Soul Vs. Technique

Adrian Wulff · Post by **Adrian Wulff** » 18 Dec 2003 11:49 am

I'll try to patch my random thoughts into a single question, here goes. Some of my favorite honky-tonk solos (by Jimmy Day, Ralph Mooney, Don Rich, Tom Brumley,James Burton,Roy Nichols,Buddy Spicher, Johnny Gimble)are fairly easy to play but soooo tasty and ....musical. I'm thinking specifically of the guitar solo on "Mama Tried" or "Act Naturally" or the fiddle part to "Amarillo By Morning".

It seems like a performer can connect with a listener by dazzling technique but also by simple, highly emotional licks. But this type of playing seems rare. I can go to a lot of different venues in Portland and hear extremelly fast and flashy players, but few move me in the heart.

So the question is, why do so many musicians choose one path over the other? I have a couple of (teenage) guitar students and I've been trying to subvert this by getting them to sing their solos and to make use of silence.

Ron Randall · Post by **Ron Randall** » 18 Dec 2003 12:08 pm

Adrian,

Well said!
As I was reading your post I was thinking of Louis Armstrong. Did he have great vocal technique? I dunno. He surely sang with emotion, heart, soul.
Good technique enables the artist to express himself. At some point in the learning, the technique resides in the unconcious, allowing the music to come through the heart/soul.

I work on technique to the point where I move from conciously incompetent, to conciously competent, to unconciously competent.
(easy to say, hard to do)

IMHO

Ron

Walter Stettner · Post by **Walter Stettner** » 18 Dec 2003 12:58 pm

I think you have to be in some way emotionally connected to the music you sing/play to deliver your expression to the listenere or the audience.

Technique means a lot and is a solid basis, so you know hat you are doing, but I think if you cannot identify yourself with the music you are playing, at least to a certain extent, you will be flashy and fast, but that's about it.

It is the expression and the emotion that will get you to a higher level where people's heads start turnin'...

Walter

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C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 18 Dec 2003 1:21 pm

It has been said on this forum on numerous ocassions. It bears repeating here:

Jerry Byrd said, there is two ways to play a steel guitar:

1. From the brain to the hands.

2. From the brain to the hands by way of the heart.

carl

Walter Stettner · Post by **Walter Stettner** » 18 Dec 2003 2:37 pm

Perfect explanation!!!

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Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 18 Dec 2003 3:06 pm

Adrian, I don't think too many teenage students are interested in taste.

Adrian Wulff · Post by **Adrian Wulff** » 18 Dec 2003 3:40 pm

Teenagers and taste...

One of the classes I teach is a group rock class with a drummer and four guitar players, ages 13-16. I don't know if they are concerned with taste/style exactly, but they're very receptive to suggestions. We spent an hour last week deconstructing a White Stripes song. We broke down the intro, verses, bridge, etc. Played each piece several times on its own and then added sections as they were ready. The kids never complained about being bored nor did their eyes glaze over at the mention of "Nashville Number System" "Notation" or "Work on Playing Together as a Group Rather Than Showing Off". We did the song all the way through when their parents showed up to get them and the band cheered at the end. Brought a tear to my eye.

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 18 Dec 2003 3:52 pm

Excellent, Adrian- it's good to remember that prejudice is a drag, not all teenagers are contemptuous of everything, and not all senior citizens are contemptuous of everything, and...

Larry Robbins · Post by **Larry Robbins** » 18 Dec 2003 5:06 pm

IMHO,speed and flash can hide a lot of sloppy
playing.NOT that all fast and flashy players
are not viable pickers.But Ill bet that if you slowed a good many of them down,you wouldnt' be all that impressed.Im refering to
the local bar hacks(myself included

)And not to our heros.Playing from the heart gets other players respect erery time.But playing
Flashy Gets The Girls!

Just my 2cents.

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Sho-Bud ProII
"there's been an awful murder, down on music row!"

Orville Johnson · Post by **Orville Johnson** » 18 Dec 2003 5:07 pm

the thing about technique is that you only need enough of it to say what you have to say. if there's nothing inside then all the technique in the world won't fool the sensitive listener. so learn all the technical stuff you need to express what you hear and live a good life so that you have something to express thru your music. when you do that you've got "soul".
and that's a good idea to get your students to sing their stuff. i do that too and i think things are a lot easier to play when they are internalized that way.

Andy Greatrix · Post by **Andy Greatrix** » 18 Dec 2003 10:53 pm

Speaking of simplicity, listen to Luther Perkins playing on "Don't take your guns to town." His part is flawless and full of soul for my ears. He's not playing guitar, he's playing the song.

Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 19 Dec 2003 1:13 am

Teens and........

Adrian, most teens are respectful folks that won't complain or indicate boredom to an instructor. I highly suggest you interject some showing off sessions and allow your teen students a chance to be tasteless. Too much structure and laboratory rudiments may appear OK in class but may not gel in the real world.

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 19 Dec 2003 10:28 am

Soul AND Technique are like Beans and Cornbread
they go hand in hand

Tommy Allison · Post by **Tommy Allison** » 24 Dec 2003 9:59 am

What does playing from the heart sound like? Two words, John Hughey.

Kenny Dail · Post by **Kenny Dail** » 24 Dec 2003 4:20 pm

Playing from the heart sounds like John Hughey and:

Jerry Byrd
Buddy Emmons
Jimmy Day
Tom Bromley
Bob White

Not necessarily in that order, but that could depend on who you are talking to...

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kd...and the beat goes on...

Charles French · Post by **Charles French** » 24 Dec 2003 7:27 pm

A friend of mine told me there were two of Nashville's finest at a session. One of them was ripping off some hot jazz licks on the steel and asked the other guy something to the effect of "Can you do that?" to which the other steel player reached in his pocket and pulled out a wad of money you could burn a wet mule with and said "Can you do that?

Soul vs Technique!

cf