I have noticed a trend in learning new stuff in the performing arts. Could be memorizing lines for a play or learning a lead on guitar for a new song.
First, you learn it in your living room. You get it down cold, no problems, works every time, it is flat, comfortable, right there.
Then you take it to rehearsal. And, lo and behold, you can't do it. It all falls apart. Grrrrr!!!!!
What happened? You had it. Worked every time.
Now you've lost it and have to start all over in the rehearsal venue.
Finally, you have it at rehearsal...perfect, comfortable, unstoppable.
Then you perform it for an audience and, you guessed it, it falls apart and you wonder how can that happen?
Well, this is part of the learning curve for the performing arts.
I know this. I have watched it over the last 2 years time and time again.
Well, I have been working on a guitar lead for Linda Ronstadt's, Heat Wave.
I listened to a couple of live versions on You Tube but didn't like them. Then I went back to the original and really liked it.
Lucky me, I found a video of a guy playing it on You Tube. Whoohoo!!! This is the easiest way to learn a new lead.
So I worked for 3 days for several hours a day to figure out how to play it. Then I rehearsed it about 100 times. Then I transposed it to our key and rehearsed it about another 100 times. I rehearsed it so much that I wore a blister in my finger tip. Not good.
Then, I was off to rehearsal to wow them with my great lead, blister and all.
I know better. I know what happens when you go to rehearsal for the first time with a new lead. But I thought I could beat the system.
Of course, disaster struck. It didn't sound right. Like I was playing in the wrong key or something.
After getting pissed and throwing stuff around, we continued rehearsal. I always hate throwing a fit in public!
I knew I would have to go back to the drawing board and figure out what went wrong.
I was so disappointed. I wanted to fire this hot lead out of box.
Never happens!
Sure enough, when I returned home and figured it out, I was in the wrong key.
Now I have to learn the lead in yet another key. This always takes time.
Ah well, there is always another day!
2 comments:
Wow, Tom. so perfect. I learned my entire life, and thought I was getting it down pretty good, and then realized I learned it in the key of 'separate', and that all I learned was useless, and had only worked for 'me', in my own thinking - until I tried to include others, which revealed my treasure to be crap.... so, unlike most musical analogies - this one I REALLY identify with! Love your blogs, they always get me looking... Darshan
I can always count on you to find a pony in my pile of horse shit. Muchas gracias!
In a few minutes, I load out of the house for tonight's gig. We will run through my untried, unproven guitar lead at sound check, then it's on to the live performance. Nothing like live! No hiding, ass on the line, jumping into the skillet on high.
I hope I don't screw it up!
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