One Genre?

[catt]

Originally Posted by Joe Beamish

Really, already...?

Somewhere around age 57 it occurred to me that I can't do everything. (Since then, I've taken up trad Chinese music, trad Norwegian music, and performing on accordions).

But still...

[JGinNJ]

If you're a hobbyist and don't care how good you get, jump around, play whatever you want, play multiple instruments, even. Variety is fun! It's not the path to mastery, though.

I primarily play jazz on an archtop, but secondarily I enjoy finger & flatpicking acoustic. There's a degree the skills are transferable, if not the music. I go to an acoustic jam occasionally and it's easy fun- I don't know the tunes too well, but it's good practice to follow along and pick it up. I used to jam with guys who liked to play classic rock, from Beatles to Creedence, again, just fun to play along, and I picked up a few tunes I still like to play.

[Joe Beamish]

Originally Posted by JGinNJ

If you're a hobbyist and don't care how good you get, jump around, play whatever you want, play multiple instruments, even. Variety is fun! It's not the path to mastery, though.

I primarily play jazz on an archtop, but secondarily I enjoy finger & flatpicking acoustic. There's a degree the skills are transferable, if not the music. I go to an acoustic jam occasionally and it's easy fun- I don't know the tunes too well, but it's good practice to follow along and pick it up. I used to jam with guys who liked to play classic rock, from Beatles to Creedence, again, just fun to play along, and I picked up a few tunes I still like to play.

I suspect you're right about this. Jazz in itself is extremely challenging. Whatever "mastery" is, it's hard to imagine approaching it in jazz AND another genre, such as Celtic finger style stuff. Maybe if those were the only things you spent your time on, I dunno.

[mr. beaumont]

Pretty much everything I do is through a jazz/improvisational lens.

I'll play other things, but I'm happiest and most fulfilled doing this.

[catt]

Originally Posted by JGinNJ

..Variety is fun! It's not the path to mastery, though.

That's the basic dichotomy, for sure.

When I played gtr I felt like I could spend my whole life with two genre - Bach and flamenco - and that's what I did for decades. Early arthritis forced me to give it up, which was one of the hardest things in my life. However, it opened me up to a world of trad forms - which I wouldn't have otherwise done. Through it all, I learned I'm just a musician using a tool to connect with the world around me - I do have preferred tools, but mostly anything musical will work. I'll pick up a gtr every now and then and play some flamenco chops. Often, folks don't relate (I'm in the US). I'll then get something out of the bag that does connect. It's quite an empowering feeling. So it can be about more than just fun.

There's definitely a choice between: generalist and specialist.

[Joe Beamish]

Originally Posted by catt

...There's definitely a choice between: generalist and specialist.

And it's a thorny dichotomy. Specializing can mean that you're limited to a very small plot of land...like a technician. A Renaissance lute player.

A generalist might be more creative. But I'm not sure.

I'm trying to decide if my favorite musicians and guitarists are more generalists or specialists, and I'm not quite sure of the answer.....

[catt]

Originally Posted by Joe Beamish

And it's a thorny dichotomy. Specializing can mean that you're limited to a very small plot of land...like a technician. A Renaissance lute player.

But those plots go very deep. Personally, I found it - post gtr days - in old forms, like ancient Gaelic and Scandanavian forms. However, I like to dance too and therefore can't spend all my time with deep, dark music. I was a drummer too, and can't shake grooving

[Goodallboy]

I admire those of you multi-stylists. I decided early in my playing career that it would be hard enough to be as proficient as I wanted, on just one style so I stuck to writing songs and playing them with my playing partners.

That style would be closest to Folk and Americana.

[Skip Ellis]

Originally Posted by Joe Beamish

And it's a thorny dichotomy. Specializing can mean that you're limited to a very small plot of land...like a technician. A Renaissance lute player.

A generalist might be more creative. But I'm not sure.

I'm trying to decide if my favorite musicians and guitarists are more generalists or specialists, and I'm not quite sure of the answer.....

Interesting point. I think of this when I hear clips of the Chet Atkins bash in Nashville every summer - it seems that everyone is playing the same songs that everyone played last year. I dearly love thumb style - that's what I started with, but even I get tired of playing "Cannonball Rag" and "I'll See You In My Dreams". Same holds true of our local steel guitar club - it's all the same old, same old tunes that every steel player plays. That's why I've been trying to get into DADGAD - there are a lot of tunes to learn and you can get a little more creative once you get the basics down (which I haven't!). At least it's something different and I love those beautiful Irish and Scottish melodies. That plot of land is also small and it's hard to find an audience for some of this stuff and I don't enjoy playing for myself unless I'm learning something to perform because that's all I've ever done.

