It has been a while since writing
anything in here. Today is one lacking an expression based in the
creative process. I have not seen the muse come to me in a number of
weeks. Instead I want to address the issue of assimilating newly
created material. In preparation of an upcoming gig, I have been in
the throws of committing new songs to memory, for the intent of
presenting it to the public. Throughout my musical history I have
never realized the difficulty that this process can exhibit. There
could be multiple reasons as to this situation's difficulty, although
having previously failed to consider this issue with any focused
attention, I am only now seemingly confronted with it.
This year the creative process has
allowed me to fully write and compose 10 new songs as well as
completing the musical composition of another. Having a desire to
incorporate this new material into my song list is what brings me to
this situation. In clarification, my desire to commit this material
to memory means exactly that, developing the skill to competently
present this without the aid of printed information.
The first part of the solution is
having a solid structure for a song. Having been a solo artist for
so many years presents me with a lack of discipline with a songs
structure. Doing it alone has always allowed me the luxury of being
flexible with song structure. This past couple of years playing and
performing with other persons has shown me the fault of this relaxed
way which allows the slippage of a perfectly structured song.
Singing harmony allows little room for the structure to have flex.
It really needs to be consistent, and thus I realize now that there
is significant importance in being consistent with every song's
structure.
Once the structure of a song is ground
out into the desired written form, the repetitive work begins. I
compare it, in a way, to preparation for a school test, or maybe a
final exam. I think it is different also, in that presenting songs
well, can have no error, where as, forming a wrong answer on an exam
may not create a failing grade. I have thoughts about what will
work, but I know nothing about the process scientifically as to the
process of learning. In the past when learning covered songs, I
would listen to the song enough to gain a will to learn it first
thing, then it was for the most part a process of repetition in
playing/singing repeatedly. Somehow with my own new songs, having no
recording to listen to, prevents in the very least the listening
method. I may need to experiment with that, record the song in the
structurally correct form, then listen to it. My problem is in the
lyric for the most part. The guitar playing generally falls in place
with rapidity, where as the lyric does not.
Another thing I might wish to consider
is the number of songs I am trying to memorize. I have never before
had so many new at one time with the need to assimilate. This fact
alone might be what is causing my near sense of alarm and wonder
about age related issues, questioning if there is potential for this
to play a roll.
Yet another wonderment is that of
cadence, and the simplicity of the rhyme scheme. These two factors
being unique with each song, both contribute their part to the
question of learning. Sometimes the word structures I write are very
simple, where as other songs are much more complex. Some words flow
off the tongue with greater ease than others also. These factors
might also play a large roll in the memorization of songs.
What ever the reason, it is time to get
back to the process of practice. Maybe today shall show more
progress.
