A meditative chant, whispered in the mind, that is so perfectly resonant that it finds your inner soul and allows it to take wings and fly.
I have been in three music bands in my life. Soft Ground, The XCerts and Team 23.
My first role in Soft Ground was as a guitarist (6 string) rhythm player. I sang covers of songs and then began writing songs. Once chords are learned or written? You then sing with them alongside a rhythmic groove. It is a lovely holistic synergy.
The XCerts were a 3 piece band. All songs were written by ourselves. I played Bass Guitar. Punk pop with a pounding melodic bass pattern. Again you form the words and tune to fit within the riff patterns of the bass. Once again, singing within a rhythmic groove. It becomes lovely holistic synergy too. As a 3 piece band you have to create a fullness. It comes from twin voices weaving in and out of the melodies from both verse, chorus and middle 8 sections.
The Team 23 was different in that I only sang harmonies in choruses mainly. There was a lead singer. I simply played the patterns of bass riffs and was left to explore. It was a ‘Soul Music’ sound (Stax/Atlantic/Tamla Motown/Northern Soul) influences. I contributed both my own self written songs and also worked-in parts and tunes/melodies to others’ songs. Again a holistic synergy that was comfortable.
Recently, The XCerts were asked to reform. So a process of revisit seemed a simple relearning exercise.
When I recently wrote the ‘Meditative Chant’ sentence above, the relearning process was up and running. The phrase was, most likely, a subliminal thought which became poignant. It was a bubbling emotion affecting my mood. Part of the process of performing these relearning actions? Trying to find balance that found a positive, not negative, affect on my life. There are certain differences and challenges to the past musician you were and current musical abilities. Music had to become that inner comfortable chant. Whispering away in your inner psyche. How I write nowadays? Feeling the lyrical emotions and beliefs to sing with deeper honesty. Older age brings us our own different life and emotional values. And abilities too. How I wrote and who I was then? I have no idea. No visual memory ability is cruel in reality. It was another person that existed and I can no longer recognise him in reality.
Firstly:
The key changes needed. Your voice changes over decades. A song written in A becomes more accessible in a lower G. Sometimes a few notes lower and played in E. New bass pattern learning, not old!
Secondly:
Lyrics need to change because they are now outdated. You aren’t a teenager with those emotions any more. You do not view social or political views in the same way. It makes you realise that todays world is a very, very different ball game. You cannot sing inappropriate lyrics, such as The Beatles sang, ‘She was just 17’. Or going down the pub and getting bladdered. The latter simply has uncomfortable ambience. Songs we wrote weren’t observations of others. They spoke of our own experiences. Now, as a 67 year old, there is no longer a ‘punk era’ rage or the whimsy of singing about future hopes. I suppose my lyrics were never timeless or Universal.
Analysis is required really in each song. I’m no longer a musician in a Velvet Suit with no fixed abode and playing gigs until 3 in the morning. So I can still sing the lyrics to certain situations that occurred in particular time frames. But…..With the need of some small up to date word changes.
Yesterday I found myself playing a self written song from the Team 23 days. One that I never sang myself. Sang the chorus and when I played the bass riff yesterday, could easily channel vocals alongside the chorus again. It was when starting to sing the verses it all fell apart. The bass and vocal were opposites. I kept mucking up on both words sung and notes played. I changed the bass dynamic and the vocal married well. The song changed though. It’s soul ‘bounce’ became more straight soul riff driven. I can get our guitarist to sing the main verse and keep the soul bounce. But the key of the song may not suit his voice! It doesn’t really suit my current range either to be honest! Positive? I like the straighter riff dynamic. Always find a positive.
Anyways. A little insight into little dilemmas. Lightweight dilemmas in the grand scheme of things. But still little dilemmas nonetheless.
Gray Summers 