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Christian Reno 12-03-2009 02:25 PM

What is the YouTube performance attaction?
 
I know many of you post videos on YouTube and I enjoy seeing them, but at the risk of being flogged by this forum, I have to ask - What makes you want to post videos of yourself playing non-original material?

I can understand wanting to get original material out to be seen on the internet, but covers?

I hope no one takes this question personally, because it is not meant that way. I sincerely want to understand what prompts you to put covers on YouTube.

Best Regards - Christian

Neal 12-03-2009 02:41 PM

There are no sweeter words than "that was good, do more", to an amateur musician that plays at home. Some have a payday for playing with real money, others have youtube and the like.

dberch 12-03-2009 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christian Reno (Post 2040216)
I know many of you post videos on YouTube and I enjoy seeing them, but at the risk of being flogged by this forum, I have to ask - What makes you want to post videos of yourself playing non-original material?

I can understand wanting to get original material out to be seen on the internet, but covers?

I hope no one takes this question personally, because it is not meant that way. I sincerely want to understand what prompts you to put covers on YouTube.

Best Regards - Christian

Hi Christian. Hey, not everyone writes originals! But we/they still need a creative outlet. Those that don't write may still want to be heard, and I still want to hear them. I enjoy hearing other folks 'version' of my favorites songs. In my opinion, putting your own spin on a cover is a valid and rewarding way to be musically creative.

An example: My buddy Denis on the Larrivee forum re-arranged "Never Going Back Again" by Lindsey Buckingham. The orringal is a kick-arse acoutic tune by Lindsey. I worked it up but I can't even come close to singing it as high as Lindsey, so I retired it. Denis transposed it to a lower key. To do so he came up with an alterted tuning the allowed him to keep much of the original flavor. But it's not quite the same, and I for one, was absolutely thrilled to hear his version. It's now on my list to work up his arrangment becuase that makes the vocals attainable for me. Cool, huh? (search for "denis turbide" and "never going back again" if you want hear a FANTASTIC cover)

Keep those covers coming, folks!!

David

Joe F 12-03-2009 03:26 PM

I enjoy watching covers of songs I know more than watching originals in order to see the various interpretations there are of these familiar songs. This is especially true if I want to learn the song myself. There is rarely an original that I go looking for. Even if I find an original I like by accident, it's usually because I ended up on someone's YouTube page because I searched a cover title and their version came up in my search.

wcap 12-03-2009 04:47 PM

I have none of my music up on the web, but I enjoy some/much of what I see that has been posted by others.

I particularly enjoy hearing the playing of some of the folks who post frequently on the forums here. It sort of puts their comments and opinions in perspective..... e.g., if I'm looking for advice on guitars for fingerstyle, and a person who plays the kind of music I like, and who plays it well, has opinions, those opinions might carry more weight than if they come from a person who strums or flatpicks exclusively.

Also, its just fun to see/hear the music of the folks who frequent the AGF forum - it transforms them from being user names and opinions into real people.

Hearing people's original music is cool. Hearing peoples original interpretations of other people's music is cool too.

But sometimes I think it is just fun for someone to post videos that showcase their playing ability, even if they are precisely playing someone else's arrangements. Heck, that's pretty much always going to be the case if the person is playing classical music, which more often than not is probably played exactly as it was written (but played better by some folks than by others). Sometimes its just a matter of sharing with others the excitement of "hey, I finally mastered this piece!"


However.....
I do recall a few years ago watching a bunch of YouTube videos of a whole bunch of different people playing Merlin's lovely piece called Evocacion. Some were excellent and inspiring. Some were OK. Many were painful to listen to (in part because they sounded painfully like how my playing of the piece sounded!). I went away from watching those videos not wanting to play that piece again for a while!

Christian Reno 12-03-2009 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neal (Post 2040238)
There are no sweeter words than "that was good, do more", to an amateur musician that plays at home. Some have a payday for playing with real money, others have youtube and the like.

Hi Neal,

I certainly did not word things correctly in my post. I looked back on it and realized I chose the wrong words/terms.

I fully appreciate anyone who does any piece of music and puts their own spin on it. What I was meaning to comment on was the 'stairway' syndrome. Guitar players going into GC and playing Stairway. The YouTube version of this are those who decide to post themselves playing overly played standards like Freight Train or Windy and Warm etc. - bascially playing them exactly like everyone else plays them. It brings nothing new to the party.

I had the pleasure of watching a few of your You Tube videos and you are great. You will always be a bit of an 'original' playing the uke the way you do. I am sure I will still be inadvertantly insulting someone on the forum, but I hope I cleared up my original intent.

