Oh, I don’t know

Posted on November 28, 2018 by SusanG

I was a little at a loss for what to write about this week. I’ve been on holiday from the day job and though I’ve been working on some music pieces I don’t have anything to share on that topic. And since music has really become the focus of what I’ve been writing about for the past several months I was a bit stuck.

Before I was focusing on music I wrote mostly about some 3D art or 3D computer art projects and the like. I haven’t given that up, though I have severely neglected it this year. I have intended, all year, to put together another Christmas card for this year. So it’s always been in my mind that getting back to the art was something I needed to do. I just hadn’t done it.

To complicate matters, at the beginning to early part of the year I made the decision that this would be the last year I renewed my subscription to the Autodesk software I’ve been using and would instead embrace Blender. There are a few reasons for this decision. They include cost. Autodesk is expensive. Blender is free. Ok. Yes, the Autodesk software is phenomenally powerful and cool. It’s expensive for my current needs. Also, just because Blender is free does not mean it is not also cool and powerful. If you would like some examples check out the short Sintel from 2010. Or if you have Netflix have a look at the movie Next Gen. The first was done entirely in Blender especially to showcase what can be done with it. The second one is a Netflix original that was created 90 to 95 percent in Blender.

So price is a factor yes. Portability is another. Not only will Blender run on just about anything, Mac, Windows, Linux. You can also run it from a thumb drive or even without installing it. The Autodesk modeling program I prefer, 3DS Max, doesn’t run on Mac.

And then there are the personal reasons. The frustration with feature changes and rendering options that started to get in the way of my enjoying the process of creating 3D art.

That doesn’t mean Blender is perfect. Blender is open source software with development funded by donations, sponsors, and subscription to their cloud option. Wait. Before you jump on that last bit. Unlike other products, you do no have to subscribe or donate to use Blender. And the yearly subscription if you chose it is about 6 percent of a Autodesk subscription.

Being open source means sometimes big releases don’t happen as often. Or after a big release there can be a lot of smaller changes fairly frequently. And yet, because it is open source, I believe written in Python, it means if is highly customizable if you so choose.

Now that I’ve geeked out about the software. I know, it sounds like a sales pitch. Sorry.

So, in addition to facing the somewhat daunting task of creating a new card I was also facing the even more daunting challenge of figuring out how to do that in a new modeling program that has never been especially intuitive to me. Talk about a perfect setup for not getting started.

But a text conversation with my sister triggered an idea that I just had to see if it was going to be possible. Off to poke at Blender I went.

I did manage to export all my models from 3DS Max and Maya to .obj files so I can import them into Blender. That means, like in previous years, I can take some of the assets I’ve already created and re-use them. The only real issue is that the materials and textures didn’t convert. So that’s where I started.

One thing lead to something else to something else as I tried to refresh my brain on how to do some things such that I ended up watching a few of the presentation from this year’s Blender conference in Amsterdam as well as some tutorials on Pluralsight. There are some really cool new things coming in Blender and in the 3D and computer art world in general and I could go on about a few if I’m not careful.

So the little spark has rekindled my motivation for my 3D art and I’ll now be balancing smoking blues riffs with cool 3D computer art and modeling. I fear I may become estranged from my pillow and my old pal sleep. Then again…

I did get a little music stuff done. I’ve got some of the video from the most recent Blues Jam posted. And the pictures are some of the Snowman I’ve been using over the years as I start to get him setup in Blender. Enjoy!

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Paying Attention

Posted on November 21, 2018 by SusanG

One of the great and sometimes challenging things about a jam is how you can take a two and a half minute song and turn it into a more than nine minute song. I know about this. We did it. The first time I sang ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’. Since then, I’ve tried to be more aware of how long I let a song go. For the blues jam the format is that each band gets to do three songs. At one time, many years ago, the format was three songs or fifteen minutes. So I try to keep things a little under control and remember that. It’s not an easy thing to do.

When you’re the one leading the song you need to hand off the lead parts to people and count on them to be paying attention so they know it’s their turn. You also need to count on them to keep to one segment. In our case, for the most part, that means one twelve bar round. That lets everyone get a chance, or two, without the song going on for forever. Or the set going on for forever.

