#29 7th JGversary
That’s it, up to date for (most likely) another year. I shall continue to trip lightly down the lead path and learn a few more simple songs for the repertoire plus perhaps a few more blues studies, who knows what will take my fancy.
Prophetic words. And it’s the nature of the beast that this year became, that I am four days late in reflecting on my seventh year and have not produced a celebratory musical project to mark the occasion.
Why am I four days late … a family getaway. Why no musical project … health challenges. For those not interested in the minutiae of my life away from JustinGuitar, the details conveniently hidden.
The Getaway Report
For many years holidays away from home were not an option. As time passed, first my mother-in-law and then my father came to live with us. Their health declined as the years passed making holidays away as an extended family impossible. Not to mention the affordability of such, with the cost of educating our lad and topping up inadequate pensions. I mention this solely as context. While it came with stresses and strains, I’d do the same again without hesitation.
Since their passing and the lad starting his working-life as a young adult, holidays are again a possibility. He normally goes away with his mates but not this year. So we took a few days to getaway at a nearby game reserve and treat ourselves to the pampering of a dinner, bed, and breakfast lodge.
It was a wonderful start to the December festive season. Nothing to do but relax and enjoy a game drive to see all the wildlife, an elephant experience (let me tell you, an elephant kiss delivered with the trunk is quite an experience), reading, swimming, eating & drinking.
The Medical Report
For those of you who’ve been around more than a year or so, you may remember that last year also brought it’s share of health challenges. I certainly don’t consider myself to be an old dog but as I approach 60 I’ve started to feel like one. Last year was my contemplation of a heart condition that would certainly have brought my innings to a close far sooner than anticipated. But a valvle replacement took care of that.
I have suffered periodically with gout for decades now. I shan’t bore those ho may have opted to read this with the details of gout, it’s causes and complicating factors. Suffice to say, I had a treatment routine that cleared up an acute attack when required. However, the cardiologist is not happy with my taking anti-imflammatories. And to be fair, generally not good for one’s health anyway.
I also noticed different areas being affected. I started to suffer more with attacks in the finger joints, which is obviously not good for my guitar-playing. I also began to worry if it was athritis rather than gout. So off to the doc I went.
Cut that long story short, I was given yet another medication to add to my regular prescription. I guess I am becoming that old dog in some respects now that I put out my morning and evening pills in a suitable container once a week.
The downside of this new prescription was that it essentially triggered a gout attack. And to counter that I took the pills to manage those symptoms, but no anti-imflammatory. Those pills are unpleasant to take in more ways than one. Consequently I was not at my best for the last couple of months and am still dealing with the symptoms in my fingers.
On the upside, the chronic medication is working, I am off the acute gout meds, and have a natural anti-imflammatory. It apparently takes a few weeks to work, not the overnight impact of my regular pill, so hold thumbs that in due course my hands will feel better, energy will return, and with that more drive to resume my musical noodling.
Now that is all out the way, all that remains is to reflect on the musical year. Sad to say, highlights are few and far between. Thankfully there were a few worth remembering.
Unlike some in the Community, I am far from prolific when it comes to producing original songs. I have wanted to produce a 12BB forever. Some may remember that the second original I produced was intended to be that and ended up quite different. So the first few months of the year were taken up by developing a thematic idea into a song. I think it turned out OK, even better for the fact that I asked @sclay to add some bluesy licks and lead. If you missed that moment then you can check it out here: I Love the Blues (and Rock 'n roll), featuring Shane
Until the joint pain kicked in, I was continuing to perform at the TJ’s Open Mic. Unfortunately I don’t have any video footage of those peformances.
I’d planned to continue my learning by returning focus to finger-style blues, inspired by @Socio Just playing a most simple pattern with the steady thumb and a plucking the GBe strings a couple of times using 7 chords in E, A, and G proved more difficult than I expected. But as always practice leads to progress and I was enjoying that in the first half of the year.
