4/23/15 Yesterday my nephew came here while waiting for his sax concert. While he was here I decided I needed to practice guitar. The cool thing is that I really just wanted to take my time, as I have gone back to the basics, and get the transition chord from G to C and back. And it worked! It felt good. I have realized that I feel better if I don't look at the chords when I play them.
Also, I met Beth Veach for the first time yesterday. She is a career coach. Interesting woman, maybe because she gets me to talk about things I'M interested in. Lol
Sat. I have a lighting practice after I help with oil changes at Concord Baptist Church and then maybe the rest of the shingles up. Its gonna be a busy day. Hope I'm not boring you. :-)
Friday, April 24, 2015
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Ap 22nd. This is certainly a work in progress - learning how to blog, getting this written down on computer and learning the guitar.
Good morning! My change has been, well for one, guitar lessons. Somehow I want to show you a fretboard so's we can take the mystery out of it, so I can show you how I'm learning it.
Good morning! My change has been, well for one, guitar lessons. Somehow I want to show you a fretboard so's we can take the mystery out of it, so I can show you how I'm learning it.
This is the layout of the fretboard (that line down the middle is separating the first 12 frets, which starts a whole new set - octave. This layout has more fret positions than my guitar has. Dont' even concern yourself with that. Just look at the notes until the dots, at the bottom of the picture, double the first time), I'm so excited to show you this! I thought it was so mysterious! I like mysterious, but I wanted to learn the doggone thing! So, here it is laid out! Not so mysterious now is it. I have a friend who says it is based on math. We'll take a look at that later and hopefully take the mystery out of it!
But for now, look at that!
See, the top and the bottom strings are the same! Boom, you have it! Now do realize that what you are looking at is the the neck of the guitar if you are holding it and you just slide it down your leg onto your lap and up on my screen. So, the "E" at the top of the page is the "E" on the bottom (thinnest ) string when you are holding it like you play it.
If that's confusing, just hold it, slide it down your leg as is, into your lap and hold it up to your computer screen. Wahla! It looks like this! (Reading Tab is the same thing. I got used to it after a little bit. You will too. :-) )
So, repeating myself cause I love what I'm learning and want you to know as we journey together, we are learning:
1 - major chords (multiple fingers on the strings in groups of notes)
2) strumming
3) scales (individual notes in a line that sound good played in a sequence)
4) the notes on the frets, string by string, find patterns. Don't look at it as a whole if you are not accustomed to it. It'll drive you crazy.
5) and, songs. Simple is good right now cause you have alot to work on at once. Lol Chord, timing, strumming, finger position and movement, and how hard you have to put your fingers down.
But you are building muscle memory, so just practice and it will come to you! More small practices per day and NOT more time in each practice, unless you are just having fun. :-) Its better that way.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
I just bought a guitar. Well, on Thursday of last week. What I have learned is that if you say you want to play the guitar, you obviously don't own one. Or you don't play one. I have learned that to play a guitar you must play a guitar. Everyday. I have now played the guitar everyday and I have just scratched the surface ("No, not there!" There is actually a scratch on the back, but I don't how it got there. Just a little surface scratch. Oh well). But its fun. Something else I am learning is how to learn it. I mean there are lesson everywhere on Youtube, but which one and how...And how to practice.... Any thoughts? I am open to suggestions... :-)
Oh, and I am taking dance lesson. Take that! Lol
2/07/2015
Yesterday was my brother's Birthday. I almost forgot, even today, because you "don't remind him". I made him mad enough yesterday when we talked about helping him pass a test he really wants to pass, but hates taking tests. Not your ordinary hate. Fist pounding on the application for the test, tests.
I practiced fingering last night and it came easier tonight! (No innuendos meant there. :-) ) Also the changing from C chord to D was good tonight! I was surprised it came easier and just kept on, even closing my eyes and practicing doing it by feel. I believe Ihave the guitar in me. :-)
I'm learning that if just give it the time that feels good and keep on it, making small meals I might can learn "faster." I want to impress my teacher, but more, I want to learn the guitar and be able to make riffs and use the scales maybe in different than normal ways? to make music.
2/10/15
We, friends of mine, my nephew and me, went to see American Sniper last night. One of the things of interest to me(!) about the movie is that is talks about how this training will in effect cause your subconscious to move or less pull the trigger and you will be "less involved". (Dig I get that right? :-) ). That's what I want with my fingers on the guitar.
Well, I noticed that, since i care, I am playing better and ideas come to me on variations of playing.
1) Practice with eyes closed
2) Go slow, watch fingers, listen,
3) Go back and forth over it
4) Care about what I am doing
5) Play different things instead of the ususal or different ways
6) Experiment
7) Play faster, but being careful or play slower and pay more attention
7) Practice a song I like
But you get the idea. Immerse, maybe that's what I'm doing.
My fingers are finding more notes (stretching) and I can play the chord better (C to D to E minor, I think) than I played it a day ago. Thank You!
I think it is pretty cool. I began to realize last night that I COULD play the guitar!... :-) Good feeling.
April 21st, 2015
I just noticed that I haven't written much about the "guitar experience"! I want to follow this, better. I bought this guitar on the 29th of Jan. 2015, I think, and started taking lesson on Feb. 9 or 10th. I practiced and learned some through ALOT of youtube videos. I realized soon after that that I am going to need a teacher. There are ALOT of videos and teachers online. But it misses the relationship between two people who care about teh same thing, learning it "together".
