The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > Other Discussions > Open Mic

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 12-11-2017, 10:07 AM
Nailpicker Nailpicker is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,522
Default Silence and the song

I live in a VERY rural area. This time of year, when the crickets, frogs and other insects are "hibernating" I can go outside at night, stand in the dark and hear....absolutely nothing, if the coyotes and wolves aren't howling. The only sound I hear is a slight ringing and my pulse in my ears that I don't hear during the day when sounds of things more naturally pop up.

Besides the sky filled with a million diamonds, there is that utter, complete and beautiful silence. A silence so complete that one might believe they have gone deaf. A silence so profound in itself it is like a beautiful song. It charges my batteries, all is well in the world. A silence of such beautiful melody that when I return back indoors, it inspires me to play more music on my guitar as beautifully and gently as I can.
__________________
"To walk in the wonder, to live in the song"
"The moment between the silence and the song"
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 12-11-2017, 10:20 AM
mr. beaumont mr. beaumont is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 10,189
Default

I find true stillness and true natural "darkness" (starlight and moonlight only) to be incredibly inspiring.
__________________
Jeff Matz, Jazz Guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/user/jeffreymatz
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 12-11-2017, 10:36 AM
marty bradbury marty bradbury is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Washington State,
Posts: 4,192
Default

Very nice!
__________________
Alvarez AP-70
Squire Contemporary Jaguar
Kustom Amp (acoustic)
Gamma G-25 Amp (electric)
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 12-11-2017, 10:51 AM
Kerbie Kerbie is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 28,635
Default

Great post and one I can identify with. Reading it reminds me of the sublime beauty of the night sky of southern Utah during many of my vacations. Thanks for the reminder.

Last edited by Kerbie; 12-11-2017 at 01:23 PM. Reason: changed emoji
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 12-11-2017, 01:18 PM
Nyghthawk Nyghthawk is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 3,239
Default

About 20 years ago I first brought my wife to this little town where we have lived since then. It was a Thanksgiving weekend. After a short tour of town, I took her out to the Angelina River bottoms where me and my friends camped for years. I stopped in the short driveway of somebody's deer lease gate and killed the engine. Then I had her get out of the car and just listen.

She grew up in a city and had lived in one metropolitan area or another all her life. The silence was profound. It was daytime but nothing seemed to be stirring. There was the ever so slight sound of a gentle breeze in the pines and the oak and sweetgum leaves falling through the air.

I love the silence and the stillness. She was amazed, she had never heard nothing before.
__________________
Epiphone Masterbilt Hummingbird
Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-500RENS

Teach us what ways have light, what gifts have worth.
Edna St. Vincent Millay
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 12-11-2017, 05:00 PM
Jim Owen's Avatar
Jim Owen Jim Owen is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wilkes County NC and Columbus Georgia
Posts: 7,772
Default

One of my bandmates from 40 years back had a great saying: “Silence is the source.” During practice, when our parts clashed or we couldn’t make a tune gel, Chip would stop playing and just listen. I’d follow his cue when I felt my grip of the song slipping.

Much of life can get to be noise. Thanks, Nailpicker, for the reminder.

Peace,
Jimmy
__________________
Peace,
Jimmy

Optima dies, prima fugit
For Sale: Larrivee P 01Khttps://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...49#post7433849
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12-11-2017, 05:07 PM
rokdog49 rokdog49 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 13,538
Default

Good stuff.
My wife and Vacationed in Arizona years ago and we spent a full day at the Grand Canyon. The solitude and silence coupled with the majesty of it all was both breathtaking and peace-giving.
Being born in the Great Plains I spent many a youthful evening after the sun went down just lying on the ground staring at the stars in quiet. I miss that.
__________________
Nothing bothers me unless I let it.

Martin D18
Gibson J45
Gibson J15
Fender Copperburst Telecaster
Squier CV 50 Stratocaster
Squier CV 50 Telecaster
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-13-2017, 09:46 AM
fitness1's Avatar
fitness1 fitness1 is offline
Musical minimalist
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Central Lower Michigan
Posts: 22,130
Default

One of the many reasons I used to indulge in solo alpine backpacking.
A few nights in a place like this is a great way to find yourself (again) Always thought it should be a requirement for almost any degree to spend a week in the wilderness all alone. You learn things about yourself
Attached Images
File Type: jpg cirgue.jpg (36.5 KB, 31 views)
__________________
"One small heart, and a great big soul that's driving"

Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12-13-2017, 11:01 AM
FrankHudson FrankHudson is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 4,888
Default

Yes, well put. You put into words one thing I miss from my rural upbringing, the opportunity to try to comprehend the full night sky, the full absence of human sounds.

Over at my blog I was revisiting Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" last week. I wondered (remembering rural roads at night) if Frost, instead of contemplating a well-lit copse of trees while traveling in the country on "the darkest evening of the year," was more at lost in the falling dark. The Frost line in it that stood out to me as I revisited this poem: "the sweep of easy wind and downy flake." Reminded in memory of that level of ambience where you can hear the top layers of snow sweeping over the layers of snow beneath them.
__________________
-----------------------------------
Creator of The Parlando Project

Guitars: 20th Century Seagull S6-12, S6 Folk, Seagull M6; '00 Guild JF30-12, '01 Martin 00-15, '16 Martin 000-17, '07 Parkwood PW510, Epiphone Biscuit resonator, Merlin Dulcimer, and various electric guitars, basses....
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 12-13-2017, 11:43 AM
Photojeep Photojeep is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Sparks, NV
Posts: 2,230
Default

I've lived in Las Vegas for almost 40 years and can remember 20+ years ago driving out to Red Rock Canyon in the very early morning, shutting off the engine, stepping out of the car into complete and utter silence. It was so quiet it almost painful but after a few moments it seemed like a tonic that just washed over me and gave me a feeling of peace.

Sadly, that quiet is no longer available, even in the early morning. I envy those of you who can find it these days.

PJ
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 12-13-2017, 12:02 PM
Johnny.guitar Johnny.guitar is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 382
Default

That "sounds" just about perfect. We RV camp quite a bit over the summer months in Canada. Last couple of years I rigged it up with LED lighting, batteries & a solar panel.
Spent 10 days in Northern Algonquin Park and the evening silence was only broken with the call of the loon, owl or coyote
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > Other Discussions > Open Mic

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:35 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=