A Banjo Player?

I bought a banjo about 3 years ago.  Figured that Don and Brian were into playing different instruments, so figured I needed to get with the program.   At first I was looking at a guitar banjo, or as some call it, a six string banjo.  You might have seen Keith Urban or Neil Young play a 'six string banjo'.  Basically, they have a guitar neck and are tuned like a guitar, but they have a banjo body.  They sort of sound like a banjo, but then they really don't have that high G (if in G tuning) that you get playing your thumb of the top string on a banjo.   Of course Keith and Neil can make them sound pretty decent.  

I figured that a guitar banjo would be easy to play if you are a guitar player, so I went down to The Acoustic Music Shop on Whyte Ave.  They had a couple sitting there.  I picked them up.  They were strung and tuned in standard tuning for a guitar.  Easy enough to play, but they still really didn't sound like a true banjo.  Something seemed like it was missing.  

I had an old 'Raven' banjo that my father-in-law had, so I had learned a few things on a banjo.  So I picked up a 5 string banjo and played what little I could on it.  It did sound more like I thought a banjo should sound.    I also figured that if I was going to start playing different instruments, that I should really learn how to play a banjo, not just another guitar.   So I ended up buying the 5 string.   Actually, the other deciding factor was the Acoustic Music Shop had a great deal on a Goldtone - half price.   Certainly was in my budget, while the guitar banjos they had wasn't.  

So I took the banjo home and started to learn.  Took me a while to get my fingers to work, but since I play a little bit of finger picking on guitar, I just applied what I already knew.  I have figured out a few different finger picking styles on the banjo.  Can't get the hang of the 'clawhammer' style though.  Looks easy, but ----.    

So for a while, I played the banjo at home until I heard someone yelling "that's enough'.  Learning a new instrument can be cruel.   Good thing i wasn't trying to learn a fiddle.  I managed to get somewhat adept enough to play a couple of tunes with the Magpies.  We used to do a cover of 'You Ain't Going Nowhere" which is a Bob Dylan song that the Byrds did.  Simple 3-chord song.    Then slowly, I quit playing the banjo. 

A few weeks ago, I picked it up again.  funny how all that I learned before had gone. Started re-learning all over again.   Fingers don't work like they used to either.  no speed.  Frustration set in.   Yet, I kept trying and I'm still trying.  My playing is certainly not going to impress even a reasonably good banjo player.  Hell, I'm not impressed.  

So the other day, I decided I'd try to play a song that Don wrote called "Clouds of Alberta".  Its a rock beat country folk song - or something like that.  We play the song a fair amount, but with two 6-string guitars and a bass.  I picked up the banjo and played around with it.   Last night, we got together to practice to get our songs.  when we came to 'clouds', I picked up the banjo.  Figured I'd surprise Don a bit with a different sound.  he didn't even blink.  All he said was "don't come in off the start - come in on the second verse".   He didn't say put the banjo away.  

This morning, I listed to the recording we did of the Zoom H2 recorder of the song.  other than a few rough spots, the banjo did fit in quite nicely.  There isn't a dazzling banjo musicianship, but it adds a driving beat into the song.  Now I just need to keep working on the banjo with this song and get it right.  Get it so it is second nature without even thinking about what I'm doing.   Got 30 days to do that.  

Song from out of the blue

I was down in my music room playing one of my old guitars that I haven't played for a while.  My son came down and got on drums for a bit.  He left and I was playin' some of my more quiet tunes that I wrote.  Kind of in a relaxed mood I guess. 

After a while, I started playing around with some finger pickin'.  Started playing this thing that I had done before and it sounds a lot like an old familiar folk song - still can't recall what it is though.   That got me to playing Walk Right In.  

After a bit, I started fooling around with a C, Em, F, G, C.   Kind of an interesting chord progression.   It started to sound like something I can work on.  So now I need an idea for some lyrics.  

ELVIS - Baby What Do You Want Me To Do [Great Outtake]

Thought I'd share this with you so you can see Elvis version
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A Good Place to Be

My song writing has stalled.  I think I hit a wall (maybe that's a line for a song).  See how desperate I've become.  Actually, the problem I'm having is that musically, I'm looking for something different and as for lyrics, I'm just not having any productive ideas.   But then, part of  the reason for writers block is that rather than thinking about song writing, we've been focusing more on playing and preparing for upcoming music events.  Right now, that's a good place to put our focus.

