What genre

[cream123]

I'm asking this for purposes of my own and so I don't have to answer with an "uhhhhh, I don't know. Maybe wierd?" when people ask me what genre I play. What genre do I usually write/play? I don't know myself to be honest and maybe someone can clear this up a bit. I think I'm more in the suck-a-lot rock genre :smack:, also known as makes-a-lot-of-tempo-changes rock :laugh2:. Just kind of wondering. Also I haven't really incorporated harmony into my songs. Maybe I'll do that after I start writing what I play down and I'll harmonize with a keyboard or something. I'm sure after I do that my genre will change quite a bit.

here's some of my music

Irish Jig, kind of the black sheep. Just recorded it

Teisco Ditty, old. WARNING: an amazing amount of tempo changes. I didn't really care to keep tempo or anything.


That's all I can really find as far as songs that show a good example of my playing/writing style.

Any help would be greatly appreciated
-Marc

 

[big_black]

Re: What genre

Tell them you play Homo-core.

 

[El Dunco]

Re: What genre

Just tell them you can play anything, silly! I don't know anyone who would honestly reply with "hmmm, I don't know."

Music is music, the whole genre thing gets annoying sometimes. It's like there is some entire culture or way of life behind each type of music. GUUUH!!

 

[Osensei]

Re: What genre

Just tell them you can play anything, silly! I don't know anyone who would honestly reply with "hmmm, I don't know."

Music is music, the whole genre thing gets annoying sometimes. It's like there is some entire culture or way of life behind each type of music. GUUUH!!

I can understand Beer$. He doesn't appreciate labels. Many musicians have made that statement in the past. However, such ideas must be put in the proper context. Knowledge of style/genre is key to learning and development. Being able to listen to a piece of music and identify the genre/style/period that it's from provides a great deal of information to the student.

I'm a jazz player myself. But I was always disappointed with the progress I was making until I came to understand style/genre/idiom or whatever you call it these days. You see there is a difference between Bebop, Cool Jazz, Fusion and so on.

You should not only be able to identify each genre, but you should know the characteristics of each genre. In other words, "What are the elements of a particular style that distinguish it from the other styles?". The answer comes down to things like tone settings, comping styles, phrasing, different patterns played by the rhythm section and so on. If you are not aware of these elements or you don't know when and where they fit in then how can you play any style effectively? You would often find yourself playing with the wrong feel or just not fitting in.

 

[El Dunco]

Re: What genre

I can understand Beer$. He doesn't appreciate labels. Many musicians have made that statement in the past. However, such ideas must be put in the proper context. Knowledge of style/genre is key to learning and development. Being able to listen to a piece of music and identify the genre/style/period that it's from provides a great deal of information to the student.

I'm a jazz player myself. But I was always disappointed with the progress I was making until I came to understand style/genre/idiom or whatever you call it these days. You see there is a difference between Bebop, Cool Jazz, Fusion and so on.

You should not only be able to identify each genre, but you should know the characteristics of each genre. In other words, "What are the elements of a particular style that distinguish it from the other styles?". The answer comes down to things like tone settings, comping styles, phrasing, different patterns played by the rhythm section and so on. If you are not aware of these elements or you don't know when and where they fit in then how can you play any style effectively? You would often find yourself playing with the wrong feel or just not fitting in.

Well yeah I can appreciate genres, that's fair enough. I can't stand labels. It's fair enough for a band to be metal but have a really loose sort of style and not want to conform to labelling or fit into some subgenre. That's pretty much my band but we were death metal to start out with until I ditched the vocalist and did it myself because he SUCKS!! Death metal is usually driven downtuned guitars, Growly vocals etc. Power metal has higher cleaner vocals and can have fantasy based lyrics (although there are exceptions like Children of Bodom) Black metal has high pitched squealing and tremolo picking. Thrash metal is usually fast and has alot of muted E string for a "chugging" effect, the vocals can range from Tom Araya style to James Hetfield style.

I could go on, but I won't. What I don't like is "well this person has black hair and is wearing black clothes and has a skull sticker on his guitar so he is a (insert stereotype here). I find it ridiculous.

 

[cream123]

Re: What genre

I didn't ask for your views on genres. I just wanted to know what you would consider this music as far as genres. I'll have to use that one Big Black, just to see what they say.

