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.  

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.