I had this idea for a guitar rhythm the other night, a swinging arpeggio played with the sponge under the strings, and recorded it right away. The next morning I listened and came up with a guitar melody I liked. As I listened to the piece, I wondered where that melody came from. I played the melody with my thumb and I think playing that way made it feel more like something I might play on an electric guitar. The first guitar rhythm was played with a lot of swing so this morning I played a second line that didn’t swing at all. The combination of those two rhythms created a beautiful forward movement. But what is this, I wondered (out of habit?)… It doesn’t matter WHAT it is, I told myself. I love the feel of it, my head keeps nodding to it, and I keep playing it on repeat. What more do I want?! I am out of the streaming music game and don’t need to fit into a genre. Now less than ever. LOL. Next came some chords, plucked softly and only on the two and four, like a backbeat. Then I found a bit of rain that fit the tempo and feel… How can rain drops be so funky? LoFi Flamenco guitar? Does it fit? Yes, it does. Hm, and what will Jon do with this one???
>Hm, and what will Jon do with this one???
You can rest assured whatever it is, it will be sublime.
Just checking if I’m still sane. I’m 72 and have gotten back into the accordion that my mother forced me to play so she could have an accompanist when she sang sad Jewish folk songs from the Ukraine. She was a Holocaust survivor. Anyway I picked up a beautiful Bugari 72-bass accordion and have not stopped composing melodies that continuously stay in my head; that I hum; that I hear in my head. 2-3 hours go by and I’m still playing these melodies over and over. I love my own music. Do you think this is a good thing. Discovered your music in 2000. Drove from NJ to Canadian Rockies listening to Barcelona Nights on CD. Saw you at Sellersville in Pa last time around. Will see you in October when you come through again. Wonder if I could get your opinion of my Melodie’s. Uma Danca is what got me back into music. Listen to you, Jamie Sieber, Andrea Bauer, Eitan Katz, and Sona Jobarteh.
I think that is wonderful and makes me happy. Yes, that’s a good thing and yes, you should enjoy your melodies and love your music. They are you. You don’t need me to listen to them to know that they are good! They are working already. Enjoy!