What are y' all working on?

[Sevendaymelee]

I'm currently working on a novel. Only got about 500 words down today, but hey... it's the constancy that gets you there. With music, I'm currently trying to get better at finger picking. I can strum with and without a pick like nobodies business, but I have always ignored the more feminine side of the instrument. Not anymore.

Edited May 27, 2021 by Sevendaymelee

[E-minor7]

2 hours ago, Sevendaymelee said:

, , , , but I have always ignored the more feminine side of the instrument. Not anymore.

It can be okay to sometimes forget about the back, but don't you ever overlook those curvy sides. .  

[Sgt. Pepper]

3 hours ago, Sevendaymelee said:

I'm currently working on a novel. Only got about 500 words down today, but hey... it's the constancy that gets you there. With music, I'm currently trying to get better at finger picking. I can strum with and without a pick like nobodies business, but I have always ignored the more feminine side of the instrument. Not anymore.

Since when does fingerpicking have a gender?

[Sevendaymelee]

23 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Since when does fingerpicking have a gender?

Is feminine a gender now? lol

[E-minor7]

8 hours ago, Sevendaymelee said:

Is feminine a gender now? lol

Is the term allowed at all ?

[Sevendaymelee]

12 hours ago, E-minor7 said:

Is the term allowed at all ?

What term? Feminine? Why wouldn't it be? According to Siri. feminine is defined as: having qualities or an appearance traditionally associated with women, especially delicacy and prettiness." 

What better way to describe fingerpicking on a guitar? It's both delicate and pretty. It certainly takes a soft, precise touch to do it right. Even more so when you're trying to play something like Dust in the Wind etc. 

Now compare that to something like Smells Like Teen Spirt or Creeping Death. Nothing delicate or pretty about that. It's akin to guitar warfare. So for that, I would call it masculine. Which, again, according to Siri, is denied as (ironically enough): having qualities or appearance traditionally associated with men, especially strength and aggressiveness.

Edited May 28, 2021 by Sevendaymelee

[E-minor7]

3 hours ago, Sevendaymelee said:

What term? Feminine? Why wouldn't it be? According to Siri. feminine is defined as: having qualities or an appearance traditionally associated with women, especially delicacy and prettiness." 

What better way to describe fingerpicking on a guitar? It's both delicate and pretty. It certainly takes a soft, precise touch to do it right. Even more so when you're trying to play something like Dust in the Wind etc. 

Now compare that to something like Smells Like Teen Spirt or Creeping Death. Nothing delicate or pretty about that. It's akin to guitar warfare. So for that, I would call it masculine. Which, again, according to Siri, is denied as (ironically enough): having qualities or appearance traditionally associated with men, especially strength and aggressiveness.

My Q could have needed a tongue-in-cheek-emoji. I too have now and again used the fem/masc-label/metaphor on these pages - but typically regarding various guitars.                                                      Hummingbirds fx are to my ears pretty 'feminine' creatures. Wouldn't say that about an Advanced Jumbo or a D-28. And some 45s are more feminine than others. .                                                                                           

               But this is of course clichéish therefor trap-filled territory - it shall not be over-done/overinterpreted. Some readers may be offended then turn it into a minefield. 

Besides it quickly gets absurd :                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Are steel-string acoustics more masc than nylons. Is the thin E more feminine than the fat ditto, , , or is it the other way around. Will a red capo work on a blues-tune. . 

[Sevendaymelee]

49 minutes ago, E-minor7 said:

My Q could have needed a tongue-in-cheek-emoji. I too have now and again used the fem/masc-label/metaphor on these pages - but typically regarding various guitars.                                                      Hummingbirds fx are to my ears pretty 'feminine' creatures. Wouldn't say that about an Advanced Jumbo or a D-28. And some 45s are more feminine than others. .                                                                                           

               But this is of course clichéish therefor trap-filled territory - it shall not be over-done/overinterpreted. Some readers may be offended then turn it into a minefield. 

Besides it quickly gets absurd :                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Are steel-string acoustics more masc than nylons. Is the thin E more feminine than the fat ditto, , , or is it the other way around. Will a red capo work on a blues-tune. . 

People get too bent out of shape over everything online. It's ridiculous lol.

