Interacting with music

Sometimes I want to write music and I can't get myself inspired. In my experience, music takes on so many different levels. Its not just as simple as playing the guitar. I believe each level leads on to each other, its important to do it in the right order!

1. Listening to music

The obvious way of enjoying music and sadly the only step most people ever take. Listening to music is amazing, its where we all started. It can do all sorts of things, conjure up all sorts of memories and invoke all sorts of emotions and thoughts. For one, a smile, for another an unfortunate memory.

2. Seeing live music

Gigs, concerts etc. This is really just an extension of the first point. Not just listening but now we are breathing, experiencing first hand a tangible expression of music.

3. Practicing music

Listening and seeing inspires you to practice. Countless times have I seen an incredible gig and just been blown away with 2 thoughts; 1. Wow they were so amazing, I feel like my own musical abilities are terrible and 2. I have a desire to become that good, to write that well, to be involved in something similarly beautiful if not more so. The latter thought always replaces the former quite quickly! I get inspired to practice from listening to other peoples unique ideas and musical creations.

4. Playing music

This is about playing purely for fun. When you've practiced enough, your muscle memory retains everything you have learnt and you are able to truly enjoy the experience of playing your guitar without worrying about if you get it right enough because you've spent enough time doing it in the practicing stage.

5. Writing music

I find this stage comes easiest when I'm inspired, have practiced enough to put my ideas quickly onto my guitar and am in the mood for playing something. For me, this is probably one of my favourite levels of interacting with music. It's so rewarding, knowing that what you are playing is written by you, its unique, different to everything that has ever gone before it.

6. A combination of all of the above

I deliberately haven't mentioned loads of other aspects. Gigging is a mixture of writing and playing while practice prepares for all of them. Dancing is another (although definitely not a forté of mine ;))

I find that if my guitar playing is unbalanced in one of these areas I get discouraged and I'm not sure why. If I don't practice enough its easy to be frustrated by your mistakes when you're trying to apply something new to your writing and similar if all you do is practice then you get tired easily. If you're struggling with any of the areas above, just remember, go back to step 1 and get inspired. Go see some wicked bands, listen to some new music you wouldn't usually. Get inspired.

Peace.