Hey man,finally got a chance to check your website.Real cool stuff on there.I think it is real cool of you to put this site on there.I am sure it wiil bring somemore players here.I found something on your site really interesting,when you said, learning how to put runs between melody notes.That where i am at now,trying to learn that sort of things.I think as a guitar player,learning new styles,keep things interesting.Right now, this type of playing do not seem easy,but i will get it.I will not stop until i do.They told Jordan,he would never be a ball player,they was some -what wrong.You come off strong,and you can for sure back it up.You know sometimes GOD wants us to be BOLD.This is the type of playing i am talking about.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=x9T4Nmr356g&feature=related
Hi thanks Rown, for you kind words.
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My thoughts About Being Bold and playing guitar )
The reason I am bold is very simple, in the church world people take a very laid back approch to life.
No body wants to rock the boat so to speak.
The trouble with that is this......if you're a great guitar player, but you're new in a church , then people think you must first work your way up through that church for 5 or 10 years before you can get a chance to even play your guitar.
The reason is simple, they most likely have a guitar player who's a friend of the pastor or ect....and most times that guitar player can barely play a few chords and that's it....that is sad.
I do understand a pastor wanting to get to know someone before they play in church, but the time lines are just way to long for me........most churches will wait a year before they ask you what your life is about?
Thetrouble we have today in the church world is the opposite of the real world.
In the real world when you have a football team , you do not make the first team all-American sit on the bench , while the 3rd stringers play the game.
I have seen this over and over again in churches, I've seen the best musicians,warming the bench,people who can play circles around others, yet there they sit , just warming the benches...waiting thier turn which may never come.
It's a very sad thing when pastors do that to born again believers who give their all with music and the serve the Lord.
I have also noticed if a great musicain is in a church, people are scared to have him join the church band.
They think that person is going to out perform them.Or show them up. They talk behind people's back saying we just can't have this person in our group...he or she will make us look bad.
How do I know this, because I have heard people talk.......lets face it we all have.
I have even had it happen to me.
When it happened to me , I had was on radio, my songs got play time, i was doing interviews and had my own radio program also.....and still it happened to me.
I 've seen this same church take a piano player and sit her on the bench also. And she has greatness in her, instead they used a 15 year old kid who could hardly play piano, while this lady near 50, had toured the country and played in groups for years.
The reason why, because she could play better than the pastors wife. Who also played piano in church.
Many churches are family run....The Pastor, and their sons preach, maybe also do the music program for praise and worship.
It's sad but they just close doors on people. So they don't look bad.
I found the best way around this is to create my own ministry, and not worry about others, to walk down a different path, then I can play in churches, and not worry about Pastors and their programs, and who you have to impress.
The Lord doesn't need for us to impress others........but we should be bold enough to step out and be counted as a person that God has picked to serve him.
Now I know many of you will think I am wrong.
Well a few years ago after a band of mine decided they wanted to take a break for a year, we all went our seperate ways.
So the church music director ask me to play in the church band.
He told me , hey Jordan you do understand that you play to good on guitar, so the pastor asked me to tell you if you join the band, to go ahead and throw a few mistakes in very know and then, so people don't get upset.
Otherwise you will not be allowed to play with our group.
I told the music director, thanks but no, I am not interested, and the Lord would not want me to make mistakes, God asks us to do our best.
I decided years ago, to go it alone, or with a band, that way I can play at a church and do the ministry for the Lord and move on
and play from church to church.
I have to say, if you're going to play, then play bold, if your going to sing, then sing bold,give it all you got from your heart.
It seems peopleare scared to make mistakes, it's being scared that hold you back.
When you can let go, and just play, and sing, and enjoy what you do,without the stress or worry of people watching you.
Then you can play anything infront of anyone.
I'll tell you this, I learned a secret many years ago, if you want to play you're best in front of people, then go to the center of the stage..........there you are your strongest. There you are the most bold....there is no where to hide, so you must go for it, and do your best.
If you can do that........you can do anything on a guitar.
I use to have a saying....Make It, or break it.....meaning go 100 Percent all out, give it all you got, if you do you will not make mistakes, but if you worry.........then your stressed and mistakes will happen.
So go out and have fun...enjoy, be a cheerful giver of the talents God gives you.
Play like you do at home.........make the stage your home. Invite people into your life into your home, while on the stage.
In other words any where I take my guitar and play is home.
Learn to control the mood in the church, by knowing the movement of the Holy Spirit, I feel the Lord will let me know how a concert will go before, I show up, the order of the songs and ect.
What I am saying is I do Gospel Concerts, with the moving of the Lord.
Many times I can feel him when I sing,sometimes I found myself singing beyond what I thought humanly possible.
The Lord can take you there, just trust him.
Well I better get some sleep.
Thanks Jordan Rivers
http://jordanriversguitarforum.blogspot.com/P.S. Keep learning Rowan, study, leads,melodies,scales,and chord voicings up the full neck.Aim for that.
you'll get there one day, also try to push yourself past those sticking area's.
It will come, it just takes time.
I find the the best way for most people to learn guitar, is to write music, and than create your own leads for your songs.
It teaches you better how music works and the theory behind music.
You'll have more convidence. Maybe you can even get a few copyrights and get a song published, they are nice goals to aim for.
