13 yr old plays Hendrix

Couver_ · Post by **Couver_** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 9:30 pm

http://home.comcast.net/~kvan4/treytosh.wmv

Trey Tosh

Like many blues stories do, Trey Tosh's starts with a girl.

It was last August, weeks before school started up again, and his girlfriend left him.

"She broke up with me and walked away with my best friend," Tosh says, a hint of heartache still in his voice.

His reaction was what you would expect from a 12-year-old.

So he exiled himself to his room. He was listening to Jonny Lang's "Breakin' Me," and that struck him.

Then he heard his stepdad listening to Vaughan and that struck him harder.

"I ran upstairs and grabbed my stepdad's guitar, and I started rocking out," Tosh says.

He learned the song "Texas Flood" note for note, and soon he was in his room even more. Only now it wasn't dwelling on a girl; it was practicing guitar until 2 in the morning.

"I think my stepdad was really happy because I didn't listen to, like, Slipknot anymore," Tosh says.

Since then, Tosh has been obsessed with the blues, soaking in everything he can. He's secured a biweekly gig at Porky's, where he covers tunes from Vaughan, Hendrix, Chuck Berry and Eric Clapton.

Of course, he looks a bit conspicuous in bars. One night he was playing at Sheri's Roadhouse in Clovis. It was 11:30 p.m., and a man stopped Tosh and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Tosh explained he was there to play the blues.

"Are you serious?" was the man's response.

"It's kinda weird seeing someone my age inspired by this kind of music," Tosh says. "Nowadays, everybody my age is listening to emo and metal and that kind of stuff."

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 9:34 pm

NOT BAD!

DCrazy · Post by **DCrazy** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 9:37 pm

Reminds me of when the old vid of Tony Royster Jr. (the insane 13-year-old -- now 18-year-old -- black drummer kid) was posted here. Sick.

Sirius · Post by **Sirius** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 10:58 pm

Nothing wrong with the right kind of metal.

Other than that I have to agree... it's nice to see some younger ones with taste.

Will Robinson · Post by **Will Robinson** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 8:21 am

[Simon mode]
His timing is rushed, he plays like a trained monkey.
I'll be more impressed when he really 'feels' the music instead of acting like he does.
[/Simon mode]

Still, for such a short time playing he's off to a good start.

Unix · Post by **Unix** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 9:49 am

Props to him.

Although his tone is crap IMO.

Pun · Post by **Pun** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 9:58 am

only a year playing? I gotta say "wow"

TheCops · Post by **TheCops** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 10:10 am

i have to say i'm not a big fan of the teenage blues kid fascination... i mean you can learn the mechanics of the blues... but it's the emotion that really is the point... and that requires life experience. this kid is really good actually... even if he is reacting to the deep heartbreak of middle school puppy love.

;-0

Testiculese · Post by **Testiculese** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 11:27 am

What a drama queen! What he's playing isn't terribly hard, yet he's making faces like he's playing Anthrax or something. But yea, he's not bad technically, especially for just one year.

Nice thing about today's world, you can learn much more in the same amount of time. When I was a year into playing, I couldn't even think of playing that. But there was no internet, no easy access to videos, no one to talk to from around the world for pointers and tips and tricks. No one to show me anything. (I never did get around to taking lessons either). I had to learn everything by ear...none of this nice easy tablature we have now. I didn't get a tab book until I had been playing 3-4 years.

Tricord · Post by **Tricord** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 11:48 am

Drama queen x2, but you still gotta do it.

TheCops, I disagree on the teenage blues thing. I've been listening to Blues ever since I started listening to music as a kid, and it's been Blues and Jazz ever since. Sure I evolved, but that doesn't mean that kind of music wasn't accessible for me back then.

As a musician, I always improvise... So I'll admit that what comes out of the piano depends greatly on the mood I am in. Sometimes it just rolls and rolls, sometimes I quit after five minutes because it's going nowhere.

Testiculese · Post by **Testiculese** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 11:51 am

I guess..I make about as many facial contortions with guitar as I do with Descent.

Then again I'm not 13...then again, I still didn't do that when I was 13.

I know what you mean by going nowhere...what I try to do to alleviate the no-mood is to load an album I can play, and run through a few songs. This kicks me out of a stagnation half the time, since it's usually only that my hands haven't warmed up yet to play fluidly. Burn out the kinks in a 1/2 hour of playing something else, and then play what you want, and it comes out easier.

Perediablo · Post by **Perediablo** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 12:57 pm

Unix wrote:Props to him.

Although his tone is crap IMO.

I really dig that tone! It's very Stevie Ray Vaughn-like. It's that old 70's VOX amplifier killer bright bluesy tone. And out of a single coil strat? Nice!

