Viv's Learning Log

Community Hub Learning Logs
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Hiya - Howdoo!!

This is my first real foray into what I intend to be a regular engagement with this community - and to keep myself on track and connected to all you lovely guitar people!!!

Like a few other people it seems, I have been trying to find an in-person guitar teacher over several years (after my first AMAZING teacher left London to go back to Italy in Covid). I have now given up on that, because JG is THE BUSINESS - I’ve progressed more in 2 months with regular prac, lessons and so forth than I had in the 2 years before that, so I am so glad that I’m here!!

Technical stuff:
I have made a few attempts at song writing - and aim to post vids/ recordings but I’m going increasingly nuts about how to do this - phone video file too large, mac recording too quiet. I did shell out on a Scarlett 2i2 - and I’ll spend the weekend (apart from going to 2 gigs) learning how to use the thing!

I taught myself to use a looper pedal (and feel ridiculously proud). It is, as J suggests, an excellent way to learn keeping to time by playing along with a metronome, plus playing with other music.

Songs:
The reason I have done mostly original stuff in the past, is because I didn’t feel ‘good enough’ skills-wise to play known songs. I have since realised that learning songs vastly increases skills in all sorts of ways, so I’m practicing:

  • Tide is High (attempting the cool mute thing that makes the song sexier and pretending to be Debbie Harry who I saw perform a couple of years ago and still has it!!)
  • A girl like you
  • Wish you were here riff
  • Love Goes on by the Go-betweens, as this has some challenging barre chords. Although I’m only on level 3, I have recently found out that I can actually play (some) barre chords, so am practicing changing into and out of them.

In the next month, I aim to:

  • Record 3 songs and post them here, asking for specific feedback (please and thank you in advance.
  • Do an open mic and play those 3 songs with banter/ patter etc

I had a challenging experience with an open mic and lost a lot of confidence - I recently had a really great coaching session with @Lieven (shout out) if anyone is interested, it was hugely, hugely helpful.

I aim to keep up the practice as I have a nice (just about) daily habit.
I do have a lot to say about my guitar journey being a lot like life - but i shall save that for another post.

In the next year I aim to:
Form a band - no idea how to go about it, but I’m putting it out there!!
Low-fi Indie sort of post punky, tuneful and lovely (and fun) - originals - run on co-operative principles (i.e. no band leader - all members take and make equal responsibility and commitment).

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Great to see you’re forging plans on all three levels: short mid and long term.

Using a looper can be somewhat tricky at first but it is indeed a great practice tool since you have the freedom to decide what and how to shape the session.

Thank you for the shoutout, much appreciated :wink:
We had a great talk and by the end of the session I noticed that you shifted your perspective a bit and felt reinforced in what you wanted to believe.

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Yes defo - thanks Again, it was immensely helpful.

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Hi Viv,
I totally get this & offer a bit of advice - if you really like a song & can play a ‘presentable’ version that is basically recognizable - but not completely ‘true to the original’, that’s ok!
Your version of Tide is High will, in all, likelihood never sound exactly like Debbie Harry - but once you add it to your repertoire, it’s YOUR SONG. Make it yours! You are Viv, not Debbie!
I do a version of Van Morrison’s Brown Eyed Girl that is about 3/4 tempo played fingerstyle & sung quite a bit higher than Van does it. It’s MY song now & although it’d never be construed to be a ‘cover’ per se, if I play it successfully (never assured, believe me!!!), it’s instantly recognized by others. As a matter of fact, I’ve gotten compliments on how different it is & yet enjoyable as a ‘campfire’ singalong!
Great to see that you have defined goals, short, mid & long term & a plan to achieve them! That’s really good! Hope to see your LL updates in the future!
Good luck!!!

Tod

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Hi Viv, Your story is inspiring me to get back on track. I have been playing for 4 years now but have never sent in a song to be played on the community site.
I feel like I’am stuck in a rut. I used to practice daily and now I find I’am only playing the 60 or so songs that I have been playing for all these years. Yes I’am getting better at these songs but am not learning anything new. I keep telling myself that I will start with Justin’s lessons again but never seem to get going.
I have completed thru stage 3. Now that I have read about your awesome journey you have inspired me to get back at it. Best of luck with the band and all of your goals. I just have a feeling we have not heard the last of you.
Thanks.
Carroll

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Dang, Viv, you’re ambitious! Good for you, and welcome to the Community! :smiley:

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Thanks LunaRocket - cool name!!

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Hiya CM
Yeah, I know what you mean about making it ‘your song’ - that’s what’s so great about all this - we are all so individual and bring something different and new to each song.

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Blimey - 60 songs - that’s VERY impressive!! I’m nowhere near that…
I know what you mean about feeling you’re not moving forward - that’s why I wanted to a F2F guitar teacher - but that just left me feeling both overwhelmed and not moving forward. JG is so measured and considered - every new lesson is like a revelation - so I feel like I’m getting better even if I pick up some information about music theory.

What I’m trying to establish at the moment is a habit. This book Atomic Habits by James Clear kind of helped me establish a gym habit, which I never in a billion years thought I would do. And I’m using the same techniques to hard wire guitar prac into my brain and body. Plus it’s fun, it’s a joy to do. I get a buzz from it every time I pick up my guitar and when I master something new, it’s like I’ve won a flipping prize or something.

It probably won’t always feel this way haha - so I’m also trying to kind of embody the cool feelings so I can remember them or generate them when things get hard.

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LOL, thanks. I used to work in various space programs way back in the last century.

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Oh - did you come across Heinz Hermann Koelle? Had him as a professor, but I’m not sure how long he had worked with NASA after the Apollo program. He was often talking about moon projects.

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Hi again, Viv,

now - after reading a bit slower and more cautiously, I found the bits on the “recording” subject:
Mac & Scarlett 2i2
I got a similar audio interface, but use a PC with Windows.
Did you take a look at some DAW like Garageband (or it seems there’s Ableton Live Lite and Pro Tools Intro+ included) already?
I have seen Garageband recommended a lot if you don’t need advanced features - seems like you can do a lot with it already!

Haha, love this one too. But I only read in it every now and then - I should continue daily!
And Blondie and Edwyn Collins! One day I’d like to do a cover of Superficial Cat, just love that rhythm and guitar and bass sound!

Same here for playing my own stuff. I was/am a bit lazy to learn the songs others made. :slight_smile:
But of course, learning songs shows you new stuff and makes you practice.
Still, doing our own stuff and experimenting is a part I really like and that helps also, I think.

PS. read that your mic recording was too quiet. Could be that the gain (amplification) on the 2i2 is too low for certain quieter mics (which do you have?), or if you have a condenser mic, possibly you forgot to switch +48V on?