Last month we had some fun thinking about creativity and how to use your guitar to write a song. I received some positive feedback for that newsletter and hope the rest of you found it to be fun also. Today we’ll examine and learn how to play a simple, but very dynamic, song on the guitar. We’ll also look at some more ideas to help unleash your own creativity.
FEATURED THIS MONTH:
Christian Discs
You are sure to find some great music at Christian Discs. Everything from current hits to retro “Jesus Music” of the ’60s and ’70s. You name it, it’s probably there.
If you’re a Webmaster you can also join their DiscMan program to earn free CDs and some ca$h too!
RESOURCES:
Self-Promotion Resources to Boost Your Music Biz Career
Bob Baker is a leading music industry author and musician offering helpful tips and advice for indie-artists. Lots of free articles on how to develop your own potential and “make it” in the very competitive world of music. Well worth reading!
Develop Your Own Music Career
Get more of my free tips and insights on how to develop your own music career. You’ll learn how to create your own portfolio and who to send it to, along with other helpful advice.
MUSIC TRIVIA:
Did you know…?
My husband and I wrote two songs, Take My Hand and Hope, which were aired on a TV special about Hurricane Katrina in Novermber of 2005. The producer of the show contacted me after listening to Take My Hand on my website. The ironic thing is, only a day or so before I had been thinking about taking all my songs off my website because of discouragement. Just think what an opportunity we would have missed if I had done that! But now we are one example of how amazing things do happen to regular people sometimes; even when they’re least expected! So be sure to hang on to your dreams because you never know when something similar might happen to you! If you’d like, you can read more about our little “success” story by clicking here.
TOPIC OF THE DAY:
Creativity & Your Guitar
Learning how to keep things simple is an art, especially when it comes to songwriting and playing the guitar. Your creativity can be stiffled when you are trying to juggle too many things at once. Creating your own space where you can have some breathing room to relax is very important. Your ideas can flow more freely when you are not preoccupied with all the other stuff you feel you have to do.
This week I would like to encourage you to take a little “creativity” vacation. You don’t need to go anywhere, just find a time and place where you can be alone in a pleasant space for about an hour or so. During this time I want you to focus on doing something musical that you either enjoy or might like to try.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
– listen to your favorite song and think about why you like it so much.
– write a poem, some prose or a lyric describing how you’re feeling at the moment. Don’t analyze yourself, just write some words that express your mood.
– play your guitar and listen carefully to the tonal quality. Try to describe what you hear.
See if you can come up with a few more creative ideas of your own. If you like you can send them to me.
When it comes to creativity and writing great lyrics, Bob Dylan is a master. He can sum up volumes of thought and emotion in a single word or sentence. His songs are often very simple, yet extremely profound and dynamic. Consider Knockin on Heaven’s Door for example. There are only four chords used in the entire song and it’s very short (about 2 minutes, 30 seconds.) Yet, it is a very popular song and has been re-recorded by such notable celebrities as Eric Clapton and Gun’s and Roses. It was also used in a major motion picture staring James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson titled: Pat Garett and Billy the Kid.
A person listening to Knockin On Heaven’s Door is instantly transported to another place and time. Though I’ve never seen the movie, the song conjures up a picture in my mind of the west around the mid to late 1800’s. I envision someone like Wyatt Earp, a gunslinger and marshall who has grown weary with his way of life and all he wants now is a little peace and quiet. No more running, no more fighting. It’s a very powerful song because of Bob’s ablility to create a mood and tell a story.
GUITAR TIPS:
Here is a link to the song Knockin On Heaven’s Door that I put together for you. It has a basic 4/4 strum pattern that you can use to play it or any other similar four beat song.
Be sure to:
– Strum the two quarter notes down.
– Strum the eighth notes down-up down-up.
FOR MORE INSPIRATION:
To get a better idea of my own songwriting style just download one of my original songs for free and listen to it on your computer.
Read one or both of my recent blogs:
PASSION, MOTIVATION & THE GUITAR
DEVELOPING YOUR CREATIVITY
Thanks for subscribing to the ABC Learn Guitar Newsletter, offering free tips and ideas for guitar players and indie musicians. See you next month!
Musically yours,
Kathy Unruh
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