One of the things that makes it a little difficult for me is being short. I don’t mind being short, that’s not it at all. It’s that on a small stage where there is not a lot of room to move around, if you’ve got a lot of people it can be tough to make sure everyone can see your queues. You have to try to not bump into the bass player or the drums as you try to get the attention of the guitar player, or keyboard player or whomever, so they know to take their lead part. Or, that you are ready to sing the next verse and they need to stop playing lead. Or, for that matter, that you are ending the song. It helps if everyone is paying attention to each other and to the leader.

Another challenge is how to deal with it if someone walks on another player’s lead or vocal part. As a rhythm player, I don’t think there have been many times I’ve walked on someone’s vocal or lead. I may have as a singer. But I try not to. I have had a chance to see where other musicians have walked on someone else’s lead or vocal. I think it happens because they aren’t paying attention. I know that is part of what happens when I’m playing with someone who either hasn’t taken their lead until half way through the twelve bars so they take another twelve, or someone who gets so wrapped up in what they are doing they are only looking at their instrument and not what’s going on around them. I’m just as guilty when I play lead. And sometimes when I sing. I try not to be. I try to keep an eye or an ear on what’s happening. And to be aware of where I’m at in the segment and what’s happening on stage around me. I’m not always successful. I failed for sure at one point just this weekend.

So while I know, I, do these things, I sometimes wonder if others know they do them. There are a few, that I don’t think I have ever seen them drop their attention and go completely into what they are doing. I suppose it’s the nature of what they play and the role or part they know they fill. Or it could just be experience. And then there are others. Sometimes they are spot on, and sometimes they are off in their own world. Occasionally, their world is really sounding great and you want to just be there with them so you don’t think anything of it. Sometimes, it may sound good but you don’t know why they couldn’t have figured out how to say it in 140 notes instead of 280.

The way to make that all work is to pay attention. Listen to the people playing with you. Listen to the vocal. Hear the chord changes. Know where you are at in the progression so you can wrap it up at the right point and let the next person have their turn. If you play fills, you really have to pay attention. Especially on that first verse. That will usually give you the idea of the vocal phrasing so you know about where and how long you have for your fills. And then you don’t walk on the vocal. A good way to do this is to watch each other. Look up from your instrument periodically. If you’re too nervous to look at the crowd then just look at the people you’re playing with and connect with them. It’s really fun to watch when a couple of musicians connect and really play off of each other on stage. The dueling guitar scenario comes to mind.

A really good example, of how paying attention to each other on stage is important and works great; I came across a YouTube from The Road to Austin show. It was Bonnie Raitt and Ruthie Foster singing ‘Angel From Montgomery’, apparently, without a rehearsal. It sounds fabulous. And it flows really nicely. Have a watch. And watch how they pay attention to each other on stage. Another good example is Jimmy Vaughn as a guest of Eric Clapton playing ‘Before You Accuse Me’. It’s a work of art to watch Clapton hand out leads to different members of the band and they don’t miss a beat because, they are paying attention. They know where they are in the song. If they were looking down or away, at that point when the turn around hits, they are keeping and eye on the person leading the song.

It’s not easy. I’m not saying it is. Being aware of your surroundings is a hard thing, especially in this day and age when we are all so inclined to block out the rest of the world and become one with our phones. We are used to just playing by ourselves and getting lost in that. It doesn’t help that getting up to play, in front of a group of people, strangers or other wise, can be daunting and terrifying. Most of the time you’re just thinking, I don’t want to screw up. Or please let me get through this without screwing up. It’s going to happen. But if you are connecting with the other people you’re playing with, and they with you, then a screw up can become a happy accident or get picked up and covered up with few even noticing.

Enjoy the pictures of people paying attention.

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Getting Going Again

Posted on November 14, 2018 by SusanG

Sometimes I get a little lost. I can’t quite figure out what to do next. Where to go with my learning and playing. When that happens I start feeling like I’ve lost something or that something is missing. My motivation seems to lag and I start trying to figure out why. I ask myself crazy questions or just ignore it and do things that I know aren’t really helpful, like play hours of solitaire. Sometimes, like this week, I get up and do something.

I was going through the music room, trying to tidy it up, and came across a CD set of blues songs. I got to looking at it and realized there are some songs on there that I’d like to learn. Some are songs that a few months ago I wouldn’t have considered because I didn’t think I’d be able to do them. Others are songs I’d forgotten about wanting to learn.

Then I had a closer look at Frank’s list and found there are a bunch of songs on there that I’d like to learn. And again, some of the songs I would have skipped over a few months ago thinking I was nowhere near ready to tackle them yet.

