In previous posts, I have complained about miscellaneous aches and pains that I have been experiencing from playing so much. It became apparent to me that the only time I would get relief was to not play and lay off of the computer for a few days. The little light came on above my head and I had an idea when watching Muriel Anderson on YouTube. I noticed that she was using the classical position using a foot rest or crossing her legs. Trying to emulate Tommy Emmanuel’s style of both feet on the ground stomping away, I strayed away from using the classical position. My foot stool collected dust while my aches and pains began to grow. The guitar wasn’t supported well enough and I had a tendency to slip on my lap. I would then contort my body to keep it steady which put a lot of pressure on my arms and back. After a few songs, I noticed that I began to ache and needed a break. The frustration as began to grow as well. After my moment of enlightenment I dusted off the old foot stool and began to play the classical way. I immediately noticed …
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I didn’t have to work today so I met up with my wife at her work to have lunch. The beauty of this, besides being able to spend some time with my wife, is that she works across the street from a acoustic guitar store full of Martins, Larrivee’s, Blueridge’s, etc…. My GAS (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome) always tends to flare up during these times. After lunch, we had about 5 minutes to kill and I wandered in to by a thumb pick and some strings. I also had just enough time to noodle around with a beautiful Larrivee and a Blueridge Parlor guitar. I’ve been in love with Jean Larrivee guitars for quite a while and this one was a joy to play. Nice bright tone and my fingers seemed to glide over the strings and frets. I’ve become a fan of the Blueridge parlors just recently and if I had to choose, I would take both : ). Seriously, I would probably pick up the Blueridge. Reasons being: The Parlor is a better guitar for me ergonomically I just love the 1 7/8″ neck width. My fingers have room and feels a bit like a classical in that sense …
Just got finished re-stringing my Martin with a set of Martin Fingerstyle SP Strings I found in my office. Wasn’t impressed when I first tried these out but the second go around was a little less disappointing. First impression was that they sounded a bit shallow and tinty on the high end. After trying them a second time I find their tone still lacks something but maybe not as bad as I first thought. Would I recommend these strings? Probably not because I don’t see the benefit in the “fingerstyle” label it has. I asked the music store and they really couldn’t give me a answer on why these are better for fingerstyle players and after playing them, I couldn’t either. I think I will just stick to my normal Martin SP Guitar Strings . They have been solid for me the last couple of years and don’t see any reason to switch. What’s your favorite strings? Do you go for price, brand or whatever is available?
I was sitting on the porch enjoying another beautiful Colorado evening and decided to bring out the guitar for the first time this Spring. I have to say that a change in venue, as little as it seems, really does help get the creative juices flowing. Playing outdoors gave me some new ideas and my playing felt fresh. I was reminded of a couple issues, however, that I fight with constantly. I need to make a real attempt to finish/develop an idea. I was playing well and was happy but I was playing a bunch of licks and nothing else. My playing was all over the place. When playing a song, I must finish it. My wife noted that I will play the first minute or so and then stop. It definitely annoys her and is a pretty big reason why I struggle with the endings of songs. One more lesson worth noting, not on the list, but still worth mentioning is that Adirondack chairs were not made for guitar players. They are comfortable but there is no way to play a guitar with those arm rests getting in the way. Regardless, it was a good guitar day and it’s …
I was poking around Digg today and I came across a Rolling Stone article titled, “The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.” Some items on the list made sense and others made me wonder, “What the hell were they thinking?” Here’s the top 6: “Johnny B. Goode” – This I can agree with. As soon as you hear that intro guitar solo, you know what song it is. The guitar makes the song, not the lyrics or singing. You could argue that this was the first “guitar song.” “Purple Haze” – Classic Jimmy Hendrix, I can’t argue with this. “Crossroads” – No familiar with the song as much as others so I won’t “yay” or “nay” this. But it’s Eric Clapton so I’m thinking that it’s probably a pretty good choice. “You Really Got Me” – I can see why they chose this because it has great groove that is instantly recognizable. I prefer the Van Halen version instead of the Kinks, however. “Brown Sugar” – Like “You Really Got Me” I can see the choice but I wouldn’t consider it a top 5 guitar song of all time. “Eruption” – I had to include this because this is …
