The Musician's Shed Podcast
Real talk. Real musicians. Real growth.
Making great music is only part of the journey. This podcast exists to help musicians grow beyond the notes—through honest conversations with working professionals and expert advice from across the industry.
Each episode breaks down what it really takes to succeed: mindset, preparation, business, creativity, and resilience. You’ll hear stories, lessons, and strategies from musicians who’ve walked the path and learned what works—and what doesn’t.
If you’re ready to elevate your craft, strengthen your professionalism, and build a career with intention, this podcast was made for you.
The Musician's Shed Podcast
THE MUSICIAN'S SHED PODCAST: WALT WILLIAMS (Part 1)
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What does it take to go from a dedicated student of the craft to sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in the music industry?
In this episode of the Musician’s Shed Podcast, host Samar Newsome welcomes the incredibly talented guitarist Walt Williams. Known for his versatility and impeccable timing, Walt dives deep into his personal development as a musician and the pivotal moments that shaped his professional journey.
Walt pulls back the curtain on his experience working with industry giants—including his collaborations with legendary musical director Adam Blackstone (Super Bowl, The Grammys, Justin Timberlake). Whether he’s discussing the technical demands of high-stakes gigs or the "people skills" required to sustain a career at the top, Walt’s insights are a masterclass for any aspiring artist.
In this episode, we discuss:
- The Early Years: How Walt developed his sound and the discipline required to stand out.
- The Adam Blackstone Connection: Lessons learned from working with one of the most prolific musical directors in the game.
- Professionalism on Tour: What top-tier artists actually look for in a band member.
- Career Longevity: Navigating the transitions from local gigs to global stages.
Tune in for an inspiring conversation about the grit, the gear, and the growth behind a world-class guitar career.
Show Notes & Links
- Host: Samar Newsome
- Guest: Walt Williams
- Follow The Musician's Shed on YouTube
- Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!
#MusiciansShed #WaltWilliams #AdamBlackstone #GuitaristLife #MusicEducation #SamarNewsome #SessionMusician #LiveMusic #PodcastForMusicians
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The Musician's Shed Podcast!
Hey, this is Samar News, and we're back with the Musician Shed Podcast. I got a very special guest with me today, my brother, Mr. Walt Wizard Williams. How you doing, brother? All is well. How you? Good, man. Good to have you, brother. Appreciate the call. Oh, for sure, for sure, man. You know, uh, you know, I get to get to watch some of my friends out here doing these great things. We don't work together, of course. And then now I get to see you on on the bigger stages, yeah, enjoying your your your stuff, man. So I'm just proud of you, brother. So really just want to show some love. Appreciate it. You know, the podcast really is just an avenue to like let us speak back to you know, people who are doing it, people who are not doing it, people who want to do it, and just kind of encourage through our stories and through our experiences, and you know, and give them some some some pointers if we can. But you know, like we we done been some places, you know. We've been a few places, yeah. So, you know, tell tell the people who Walt is.
SPEAKER_02Okay. So uh I'm Walter Williams IV is my full name, no middle name. Born and raised in Connecticut, New Haven, West Haven kind of thing. If you from the area, you know.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, I'm uh son of two PKs, both my mom and my dad. My dad was the pastor of the church, Walter Williams III, obviously. And uh he played bass, and when I was five, he gave me guitar. I have uh two sisters and a brother, and my brother he gave drums. My older sister sang and played keys a little bit, and then my younger sister, she was supposed to play keys, but she just sang. So so he was the signing parts. Yep, he wanted a family band, and he was like, Here, you get guitar, even though bass is my favorite instrument. Wow. Uh, I'm glad he gave me the guitar.
SPEAKER_05Okay, yeah, yeah. Well, I'll say this. Uh, I I remember Stanley Brown. We were doing some work. Stanley was doing some work at when I was at Christian Culture Center, and he told our guitarist, he said, Yo, you're dope. And he's like, and there's not a lot of dope guitars, not a lot of dope. Which means there's plenty of work, probably.
