Bad bad Hard Rock Cafe

The new Hard Rock Cafe New York will officially open at its new location at 1501 Broadway upon the smashing of more than 100 Gibson guitars, branding the moment as the World's Largest Guitar Smash. The historic guitar smash and opening of the Times Square cafe will kick off a month-long celebration, which will include rockin' concerts and special events, as well as a grand opening party, featuring a live performance by super group Velvet Revolver. The grand opening celebration will benefit Peace Games, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending the trend of violence in the U.S. by teaching children to become peacemakers in their schools and communities.


http://www.hardrock.com/corporate/press/content.aspx?id=129

I ran across this on the web and in the recent isse of Guitar World and I was appalled. While smashing 100 guitars may sound like fun, it seems to me to be a waste and a shame. At a time when musicians are swpet out of their homes in New Orleans and all over the Gulf Coast, and schools cutting back on music programs it seems a terrible shameful waste to destroy instruments.

Not only that, but as a benefit to aid anti-violence programs, it seems that smashing guitar isn't the right message to send.

Sorry to bother people with my tirade, and I am sure that some people will say "Yeah... smashing good", but I had to express my opinion with someone.

Too many lines

So so so many line. Finally started working on the low E string (which is of course the top string). And man is that a lot of lines below the staff. I understand not wanting to learn both the treble and the bass clef when you don't have to, but man is that low E a long way below the bottom. Its also a little confusing doing patterns starting on the low E but only playing so far in the key of C. I want to play in the key of E so things resolve, but not at that point yet.

Still need to work on the new chords from my last lesson. 6th chords with those crazy mad stretches. Hope my fingers don't fall off.

Once I start learning songs I'll have to start recording them so I can keep an audio log as well as my written log.

I am still amazed at how quickly 30 minutes flies by once I start practicing. Although, I still need to get into better habit of playing every day. I've been trying to keep up but some days I just can't seem to do it. I try to make up so that I am practicing 3 hours a week (plus 30 minute class) but I really should be able to practice every day. Also would like to spend some time and work on my scale chart tool I made (Scale Fingerings) and try to get some new stuff written. But there is only so much time in the day.

Getting better

No picture today ;)

Well, I just tried to push through the problems I was having yesterday and things went a little better than I expected. I think that while working on each string individually is good, that the more I work on all the string as a whole the better I got. I still have some problems with the d string, but I found that after I moved to the a string, the d string notes became easier.

Alternate picking the 8th notes also seems to help. Although I am having some problems when I run into 3 8th notes and an 8th rest and then getting the right right down stroke for the 3rd quarter note. But things are improving. Not saying I could sight read a new song at this point, but I am picking things up ok.

Gonnna bring a couple of songs along next time. I am thinking I will bring "And it stoned me" from Van Morrison. I have that song in a magazine with the solo tabed out and in a book. I'd also like to bring "How can one woman be so mean" from buddy guy but that might be a little advanced.

Also am very excited about going out dancing last night (kind of off the guitar topic but you'll see). Went with Angela and friends Dale and Amanda to the Eagles in Minneapolis to hear their friends band play. Had a good time dancing and was excited to see that they have an open jam on Mondays. Might have to go and listen next week and then consider going some time.

Block!!!!

Man, can you say mental block. I just can't see to get the bottom 3 string and their notes fixed into my head. the G-B-E are there and pretty good between the fingering on the fretboard and their appropriate notes on the musical staff, but I can't for th elife of me get the D down... Not to mention the A.At least I have the comfort of knowing that if I can get the 4th and 5th strings down the 6th string is just another E and I alread know that one. Except that it in a different place on the musical notation. The lower I get the harder it is for me to pick out which line it is one quickly. I wonder if it is a vision problem... Maybe I should go get new glasses?? Maybe that is just an excuse. I know the notes on the strings ok, but I just can't translate them to the music staff.

Practicing without playing

Homework!!!  I am to old for homework. But since I don't have time today to actually practice my guitar I guess I will have to do some other practice work. Namely scales. Not on the guitar, but on paper. I have to say that those people who put that whole modern musical scale together were genius. The circle of fourths (and fifths) is amazing. Major scales get one more sharp as you go around one way and one more flat as you go the other.

