Part 10 – June 23
Here is another update, I spent the last couple of months concentrating on learning songs for the Guitar Club summer concert, more of this later, which left me only a limited amount of time on other guitar matters, but that is now over so I can get back to some serious learning.
Guitar
Did managed to work through all the Grade 2 lesson, so I am really at the consolidation stage and looking back through some the lessons again. There are some that perhaps did not get the attention they deserve, such as Sus Chords and Power chords. Palm muting, I think I am going to leave until Grade 2 of the Strumming course. I have done Grade 1 strumming, but I am going to revisit it again to practice the patterns with the new excellent strumming machine.
In terms of songs the list I want to learn seems to get longer and longer, bearing in mind I am playing and singing. I have decided to split them into, ones I want to learn to play from memory and those from a chord sheet. I have then subdivided them into Reprise/WIP/Learn. Not quite Justin split but works for me. Those in the chord sheet are ones where the chord sequence is complicated, and/or the lyrics are quite involved. Hopefully some of these will find their way into the memory category at some point.
AVOYP
I did post up one song in May, Crazy Mama by JJ Cale. I Intend to post up another song this month.
Still hoping to do an open mic later this year if things go well.
Theory
Made good progress and I am about to do consolidation for module 4, have done some of the tests but not all yet.
Ear Training
Have taken a break from this over the last couple of months as I was getting nowhere but intend to have another go shortly.
Guitar Club Summer Concert
Took place last week and the group I am in eventually settled on the following eight songs but did work through a lot more before deciding on these.
Crazy Mama - JJ Cale / Eric Clapton
Call me the Breeze – JJ Cale / Eric Clapton / Johnny Cash
Wishing Well - Free
Devil in disguise - JJ Cale
Tennessee Flat Top Box – Johnny Cash / Rosanne Cash
Ride the river - JJ Cale / Eric Clapton
Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
Lay Down Sally – Eric Clapton
Being blues and country songs there are a limited number of chords all of which I knew so it gave me chance to use a number of strumming patterns.
Unfortunately, not aware of any video but here are some photo’s that Dorothy, my wife, took.
This is only my second gig and there are a couple of things different, you may notice from my first gig. Firstly, I am standing up, something I was determined to do. Secondly and most surprising is that I have a microphone in front of me.
Although I had been learning some of the songs with my singing teacher, I had not planned to sing but when we did the sound check the day before there was microphone where I was going to stand, so I took a deep breath and thought if I don’t do it now I might never do it. Fortunately, there were two other proper singers in the group, so I don’t think I spoiled things.
I did ask Dorothy what she thought of the performance and she said we all looked too serious and we needed to lighten up. Good advice I think, but not easy to do when you are concentration so hard.
Michael