That’s actually a technique I used to use when I would draw portraits. I’d get to a point where something didn’t look right but I couldn’t figure out what was off. At some point someone suggested that I turn the drawing upside down to see if that would help. It did. I don’t use it as often these days. However, recently, I kind of had the same sort of insight that that would give me for my drawing regarding my music playing.
When I started playing regularly again, a few years ago, I fell into singing. I have always considered myself just a guitar player and I’ll often describe myself as just a strummer because I have never been much of a lead player. It was completely unexpected but the reaction I got was so much fun that I decided I’d try to learn more songs that I could do where I could sing and play.
The environment I was playing in or at is, was a blues jam. It’s an interesting format and apparently not for everyone. It’s also a lot of fun. The format is 12 barre blues songs and generally whoever is singing calls the tune. And if you don’t have a singer then one of the guitar players calls it. I have played so many songs for the first time on stage. It’s possible because, it’s a specific format and it’s not meant to be a cover of the song. And it’s fairly easy for a strummer to get to join in and play, even if they don’t know the song.
Because that’s the only place I play out and that was the format, I was always looking for songs that fit that format, that other people would know, or that I could teach the chord changes to quickly, oh, and that I could sing. I might choose something to try to learn because I thought it was a cool song and that I might be able to play or sing ok. But because I was playing and singing, if I worked on a song for a while and couldn’t get them both down, I passed on the song. Or I might get something down just enough and then I’d try it out at a jam and not be able to really get it to work and not play it again. So, my repertoire is smaller than I’d like.
During the years before the initial lock downs of the Covid pandemic I learned so much doing this. I learned how to lead a band. I learned a little about how to own a song vocally. I learned how to make mistakes and forget words and keep going. I even learned how to take a lead or a solo. I’m still learning how to do that. But I went from passing every time one was offered to me to actually taking the turn and handing back. For as much as I learned, some of my growth both on guitar and vocally was being stunted, by me. By me trying to make sure I was working on the stuff I could play and sing.
I didn’t realize this consciously until just recently. I felt it. I knew I needed and wanted to learn to play better, to get into more finessed playing and rhythm playing. I just didn’t recognize what it was that was holding me back from getting there. Getting to sitting down and really working on something to get the main rhythm hook down or even the main riff or whatever. And vocally, that’s a whole other thing. I would tell you I sing to accompany my guitar playing not the other way around. So, I didn’t consider myself a singer. I just happened to sing. As a result, I didn’t put near the effort into getting the vocals down a certain way. If I could sing it roughly like it was supposed to sound, I called it good. A few songs I worked on, but it wasn’t what my focus was.
That started to change recently when I had the opportunity to be the singer for a bit. It wasn’t for any reason other than because there were just a few of us there to play but we didn’t have enough amps for all the guitars and since I felt every other guitar player there was better than me, I was ok not playing. I had a great time. And no this is not leading to me giving up guitar and only singing. Because as much fun as I had doing that, I still do like to play. But the seed was planted that I might be ok sometimes just singing. I did do that a couple of times back before the lock downs. But it was one off stuff for like a friend who wanted to play a particular song, but he didn’t know it to sing it, or it was a funky thing that was sort of on a whim, not anything that was like, oh, you should do more just singing.
Still with that seed planted, for when the next opportunity to play came up. After my session, I was talking to another guitar player, who pointed out that it isn’t easy to sing and play and he asked what other songs I might know in case when he got up there, they needed a singer. And that’s when it occurred to me that I might want to look for songs that I can sing, even if I can’t play them. Because. That same night, we had a lady come it quite late, who wanted to sing. She did some songs that I usually do, something that is fairly common and to be expected. And she had a great voice, and she owned what she was doing. One of the songs she did, I realized I have learned to play the guitar part of it, “properly”, I just can’t play it that way and sing. And I thought that I would really have liked to have handled the guitar part on that for her because it would have been fabulous.
By the time I got home that night, I had taken my music playing and singing and turned it upside down and had a look at it from a different direction, different point of view. The next time I’m looking for a song or two to learn, I’ll be approaching it a bit different. Instead of making sure I can sing it and play it, I’ll work on whichever part is that draws me to the song. Then, if I happen to be able to do the other part too, great. If not, that’s cool too. I’ll have to develop a plan. Or at least get an idea of how I want to approach things. It may take a while for this to come to full fruition since the music isn’t my primary focus these days. I’ll be working on it in between art projects and the day job. Even at that, I think it will give me a new freedom and excitement towards playing and singing. I’m kind of excited about it, and honestly, my head is still reeling from the whole change in thought that I haven’t been able to start to look at what I might want to try now.
And while that sits brewing in my brain I’ll be getting back to the art. I’m still working on that lizard, that I have found out is an Iguana. A Galapagos Iguana if I remember correctly. I’ve even done a little work on my experiment. And I’ve got another little ditty I’m working on that I’ll share when I get it done. I still have the Galah to finish. I’d hoped to get to work on it over the weekend, but my Saturday plans changed, and it didn’t happen. That’s ok. The painting can wait. This couldn’t. I’ll have more updates soon. Cheers!