“There’s No End To A Tragic End”
Tag: Purpose
“I’ll Show You” – Dan Kanter’s methods.
There’s not a song that Dan Kanter can’t make a thousand times more interesting on the guitar. There’s not a hit he can’t decode and apply to the acoustic guitar in ways that make you shake your head. And finally, there’s not a synthesizer riff that he can’t manipulates into a smooth melodic stream of consciousness that doesn’t make you surrender and say, “Man, I wish I could come up with riffs like that!”
This is a long overdue tutorial on my part. Many have asked for it and finally, I’ve begun the process. I share with you here the introduction (a full 14 measures long) and the first verse (another 8) of Justin Bieber’s “I’ll Show You” Live in Toronto (2015).
I’ve worked on many of Dan’s arrangements of songs from not only Justin, but from the smoldering and talented, Julia Michaels. So ya, I feel I have a grip (admittedly a loose one) on Kanter’s very intelligent and always surprising guitar style.
For the first 5 minutes, standard tuning was doable. But, the awkwardness of the fingerings and the string noise put and end to that experiment. Within minutes the “Dan is up to it again” light went on in my brain. It was then that the guitar sounded open and the fingerings were smooth, but regimented.
Finally, I figured out that the second string was also tuned up one-have step, to of course, C. It took another two minutes to see that something was up with string 4. Well, looking at Dan’s hand position wasn’t easy as the camera was not friendly to him in this video. I did catch a glimpse of his second finger on the 4th string’s 2nd fret. It was then that I discovered that Dan had tuned string 4 up one-half step to Eb(D#). What a solution he had come up with to totally make the part ring out!
You will only need your fourth, third, and second strings for this section. Use the thumb, index, middle “claw fingering” with your right hand.
Much more to come.
-Mark
Here is the Guitar Pro score so far:
“I’ll Show You” – Guitar Pro Tab Score
Tutorial (YouTube link)
Meaning verses Purpose
What is the meaning of life? How many times have we asked this question? How many times have we heard someone else ask it? Why do we spend time searching for the meaning of life? Instead, why not search for your purpose in life.
As the days and months pass your time spent searching for the meaning of life could have been spent looking for, working on, or discovering your purpose in life. There is a difference and the difference is huge.
The word purpose is defined as:
: the reason why something is done or used : the aim or intention of something
: the feeling of being determined to do or achieve something
: the aim or goal of a person : what a person is trying to do, become, etc.
This definition has three glaring calls to action. First, you must have intention, second you must be determined, and finally, you must have a goal. Life without meaning is dark, vacant, and hopeless. Life without purpose is a drain on society and an even larger drain on those around you.
Find your purpose, then search for the meaning in your life.
Video Information:
“A Reflection of Destiny” – An Original Composition
Track by Anurag Mistra
Improvisation by Mark Jeffery Campayno
https://www.youtube.com/user/mrcampy123
This is a gorgeous track produced by my friend Anurag Mishra and one that is perfectly suited to playing improvised lines over. Everything about it is suited to melodic development and soaring vocal-like lines.This is my first move into playing lines that are not typical or expected. I played with a more legato tech nique in this solo then I ever have before letting the sound of the guitar do the rest.
This “moving away” from traditional musical expression comes from two things: Daring to be different, forcing change in my usual approach to playing, and a lot of reflection on guitar playing in general. Sometimes expression on the instrument can only be produced by forcing technical demands in both rhythm and note choice.
There is no question that musical performance, especially improvising, it’s the truest manifestation of the soul.
Thank you Anurag for an amazing track.
Check out Anurag’s music!
@MarkGTR 