How 'bout those players that are just too good? You know the ones I'm talking about. Usually they are Asian, or German, or Dutch, or really young (if the are White Americans). They post videos all the time, and you know they will be playing some impossible song, and playing it flawlessly. Most of the time they are covering a tune by Jake, or some other really hard song that has become a uke standard. Like some Beatles or Santana arrangement that us normal folks could never play. As soon as you see it in your subscription box you know what to expect. Effortless perfect playing. So you hear While My Guitar Gently Weeps or Let's Dance for the 132nd time. And yes, it was amazing. And no, you (or I) will never be able to play like that.
It's easy to leave comments for my mere mortal friends. I want them to feel good about what they just posted. I know how hard it is to bare your soul to countless strangers on the internet. I want them to keep posting. I honestly LIKE to see them in my subscription box.
But here is someone who seems to not even have to try...and they are fucking good. Too good. Now it's time to leave a comment for them......what do you say?
6 comments:
I say: "You make me jealous!"
I often wish these people would come up with something original for a change! I'm tired of listening to "Gently Weeps" for the 132nd time! I also wish I could meet them personally one day to learn some cool ukulele tricks. :-)
Same as guitar in my opinion.
In uke, they come in two camps. Aldrine is a great example of the first, and in my opinion better set. I know I'll never play like him, but he is also a ripping good songwriter. When he interprets songs, he tends to make them his own. He also understands that music is fundamentally about emotion and plays dynamically and with heart. He’s a musician. No matter what he plays, I either learn something, or at least feel something new.
But then there are what I tend to think of as the “clones”. Tablature kids. Very talented, but methodical, mechanical, and leaning toward the soulless. They generally don’t write music but can flawlessly imitate others. To be honest, they creep me out. I can’t learn from them, because it’s not anything new. You can’t feel it, because the play with their brain, not their heart.
I just don’t comment on the second bunch.
Duncan, I can't agree with you more. I thought this article was about the second type, the clones. Still I think one can learn some technique from them. It's the same with piano players. I know many who can play classical pieces error-free but can't make up something of their own. That's just sad. Maybe the clones are just lacking courage and self-confidence so that they hide behind their stars?
By calling people clones and saying these clones don't feel the the music, you essentially are calling all orchestra performers the same thing.
Just because you play songs that others have created doesn't make you less of a musician. The trick is to learn the song and change a little bit about it to add a piece of yourself in it as well.
Learning from others is the best thing you can do to develop as a musician. Rather than sitting down and waiting for the music to come to you in a song idea, learn a new song that's already been made. It might just give an idea for your own song to come out.
Just my 2 cents.
I disagree Matt - most orchestra performers understand the "heart" of the piece. It's what separates the good ones from the greats. It's not as much about the writing as it is about the feeling.
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