The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 05-21-2018, 04:49 AM
815C 815C is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: The Hills Of Tennessee
Posts: 4,096
Default Owning Guitars vs. "Owning" Songs

Like most guitarists, there are a lot of guitars out there that I would love to own. However, there are also a lot of songs out there that I would also love to own ("own" in the sense that I could totally master them and wring every drop of musical quality out of them).

Given the choice, I would rather own the songs. The guitars are easier to acquire, but the songs are ultimately what make the journey memorable.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 05-21-2018, 05:29 AM
fitness1's Avatar
fitness1 fitness1 is offline
Musical minimalist
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Central Lower Michigan
Posts: 22,130
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by 815C View Post

Given the choice, I would rather own the songs. The guitars are easier to acquire, but the songs are ultimately what make the journey memorable.
Truer words were never spoken....
__________________
"One small heart, and a great big soul that's driving"

Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 05-21-2018, 05:58 AM
dneal dneal is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: The little house in the woods.
Posts: 3,041
Default

The OP sounds a little self-serving in an info-mercial way (see links), although that's probably not the intent and merely a correlation with his own point of view.

Anyway, there seems to be a tendency to create false dichotomies. Is the tone player or guitar? Wood or builder? Collector or player?

People own, play and or play with guitars for lots of reasons. Certainly I like "owning" a song. I also appreciate guitars for what they are, how they came to be and what they do. The visual aesthetics, the tactile sensation, the subtleties of sound and the deft craftsmanship that went into building it. I don't have to discard any one of those for appreciation of the music, or vice versa.

Does a person only derive the most pleasure from a performance automobile when they're driving it at the limit? or can they appreciate the lines of the body and the design that went into it? Can they appreciate the exhaust note, the engineering of the mechanical components, etc...?
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 05-21-2018, 06:39 AM
musicman1951 musicman1951 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Albany, NY
Posts: 4,993
Default

I don't "own" any songs. To me that means every note was perfect.

I have songs I play very well every time (not all), but I don't own them. There is something magical I'm striving for and I sometimes visit that realm for brief moments.

If I actually owned a song it would mean (to me) that what I was playing was too easy for the resources at hand (and I would be bored to death).

That may be taking the concept too literally, but it's fundamentally a concept I don't believe in.
__________________
Keith
Martin 000-42 Marquis
Taylor Classical
Alvarez 12 String
Gibson ES345s
Fender P-Bass
Gibson tenor banjo
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 05-21-2018, 07:11 AM
TBman's Avatar
TBman TBman is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 35,828
Default

Gee, I thought all we had to do was polish them, lol.
__________________
Barry

Sad Moments {Marianne Vedral cover}:


My SoundCloud page

Some steel strings, some nylon.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 05-21-2018, 07:30 AM
SprintBob's Avatar
SprintBob SprintBob is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,253
Default

The OP is also a performer and you have to "own" the song to a significant degree to be able to perform the song to an audience. Owning a song to me also means you are so comfortable with it that you can easily make variations to it especially when you are playing it live. Just go to a Tommy Emmanuel concert. I've seen him make a mistake and tell the audience after the song was over but you did not hear it in the performance. That's what I call owning the song.

I'm certainly a GAS'oholic but the OP is spot on correct.
__________________
Doerr Trinity 12 Fret 00 (Lutz/Maple)
Edwinson Zephyr 13 Fret 00 (Adi/Coco)
Froggy Bottom H-12 (Adi/EIR)
Kostal 12 Fret OMC (German Spruce/Koa)
Rainsong APSE 12 Fret (Carbon Fiber)
Taylor 812ce-N 12 fret (Sitka/EIR Nylon)
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 05-21-2018, 07:41 AM
JohnnyD123 JohnnyD123 is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Arizona High Country
Posts: 535
Smile

Quote:
Originally Posted by 815C View Post
Like most guitarists, there are a lot of guitars out there that I would love to own. However, there are also a lot of songs out there that I would also love to own ("own" in the sense that I could totally master them and wring every drop of musical quality out of them).

Given the choice, I would rather own the songs. The guitars are easier to acquire, but the songs are ultimately what make the journey memorable.
Nicely said! On some days I spend too much time on AGF Classifieds or Reverb! Many of us should spend more time playing and less shopping, especially when you we already have a great selection of guitars to play at home.

I rationalize while playing guitar 1-2 hours per day and with years of accumulated effort I have a good dozen or more songs I "own." Thanks
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 05-21-2018, 08:38 AM
815C 815C is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: The Hills Of Tennessee
Posts: 4,096
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by dneal View Post
The OP sounds a little self-serving in an info-mercial way (see links), although that's probably not the intent and merely a correlation with his own point of view.

Anyway, there seems to be a tendency to create false dichotomies. Is the tone player or guitar? Wood or builder? Collector or player?

People own, play and or play with guitars for lots of reasons. Certainly I like "owning" a song. I also appreciate guitars for what they are, how they came to be and what they do. The visual aesthetics, the tactile sensation, the subtleties of sound and the deft craftsmanship that went into building it. I don't have to discard any one of those for appreciation of the music, or vice versa.

