When I first imagined this project I really didn’t know what form it would take, At least part of my inspiration was to tackle a relatively large project, keeping myself busy during COVID-19.
My first blog post was June 6. Around 60 days ago. I had originally thought of calling this blog 73 Days of Dead but then realized that this should be a topic as part of something larger. So my blog was born.
So why pursue this project? Simply put. To learn.
In most cases I was trying to learn the songs in “real time”. As you would play in a jam. Some songs I could follow right away. However, the Dead pkayef much more than 12 bar blues in 4/4 time so in some cases it took quite a few repetitions of the songs, from different shows, to figure the chord progression and the essence of the song. In a handful of cases, many repeated listenings were required. The number of similar performances from the tour turned out to be a welcome teacher.
At a detailed level, I’ve learned to play Me and My Uncle and have performed it several times for others, in addition to multiple practices with a musical group that I’m involved with. Part of what I’ve learned from the many performances in this tour is that the band makes most of them unique. There is a limitless musical vocabulary involved by all of the players. Never play it the same way.
I’ve also learned Operator, a rarely performed Dead song that was not played on this tour but this project inspired me to learn it. So it counts.
I’m also inspired to learn He’s Gone, Deal, and Loser. I’d like to make a medley of sorts out of Me And My Uncle, Deal, and Loser.
I’ve also become more adept at picking out chords, melodies, and rhythms by ear. This is a lifelong pursuit and is an evolutionary process, at least for me. These skills are part of advanced listening and are a key to musicianship and improvisation.
I’ve also become better at being able to focus my hearing in different instruments and vocalists, mostly at will. Again, a lifelong pursuit.
And I’ve learned a lot about early 70s Grateful Dead.
thanks iTunes for providing a way to store favorite tunes in a playlist for further study,