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Old 01-31-2017, 06:37 AM
Silvereagles Silvereagles is offline
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Default Playing song that dont fits your in mind image

looking from the outside I feel I always needed to be that rough and tough guy so to speak. I'm not but that is the image I feel I portray. When I play and sing I feel a lot of the stuff I like to play is on the softer side of music like John Denver to name one of many, but you get the picture I hope

My comment is does anyone else struggle with this? I sure there are, I feel I'm making headway, but struggle with song choices. I feel I really cater to playing for my Wife and this is ok, but want to play in front of others and I want to move past the self mind image thing and come out of the closet so to speak......

I think its so bad, I've been playing for 5 /12 years and my own Mother still doesn't know I play. Now I haven't lived with her for 32 years so unless I told her she wouldn't know.....

Dennis
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Old 01-31-2017, 06:56 AM
The Bard Rocks The Bard Rocks is offline
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Default inside/outside

I don't know you well enough to give good advice, but using what you have said here, here's a thought: a "tough guy" singing gentler songs will make a listener think, "Wow, there's more to this guy than I thought!"
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Old 01-31-2017, 07:09 AM
Finger Stylish Finger Stylish is offline
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Words can be trickery at times. Trying to cater to an image can be even more trickerier.
Let the song be the story.
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Old 01-31-2017, 07:29 AM
crikey crikey is offline
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Life is short. Come out of the closet and be true to yourself. **** the torpedoes.
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Old 01-31-2017, 07:52 AM
Woodstock School Of Music Woodstock School Of Music is offline
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I can relate to what you're saying. I would venture a guess that the people you grew up with or your current circle of friends listen to "tough guy music"?

crikey had some great advice
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Old 01-31-2017, 08:08 AM
Rosewood99 Rosewood99 is offline
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What exactly is tough guy music?
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Old 01-31-2017, 08:18 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paulzoom View Post
What exactly is tough guy music?
Simon and Garfunkle

I can't help the OP but it sounds like he is fighting a self imposed image of what he thinks he is supposed to be.

Tough guys cry, tough guys like love songs, tough guys have the same emotions as anyone else and I have found most tough guys are not very tough at all.

Feel it, sing it. All will be fine.
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Old 01-31-2017, 08:22 AM
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Just play the music you enjoy. Stop thinking about everything else.....and tell your mother. She wants to know.
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Old 01-31-2017, 08:24 AM
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Originally Posted by PastorSteve View Post
Just play the music you enjoy. Stop thinking about everything else.....and tell your mother. She wants to know.
Yes, tell your Mother, she deserves to know you play John Denver songs. I bet she would like to hear one.
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Old 01-31-2017, 08:27 AM
jim777 jim777 is offline
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I would play a lot more John Denver if I had that range.. "to the place, I BELOOOOOOOOONG...West Virginia..." Only in my dreams do I hit and hold those notes LOL
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Old 01-31-2017, 08:28 AM
Woodstock School Of Music Woodstock School Of Music is offline
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Originally Posted by jim777 View Post
I would play a lot more John Denver if I had that range.. "to the place, I BELOOOOOOOOONG...West Virginia..." Only in my dreams do I hit and hold those notes LOL
Try it in the key of G
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Old 01-31-2017, 08:36 AM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is offline
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At one time, I scrapped all love songs from my repertoire.

It occurred to me that as a fat middle aged chap, singing love songs seemed inappropriate.

Then, one day at a bluegrass workshop, I was approached by a beautiful German woman who grabbed me (literally) and declared "I vant you to be in my bandt" (Scratch bands for the last night concert were encouraged - and my favourite part of the week).

She was big on Hank Williams songs and "vonted" me to sing in close harmony with her. I said that I'm too old and ugly to sing such songs any more.

A big strong smack of a kiss told me that I was mistaken. I did as bid.

I sing songs about being in prison (Ninety nine years) and other such experiences totally foreign to me, but a song is a story...any story ..and can be well told if told with empathy and commitment.
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Old 01-31-2017, 08:37 AM
roylor4 roylor4 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SFCRetired View Post
Simon and Garfunkle

I can't help the OP but it sounds like he is fighting a self imposed image of what he thinks he is supposed to be.

Tough guys cry, tough guys like love songs, tough guys have the same emotions as anyone else and I have found most tough guys are not very tough at all.

Feel it, sing it. All will be fine.
I agree, ain't nothing to struggle with, IMO. If someone was trying to hurt my wife or dogs, 20+ years of training in martial arts would speak for itself.

If I see videos about dogs being mistreated or something that reminds me of a long-gone but much loved family member, I will cry like it's being filmed for a soap opera.

Every person is a mixture of tough & soft, Yin & Yang. I have simply had my butt kicked enough (and kicked many others) enough to know that I'm tough enough to survive hardship and move on.

Let go of your self image, be yourself - your TRUE self. There's nothing wrong with crying and having feelings or playing soft and emotional songs. As suggested, sing these tunes to someone you care about that doesn't know you play, they will enjoy it on many levels.
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Old 01-31-2017, 08:40 AM
Long Jon Long Jon is offline
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My problem in this area is what you might call "miserable" songs.
I'm a happy go lucky kind of guy and I really enjoy comedy , but I really hate "comic" songs, which are generally too laboured and excruciatingly unfunny.

I loves me a bit of Townes Van Zandt , Neil, Bob , Lowell George, mournful country blues stuff, songs of betrayal, heartbreak and death are my favourites.

I only strut my stuff (and my fake American accent) in public at O/Ms, very occasionally, but struggle to find many "cheerful" songs in my miserable repertoire .
I prolly need to work up a few.
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Old 01-31-2017, 08:43 AM
Irish Pennant Irish Pennant is offline
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There's never been a song written that fits my minds image of myself, so it's not a problem to play something other.

My wife on the other hand has an image of me and comments how the music I play is so different from the persona that I project. Yea whatever, I just play the music I like.
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