The need for spiritual / sacred music and sacred instruments

 The standard instruments of today are 

1)Piano (and variants thereof) traditionally a percussive instrument.

2)Drums - a percussive instrument

 3)Guitar - a stringed instrument

4,5)Flute and Violin, a wind and stringed instrument

6)String bass - a stringed instrument

 

Now your ordinary musician will not be able to afford a piano

or a violin--they are cost prohibitive--but may afford an electronic

piano or a student violin. 

But if you wanted to 'classify' these in terms of 'spiritual rigor',

how would you go about doing so?

Repertoire in my opinion and 'mood' of music composed -- in

people terms 'attitude' --are the most basic criteria for which music

may be considered 'sacred'.

But take for instance the 'Banjo' a traditional instrument that gives

some joy and others wincing faces.  I rather like the banjo being

a string 'plucker' myself, but it's definitely an acquired taste, it's

not my favorite or first choice for a stringed instrument by far, and

one could argue the 'sacred music' capabilities of it, are rather lacking.

But what we need most in music stores , and in music literature is

SACRED MUSIC... yes?  Because beside inspired improvisation it is

the best way to learn and teach music--through devotion of the subject

matter.

And if you agree with my premise--then you will also concede that

in order to play sacred music properly -- we must also have sacred

instruments.  

I have mentioned my love for Indian instruments many times on this

blog already-- also I have a love of the American Indian flutes, these

to me represent the highest of the spiritual 'instruments'--and as

such should be sold alongside rather awkward instruments such

as the banjo or mandolin--as counterweight for an obvious predliction

from music businesses for 'secular' non-sacred music styles.

You see, if people are not playing instruments that enable and are

allowing sacred music to flow easily---sacred music will likely not

occur--unless one is very studious and studies it.

I want to change the whole American music scene, with sacred

music instruments sold alongside 'secular' instruments---because

music is the basis of our culture.  And if we have sacred music

as the basis --then we may indeed have the beginnings of

a sacred culture as well.   

Do not discount this idea as just a hippy-musicians pipe dream.

It's a very viable scenario with how to change our 'secular' world

in part--to a more sacred one.

Love and Sacred Music

I love Indian instruments (and you should too)

 Indian musical instruments are sublime, I grew up playing the guitar, it was

the only instrument that attracted me as a youth.  All my 'heroes' played the guitar,

 I thought I was going to be a rockstar too, and people told me that on more than

one occasion.

But I gave up electric guitar almost as soon as I acquired it through a rather

sad tale, let's just say I was not in my right mind and under 'other' influences

at the time.

But it may have been the best thing for me, because then I focused on what

I had, which was an old Yamaha classical guitar---and I used that as the

basis for all my guitar activities for the next 30 years.  I never had any

well known maker's guitar, not until I was over 40 years old.

 

Indian instruments (as in India) have been a part of my life all along, but

only in recordings, I have never owned one, I've always been rather poor.

 

The way I view the guitar is it has possibilities, it's like a little orchestra

as Segovia pointed out---but it has limitations as well.  

 

I feel I have 'graduated' beyond the guitar and it's limitations long ago

but my finances have not advanced enough for me to aquire a Sitar 

a Sarod or the bass versions of these (which I prefer).

 

One day I will hopefully have enough to afford these instruments,

because I cannot envision my life as a musician without them.

Good music is not (only) relative or local but universal

I listen and admire many different kinds of music.

Western classical is what I was raised with, along with western pop music genres.

But I also knew the music of Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan from a

young age, could I share that with my peers at the time?  Well no.  If you

weren't listening to Pink Floyd or the Doors, you weren't cool, and the

pressure to be cool exists in the music world just as in all parts of society, believe me.

Today I find solace only in 'good music'--I am extremely discerning what I listen to,

because I find so much bad music out there--I won't even entertain listening to

what I consider garbage music for a second much less an extended period of time.

I love Indian classical music it has given me the greatest joy along with

certain western classical music composers.  There is so much more to appreciate

in the world than what pop music offers--Take a pop music vacation I guarantee

you will not regret it, and may find a new appreciation from music styles you

find in the world.

Love

Disharmony is disgusting - or Dissonance is Nonsense -Harmony is your friend

In nature there is hardly the dissonance that is so 'trendy' in Universities.

That stuff to me is like looking at a painting where someone threw paint on it

using a blindfold.  It's not appealling to me in any way shape or form sorry.

Now harmony, is appealing to me in dozens of ways--and that is the way NATURE

intends, it is correct.  A little dissonance is acceptable, but not too much, for nature

always corrects itself and seeks to harmonize in all things.  Music is no different

and should be and aspire to no different.

Love and Harmony is your friend

Computer augmented music - Auto-tune(i.e. Auto-tone-deaf)

 I am not against computer music.  If done well.  But I think the usage of the 'auto-tune' or similar devices is extremely unprofessional and lazy.  It's basically saying to the world 'I can't really sing'--so if you can't really sing, that means what you are doing isn't really music, correct?

Loud Bass is not Music--Filthy lyrics are not poetry

I do not want to write a long post, I think I summed up my beliefs quite nicely

in the topic.  We as a society need to do better, and stop bullying people with loud stereos

and filthy lyrics, it's not cool, it's not 'festive' it's not even a catharsis for living in a messed up world--it's just perpetuating bad music and bad ideas about what music 'is'--or what in the hands of a gifted poet music 'could be'.

 

 

Sacred music vs Secular

This blog is about celebrating sacred music vs secular music  The divine vs the mundane.

I am not trying to demean certain styles of music or musicians, although I definitely have my  hard-won beliefs and I do not shy away from calling something as it is.

I am just trying to present an alternative way of looking at music--that is not mainstream but could be if society stopped being so greed-based and started being more spirit-based.