The One I Lost

I have been blessed occasionally with those 'out-of-body' experiences. The ones where your soul goes to some kind of candyland, and creative juices are rampantly falling off all the flora and into your mind.

But, sometimes, it can feel like a curse because I'll be almost asleep, or I'll wake up out of a dream with the most amazing lyrical melody(ies). Of course, at the time it's amazing. Sometimes I go back and think...what the hell. that sucks...

Anyway, my favorite/worst experiences are when I have a dream and I hear the music, it associates with the dream.

This song was originally just a Honky Tonk idea, but I thought I would add a nice twist.

Maybe you've seen it before, but hopefully, it gets a reaction.

The One I Lost

Well, you told me to go, but at night I linger
Hanging around your door wailing and moaning

Well, I can’t let you go until you show me
Tell me you loved me babe and I’ll move on

It’s so hard babe, you want me to stay away now
But I wish you knew the pros would outweigh the cost
It ain’t right girl, now you cry for me nightly
Gripping my picture, wiping tears, crying, ‘You’re the one I lost!’

Do you even see why can’t you listen
I’m standing here, but still you choose to ignore

You walk into the room, sometimes with a startle
You stare at me as if I shouldn’t be there

It’s just hurtful, you treating me like a stranger
But, won’t you ever see I’m still the same guy
It ain’t right girl Now you seem to be worried
Gripping your cross praying that I’ll see the light

Sometimes at night Honey, you shiver
Even though you are wrapped in my arms

There are so many blankets piled up on you
Still you never seem to get warm

It’s just so strange that apart we seem to be alright
Together we’re on a windy road that’s unpaved
It ain’t right girl if I’m around well, I drain you
I’m hanging to thoughts that we can still be saved

Now your walking down the road so I guess I’ll follow
Down a road that seems familiar to me

With some flowers in your hand you walk to the graveyard
I didn’t think we knew anybody there

You sit & place white tulips on a marker
I don’t understand, there reads my name…

Solo Break

It ain’t right girl you’re sitting at my tombstone
Gripping your tissue wiping tears crying, ‘You’re the one I lost!’

Now I wrap my arms around you so gently
You smile and close your eyes and sprout a tear
I kiss your cheek and whisper that I’m going
Beyond the veil but still I’ll always be here

Your thoughts?

First Blood

Hey! Hey!

Nick here. I thought I would start a new blog that pertains to mainly music related things. I'll try my best not to be too _snarky, but I already have two or three ideas that have gotten me into an argument with people here and there...

Anyway, since most of you early readers of this know about me, I'll skip the intro and just jump right into the first topic:

BANJO!

Brief history

Skipping all the origin theories, let's begin with the early American banjo, which was similar to the predecessors in Africa and Asia in that it was some kind of gourd covered with animal hide attached to a wooden stick neck that was strung with a varying amount of strings. It is said that the American banjo began predominantly as an instrument used by slaves, and thus the idea was brought over from Africa around that time.

In the 1830s, Joel Walker Sweeney, developed and began playing a 5-string version associated with what we've come to know and 'love'. Sweeney used a drum-like sound box instead of a gourd, and used 4 string, along with a 5th 'drone/resonator' string. Tunings and modifications have been used and made to fit everyone's specs and today we have what we have. Anyway, there are tons more details to be given, but either look it up, or contact me directly and I'll be happy to share with you whatever I know and you quest for.

On to glorious me!

I picked up the banjo in September 2011, as a birthday gift to myself. It was Nick tested and wife approved, and kicks have been had ever since(get it?)

I originally despised picks, and began my early days playing a sort of
Old-Time/Scruggs three-finger style as well as learning an older style of
banjo called Clawhammer - 

         '...and I know that sounds like a Kama Sutra position, but I can 
          assure you it's not' - Steve Martin

Clawhammer is a pretty, softer type of Old-Time music in which you ball up 
your hand, extend your thumb and hit down on the strings instead of plucking 
up.

Soon, however, I was driven to force myself off the couch, out of the house and to begin making music with others. So, I joined a band and decided after taking a lesson that I would need to 'pick' up some picks. Now I'm louder, and much to the bemusement of my wife, Kelly, I am much better and faster.

Currently I play banjo for Patrick's Beard & The Rusty Razors. We play a rough, dark, foot stomping Country & Bluegrass blend of music. We also incorporate a few covers here and there...anywhere from The Band, Old And In The Way, and Hank Williams to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Corrosion of Conformity.

I am also talking to two other groups about joining in their musical entourages, but it seems that Patrick was the only one serious about banding so far...so, we'll see.

Now, the thing about the banjo...can be summed up in this stupid picture right here.

I can't decide whether I hate whoever did this or not. I personally feel like I chose an instrument that is challenged by the mainstream, and is looked down upon as being an instrument for degenerate hillbillies. That is, Unless you're a sweet little indie band trying to be different. Then you have haters from the elitist side of the coin saying that, 'oh you're just trying too hard with an instrument that takes little practice to play.' (Trust me, I'm on a strict diet of haterade myself. So, I know people say these things) ;)

The point is, people don't care about the banjo, but do care about cute little indie girls playing some chords on the ukelele. For example, Bon Iver's Skinny Love has only 16 million, while Birdy's 'cover' has over 27 million. What the hell.

Oh, hey have you heard Rufus Wainright's brilliant song, Hallelujah? He's an unintentional realistic-intellectual-pontifical, omniscient-flawless-fantastic artist.

So, back to the limbo thing.

I'm between this -

And this -

Oh, and speaking of which - (Just in case you didn't know, now you do!)

...understad too that there's the fact that I'm doubly caught in limbo since I'm between a dude who has a gigantic beard, and a 'cute', 'adorable' fiddle player.

The banjo player just becomes filler sometimes...which only means I have to work harder. Good, maybe that's what I need to do.

I digress. Mainly, it would seem that only the like of Zooey Deschanel digs the banjo.

Now, I know some are fuming, or rolling your eyes and saying 'shut up already, Nick.' So, let's just put it this way.

What would you rather listen to?

This? -

Or this? -

Me? I'll choose this every time -

OK, idiotic, soap box, pointless rant over!

The Banjo

Basically you have four strings that get fretted, and then you have a resonator that is tuned higher than the rest that you don't fret.

The banjo is tuned to a major G/A chord, with the resonator being tuned to a high root note.

I have been playing guitar since 1997, so picking up the banjo was easy in a way. The main difference is to get used to the different tuning, as well as using the Scruggs style fingerpicking method. With that being said, speed is not a concern, but getting there is. There are nights where all I do is play something slow, and gradually add tempo until I get to a breaking point. Then I'll play it some more. No big deal...

Scales are slowly making there way into the practices, an I'm beginning to have the individual notes of the fretboard memorized, which is obviously key in being able to come up with leads/solos/fills/MUSIC!

I'm pretty proud of my accomplishments in the time that I've been playing, but I think I need to push harder. I mean we all know ho to get to Carnegie Hall right? I'd like to set a goal for myself. In 5 years, I'd like to have my own album out, and be able to use music to fund part of my life.

What can I say, I've been bit by the banjo bug. I love it, I hate it, no I love it.

Thanks for reading to the end, I love you.