SPEAKER_02Which is the reason why I'm glad I play guitar. That's how I figured you said that.
SPEAKER_05But that's dope. So, yeah, so tell us some more about you.
SPEAKER_02Uh, let's see. I went to Seaton Hall University, that's what brought me to Jersey. I did three years and then dropped out. Oh my mom was like, You gotta pay for it. I was like, Heck no. And I dropped out um my junior year. Okay, and then I legit was talking about this with my wife today. I dropped out my junior year, the fall semester of junior year. I completed so spring semester, I was done. Okay, and then I started touring or working with uh my first artist in 2005. So I've been doing it.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, at least at least you had a good transition.
SPEAKER_02Yep, it was almost seamless, but uh yeah.
SPEAKER_05Now, did you study music at C Hall or you study something else?
SPEAKER_02So the original thing, the original plan was to go for business administration okay, and to run track. I was uh I guess you could say a track back star. Yeah, I was too blind to play or I was too blind to be good at basketball. I have I play ball with my glasses off, and you know how that goes. They ain't got contacts at that era, so yeah. Um, so the track coach was like, yo, send them up here. And then you know, I had some good years there, and then I was like, yo, I want to go to Seaton Hall and run for Seton Hall. Nice. Got there and was like, Man, I pulled too many hamstrings, too many quirs, I'm done. Let me do music. Yeah. Uh, which is my heart. Um, and I was like, yo, mom, I'm not doing business administration, I'm doing music. Which Seaton Hall is not the school to go to for that?
SPEAKER_05I don't know. It's not the premier.
SPEAKER_02I mean, I know they got something, but they ain't got you know I spent more time off campus and like in rehearsals or other stuff than I did on campus or in school. They only had one professor, uh, guitar professor, Carol Hammersman, who was a monster shortly, played jazz. She exposed me a few times. But it I guess it helped. Um, that's what they supposed to do.
SPEAKER_05That's what the masters do. They expose you.
SPEAKER_02That and then I had uh music theory, which I could care less about because it's more so like you know, the classical and it's information.
SPEAKER_05It it allows you. I I just had a conversation with somebody about music theory, and he and he's he studied uh probably like as a younger kid just playing piano, and he was talking about how you know he didn't understand how somebody could just get up and understand what he was playing. And I'm like, Yeah, that's what music theory is about. It's understanding. It's like oh, you're just playing chords, like, but you're playing them melodically, you know what I'm saying? So, but yeah, man. So, so now when you were at Seton Hall, there's a lot of musicians that I know from that went to Seton Hall. Not a lot, but a few. Like, I think Thomas Rankin went to Oh, he went to Rockers. What so oh no, so he probably played for the for the choir.
SPEAKER_02Yes, yeah, because there was a choir there, or I don't maybe before me.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, maybe before you.
SPEAKER_02Uh yeah.
SPEAKER_05There was a producer also that went there named uh Young Lloyd. You know Young Lord? Was he there when you were there? Richard, Richard. I've I forget his last name. I don't but he was a producer for Bad Boy, okay.
SPEAKER_02Like a big like I know as far as uh this dude named Sean. Okay, that went. Uh, I mean, of course, he's I think he's an AR of some okay label, okay, big label, but he was somebody else. I think his name is Sean Hall, I believe his name is the same same uh age group. I went to Seton Hall 02 to 05.
SPEAKER_05Okay, gotcha.
SPEAKER_02Okay, gotcha. Um, and then Sean Saunders, who is the vocal phenomena one of my favorites. He was a part of the gospel choir. So I was worked with him a lot as well as we were in classes a lot together. Okay, he is this sounds stupid, but stupid smart, very intelligent dude. He knew all the answers, yeah. Uh, but yeah, and could sing musically a monster. So yeah.
SPEAKER_05Dope, dope, dope. So now what you said you left. What did you get into? You said you got into some touring, working some artists. Who's who's some of the people you got to work with?
