Reminded of "Musicality" again.

[jaymarsch]

Great thread and topic. I took a songwriting class from Mary Gauthier and Gretchen Peters and they were talking about finding your authentic voice. I think some people have a natural connection to their authentic voice early on - John Prine being a great example. But many artists have to work towards finding their voice. Even though the OP is using the term “musicality” and that’s part of it, for me, it is how a musician, singer, performer lets the truth of themselves and what they want to express come through.
For those of us who want to move people through our music, the journey to find our voice is a critical one. For those who want to merely entertain, and that has its place for sure, maybe being in touch with that musicality or authentic voice isn’t as important. It is pretty noticeable though and memorable when you go to an open mic or concert and have that experience of a performer grabbing your complete attention, captivating the entire room.
Sometimes people are born with certain sensibilities and others have to develop these sensibilities with time and attention. Either way, being honest and sincere with wherever you are at is an art in itself.
Best,
Jayne

[Silly Moustache]

Here is a British singer-songwriter whose approach to a song always impresses me.

I've made videos about this song which I feel is rarely done to tell the bitter cynicism of Dylan's lyrics - not even him!

Listen to this low key subtle approach which (I feel) really tells this story!

[Rogerblair]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Here is a British singer-songwriter whose approach to a song always impresses me.

I've made videos about this song which I feel is rarely done to tell the bitter cynicism of Dylan's lyrics - not even him!

Listen to this low key subtle approach which (I feel) really tells this story!

Andy,
I believe this is the BEST interpretation of Dylan’s classic that I’ve ever heard. Wow, loved that. It precisely nails the point of this thread, in my opinion.
Thanks for posting. (What is his name? Can’t make it out on the cover shot)
Roger

[rick-slo]

In a measure it's a two way street - the performer and the audience. The listener's ears (general discernment and musicality
from past listening to and developed appreciation for various types of music).

[CarlE]

I took my wife and her mother to hear a guy that sang Elvis and Johnny cash songs - not really an impersonator or tribute, just "in the style of". He had a four-piece band backing him up, two guitars, bass, and drum set. At the start of the show, the drummer came out by himself, sat behind the kit and started playing a very basic 4/4 50's style beat. Nothing fancy at all, but for some reason just had the feel of "music" all by itself. He played solo for a minute or so, then the bass player came in and joined the drummer with a generic rock n roll bass line - no slapping, playing high up on the neck, or anything showy, just locked perfectly in with the drummer. I could have listened to just the two of them all night, they just had that feel that made you tap your foot. After a couple more minutes, the rhythm guitarist came on and added some perfectly timed chords ("Guitar George"?), followed by the lead player who came on and ran through a couple of tasty lead breaks. Everything they did sounded fairly simple, but like they had been playing together for decades. By the time the singer came out and started the first song I was actually a bit disappointed - he was pretty good, but to me the band was the star of the show.

[Rick Jones]

Originally Posted by CarlE

I took my wife and her mother to hear a guy that sang Elvis and Johnny cash songs - not really an impersonator or tribute, just "in the style of". He had a four-piece band backing him up, two guitars, bass, and drum set. At the start of the show, the drummer came out by himself, sat behind the kit and started playing a very basic 4/4 50's style beat. Nothing fancy at all, but for some reason just had the feel of "music" all by itself. He played solo for a minute or so, then the bass player came in and joined the drummer with a generic rock n roll bass line - no slapping, playing high up on the neck, or anything showy, just locked perfectly in with the drummer.

I used to do a few sets a year at a rowdy sort of surf-club type beach bar on the Island I live on. The place gets heaving busy, has a totally different and mostly local crowd (whereas our 'town' is full of tourists in Summer) but it's a pig of a place to capture the audience at.

Back in the 00's I opened the evening for a visiting Aussie guitarist named Ash Grunwald. He came out and stomped his 'board' (it was a box with a piezo in it via a bass combo amp) in a 4/4 'heartbeat' and before he'd even sang or played a note on his National, and the audience was his, and dancing.

Sometimes the swing is all you need to nail.

[Ezp]

I firmly believe that almost any human action or trait can be learned, developed and refined.

I may not have started with the same amount of “musicality” that I have sometimes seen in other perfomers/ musicians but the amount I have right now is astronomically higher than the amount I started with. All learned.
I am quite confident that it is the same for everyone who regularly practices on this forum.

Do some people start a little higher on the “musicality” scale? of course.
They learn and develop too.

For me, music is not a competitive activity. It is a journey. When it is collaborative it can be beautiful and sublime. That collaboration can be between a performer and an audience. We all have at least experienced it as audience members or I doubt we would be hanging around on guitar forums.

The following I suppose is a pep talk for my own self that I feel compelled to share. Listen or don’t.

Don’t get down on yourself. Keep learning. Talk frankly with those you play with and around. Observe closley, what that “musical” person does. Practice phrasing, timing, modulation if that’s what is needed. You can learn. You can’t learn to be a “natural.” But you can learn to emphasize your own strengths and make your weaknesses stronger.