Just when I thought...

So I had class again today and I felt really bad because despite having to cancel last weeks session (at my instructors request) I had only managed to practice a few time probably not even a weeks worth.

So feeling quite contrite about the whole thing, I showed up at my lesson ready to make amends and get back on the wagon. Only to discover that my instructor is taking the next 2 weeks off!! Not that I blame the guy. You've gotta take care of yourself, but come on!?!?!?

So taking all things in stride, I plan to crack down.. Make sure I practice AT LEAST 30 minutes a day between now and my next lesson on August. And WOW the socks off him next time...

I still need to come up with some songs to learn in class. I'd like to bring in some blues stuff, my favorite Buddy Guy song or some Stevie Ray but I don't want to seem too over confident. But then again I don't want to bring in songs I already kinda sorta know... What a dilemma.

Ok, I Suck

Well, thanks to the weather and life and just a wee bit of laziness I haven't practiced since my last lesson.

I had my lesson again on Tuesday and it went ok. It amazing how much you think you have something down while practicing and then when you get into class you totally can't pull anything out of your ass if your life depended on it.

I really need to work on memorizing my fretboard, even more than my standard notation.

Gotta practice, gotta practice!!!!

Day Three

Well, another day another 30 minutes of practice. Things seem to be going better every day. Boy, imagine that, practice every day, get better every day.

Hopefully I will be able to get the notes and strings committed to memory before my lesson on monday.

Still working on Pretty Woman. That will be my first song to really get down. After that I don't know what song next. Maybe some Jimmy Buffet, maybe "Come Monday" or "Pencil thin mustache".

Got to work on my chord practice tonight, practicing the new fingerings my teacher showed me. Its amazing how many little things can be picked up without any real lessons and just teaching yourself. I particulary like the new A fingering 213 instead of 123.

Practice Day 2

Well another day and another practice session. Things didn't go as well as they did yesterday. Who would have thought playin gth enotes on 3 strings could be so hard. Playing from the Method book, learning the notes on the first three string. Trying to follow my teachers instructions and say the names of the notes as I play them so I can start to learn the note names as well as the standard notations. Having trouble remembering to play E open string when I have a run... just a mental black.

Also working on playing Pretty Woman (Roy Orbison) and practicing alternating picking always picking up down up down even when my natural instinct is to sweep pick when moving from one string to another. Also working on remembering to play the last note on the main riff on the 5th string 5th fret instead of on the open D.

I need to start working on making a list of songs to work on in class

• Oretty Woman
  
• How can one woman be so mean (Buddy Guy)
  
• You shook me all night long
  
• House of the rising Sun
  
• Sittin' on the dock of the bay
  

Daily Practice

Well, day one of practice after my lesson.

As my goal was to pretend (sort of) that I didn't have any playing
background, I am starting from the begining. So, I am now learning the
notes and standard notation for the first 3 strings. I guess I sort of
know this stuff already, but to make it as a better player, I have to
re-learn this all over again.

EFG, BCD,GA.... over and over again until I don't have to even think
about it again. My biggest problem is that I can learn to notes of the
studies within 2 or 3 playings that I don't learn any more. I think I
might have to do a little programming to create some random songs using
the specific strings.

Also, its nice to have someone to work with on songs. One thing that I
have been doing is learning songs, but learning them wrong.... well
maybe not wrong, but at least not as good as I should.

Guitar lessons at last

Well, I finally bit the bullet and signed up to take guitar lessons at a local music store (My Music Store http://www.my-music-store.com/).

I was a little trepidatious about doing it, worrying about how well I played and trying to learn to play at 36. But I decided that no one gets better without practice and learning.

So I went in and signed up and finally had my first lesson. I tried not to tell my instructor (John) too much about what I knew already. I really wanted to pretend that I knew nothing and start from scratch.

That was harder to do then I thought. I know most of my open chords and I know (by rote) a lot of scales. What I found out I didn't know was that I wasn't a familiar with the notes on the fretboard than I thought I did. So this could be a real education.