SPEAKER_02So the first or the the first opportunity was um with Emily King. Joe Wilson was uh the MD at the time, so uh the band consisted of Aaron McZorn. Okay, uh Odell, the local guys, the cats, Odell Davis, and you had the twins, Shawin and Sean. Uh I forgot what the last name was, but okay, played bass, and then it was me. Nice. So, but yeah, that was the first thing, and then from there, Estelle, uh, shockingly with Patty LaBelle.
SPEAKER_05Um was that with uh uh said too?
SPEAKER_02That was before that was said Gerard White, okay, Sean Thomas, nice Pee-wee on percussion, okay, with Gerard's brother, and then uh I was on guitar, and then when they saw us, they was like, What are y'all doing here? Because I guess we all looked young, but once we started playing, it was like, yo, these young people. I know y'all had some soul, yeah.
SPEAKER_05Y'all had the vibe, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02That's the young boys to play. So I think I might have been 21, 22 at the time. Okay. So, but yeah, so I have a lot of names I perform with. Yeah, thankfully. Um I guess the latest thing that I've been doing. Uh last week I was with Deborah Cox. Nice. Um, I work with also with Adam Blackstone on a bunch of different stuff. Last month, uh he had me on stage with Chocacan, which was nice.
SPEAKER_05Whoa. That's dope.
SPEAKER_02So, but yeah, lots of opportunities, shocking. Uh I don't think I'm all that great. I think I can play the parts. I can play the parts, make the song feel good, but you know, I'm not a flashy guy.
SPEAKER_05Just, you know, just do it, do your job. I mean, listen, when people hire, I always when I hire too, like I want somebody that can do the job. Like, what show up, dependable, reliable, communicate, and they can do the job. You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, I do want when it's time, I want to be like, you know what, it's the moment, but it don't it don't gotta lead with that. You know what I'm saying? If you in and some cats is different about like how uh how much they go in with that. But I think that if you could if you got something solid, man, I'm good. You know what I'm saying? If you if you're a killer, that's cool too.
SPEAKER_02You would be shocked with social media now. Every everybody, well not everybody, but there are a lot of phenomenal players, and I'd be looking dang, I can't play like this.
SPEAKER_03Nah, I hear you.
SPEAKER_02But then it's like I'm out.
SPEAKER_05They're not, I'm working yeah, but there's something to that. I mean, I I had a few uh uh a few people on here um talking about the same subject, and just like how sometimes you could be the dopest, dopest, dopest cat, or you know, perceived to be, and but your unwillingness to not be selfish, yeah, or not, you know, wait for your moment and discipline, you know what I'm saying? Like, it's not always about that, you know what I'm saying? Sometimes it's about just really locking in to whatever the gig is. The gig is playing two notes, I'm gonna play the mess out of them two notes make it and get my paycheck and and and and make that connection. Like, yo, whatever you need. You want me to play ten notes? Okay, cool, but whatever you need is what I'm doing. So I think that that's a message to musicians, period. Like, no matter what age you are. If you old and frustrated, you feel like you're not working, or you're young and you're trying to get in. Yeah, like what would you say to somebody like that?
SPEAKER_02Play parts, parts are most important. Um, people be shocked. Uh, Adam and his crew was shocked. It was like, yo, he plays parts, he's a producer. And I'm like, nah, I'm not. I don't play. But you play parts though. I play parts, yes. Uh, and it comes from um, so there's this musician summit that I used to go to often, as well as all these other musicians that have influenced my playing. Jonathan DuBoz is one of my biggest influences. Um amazing. I'm thankfully able to call my influences or my mentors from afar, like my friends, nice, which is dope. Um, but the thing that they would always say is if it's on the record, it was put there for a reason. Yeah, so play that part and then add your own spin on it. So, like I said, with being on the on this team with you know, BBE, they was like, yo, he played parts. You a producer? Nah, I just play in wedding bands, and this is what was on the record. You understand your lane, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's it.
