Best Musical Advise You Ever Got

[MMP]

What is the best musical advise you ever got and who gave it to you.

"Play what's in your head, not what's on the radio." From some random guy in a coffee shop.

"If you can't say it, you can't play it." Meaning if you can't sing it, then your brain probably can't make your fingers work well enough to play certain passages. From the guitar player in the first band I was in.
__________________
Then Play On

[Timbo]

"Don't give up the day job" - My wife to be, when we first met.

[refin]

" You play alot of notes,and are kinda fast,but maybe slow down a little and play less".
One of our area's scary-good guitarists to me when I was about 14-15.He was 23,and I had the nerve to ask him what he thought.

[Kap'n]

"You should go up to Canada. I know a place there that sells Beatle boots." - Luther

[Offshore Angler]

"Chuck, you have two ears and one guitar - do the math."

[phantomman]

"A good vibrato technique will take you farther than any fuzz box."

(from Mike Somerville of "Head East" in early 1969)

[chuckocaster]

"play in tune and with a good tone."

first year of clarinet in school band.

[Stonefreefuzz1]

"Always remember no matter how good you are that you will never know everything about the guitar, there is always something new to learn" Remember hearing that from one of my first guitar instructors when I was 9 or 10. It's stuck with me ever since.

[Aaron]

Learn everything you can, play what you want, and don't worry about coping anyone else.

-Friend from the past.

[Guitar_Mc]

"Learn to sing" - I don't remember where I heard it.

I'm not really a good enough guitarist to be someone else's "hired gun", but I spent some time on vocals & pulled in some better musicians around me. Now I get to have fun playing out, doing what I want to do.

[curtisstetka]

"Try not to suck"

I don't remember who said that but it was pretty typical advice in music school.

[Cygnus X1]

"Whether I'm a good guitarist or not depends on who's listening".

-Me

:)

[Stonefreefuzz1]

"Whether I'm a good guitarist or not depends on who's listening".

-Me

:)

[Cogs]

"Beer first, THEN hard liquor. Never the other way around."

[Cygnus X1]

[larry45]

"When it gets to be no fun anymore.....it's time to quit the band"

[dirtdog]

"Beer first, THEN hard liquor. Never the other way around."

Hmm, not sure about that one...."Beer before liquor, never been sicker."

tested that theory last night...it's true...

DD

Ok, musical advice: "Try turning down!"

[cooltone]

"Stay Humble"

It turned out to be applicable in guitar playing and life..IMHO

[Cogs]

Hmm, not sure about that one...."Beer before liquor, never been sicker."

tested that theory last night...it's true...

DD

Ok, musical advice: "Try turning down!"

Well, it was a long time ago. You shouldn't listen to me anyway, lol

[Gris]

"Learn to sing" - I don't remember where I heard it.

Excellent advice. At least try to learn the words and melody to every song you play, even if you can't/don't sing. Makes remembering the changes much easier, as well as constructing a solo off the melody... ;-)

[elicross]

A science fiction writer, Larry Niven, said once said "If the applause isn't louder than the music, something's wrong. Play better or softer."

[57HANK]

'Practice is over. Now go get a gig!'
My Mom, a long time ago....

[Voodoo Blues]

"Play whatever sounds good." - A good friend and amazing guitarist from DC, he had zero knowledge of theory and couldn't read tab.

[NMCA_Ron]

"You have a face that is perfect for radio. Maybe you should be an announcer." As quoted to me by my former employer.

[melody]

Don't just play listen....Listen and listen some more...

[Franklin]

"Learn to sing" - I don't remember where I heard it.

I'm not really a good enough guitarist to be someone else's "hired gun", but I spent some time on vocals & pulled in some better musicians around me. Now I get to have fun playing out, doing what I want to do.

I've said that a dozen times before myself. I know because I can't sing. This is how I spew it out; "The world doesn't want or need another guitar hero. Learn to sing".

[Frat Rettle]

"Start on the right note..end on the right note...it's all art in the middle"........Me circa 1979.

[Jonnda]

I've said that a dozen times before myself. I know because I can't sing. This is how I spew it out; "The world doesn't want or need another guitar hero. Learn to sing".

But what about all the vocal heroes out there? I say we need a Bowed Psaltery hero, Electric Lute hero, electric viola de gamba hero, triangle midi controller hero, electric charango hero... Well you get the idea.

Wait a second, I think we may already have a bowed psaltry hero: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pubx5Bupmks

and a few electric charango heros:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ANa7Kznz0Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grs36zGx7oY


Any way the best advise i have heard is "There will always be someone who is more skilled then you and someone who is worse then you."

[gibsonjunkie]

A friend watched me attempting to play electric guitar and pointed out that I was playing as if I had an acoustic in my hands. He told me to lighten up my touch on the strings and it made a huge difference. He also said "Less is more" and "play music, not notes".... great advice!

[Mesotech]

"If your only reason for playing music is because you love playing music, stay out of the music business" - Steve Tyler (circa 1985)

The intent was music and business are two seperate things, and the business side will always find a way to destroy the joy of the music.

[Gris]

A great older, life-long musician who now runs a recording studio told me: "play to the singer, support him or her and the melody, not your own ego."

[javlib]

It's not always about the notes that you play, but the space you leave in between.

Oh yeah, and what Curtis said: try not to stink, that's a good one too!

[demioblue]

What is the best musical advise you ever got and who gave it to you.

Clean up your tone... Meaning, don't use too much gain. Something a guitarist I met once told me. Made me more careful about what I play, and how I played it... Taught me about dynamics.

[thegeezer]

Love it leave it you can't do it half assed. He went on to say that you have to make every note count.

[juniorspecial]

The best musical advice I ever heard was from Sam Phillips (he didn't say it to me lol):
"If you're not doing something different, you're really not doing anything at all."


Here's the advice I give people, and I wish more people took it:

"Don't play a solo. Play a melody."

[Mikey]

"Have fun, otherwise, why bother?" Duane Eddy

[Spudman]

I did a concert with The Montana Band just before going on the road just out of high school. I asked the bass player what advice he had. He said "eat healthy."

I alway have and I am.

[bluetweed]

I like John Mellencamp's philosophy of rehearsal. "Rehearsal is time to rehearse, not learn the song." "If you don't know the song at rehearsal, you're fired." John's not easy to get along with in a band, I understand. LOL

[Fripperton]

"Make musical sense." I think I read in GP that Jim Hall has a note inside his guitar case with that written on it so he sees it when he opens the case.

[refin]

"Make musical sense." I think I read in GP that Jim Hall has a note inside his guitar case with that written on it so he sees it when he opens the case.

I remember that one----stuck with me.