Hi Brian, good luck on this new stage of guitar learning. A lot can be achieved, but of course the only way to happen is spending some time with the guitar. Anyway, whenever you can pop up and show us your progress will be appreciated 
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Thank you all, my luvvies! 
Not so much a change of direction, rather than emphasis (hence inclusive responses rather than tailored individual 
) I have every intention of continuing my daily community fix, including the occasional over-indulgence 
‘Pressure’, Roger? Have we met?!? This is what I do for fun 
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Probably needless to say, but for the readers here…“we” are trying to ramp up the pressure with so many responses about the change that may be coming but of course I know you don’t feel pressured with something like this 
…although,for a live( om) everyone wants to be able to prepare a bit and you are too busy in the period before and almost no preparation or having something ready on the shelf…so playing the guitar can cause a sort of pressure…urgency to haste 
Or having a JK on your neck about something with green sleeves 
…(ssst hopefully he doesn’t read this 
)
So, you are now making your own distraction now you fxxl, and I’m bored with a broken string, tools upstairs no need for a heavier guitar around my neck today and having to look up exactly how that weird bridge works on my Ibanez…so watch out… 
Greetings
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Sneaky sneaky 
. I’m still waiting for your one Rogier… 
I’d never pressure Brian for Greensleeves… he’d end up singing the words 
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Good on you Brian. I think you just have to roll with it in all honesty… I find that my focus and commitment on hobbies ebbs and flows. Nothing wrong with that as long as you don’t let it go forever…there is always something to come back to. I don’t think I’ve seriously committed to “learning” more on the guitar for a number of years…but I dabble occasionally, make a little forward step and that’s good enough for now. I’m more enjoying playing and performing than necessarily improving significantly.
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This all sounds like a plan Brian. Remember however that the bottom line is enjoyment and engaging in the forum brings you a lot of enjoyment.
I too am horrified when I look at the stats which show how much time I’ve spent here. They can’t possibly be correct. I never log off the site, I just close the tab so I suspect my time clock keeps ticking for a set time even when I’m not actually on the site. How else can you explain someone like @Richard_close2u (I’ve tagged you Richard so can correct me if I’m wrong😄) who is clearly on a lot and also spends time with maintenance having a lower time spent on the forum count?
It’s not so much the time spent reading stuff, it’s the time spent replying. I feel if people take time to listen and comment then they are due a reply. Similarly if someone posts a song then they deserve more than a “that was great”.
However there are a lot of people who post but don’t contribute in any other way. Time can be saved by not reading/replying/engaging with them.
You say you’re going to be more focussed on lessons. Good on you. It is difficult to know what direction to take after completing the beginner course where each lesson led to the next in a fairly logical fashion. The intermediate course is more open to individual interpretation. I no longer follow a set lesson program from Justin. I cherry pick lessons on whatever takes my fancy at the time. Probably not a recommended method.
I think you’re doing yourself a disservice regarding your guitar progress. You’ve come huge way. In addition to straight forward AVoYPs you’ve posted original songs, a video of yourself playing at a birthday party I think it was. You collaborated in that circus song thing. You’ve posted collaborations with your son and other friends. Performed at Community OMs singly and with others. These are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head.
Of course try to learn some new techniques but the key word is ENJOY.
Scottish septuagenarian. How very dare you! That’s not until next year. 
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How right you are, Gordon… and indeed I intend to continue doing so on a daily basis
There is a happy medium however. I presume the stats are accurate in terms of activities performed.
Stop Press! I just had a closer look at them and realised you can choose to rank by different categories… There are only a dozen (out of nearly 170’000!) heavier readers than you and me , Gordon (you know who you are ), but only the mad one has started more threads than me I should be able to shed some online time and remain involved.
(I don’t really worry about how much others participate, although like you, do feel comments deserve responses.)
I agree with you, I have improved and looking back, would not change a single thing. I’m still having a ball. All I’m saying is that the time is right to focus more on improving techniques, rather than just get better at the same. I believe the mantra is learn songs, not churn songs
I’m not disciplined enough to set goals and directions, but sometimes get stuck into things when I find them interesting. We’ll see.