SPEAKER_05So yeah, I always talk about like one of the challenges as a keyboard early in my career, like as a keyboard, is this might be unique to keyboards, but I see guitarists kind of go crazy sometimes too. But like just not really understanding parts because of not having to play them for so long, yeah. So, you know what I mean? Like, I've been in situations as the organist and then a drummer, yeah. And like, so you know, organists, you gotta fill in a lot, but you it's it's a it's a great experience, especially you know, Pentecostal church or something like that. You get to really open up, but then you get a situation, you got a band, yeah. And when I when I first uh became the MD, before I was even an MD, I learned I had to learn the parts of the band before I became the MD of that band. And I was just like, this is it, yeah. Or cool in the gang, that's all they playing, you know. But that's all that was that was the part.
SPEAKER_02That's all it meshed together, and it works perfectly when you do it right.
SPEAKER_05You know, it leaves room for the horns, it leaves room for the guitar, it leaves room for the bass. So um, talk a little bit about your experience. Like, did you just start out like that or did you have to learn that too?
SPEAKER_02Uh, so being in church growing up, it was my dad on bass, uh, I was on guitar, and my brother was on drums. We had other musicians that would come in and play keys. Uh, there's this guy named Brian N. Cropper. He would uh help me with a lot of stuff. Or he would tell me at this point, what is happening? Thank you. Um, at the point, all I knew was pentatonic scale. Yeah, yeah. That's your friend. He was like, if there's a spot, fill that spot in with some sort of lick. Right. So my lick at the time, but it did do do do with my lick at all times in whatever key. Hey, if you had them in all the keys, you know, you you solid. I would, I mean, well, guitar, all you gotta do is slide up, down, right, right, right, right, right. The French, yeah. Um, so that was that. And then I when I left for school, uh, my dad asked, I started playing at church children's generation ministries with Butch, Butch Newton in Newark, yes. Yes. So Butch is Monroe, Darren Monroe. Yes, his birthday was yesterday. Shout out to him.
SPEAKER_05Shout out to Darren.
SPEAKER_02Uh, Butch Dixon is the reason why I was always off campus because he saw me at at uh Seton Hall choir and was like, Yo, come with me. So nice big shout out to him. Um, but yeah, so my dad was like, Hey, can you come back and play for us? I need help. It was okay, cool. So my role went from the guitar player parts to the guitar player covering everything, like you said. Yeah, and then I didn't know the number system at that time, so I'm like, okay, I gotta fill this up as much as possible to make this uh Ezra Hooten or Kirk Franklin sound as big as possible with just bass drums and guitar.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, and one guitar, not just multiple. Right, right, right.
SPEAKER_02Just me. Uh so that was a challenge which I enjoyed, and you know, it's helped me greatly in playing chords because I knew a lot of chords. My dad, like I said, gave me guitar at five. And if I wanted to do anything as far as like getting a new instrument, um amp, pedals, all right, cool. Learn this amount of chords in this book. You have this amount of time frame.
SPEAKER_05So you get your incentive. That's good though.
SPEAKER_02If I didn't learn it, you ain't getting it. Cool. So, I mean, I don't think there was one time where I did not meet the goal that he set. I don't know if I was always just like, I'm gonna practice before I ask, right? But um, but yeah, so that got me situated as far as like playing bigger and fuller, and then uh now I play at Agape Family Worship Center, and that's a 11-piece band.
SPEAKER_03Nice.
SPEAKER_02Uh also with you, yeah, yeah, yeah. We had a 11-piece band with function 11. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Function 11, yeah, with the horns. And so it's like, okay, some of these songs have parts. Let me play them because they're in the joint in the record, and then there's some songs that don't have, so I could either double up with keys or double the bass line.
SPEAKER_06Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_02Uh, with church, I have keys and organ, so it's like, well, I don't really double up with keys because that's doubled up and so I'll either double up with the bass line first, or I'll double up with whatever the horns are playing. Gotcha.
