P Ferreira
Coimbra
"To my mind, a BLUES doesn't have to be a 12-bar progression. To me, if a song has the right emotion then I accept it as BLUES" - PETER GREEN
"I go by feel, I go by feel.
The only way I know what's real" - BUDDY GUY
Mostly, as a self-taught guitar player (maybe not... considering all the influences and internet/book resources I've come across lately!) and rather than trying to be anything remotely near a good player of any great technique, I'm not bound by genre or clichés; I just like to go for it. It's a whole lot better that way.
Blues is a human expression of emotion. That may explain why I felt called to blues music, even though, I grew up in Europe, a continent apart from the music’s heartlands in America’s Deep South. And that may also be the reason for the great Portuguese Bluesmen we have nowadays (The Legendary Tigerman/Frankie Chavez/Budda Power Blues/Rui Veloso/Dead Combo/The Black Mamba/Mazgani and many others...)
I’m a fan of raw guitar players who aren’t really polished… you’re not sure if it’s all going to fall apart. Those who, rather than trotting out a collection of preconceived practised licks and lines, take some chances along the way, creating ideas on the spot. IMHO they sound more exciting and impressive for it. I play whatever comes into my head. It's an adventure because when I do a breakdown or a solo, it's new each time and I just let it go... The majority are first take. I just turn it on and press record...they are mostly one moment in time. I’m always looking for something. Sometimes I’m not quite sure what, but you just have to keep looking...
The real beauty is playing without thinking and once you have some concepts down, what comes out, is from the heart. It's second nature.
I just enjoy listening and playing some music, in honour of that timeless way of killing time (just for the fun of it...and whenever inspired: "If you're not feeling it, don't play it!"). I'm happiest picking out a blues tune to a suitable backing track. After all, simple music is the hardest to play...
For me, half the battle is to get the right sound. And that, in turn, inspires how you play.
As a tone fiend, I like to let those bluesy guitar tones breathe a little bit. But, almost everything I play, it never, ever comes out quite the way I heard it in my head. Sometimes I end up with something that's kind of close, but it's not quite what intended originally. These uploaded tracks are no exception... They are far from being perfect. First of all, I'm not a fan of perfection when it comes to music...it may even compromise the tone, but if the tone is there, great! It sounds like a human being playing guitar.
As Dan Patlansky once said "I would rather hear an average player with a great guitar tone than a great player with a bad tone".
I love stuff that sounds like a spontaneous real-life experience. Playing music is a human activity, and we humans are far from perfect! There is a certain charm in something that feels human with the flow of a spontaneous performance. It's that spontaneity that makes for the magic...
Feel free to comment good, bad or indifferent and do not hesitate to share any ideas you might have.
Favourite guitarists (old school suspects apart):
Matt Schofield; Jim Campilongo; Walter Trout; Robin Trower; Joe Bonamassa; Andy Timmons; Gregor Hilden; Robben Ford; Larry Carlton (among others)...
NothinButDaBlues’s tracks
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