All Lesson Videos
Towards a Back Pocket Repertoire
Help me complete what I've begun here. A fun exploration
Living inside the words.
Lyrics Unify the Musical Layers
Rhythm, chords, melody all get identity in the words.
What Makes A Song's Lyrics Tick?
Every Song Offers Distinct Clues and Character - Let Us Discover Them
Where Might This Road Lead Next?
These notions deserve further exploratioin. Follow me!
Every song arrives with certain clues already built in.
Bluegrass music has its own character and distinctives. The groove suggests a feel. The lyrics suggest an attitude. The phrasing points toward the melody. The rhythm hints at where the energy belongs.
Sometimes we're so busy trying to play a song that we forget to listen to what the song itself is telling us.
As musicians, we can learn a great deal by paying attention to those clues. The sound, harmony, timing, interplay, dynamics, and even the spaces between notes all have something to teach. The more closely we listen, the less we find ourselves imposing ideas onto a song and the more we find ourselves working with what is already there.
Take whatever ideas resonate with you and develop them just as you would a favorite lick. Listening and integrating with the circle is every bit as much a part of practice as learning chords, lyrics, or solos.
Invest in listening. The songs already know more than we do