Showing posts with label frets and freedom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label frets and freedom. Show all posts

Saturday, October 15, 2011

dusting the soul

As luck would have it, the first and the third participants in Micromax MTV Unplugged are Rabbi and Indian Ocean. Can it get any better than this; than seeing musicians of the highest caliber tweak their masterpieces and perform on stage. Boy, do I thank God. Right now I'm listening to Bulla Ki Jaana tweaked version and I bow down to the flutist. Love the interludes. Bilqis and Shunya are buffering. Ruddy Brilliant! I don't think I can accept other versions of songs that are so close to my heart but I'm sticking to it and repeated listening is paying off. That's about it then really. And yea, I'm dusting my guitar.

Listen to Rabbi's new song, Ganga.

Friday, May 22, 2009

the romantic thing about bleeding fingers

I got my first real six-string
Bought it at the five-and-dime
Played 'til my fingers bled
It was summer of '69

25 years ago, in 1984, 'Reckless' Bryan Adams sang about bleeding fingers. That was the age when rock stars were not treated as outcasts anymore and every teenager wanted to form a rock band with his peers. Its been ages since the song came out but even now when I listen to the song or play it on the guitar, my heart starts beating faster and the hair on my neck stands up in nervous excitement.

The song is one of Bryan Adams' best. Honest and youthful, the music is subtle, Adams' voice charming and the lyrics, amazing. So, what is so enchanting about bleeding fingers? Same as Rafael Nadal or Tiger Woods practicing for 14 hours a day or Rahul Dravid and Michael Jordan pushing themselves beyond human capabilities.

If you have seen artists, athletes or musicians transcend into godliness when at their best, you will cheer for them and look upto them. But few people realise the practice, sweat and at times, blood behind those super-natural abilities. As someone said, Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. If you have ever seen a Jimmy Hendrix or a Tony Iommi play (Infact, Iommi lacks two fingertips on his fretting hand) you will realise that no matter how hard the composition, they play it effortlessly.

That is because behind that calm, perfectly-poised exterior, there exists endless hours and sleepless nights of practice. Practice so intense and so meditative, that fingers bleed. But why do bleeding fingers elevate mortals like us?

That is because no matter how hard we try to believe that those artists or athletes are born with those capabilities, we know deep inside that we can do it too. We, too, can rise from being mere mortals to god-like fingers. And for that, we need to sweat out, bend down and make our mind and body scream out of pain. Go through the penance which would eventually enlighten us and make us gods. That is the path to the higher truth. To bliss. To moksha.

And for that, we need to pass through torn tissues, exhausted spirits and bleeding fingers.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Musing On

Well, I'm a huge music-geek(if there's such a word). I mean, I'm not really good at singing and playing music(infact, I'm pathetic), but trust me folks, I have a great ear for music. I can make out good music from the not-so-good. And, I'm a huge listener of all kinds of music(atleast of all the kinds I know).

I listen to Carnatic, Hindustani, Filmy, Ghazals, Sufi, Rock, Pop etcetera. I mean, I don't care what's the music being played as long as I'm pleased with it. I listen to all the genres but only to the very-good. Anyways, this interest and Farhan's stint in Rock On, convinced me into learning to play the guitar. Yeah, I admit I also did it for the really cool look of playing the guitar, but hey, I also like playing it.

*Flashback*-Around 8 years ago, I was made to learn the keyboard, which turned out to be disastrous. I was neither a prodigy nor interested. And as you already must have realised from my previous posts, I consider myself to be a bit of a genius and like doing only those things which I think I'm born for. Anyways, for more information on this problem, please consult the "Alter Ego" section ;).

So, now, why so suddenly for the guitar and not for anything else. As I already mentioned earlier, I love the look of it. But to be honest, I'd have preferred learning vocal but I'm disgusted with my singing abilities(honestly, once in school I sang Vande Mataram in a wrong tune...Vande Mataram for God's sake)and learning a guitar is far more easier and a faster process.

I dream about it for months altogether and finally go and talk to an institute in DSNR. I don't really like the guy(and his galactic fee!) and so decide to go to this place called 'Melowings', in Nallakunta. Kruthi and Kishore are going with me(for obvious reasons ;)) and I joined classes on 16th dec, '08. So far, so good.

The lessons are pretty easy and I actually, for the first time in my life, am making an effort to learn something(I pat myself :D). A true effort. I'm not good as either of 'em, so it needs harder work on my part to keep going which I actually am. Feels good to be trying to achieve something. The sweetness of sweat(not literally! :O).

Anyways, here I go, playing Twinkle Twinkle, How can I leave thee?(that incidentally is the name of the tune). So, hold on folks, The Guitarist of Hyderabad(no reference to The Pied Piper of Hamelin :P) is in the making...