rock out
I've decided i need a new hobby, it's like crazy cold in Boston which makes running tough .. and, staying here over weekends as much as I do is just asking for trouble (too much free time to gamble). So - i bought a guitar and had my first lesson tonight.
It's only a matter of time before my talent drops a rock bomb on the east coast.
Kris .. you still play? Any tips on keeping at it?
recent branches
Boston has real people to teach guitar lessons (which may be part of the point), but I recall this story from NPR, about Justin Sandercoe on the web.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11778602
http://www.justinguitar.com/en/AA-001-JustinSandercoe.php
Rock on.
J: Thanks for the links! I was surfing you-tube and didn't find anything right away so gave up. The 2nd link has some great stuff .. I'm definitely going to use his online tutorials.
You = Awesome
I think having someone in person instruct me as well will be a good balance, and keep me honest. Showing up for an hour lesson and not having progressed at all would make me feel like a tool
I wanna learn base
Great idea.....Got to be hard being away from home even in an interesting place.
Keep us posted! Maybe you can rank songs you learn???
Agree checking in with someone keep you honest:)
Hey, I'm in guitar class too! We can rock out together soon. Watch out for the hurt fingers and practice is a must...there were many weeks I did not practice!
-Rachel
Rach: Cool beans! Yeah what's up with the finger pain? Im glad it's not just me, thought maybe i had like wimpy fingers or something. Right now I can play jingle bells very poorly one string at a time
Sorry for the hiatus from the website. I have had my hand in quite a few things lately (mainly trying to get the gym to the profit zone).
As for the guitar, I haven't played much in the last year or so but as soon as our remodel is done with our bedroom (hopefully in the next week or so) then I will have an area to start hammering at my guitar.
I have done lessons twice (each for about a year or so with big breaks between them). They were helpful but it is a slow process - oh how I wish I would have picked it up when I was young. I played the violin when I was in elementary and was doing quite well but then we moved to Chariton.......no one could teach violin in Chariton (closest was Pella or Indianola) which kind of put an end to the violin.
Ditto on the sore fingers. I'm mentally preparing for the sore fingers again - good news though, after a few weeks to a month you start to build a little callus and that goes away.
A couple other tidbits - barre chords have always been tough for me (some are easy but most are difficult - for me - to get all of the strings pushed down without muffling one). When I do and I try and practice that - the forearm muscles definitely get a workout.
I really like fingerstyle guitar and have been ok at chords. One tip - if you want to make progress faster - get on an electric guitar because the strings are much easier to push down. I don't have one and have told myself if I could do well with the acoustic guitar then if I ever ran into an electric it would be a piece of cake.
What type of guitars do you both have (i.e. Brian and Rachel)? Although if anyone else out there has one please share.
Alright I've rambled on enough for my re-entry back into the Mckinneytree.
Kris: I bought a cheap ($140) Yamaha Guitar (acoustic) in Boston and a nicer Cedar Acoustic for when Im home. Shannon is starting to practice as well .. I hope we stick with it. I have a habit of getting all excited about something and then moving on.
violin eh' .. cool. I've heard that is one of the toughest string instruments. I wonder if you could pick that up again given your early training.
I don't know how I missed this post! I'm excited to see some youtube videos of your performances. Even more so.. I'm excited about your photo. ROCK.