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Kids Guitar -- Music is Both Logical and Emotional

By Professor Bruno Noteworthy of profbruno.com

If you are a guitar player who is just starting out, you will have lots of questions. Is it hard? Do I wanna play lead? Rhythm? Do I wanna learn how to read music? If I don’t like the guitar, does it make good firewood? (Just kidding on that last one… I think…)

Playing music is a…. well, it’s a “feel” kinda thing – and that feel is reeeallllly important. What you play and how you play it matters to the people who are listening to you.

Playing or listening to music is an emotional experience, and when you play you want your listeners to feel the emotion of the song that you are playing.

So, what’s the best way to learn it?

Well, the very first thing that you need to know is that music is a language. Just as English, or French, or Chinese are languages, so is music.

Music is also logical. In other words, it’s gotta make sense… somehow…. As a beginner, you may not know what that sense is just yet, but trust me there is a method to the madness.

Music is learned logically, but it is played emotionally.

Now what in the world does he mean by that, you might ask?

When you learn anything, you tend to try to understand it with your brain. (Well duh… What else would you use… your elbow?) That is, your brain will try to make sense out of what it is that you are trying to learn in its own way. But music IS a logical language. So it becomes a simple matter of just learning the rules of the game.

What is this “emotional” thing all about?

When you listen to a song, any song, how does it make you feel? Does it make you happy? Sad? Does it make you think? Does it make you wanna get up and daaaaaannnnce? Whatever it is that you feel – that’s emotion.

If you wanna be a musician of any kind, your job is to get folks to feel emotion. Now I don’t mean “Eeewwwwww… what’s that dude (or dudette) playing?????” (That’s emotion too by the way.) What I mean is the emotion that YOU are feeling.

But foist ya gots to loin the language.

Uh huh. Okay, now you’re losin’ me.

When you were first learning how to use whatever language it is that you use to speak and write in, how did you do it?

First, you learned to say simple stuff like “Mommy!” or “Daddy” or “No!” or “Gimme that!”, or “Mine!” Right? Then little by little you learned how to speak in complete sentences. Later, you learned to spell. You didn’t start out by learning Shakespeare right off the bat. Who’s Shakespeare? Ehhhh… you’ll get there… maybe… Anyway, what you learned how to do was to “communicate” – that is you were able to get people to understand what it was that you were saying or writing.

Music is the same way, only you can learn the basic stuff a lot faster. We will learn it piece by piece. Once you begin to understand the language of music, you will begin to be able to communicate emotionally in it.

See ya later!
Professor Bruno Noteworthy

And I would imagine a lot of now famous singers started off, when very young, learning this 'language of music'.

Oh yes, certainly. Some learned their lessons better than others.

I envy people who either take the time to learn, or have the talent to play any musical instrument. I "tried" both guitar and piano without much success when I was young, and just never picked either back up. I refer you to my intel on talent .

Well Jim, we all have a talent for something. We just have to find out what that talent is -- and pursue it. It may not be in the arts, but it's somewhere. Everyone's got something...

To be able to create a melodic sound from an inanimate object must be one of the most satisfying achievements of mankind.

Like so many such achievements, I despair of it when I listen to the tremendous passion in the gitano guitar and compare it with the cacophany of dischords that pass for 'modern' classical music.

No doubt about it Arthur, it is satisfying.

If you are referring to Spanish Flemenco and older Spanish Classical styles -- that is indeed special. I saw Carlos Montoya in concert many years ago. Wow! Talk about a passionate player.

But ya know... In 1980,I attended Musicians Institute in Hollywood, Ca. The instructors there told us that we would be surprised at how many famous rock and roll guitarists (and pianists) were classically trained. Unfortunately, there's no money in it. If you want to make a living making music (as opposed to slaving away in a fast food joint, or being a waiter, or working in a factory etc.), you have to give the public what they want. The ones that last the longest in the biz and are the most consistently successful cultivate a stage persona. But if you should meet these guys on the street they talk about their kids, their families, their stock portfolios -- and they have an appreciation of the art of making music. Many of them would agree with you.

A friend of mine, who is working with me on my animation project is one of these people. He's played for and traveled with some famous people in the popular and jazz music biz. He has played with folks that I only know from "album covers". He's an amazing guitarist who can play any style. He would agree with you also.

But if you make the decision that you want to make music for a living, to be successful, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

And, ya know, this stuff is fun too, in its own way.

As for "modern classical", I haven't paid much attention as far as the guitar is concerned. But I'm sure you're right on that point as well.

We seem to have lost something when it concerns the roots of making music.

But the frame of reference is different. You can't compare Wagner, or Mozart to the Rolling Stones and the like. It's like comparing a great steak to a hot dog. But lots of people love hot dogs.

Thanks for your comment.

I studied music (piano) for eight years in my youth. I learned to play mechanically but never achieved the emotional aspect. It was unusual in that some of my family members were naturally musical. I admire those who have the gift.

I know what you mean about "playing mechanically". But here's the thing June... The fact that YOU know that you are playing mechanically should show you that you have it in you to play emotionally. Memorize your music mechanically, then sort of let yourself go as you play. Stop thinking and concentrate on interpreting the music. The mechanical part is LEARNING the piece of music. PERFORMING is interpretive. If you have piano, play as often as possible. Playing music soothes the soul.
Regards.

A great reminder to be kind to myself as I'm learning something new. Learning any language takes time. If I let myself get frustrated, I'll never learn. Thanks for your great thoughts.

You're welcome, Larry. Good luck in your endeavors. Thanks for your comment.

There is nothing like "jamming." getting your eyes off the sheet music, playing progressions and just feeling the groove. Inspiring intel and very well said... thanks James!

Very true. Jammin' does help to avoid becoming too techy. Thanks for your comment.

When I took my first teaching assignment (5th grade) I did not realize until the proverbial last minute that I would be responsible for the music instruction as well as the 3 R's, etc., and I didn't know a thing about how to read music or anything. So I had to hit the ground running and try to keep at least one lesson ahead of the kids. Fortunately one very smart and helpful young lady was excelling in her extra-curricular piano lessons so I enlisted her help. It was fascinating to be learning and "teaching" at the same time.

We always need to keep learning, because there is always something else to learn.

Thanks for your comment.

I guess I'm one of those people who play the guitar mechanically. I still can't imagine composing my own composition and yet I don't think twice about writing an article or an imaginative blog post. By now I should be able to do both. :(
I'm going to have to 'think' about this a bit. :)))

You shouldn't worry about it so much. Just play what you know how to play. You're making music, and that's what counts. And -- What's wrong with you composing your own stuff? Who cares what anyone else thinks anyway?

It would be a different story if you had high professional aspirations -- that's a different world -- but even in this environment, you still just do the best you can. What else can you do?

Hang in there. It's all good.

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