Dear friends,
this is the video to my new album „Last Discoveries“, released today, 30.11.2017. You can pre-listen all the Songs on my website www.erlendkrauser.de
This album - my work from end of 2015 until October 2017 - is kind of a „coping with the past“ but also a fresh, cool and very exciting start in a new dimension of playing my beloved instrument - the guitar !
Some Songs Hansi ( James Last ) chose as guitar solos for me, especially songs of the artist Christina Aguilera, guided me to another technique in playing the guitar. It was the biggest gift I received from the Big Force, I am aware of ! A door opened for me, and some invisible touch blessed my being, talking silently, almost unhearable, to my soul.
When this happended, in 2008, Hansi suggested „Hurt“ by Chr. Aguilera as my new guitar solo for the forthcoming tour.
I remember sitting in my studio in Hamburg, absolutely clueless about „HOW“ to play this wonderful song, without ruining or harming it.
To play the song with my „old technique“ was boaring, sounded trivial....
I was desperate.....clueless.....and close to catch the phone and tell Hansi that I cannot do this song as a guitar solo.....I had tears in my eyes and gave up......
Then something amazing happened: an inner voice spoke to me....
„It“ said: „free your right hand from that little thing you hold between your thumb and your forefinger“ !
I was in another state of mind.....couldn‘t understand......tears in my eyes.....
Then I realized, step by step, what that voice tried to explain in that little message !
The Song „Hurt“ has a few melodies in which there are a lot of „repeating“ notes. I had to find a way to play these notes in different spots of the guitar, so that they don‘t repeat in the same „colour“...... And there it was, this magic moment: like a little child which starts trying to walk, coming from crawling on the floor, I tried to „tap“ two different „D“ notes, one after the other, one in the 12th fret of the D-String and next in the 7th fret of the G-String ! Same note, huge different colour ! This is how it all started !
I could not beleive what I heard ! Those two D notes changed my whole guitar playing since !
I started to practise hours and hours and hours......and didn’t stop until today.
I had so much joy and response from the instrument, I could have spent years without eating and sleeping, just playing and listening to the beauty of this new sound. Tapping the guitar ( instead of playing with a pic ) generates another tone on the guitar. The overtones are completely different and one can play frases and legatos which only the singer with the human voice can do.
When I realized this, I new that this was not only a present...it was my future ! I became aware of, that this technique will guide me to a much more intense playing, to frases never heard before, to much stronger expression of my inner voice in music and on the instrument.
I wish to share this little story with all of you, just because it is an essential part of this new album.
I am very greatful for this gift, and that it was given to ME !
Thank you Hansi, thank you inner voice, thank „it“ ! Gassho-, Love&Light.