Great post Couv! Thanks.

woodchip · Post by **woodchip** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 4:09 pm

Heh, since the link didn't work, as I read the post I kept waiting for the punch line. For real huh?

Zuruck · Post by **Zuruck** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 7:49 am

Cops, my friend is like that. He wants to play the blues. He wants to live the blues. Only problem, his dad pays for everything for him and he lives in a little suite and has no worries. Blues isn't about the music, it's about the life, the feeling, the emotions. That and he liked John Mayer last year and the blues is just his next flavor of the month. I don't have the audio at work, is he playing Hendrix or his own song? I'd be more impressed if it was his own stuff, and what Hendrix song is he trying?

Eagle132 · Post by **Eagle132** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 9:10 am

Wow, he's not bad for a kid his age. Though I agree, his facial expressions look SO fake. But I could never play stuff like that...not yet at least

I myself own a standard Telecaster, I got it for Christmas, and it's pretty good. Beat the crappy suzuki acoustic i had before LOL

But yeah, anways...lol

Edit:
Here's a link to the mp3 of the song if you just can't get the tune out of your head, like me

http://sexypenguins.com/upload/treytosh.mp3

Zuruck · Post by **Zuruck** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 10:41 am

Mexican or American tele Eagle?

Perediablo · Post by **Perediablo** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 2:47 pm

Zuruck wrote:what Hendrix song is he trying?

It is "Little Wing". But he is playing the Stevie Ray Vaughn version of it which has no vocals in it.

Eagle132 · Post by **Eagle132** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 3:35 pm

Zuruck, it says "Made in Mexico" so I'm assuming it's a Mexican

STRESSTEST · Post by **STRESSTEST** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 3:51 pm

Perediablo wrote:
Zuruck wrote:what Hendrix song is he trying?
It is "Little Wing". But he is playing the Stevie Ray Vaughn version of it which has no vocals in it.

...and is something like twice as long @ 6:45 long here

Phoenix Red · Post by **Phoenix Red** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 6:00 pm

TheCops wrote:i have to say i'm not a big fan of the teenage blues kid fascination... i mean you can learn the mechanics of the blues... but it's the emotion that really is the point... and that requires life experience. this kid is really good actually... even if he is reacting to the deep heartbreak of middle school puppy love.

;-0

um, oh noes? He's allowed to like whatever music he wants. I think you're jsut sad you're not unique for being an old stick anymore

as a non guitar player, it sounds fine to me.

TheCops · Post by **TheCops** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 6:14 pm

Phoenix Red wrote:um, oh noes? He's allowed to like whatever music he wants. I think you're jsut sad you're not unique for being an old stick anymore

fair enough.

but white child 12 years of age mocking hendrix-via-vaughn ain't quite the same as john lee hooker being forced into shite travel conditions (after the booking agent took his 65%) ain't quite the same is it now smarty pants?

edit: or perhaps albert king getting a carton of smokes and 10 bux for a single that sold 300,000 copies? i'm sorry PR you have no sense of music history... the list goes on. i already said the kid was "really good" but it doesn't make him a 'blues master", i mean clapton ain't one... he's a rich british boy.

Will Robinson · Post by **Will Robinson** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 6:24 pm

Forget about who's lived it or not, just on a performance level watch a video of Stevie Ray doing that tune and then watch this kid again and you'll know he's mimicking the very performance he's no doubt studied frame by frame, body movements, facial expressions etc.
Not to take away from his natural ability which he must have to progress that far but he's obviously more concerned with looking like the man he's copying than playing the parts correctly...let alone actually feeling them. He'll be there one day and sooner than most but that is not a stellar performance.

Phoenix Red · Post by **Phoenix Red** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 10:30 pm

TheCops wrote:
Phoenix Red wrote:um, oh noes? He's allowed to like whatever music he wants. I think you're jsut sad you're not unique for being an old stick anymore
fair enough.

but white child 12 years of age mocking hendrix-via-vaughn ain't quite the same as john lee hooker being forced into ****e travel conditions (after the booking agent took his 65%) ain't quite the same is it now smarty pants?

edit: or perhaps albert king getting a carton of smokes and 10 bux for a single that sold 300,000 copies? i'm sorry PR you have no sense of music history... the list goes on. i already said the kid was "really good" but it doesn't make him a 'blues master", i mean clapton ain't one... he's a rich british boy.

Music history? No, I don't. That may or may not be the source of our disagreement, but I just don't understand why you need to be a miserable sod to enjoy blues.

