Just Getting On A Roll

Posted on December 4, 2018 by SusanG

And then the weekend comes to an end. I had just got a good head of steam on me with things to do and I looked up and pretty much the weekend was over. Don’t tell me you haven’t had this happen. You know you have.

While the fact that I had to do work for my day job this weekend, which interfered with really getting too deep into anything until Sunday afternoon, didn’t help. I probably wouldn’t have gotten myself kick started much earlier.

I did get the last of the videos posted from the last Blues Jam. I’m happy. I got them up a whole week before the next one. Speaking of. There’s a December Blues Jam coming up this next weekend. I’ve been conspiring with my guitar playing co-worker, who comes out for blues shenanigans, on something we hope will be cool. We’re still working out a couple of minor details. It’ll be fun.

I was listening to some The Manhattan Transfer music and found that they have done a song that I’ve been working on. I’ve heard several versions of the song and have had trouble deciding on a vocal style that really works for me. Their version gave me a different take on how to approach the vocals. I’m going to have to give it a try and see how it goes. And I’m all excited about it. And was ready to get back to practicing it when I ran out of weekend.

I also managed to run out of weekend for 3D art projects. I was humming along making progress on adding materials to my snowman in Blender. And then I was able to add a tree to the scene and get materials on it. And I got some fun renders. I even found a way to handle the sky using the lamp. I used a sky preset. How cool is that. I got all this ready and was thinking I had a couple more things I wanted to try to add, that I will have to model, and no more weekend. Oh well. At least I’m making progress.

Truly. What I managed to do in Blender this weekend was significant progress for me. I was able to apply materials. Even some stuff with patterns to add some texture look and interest. Shiny things were cool. On top of that, I figured out how to bring in objects and meshes from other files to use them in my scene. That’s important because it saves so much time and effort. I probably could have done this just using the full scene that I took the object from. I didn’t. I wasn’t sure how it was going to work so instead I opened the file for that scene. Saved it as something else and then deleted everything I didn’t want. This works out well because I named the file what it is so I’ll be able to find it easier next time I need it.

It’s big progress. Once I finish up what I’m doing with this scene I’ve got a couple more ideas I’m ready to try. They are likely to be a little trippy, or edgy, or at least different. I was partly inspired by another of the presentations from this year’s Blender conference. The presenter, his company has a very distinct style and they have been getting work doing some advertising campaigns in that style. Which is cool because that meant we got to see some of the style before the product that they developed it for is actually out. It got me to thinking of different ways I might approach the holiday cards I create. If it works out, it will definitely be different and something that stands out. First, to finish this up. I’m so close.

So along with making actual progress with Blender, I had another milestone today. I turned off the auto-renew feature for the Autodesk subscription. When it expires in April, it expires. I’m kind of excited about that. I’m also excited by the 20 or so giga-bytes of space I’ll get back on my hard drive. Not to worry. I will rapidly fill that with Blues Jam videos and Blender models.

The weekend coming up has a couple of big things for me. I have a test to determine if I will be ready to test for my next level of black belt in Taekwondo. I’m excited about that, and nervous, and trying to stay in good health and uninjured for the next few days. And there is the Blues Jam. Which is always a good time and could be extra fun if what we have conspired to do is a success. I don’t have any cool music or guitar pictures this week so here are a couple more pictures of the snowman scene I’ve been working on.

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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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