This one is doubly impressed and inspired.
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@sairfingers thanks so much Gordon! Really means a lot to me.
@batwoman thank you Maggie! You guys have some insanely talented people over there, must be something in the water 
. And not just musicians but also the makers! Maton and Cole Clark are easily some of the best production guitars in the world.
It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside reading that you are liking my little updates, thank you! I know this style isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but that’s what excites me and I love sharing my explorations as you put it.
@DavidP absolutely David. I really like Tomo Fujita’s wisdoms on that matter, he always repeats them on his Instagram:
- Don’t worry
- Don’t compare
- Don’t expect too fast
- Be kind to yourself
Berklee professor and John Mayer’s guitar teacher, definitely worth following.
@Dave911 @annmarieford thanks so much guys, very kind of you to stop by. Really appreciate it! 
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Update time!
The first part is up to speed and I’m able to play it mostly clam-free. I’ve learned the next bit as well and am currently polishing it out.
Here Mr. Hedges used a very unorthodox way of playing which is similar (but not quite the same) to Clawhammer, a real old technique used on banjo which made its way to guitar. It’s pretty rarely used but it’s a really fun way to play and produces some beautiful music. Molly Tuttle is one of the few professional musicians that I know of who currently plays this way, here she is explaining and demonstrating it:
Fortunately for me I messed around with this style of playing a little bit some time last year so I was able to figure out how to play the chorus, otherwise I’d be in a lot of trouble (or at least a lot more than I’m in already). Here’s what I got so far:
I’m going to spend the next few days endlessly playing verse - chorus - verse - chorus until it’s all on autopilot which will leave me with two weeks or so to learn the outro and put it all together. So far I’m on schedule but I gotta admit this wasn’t the best idea, don’t know what I was thinking setting out to learn this song and perform it live all in about a month’s time. 
Oh well, no turning back now. See you next time, thanks for keeping up with me!
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Only just seen the Ivan, as I did not get flagged, despite setting Community Hub to “watching”, more Discourse learning. Seems you need to do all levels !!
Boy he is good but has some seriously bad GAS !
OM songs are sorted and this kind of stuff will have to wait. But I have bookmarked some of Marco’s Blues lessons and have access to some great Acoustic Blues on TrueFire. Just need a 48 hr day to fit it all in.
Thanks for the share. 
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I really liked it, some time in the future I will follow your footsteps 
. Thanks for sharing Ivan 
.
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That was terrific Ivan. You’re really making this style your own. Well done.
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Ivan, you are a learning machine and have developed outstanding skills. That is sounding good and I reckon for Community OM, you could play it with a liberal portion of clams and we’d still enjoy it (that one of us can play like that, Community pride) and probably not notice most of the accompanying sea food 
Stick to your programme and I’m sure it will be memorable at the OM.
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I see Ivan’s update I know it’s going to be a pure gold. Sounded superb really dig this style! Will be interesting to hear it all during OM keep up the good work 
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@TheMadman_tobyjenner yeah he’s insane! Really humble guy too from what I’ve seen in his interviews. He’s got a signature model with Cole Clark and works for them in some capacity it seems.
TrueFire is an amazing resource, I’m going to take a detour into the Blues (soloing and acoustic kind) after the OM and consume pretty much every course they have on the matter. Gotta make use of the all access pass!
@RadekSiechowicz thanks so much Radek! Not sure if that’s a good idea though, half the time I feel like I’m stumbling in the dark and going in circles here.
@sairfingers many thanks Gordon, really appreciate your continued support!
@DavidP thanks very much David! Community pride, I really like that! Grateful to be a part of it so thanks for putting up with me for so long. 
@adi_mrok that’s very kind of you Adrian, thank you! Yeah I’m really looking forward to the OM, for some reason I’m not anxious at all this time around just really excited to play for you guys. Seems like it’s going to be a big one too, can’t wait!
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What wizardry is this?!?
In days of yore, folk like you were burnt at the stake. You even have that pointy beard, hooded cloak thing going on 
Worry not about OM standards, my friend, for I am here to entertain with mediocre musicality, the likes of which no one has ever heard before 
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Hey Ivan, good to see you here - how on earth have I missed this?
That guy is just unbelievably talented, and that guitar is an absolute beaut!
Your playing has improved, I suspect that the gorgeous Cole Clark could have something to do with it!
Waiting patiently for the OM to see you playing again!
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Yes and for most course, the tab and pdf are available to download offline, without buying the course. So like you I plan to maximise the Full Access but may well renew next year if there is another deal.
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If felt like you were after Sean de Burca style, which is pretty awesome.
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@brianlarsen don’t sell yourself short Brian, you’re a great musician! Your chaotic creativity, charisma, and yuuge personality make you a natural entertainer. I always look forward to your performances, you steal the show every time.
@DarrellW Thank you Darrell! It’s 100% the guitar, it just plays itself. I’ve got a DiMarzio Black Angel on the way which is the last missing piece of the puzzle that is my rig, really hope it arrives before the OM. I’ll make a detailed post here about this particular guitar and my whole setup once I get everything together.
@TheMadman_tobyjenner I think there’s always a deal, I got mine for a hefty discount also last year. Don’t want to advertise it too much because I’m not sure if the mods appreciate it but it’s worth every penny.
@RadekSiechowicz I have to admit I only have a fleeting familiarity with Sean and haven’t followed him much. I’m a big fan of other percussive fingerstyle players though - Justin King, Andy McKee, Mike Dawes, Jon Gomm, just to name a few. There’s also lots of old-school legends to discover who helped shape the style into what it is today. Hurray for YouTube and the internet!
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So you’re looking at giving Mike Dawes competition then, nice gear, bit of practice………
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Well, it is Friday and it is funny, so why not The World's Best Acoustic Guitarist Challenged Me! - YouTube.
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@DarrellW yeah maybe if I started playing 20 years earlier and still that’s not likely!
@RadekSiechowicz hah Stevie T is hilarious! He’s insane with a pick, was great to see him struggle for a change!
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@SS7 that is some amount of skills you have learned since picking up the guitar in November 2019. You are an inspiration to use newbies just starting out on our guitar journeys. I’ll be following your continuing progress looking to learn from your expertise that you are developing every day on your journey.
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Superb Ivan I really admire your focus and precision. I suspect it requires a lot of commitment to get something like this sounding so good. It’s a very unique and challenging style to play. Bravo and looking forward to the final version.
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@Socio thank you James! Not sure there’s much expertise to be shared but I’m more than happy to help out where I can. Best advice I can give to anyone starting out is to focus on yourself, don’t compare your progress to others, and simply try getting just a little better than you were the day before. Patience and time, that’s all there is to it.
@Rossco01 thanks a lot Jason, appreciate! Just a few weeks left so you’ll get to see me fumble through it soon enough. It’ll be great! 
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