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Songwriter or Craftsman
Bruce Springsteen, Rolling Stone no. 525, May 1988 Photographic Print Preston, Neal Buy at AllPosters.com
My good friend and great guitarist Robert Walker was nice enough to write an article on being a songwriter or craftsman when it comes to your relationship with the guitar. Robert was born in Stuttgart Germany and grew up in Franconia Germany. He understands teaching the guitar because not only can he play, but for years has given lessons at private music schools and has played in several different cover rock bands. Robert also has studied classical guitar for several years. You can also check out his work with his Debut-CD - One For The Road. So please give this article a good read to help you understand and shed light on what it is you want out of your guitar playing. – Riffmaster
Songwriter or Craftsman by Robert Walker
Where do you stand, who are you?
Guitarists concentrate on the improvement of their technical abilities from the beginning of their musical development. Of course this is important! Your technical abilities on your instrument influence the way you can express yourself while playing. Practicing hours and hours… arpeggios, scales, chords…. We’re all familiar with that.
Some perfect their playing and go to a school like the GIT at Los Angeles or any other music school. Some don't need any school, they perfect their technique by themselves.
So there are a few guitarists who don’t need a huge effort to reach a high level. Others have to work a lot and may never reach the level they seek. I remember practicing a ten finger tapping lick (one of those – I thought a guitarist has to play!!) The technique was completely new to me, and I practiced and practiced. Then I realized that in the style of music that I play there wouldn’t be so much space to use this one amazing lick. So I went back to concentrate on those thinks that are much more comforting to me … it's the song writing. Nevertheless I still practice that tapping technique … but once in a while.…
If I were a craftsman in music, I would say it is really important to play any style at a high level. As a musician who is called for a studio-recording for some famous artist, it is necessary that he could fit into any musical situation (and that in a minute!).
And there is the guitarist who is a master in his style. He is able to tie up his audience with his expression and his phrasing. Maybe he never had much to do with all the other musical styles, and has never been at the GIT, but this style is his playground. He is able to transfer any melody in his head to his fret board. He always wrote songs and melodies, since he began to pick up his guitar in his younger years. He didn't care too much about the new “Top 40” songs. Music always meant so much to him, much more than the goal to become a rock star.
Yes, I know there are a lot of musician who are both songwriters and craftsmen, but I think most guitarists fit into one of those two types. I would like to give those who like to write songs some advice first.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a vocal-song or an instrumental; it always has to have a theme. And that's the important thing, that theme has to be expressive. Don't start writing an instrumental tune just because you learned a new fast lick or an arpeggio, it will be an exercise but not a song. A song transfers something you carry with you, that mustn't be a message (we got enough of them!), but a feeling a state of mind … whatever.
You can also practice this! Take a vocal song, which does not have too many notes in it´s vocal-line and transfer it to your fret board. I did this with some folk songs (i.e. “Love Sick” by Bob Dylan.) Andy Timmons did this with the Prince Song “Purple Rain”, listen to it and play it! The themes in vocal songs are short but catchy. To remain by the Bob Dylan Song Love Sick. The Phrase “I spoke like a child; you destroyed me with a smile” can be a wonderful guitar lick. And there are many more out there. So in a next step, why don’t you sing your phrases, before you play them? It’s not easy, but a very good exercise. I always have a little mp3- Player with me and late at night at the weekends, when I'm going home there is sometimes a melody, a phrase, or a sentence in my head that I record on it. If it´s good enough to become a theme I work on it at my studio.
Once you have a theme, you need the harmonies. At this point always remember that too much movement in the harmonies let the song seem restless. If that’s the feeling you want to express… o.k. But the most chart breakers or evergreens are built upon 3-4 chords. It is very helpful to know the musical theory behind the chords and scales to harmonize your theme. But always trust your ears and not the book “10000 unplayable Jazz-Chords” (I'm waiting for it, it is not yet released!)
Once you have the harmonies, play variations of your theme. Let it end on a stressed, the next time on an unstressed beat, start on a different note … usw. And let your thoughts flow. There will come another theme that fits exactly to your last one and all of the sudden you have a verse of your song. Now you have to work on a bridge to your refrain and on an interlude and…and…and… But that’s too much for this short article.
To come to an end:
Ø The more technical abilities you have, the more you can express yourself. Ø If you’re a craftsman, perfect your techniques and work on your song writing. Ø If you're a songwriter, perfect your song writing and work on your technique. Ø Try to become a mixture of both but recognize, your style, your talent. Ø A song without expression, without meaning is dead. Ø A theme which develops is worth much more than 5 minutes high speed ten finger tapping. Ø You won't find a book that teaches you inspiration and feeling, listen to your inner voice.
These are no rules !
Work on it Bye ! Maybe more next time…
If you like this article, maybe you'll like this one too... Composing With Advanced Rock Guitar Techniques
Recommended Resources
It is very helpful to know the musical theory behind the chords and scales to harmonize your theme. But always trust your ears and not the book “10000 unplayable Jazz-Chords” - Robert Walker
Updated: 3/19/07
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