We Work Hard for a Glimpse of GOD

2010-02-11T14:20:00.000-08:00

I’ve had a guitar in my hand since I was four. When I was twelve, I was over at my uncle’s house and discovered he had a snare drum and a cymbal. That was it……I was hooked. I begged my dad to get one and he got me a snare and one cymbal. It was enough to get me started and I soon added cardboard boxes to the mix so I could have a few toms. It wasn’t long after that I convinced my dad to buy me a full drum kit. It was a used, red sparkly tama kit that kind of sucked, but I didn’t know any better and I was in heaven anyway. We had a jukebox in our basement at the time and I started playing along to as many records as I could.

When I was thirteen, a friend of mine introduced me to RUSH; the Moving Pictures album and after listening to that album for a month straight I decided I needed lessons and started studying at the local college on weekends. I studied drums seriously for about five straight years and in the midst of that I began taking guitar lessons, bass lessons, singing lessons & piano lessons. I couldn’t get enough of it; it filled a void in my soul that is still filled to this day.

At around fifteen I started playing in rock bands with dreams of money and fame. The money and fame haven’t come (yet), but playing in a band with other good players provides something fame and money can never equal; a glimpse into GOD.

There are those rare times while playing in a band when everything is just right; the playing is relaxed and flowing, everyone’s energy is on the same page, the sounds are great and the groove just can’t be stopped. It is during those times when you lose yourself completely to the music. As an individual you longer exist, it is a higher energy that you are tapping into that flows right through you; you are one with the universe and nothing else exists at that moment. In Yoga terms, it would be best described as a Kundalini experience. It is a rare and amazing experience that I find difficult to describe in words.

I've been playing music now for over thirty years. The work can sometimes be hard, with roadblocks in the way to success, but once you define success as a spiritual one, trying to get a glimpse into GOD (the universe), those difficult times become much easier to manage.

Dougie Thomson

2009-12-03T04:18:00.000-08:00

While my mp3 player was in shuffle mode last night, some early Supertramp came on. I've always been a big fan of Supertramp through the years, their music is harmonically rich, with great melodies, arrangements & lyrics. What really struck me though was Dougie Thomson on bass.

Dougie does does such a great job, it's hard to imagine when listening to those tunes of any other bass lines supporting the bottom. His lines are melodic, rhythmically interesting & completely original; a feat hard to pull off for any musician.

I know a lot of players get caught up in flash & speed (especially in the beginning), but listening to players like Dougie (and Paul McCartney, Sting, etc.) provide great insight into how to create a great bass line that is both melodic & rhythmically interesting. Have a listen to some of his work, dissect it & see how you can incorporate it into your playing; you'll be learning from one the greats.

Have a listen here; I especially love what Doug is doing in the bridge (right after the sax solo) & the outro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RRzqt3TIEc

ramblings on four strings

We Work Hard for a Glimpse of GOD

Dougie Thomson