Yep they definately would. I love bands like AC/DC. Between the song writing, Angus Young's blues rock guitar style and the lead vocal that band really knows how to make good rock music. That is why they have become so famous over the years. It's no accident. They have since the early 70s always been produced by George Young ( Angus's older brother) and Harry Vanda both from the 60s band The Easybeats ( "Friday On My Mind" ). There are many reasons they became so successful.

I also love Django Reinhardt ,Charlie Christian and Steely Dan as well so I do have a wide range of musical interests.


[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 03-07-2007).]

So on the Tyros 2 of course on some voices you stike the note hard and it gives you the glide. It starts low where it should and ends up on pitch.

Anyway, talking about practicing reminds me of something that is rarely mentioned.

I remember reading a book called Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz. In the book it mentioned a well known concert pianist who never praciticed. He was once asked after a brilliant performance how he could play so brilliantly and never practice. He said he just practiced in his head!

Another time I saw an interview with guitarist Herb Ellis I believe. He was asked about talent. His answer was talent is someting you can buy in a book called Psycho-Cybernetics.

Interesting to see this same book referenced twice. That book has mainly to do with relaxing mentally and physically and "seeing" yourself as you want to be. In a sense programing your mind. In these instances it was used to improve ones playing ability. This technique comes by a lot of different names today, but it all boils down to relax, visualize and let the mind take over.

I think in a sense we are all doing this with our playing. Acutally with everything we do. It defines who we are and what we can and can't do.

As an experiment on a few occasions I "saw" myself playing well beyond my ability. Felt is as if it had already happened. And forgot about it. A short time later, the exact thing I had "seen" happened. I was a bit stunned.

I have mentioned this to a few of my students. And have also seen a major rapid increase in ability.

Liberace is another who did this. It was mentioned in a book by Claude Bristol that it wasn't until he started to spend some time "seeing" himself successful that he became successful.

There is also a study that was done with 3 groups of people throwing freethrows. All were initially tested. Then one group practiced 1 hour a day physically throwing baskets. Another group ONLY pracitced in their minds for an hour a day. The third group was the control group and did not practice in any way.

The results were interesting. The group who actually practiced for an hour a day, improved 24%. The group that did not pracitce in any way did not improve. The group that practiced only in their minds improved 23%!!

So, I thought this would make for some interesting disscusion. Has anyone used this for music or anything else as far as that goes and how did it work.


Scott http://ScottLMusic.com

Well Scott, don't know if it works but I'm trying it. Right now I'm seeing myself in a brand new Porche convertible and not only that, my wife actually supports and encourages the purchase. No wait, it's not a purchase at all; my kids, who so far have managed to overlook our last fifteen birthdays, anniversaries, Mother's and Father's days, have suddenly pooled their resources and presented it to me as a gift.

I'll let you know how this turns out.

chas

I must agree with Scott about his reference to Max Maltz and Psycho Cybernetics.

I have used these procedures to great effect, both in my playing life, and also with my personal life in dealing with my addictions to alcohol and drugs(in conjunction with 12 step programs).

In a way it is similar to several other "programs" which emphasize "visualization" but it is far more effective and permanent.

Highly recommended.

Thanks for bringing it up, Scott.

Ian




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Cha d’dhùin doras nach d’fhosgail doras.

Great response Nigel. I'm not a huge AC-DC fan per se, but I can certainly appreciate them and why their fans like them, and I like a lot of other so called " less complicated " music.

In spite of being a big fan of Jazz, Jazz Fusion, and Progresive Rock Groups like Rush, ELP, Pink Floyd ( especially Syd ) and Yes, I also found some humor and understanding for the attitudes of the early Punk / New Wave bands and later the early Alternative genres that largely considered the Prog music of the 70's to be " way over the top", too establishment, and self indulgent ".

The irony maybe is that lot of these groups later went on to cover some of this material, especially the Syd Barrett era stuff. Back in the late 70's and early 80's, while others in my musical circle were lamenting the "death" of the so called great music we were accustomed to, I tried to listen to some of the new stuff and found new music to enjoy as I saw true innovation in some of the stuff that groups like Elvis Costello, The Cars, The Police and Joe Jackson were doing. I still like them all to this day.

Maybe I'm old for it, but I can't help but like things like Eminem's "Lose Yourself" too. I can also appreciate that there is some effort needed and a good ear to make today's modern beats and sounds, even when there isn't a "real musician" playing when they are created. I can play a pretty fair drumkit, but I can't imagine trying to compete with some of these folks who are constantly trying to find the latest hot beats and samples.

I just looked back at the old video on Youtube of Pink Floyd playing on the "look Of The Week" and how Hans Keller, who interviewed them afterward, so deftly played the stodgy old critic. Roger Waters and Syd both replied quite eloquently to his critiques of them though. Today many see them as icons. I guess it's just life's lot..where we come from, what era, etc.. Many years later in an interview, when told that the young groups and fans found Floyd's stuff to be dated and self indulgent, Waters said he felt that's the way the young are supposed to look at it, as they want to identify with their own sounds and stuff, much like the early Floyd did. I guess maybe I don't quite fit that mold though.

I would say I'm happy with my keyboard skills, and the fact that I've become a fair drummer, but I still practice when I can and try to learn new things when I can as well. Life probably isn't long enough to learn all that I'd like to, but I'll keep plugging away while I'm here anyway. What I have learned to do is appreciate that everyone's techniques are going to be slightly ( or more ) different from anyone else's, much like you could put Jimmy Page and David Gilmour on the exact same guitar and have them play the same solo or progression, and probably easily hear the difference just based on style of play and physical attack alone. Both would likely sound great, yet different.

AJ


[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 03-07-2007).]

AC/DC ROCKS
My favorite Rock group of all time!
http://www.acdcrocks.com/



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 03-07-2007).]

For those sad, ignorant, pitiful folk who have never heard of AC/DC, just think of the greatest concert you have ever been to.

The Beatles, for instance. John, Paul, George, and Ringo are all on stage playing their #1 hit singles "Yellow Submarine" and "Kill the Innocent and Drink Their Blood".

Behind them, the majestic moose frolics alongside children from Nova Scotia. Everyone is happy except the moose, who would rather not frolic as it makes his neck look misshapen.

Now imagine a terribly loud noise that causes one's ears to bleed. Then terrorists leap out of a train and take the entire crowd to their country to work as slaves in the Goblin mines forever.

That train is AC/DC. All hail AC/DC!

Ian



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Cha d’dhùin doras nach d’fhosgail doras.

My point wasn't so much that bands like AC-DC are not valid. What I was trying to get at is, that kind of music exists because you don't have to be an amazingly gifted and technical musician to make that kind of music. I'm not saying it wasn't original, or creative, only that it isn't particularly difficult music. So I was wondering if music like that only exists because there are musicians who are not as good as other musicians.

Maybe a better example would be someone like Green Day. Never once is there a guitar solo to speak of. So if all guitarists had amazing technical chops, then would Green Day's guitarist still enjoy playing power chords all day every day? Maybe less talented musicians is actually what makes certain genres of music. Would a pianist as skilled as Tatom ever make a new age CD?

Question: Have you ever tried playing anything by AC/DC?

Ian



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Cha d’dhùin doras nach d’fhosgail doras.

Get more gigs. The more you play live the better your skill development is. You only practice the things that you are not familiar with, and the things that you don't know much or the new stuff. If you know how to walk then you don't need to practice walking because you are doing it everyday. Now, do you practice how to cry?