Cannon in C major My Good Man


We will always admire our classical roots....
No two guitar players are the same. We may share similar musical tastes and playing styles, but note for note we are each our own unique player that differentiates us from one another. I believe, that in the first steps of learning the instrument, a lay out of the path upon which musical virtues we indulge in will be established. From the various backgrounds we are from, to the music we choose to listen to; there are just too many factors on what shapes us as guitar players. It is most certain however, that a country finger picking player will distinguish him or herself from an 80's shred aficionado.

...but we will always love to rock out!
 
Yet, with all our differences aside, we still like learn from one another, incorporating musical techniques from across various genres. So, what brings us together in today's post is the song "Cannon." There are air quotes on that word because, you see in music, a canon is a compositional technique that employs a melody with one or more imitations of the melody played after a given duration. Well back around 2006 or so, a man with the name JerryC takes to youtube and performs a guitar driven melody in the style of cannon. To his creativity, he title the song just that, "Cannon." What soon followed was an astounding number of other guitar players posting up their versions of the song Cannon, each demonstrating their skills and their different musical backgrounds. Now, I'm sure a majority of these guitar players were trying to one up the next player, because hey, we all love to slay our idols. What I don't they were realizing at the time, was that this song was bringing together a slew of musicians. Jazz players, country players, classic rock players, etc. They all took the time to sit down and learn this song, a truly wonderful moment that was almost ubiquitous to many. 
Now the song itself is a musical tour de force, showcasing many technicalities, arpeggios, and of course, well crafted melodic structure. The flurry of these notes were just built to sing, and igniting them on guitar is wonder to behold. Learning this song is a milestone for many players out there, and I am still working on my version! Take a listen to the original version, your ears will certainty thank you. 




I am a simple minded guitarist, and I admire the song Cannon like I admire my steaks. Well Done, sir.

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