Playing along with the TV

[Tone2TheBone]

How many of you practice while watching TV? How many of you play along with the music that is ON the TV? Are you adept at finding the right key to play along in...playing jazz or blues licks to a commercial melody? Grinding out power rhythms to evening World News program theme songs?

I once read that Eddie Van Halen used to play in front of his TV constantly while it was on. Noodling and practicing while he watching programs. He said it got his mind away from figuring things out mentally and allowed his subconscious to take over. Playing along with whats coming out on the TV is a different take on this idea but it does yield some good things and funny laughs and smiles from your family. Needless to say you must be in tune to a standard tuning mode in order to do this correctly.

[warren0728]

never have...but it makes sense. I think sometimes i concentrate so much on finding the right note i totally miss it!

ww

[Tim]

Good idea Tone. It might speed up my inability to find the right key and chord progression. This is one of my weaknesses.

[marnold***]

I was watching VH1 Classic a little while ago and was watching Metal Mania. Some Europe song was on which I realized was in A. I began doing some lame A minor pentatonic noodling which fit in rather nicely. It was nothing to get a recording contract over, but it was kind of cool that I could do it.

[jpfeifer]

This is a great idea. I do this sometimes when I get bored with practicing other things. I've learned some interesting things by doing this.

When you practice in front of the TV you become more aware of how they use certain musical techniques to evoke different moods. I used to try to learn some of these things just for fun.

Here's some of the things that I learned :
- whole tone scales are used to make things sound funny and wacky (check out the Simpson's theme) They also use the whole tone scale in cartoons to give the impression of someone walking up or down stairs, for example.
- the Lydian mode is used a lot in scenes where they want to make things sound dreamy and innocent.
- The old Looney Toons cartoons had some incredible music that went along with the action. I can't imagine the guys who were sight reading that stuff in some recording studio.

-- Jim

[M29]

Hello,

Just recently I have been trying to figure out the guitar part in Tim Taylor's show "Tool Time". I found a tab and a website with the song on it but the tab does not seem right.

M29

[duhvoodooman***]

I don't think this counts, but it's still a coincidence. I was playing around tonight with the Henry Mancini-written theme song from "Peter Gunn", after hearing Roy Buchanan do it on his "Deluxe Edition" greatest hits CD. Man, that show has been off the air since 1961!!! BTW, it was directed by Robert Altman...

[Katastrophe]

Great post, Tone! That's exactly how I trained my ear before I took lessons. I'd sit for hours and just orchestrate the backing music for whatever show was on...

I still do that when I have the house to myself (which is rare, but that's OK!).

On a related note, I learned how to solo by picking radio stations at random and playing whatever style of music happened to be on. One song could be lounge jazz, the next, Metallica!

[Spudman***]

I find that I am very creative when the TV is on without any sound. I follow the visuals with my playing and make my own soundtracks. I don't really think about what I'm seeing, I just play how my body feels in response to the images or sequence of images on the tube.
I've gotten some pretty good ideas this way.

[warren0728]

I find that I am very creative when the TV is on without any sound.

i am known for having the tv on with no sound with music playing instead. It's always fun when the music actually matches up with whats on the tube....gonna have to try this playing along with the tv (although my wife will probably think i'm crazy)...like she doesn't already!!

ww

[Tone2TheBone]

Spud and Warren - interesting take. Good job. All great comments you guys.

[Tim]

Fellow Fretters,

I am finding this post absolutely fascinating. Great post the Tone. I am reading the replies from other fretters and realize that this method is the best free ear training lesson any musical instrument player can acquire.

The “golden tidbits” of information being generated on this topic is just unbelievable. I hope more Fretters can contribute. This weekend I will be putting a spare TV in my music/studio room. I do not believe my wife would tolerate me attempting to playi along with the band on the “Emerald Live” show on the Food Network TV channel.

I have tried to play along with music from the local Smooth Jazz radio station (also XM Radio) but have difficulty figuring out the key and chord progressions before the song ends. I can figure out the key within the first 30 seconds of the song. The chord progressions sometimes never become known. Those minors always through me for a loop. I gotta figure out the system

[Tone2TheBone]

Tim,

I wanted to hear what you guys would have to say about this. The TV could be on...or off...or you could have the stereo on...or not have anything on at all. I wanted to hear each of your reactions to the question. We got good responses. Either hearing music audibly or in our mind's eye in a quiet room (the music and melody)...I think it makes us try harder to pick up on the keys and/or allows us to let some of those screaming solos inside us flow. It's like a group of guys in a band asking you to set in and play with them...impromptu. Suddenly you're put on the spot having to perform. What are you gonna do? Little exercises like this hardwire those connections in our brains to be able to connect with the music at hand. Ear training 101.