SPEAKER_05Gotcha. Yeah, that's a challenge. I I had to when I was uh MD in in Brooklyn, I had to like find parts. Like because that when I first got there, they had violin, yeah, saxophone. I'm like 90% of these songs don't have that in there, you know what I mean? But you know, just be creative. I I I like to find and I always try to find some creativity in rhythm parts, you know what I'm saying? Like, I like rhythm, rhythm guitar is like a un underrated to me.
SPEAKER_02And that's that Jonathan Dubot's stuff or Eric Walls. If you're modern or you're younger than I am, I'm 41. So the guys now would be Jonathan Dubot. I'm sorry, the guys now would be Eric Walls or uh Chris Payton, okay, uh Sharky, yeah, those guys, yeah. Um playing those parts, but like do both find one note and just do it in different and just like creative with it, right?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, so and I think I think that's like I said, that's underrated because it's like you could find a place that is your place. It's almost like it's almost like when you mix a record. When you mix a record, you gotta find a place for things, and so and carve out spots. And so I think that there's some musicians who are not necessarily as aware, yeah. And I always if if anybody's in a band with me, I'm always gonna tell you, like, yo, you gotta find a spot, especially the more pieces, the more the more you gotta find a smaller spot because everybody gotta get a spot, you know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_02It's the biggest situation I've ever done with uh Py LaBelle. We've done this show before with just the guys that I mentioned, so that was a five-piece band. Uh John Stanley was the MD, he was on Grand Piano, so Gerard was on organ, aux whatever parts. Uh, but we did another show, and it was a 70-piece band orchestra.
SPEAKER_05Wow.
SPEAKER_02And so we're like, what do we play? Right, right. Because there's 70 piece orchestra. There's a lot going on already. Behind us sound amazing, which they absolutely sound amazing. So we did sound check, and then they gave us like a like they pulled us in the in the room in the back. That wasn't it. I need y'all to kick me in my butt wow with a different word. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like play like I know y'all could play. Imagine they're not there, okay, and then play.
SPEAKER_05Wow.
SPEAKER_02Oh, work. Okay, cool. Yeah, yeah. And so we did it.
SPEAKER_05That's a different approach.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Uh, it worked. Um, and it sounded amazing. I wish I could hear some playback of that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, but I mean, I guess we did it because we got more calls afterwards. So again, what do you need me to do? Yeah.
SPEAKER_05That's the job. Um, tell us what was one of your so what was one of the highlights of your career so far?
SPEAKER_02Highlight of the career so far. Um uh I'm playing for Stevie Wonder. Uh he was in front of me, he's not fully blind.
SPEAKER_05That's what I keep hearing. That's what everybody says.
SPEAKER_02He's not. Uh he was in front of me. I didn't say nothing because I heard Giant Steps is a crutch of mine. I cannot solo. And he loves that. And I heard he loves challenging his crew to play that song in solo. So I was like, I'm not saying nothing, I'm not playing a note until the downbeat of the first song. Um, but in doing that, like he was playing clavier and keys or whatever, but he had a situation with the klave that didn't work, so he lifted up his shades, fixed it, and then pulled it down. And I looked to see if anybody else saw it. Nobody else did. But to answer your question, that's a highlight. Um uh shocking. A lot of big things in my career. I don't know what is good enough. They are highlights, I got you. Um but uh so far it's taken me to 26 different countries. Nice. Um, so I get to see a whole bunch of different locations. Oh! Highlight Pile Bell again on 4th of July in front on the steps, the Rocky steps, whatever in Philly.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Uh, and there is uh 750,000 people there.
SPEAKER_03Nice.
SPEAKER_02And that and then uh with Flowrider, I think there was like a million or so people, and we were six or seven hours late because we missed our flight. We were in in Brazil and those people stayed, and like seeing the people climb up and down the actual joint, just having fun.
SPEAKER_05Wow.
SPEAKER_02I think we performed at like four or five in the morning, and they were still out there.
