source file: m1378.txt
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 15:47:47 -0400

Subject: RE: Hendrix

From: "Paul H. Erlich" <PErlich@Acadian-Asset.com>

>}It 
>}points out that the intellect is secondary when it comes to producing 
>}profound music...Hstick
>
>I agree that Jimi was not thinking about ratios, etc. when playing -- but
>intellect had to be there to decide where to put the frets on the guitar, and
>the entire musical culture Jimi grew up in (and derived his music from) was
>stuck with that same intellectual decision. Jimi did a lot of free
>exploration, but the structures, especially chord progressions, of his tunes
>relied both on the culture and the tuning he was stuck with.
>
>The cool thing about the better part of '90s alternative rock (e.g., Liz
>Phair) is that you get the sense that the guitar chords were "found", rather
>than learned, and yet a strong compositional sense is at work. Let's give the
>next generation of alternative rockers some new tunings in which to find
>their chords!
>
>First comes music, then comes intellectual analysis, which may find that
>musicians were aiming for certain ratios, etc., without realizing it, then
>comes an expansion of musical resources based on that analysis, then the
>intellectual part can be removed again and more music made.