Does a person only derive the most pleasure from a performance automobile when they're driving it at the limit? or can they appreciate the lines of the body and the design that went into it? Can they appreciate the exhaust note, the engineering of the mechanical components, etc...?
Allow me to explain the thoughts behind my post. This morning I was pondering the guitars I very much would like to obtain (a great Strat, a grat Tele, a great Les Paul, a 335, a Gypsy jazz guitar, a great classical guitar, a double neck pedal steel). I realized this list was a bit daunting, and that while I may over time acquire some of these instruments, if I allowed myself to focus on gear vs. mastering ("owning") the tunes I'm currently working on, that I would be distracted from my primary goal of making music.

I decided this morning to be grateful for the guitars I currently own, and to focus on getting all the music I can out of them. I've been woodshedding quite a bit lately on some tunes I want to record/video, and in some cases thinking I would need to delay the recording/filming until I had the "perfect" guitar for each particular song. However, this morning I decided to not allow guitars that I don't have to delay creating the music I do have, and to focus instead on music vs. instruments.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 05-21-2018, 08:42 AM
jaymarsch jaymarsch is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: North of the Golden Gate, South of the Redwoods, East of the Pacific and West of the Sierras
Posts: 10,569
Default

I am grateful to be able to own some nice instruments and know first hand how hard it is to write a good song. I may not have the talent or discipline to ever bring out the best in my guitars but I appreciate the process of learning to improve and enjoy them more every day.

Best,
Jayne
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 05-21-2018, 08:50 AM
Mr. Jelly's Avatar
Mr. Jelly Mr. Jelly is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Sioux City, Iowa
Posts: 7,848
Default

Random thoughts .... I look at the term owning differently than the op. To me owning a song means that you have some of yourself in it. Even if you didn't write it but the performing of it. It takes about the same amount of time to purchase a guitar as it does to learn a song. Does a music store owner own all his guitars or does a person need to bond with it to own it? I can play hundreds of songs and learn more. But what for? I only like to play songs that I have something invested in besides time and memory.
__________________
Waterloo WL-S, K & K mini
Waterloo WL-S Deluxe, K & K mini
Iris OG, 12 fret, slot head, K & K mini

Follow The Yellow Brick Road
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 05-21-2018, 11:01 AM
Pickcity's Avatar
Pickcity Pickcity is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 1,163
Default

Skills >> guitar collections, all day, everyday, and twice on Sundays.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 05-21-2018, 11:04 AM
menhir menhir is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Pittsburgh
Posts: 1,208
Default

I know what the OP means and I agree...

I'd much rather own the song.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 05-21-2018, 11:29 AM
dneal dneal is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: The little house in the woods.
Posts: 3,041
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by 815C View Post
Allow me to explain the thoughts behind my post. This morning I was pondering the guitars I very much would like to obtain (a great Strat, a grat Tele, a great Les Paul, a 335, a Gypsy jazz guitar, a great classical guitar, a double neck pedal steel). I realized this list was a bit daunting, and that while I may over time acquire some of these instruments, if I allowed myself to focus on gear vs. mastering ("owning") the tunes I'm currently working on, that I would be distracted from my primary goal of making music.

I decided this morning to be grateful for the guitars I currently own, and to focus on getting all the music I can out of them. I've been woodshedding quite a bit lately on some tunes I want to record/video, and in some cases thinking I would need to delay the recording/filming until I had the "perfect" guitar for each particular song. However, this morning I decided to not allow guitars that I don't have to delay creating the music I do have, and to focus instead on music vs. instruments.
Fair enough.

I play guitar as a hobby. I like messing around with the strings and hearing the sounds that come out... Maybe one day I'll put forward the time and effort to learn scales and theory, but life has been in the way up until now.

Although I "own" (i.e.: can play well) quite a few songs, I particularly like to play simple classical pieces. I understand the satisfaction that comes with getting a tune down pat. I have 3 nice guitars that I was able to acquire at reasonable prices. I notice the difference in sound, and the wider dynamics available. I experiment with that a lot, and will pause in the middle of playing just to listen to the harmonics/overtones/whatever of a particular chord. I'll also experiment with that chord. Am I "owning" a piece of music? I don't think so. I am thoroughly enjoying the instrument while I (as I said earlier) mess around with the strings and hear the sounds that come out...
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 05-21-2018, 12:02 PM
Denny B Denny B is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Ohio
Posts: 3,136
Default

There are a few songs, I think I can say I "own"...

Of course there's a few more that I've probably just "taken hostage"...
__________________
"Music is much too important to be left to professionals."
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 05-21-2018, 12:14 PM
buzzardwhiskey buzzardwhiskey is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,450
Default

I "own" several songs in the semi-literal sense that I wrote, performed and recorded them. And my relationship to them is ever changing and a constant source of joy and amazement. They are not static in the least nor is my understanding of them. It sounds weird but maybe I don't own them at all.
__________________
Website: http://www.buzzardwhiskey.com
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:24 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=