SPEAKER_05Those that's dope though.
SPEAKER_02And Glastonbury Festival, that's another one. That was with Estelle. So those three things I will say like the highlights of it.
SPEAKER_05Yeah. So what what what was something that was like not what was one of the biggest challenges?
SPEAKER_02Uh biggest challenges. Um uh I would have to say wedding ban. Uh parts on the first dance, you know, it's like, all right.
SPEAKER_05You gotta, it's that's you gotta nail that.
SPEAKER_02Yes, you gotta nail that. You gotta nail that. So I'm in Italy. Uh And uh, I think I don't know if it's the first dance song or one of the first songs of the thing, and we gotta play Sweet Child of Mine, which is a staple and it's a guitar staple. I should know how to play it. So now, with that, I practiced it okay plenty of times sitting down. Now I'm standing up trying to play it, and my fingers are moving, but it's not coming out at all. Wow. So we're on ears, and supposedly, thankfully, at the end of the night, they said my guitar wasn't in the house, so it just seemed silent. Right, right, right. But in my ears, it sounded you and I was in there.
SPEAKER_05So yeah, yeah, I think I think we all unfortunately get uh at least one of those, yeah, if not more moments. But you know, it happens to be a good one. Another one.
SPEAKER_02So with Joe, I played for Joe for three years, and we now who was MD when you did Joe? Uh it was Jazz Joyner. Okay, so he's still on the gig, but now he's just playing just mains, and then now it's uh DJ Brown is the MD.
SPEAKER_05Okay, dope.
SPEAKER_02Um, but so there's all the good girls, boom, boom, boom, boom, doop, boom. Right. So that part is octaves. The song before that, I take a solo. So I'm on distortion, gotcha, and then so we do a hit, boom, and then I'm supposed to start with no no no. So I I play it correctly, but it's with a distortion. But I hit the pedal to turn it off, and it did not turn off, so all you're like mad laughed, and I was like, oh my god.
SPEAKER_05And Joe's a guitarist. He's a guitar player as well.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so he just looked back and started laughing, but yeah, so those two big things. I mean, I guess distortion guitar is my crutch in it. But yeah.
SPEAKER_05Well, I think I think when you when you gotta play, and I mean that wasn't a genre issue, but that was a effect issue. Yep. And you know, I mean, in guitars, you probably play all the effects, but definitely in that in the wedding situation.
SPEAKER_02Make sure the pedal is off or whatever pedal is supposed to be on is on. Yeah, that's a whole practice in and of itself, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_05So what what do you think has been the key to getting the call again?
SPEAKER_02Um, like I said, parts, uh, and then also tone. So there's a lot of players that can play, but their tone is terrible. Yeah, uh, either their distortion sounds like paper or uh wrapper of some sort of like plasticky rap, whatever, like thin and just not just buzzing and it's so unappeasing. Or um being on time, uh professionalism. What else would I say? I think as far as being on the road, it's like 60% behind the scenes or with no instrument, and then the 40 is you actually playing and performing. Uh but the 60 is being clean, being on time, being presentable, uh, being reliable, yeah. Um and meshing with your your squad because it's they gotta they gotta basically kind of live. Yes, yeah, and the only people you know are the ones that are on this stage with you. So they gotta be able to trust you and know that, like, yo, on stage you got my back, and then off stage you got my back. So that's one thing. So I take pride in being reliable as far as that, and then also you know, playing the music. I love music for sure. So I have a weird reaction to music. I love it so much.
SPEAKER_05Um what is that?
SPEAKER_02If somebody's killing, I'll I don't scream, like I want to hear everything. I'm telling everybody to shut up, yeah, so I can hear it, but I'll start laughing, I'll be chuckling, laughing, and if it keeps going, like I'll start sweating, and it got to one point where I legit got nauseous and almost threw up and I had to leave. It just sounded so reaction, yeah. Yeah, yeah, wow. So um, yeah, I'm a weirdo.