On that note, I took our my pick and looked up that strumming pattern for your Tequila song. It took a wee while figuring out the exact timing with the hammer-on, esp as I hadn’t come across the double strumming before. Still, was able to figure it out
So thank you for your role-modelling.
Not so much thanks for distracting me from my community abstinence program.
@Rossco01 It gives me great pleasure to see you enjoying your band activities
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That’s a whole lot of learning you intend on doing, Brian. I suspect that having fun will continue to be a driving force for you though. I certainly hope so anyway! So - have fun! Wherever the path takes you 
And also - I found ‘learn songs not churn songs’ particularly witty …
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Ah, well all the way to hell is paved with good intentions.
I did try (sort of…)
I spent a bit of time yesterday and today messing around a bit with my Pod Go and had great fun with some of the delay settings.
This brief recording is with the ‘ping pong delay’ and a E-G drone track through my looper.
Not good but fun
(the orange picks taste nice )
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See what happens when you eat orange picks Brian, your beard falls out. (makes you look 10 years younger ). You’re clearly having lots of fun with your pedals and amp buttons. And that pick….wow makes all the difference to your sound.
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Nothing wrong with some noodling to explore effects, Brian. I’d wager you had a little more than delay dialed into your Pod?
Now given the slapping you were giving the guitar, maybe you’ll be wanting some more of what Jimmy Page enjoyed, violin bow or maybe an EBow 
Hi Brian,
Oh my, what a different face to look at 
…so that villain’s face was behind all that hair…well well… 
There are quite a few nice sounds coming out of it and it would be nice if you used this as encouragement to expand…And yes you look a bit younger…bare too , but certainly also younger…freshly tidy and a kilo or 3 lighter without all that hair…
It took some getting used to because that beard looked good on you, but as they say here,’ you get used to it and then you die’
Did i already say that I liked the sound more than expected? well I did
And Gordon @sairfingers
Your comment just made in Toby`s topic makes this a very strange start to the video…WHAT have you done? 
… 
Greetings and fun to drag this thread up from the grave
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It’s good to see and hear you exploring and having some fun with your guitar, pod go, amp and pick.
And not plucking the strings up at the headstock too
Looks identical to his profile header
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Hehe, I had already forgotten that I was sheared yesterday
This is actually my ‘normal’ look- but it takes me about 3-4 months to go back to the barbers
I think it’s the pedal more than the pick, but yes, easier when picking individual strings.
@davidP Aye, Sir. And you’re no stranger to noodling yourself, although it’s been a while.
Regarding the dialed tones- not really. A bit of overdrive, a little plate reverb, but the bad baby is the ‘ping pong delay’ That produced the slapping rhythm as well as the background Trio+ drone track (same settings) that I played over.
Chris plays fiddle for me when I ask and whilst the ebows look and sound cool, I’ve heard they’re tricky to use- so not yet.
@Maurice, thanks for dropping by and the smooth compliments, but I’m already spoken for
@socio It’s good fun to peep over the precipice and see what other folk get up to
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Great to see you diving into the myriads of POD possibilities ! For such a relatively small box it holds a Universe of fun. Nothing better than delving into a single block and trying out each pedal while noodling, best way to flush out some favourites, Sounded good Brian despite your self critique. Delay and chorus are the sloth shredders best friends.
Orange is delicious, I can highly recommend lime and banana too. Although been using grape lately more than in the past
That sounded a bit like one of those tracks from that guy that played at your house recently. Maybe some atmospheric poetry is coming from Mr Larsen soon.
I’ll consider that as a wager won, as I think it is fair to consider a ‘bit of overdrive and a little reverb’ as a ‘little more’ effects in the tone
it’s all been a while. Though the joints are recovering to the point where I have picked up the guitar again. Now have to build up the emotional enthusiasm, defeating despondency, again.
Maybe some noodling, even loodling, would be just what the doc order. 
maybe that could be done on the Trio rather than the Ditto. Using the sequence function it would be easier to manage the duration and not get carried away
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A glass of the finest whenever we meet up
Absolutely!
and it’s always good to get carried away. We just don’t have to share everything
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