As I looked at those two lists of songs it occurred to me that that was what was missing. Though I practice regularly and continue to work to improve, recently, I have been feeling a bit in a rut. I have only added a couple of songs to my play list lately and don’t really have many, if any, lined up to work on. I can, and have been, working on some of those neglected songs that I’ve learned and don’t play much. I’ve got plenty of style, technique, and skills stuff to work on, and no new, cool songs. And the cool songs are part of what drives my motivation.

More than once in my life, it has been wanting to play a cool song that has driven me back to pick up the guitar after a long break. The songs for me, make a difference. Whether it’s the words, or the beat, or the melody, or a riff, it doesn’t matter, they are a good deal of what drives me to improve. I want to be able to play those things. I want to know what it feels like to really play that song that I find so compelling, for whatever reason it compels.

Wow. Well that’s interesting. I guess it’s time to get busy. I think I will choose four or five songs to start really working on. And see what sparks. Usually, when I choose a group of songs to work on there will be two of those, that will come together really quick and then the others take a little more time. Ok. Now I’m getting excited and motivated again. This will be fun. It’s always fun to see what I get bold enough to tackle and how it comes out.

We’ve got another jam coming up this weekend. I’m looking forward to it, as always, it should be a good time. It’s right before the Thanksgiving holiday in the US so it could be a big group or a small one. Either way it will be fun and we’ll have good music.

Also. I have the videos of the last jam edited. I will be getting them posted in the next day or two.

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Maybe The Stones Are Right

Posted on November 6, 2018 by SusanG

Not about ‘Satisfaction’. Though maybe for some. About getting what you want versus what you need. “You can’t always get what you want but if you try sometime you find you get what you need.”

I had a different topic in mind for this week’s post. But a conversation with a friend got me to thinking a little about how this week’s jam went for me. Don’t worry this is not going to be another train wreck story. Things went really well, that’s not it. I had a great time and got to play three sets, and like anyone, the more I get to play the happier I am.

Somethings went better than I feared they would and somethings just went different. And going different is sometimes the thing you need.

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut in anything. Including music and song choices for sets. You get a few songs down, what seems like enough of a rotation, and get really comfortable with them so that you expect or hope to play them every time. And then out of that bunch of songs, you end up with a smaller set of songs that you really like to play and you want to stick with that selection even more because you love to play them. That means you practice them more. That means you are more familiar and more comfortable with them. And you neglect some of those other songs a little because, they need work, or they make you work. That can work out ok, for a little while. Then what happens, when all those favorites, or most of them, have already been played? You can duplicate. Or you can adapt and go back to some of those neglected songs.

It’s a little like Bryan choosing from my not ready for prime time list. It requires a bit of stretching and reaching. And like any good stretching routine, it’s not so bad the more you do it. So the fact that Bryan had me outside my normal little box last time, made it a little easier to do that again this time. In addition to adding a new song. With a new technique.

New songs make me nervous. I’ve finally gotten fairly comfortable being on stage and singing and playing. Except. When it’s the first time I’m playing a new song. Then I shake like I don’t know what. Usually, once I get part way into the song I relax some and I’m ok. Still, getting through those first few bars, can be a little daunting. This week’s new song was ‘Voodoo Woman’. I’ve watched the video. It went pretty good. I needed to communicate the key and the structure of the song a little better. And I still need to turn up a little more on my leads. That aside. I think I made fairly effective use of the ‘Wah Pedal’. I used it for the intro and then again on my lead and I think it worked out pretty good. I need more practice with it to really make it what it can be. Even so, I think I did pretty good. I was and am, very pleased with how that turned out.

After that, for that set, I stuck with some songs that I really like and have become much more comfortable with. Which is my normal pattern. The second set got a little change up as I shared the vocal duties. I only sang on one song and then just played on the two others. I like doing that sometimes. It keeps me in practice following instead of leading all the time. So that was good. By the time I got to the third set, a lot of the songs I normally would fall back on, had been played by others already. This is where the adapting and revisiting neglected songs came in.

If anyone was paying attention, we went alphabetically and stayed in the B’s for song titles. That was fun. We did a couple of Jimmy Reed songs that I haven’t played in a while. Well not out, and not much at home. I try not to let them rust because of their rhythm and style so they weren’t completely stale. They just weren’t what I might have otherwise played. Not bad, just different.

