Music Theory 1 Students,
After viewing the following interview with Eric Clapton on the blues musician Robert Johnson and his version of "Stones In My Passway" please respond to the following statement.
Based on what Eric Clapton says about the playing technique of Robert Johnson, how beneficial would it have been if Robert Johnson was able to write his music down? After studying theory for a little over a week discuss the importance of knowing the language of music and why it would be important to keep the music of artists like Robert Johnson preserved on paper? Please respond by 11:59 PM on Wednesday August 31.
Happy Blogging,
Mr. Ames
First of all, if Robert Johnson was able to write down his music, musicians such as Eric Clapton would find it easier to learn how to play. Since Clapton is such a talented musician he is able to figure out how to play the song just by listening to it, but he explains that it would have been easier if it was written down on paper. This would have been much easier because Johnson plays the song using his own modified way, which is a style that is uncommon to other musicians.
ReplyDeleteIf Robert Johnson had written down his music, it would've made it easier for people to learn the song. As a result, people have to learn by ear, which is luckily fairly easy for Eric Clapton. It also would've been beneficial for Robert Johnson to write down his music because as Eric Clapton pointed out, the song sounds like it could be a two person song. But it can't be a two person song if no one knows the notes. Knowing the language of music will make it easier to make the song a two person song, or even make learning the song easier for one person. It is therefore important to preserve on paper songs such as Robert Johnson's so musicians can better teach the song to each new generation.
ReplyDeleteIf Robert Johnson wrote his music down it would have been easier for people to play his music instead of having to spend hours on end like Clapton to play it. Anyone who would want to play Robert's music has to learn by listening and that skill in itself can take along time to master. Even Eric Clapton who can pretty much listen to anything and pick up a guitar and play it thought there was two guitarists. Also his songs change a lot and even Clapton said to fully understand Roberts song would "be a life's work". This just tells you how hard Robert's music is and how important it is for music to be written down.
ReplyDeleteIt would have been very benificial for Robert Johnson to have written down his music. It would have helped Eric Clapton be able to play Johnson's music as well as for Johnson's be able to remember how to play the song if he ever forgets. For an artist to write down there music is important in general. It helps understand how to play the songs and to keep it perserved. It is also to be able to have to know how to read the music language too. Many music pieces are written down in notes. It would benefit the person because they would be able to play and read any kind of music he/she wants.
ReplyDeleteIf Robert Johnson wrote down at least some of his music, it would of been extremely helpful to guitarists like Eric Clapton and even the newer generation of musicians. Reasons being that people (including Clapton) would learn his songs and style of music much easier than figuring it out by ear since Johnson played as if two people were playing instruments, yet it was just himself. Also, hopefully by doing this, maybe it would of "mature" music genres in a way so that they sound complex instead of sounding plain and simple.
ReplyDeleteIt would have been very beneficial for Johnson to write down his music because artists such as Eric Clapton would have been able to replicate it more easily. According to Clapton, Johnson was able to play music and sing in two different time signatures simultaneously, which made his music complex. If it were written down, more people would recognize and appreciate his musical genius. Knowing the language of music is very important because it enables us to experience music more fully and allows music to preserved for future generations.
ReplyDeleteThe benefits of Robert Johnson writing down his music will allow artists of the present like Eric Clapton to imitate exactly how he played it. Eric's initial thought of Johnson's "Stones in my Passway" was that he was accompanied by another guitarist, but really it was just Robert himself. If he had written what he composed, then it would allow for easy understanding of how to play back what he created. The language of music allows artist from the past and present communicate on the same basis of writing down music. It allows them to compose music and for other artists to easily understand specifically what to play. It also will help the artist of the present replay the composed music of the artists of the past and preserve their compositions. It's important to keep the music of the past so that it may live on through the present artists of today, and also help them develop and evolve their own writings of music.
ReplyDeleteIf Robert Johnson had ever written his music down then musician's like Erica Clapton and just all musicians in general would have an easier time playing his music and enjoying. Also, it would be more easily preserved through time if written down. The language of music allows people to understand music better and to have an easier time knowing what to play. Many more musicians would have been appreciated if they could be in some way preserved through time.
ReplyDeleteIf Robert Johnson had written down his music, then it would have been easier for people like Eric Clapton to emulate his work. Clapton on first thought, assumed that the song was done by 2 guitarists, but then upon further examination realized that it was done by Johnson alone. This song was very complex because it is done in 2 different tempos. If Johnson were to write it down, the great musicians of the present could play it and show us the complexity of it.
ReplyDeleteIf Robert Johnson had recored his music it would make the process of learning it easier because you wouldnt have to do it all by ear, as shown one of the greatest guitarists of this century has a diffuclt time pplaying. It is important to know the basics of music theory because it makes it easier to know how to interact with other musicians. It is important for all musicians to write down their music because each musician write a song diffferntly and has his or her unique way of playing it and without any form of written music the song will be differnt from the original.
ReplyDeleteIf Robert had recorded his music learning would have been so much easier because it would change the way musicians would learn from by ear to being able to read it. It is very important to all artists just to be able to read music and is a gift to all the musicians even musicians in the modern day.
ReplyDelete