A maverick feels like he has no choice however difficult his choice of expression. In my case, it was going backwards into tonality. It seemed so wrong. The idea that progress is going into the past in a new way is very strange, even though there are precedents.
David Del Tredici

Inspired by my son, as well as a few friends of mine, I have finally decided to write all my music in notation instead of tab. I will still use tab for quick fingering reference, but my goal is to be able to write and read the language as well as I can speak it. The part that seems to be hardest for me is the rhythmic notation; I really struggle with it. With time though, that should change.

I guess the biggest thought this has given me is Why didn’t you do this before? I don’t really have a good answer for that. Some part of me feels like being poetic about how I wanted to ensure that I was different than others, but no great orator arose from illiteracy, so why would I expect greatness if I wasn’t versed and educated as well as I could be?

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.
Alan Cohen

In truth, I was lazy

Maybe not all lazy, since I didn’t start with the thought of playing forever, but as soon as I knew it was going to be with me forever I should have made sure my foundation was strong. Regret is meaningless though, so I move on.

One good thing is I know the instrument so well, it is very easy for me to associate the note with the fret. Give me two years and I think I will be a passable sightreader, which is cool because I would like to be able to show up and play with other artists. What better way to facilitate that than to be able to read music well? Nobody would enjoy a debate between two people that spoke different languages.

The whole world loves a maverick and the whole world wants the maverick to achieve something nobler than simple rebellion.
Kevin Patterson

Finding the line

The place I want to inhabit is somewhere in between icon and iconoclast. Not well known and not completely unknown. Not Earth-shattering and not inconsequential. I want to reach people, I want to make a difference to a select group. Perhaps this is modesty, but really it is just being honest with myself: My music is not going to have a mass appeal.

And in the end, I am going to be fine with that. It is who I am, and I will not change who I am for money, fame or even free guitars.

 

I like someone who embraces life; who wants to be on a long journey but has no particular plan or destination in mind. An adventurous man, open to the concept of living life in the moment.
Jill Hennessy

In case you are interested

Here is a pdf that I use to write down my music. Perhaps you can find interest in it. The top line is for lyrics, then there is a treble and bass clef followed by a drum clef. After that is a tab grid for guitar and 5 string bass.

Music Notation Paper by Jeremy Ryan Palmer

 

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