Quote Blog Oct. 8
134- 150
Leading up to this point, I have been learning about the creation of Jimi Hendrix and how be slowly began to become famous. Coming up to this, Hendrix was playing at clubs like the Wha. This club was based in the north around 1966 at the beginning of Hendrix's career around the time when he really began to experiment with large Marshall stacks and fuzz pedals. It was also around this time that Hendrix was staying in Greenwich Village, NY. It was during this time that Hendrix was troubled with the direction of his music. He spent a lot of time hanging out with a lot of the people in Harlem, experiencing the structured music of Harlem R&B which was classed as the popular music at the time. The music that Hendrix was creating was extremely experimental for the time. It was categorized as "Psychedelic rock" which is not something that many peoples ears were ready for at the time. Hendrix was quoted talking to a friend of his, Youngblood, about how if he balanced the Harlem R&B, with his new style of music, then he cold take over the Cafe Wha. Unfortunately, this balance caused Hendrix a lot of stress.
Looking into the span of Hendrix's career, I think that this struggle was extremely effective in making him the most influential guitarists of the 60s. When listening to his discography, one will find that a lot of his music is wild and interesting to listen too. It is filled with strange noises and psychedelic ideas from the 60s that even people from then would not have been able to relate too. Then other parts of his music were filled with R&B flavored ideas that really resonated with the people of then and now. This was extremely effective. Hendrix used this to his advantage as when up North in certain areas, Hendrix would play wild and with extreme exaggeration and showmanship. Then when, in other areas typically more southern, he would play more R&B flavored ideas like his song "Wind Cries Mary". Due to this, Hendrix was actually using very strategical marketing ideas. He was being mindful of his audience and ensuring to fill different areas with what they wanted to hear so that they would continue coming back for more.
"For some months, Jimi remained a man torn between two musical cultures: the strict, regimented tradition of uptown Harlem R&B and the loose amalgam of folk and rock that was developing in the Village. (145)
I can really relate to this quote. When it comes to my two music styles of Blues and Jazz, I am constantly troubled with when and where to apply the techniques from each. When looking at my audience, I constantly have to figure out what each person wants to hear me play. For example. The other day at my lesson with Tomo, I was asked to play a slow blues. Tomo is a highly educated musician and is extremely fluid with technique and theoretical ideas. Usually playing a slow blues, I would play using BB King ideas and taking my time using simple phrasing that really connects with the listener. When playing for Tomo, I figured that I should play a blues more like Mr. Shumacher would want me to play it. Extremely educated and full of theory. So that is how I played my solo. Tomo stopped me before I could finish and told me that I should not play a blues like that because that is not how a real traditional blues should be played. When playing a blues, I should play it traditionally like BB King and Albert King. This is where I learnt that I should play the guitar in the style that I think appropriate, not what I think people want to hear. To relate back to Hendrix, being torn about stylistic approach in music is something that every musician is troubled with due to the lack of knowledge to what your audience wants to see and hear.
Here is a picture of Hendrix in Cafe Wha.
Leading up to this point, I have been learning about the creation of Jimi Hendrix and how be slowly began to become famous. Coming up to this, Hendrix was playing at clubs like the Wha. This club was based in the north around 1966 at the beginning of Hendrix's career around the time when he really began to experiment with large Marshall stacks and fuzz pedals. It was also around this time that Hendrix was staying in Greenwich Village, NY. It was during this time that Hendrix was troubled with the direction of his music. He spent a lot of time hanging out with a lot of the people in Harlem, experiencing the structured music of Harlem R&B which was classed as the popular music at the time. The music that Hendrix was creating was extremely experimental for the time. It was categorized as "Psychedelic rock" which is not something that many peoples ears were ready for at the time. Hendrix was quoted talking to a friend of his, Youngblood, about how if he balanced the Harlem R&B, with his new style of music, then he cold take over the Cafe Wha. Unfortunately, this balance caused Hendrix a lot of stress.
Looking into the span of Hendrix's career, I think that this struggle was extremely effective in making him the most influential guitarists of the 60s. When listening to his discography, one will find that a lot of his music is wild and interesting to listen too. It is filled with strange noises and psychedelic ideas from the 60s that even people from then would not have been able to relate too. Then other parts of his music were filled with R&B flavored ideas that really resonated with the people of then and now. This was extremely effective. Hendrix used this to his advantage as when up North in certain areas, Hendrix would play wild and with extreme exaggeration and showmanship. Then when, in other areas typically more southern, he would play more R&B flavored ideas like his song "Wind Cries Mary". Due to this, Hendrix was actually using very strategical marketing ideas. He was being mindful of his audience and ensuring to fill different areas with what they wanted to hear so that they would continue coming back for more.
"For some months, Jimi remained a man torn between two musical cultures: the strict, regimented tradition of uptown Harlem R&B and the loose amalgam of folk and rock that was developing in the Village. (145)
I can really relate to this quote. When it comes to my two music styles of Blues and Jazz, I am constantly troubled with when and where to apply the techniques from each. When looking at my audience, I constantly have to figure out what each person wants to hear me play. For example. The other day at my lesson with Tomo, I was asked to play a slow blues. Tomo is a highly educated musician and is extremely fluid with technique and theoretical ideas. Usually playing a slow blues, I would play using BB King ideas and taking my time using simple phrasing that really connects with the listener. When playing for Tomo, I figured that I should play a blues more like Mr. Shumacher would want me to play it. Extremely educated and full of theory. So that is how I played my solo. Tomo stopped me before I could finish and told me that I should not play a blues like that because that is not how a real traditional blues should be played. When playing a blues, I should play it traditionally like BB King and Albert King. This is where I learnt that I should play the guitar in the style that I think appropriate, not what I think people want to hear. To relate back to Hendrix, being torn about stylistic approach in music is something that every musician is troubled with due to the lack of knowledge to what your audience wants to see and hear.
Here is a picture of Hendrix in Cafe Wha.
Yeah, I think that's where having teachers/mentors is difficult. Of course it's important, and they can guide you a lot and give you a lot of feedback, but at the end of the day, if you pursue music as a profession, the only point would be if you were yourself and bringing your own style/name to it.
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