Enjoy the journey wherever you may be going.

Ezp

[Rick Jones]

I agree with Ezp about it not being a competition. The beauty of music is that it's expression, and personal expression at that.

Oddly, I have been a high-ranked powerlifter in later life, and somewhat successful competitive martial artist in my youth. I've had more weird competitive energy at music festivals than I ever did in sports... no kidding.

Thankfully that's lessened a great deal as I hit my mid-forties.

[QuestionMark]

One should not discount the affect of hard work. Hard work certainly can impact musicianship in a positive way. The issue really is having the drive and discipline to do the hard work. Why some have the drive and discipline is really the question. But, it may just be a matter of everyone may be wired differently.

Just my perspective.

QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

[Kyle215]

Willie Watson (formerly of Old Crow Medicine Show) sprang to mind when I read the OP. I saw him maybe 6-7 years ago… he just got on stage in a packed and rowdy little hole the wall room in South Philly with just a guitar and a banjo and spent 90 minutes playing trad folk songs. Somehow, I still remember it as one of the better performances I’ve seen, and I see a ton of shows.

As far as learning musicality, I would suggest that it’s possible… Bryan Sutton’s course on ArtistWorks has really helped me bring out some things that I didn’t know I was missing.

[Glennwillow]

The thing about "musicality" is that while we all agree in principle that some have it, the reality is that we don't necessarily agree on the details of who those particular musicians are.

For example, while the reference is quite nebulous, I am guessing that this "particular player often mentioned on this forum" is someone whose musicality I greatly admire. I understand that others may not value the same type of musicianship that I value, but that is my point here in this response.

I suppose it's best to stay nebulous so that we can all agree here.

- Glenn

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by Rogerblair

Andy,
I believe this is the BEST interpretation of Dylan’s classic that I’ve ever heard. Wow, loved that. It precisely nails the point of this thread, in my opinion.
Thanks for posting. (What is his name? Can’t make it out on the cover shot)
Roger

This is Allan's wiki entry : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Taylor_(musician)

This is his website : http://www.allantaylor.com/

If you have 45 minutes to listen, try this :

[SeanC]

Originally Posted by Ezp

I firmly believe that almost any human action or trait can be learned, developed and refined.

I may not have started with the same amount of “musicality” that I have sometimes seen in other perfomers/ musicians but the amount I have right now is astronomically higher than the amount I started with. All learned.
I am quite confident that it is the same for everyone who regularly practices on this forum.

Do some people start a little higher on the “musicality” scale? of course.
They learn and develop too.

For me, music is not a competitive activity. It is a journey. When it is collaborative it can be beautiful and sublime. That collaboration can be between a performer and an audience. We all have at least experienced it as audience members or I doubt we would be hanging around on guitar forums.

The following I suppose is a pep talk for my own self that I feel compelled to share. Listen or don’t.

Don’t get down on yourself. Keep learning. Talk frankly with those you play with and around. Observe closley, what that “musical” person does. Practice phrasing, timing, modulation if that’s what is needed. You can learn. You can’t learn to be a “natural.” But you can learn to emphasize your own strengths and make your weaknesses stronger.

Enjoy the journey wherever you may be going.

Ezp

I'm not a live performer just a campfire basement kind of guy but making strides everyday and I've learned some songs just hit my pocket vocally and play to my strengths. Confidence is the biggest factor for most of us as I think were often afraid to show are true voice and instead just trying to sound like the original artist.

[SpruceTop]

Could "musicality" be likened to flow? Flow as in when you hear a guitarist play a piece that sounds smooth but with dynamics and nuances in the right places that makes a piece sound interesting and pleasing? You can even hear fairly new guitarists with these qualities in their playing. Is it a mind and fingers link? I believe it is but it's driven by heart and soul flowing, subconsciously or not, through their playing.

[Br1ck]

If you develop your own style, you remove the whole trying to copy someone else from your performance. This leads to direct communication. It becomes your phrasing, your style. No one is going to out do James Taylor or Jimi Hendrix, yet people play note perfect renditions of Fire and Rain and Little Wing. While I admire them for tenacity, I find it boring, yet the casual listener finds it cozy and familiar. If what you are playing is uniquely you, it will flow naturally.

In the last 20 or so years, dynamics have been lost. Dynamics is one of the most important parts of music. You can learn to drop your volume after the chorus. Nothing is more musically effective than having an audience lean forward and have to listen.

If you have a naturally gifted voice, use it. If you don't, maybe it's your own insecurity. Get over that. It comes across, but like everything else, it can be overcome with practice. But the more relaxed and confidant you are, well, it comes across. You don't have to be perfect, but being uniquely you will make your performances human, thus musical.

I once was so amused by my original lyric content that I starting laughing mid song, I didn't stop, just made a comment, sorry, I shouldn't be so amused by my own lyrics. and went on. It was no big deal. Be yourself and people quit comparing what you are doing with the original artist.