 

[flank]

Re: What genre

I'd call it Oddball Garage Rock

 

[Osensei]

Re: What genre

I didn't ask for your views on genres. I just wanted to know what you would consider this music as far as genres. I'll have to use that one Big Black, just to see what they say.

Yeah, whatever ...! My advice is that you need to spend some time covering other ppls tunes. Cuz you obviously don't have any of your own! I was trying to give you sound advice because you are so desperately in need!

 

[Corbic]

Re: What genre

Progressive Garage rock? I dunno, thats what it sounded like to me anyway.

 

[cream123]

Re: What genre

Yeah, whatever ...! My advice is that you need to spend some time covering other ppls tunes. Cuz you obviously don't have any of your own! I was trying to give you sound advice because you are so desperately in need!

I see where you're coming from. The tunes I like to cover are nothing what I write as a person or what I listen to. The stuff I listen to is very hard to cover for one such as myself, except for the White Stripes. I have no idea where to start. The bands that I like include Modest Mouse, Neutral Milk Hotel, White Stripes, etc., etc. I could go on forever. I don't know how playing other peoples music will define me as a player. Of course obvoiusly I'm just a naive kid who's only been playing guitar for 3 or 4 years or so. Honestly though I'm quite an amatuere when it comes to genres of music and guitar in general. To be honest I'm not good techniquely or just playing skill in general as you can probably tell from the clips. I don't know how to phrase things so it sounds like one style or another. I just play what I like and what sounds good to me. I have no idea and don't know where to start. I'm just wondering where I fall. I'll play what I want. :smack: I just want to know where I fall in the world of music.

Isn't the lack of knowledge the place to start asking questions anyway?

 

[Osensei]

Re: What genre

This is why you need to play covers. You'll never learn to do all of the things you mention in this post unless you have some point of reference. We learn by imitating others. Once we have digested enough then we branch out into our own writing.

Everything comes from somewhere. New music evolves from what came before. That's why any serious artists spends years woodshedding before they venture into uncharted territory. It's called paying your dues and every serious musician has to go through it.

My way of thinking is like this: Rock is Blues based. Therefore, if you play any of the idioms that fall under the category of rock (past or present) then you need to be able to do a convincing blues. By convincing I mean as close to Muddy Waters, Albert King, Howling Wolf, et al as possible. That's were your roots are. If you can't go back that far then you're just another media creation with no substance.

I know many people won't appreciate my point of view, but hey ...! It is what it is man! If you don't have any roots then you're a BS player! That's the gospel according to Osensei. :chairfall

Starting out trying to play your own stuff will only result in you giving up on music! Why? Because, you're spending all of your time trying to create stuff that you're never satisfied with! In the meantime you're not learning anything about technique, phrasing, style, theory or anything else. After so many months or years you'll get frustrated with your lack of progress and you'll just quit!

By covering stuff you'll at least be learning and gaining technique and experience over time. Even if you're covering stuff that you don't necessarily like. It's better than doing nothing. And guess what? You may discover in the process that you dig some other style over what you're listening to now. It's funny but learning to play has a way of changing one's tastes.

 

[danglybanger]

Re: What genre

...let's be positive here. What do you know?

If you really know NOTHING technical... then that is all relatively impressive :laugh2:

If not, you have some brushing up to do, yes. You clearly have some tricks learned, even if you don't know what the **** you're doing or when to do it really. Have you been working on all that scale/mode/harmony stuff osensei posted? my advice; this is what I did when I was just starting. Start with C major because that's easiest. Just learn what chords are in it, create a song, learn how to do a little "solo" or melody above the progression... don't even worry about modes. Yet. Just know how the notes relate to the note before, after, and the chords above it, and the beat that's below it. Then you'll gain an understanding of how things work... and when you read about things like modes and harmonies (which you should) it won't be a foreign language.

You really have to learn other people's songs. That just teaches you so much about how things relate to each other... yeah it's hard. But we've all gone through it. It teaches you even more tricks, and how they are appropriately used

I learned Alice in Chains songs when I was at your level. Does that mean my music sounds like Alice in Chains? (I ought to post examples... I should be recording with some guy next week) It's nothing to do with not being true to your own style, or copping out.

