best to me. I hope to have and will continue working on my own style and sound as a musician breaking all the rules along the way. Until next time rip your guitar a new one! BKD
Reply
Hello,I thought I would share some thoughts on all things Doane of The Dead, Music I like, Local(Nova Scotia) artists, my alter musical ego The Bombing of Dresden and of course guitars,I love guitars!!
Solo performance is something totally new for me. After playing guitar for 20 years or so I decided it would be nice to make an appearence in our local music scene again this time with something a little different. Now with four, yes four lol shows under my belt I feel gratefull that I have been able to follow through with this idea and take my guitar playing and musicianship in another direction. It can be very intimidating playing solo instrumental guitar, I have thought many times to myself "I do not sing no ones gonna get it" but that doesnt seem to be the case. People understand when a performance and music is honest and comming from a place of sincerity, doing it because you love it is the right reason to do it, doing it because you want to be famous or rich isnt always in the musics best interest. Stay real and it will show. Thanks for reading, till next time! BKD
Reply
Doane of The Dead / Blog
Guitarded- Solo Performance Part 1
Well, fifth show under my belt as a solo performer. My friend Arden and I have been putting on our own shows at a local church. This was our second, Jammin at The Beacon. Living in a small town it is hard to find places to play and more importantly getting people out when you do. So for a whopping 18 people the show went on. Solo performance is a completely different beast than performing with a band. I was up second on this particular bill, I was nervous but less so than last time. The first tune went off without a hitch, the second was even better, then the third, I lost my mind, totally forgot how to play this song after the first few bars lol...I've played this song a thousand times. I was playing two new songs, an opener and a closer and chose the three songs in the middle because they were songs I was most comfortable with, songs I would not fuck up, lol...Crash course in improv, not a strength of mine but I kept rhythm and stayed in key, may not have sounded horrible lol... but still dissapointing. So I finished the set a little reserved, not feeling great about my performance but on reflection realize that it is all part of the expirence, of the learning, of becoming a better musician and performer. To this end I will push. Till next time rip your guitar a new one!!
Reply
Guitarded- Rutz
Bucks have them twice a year, every guitarist I know has them, not every guitarist wants them but it is something every musician must deal with at some point in their playing. Rutz. The longest rut I had lasted 3 years...lol no lie 3 years...lol. I know this seems excessive but after the demolishment of the second band I was in I had nothing going on musically. It was not long before I was not playing much and weeks lead to months, you get the picture. For thoes 3 years I picked up my guitar for about 10 minutes a week. I realize that this is on the extreme side and hope none of you will ever put your instrument down for that long. In fact Im pretty sure the biggest factor in overcomming a rut or not falling into one is to keep playing. Stay Focused. Keep playing, keep playing, keep playing!! In today's internet world there are plenty of resources for you to watch and read to help you stay focused on playing and practicing. There are a few things I remember now when I am feeling 'Blah' about my playing. Geddy Lee (Rush) said "keep writing songs". He also said that he doesn't feel he has written his best song yet, which I find facinating because he has written some brilliant material. Notice this perspective on song writting keep you focused forward pushing you to keep honeing your craft. I have heeded this advice and I can tell you that it does work. I keep writing, trying to write a better riff or song and eventually a break through comes and the rut is gone. Steve Morse ( The Dixie Dregs, Deep Purple) said, "If you can't play something then find another way to play it". I use this approach also when writing now. If there is something I am having trouble with, a run or chordal passage I can not seem to master then I find another way to express my intended musical idea. This may involve removing some notes, adding new ones, trying a new position on the neck, hammer-ons, pull-offs, using open strings or string skipping. A good example of this is in my song 'The Undertaker Stole The Coal' In the first few minutes of the song there were some fingerings I couldnt nail, so I kept changing them till I got the same musical idea just played using a different technique. It actually sounded better and was eaiser to play than it's origonall conception. I dont think that this idea is something totally new, but activally looking for a new perspective keeps the ideas and creativity flowing. Lastly I remember a story I read about David Gilmour (Pink Floyd). He wanted to play faster like a lot of the player of the time, he tried and just did couldn't do it. So he decided it best to play the way he always did. To play like himself. He later went on to become one of the most noteable and recogonizable guitarist of all time. To me this story is uplifting and makes me realize that even the best players in the world have there struggles to. I remember this every time I am in a rut, writing or playing because i know it will not be long before the riffs are flowing. Stay true to yourself and keep your hands on your instrument...lol'd @ Instrument. Until next time rip your guitar a new one.
Reply
I was in a rut for most of my musical life. I've done more in the past year and a half than I'd done in the previous ten. What changed is I've come to realize who I am and who I am not as an artist, much as you've discussed recently.
I've tossed the preconceptions of myself and my music and now I'm finally free to just play, and the difference is night and day.
Yes, both handles firmly on your instrument whenever you can. lol
Made a big difference for me to, really glad you have discoverd your musical soul, its all forward from here.
