Jump to content
GreaseSpot Cafe

Guitar Talk


socks
 Share

Recommended Posts

Catchin' up...

Hubby had his first day back at school today and got a neat twist to his gig there. He's going to be teaching a guitar class during one of his free blocks. He's super excited about it and wants to start a program for the next school year that teachs kids to play guitar who are considered 'drop out' risks - troubed kids, in other words. He's thinking of doing it as an after school thing and of making it an incentive program of sorts - and for no stipend. That's just cool. He's an awesome teacher - math or guitar - and really knows his stuff.

He's my teacher on bass and he's a good one. I've taken music lessons - mostly for flute - and had several teachers, all with different styles (from the sweetest to the meanest, and everything in between.) Hubby is one of the best teachers and I'm amazed at how far I've come on bass, considering I didn't play at all before we bought the thing!

BTW - just found out that Allman Bros are coming to town - with Derek Trucks. We don't have funds to go, sadly enough, but sometimes we get free tixs cuz we're frequent flyers... keepin' my fingers crossed...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 3k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

Tell me about it! Chatty! My remaining strands group together by color, black, dark brown, gray and white, like the hardy warriors that they are, straight and strong even to this day! That sound you hear in the distance is the playing of "Taps" in the far right southernmost quadrant as another proud soldier goes none-too-quietly to his final reward. A moment of silence please....

Anyone taking or giving lessons? I've given my first lesson in quite awhile, yesterday. Went very well, we're starting out with the basics. Had their guitar action adjusted and new strings put on. I'm switching them out to Super Light acoustics, .009 for the first few months, then will move to .010's once we're off and running. They know a little but we're starting from scratch with the "G" chords and they did very well. Covered some basic maintenance, tuners, and have introduced them to musiciansfriend.com. :) I'm looking to have 3 students a week, over time. We'll see how it goes.

They've got a Takamine Jasmine acoustic. Nice guitar, with a good sound and solid neck. I'd played a couple in a nearby store that had bad action, but this one's playing pretty well so it will be good for awhile.

You cracked me up about your hair :biglaugh: and I swear I hear ya.

Having taken lessons I think you would be a great teacher from what I see here. I think the thing I would say most important is that you encourage them not to get frustrated on some of the harder chords if you have short fingers. I swear I see these folks with long ones playing the guitar and think how they have no idea what it's like not to have those. :rolleyes:

Now this is fantasy land here. But if I could look like her with my gray hair I might keep it. Yeah right, dream on girl.

maboro52.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Was in a JAM FROM HELL tonight (for a while):

Went to my Wednesday night bluegrass jam and the bass player didn't show up. :(

Had some newbies there (whom we usually welcome),

but there was no rock solid rhythm to follow.

Me on fiddle, 3 mandolins, 2 banjo pickers, and 4 guitar pickers, and 2 dobros.

One of the *newbies* (on guitar) sat right behind me, and couldn't have been more off beat.

Hearing him threw me for a loop, and I had the hardest time concentrating on where the song was going.

It was really hard, to try to tune out the left ear to his mis-strumming (right behind me)

and tune in the right ear to those actually playing (in front of me).

Thankfully -- the mis-strummer got thirsty, and went to the bar to get a drink,

ended up talking to some *babe*, and never picked up his guitar again

(while I was there). :dance:

The rest of us got to PIP (Pick In Peace)! -- for the remainder of the night.

The life/ jams of an acoustic musician in public settings are often over-rated,

and never as glamorous as the isolation of the big stage, and mega wattage

that the electric crowd enjoys!!

:biglaugh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's no shortage of folks to help with that, the little jumping frog can do it herself you probably know. :)

Your 'little jumping frog' has completely forgotten how to do 'that' that you speak of...

sigh :(

Chatty .... loved that 'doo' you wish to have... but sorta' reminds me of the 'Elvira' look. :unsure: But I would love to have that bod she is sporting!!

Went to see Ruthie Foster on Monday evening...she's a blues/gospel singer from Texas. I saw her the for the first time at the Montreal Jazz Festival 2 year ago. She was moving... she came out on this huge stage on the streets of Montreal with 1,000's of people just her and her guitar filled the whole city it seemed.