Last night we were having a debate about what songs to include in a 30 minute showpiece set of all original songs.  Two years ago, that was a fairly easy task and there wasn't much debate.  Last year, it was a bit of a task to pick the songs we liked, but there wasn't a lot of debate.   This year, it is a debate.  I'm not even sure the debate is over.   You see, the problem is that we have about 50 songs to choose from.    Not only is the debate about what songs, but what order should they be played.  All through this debate, we thought about the paying customers, the audience, the fans.

What's the intent? How do we build emotion in the set? What image do we want to present?   Where do the best songs fit?  Where do the soft songs fit, or the uptempo, or the 'rockin' songs.    These are very tough things to figure out.  

Why are we having a debate this year that we haven't had before?   As of late our music has taken on a whole new direction and ranges across several different genre's.    We use a mix of instruments that is presenting a whole new and sometimes unique sound.   AND:  We have somewhere around 50 finished original songs to choose from, and who knows how many unfinished songs.   This is not an bad debate - it is a good debate.   It is a sign that our music is maturing.  

This is really a good place to be.     

Extravaganza Video

I just got some video (amateur) from the Magpies Extravaganza.  This is a song that I like doing to kick a little life into the party.   It's an old Jimmy Reed song called "Doing What You Want Me".   You might know the Elvis version that he did on his comeback special in 1968. 

Auditions and Radio Interviews

 Practice makes perfect.  You all have heard this since you were born.  Hey, it's true.   The hard work that we (Magpies) did over past couple of weeks to prepare for the audition for the Heart of the City Festival paid off.   We did our 3 songs and the panelist said play some more until the other musicians show up.  Guess getting there early helped too. 

This is what we heard today.  "Wow! you guys are playing a different kind of music this year".   "You are playing with a lot more passion."  "I liked you music, I could listen to you guys all day"  We asked them what genre they think we fit into.  Answer: "clever".

Our music has grown over the past year.  Part of that is that we, well more so Don and Brian, are experimenting with more and different instruments.  Songs that we would have played in a more 'roots' style in the past are now taking on a new and even unique sound.  It is truly becoming 'our' sound. 

After our audition we were interviewed by CJSR about our music and the Heart of the City Festival.   That was pretty cool.   Our first media interview.

Ad Sense Cancelled

You may have noticed that there were ads on my blog.  I signed onto Ad Sense.  Seems they are pretty sensitive about clicking on ads on your own blog.  Of course, they do say that when you sign on and agree to the terms.  Well, seems they didn't like the 'possible' improper use of ads on my blog.  So, you will get the benefit of reading my blog and no longer being distracted by advertising.  Guess I won't be able to make that extra $10 a year after all.   Guess I'll have to cut something out of my budget. Guess I'll have to cut down on the guitar picks I buy this year.  I'll just stop losing them instead.  Oh the hardships of being a musician.

Road to Nowhere - Part 2

In a very early post, I included a version of the song "Road to Nowhere" that was recorded with me playing electric guitar along to an electronic drum rhythm.   This is a new version that I play with Don and Brian.  Don is on keyboards (synth) and Brian is playing the bouzouki.  Me, I just play 6-string guitar.   I think you'll like this version. 

I'm Pumped!

We, as in the Magpies, decided that we are going to work on our song and bear down and truly practice.  Practicing is something we don't really do that much.    We get together a lot and we play a lot, but we really don't practice and  analyze our songs and how we play them.  When we do some really amazing things happen.  We find more interesting ways to present the song.   What it comes down to is that it is really about the song.  What's the best way to play it to be interesting to the listener and still be fun to play.  

We got together last night, made some song selections to work on so we will be ready for our upcoming audition for the Heart of the City Festival.   So, songs selected, we got together again tonight to really work out the songs.  How should the vocals be sung? Where do you put the emphasis?  What instruments?  What doesn't belong?  How do we start the song? How do we end it?  Do we need an instrumental break?  how long should it be and how should it be played?   Do we need backing vocals and where?   All of these things are important to give the best presentation of the song.   Again, it is really about the song.   

