Songs I have down pat!

[AcousticAl]

Hey TG.

As you may have read from the latest TG jam session we had in Ottawa- I had a bit of an eye-opener about how few songs I had in my bag o' tricks! I'm talking songs that I could play in my sleep.. not mess up and have to start over.. you know what I'm sayin.

Anyway- I figured I'd keep a list of songs here in this thread that I know COLD! Start to finish! This won't update and pop to the top of the forum everytime I add a song.. I'll just edit this post. But I think it will motivate me to get more songs under my belt for future jams. You can check back here if you're curious as to how I'm doing. Or if you've seen me upload a song over the past 2 years and wonder if I still know it (I probably don't).

One of my new year's resolutions is to go back through my binders of songs and play! See which ones need a lot of work vs. a little. Singing included- so nothing is a given.
As I get them down- I'll update this list. Probably a goofy idea- but I hope to make big improvements in 2012- and I need all the help/ideas I can get!

So here goes the list....

1) Ain't No Sunshine. (easy because I just uploaded this one)
2) Ain't No Sunshine - Chord Solo!
3) My My Hey Hey
4) Brain Damage
5) Handle With Care
6) Wild Horses
7) Wild Horses - Chord Solo
8) Have to Say I Love You in a Song
9) Angie - Chord Solo
10) Needle and the Damage Done
11) Old Man
12) Harvest Moon
13) Just Breathe

[daryl]

Too funny. Your list looks like mine!

[AcousticAl]

It looks funny- but not meant as a joke.
I'm not adding anything until I play it properly start to finish- with vocals (or not if it's a chord solo).

[daryl]

Reading your initial post here, I thought I knew where you were coming from. And I thought you would list maybe 2 or 3 songs (of the dozens that you thought you knew well).....but the list was empty! And I thought about it.......and said to myself........yep, that's me too! That's, what was too funny. :ohmy: :dry: :S

I'm sure by the end of the year the list will be substantially longer!

[dsmarion]

HA! There are quite a few songs that I know cold, from start to finish, in my sleep. The actual act of playing them at any given time, mistake free, well that is altogether a different story. I always make mistakes even in songs I know extremely well. When you are playing with other musicians these mistakes go unnoticed many times - except by me - and perhaps another musician who notices them at the time. Blatantly obvious mistakes everyone notices but most mistakes are relatively minor I think.

Playing alone is an altogether different thing, even minor mistakes can sometimes be noticed by an audience. And if it is recorded where you can watch over and over even small mistakes are hard to hide.

Frankly, I don't let any of that bother me anymore and I just do the best I can at any one time -- you'd be surprised how many of your mistakes that absolutely make you cringe are ones that others don't even notice unless they really know the song well and are paying very close attention. Whe n you start playing live all the time you won't ever do it mistake free - at least I know I won't. That doesn't mean I won't keep playing.

Bottom line I think you can add quite a few songs to your list and don't be quite so critical on yourself - even Neil makes mistakes - just ask him and see. My 2 cents

Scott

[AcousticAl]

I gotcha, Daryl. And I guess you've got me too.

I'm sure I could put a few songs on there already- but I won't until I play them through with vocals. When I think about it- it's only semi- recently that I began to play and sing at the same time, so I won't beat myself up over it too much.

[AcousticAl]

dsmarion wrote:

HA! There are quite a few songs that I know cold, from start to finish, in my sleep. The actual act of playing them at any given time, mistake free, well that is altogether a different story. I always make mistakes even in songs I know extremely well. When you are playing with other musicians these mistakes go unnoticed many times - except by me - and perhaps another musician who notices them at the time. Blatantly obvious mistakes everyone notices but most mistakes are relatively minor I think.

Playing alone is an altogether different thing, even minor mistakes can sometimes be noticed by an audience. And if it is recorded where you can watch over and over even small mistakes are hard to hide.

Frankly, I don't let any of that bother me anymore and I just do the best I can at any one time -- you'd be surprised how many of your mistakes that absolutely make you cringe are ones that others don't even notice unless they really know the song well and are paying very close attention. Whe n you start playing live all the time you won't ever do it mistake free - at least I know I won't. That doesn't mean I won't keep playing.

Bottom line I think you can add quite a few songs to your list and don't be quite so critical on yourself - even Neil makes mistakes - just ask him and see. My 2 cents

Scott

Mistakes are fine. I didn't mean mistake-free. Just confident enough that you could lead a group at a jam session.
I don't want to stop the train once it's started. That doesn't fly.

I just find if I write stuff down, I'm more likely to do it.
I could make a list on a piece of paper- but what fun would that be??

[dsmarion]

And you still have zero on the list???? I don't quite believe that! I have seen you play mister!

Scott

[AcousticAl]

dsmarion wrote:

And you still have zero on the list???? I don't quite believe that! I have seen you play mister!

Scott

See earlier posts. I don't want to seem like I'm underestimating myself and looking for compliments.
Just motivation for the next jam session.
It's not cool when you haul out a huge binder of songs and have no idea where to start and what to play.

[dsmarion]

Ok, tell me, how often so you play with others? I think doing it A LOT more will do WONDERS for your confidence in being productive.

Also you don't necessarily have to play songs you know "in your sleeep" with a group to still have a ball doing it. I think that actually makes you a better player because it takes you out of your comfort zone and gets you used to dealing with it in a productive way.

Don't get me wrong, I do understand what you mean - but there are at least two sides to all of this and I think you may not be seeing the other side. Just a hunch. I would bet you learned a little along the way in your group gathering besides the realization that you felt unprepared for it. You did have fun right?

Scott