I guess I was tring to ask "why would anyone post themselves playing some standard that has been done a million times without at least trying to add some originality to it?" That is a more acccurate question.

Regards, Christian

dberch 12-03-2009 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christian Reno (Post 2040544)
Hi Neal,
I guess I was tring to ask "why would anyone post themselves playing some standard that has been done a million times without at least trying to add some originality to it?"

Ah. Now that's a different question entirely. I'd guess the answer is because, even though we've all heard it a million times, they probably spent many hours getting to that point and they're proud of their accomplishment.

David

815C 12-03-2009 10:14 PM

I love the fact that just about anyone can perform to the world via YouTube. Some are really really good - some are really amateurs. But its great that you can have people in other countries give you feed back - and never leave your living room.

Alexrkstr 12-03-2009 11:14 PM

IMO - Attention, because of the same fact that it is an overly-played and covered song people will be more likely to search for THAT song and compare it to what they are familiar with.

Think about it... you're starting, you don't have too many friends that are "musically literate" and you want to gauge how good you are... what would you do if you have a camera and internet?

Yamaha Man 12-03-2009 11:17 PM

I'm just now getting into it...why ?? Because it's fun, it's something to do, I can share my music with friends and family. I can watch other people's performances as well. It's a hobby that really doesn't cost that much, and gives me an outlet for my music. I also will have the know how in the event I want to set a friend or two up on You Tube. I have lots of musician friends and this is one way we can communicate over long distances.


:)

http://www.youtube.com/user/djwayne2000

susitna 12-03-2009 11:22 PM

I haven't put anything up on YouTube yet, but I plan to. I have family and friends who otherwise won't get to see or hear me play, and I figure the Tube is a good way to share.

wcap 12-04-2009 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dberch (Post 2040598)
Ah. Now that's a different question entirely. I'd guess the answer is because, even though we've all heard it a million times, they probably spent many hours getting to that point and they're proud of their accomplishment.

David

Absolutely.

And even though others might have played it to death, it can still be a blast to play yourself. I play an arrangement of Freight Train myself that I learned from a fingerstyle guitar book. I love playing it. And people love hearing it, and are really impressed by my playing when I play it.

And I have not learned to play Stairway to Heaven, but I'd like to, even though its been played to death by others. Its been played to death because it is a really nice sounding piece of music, and I think I'd really enjoy playing it.

acousticland 12-04-2009 04:44 AM

So.
Artistic virtues are donated to every person in different ways.
I agree with all the answers of other guys before...
Nobody plays only for himself. All we need, after writing a book, a song , a tune, a picture is the recognizement by other people.
Otherwise the artistic or artigianal work remains alone, unuseful. If it's a job for a person, however the artist needs also public consense, much more than others
there are professionals who plays all around their country. It's their job.
There are others who have great abilities but they aren't able to play in public, but they play very well. 10 song instead of 300 ? It doesn't matter.
Now Youtube is an occasion to show their gifts.
Omologation ?
There are blogs, the own sites, the possibility to promote our works.
Youtube is the realilty world, that there are millions of people who can do some artistic in a good manner.
If this could obscure who thinks to be better than others and wanna be on the scenes, public lights...so he knows, that many others plays very good, but they haven't chosen only that way to live. The popular or classical or jazz musician.
So I know that I will never become a Pat Metheny (for instance) but I've played for years my instrument and I too, like many others, search a little recognizement, what I've done has a value.

JeremyG 12-04-2009 06:15 AM

Christian,

I could do a vid. of my efforts/results after a years going at it. And I try hard.

That might halt the traffic for a good bit! :D

Actually, your question is interesting and one I've thought of myself, mostly after listening to some "rough" performances. Ironically, my respect for those performers (??) grew a bit. They have some real moxy. ;)

There have been some good replies here.

Jeremy.

Neal 12-04-2009 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christian Reno (Post 2040544)
Hi Neal,

The YouTube version of this are those who decide to post themselves playing overly played standards like Freight Train or Windy and Warm etc. - bascially playing them exactly like everyone else plays them. It brings nothing new to the party.

You will always be a bit of an 'original' playing the uke the way you do.

I guess I was tring to ask "why would anyone post themselves playing some standard that has been done a million times without at least trying to add some originality to it?" That is a more acccurate question.

Regards, Christian

Hi Christian, I still think it's the "no sweeter words" theory myself. And speaking of, thanks for the kind words about the uke playin', that's exactly what I'm talking about. We all want folks to look at us do something, anything, we think we're pretty good at. BTW, there's actually a guitar vid up now, so I'm weening' me way back.


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