Guitar Musings

About a year ago, I spent an evening Jamming with a friend.   It’s a time that I look forward too because our sessions are usually great; the kind that give you chills.  No chills that night. I sucked it up, big time.  I was devastated by the thought that I didn’t play up to my ability and practiced even more to make sure that this didn’t happen again.

About a month ago, I met again with my friend and we broke out the guitars and played.  Success!!!  We both got into that zone where you couldn’t make out whose guitar was whose and the melodies and chords filled the room.  This is one of the reason why I play, for moments like this. 

I spent many days thinking about what was different between the two sessions. What I came to realize was the success came from me staying true to my ability as a guitarist instead of trying to match my friends style.  He and I have played together for 20+ years and know each others ways very well.  We can anticipate each others progressions and ideas in while playing.  It’s a beautiful ting.  As guitarists, we are two sides of a coin when it comes to our style.  I’m a fingerstyle acoustic player and he’s an progressive electric guitarist/shredder. 

In the past, my problem has always been that I try to play in they style of my friend instead of mine.  I grab a pick and attempt to play fast and even though, I’m not bad with a pick, I’m much better using my fingernails.  I struggled in past jams because I was featuring my weakness instead of my strengths.   Our last successful jam, I utilized my strengths and funny thing happened;  I played pretty damn well.

It’s a great thing to be flexible and well-rounded as a guitar/player musician.  I try to expand my boundaries as a guitarist everyday and will continue to do so.  I have become a better player not because I practiced more, I became a better musician because I learned to embrace and be true to my style.

Quick Tip:

Find a place in your home with decent acoustics.  The most popular places are bathrooms but my favorite is a small hallway between my kitchen and dining room.  Once you find a good spot, just play.  It would be a good idea to have your guitar strapped on so you can walk around to find the “sweet spot.”   You will know when you hit that spot because the sound of the guitar suddenly surrounds you.  There, you have a place to provide real time feedback on your playing.  A wonderful practice tool, as well as an experience.  Try this from time to time, not only to critique your playing but to enjoy it as well. 

What I suggest isn’t anything new but can be forgotten, especially when we can plug in to an amp at almost anytime.  Give being truly unplugged a shot and here your instrument’s true sound.

As you may know, I’m a huge Bruce Cockburn fan and when I discovered the documentary, “My Beat: The Life and Times of Bruce Cockburn” at Amazon, I had to have it.  A brilliant documentary that gives just a bit of insight into the genius of Bruce Cockburn and his writing process. 

Highlights include:

• Studio footage of Bruce working with Andy Milne and Dapp Theory in his pursuit of overcoming writers block.
• Concert footage from when her got his first break to the Breakfast at New Orleans, Dinner at Timbuktu tour.
• Witnessing the birth of  “Postcards from Cambodia”  from “You’ve Never Seen Everything.”  He was working through the lyrics and music for this song and tried out the chorus for the first time on camera.  Truly moving to watch.

If you are an aspiring song writer or just someone who loves the music of Bruce Cockburn, this documentary is highly recommended.  From interviews with friends and family and words from Bruce himself, you will learn just a bit more about this modern day troubadour.

Happy New Year!!!!  It’s, once again, time to make a resolution like lose weight or learn a language and promptly break it.  Last year, my resolution was to start this blog and so far it’s been everything I could hope for.  Thanks to all for reading and commenting on my articles.  This year, I have many personal resolutions but a few do pertain to the guitar and this blog.

1. Post more to Guitar Musings:  I apologize that I haven’t posted much in the past month but there will be more posts in the future and am excited to move into Guitar Musing’s second year.  Also, if you have any requests, please contact me with your idea and I’ll see what I can do.
2. Get some playing recorded, both tape and video.  As my friend Hercules states: “I gotta push that big red button.”
3. Learn the fingerboard:  Acoustic Guitar Magazine has a great article on how to learn the finger board and know what notes you are playing.  Also, http://www.guitarcardio.com/ is a great place to do this as well.
4. Be proud of my playing and don’t be too critical on what I do.  It inhibits my progression of becoming a better player.

I’m pretty sure this will keep me busy for a while. What are your guitar resolutions for 2009?

I try to frequent as many guitar shops as I can, just to dream a bit;  to see what is out of my reach and also to realize what I have isn’t so bad.   The biggest beef with some of these stores, both big and small, is that they don’t take the time to setup what they are trying to sell.  Old strings, truss rod hasn’t been adjusted or something simple, like tuning.   Basically, it’s in the same condition when it came from the manufacturer. 

My Plea:

If you expect for me to spend hundreds, if not, thousands on a guitar in your shop, please invest thirty or so minutes in setting it up.  First impressions are important and if the guitar isn’t setup right, I will not take a chance and buy.  So please, put on a new set of strings, adjust the truss rod to the new environment and tune it.   I won’t guarantee that it will sell the guitar on the first day but it’s a nice start.