SPEAKER_05I think I think musicians we all weirdos in in some ways, like we could be loners sometimes, all that kind of stuff.
SPEAKER_02I got the I got the quietest in my class for high school, and I was like, what are y'all talking about? I mean, I ran track, I played ball, so what are y'all talking about? Like, I'm cheering and rooting everybody on as well as cracking jokes, but I guess I wasn't with my class all that time.
SPEAKER_05Well, you still you still had your your head into music, so yeah, and and that wasn't the it's crazy as a musician, the way we think sometimes we take for granted that it's that it might just be us thinking that way. That's true. You know what I mean? That's true. There's other people that's just like, what are you talking about? What are you number system? What are you talking about? You know, like stuff like that. So um, and I have conversations with my colleagues at work sometimes, and they're just like, What? And I'm like, ah, we gotta dial this back.
SPEAKER_01Major scale, don't rate me five cell? Yeah, we do one, two, three, four, five. Right, right, right.
SPEAKER_05Make it simple, right? Yeah, yeah, man. So what I know you have students too, you teach students. So what um what is something that you make sure that they know, like when you when you teach them? Like, not just musically, but character and all that kind of thing.
SPEAKER_02So of course my students now and be like, hey, I want to play this song. Thank Flora. They can they can play basic chords at that point. Um if they don't, then we'll start with the basics. Right. But um, if they're like, yeah, I want to go with this chord, I'm like, all right, let's skip all the open voicings and country chords, I'll call them. Um, and then we'll legit start with the number system in chords. Okay.
SPEAKER_03Um so you do block chords or you do the full chord, okay.
SPEAKER_02Whether it be the the regular basic or bar chord, bar chord, yeah, yeah, yeah, or major seven, okay, or a suspended chord, those are the three. I'm like, if once you get the major chord, let's get the major seven chord. Once you got the major seven chord, let's dial it back to a suspended chord. Gotcha. Um and then knowing that in a number system, um and then be like, that's all it is, yeah. So, all right, let's I'll play this a progression. All right, what key am I in? Which we get that from playing the finding the root of the major of the major scale. And then, okay, now you know the root. What are the numbers?
SPEAKER_05Right, right, right.
SPEAKER_02That's the main thing. Once they get that, then it's like, all right, let's get the rhythm of the joints. But I need you to know what chord you're playing, because you'll be in a situation where you might play with a band or need to tell somebody in the band, I want to play this song, it's my original song, or they've never heard it. Yeah, the progression is one, four, six, five, whatever.
SPEAKER_05Yeah. And I think just for communication's sake, like I I have I've had a lot of conversations where I had to either spell out the chord for guitarist sometimes. I was wondering. Because, you know, voicings could be different, inversions could be different, all that stuff like that. So I think that again, one thing I always talk, if anybody wants to be a musical director, you have to learn how to communicate with everybody because not everybody's gonna be able to read. So if you pull out a chart, that might be like Chinese to them, you know what I mean? But but being able to communicate multiple ways, if it's the number system, you keyboard players sometimes get on my nerves.
SPEAKER_02I will say this. Um, when you call out chords, you'll call out the chord major in your right hand and then something else in your left hand. Like, like it's a and I'm like, yo, that's just a minor six, five, or a minor a minor seven, sharp five. Right. Or minor seven flat five. Why don't you just say that as opposed to now I gotta be like, all right, minus seven sharp five. So you're saying you're playing a B flat major in your with a uh A. Right, right, right. Okay, so now I'm trying to figure out what note is A on it on the joint? How am I gonna finger that? Or yeah, because we only have four fingers to do. Yeah, it's like, oh wait, that's a minus seven sharp five. Why didn't you just say that?
SPEAKER_05So that's that's not the language we talk all the time. I mean, it depends. Depends on the gate. That's why I say you gotta kind of have a few ways. I mean, I'll understand stuff as like, oh, I'm playing a triad here and this other triad here, and I'm making this chord right here, you know.