All the players you love don't play that way because it's the only way they can play. They play that way because they want to

There shouldn't be anything you "can't" do.

Don't say you play crazy tempos just because you don't care about actually keeping up to a uniform tempo. Don't say you play your own style because you can't play any other style or won't make the effort to.

Know the rules before you break them You'll be fine though. I sense talent...

BTW. The Teisco sounds good.

Oh yeah. What Osensei says about the blues is seriously true. Even if you don't like the blues. It's the basics :bigthumb:

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: What genre

This is why you need to play covers. You'll never learn to do all of the things you mention in this post unless you have some point of reference. We learn by imitating others. Once we have digested enough then we branch out into our own writing.

Everything comes from somewhere. New music evolves from what came before. That's why any serious artists spends years woodshedding before they venture into uncharted territory. It's called paying your dues and every serious musician has to go through it.

My way of thinking is like this: Rock is Blues based. Therefore, if you play any of the idioms that fall under the category of rock (past or present) then you need to be able to do a convincing blues. By convincing I mean as close to Muddy Waters, Albert King, Howling Wolf, et al as possible. That's were your roots are. If you can't go back that far then you're just another media creation with no substance.

I know many people won't appreciate my point of view, but hey ...! It is what it is man! If you don't have any roots then you're a BS player! That's the gospel according to Osensei. :chairfall

Starting out trying to play your own stuff will only result in you giving up on music! Why? Because, you're spending all of your time trying to create stuff that you're never satisfied with! In the meantime you're not learning anything about technique, phrasing, style, theory or anything else. After so many months or years you'll get frustrated with your lack of progress and you'll just quit!

By covering stuff you'll at least be learning and gaining technique and experience over time. Even if you're covering stuff that you don't necessarily like. It's better than doing nothing. And guess what? You may discover in the process that you dig some other style over what you're listening to now. It's funny but learning to play has a way of changing one's tastes.

That's good stuff! Nice post Osensei!

"Learning how to play has a way of changing one's tastes." As I've been learning my tastes have been changing. I've been a bit surprised...I've posted before that sometimes I feel as though my guitar is playing me. :laugh2:

It's so true...

Edit: Even Hendrix cut his chops on Muddy Waters, BB King, Chuck Berry, Buddy Guy, et. al...Hendrix before he was Jimi was just a guitarist in Little Richard's band...

 

[Osensei]

Re: What genre

No kidding Toad! When I was in middle school (They called it junior high back then! LOL!), I just wanted to play like Hendrix, Santana, Robin Trower and Jimmy Page and the boys. When I got to high school they stuck my butt in the "Stage Band". If you're chronologically challenged, then a stage band is the high school term for jazz ensemble.

I thought, "Wow! Old foagy crap!". Then I started to hear those horns playing those phrases in block harmony man! It was like someone bitch slapped some sense into my young ass! Then the different horn sections started playing counter melodies against one another. Nirvana!

Once you hear that then you realize that popular music is manufactured BS that is designed for the ignorant unwashed masses! To top it off there was this guitar player named Greg Sims! He was a senior and I was a freshman! Even at this young age, this guy was the best jazz guitarist I'd ever heard man! He sounded just like Pat Martino! He'd take off into a solo and it would just groove beyond belief. None of my Hendrix, Santana, Jimmy Page **** could touch this dude. I had to bow down baby! I had to BOW DOWN!

That's how you know when a cat is the real deal man! :smokin: Kid I know you're young but you'll save yourself a bunch of heart ache once you come to this realization. Which is: The old folks really do know what's best for you're young posterior! Take you're medicine! Because one way or the other you're gonna get it! Either by the tablespoon or IV drip! You choose which way!

 

[cream123]

Re: What genre

I realize what you guys are saying now and I agree with it. It's just such a horrible idea to look back and realize I've wasted a good 2 or 3 years of guitar playing and have to start a couple of years of experience back

the problem, again , is that I have no idea where to start on different genres. I will start learning other peoples songs....I guess . I just don't know how each rythm I use and how the different chords I play in what progression make what sound. Do you know what I'm saying? I'm that bad at this writing music stuff :smack:. It's such a daunting task to go back and nearly start over but I guess to improve I have to go back to the near-beginning.