Of course, GAS is always a go-to remedy to motivate when in a slump or rut. After enjoying various members having fun with a TRIO+ I acquired one. It may not be the best way for me to produce a backing track for live accompaniment at a Community OM but good reason is seldom sufficient to thwart a GAS attack.
Speaking of Community OMs, I was especially pleased with my rendition of Cortez the Killer during which I recorded the chord progression into my looper, engaged overdrive, and performed a short solo.
I was then focused on making use of the TRIO+ live. The first song choice was a got to when trying something new viz Knocking on Heaven’s Door, which I think worked out relatively well.
If I recall correctly, it was after that performance that I realised I needed an extra channel on my AI. Online gear shopping, it’s a gas gas gas. After a quick Community consult I opted for a Behringer UMC404HD.
All good and I set about preparing to perform Before You Accuse Me with the TRIO+. I wasn’t sure if my preparation was adequate for the challenge. As it turns out, locking into the intro and maintaining the chugga chugga groove consistently was not happening. And with the added pressure of the live moment, I lost the groove, lost my way, and abandoned ship. Thankfully I had a dry run, to show that every now and then I could pull it off.
Most of my playing has been done solo. I don’t think my timing is terrible, even if I am not a super tight, locked onto an internal metronome player. Perhaps if I had started in the Musopia App era I might have got more into the playing with a backing, but I didn’t. The TRIO backing band show the guitarist no mercy, they just keep playing and you just got to keep up. I look forward to more time with the TRIO as (hopefully) healthy fingers return.
In the absence of guitar, I decided to try my hand at chess. I’d learned the most basic of basics in primary school but never really got into it. Nothing like the way my (younger) brother did, perhaps that was part of the problem. Anyhow, he has been getting back into it over the last couple of years, so I thought why not. It has proved to be a lot of fun and gives us much to talk about. And before you ask, I guess my chess is as good (or bad) as my guitar playing.
Life is full of ups and downs, twists and turns (and potholes in SA) in the road. And all one can do is master one’s response to circumstances. I’ve struggled a bit the last few months but have another original song cooking in my DAW and am just about ready to perhaps learn a new song or two.
Till the next chapter, take care, be well, and keep on keeping on!
My Music
My YouTube Channel | SoundCloud Years Archive
Gear
Guitars: Fender Paramount PM-1 Deluxe | Honer Resonator | PRS SE Custom 22 Semi-Hollow | Celebrity CC67 (Nashville strung)
Amp: Blackstar ID15:TVP
Pedals: TC Helicon Play Acoustic | TC Electronics Ditto Looper | Caline Pure Sky Overdrive | Digitech Trio+ & footswitch
Mics: Samson CO3 | AKG D5 | Shure 545SD Unidyne III
AI: Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 | Behringer UMC404HD
Software Tools: Reaper | Guitar Pro
Learning Log Chapters
#28 6th JGversary
#27 Discover Your Voice
#26 5th JGVersary
#25 The three types of songs
#24 Biennial (The SoundCloud Years)
#23 About the 3Ps: Practicing Playing Performing
#22 Funny how it goes, just going as it flows
#21 My 4th JGversary
#20 5000th Forum post and 4 keys to learning
#19 My 3rd JGversary
#18 First Open Mic and setting up the Playroom
#17 My 2nd JGversary
#16 First live performance
#15 First two originals and winning the Forum Contest
#14 18 month update
#13 My 1st JGversary
#12 Going beyond my dreams
#11 September songs and success
#10 RC up to date, 8.5 month reflection
#9 A severe attack of GAS
#8 It’s not a linear journey
#7 Consolidation, Forum Contest, and BC Stage 4
#6 The onset of GAS
#5 Joining the Community and my first recording
#4 First time playing in public
#3 Beginning Justin’s BC
#2 Starting the guitar adventure
#1 Discovering a love of music
in an environment that I often see … so often, very often , but only on television 
… but I’m genuinely happy for you.
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However I find motivation a very powerful tool! Here’s to many more years of playing bliss!! 
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