#1
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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. |
#2
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Truer words were never spoken....
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"One small heart, and a great big soul that's driving" |
#3
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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...? |
#4
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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.
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Keith Martin 000-42 Marquis Taylor Classical Alvarez 12 String Gibson ES345s Fender P-Bass Gibson tenor banjo |
#5
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Gee, I thought all we had to do was polish them, lol.
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Barry Sad Moments {Marianne Vedral cover}: My SoundCloud page Some steel strings, some nylon. |
#6
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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.
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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) |
#7
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Quote:
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 |
#8
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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. |
#9
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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 |
#10
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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.
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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 |
#11
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Skills >> guitar collections, all day, everyday, and twice on Sundays.
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#12
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I know what the OP means and I agree...
I'd much rather own the song. |
#13
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Quote:
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... |
#14
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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"...
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"Music is much too important to be left to professionals." |
#15
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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.
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Website: http://www.buzzardwhiskey.com |