Pull the "you can't understand it" card on me and we'll have a nice discussion on the meaning of the word art, and whether or not art that can't convey it's thesis to anyone who hasn't experienced the referant can be called good.

Vindicator · Post by **Vindicator** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 10:47 pm

Jebus, he's 13 years old and can play a mean guitar. Why not leave it at that?

MehYam · Post by **MehYam** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 10:51 pm

Impressive for one year playing, but I'll be a critic for this poor kid too... he needs to use his ear more, to keep from bending the strings out of tune. His intonation makes his playing almost unlistenable, even though there's some really good stuff happening there too.

At 13, though, he can take 10 years to learn that part and still be an impressive 23 year old bluesman.

Clayman · Post by **Clayman** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 11:46 pm

That was cool, but it's quite obvious that it's faked more than felt.

Forget about who's lived it or not, just on a performance level watch a video of Stevie Ray doing that tune and then watch this kid again and you'll know he's mimicking the very performance he's no doubt studied frame by frame, body movements, facial expressions etc.

That's what I kept thinking, "he thinks he's Stevie Ray Vaughan, and he's not." I've actually pretty surprised that he didn't even wear the hat or use the SRV model, but then maybe he doesn't have the money for that yet.

Birdseye · Post by **Birdseye** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 11:55 pm

am I the only one that noticed he went off time a bunch of times (especially in the first 1/3)?

Already beats the pants off me at playing the blues!

Although, I do agree somewhat with theCops. Little Wing and the 12 bar blues are what everyone plays when they teach you guitar. I just hear it way too much, not that it is bad.

Zuruck · Post by **Zuruck** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 7:29 am

Geez, what school of music did you guys go to? I was not quite so lucky to get to learn and execute Stevie Ray Vaughn in my first year, especially one of his more opus pieces in Little Wing. I think it took me a year just to learn the opening parts to Stairway to Heaven and sunshine of your love. The only song that I'll play around with live is watchtower. Rest of his stuff shouldn't be played in a bar or on stage. Nobody can capture what that man did on stage, I don't care if you hit it note for note, it's not the same.

Dedman · Post by **Dedman** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 12:08 pm

The only thing remarkable is that he is only 13. Other than that, eh.

Testiculese · Post by **Testiculese** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 12:16 pm

Will, don't forget he's a 13yo male..they're prone to wild exaggerations. He probably really did think he was Stevie up there. Which is just as funny, really.

Tricord · Post by **Tricord** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 2:34 pm

By the way, anyone familiar with the bassline and could give me the notes? I'm too lazy to fish them out but sounds like I can do something with it on my piano

Pun · Post by **Pun** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 3:05 pm

There's no doubt that to be able to do that after a year is an amazing accomplishment, even if he is "parroting". I mean, just to be able to make your hands do that after only months of playing is extraordinary.

I'm not sure that I agree with the idea that you have to be a 62 year old black man that grew up on a sharecropping farm to be able to play the blues, however. To me, the blues is a form of self-exorcism. A way of dealing with pain by pouring it out through music. Regardless of the history of the blues, who's to say that anyone who has experienced pain or hardship in their lives can't express it through music? I'm sure there's a lot of young kids out there who have had some pretty nasty life experiences by the time they've reached their teen years, unfortunately, and have the scars to prove it. Just because someone is young doesn't mean they're not hurting inside as most of us could never imagine, and releasing those feelings through music is no doubt the blues in the true spirit of the artform. I'm not saying that this is the case with this kid. I'm just illustrating the point that I believe anybody with some serious hurt can make blues.

Perediablo · Post by **Perediablo** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 5:12 pm

punisher wrote:There's no doubt that to be able to do that after a year is an amazing accomplishment, even if he is "parroting". I mean, just to be able to make your hands do that after only months of playing is extraordinary.

I'm not sure that I agree with the idea that you have to be a 62 year old black man that grew up on a sharecropping farm to be able to play the blues, however. To me, the blues is a form of self-exorcism. A way of dealing with pain by pouring it out through music. Regardless of the history of the blues, who's to say that anyone who has experienced pain or hardship in their lives can't express it through music? I'm sure there's a lot of young kids out there who have had some pretty nasty life experiences by the time they've reached their teen years, unfortunately, and have the scars to prove it. Just because someone is young doesn't mean they're not hurting inside as most of us could never imagine, and releasing those feelings through music is no doubt the blues in the true spirit of the artform. I'm not saying that this is the case with this kid. I'm just illustrating the point that I believe anybody with some serious hurt can make blues.

x2 Bro! If you feel it, then play it.

roid · Post by **roid** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 6:09 am

the kid probabaly really enjoys the song.
you don't have to be famous to enjoy what you're doing.