SPEAKER_02So I said uh uh major in your right hand, it should be uh uh suspended in your right hand to make a mark minor seven sharp. Yeah, but I mean close. It's just just in case anybody wants to challenge me and be like, you don't know what you're talking about.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, man. So what um what's next, man? What what what what do you want to do that you haven't done yet?
SPEAKER_02Okay, so my goal in life uh or goal as a musician career-wise is to play in the Grammys, which I'm thinking about.
SPEAKER_04Well, you you you might you almost there, play a Super Bowl, you almost there, you in the right camp for that stuff, and then uh some sort of TV show.
SPEAKER_02I mean, I've done TV shows, but I want to be in the house band of the T show.
SPEAKER_05Okay, you want to have like a gig.
SPEAKER_02I want to be the roots, yeah, or be like um the guy, uh Ray True. And uh like on dancing with the stars, yeah. Yeah, they playing some good songs.
SPEAKER_05Yes, that's I mean, I'm sure, I'm sure although it's probably has a stress, it's probably super fun. Yeah, I mean and I mean stress-wise, it's the stress of the job.
SPEAKER_02The voice TV show. So uh one of my guys, Tim Stewart, one of my mentors, he was playing American Idol, and then he went to the voice, and he was like, they doing 70 songs, and you get like a few days to learn all 70 songs. So that's the stress.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's work. But yeah, I mean, it's it's again, it's the job. If that's if that's what you do, then that's what you do. And if like for me, I've always been split-minded in terms of work because I've always been like hustling. I've been a teacher, and at the same time, I go home and do a gig in, you know, in Virginia, then you know, on Friday night, and then come back and gotta be at sound check at 5 a.m. in New York. So that was my hustle. I mean, it was it it drained me, you know what I'm saying? But just trying to do it all. But I would imagine that if I just was like, okay, I'm gonna just do this 70 songs, if that's all you're doing, it's still stressful, but it's different because it's you know, your mind is focused on it.
SPEAKER_02One perk which I will say is I'm not the greatest reader, but I can read charts, I can read uh whether it be the number system charts or the actual real book charts, whatever. No, notation still that's where I was talking about Farth, my professor. She exposed me with that. Notation is still questionable. I need to.
SPEAKER_05Well, notation is all about practice, man. I need some time in advance. Well, that yeah, again, the thing is, even me, because I just don't get the practice, you know what I'm saying? It's like it's a thing where if you don't, if you if your job don't require it, mine don't which you know what I'm saying? Like, you could be playing for a decade, and then next thing you know, you're trying to get this gig over here, and they like, yeah, we need to do hymns. And it's like, okay, I could play the hymns, but you know, I I had that situation and I had to grow, I had to like get better at it and get more you get faster at it.
SPEAKER_02That's another thing for the more advanced students, or like not students, but like proteges, like guys that are learning and can play, like AJ is one of them. Yeah, I'm like, bro, if you can read, that is a crutch. Yeah, about 10, 15 years younger than me, please read. Yeah. Because like getting 70 songs, but it's all charts. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You literally just read it's like reading a book. You know, if you can't read, yeah, and you gotta make your own whatever system you have to have as far as you still gotta interpret, you still gotta figure it out.
SPEAKER_05Even even if you can't read, let's say you just good, your ear is good, you still gotta go in and and and less listen to all of those songs.
SPEAKER_02Your ear is only gonna be as good as much as you can remember.
SPEAKER_05Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02And so, for example, here's my I mean, of course, I use my iPad.
SPEAKER_05Oh, for your gig, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02All my my charts are here, and the number, I use the number system, but in every dot is uh a beat.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02But a joint. And then if it's a line, I put an asterisk there. Okay. All right, so I know it's a line, and if I need to push it, I'll be I'll put uh whatever the triangle is. Okay. The keystroke on the joint. Push that right before the joint, so I know I'm gonna push it in like a yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05No, but you gotta have a system. You gotta that's oh wow.
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