[QuestionMark]

It’s not that it’s ridiculous.  It’s that your description of feminine relating to fingerpicking... it’s just purely inaccurate.  How can Mark Knofler’s fingerpicking on any Dire Straits song or solo effort be considered feminine.  Or Earl Scrugg’s fingerpicking on his 5 string banjo for that matter? Or, John Lennon’s on Dear Prudence or Paul McCartney’s on Blackbird?  Or George Harrison’s on a number of songs? Or, Segovia’s on anything he played?   Or, Lindsey Buckingham’s fingerpicking on any of his or Fleetwood Mac songs?   Or Tommy Emmanuel melodic rhythmic approach to nearly every instrumental he does?  
 

Its just an inaccurate description.    Now, if you wanted to describe fingerpicking as nuanced or skillful or skilled  or well coordinated or intricate or melodic or simultaneously playing an alternating bass line and a melody..those descriptions make sense and would get no challenge because they are accurate descriptions.   That’s why the response.   Words matter.
 

My two cents.

 

QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff
 

 

Edited May 29, 2021 by QuestionMark

[Sevendaymelee]

34 minutes ago, QuestionMark said:

It’s not that it’s ridiculous.  It’s that your description of feminine relating to fingerpicking... it’s just purely inaccurate.  How can Mark Knofler’s fingerpicking on any Dire Straits song or solo effort be considered feminine.  Or Earl Scrugg’s fingerpicking on his 5 string banjo for that matter? Or, John Lennon’s on Dear Prudence or Paul McCartney’s on Blackbird?  
 

 

I would most certainly describe Dear Prudence and Blackbird as delicate and pretty. But if you disagreed and said those songs were aggressive and in-your-face, I wouldn't be offended nor care. Who cares about what adjective a person uses to describe a playing style or song? Is that something worth dying on a hill over? I personally don't think so. I would have to reevaluate my priorities if something like that offended me.

Edited May 29, 2021 by Sevendaymelee

[QuestionMark]

19 minutes ago, Sevendaymelee said:

I would most certainly describe Dear Prudence and Blackbird as delicate and pretty. But if you disagreed and said those songs were aggressive and in-your-face, I wouldn't be offended nor care. Who cares about what adjective a person uses to describe a playing style or song? Is that something worth dying on a hill over? I personally don't think so. I would have to reevaluate my priorities if something like that offended me.

It’s not being offended.  It’s being descriptive with words.  
 

BTW.  I noticed you didn’t respond to the six other described fingerpicking examples.  Mark Knofler, Earl Scruggs, Lindsey Buckingham, etc.    No reply to those speaks volumes.    It also speaks volumes that you didn’t mention Dear Prudence has an eastern Indian riff in its fingerpicking or how well the fingerpicking riff in Blackbird counter compliments the main melody.   Musical descriptions.   I also noticed you used the terms delicate and pretty rather than feminine in your description of the two pieces you addressed.  That’s a bit of a better description. (Although, I wouldn’t describe the fingerpicking on Dear Prudence or Blackbird as delicate.  Delicate to me would better describe the gentle attack approach on the interesting counter guitar line in Long Long Long on the same album, but we can agree to disagree in that one.  And, of course, pretty is subjective.)

 

QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

[Sevendaymelee]

3 hours ago, QuestionMark said:

It’s not being offended.  It’s being descriptive with words.  
 

BTW.  I noticed you didn’t respond to the six other described fingerpicking examples.  Mark Knofler, Earl Scruggs, Lindsey Buckingham, etc.    No reply to those speaks volumes.    It also speaks volumes that you didn’t mention Dear Prudence has an eastern Indian riff in its fingerpicking or how well the fingerpicking riff in Blackbird counter compliments the main melody.   Musical descriptions.   I also noticed you used the terms delicate and pretty rather than feminine in your description of the two pieces you addressed.  That’s a bit of a better description. (Although, I wouldn’t describe the fingerpicking on Dear Prudence or Blackbird as delicate.  Delicate to me would better describe the gentle attack approach on the interesting counter guitar line in Long Long Long on the same album, but we can agree to disagree in that one.  And, of course, pretty is subjective.)

 

QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

I've never heard any of those examples. I replied to the ones I have heard. Although there is no fingering on earth that I would describe as masculine, or aggressive. When I think of aggressive guitar, I think of songs like Creeping Death and Whole Lotta Rosie. Humbuckers, electric guitars, Marshal half stacks cranked to eleven. That sort of thing.

But again, who cares? Call whatever you want whatever you want. I don't mind.

Edited May 29, 2021 by Sevendaymelee

[Sgt. Pepper]

On 5/27/2021 at 10:53 PM, Sevendaymelee said:

Is feminine a gender now? lol

Feminine usually means something that has to with females, but today all bets are off. Bruce Jenner is a whatever now.