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View Poll Results: Do you play from the Head or from the Heart?
Head 13 24.07%
Heart 41 75.93%
Voters: 54. You may not vote on this poll

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  #16  
Old 05-15-2018, 10:25 AM
bluesfreek bluesfreek is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Athens View Post
I thought pizza had to be one of the choices when you started a poll thread....?


But in all seriousness... for me it depends on the song I am playing at the time. If I am trying to sing and finger pick "Deep River Blues" my head is definitely involved. If I am strumming and singing "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" it's all about heart.
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  #17  
Old 05-15-2018, 11:11 AM
junkyard junkyard is offline
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For me, it's both. If I played purely from "heart", my playing would get pretty repetitive, as I find that I settle into what is comfortable and that leads to ruts. If I played purely from my head, I would take fewer risks with improvisation. They key for me is trying to find balance by using my head to develop melodic ideas while using my heart to turn it into something unique.

Regarding the article, it sounded to me like Richie Blackmore was just trying to stir the pot for some publicity.
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  #18  
Old 05-15-2018, 12:23 PM
jaymarsch jaymarsch is offline
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For me it is definitely both. If I put the head work in then I can let go of all that and let my heart and hands take over when I perform. But for me it is mostly always a dance between the two.

Best,
Jayne
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  #19  
Old 05-15-2018, 01:36 PM
muscmp muscmp is offline
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i believe that you have to play from the heart and not the head.

i was in an office band where the leader of the band was also our company's attorney in charge. he had started at musician's institute but flunked out and went to law school. he said law school was much easier! he could play any note or chord you could name but had no feeling at all. he said he was glad i joined the band as rhythm guitarist as i had the feeling that he lacked(his words). too much head, not enough heart.

play music!
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  #20  
Old 05-15-2018, 02:36 PM
Tico Tico is offline
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Neither.
I use my hands.

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  #21  
Old 05-15-2018, 06:24 PM
Denny B Denny B is offline
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I play for fun and my own personal enjoyment...

My head, my heart, and my boogie shoes just jump in whenever they feel like it...
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  #22  
Old 05-15-2018, 07:21 PM
Pitar Pitar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeCharter View Post
Sounds very romantic but the heart is a pump. Music comes from your head.




They are simply bad players.

Stoically accurate in the abject absence of passion.
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  #23  
Old 05-15-2018, 07:40 PM
dneal dneal is offline
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To clarify some other posts, of course the brain (head) is always involved. Ritchie Blackmore is talking about conveying emotion in music (from the heart). It's the reason I'd rather hear B.B. King play 5 notes than hear Joe Satriani play 50. If it's not moving you emotionally, it's not music (IMHO).
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  #24  
Old 05-15-2018, 09:11 PM
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Erithon Erithon is offline
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Both: the heart inspires me to learn a piece, the head gets it under my fingers, and the heart interprets the notes and guides the performance.
It's not either or: they are a team.
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  #25  
Old 05-15-2018, 09:23 PM
Irish Pennant Irish Pennant is offline
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Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't, other times I wish I could.
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  #26  
Old 05-15-2018, 10:31 PM
pgilmor pgilmor is offline
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When I play my best, I'm playing from my heart, but I often need my brain to figure out the notes, especially when I'm writing.
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  #27  
Old 05-16-2018, 01:56 AM
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Mbroady Mbroady is offline
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I always try to play with heart.. Though I have gotten better at it, I find it most difficult to play with heart when recording. The head has a funny way of pre judging or being to critical while the “tape is rolling”

Sometimes you got to play head games in order to play from the heart
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  #28  
Old 05-16-2018, 04:53 AM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is offline
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Very much both.

Learning or writing a song, I write down the lyrics, alter them if I wish.
I play along with the recording (or whatever) and write chords above the words.
Then I focus on "Telling" the story. This is important if you want people to listen to you.

Intro.break and outro seem to be accomplished by my hands with little input from me.

Time it, Test other keys , correct ,
Perform.
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  #29  
Old 05-16-2018, 05:21 AM
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Mr. Jelly Mr. Jelly is offline
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Have you seen Sun House play. Now that is playing from the heart.
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  #30  
Old 05-16-2018, 06:25 AM
troystory92 troystory92 is offline
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Sometimes can depend on the song and how well I know it.

Originals and covers I love with the heart, new covers with the head
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