Well, what happened tonight is we worked out these things on four songs tonight.  We've played them enough before that we've evolved the song close to where we like them, but we were really fine tuning them.   I really enjoy that part of taking a song from the writing, to arrangement, to presentation.   To me it is and exciting process to live through the growth of our music.   Tonight our songs were not just sounding good, but sounding great.   That is what a little practice and hard work can do. 

I think in our case, it is one of the sweet pleasures in life where a song that whoever wrote the song, Don, Brian, Me becomes a "Magpies" song.  It becomes 'our' song and not 'my' song. 

Well, we have these four song worked out and now we just need to keep 'practising' until audition day.   Our goal is to impress the 'judges' enough that they give us a higher billing at the Festival than in past.   I think we are well on the way.  

So what songs did we pick.   One of the great things this year that is a big change from past years - we have a lot of our own songs to choose from.  It is getting to be a bigger challenge for us to choose songs for an audition or a festival performance, but that is a positive thing.    Oh, and the songs we did pick?    I'll keep that to myself until after the audition.

I'm pumped!

Heart of the City Festival

Edmonton is sometimes called "Festival City" because starting in June, there are festivals all summer long. The more famous ones are the Street Performers Festival, Edmonton Folk Festival, Fringe, Heritage Festival, International Blues Festival, and Jazz Festival.   The first festival of the year is the Heart of the City Festival.   The HOTC offers the opportunity for local musicians and artists to show their talents over a two day week-end.  The music ranges all across all genres and must be all original compositions.  Entertainers must work, live, or volunteer in the downtown area of Edmonton.   You can come and listen in to the Festival for free.   All the organizers, entertainers, and artists volunteer their time and it is a great venue to entertain folks who may not have the opportunity to attend the more famous festivals in the City. 

Each year, the organizers hold an audition for musicians.  Just the other day we, the Magpies, were invited to audition.  Hopefully we get accepted to play.  If so, this will be the 3rd consecutive year we play at this festival. 

Over the next two weeks, we'll be working hard to prepare for the audition and then even harder after that to prepare for the Festival.    The Festival takes place on June 4th and 5th in Giovanni Caboto Park, which is located in Little Italy at the corner of 95th St. and 108 Ave

Here's a poor quality sound track with photos from our performance last year.  Song is called Sittin' Here. One that I wrote a couple of years ago and has a bit of a ragtime feel to it. 

Noon Train

I've been playing around with a song about waiting on the noon train and the train is late.  It started out with a kind of, or shall we say, it was a country song.  Wasn't really what I wanted and the song just went nowhere.  Until last night. 

Friday night, I went back out to the Java Express.  Again, not many players there.  When I got there Ernie was playing with 'Bear".  Irene and Deb were there to sing a few songs. The biggest difference this week from last was there was more people to listen in.  The place was actually full.  Nice.   I started off doing my new song "Barely Hangin' On".   I wasn't in great form on Friday and kind of screwed up on the song.  Still, at the end of the night, a few folks came up to me and told me that they liked the song.  Nice to get that feedback.

Yesterday we (as in Don, Brian, George, and myself) went to an open stage at the Crown Pub.  It was our first time there, and since there wasn't a lot of players, the host (Marshall Lawrence) let us play a fairly long set.   It went OK, but it was the second day in a row that I wasn't in great form and it was clear to me we (I) really need to work on Don's songs.   At the end of our set, it was quite gratifying that some of the folks in the bar came up and talked to us about our songs and how they like what we do.  Nice to get that feedback. 

Oh yeah!  Back to the new song.   I must have been inspired by Marshall Lawrence, who is a great blues player in Edmonton.   I came home after and started playing around with some 12 bar blues.  Then I took the lyrics of "noon train', rearranged them to fit the blues, and viola.  New song.    I'm still workin' it out, so not ready to share yet - but it is a new direction for me.

Meanwhile, I can share an old song with you. This one I wrote about 4 years ago when I was sitting an an old garage in Innisfail across from the railway tracks.  I had to wait for a bout 4 hours to get a ride so I pulled out my guitar and wrote this song.  Its called Lonely Train.