…I can’t believe how long it’s been since I last posted in this. Here’s a post I had written up a while ago and had meant to post, but didn’t get to:
I’ve gotten a lot better with my Cs and Fmaj7s again―pretty sure I’m around where I was before I started having the wrist problems way back in early spring and had to take it easy for a bit. I was strumming to a 120bpm metronome earlier today and it was going well! Sometimes I still can’t believe how much concentration it takes to follow along to one (and how difficult it is for me to go slower than 127 with some strumming patterns. (T___T) I can’t actually change between many chords at that speed yet, which causes issues). Practise was sitting down, but my last few sessions while standing were going well as well! The shifted grip while sitting is helping a lot with that, I think.
Other updates: …I finally got a few things the other day from my mom related to guitar. * d(⸝｡⸝◉⸝ω⸝◉⸝｡⸝)b
DVDs!
- Paul Gilbert: Intense Rock: Complete
- John Petrucci: Rock Discipline
- Buz McGrath: 7-String Fretribution
- Stump: Chop Builder for Rock Guitar
- Doug Marks’ Metal Method: Speed Kills featuring Michael Angelo Batio
- Rusty Cooley’s Arpeggio Madness: Insane Concepts & Total Mastery
I am so excitedddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd(/w\)
Paul Gilbert’s is the one I was really excited for when I saw the CraigsList listing back in…whenever it was and asked my mom to check them out for me. She said the dude selling them was super sweet and that I don’t even have to pay her back, which I really appreciate.
…now I just need an electric guitar. (;v;) But at least I’ve got something to look forward to and motivate me to try to get one still! My motivation’s been really flagging lately with not being able to practise with a pick because of that wonky G string… Fingerstyle it’s okay, not so bad, but with a pick it just makes my ears bleed. (T___T) I know new strings will help when I’m able to get them, but it still won’t make an acoustic an electric. Practise still can’t happen at night when all I want to do is strum and can’t because of the neighbours.
I’m hoping to buy an electric between August and year’s end―I’m guessing the later is more likely, but I can dream of August or September, right? And a little headphone amp. The Marshall I want can come later.
Been thinking of posting my potential mod list here as well, actually, but I don’t know if that would make it feel too real and unattainable. I haven’t actually written it down yet despite having looked into it…each costs money, which is a tight thing still for us. But maybe it’ll start helping with motivaton again now that things look like they’re starting to turn around…
So. Today I finished practise and had a black thumb―what’s that about? I’m guessing it’s to do with the metal of the strings, but… xD; I’ll have to look into it. Obviously they weren’t doing it before now. (Ahhhh, looked into it―I had heard of fingers being turned green, but not black. It’s interesting how it’s only happening now for me… I wonder if that’s a shift in body chemistry that’s happening.)
Practise was good, though! I hate metronomes―find it way too difficult slowing down for them when my natural speed tends to be 120bpm or higher for strumming (I’m guessing that’s to do with my heart rate or something). Obviously it’s really helping with me playing evenly, though. Today I was just using the one on the main JustinGuitar site, but other times I’ve loaded a kick drum into Ableton and been happy with that. (Really nice being able to make drum tracks easily like that to practise to. (‘w’) Reminds me I need to check out that post @kimlodrodawa made a while back―I had started reading it one day and never finished it…)
I was also happily practising a lick from Paul Gilbert (again, the metronome really helping). Yeah, I’m doing it on acoustic. Yeah, it sounds a bit shit. But I’m happily trying to get that as right as possible because when I get an electric I’m hoping it’ll help with playing. Anything to keep me in the game. (TvT)
Yeah. That’s about it for now, I think―unless anyone wants me to ramble about the things I want to do and the songs I want to learn. Which I’m not really wanting to do right now. But I might do if someone prompted me to. (^^;)
…wow, I’ve been using kaomoji a lot again recently. Hmmm…