[Joe Beamish]

Originally Posted by Skip Ellis

Interesting point. I think of this when I hear clips of the Chet Atkins bash in Nashville every summer - it seems that everyone is playing the same songs that everyone played last year. I dearly love thumb style - that's what I started with, but even I get tired of playing "Cannonball Rag" and "I'll See You In My Dreams". Same holds true of our local steel guitar club - it's all the same old, same old tunes that every steel player plays. That's why I've been trying to get into DADGAD - there are a lot of tunes to learn and you can get a little more creative once you get the basics down (which I haven't!). At least it's something different and I love those beautiful Irish and Scottish melodies. That plot of land is also small and it's hard to find an audience for some of this stuff and I don't enjoy playing for myself unless I'm learning something to perform because that's all I've ever done.

I totally hear you. That world of Chet playing is marvelous, of course. But it's usually the same rhythm, the same mood. I haven't investigated other tunings because I hate retuning my guitar, and I've been fiendishly learning the notes on the fretboard in standard, and now that I finally know them cold, I don't want to change the ballgame.

My favorite player is Bert Jansch, who almost always plays in standard tuning, with an occasional dropped D. But he sounds like he's in DADGUM because of how far he departs from the old chord shapes. And you're right, the length, mood, feeling and voice of those Irish and Scottish melodic lines are totally refreshing.

[catt]

Great point Skip. When I got into folk forms I was able to play out as much as i wanted; with the more refined gtr music i spent most of my life with, it was challenging to find venues to perform.

I always struggled with "art music vs folk music." This dilemma persists. The only way I resolved it is to do both.

Find your favorite rabbit holes and dive!

A new tuning and/or a new style can definitely evoke a world of new music. *My favorite was Jansch too, but I did get tired of singing reynardine and black mountain side eventually ..

[Joe Beamish]

Originally Posted by catt

Great point Skip. When I got into folk forms I was able to play out as much as i wanted; with the more refined gtr music i spent most of my life with, it was challenging to find venues to perform.

I always struggled with "art music vs folk music." This dilemma persists. The only way I resolved it is to do both.

Find your favorite rabbit holes and dive!

A new tuning and/or a new style can definitely evoke a world of new music. *My favorite was Jansch too, but I did get tired of singing reynardine and black mountain side eventually ..

Luckily, Bert has a zillion other great songs!

[catt]

I couldn't play/sing them all...too many other favorites! I couldn't specialize in BJ any more than I could any of the others. Jansch, and Bensusan, made me dive into Gaelic music though..

*trad, that is -

[wguitar]

Great thread --

My general comment is to play what makes you feel good !

I've played guitar for 47 years and still am an amateur with a thirst to learn more and more. In the past couple of years I started to attend some open mics with friends, which subsequently fueled my desire to gig a bit. As I approached establishments about gigging they asked what kind of music I played. Got me thinking -- how do I "brand" my performing self. I came up with "Oldies and More" since I play mostly 50s thru 70s, some 80's, and an occasional newer song. My friends are always telling me that I need to learn more newer songs. My response is "Why, I haven't learned all the oldies yet" and everyone is doing new songs. I am constantly learning new (for me) oldies songs and loving the heck out of it. Brings joy to my heart, I'm learning all the time, (if I may so) I'm improving as a guitar player, and audiences seem to like it. Now "oldies" is probably more of a category vs. genre of music, and I prefer them to going where others want me to go musically.

[J Patrick]

...there have been many times in my musical life that I considered going deep into a single genre or style to the exclusion of all others....simple reasoning...if I did that I would rise to a higher level as a musician and derive maximum satisfaction from my playing.....and maybe gain more recognition....

......but what is that kind of thinking really about....it’s not about love of music...it’s about love of my own playing....which for me is not a good place to approach playing from...i have learned that the closer I can stick to the wide eyed wonder and enthusiasm of my early interest in music the better....

.....to chain myself to a single discipline eventually kills my musical joy....I know that about myself so I encourage myself to explore....it has served my musical aspirations from the beginning so it makes no sense to change now..

...I realize that it’s a personal journey and we all have a path...we’re all different....we play for different reasons...for me...the absolute freedom to go anywhere I want to musically is maybe the best aspect of being a musician...I reckon I will continue to opt for fun versus mastery...like I have always done...