Well, I THINK Dave is 1/2 Italian, so he may get away with it ...

That'sa right! Gaelic & Garlic here!

Our pastor sponsors a dinner for St. Patrick and St. Joseph and calls it "Gaelic and Garlic Night" ...

I always thought of Garlic as a sex deterrent.

chas

Not if your partner likes it too!

Actually the opposite; Buddhist monks stay away from garlic.

Chris

Indeed, I heard ‘ear’ players saying that they wish they knew how to read music. I had been what Jazz musicians call a "note reader" for a long time. I think that's why Jazz has been very elusive for classically trained musicians.

Chris

Per request.
Live on the job using Korg PA4X.
Rainy Night in Georgia

I do both...."read" and "play by ear." Most of you know I've been working hard on the piano for the last six months with certain practicing methods. One of the exercises I do is to take any song and arrange it in your head as you're playing it. i.e. One note at a time. After each note decide what you want the next note to be in your arrangement (or SHOULD be according to the melody). and....guess at where it falls on the keyboard. Then play the note and see if you nailed it.

I originally did it just for practice, but after months of doing this....a pleasant surprise. I found that my pitch recognition has improved 100% (well, maybe 99&44/100%). Paul (montunoman) said it in one of his posts....INTENSE CONCENTRATION is what makes it work!

Almost forgot....

Torch...this is an absolutely brilliant performance. I watched it a few times for a few reasons.

It's one of my favorite Christian songs.

To observe the clever way he arranged it for guitar.

To try to figure out what sounded out of place. Turns out it was the lack of "spacing" of notes...breaks...style.

One of the things that, thankfully, was passed on to me over the years by a senior musician was..."learn the words to a song before you learn the song." I'm wondering if the gentleman "learned the words" because "learned lyrics" lead to great "phrasing."

Eva Cassidy is the greatest example I know of. Doesn't rush her songs. She milks "Over the Rainbow" with every consonant and vowel that comes out of her mouth. Works the words and feels her songs through and through right down to the bone.

I just really love this song, and so, naturally I was also singing it in my mind. But it was difficult to keep up with the pace and feel the emotions this tune awakens in you. I'm curious...does he just play the song without understanding what the song is actually about, do you think?

Either way, I reiterate. An absolutely brilliant, beautiful creative and engaging performance he did!