Improvs, Jamming and Being Spontaneous

There are a lot of people who are of the mindset that if music isn't written out (or at least all PLANNED out) then you are just going to be noodling around for your own (as the musician) amusement. While sometimes this IS indeed true, a lot of the best ideas can just come forth from the ether at the spur of the moment on a wing and a prayer.

I LOVE jamming -- I am guilty of extending solos on more than one occasion a bit longer than they might NEED to be extended, but I'm ok with it.

I play guitar because I enjoy the instrument-- I like the noises that come out of it and I like the fact that you have the options of rhythm, harmony and melody in one great compact package -- sure, everyone and their grandmother play, or have known someone who played guitar; but its too late for me - I LIKE feedback, I get a warm fuzzy feeling from well executed arpeggios and I like adventures in music ala Hendrix, Zappa, and Jimmy Page.

These are the guys I grew up listening to and they were my idols -- Edward Van Halen and Randy Rhoads were right up there as well with the advent of 2 handed tapping and this was all before I discovered guitar 'virtuoso music' rock instrumentals from the late 80's, early 90's.

What is the future of guitar music is a fair question these days, as musical tastes have changed dramatically and everything has been homogenized down to the lowest common denominator which, believe it or not, sounds uncannily like the latest Justin Bieber tune. (which I am proud to say I have avoided like the plague as of the date of this posting.)

While this MIGHT be one of the final signs of the apocalypse (and I will be there to take advantage of it all when it DOES come!) I'd rather see a higher level of musical risk-taking -- the only way to make something that is worth making is to take chances.

LOTs of chances, and risk looking BAD occasionally... 

Yes, it's true -- you WILL fail to achieve exactly what you are setting out to do more often than you will succeed... thats why success is so great -- BUT you need to EARN it by paying your dues (Which, surprise surprise, turn out to be failures)

Don't let a fear of trying something new keep you down -- or maybe trying something new means going back to an old idea or era of music that you dug from way back when. Explore things and don't let yourself feel  embarrassed about it -- the worst thing you can do is sit around wondering if people will like this or that -- If you do that, you have my guarantee that you won't make ANYthing interesting or worth listening to... EVER.