Not being able to fall back to those ‘go to’s’ was maybe not what I wanted, and probably what I needed. That and Frank’s list. By going back to those songs, I’ve started to think about, spending a little more time on them and seeing what I can do to make them better. And doing the same with a few others. It also reminded me of the need to continue to expand my repertoire a little more aggressively. Though Frank’s list just makes that easier. I hope.

Frank’s list. I’m calling it that because he was the one handing it out. As I understand it, he put it together as a sort of cheat sheet of songs for when we’re on stage and can’t think of what to do next. It’s a great list. And a few of the songs I’ve found or brought to the jam ended up on it. Which is cool. Frank mentioned that he likes it when people bring something new or different. So I’ll be looking for that while I learn, or brush up, on the songs on his list.

We’ve got another jam this month and I’ve got video to get edited as well as songs to practice and learn. It was a three set night again so there’s a bit of work to do on the editing. I’ll try to be more timely with this batch. We had some interesting patrons and a few of them show up in the video so that should be interesting. The pictures are captures from the video of this last jam. Enjoy.

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A Bit of a Breather

Posted on October 30, 2018 by SusanG

Now that football season has started one of our Blues Jam venues is unavailable so we’ve had a little extra break in between Jams this month. I think maybe it’s been a good thing. For me at least, as much as I hate to admit it.

There have been a few things going on in my world and taking the time to concentrate a little on them has been helpful. I’ve still been practicing and playing. I’ve just taken a more relaxed approach. Partly because, at the end of some of my days, I’ve really only had an hour’s worth of energy left in me. And partly because I did something not in my best interest and have needed to take things a little slower for a bit.

Ok I may have done two somethings not in my best interest. I’m not sure. I know only one impacts my guitar playing though.

What I did that impacts my guitar playing is; I played for too long and then played even more. I was really excited, really enjoying playing and just kept playing. I started out playing my new Telecaster which has a much different neck shape than I’m accustomed to and that is what got me in trouble. I needed to work up to longer playing times with it and I didn’t. Of course, when I realized I was in need of resting, I was still having a good time playing so I just switched guitars. No. This did not help the cramping. But I kept playing. I have learned my lesson. For the moment. I’m pretty sure I learned this lesson before.

The result of this particular not in my best interest activity is that I was forced to limit my practice time for rhythm, and particularly chord work. It meant I spent a little more time practicing some lead type of stuff because that didn’t strain the muscle and whatever else I managed to irritate. It also started me thinking about different ways I might be able to carry the rhythm for a piece, besides chunking at bar chords.

While I was trying to keep playing and not make things worse I took the time to learn a surf guitar song. I now have all the notes for ‘Apache’ down. I’m still working on getting all the timing right and getting it to sound really good. It’s coming along. I’m pleased. Very pleased. And now I am looking for another surf guitar song to learn. I may go back and learn or relearn the bridge to ‘Wipe Out’. I get all the rest of that song ok. The bridge is a little awkward for me.

The other not in my best interest something might have been flying side kick practice with the kids in between my regular Taekwondo class and my extra class to prepare me for my next test. I tried to jump over too many targets and I might have landed wrong. At least I think that might be what I did. I’m not really sure. It might have also been that I rolled that foot inward really bad on my way from the garage to my door while weighed down carrying two guitars, in their cases. I didn’t think too much of it at the time, other than it might hurt the next day. But it didn’t. So I’ve done something to a foot or ankle. Nothing is swollen and when I get to moving, it doesn’t hurt. So. Yes, not in my best interest. I’m just not sure what I did.

As you can see, it’s been a good month to have that extra time to prepare for the next jam. I have finally got the videos from the last jam edited and I’ve started posting them. I should have the rest up in the next couple of days. I’m counting down until my next vacation time from the day job. It’s just a few weeks away and fortunately there is another Blues Jam in between now and then to get me through. I can’t wait. For the jam and the vacation. The hand is feeling better and back to not fussing at me if I play for longer than 15 or 20 minutes so I’ll be back to more practicing and working on new stuff this week. I’ve got a new one I was working on when I over did it and I’ve got a couple of others that I need to get worked out. And of course there is still that homework. Not to mention finding more new songs to learn.

I don’t really have any new pictures to share this week. I’ve been head down working on other stuff so I’m re-sharing pictures of my current obsessions.

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