I?m going to share what I think is a Perfect answer to a flirtatious question with the Yi.

I am what?s known among electric guitar players as a tone junkie. Around here you?d likely find my head inside one of my amps, switching out tubes and speakers, always tweaking to find that holy grail of harmonic bliss.

In these wanderings I stumble upon some, I guess you?d call it, ?dark tones?. These tones inspire dark playing, naturally. So this afternoon off I go for an hour into this rock n roll abyss, my soul dominating my mind. And always the tone, that sweet dark tone carrying me away.

Feeling rather self-fulfilled and tuckered, I sat down and grinned at the thought of what the Yi might have to say about it. I know, kind of a vain question to ask, but I was genuinely curious. Answer was 29, lines 1 and 2 ? 3. I immediately laughed and shook my head.

If anyone?s curious enough, check out Bradford?s change lines on this one. IE: ?Alone within an abyss, however, there is a friend to be found, in the echoes of our own struggles. In these we seek encouragement to keep making encouraging noises. Splat is such a sad, lonesome sound when none are around to hear it.?

I just roared! And I thought I was candid.

Anyway, the beat goes on, and so does the search for perfect tonal bliss. Oh, and a whole lot more practice.

Reminded of LiSe's 3. Yeah, it is like that too.

hey, did you know that jerry garcia was into the i ching?
that was one of his biggest inspirations supposedly
think about how the dead affected rock n roll and art--pretty taoistically awesome

that was just a guy that was into playing bluegrass did with music/iching


think about what a guy could do on guitar now with computer technology,with more advanced tones than the dead---combined with i ching sensibility.

iching mixes with music nicely

Bruce, Meggabbobby, it is not so far fetched to place I-Ching in the covenant of art and music. This is an agreeable notion, it is more intresting to me how today we can place this parallel into a context which was un thought of (I think)when the I-Ching was first set out to do what it does best. I am totally musically chalenged when it comes to playing an insturment, but when words are placed in context to tonelities, I am among the listeners. I think tonal qualities alone define words in such a way there is no doubt to meanings used or given. To any piece well written, it gives music its soul. It is totally unnecessary to have any words at all applied to a piece of music if the tone of the piece plays to the emotional intention of what the musician intends to say, And this is probably something so obvoius I should have never said it....LOL
Thanks to you Bruce for this post.

Hi Bobby. The bass player I jam with on weekends is a die hard dead head, and we get into a lot of ?dead? type of grooves. Fun and free wheeling stuff. On modern digital guitar tone emulations, it?s not at all the same as those produced through old analog tube technology. I bought one of those ?wiz-bang, make it sound like any amp you want? amps a couple of years ago. Plugged in and played for an hour. Then picked up the phone to place it for sale in the local newspaper. No mojo at all. They can sound ?like? this amp or that, but they have no soul of their own. Amps are not so different than people, in that respect. It?s in the tubes, brother: those dynamic, vacuum filled glass pieces of electro-magic, that glow and breathe like a living organism, sensually responding to every nuance of touch. Let the digi-workshop home recording nerds have their computer based emulation systems. For me, it?s the real deal or nothing. I?m sure Gerry would agree.

Hi Jerry. The Yi always is found somewhere where innovative bands hang out. You?re perfectly correct, they go together like peanut butter and jam. It?s no secret that Jimmy Page has been a huge fan of Crowley; even bought his castle. Crowley wrote a version of I Ching. (Anyone have comments on whether it?s a good one?) He?s just one of many well known players who are intimate with the Yi. You?re so right about the magic of tonal romance, too.