I think I actually had a genuine musical enlightment that day on that street. I was moved for days from what I heard.

People asked me what was the Jazz Fest like and all I could talk about was Ruthie (and I went to see Pat Metheny while I was there too).

So I finally got to see her on Monday in this very small venue in Toronto called 'Hugh's Room' and it was amazing. It was a dinning/entertaining venue ... and our table was stuck to the stage. Each time she got off the stage, we had to move our chairs for her to get off ... that's how close we were.

I spoke to her after the concert and told her I had seen her perform in Montreal. She said, "You were there?" I said yes... She said, 'Wow, I came out on that stage, alone, and I was taken aback at all the people there. The sound man came out and said to me, Are you ok?' We chatted for awhile and I told her that after seeing her in concert, I went home and took my guitar out of the closet after 20 yrs. and started to seriously play. She just lit up and said, "Those are the stories I love to hear!" :biglaugh:

I think my next concert will be ... The Wailin' Jennys. 3 women with the most beautiful voices.

Edited by A la prochaine
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I forgot what the subject was... has the little jumping frog from Canadia forgotten how to color her grey?"

No, haven't gotten to the grey stage yet... well sorta', but I'm a red head.. so it's more that blondie thing...

But seriously, the thing that I've forgotten how to do is post music here. There is this procedure and I think I threw out the paper that I had it written on.

sigh...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aaah - that's a cool picture Chatty. I like the mask. :wink2:

Lessee - Ruthie Foster, new music! Here's a sample from CD Baby - NICE. She has a great voice. Ruthie Foster - Runaway Soul, from her CD Baby site

And "Real Love" - nice call and answer in the opening

A La, we've got tickets to see John Mayer and Sheryl Crow, same bill, in a month. Looking forward to it, this is the 3rd time I've seen John M in the last year. I'm interested to see where he's going with his recent foray into a 3-piece blues band. And Crow, haven't ever seen her live so it will be fun. Love her stuff and she's got a couple killer guitarists in her band.

:dance::dance::dance:

Edited by socks
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Always get awash in wonderful willeez hearing new music thanks! - here's a guy I don't think I've shared, or maybe I have - ? Or maybe he's familiar to y'ums - Willy Porter, quite a guitarist. A sample of his sound - Angry Words Hip to it! :dance:

Chas, that teaching program sounds great. Would love to hear how it goes, what goes into it, etc. if your husband or you have more time to post it! And Welcome backs are in order! Wellscomes to you!

dmiller, that jam sounds like a challenge to say the least. I cracked up reading about it, been there done that, oh yeah.

Thankfully -- the mis-strummer got thirsty, and went to the bar to get a drink,

ended up talking to some *babe*, and never picked up his guitar again

:biglaugh: And isn't that what it's all about, at some level? # One reason guys play in bands - meet chicks. # Two reason - get bar discounts.

:biglaugh:

Edited by socks
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just spent about 3 hours in the last couple days cleaning and polishing my 3 main guitars. Ya gotta treat the Ladies right. :wink2: Been using Jim Dunlop Cleaner/Polisher lately, and it's nice. Multiple coats rubbed in and buffed out do nicely.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, it's good stuff. And by your report A La, she's all that and more live. I'll keep an eye out for her. I really like how she sings, often blues singer are "shouters" which sounds good when the voice is there - like B. B. King, always a great example. He's got that big sound in his throat so when he lets out a shout it sounds like something, it's part of the singing. Others sound shrill. Foster's voice has character, feeling. Nice.

Porter's does some ca-razy stuff on the guitar, from pieces I've heard. He reminds me a little of Monte Montgomery, not so much on this song but others.

G'day mates! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aaah - that's a cool picture Chatty. I like the mask. :wink2:

Lessee - Ruthie Foster, new music! Here's a sample from CD Baby - NICE. She has a great voice. Ruthie Foster - Runaway Soul, from her CD Baby site

And "Real Love" - nice call and answer in the opening

A La, we've got tickets to see John Mayer and Sheryl Crow, same bill, in a month. Looking forward to it, this is the 3rd time I've seen John M in the last year. I'm interested to see where he's going with his recent foray into a 3-piece blues band. And Crow, haven't ever seen her live so it will be fun. Love her stuff and she's got a couple killer guitarists in her band.

