I dunno - what d'you think?I dunno - what d'you think?A blog by Dave Keir, independent musician, acoustic guitar player and songwriter. Articles
My first fingerpicking lesson
2007-04-26 11:21:00 Sometimes I look back wistfully and muse upon odd events that have defined the directions I would take in life. Apropos my music, one of the events that had a profound impact was a casual ten minutes with a friend back in 1971 when he showed me my first fingerpicking pattern. Here it is: More About: King , First , Pick , Less , Lesson
The act of songwriting?
2007-04-24 12:16:00 …has never been a challenge for me. I think it’s because I’ve been doing it so long - since I was so uninhibited as a kid - that it’s a habit that’s simply been ingrained. I’ve never thought about how to go about the task. I did it before I thought about it. Like a ... More About: The A
I think I?m selling a Martin OOO-28
2007-04-20 23:46:00 Oh, well. I’m reluctant to do it because it’s a great guitar. I’ve written about it here. More About: Selling , Think , Sell , Martin
Golf - I?ve given up!
2007-04-19 15:20:00 Because my left arm doesn’t want to participate enthusiastically in the backswing. I think I have impingement of the shoulder, or some such. It’s not severe and doesn’t bother me overmuch but it does reduce my range of movement inhibit my golf swing. More About: Golf , Given , Give
Mahler v. Sibelius
2007-04-17 22:32:00 The two composers are sometimes cited as being at the opposite ends of a spectrum of sorts: one being prone to employing vast forces in order to perform gargantuan works; the other having a penchant for compression and modesty of utterance ultimately to the point of silence. I had a passion for the music of ... More About: Sibelius
Mahler v. Sibelius
2007-04-17 22:32:00 The two composers are sometimes cited as being at the opposite ends of a spectrum of sorts: one being prone to employing vast forces in order to perform gargantuan works; the other having a penchant for compression and modesty of utterance ultimately to the point of silence. I had a passion for the music of ... More About: Sibelius
I sound like Shrek!
2007-04-16 09:37:00 So opined a forumite’s family member recently after listening to How Well. It must be the nasally Scottish accent. No matter. No offence taken here. None at all. Damn’ cheek! More About: Sound , Shrek , Like
I sound like Shrek!
2007-04-16 09:37:00 So opined a forumite’s family member recently after listening to How Well. It must be the nasally Scottish accent. No matter. No offence taken here. None at all. Damn’ cheek! More About: Sound , Shrek , Like
Depression and the musician
2007-04-15 10:58:00 I have heard and read short and long about the possible artistic and creative benefits of clinical depression (and other mental illnesses) may have for musicians. I have not heard or read of a musician celebrating his depression for those reasons, though! So what does depression “do” for an artist? Does it have any artistic ... More About: Music , Depression , Press , Musician , Sion
Depression and the musician
2007-04-15 10:58:00 I have heard and read short and long about the possible artistic and creative benefits of clinical depression (and other mental illnesses) may have for musicians. I have not heard or read of a musician celebrating his depression for those reasons, though! More About: Depression , Musician , Sion , The Music
Still Humidifying My Guitars
2007-04-14 10:30:00 We’re in mid-April and there’s still not enough relative humidity in my studio where my guitars reside on their stands. So I keep filling the humidifier with water and it keeps belching out steam. It’s a labour of love. I didn’t even know about the necessity for doing this before I started lurking around internet forums. ... More About: Guitar , Stil , Midi , Still , Guitars
Still humidifying my guitars
2007-04-14 10:30:00 We’re in mid-April and there’s still not enough relative humidity in my studio where my guitars reside on their stands. So I keep filling the humidifier with water and it keeps belching out steam. It’s a labour of love. More About: Stil , Midi , Still , Guitars
GAS (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome)
2007-04-13 13:01:00 I had this affliction for a short spell. I actually only realised it’s existance, and that I was a sufferer, when I stumbled across the Unoffcial Martin Guitar Forum (UMGF) in 2003. This was shortly after I had “acquired” my Martin OOO-28 and became interested in its pedigree and in Martin guitars in general. More About: Syndrome , Acquisition
GAS (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome)
2007-04-13 13:01:00 I had this affliction for a short spell. I actually only realised it’s existance, and that I was a sufferer, when I stumbled across the Unoffcial Martin Guitar Forum (UMGF) in 2003. This was shortly after I had “acquired” my Martin OOO-28 and became interested in its pedigree and in Martin guitars in general. I won’t ... More About: Rome , Syndrome , Acquisition
Inependent musicianship
2007-04-12 10:25:00 I am an Independent Musician . Yippee! It’s a grand sounding term with an air of freedom and emancipation. As if I’d ever been an enslaved musician. “Irresolute” would be a better description. “Indie” is a faintly derogatory handle that is used in the trade. Okay-dokey. Whatever. More About: Musicians , Ship , Epen
Inependent musicianship
2007-04-12 10:25:00 I am an Independent Music ian. Yippee! It’s a grand sounding term with an air of freedom and emancipation. As if I’d ever been an enslaved musician. “Irresolute” would be a better description. “Indie” is a faintly derogatory handle that is used in the trade. Okay-dokey. Whatever. We are a bit despised on a number of counts ... More About: Musician , Musicians , Ship , Epen
On the importance of acoustic treatment of the recording space
2007-04-11 11:22:00 Trawling through one internet music recording forum after another (as I often do) is certainly illuminating. The multitudinous posts from earnest recordists enquiring from the experts which microphone, preamp, soundcard, converters, compressor, EQ, reverb - blah, blah, blah - is better than another have a rather dulling effect on my sensibilities before too long. And ... More About: Space , Recording , Acoustic , Men , Port
On the importance of acoustic treatment of the recording space
2007-04-11 11:22:00 Trawling through one internet music recording forum after another (as I often do) is certainly illuminating. The multitudinous posts from earnest recordists enquiring from the experts which microphone, preamp, soundcard, converters, compressor, EQ, reverb - blah, blah, blah - is better than another have a rather dulling effect on my sensibilities before too long. And ... More About: Space , Recording , Acoustic , Treatment , Treat
Fancy a tune?
