Subject: To Catch An Idea
You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on www.learn-to-play-rock-guitar.com. If you don't want to receive these e-mails any longer, go to the bottom of this message and click on "unsubscribe." Hey there Friend, I had the opportunity to watch a TED talk with Sting this week, which was both inspiring and enlightening.While I would be surprised, for those that have not heard of Sting, he was/is the front man and bass player for The Police, as well as a solo artist that has sold over 100 million record albums. The talk highlights stories of his youth that are the basis of an album he released called "The Last Ship." More than that, he spoke of his work as a songwriter and the creative process. That really got me thinking about how it is we can develop our own creativity as musicians. What's the Story? At the core, a song is a story. It could be a snippet from a brief occurrence that happened to you this morning, or it could be an ode to a significant historic event. The story could literally take place in a fraction of a second - the amount of time it takes for an emotion to fire. But in that split second, we can live and die. In that particular lifetime, there is limitless opportunity to create something meaningful and beautiful with the power to change people's lives. Take for example the words from the Bread song "Diary." Yeah, I know this isn't the first time I've referenced this song - what can I say? It's a good song! In the last verse, we have the narrator's world turned on its head. The lyrics tell us... "I found her diary underneath a tree And started reading about me The words began to stick and tears to flow Her meaning now was clear to see The love she'd waited for Was someone else not me Wouldn't you know it? She wouldn't show it." In the time it took to read one word (most likely someone else's name), the singer has his heart crushed. He goes from being convinced the person of his desires is simply aloof to knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that she will never care for him like he does for her. As with any story, there is a beginning and end. We start off with that feeling of anticipation, imagining a bright future with the partner of our dreams. All it takes is an emotional "sharp-left turn" to move the mood from hope to dejection. Something as mundane as an umbrella can inspire an entire story about the start and growing of a relationship. A chance meeting at a bus stop in a rain shower and we have this classic from the Hollies. And let's not forget, a song does not need lyrics to tell a story. Consider the Scheherazade, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Based on the story "The Arabian Nights" the symphony takes you through the adventure in sound alone. We're moved through the story by sound dynamics (the highs and lows of the instruments and how they're played) - if you close your eyes you can imagine characters and the adventure they're experiencing. There are also many past events commemorated through the creation and singing of songs since before recorded history. It's likely these stories were easier to remember when they were put to a chant or tune, so songwriting became a very natural way to pass historic accounts on to the next generation. So we've been given many examples of songs as stories throughout our lives. If you have had even a small amount of awareness, hearing music has helped you formulate some of your creativity. By listening to music we have been inadvertently learning how to tell stories in song. We Are All Creative Just because we've learned the elements of storytelling doesn't necessarily mean we have a handle on all the tools available to us to take the song idea from that initial spark of inspiration to a completed composition, but it's a good start. However, let's step back to the more critical component - the creativity itself to come up with the ideas. If you pay attention, you probably come up with at least one creative idea a day. It could be something you find yourself humming, or a rhythm you hear as you're walking down the street. It could be a single phrase someone says that gets you thinking about a potential story line. Unfortunately, many people are either unprepared for, or unaware that they are having an idea when it occurs. These folks tend to believe they aren't creative - that creativity is for artists and inventors. But I say to you, being creative is a fundamental human instinct. Every human uses their brains to devise ways to accomplish tasks and communicate with others, and these basic activities require creativity. In fact, I'd argue that creativity isn't exclusive to humans - we see animals of all types devising solutions to problems they encounter. Our problem is humans tend to discount what we do naturally as mundane. We'll work around a problem or hunt down a solution someone else applied and consider that this was nothing special. But just the act of identifying a problem and coming up with a way to move forward (or around, under, over or through) is a very creative act. And of course, we are creative even when there isn't some issue needing solved. We never know when an idea will hit. We don't know when we will come up with a random thought, or will hear a word combination that strikes us as clever. This is the essence of creativity. Rather than thinking you need some special permission to create (like someone telling you you're creative, or giving you a title like "Artist" or "Songwriter"), I want you to simply embrace that you are creative by nature. You can't get away from it, even if you deny that you are. And since you are creative, I want you to be prepared to act on those ideas when they come to you. Keep a notepad and pencil near you, or keep your phone handy to record your ideas. When you have a thought, don't just discard it - write it down! Hum the notes, write down the phrases, draw the picture in your mind. These things are hard to catch once you've given them too much leash. You have to capture them while they're within reach. It's a discipline to be ready for ideas when they hit (like fishing), but with some practice you'll get good at it. Keep your eyes and ears open - I can't wait to hear what you come up with! Peace~ Dave Dave "Eddie" Vance is a rock guitar enthusiast and gear nut. He has been playing guitar for over 30 years and enjoys tormenting the neighbors every chance he gets. When he's not slaving for the man, you can find him rocking out with his B.C. Rich Bich guitar, a cold beer and some sweet tunes. He also runs Learn-To-Play-Rock-Guitar.com, but you knew that already! Follow Learn To Play Rock Guitar:I welcome your feedback! Did you like today's message? What other topics would you like to see covered in my e-mails? Please let me know at: dave@learn-to-play-rock-guitar.com As always, please feel free to forward this email to a friend! I review products before recommending them. If you buy a product based on my recommendation, I will receive a commission. However, my emails also contain links that don’t require any investment on your part and are jam-packed with "juicy, guitar learnin' tastiness". We don't rent or share your name with anybody. Feel free to forward this issue to any friends you think would enjoy its contents. They will thank you. So will I.
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