:dance::dance::dance:

OH MY :realmad: I'm soooooo jealous.... 3x's in one year! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHh!!!

Oh mygod.... John Mayer... he was just here the other day...and yes.. his 3 man blues band...has me quite curious as well. John...what a musician he is...he certainly is in a league of his own to say the least.

He recorded a song on Herbie Hancock's new album... Possibilities... and it is a amazing! Check it out.

Haven't read the rest of your posts.. gotta go and do so now.

Glad you enjoyed Ruthie and it was a first for you... now that's amazing :o

Check out her song...Got a Hole in my Pocket.... sweet

Edited by A la prochaine
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've seen John Mayer play and man, he's got some chops, but I belive he was trained at Berkley, wasn't he?

I just can't stand his voice. First time I heard him, I remember thinking, "Man, did Dave Matthews get castrated, or what?" He's sorta taken over the College Rock/Eyecandy scene, hasn't he? You can hear the Hendrix and SRV influence in his harder stuff, but his more cream puff stuff doesn't do a thing for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sweet Froggie --

Yes, I've heard the heavier stuff and do like it - that's when I realized the Hendrix/SRV influence. There's a video on VH-1 now that I think is an instrumental - but it ROCKS like nothing I've heard in a while.

Just changing the subject a little (still music related...)

Has anyone noticed how the decade of 2000 is not defined by any music style at all?

We had grunge in the 90's, disco in the 70's, new wave in the 80's - but what about this decade?

Also, have you noticed how someone is top of the charts one week and *poof* gone the next? And you never hear from them again. It's not like it used to be with songing staying at the top of the charts for week, like the Theme from Arthur did in the late-70's/early-80's - that was stuck there forever!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chas,

ahhhh... no one has ever called me SWEET FROGGIE...I am tickled.

Oh, glad you got a chance to taste Mayer's other side.

Yes, I have noticed that the music of the 2000 decade has no musical definition - genre.

It's NOT a bad thing at all as far as I'm concerned. It's ecclectic and I LOVE that about music.

I remember reading a blurpy about the late but absolutely GREAT Eva Cassidy. She was an incredible singer... and recorded a few albums in the mid 90's . Died of cancer at the very young age of 33.

Anyhow, this woman was never taken seriously by the recording companies because they couldn't peg her into one type of genre or style of music. Isn't that sad!! She's blues, gospel, rock, jazz, folk...she could do it all and do it well. So, since the recording companies didn't know where to place her, they felt they couldn't promote her properly.

What a sad commentary that is. Here she was probably one of the most ecclectic and versatile singers around and no one would touch her because they couldn't place her in a box and sell her with a lable.

Well, a few years back a british radio station played some of her music and whammm... she hit the charts .. posthumously sadly enough.

OK...and I have one more blurp about this while I'm on this track. Joni Mitchell in her later years recorded some pretty serious jazz stuff.. doing an album with Charles Mingus and such. Well, I read an interview with her about a year ago and she talked about her walking away from the music industry and why. Don't quote me but what I understood her to say was that she was so discouraged by those who would not allow her to pursue her jazz intensions. They poo poo'd her all the way.

I suppose for those big wigs... if doesn't sell mass amounts of music, they're not interested.

Today, record companies like Blue Notes and such seem far more willing to go outside the nine dots and record these not so mainstream artists and there is a definite following.

My daughter who is university now...comes home with the MOST interesting music. Stuff that is definitely non-mainstream (is that a word?) and is lush and most inventive.

But to answer your question about not having a certain style in this decade... well I wonder if sometimes it is that we are getting old and we are not listening to the 'hip' music. But those teeny boppers around now, well they will definitely remember this decade for a certain style of music because they were 'listening' to it.

Though, I must say... my 15 yr old came home with a singer called FEIST who is a big hit here... and you certainly cannot peg her into any musical hole and she is listened to by that age group. Go figure! It ticks my daughter off ROYALLY that I like her music... :biglaugh:

Leslie Feist... amazing ...

enjoy.

(sorry for the blither... sigh...) :(

Edited by A la prochaine
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

Announcements


×
×
  • Create New...