Re: TONE

[Roger A Gonzales <gonz1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> TONE...
> 
> Hard to define,
> 
> Easy to appreciate.
> 

This is the wisest thing I have seen written about tone yet!
  Whatever your tone is going to be directly related to your playing time. I don`t mean hours, even 2000 of them.  That is nothing in relation to a lifetime of playing.  I would consider 2000 hours a short term goal to achieve.  In fact one should never count hours, days week or even years.  You are in a constant growing and achieving process that hopefully never stops.  If you want great tone, play everyday as much as you can within what time you have available.  Everyone's schedule and commitments are different.  LW's tone was his, Sonny Boy II's tone was his, Toots' tone is his, your not going to sound like LW,Sonny,or anyone else.  Why would you want to?  You should want to sound like you.  What is wrong with sounding like you??  and if you practice correctly and enough, the tone will come.  If you play different kinds of music and not just blues, you will not want to have one tone for every genre.  If versatility is not what you play, and you play primarily one type of 
music then work on what tone will sound best with that genre.  

Tone is just like anything you work on as a musician, it's work, and time, and dedication.  There is no substitute for work.  My tone is not what I would like it to be but I know that I will always be improving on tone as well as phrasing, musicality etc.  How do I know this?  Because I play everyday and I know I am in the process I need to be involved in and I hope that those in search of the holy grail of tone will find what you are looking for within you own playing.  There is nothing wrong with sounding like you.

regards and respect,
Roger Gonzales