[Tim]

It's like a group of guys in a band asking you to set it and play with them...impromptu. Suddenly you're put on the spot having to perform. What are you gonna do?

I was thinking the same thing. If one could become proficient at the above exercises, then jamming with a bunch of guys would become an easy thing to accomplish. There would be no “put on the spot” circumstance. Instead, one would shine while everyone stands in amazement on what a great guitar player you are.

The positive attributes are endless:

JP mentioned in his post, we would “become more aware of how they use certain musical techniques to evoke different moods”.

As Katastrophie mentioned about “picking radio stations at random and playing whatever style of music happened to be on. One song could be lounge jazz, the next, Metallica”.

I also was amazed at JP’s other post on:

- whole tone scales are used to make things sound funny and wacky (check out the Simpson's theme) They also use the whole tone scale in cartoons to give the impression of someone walking up or down stairs, for example.
- the Lydian mode is used a lot in scenes where they want to make things sound dreamy and innocent.
- The old Looney Toons cartoons had some incredible music that went along with the action. I can't imagine the guys who were sight reading that stuff in some recording studio.

These are excellent learning aids either passed on or originally used by the Fretter’s themselves. Like I have said before, this forum is the “best” on the internet. Everyone contributes something, everyone learns something.

[Katastrophe]

I have tried to play along with music from the local Smooth Jazz radio station (also XM Radio) but have difficulty figuring out the key and chord progressions before the song ends. I can figure out the key within the first 30 seconds of the song. The chord progressions sometimes never become known. Those minors always through me for a loop. I gotta figure out the system

Jazz can be tricky... Different chord inversions and substitutions with obscure chords, coupled with multiple key changes, at often lightning fast speeds can give many players (myself included) fits. But, that's the fun of it all, challenging yourself with the unknown and trying to make it work!

[jpfeifer]

Tim,

You know, it can be useful to have some of these musical tid bits from TV up your sleeve.

One time I was called to play with a band for an awards banquett. We were on the stage the whole time and had to make up these little song snippets to play at different spots in the awards ceremony. One of the tricks that I saved for the right time was the theme for the Twilight Zone. It sounds really nice played on electric (sounds just like the TV show) You can do this part on one guitar on the E and B strings above the 12th fret. Don't ask me why I decided to learn that way back when, but it came in handy on that one gig. I played that snippet in the ceremony where someone had to answer a gag question from the Emcee. When the guy gave the wrong answer I played that Twilight Zone snippet and it got a big laugh out of the audience.

We also made up a short phrase to play that sounded like game show music that is normally played during the "you just won a new car!" kind of vibe. We used this snippet as our music to play if someone got the right answer. We just played a short 2 bar thing with only two chords (Gmaj7/A followed by Dmaj9) The keyboard player set his tone to a cheap organ sound and we both played this phrase together. It worked really well and the people enjoyed the cheap imitations that we were doing for their ceremony.

Another funny trick is to play a dimished chord several times, decending by a 1/2 step for each chord. Play this kind of slowly and it sounds kind of like the guitar is laughing. Use this when someone cracks a joke, as an alternative to the usual rimshot+cymbal thing for the punch line.

-- Jim

[Robert****]

I play the theme to "King of the Hill" once in a while to get a smile from people. It's fun to play. Same with "The Simpsons".

[Tone2TheBone]

I play the theme to "King of the Hill" once in a while to get a smile from people. It's fun to play...

Rob - I learned that puppy when I got the MIM Strat. LMAO Too funny but it sounds great when you play it with attitude!

[tremoloman***]

How many of you practice while watching TV? How many of you play along with the music that is ON the TV?

Yes, I'm guilty of this pleasure. I always teach myself the music or themes from television shows I like. This habit of mine explains why I've learned the following theme songs:

Card Sharks
King Of The Hill
Law & Order
Looney Tunes
Most Extreme Elimination Challenge (aka MXC)
Space Battleship Yamato (the entire soundtrack!)
The Munsters
The Pink Panther Theme
The Rockford Files
Unsolved Mysteries
World Poker Tour

We play some of these in my band as openeing music when we come back from breaks. We open every gig with the 'MXC' theme. Great song to get warmed up to.