2007-04-10 20:02:00 This might be interesting. I’ve found this little player at Last.fm which I can embed in all sorts of places. A bit like virtual busking except there’s nowhere for people to drop a coin or two. Still, I’ll leave it here for a bit and if it’s popular I’ll do a page with all the ... More About: Tune , Fancy
Fancy a tune?
2007-04-10 20:02:00 This might be interesting. I’ve found this little player at Last.fm which I can embed in all sorts of places. A bit like virtual busking except there’s nowhere for people to drop a coin or two. Still, I’ll leave it here for a bit and if it’s popular I’ll do a page with all the ... More About: Tune , Fancy
?One For Julie (My Lucky Stars)?
2007-04-09 17:40:00 … is the title of the latest consquence of my incessant noodling. It’s a bit schmalzy and jazz-tinged and is about as romantic as this guy is ever likely to get. Another result, so it is, of noodling with a glass of wine near to hand. I guess the guitar part was done and dusted ... More About: Stars , Star , Lucky Star , Lucky , Luck
?One For Julie (My Lucky Stars)?
2007-04-09 17:40:00 … is the title of the latest consquence of my incessant noodling. It’s a bit schmalzy and jazz-tinged and is about as romantic as this guy is ever likely to get. Another result, so it is, of noodling with a glass of wine near to hand. I guess the guitar part was done and dusted ... More About: Stars , Star , Lucky Star , Lucky , Luck
More on ?How Well?
2007-04-08 13:25:00 I posted How Well at a few places to get the benefit of some objective ears and some feedback on any “issues” with the recording. It seemed be liked by most of the good folks who took the trouble to listen and respond with comments. That’s always a relief and privides a little charge of ... More About: More
Spring!
2007-04-07 12:16:00 The season has arrived shockingly in the north-east of Scotland: warm sun, coloured vegetation and increased variety of birdcall. Easter with it’s usual display chocolate eggs and religion on the radio. Try and be patient with the tourist traffic and caravans tootling down the local byways. Ha! If it wasn’t so nice, I wouldn’t live ... More About: Spring , Ring
Mixing it
2007-03-23 11:30:00 Getting to grips with some new titles is always interesting for its own sake - but it also refreshes the ears if they’ve been only fed a diet of familiar sounds and songs thereby slowly losing critical acumen. At another level, there’s the odd effect caused by continuously recording and mixing solo acoustic guitar ... More About: Xing
More on jazz
2007-03-21 10:59:00 Driving to the day-job listening to Charlie Christian certainly optimises any vestige of motivation I have for the day ahead. I?m looking at a book which analyses Christian?s licks and which I?m trying to commit to memory; the more kid on the inattentive listeners that I possibly know something about jazz guitar. I have a ... More About: Jazz , More
?How Well?
2007-03-15 22:36:00 Well, How Well may be, well, finished - nearly. I’ll whack it on to a CD with a few others, live with it for a while, and come back and do whatever tweaking comes to mind. It’s the third of three songs on this page: How Well A curious little song and I’m curious to know what ... More About: Well
On altered guitar tunings
2007-03-14 18:42:00 I used to play in altered tunings extensively and arranged a number of Scottish and Irish fiddle tunes in them (particulary DGDGCE). Now, I’ve grown to really quite dislike open tunings. Why? Mostly because it’s impractical to change tonality, or keys, in them. Play in DADGAD and your stuck in (the key of) D, or ... More About: Guitar , Tuning , Alter
Jazz guitar
2007-03-13 13:56:00 I’m a big fan and I’ve bought books on the subject and CDs of some of the greats - but I can’t call myself a jazz player by any stretch of the imagination. I’m toying with the idea of getting a Gibson ES-335 for some of that groove which might kick-start me into putting in ... More About: Jazz , Guitar
Tradition and traditionalism
More articles from this author:2007-03-12 13:40:00 My relationship with folk music has always been ambivalent and has oscillated between a passion for arranging Irish and Scottish fiddle tunes for guitar to a real distaste for the precious attitude of many of the practitioners of the genre. I’ve come across examples of posturing ethnicity that is non-inclusive and reeks of a superior attitude based ... More About: Tradition , Traditional 1, 2, 3, 4 |
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