there's nothing wrong with learning other people's songs, but if that's the only thing you ever learn how to do, it's pretty much meaningless. anybody can learn how to play someone else's song. you really should learn the musical structure behind the songs - the theory and the technique. not only is it more valuable, but it'll make covering songs a lot easier, you'll really understand what's going on in each song you play, and you'll be able to come up with something of your own - even if it's just a variation on a cover. much more fun that way.

 

Trust me, if I could write my own songs, I would. I know all the chords and can solo decent, but I lack the inspiration or whatever it is. Or, in many cases, after I play through something I thought I wrote, it just sounds like an old standard. I love the high of playing, though. I once saw a clip of Townsend playing WGFA and during his solo he had this posessed look of demonic proportions while he was 3 feet away from the three full stacks of Hiwatts in overdrive! No wonder the guy is half deaf, but I know that feeling.

 

so...do you take lessons or read books or what?

 

Playing original stuff >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> playing covers.

You can be the best cover musician but you are nothing to me unless you can play along in a jam session. I can't play covers because I never attempted to, I started writing when I was 13. Maybe I won't have the 18 year old girls flocking around me as I play the newest 3 doors down song because I can't. You earn respect as a musician by being original, if you wanna be someone's bitch then become a pop star.

 

No one here mentioned anything about becomming a pop star. God knows the Who, Stones, or Pink Floyd were nothing near a pop star. Super stars, but not pop stars (big difference). But I think if people like that music (some of which is harder to play than anything you could write on your own) there is nothing wrong with playing it...... especially if they are dead or no longer touring, as you will never hear or see them play it live. God, I've been holding my breath for Floyd to tour just once more, but other than the albums, there's nothing to take you to that place their music takes you. So I play it. And it works.

 

Your a lucky guy Martins are nice guitars.

 

Its the whole original vs cover argument. Most people play covers because they never wanted to unlock that little creative door inside them. If you can play a cover song you can damn well write an original song. Take a freaking C chord, add an E and a G and you got a song. Chorus you say... well take the C make that into a 9th and play it with the E and G. Now for the solo... well take off on the C note... hmm well you could go with a major scale or minor scale your choice. I prefer minor scales with a few mods in the middle. Its simple... writing your own song is easier than playing a cover. If people took time to learn the structure of music instead of trying to show off their newest cover song then it would be all fine and dandy. Its the wham bam thank you ma'am approach... no one wants to understand why some chords go with others.

 

O.K., mabe I should rephrase myself..... I can write music, but I can't write lyrics. I tend play blues or jam in E, Em, or A. That's what I love. But don't ask me to be a poet.

 

Well them be the next Joe Satriani or Eric Johnson or John Petrucci. I love instrumentals, you can do the same emotion with a plain instrumental as you can with lyrics. For instance For the love of God doesn't need lyrics because lyrics would just ruin it.

 

:werd:

"The Audience is Listening" is another that would have been destroyed by lyrics.