In the last couple of days I learned that I need to learn the guitar MY way. There was a guy at class last week who learns by playing the chord through the songs that the teacher gives. I realized that I needed to conquer the mysterious notes on the fretboard and learn the fretboard. Using the E string and using the frets that I reference to tune the guitar, and some other tips and tricks I realized that I could narrow down the fretboard and learn some of the notes there. And there are 72 that I need to learn to begin. We'll think about the rest later. And there is also chord transition and strumming that I need to learn. ALOT of different elements! But I am picking it up. "Its not the only thing in life."
I am a little miffed at my teacher. He has me paying for each month with the starting of each month. But I started the second week in February AND I was supposed to get an extra day FREE! BUT he gives me an hour each class (mostly) and he normally gives only a half an hour, he says. But he IS a Christian, so I "have" to believe that he's doing the best he can. I'm going to put the videos I make of him showing me things up on youtube so maybe we can get him a following and he will stop making me pay for lesson. Lol
So, chronicling what I am doing on the guitar, and I may put some of the videos up here, too. (If you know how, respond in the comments. That will get you some free tips and tricks to playing guitar! :-) )
So, to summarize, before I have to run out of the house, late for an appointment:
1) We're learning the fretboard notes
2) we're learning chords and how to change between like G and C or A and E, notes that make sense to hear together, B and f#m
3) Also, I'm learning the intro to Stairway to Heaven and the slide from the 5th fret on the E to the 8th (reminder to myself)
4) strumming down down up up down
Its a , not a slow progress, cause it depends on how fast you want to learn, but it is a muscle-familiar, along with what's in your head memory of where the chord/note is and how the map is made in your imagination. Ooooow, I said that!
This blog also lets me just talk and talk and "get it out". I hope you find some enjoyment in reading it and, amazingly, since it is so personal, I am open to critiques. I'd like to know how this sounds as YOU read it. Thanks! You'll make me better. :-)
2/07/2015
Yesterday was my brother's Birthday. I almost forgot, even today, because you "don't remind him". I made him mad enough yesterday when we talked about helping him pass a test he really wants to pass, but hates taking tests. Not your ordinary hate. Fist pounding on the application for the test, tests.
I practiced fingering last night and it came easier tonight! (No innuendos meant there. :-) ) Also the changing from C chord to D was good tonight! I was surprised it came easier and just kept on, even closing my eyes and practicing doing it by feel. I believe Ihave the guitar in me. :-)
I'm learning that if just give it the time that feels good and keep on it, making small meals I might can learn "faster." I want to impress my teacher, but more, I want to learn the guitar and be able to make riffs and use the scales maybe in different than normal ways? to make music.
2/10/15
We, friends of mine, my nephew and me, went to see American Sniper last night. One of the things of interest to me(!) about the movie is that is talks about how this training will in effect cause your subconscious to move or less pull the trigger and you will be "less involved". (Dig I get that right? :-) ). That's what I want with my fingers on the guitar.
Well, I noticed that, since i care, I am playing better and ideas come to me on variations of playing.
1) Practice with eyes closed
2) Go slow, watch fingers, listen,
3) Go back and forth over it
4) Care about what I am doing
5) Play different things instead of the ususal or different ways
6) Experiment
7) Play faster, but being careful or play slower and pay more attention
7) Practice a song I like
But you get the idea. Immerse, maybe that's what I'm doing.
My fingers are finding more notes (stretching) and I can play the chord better (C to D to E minor, I think) than I played it a day ago. Thank You!
I think it is pretty cool. I began to realize last night that I COULD play the guitar!... :-) Good feeling.
April 21st, 2015
I just noticed that I haven't written much about the "guitar experience"! I want to follow this, better. I bought this guitar on the 29th of Jan. 2015, I think, and started taking lesson on Feb. 9 or 10th. I practiced and learned some through ALOT of youtube videos. I realized soon after that that I am going to need a teacher. There are ALOT of videos and teachers online. But it misses the relationship between two people who care about teh same thing, learning it "together".
In the last couple of days I learned that I need to learn the guitar MY way. There was a guy at class last week who learns by playing the chord through the songs that the teacher gives. I realized that I needed to conquer the mysterious notes on the fretboard and learn the fretboard. Using the E string and using the frets that I reference to tune the guitar, and some other tips and tricks I realized that I could narrow down the fretboard and learn some of the notes there. And there are 72 that I need to learn to begin. We'll think about the rest later. And there is also chord transition and strumming that I need to learn. ALOT of different elements! But I am picking it up. "Its not the only thing in life."
I am a little miffed at my teacher. He has me paying for each month with the starting of each month. But I started the second week in February AND I was supposed to get an extra day FREE! BUT he gives me an hour each class (mostly) and he normally gives only a half an hour, he says. But he IS a Christian, so I "have" to believe that he's doing the best he can. I'm going to put the videos I make of him showing me things up on youtube so maybe we can get him a following and he will stop making me pay for lesson. Lol
So, chronicling what I am doing on the guitar, and I may put some of the videos up here, too. (If you know how, respond in the comments. That will get you some free tips and tricks to playing guitar! :-) )
So, to summarize, before I have to run out of the house, late for an appointment:
1) We're learning the fretboard notes
2) we're learning chords and how to change between like G and C or A and E, notes that make sense to hear together, B and f#m
3) Also, I'm learning the intro to Stairway to Heaven and the slide from the 5th fret on the E to the 8th (reminder to myself)
4) strumming down down up up down
Its a , not a slow progress, cause it depends on how fast you want to learn, but it is a muscle-familiar, along with what's in your head memory of where the chord/note is and how the map is made in your imagination. Ooooow, I said that!
This blog also lets me just talk and talk and "get it out". I hope you find some enjoyment in reading it and, amazingly, since it is so personal, I am open to critiques. I'd like to know how this sounds as YOU read it. Thanks! You'll make me better. :-)
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