Slade... I recorded that Teiso clip a while ago and that's by far the craziest tempo change I've made in a while . But yeah, I shouldn't be dismissing it as a problem I have but rather a problem I have to overcome. I better start working.


Osensei, while I do have mental problems and strong views about how life should work I don't need them attacked by other people after I have stated them in what I though was a open environment. It's really quite unnecessary. I realize that adults in general are more knowledgable and experienced and that yes, I am niave. As a matter of a fact I never said that I am more knowledgable or experienced than adults. I may have implied it by accident but I never meant to even imply it. From the one part of your post where you attacked me as a person and attacked what I am and what I can not change about myself you made me realize that I might as well not even express problems or vent to people. I'll just be critisized (I know, I can't spell) on what I see as a problem and what I don't like. Since when is dissecting and destroying opinions okay? How did you destroy me and degrade me you ask? Well you implied that if I were to not take my pills that I would eventually attempt suicide or get seriously injured in some way. Believe me I take my pills. I would never, never, never not take my pills. I have always taken them willingly, I just don't like taking them. I hated my life before I took my pills and I hated myself. To imply that I wouldn't take them at all and go through that all over again is a serious attack against my ability to think and reason in itself.

And so what if I have opinions on things? Does that change your life since I'm just a young, niave, un-technical, amature guitar player who doesn't harmonize or have any idea what he's playing or how to phrase things? Especially when almost everyone on this forum is an "omniscient and omnipotent adult" that I should fear deeply. Since adults are better than kids at everthing then why should adults even consider my opinion, even talk to me? Why should you consider me a thing of worth, someone who you should be speaking with or helping out? After all opinions and views are what makes a person who they are not their hair or their glasses or their clothing. Any adult who thinks apperance is more important than personal values isn't very mature. Believe me I know you all are better and more experienced at guitar than I am, that's unquestionable. However when you attack my views and make such a generalization as "The old folks really do know what's best for your young posterior." it makes me angry. Sorry if I sound defensive but I am.

 

[joeydude]

Re: What genre

just tell them "when i hit the stringsys, it makeses sounds yaaaaay!!!!!"

 

[cream123]

Re: What genre

Hey guys, I'm sorry about what I said. I got on a spurt of stupidity and it just kept on rolling. I'm not going to delete it though. I just wanted to say sorry. I realize that I need help. The only thing that will come from arguing is.....well, not helping me . Anyways I'm sorry I posted that. I'm not gonna delete cause that would be somewhat cowardly. A lot of it, if not all of it, was contradictory. I was attacking YOUR viewpoints in an arguement about how it's not okay to attack poeple's opinions :smack:. I just made myself look like an idiot so hopefully you can forgive me.....

 

[joeydude]

Re: What genre

yeah this whole "you muust play covers" **** is only semi-true. yes its a great way to learn other styles n ****, but dose nothing to build your own style, and really, memorising a tab dosnt teach you that much about music theory.

i know a fair amount of theory, and i do learn songs sometimes but i prefer to just play my own ****. i guess im the only guitarist left who wants to sound like himself.

 

[StratTom]

Re: What genre

Just tell people you play rock 'n roll

 

[Osensei]

Re: What genre

Hey guys, I'm sorry about what I said. I got on a spurt of stupidity and it just kept on rolling. I'm not going to delete it though. I just wanted to say sorry. I realize that I need help. The only thing that will come from arguing is.....well, not helping me . Anyways I'm sorry I posted that. I'm not gonna delete cause that would be somewhat cowardly. A lot of it, if not all of it, was contradictory. I was attacking YOUR viewpoints in an arguement about how it's not okay to attack poeple's opinions :smack:. I just made myself look like an idiot so hopefully you can forgive me.....

My reference to meds was figurative and I'm not aware of any psychological problems you might have! So sorry! And you should be glad to have someone to attack your opinion. How will you know if your opinion has any merit if you never have to defend it?

When a scientist comes up with a theory does the rest of the scientific community just take their word for it at face value? Hell no! This is how we improve ourselves. By withstanding the tide of criticism! If I didn't give a damn then I wouldn't say anything to you!

I'm grateful when people attack me! Because it forces me to rethink my position. When I find a position that I can not defend with a counter argument then I know that I must re-evaluate my thought process. A true friend doesn't kiss your butt! Rather they challenge you to become better!

I love everybody! :chairfall