Guitarded- Ego
I started playing guitar when I was 16. My grandfather bought me my first guitar and what a yard sale beauty it was. He drew out three chords C,D,G, and away I went on my journey of discovery. It was not to long and I was jamming with my cousin, also a guitarist, and his friend a bass player. They had been playing a year or to longer than me so I was amazed at their skills, playing tunes like Highway Star, Seek and Destroy and Black Dog. I spent the next several months learning Sabbath songs and Kirk Hammett solos trying to catch up. After a year or two of bedroom guitar playing I found my self in my first band. A death metal band with some friends from school. I remember going to the audition, they wanted me to learn a fill to one of their songs and after accomplishing this short task I was in the band and designated the lead guitar player. During this time, about 3 years, I recieved many positive comments about my playing and my ego began to grow. In fact it began to grow so much that I began to feel threatened by anyone else who played guitar and had to make sure that I was better than anyone who crossed my path. By this point I was an ego-maniac trying to be the best guitarist on the planet or at least in my small town. It was not too long before I realized how harmful this way of thinking was and soon began resenting all the compliments feeling like I had to be someone I was not, there was just no way I was going to be the best. When I finally realized that I was not going to be able to play like my idols it was also the first time I realized that I could play like Brian Doane, it was very liberating. In the years after the band dissolved I set aside the ego and adopted a much more realistic attitude. I had learned a valuable lesson in humility. Since then I have played in a blues/funk band, became a solo artist and still bring the heavy in my current band, The Bombing of Dresden. No matter how long you have played it is never to late to learn something new. Until next time rip your guitar a new one!
Reply
Guitarded- Magazines and Magafiends
I have always had a love/hate releationship with guitar magazines. Over the years I have collected 300-400 magazines, mostly Guitar World and Guitar for The Practising Musician. In the early days, 1990-94, Guitar for The Practising Musician was my mag of choice. I loved being able to follow the tabs, learn a solo or two, learn about your favorite players or bands and of course their music. It was exciting. Then came guitar world, a little more flashy, a little more inaundated with product placement, but still exciting. Over time things change. I find today guitar mags more focused on selling magazines and guitar releated products than on the music itself. I guess this is not a big surprise considering this modern, social media, internet age we live in. Information is everywhere. It has to be hard getting the average Joe to part with his $10 when you can find anything you want somewhere online. However, I grew up when the internet was in its birthing stage and still prefer printed media. From 2006-2010 I had a subscription to Guitar World. The hoarder collector in me needed every issue... lol. Over this five year period I began to realize the impact guitar media had on me as a guitarist. In a lot of ways, for me, Guitar World replaced the Sears Wish Book we used to look at every Christmas and circle everything we wanted....lol. I want that guitar, that amp, that effect, etc, etc. The average working class Joe can not afford most of the products advertised. I'd love a Les Paul, but who has $2000 sitting around... lol. I think mags today are pretty much telling people that they need this gear or that gear and they need to play or sound like (insert player-band here), leaving little room to discover your own identy. How many covers does EVH need? Yes, he is a guitar God, but come on. Time to let some new blood in and some new tabs also. http://www.guitarworld.com/photo-gallery-eddie-van-halen-guitar-world-covers-throughout-years With that being said I fukking love his Wolfgang guitars!! So in closing, I have given up my addiction to GW and I am doing just fine. Until next time rip your guitar a new one!!
Reply
Guitarded- Breaking All The Rules
I am pretty sure I have broken all the 'rules' when it comes to playing guitar. I never had lessons,I never learned theory,I never practiced for hours on end,and I never learned all the scales and chords so many teachers and guitar videos tell you to. Some of my favorite guitar playing moments have come while watching movies or T.V.(a big no no for the serious player) Something I love to do but my girlfriend hates,lol. I have tried to practice, to learn the theory and scales but the more I had to think about guitar and what I was playing the less fun it was. So I decided to just play guitar and have fun. Two thing I have always done as a guitarist is to learn to use your ear as much as possible and write songs. Writing songs is a valuable practice tool as it allows you to use all the techniques you have learned along the way and gives you a context to use them in. Probably the biggest rule I have broken,is, after playing guitar for about 10 years I stopped learning other peoples music and concentrated on writing and learning my own. This I feel has been the biggest factor in developing my own style and voice as a guitarist. When you hear David Gilmour you know it's him, when you hear Stevie Ray Vaughn you know it's him. As a guitarist it would be nice to have this impact. I do not follow rules anymore when playing or writing songs. I trust my ear and use what sounds best to me. I hope to have and will continue working on my own style and sound as a musician breaking all the rules along the way. Until next time rip your guitar a new one! BKD
Reply
Guitarded
Hello,I thought I would share some thoughts on all things Doane of The Dead, Music I like, Local(Nova Scotia) artists, my alter musical ego The Bombing of Dresden and of course guitars,I love guitars!! Solo performance is something totally new for me. After playing guitar for 20 years or so I decided it would be nice to make an appearence in our local music scene again this time with something a little different. Now with four, yes four lol shows under my belt I feel gratefull that I have been able to follow through with this idea and take my guitar playing and musicianship in another direction. It can be very intimidating playing solo instrumental guitar, I have thought many times to myself "I do not sing no ones gonna get it" but that doesnt seem to be the case. People understand when a performance and music is honest and comming from a place of sincerity, doing it because you love it is the right reason to do it, doing it because you want to be famous or rich isnt always in the musics best interest. Stay real and it will show. Thanks for reading, till next time! BKD
Reply