I wanted to write a post about music because it has been a while since I last posted about music and some things have come up recently that have spurred me to play more. Now that I can reach the strings again.
At first, I was thinking that I haven’t been playing much during the pandemic, that I had kind of, not abandoned playing but really took and intense break. Then I remembered that I did finish a couple of online guitar courses, that I learned some good stuff from, not all of which has stuck. And I’ve played a bit here and there. Just nothing as intense as the two to three years before the pandemic hit. Oh, and then there was the wrist injury this year that made playing not an option. I couldn’t reach the strings to strum them when I was in the brace. So as much as I want to take myself to task about not playing, it’s not as bad as I first thought.
However, I do feel like the enthusiasm went south on a vacation for a while. That’s because, though I was playing, it wasn’t to near the extent I had been the couple years before the pandemic. Adding to that, my intense interest in listening to music had even waned. That made me feel like I wasn’t really playing much and that I had sort of “given up music”. But recent events have started to turn things around. So, I thought I’d share.
As you likely heard by now Olivia Newton-John passed away in early August. As a result of that there have been loads of media tributes to her and her career. Some of the tributes are fabulous. There are a couple from Australia that, if watching other people break down in tears makes you do the same thing, well you might need a tissue or four. She was beloved there. The state of Victoria has even offered a state funeral/tribute. (No date yet). I was watching one of the tributes and listening to whichever song, they were highlighting, and I thought about how good some of her songs are, and how much I like them. It turned out to be a great reminder.
I had been playing guitar a little bit because I finally could. But I’d mostly been trying to play some classical pieces, or simple arrangement of them. Just to start playing again and because my sister took up cello and if she’s going to be playing music and getting better, well, I need to keep up or better. We’re not at all competitive. Really.
That reminder wasn’t so much about Olivia Newton-John’s music. Not totally anyway. I do love many of her songs and her voice. It wasn’t even a reminder that I needed to play more. It was a reminder of how much I really love to play and listen to music. It was also a reminder to play the things I love. And listen to the things I love. The songs that make me smile, or want to move, or want to sing along. (Queue first verse of ‘Yesterday Once More’ by the Carpenters.) Now that I can play again, and importantly, I really want to play, things could get complicated. Playing music is one of the things that can make me completely lose track of time. I can get so lost and involved in it that hours go by, and I’ve forgotten to eat and I’m two hours past when I needed to be in bed sleeping.
This renewed interest in playing and actual playing has not been without its challenges. Since I haven’t been playing for so long, particularly because I was in a brace the first half of this year, I’ve lost some of the strength needed for fretting. I thought that if I played my classical guitar for a while, it would let me build up that strength before I tried to tackle the steel string. But when I found I still had trouble fingering a set of notes for this one song I decided to see if I could do it on the steel string. In the event you are unaware, the neck of a classical guitar is wider than most steel string acoustic guitars as well as most, six string electric guitars. So just that will make a difference in how easy things are to finger depending on your hands. As it turns out the notes are easier to finger on the steel string and sound much clearer. They sound like music notes and not some dull thunk. It also turns out that the scale of the neck of the steel string is just a little shorter than the classical. And a little bit can make a big difference. So. I’ve started playing the steel string much sooner than I thought I would. And much more in general which means, the fingertips are feeling it so much worse than they might have otherwise.
One of the interesting things I’ve realized about the steel string guitar is that the neck has a V shape and much of what I play is either more of a U or C shape. So, I’m having to work to get many of the barre chords to sound good. I’m also going to have to be more precise in my fingering. I’m finding the lazy fingering that I have been doing doesn’t sound near as good as if I take the time and make sure I get my fingers on the strings properly. Yep. I’m going to have to work on my technique not just my strength. Oh no.
That’s not a bad thing. In fact, I’m finding myself working on a lot more technique and fundamentals. Which I’m glad of. When I was playing with the Blues Jam, I had the opportunity to learn a lot. And as much as I learned and improved in my playing, I was very aware of how much more I needed to learn if I was going to be able to play the things I want to and at the level I want to. Of course, I don’t just work on the fundamentals and technique. I spend plenty of time just playing what I can for the joy of playing and the love of the sound of it. I mean that’s some of what that reminder was about.
I am very much enjoying playing again. I would and sometimes do play much longer than I plan on and longer than my fingers have tolerance for. And it is not at all unusual for me to have stopped playing for the night and have something come up that I want to look up or try and then I find myself right down the rabbit hole and lost playing something again. And yes, now it’s past my bedtime. Oh well. I can and often do the same thing with a piece of art I’m working on.
Which reminds me, even with my renewed interest in playing guitar, I will still be doing art. I’ve got a digital piece in the works as well as a piece that is part of some stylistic experimenting I’m doing. Oh, and another piece that is a media experiment. I’m looking forward to seeing how things turn out. I’ve even solved my dilemma regarding the digital painting software. I’ll tell you all about it next time.
And in case you are wondering what guitars I’m playing these days; my steel string acoustic is the C.F. Martin 00-28 that I bought last year. It’s strictly acoustic. It has no electronics in it at all. A shock I know. I’m also playing my Gibson Les Paul Studio with a 60’s neck that I’ve had for a little over 11 years. I bought it the day after I moved here. I really like the feel of the neck. I find it very comfortable to play. My classical is getting a break, it’s a Cordoba C5-CE. I do love the sound of it and as I get back in shape, I will likely get back to it. I’ve got at least one arrangement I want to do that I think it will be better for than the Martin. As you can see, what I’m playing right now is mostly based on comfort or ease of play, steel strings notwithstanding.
I have more art stuff to share next time, and I could even have more music stuff to share. Though, I try not to mix the two in one post very often. Join me again to see what I’ve gotten myself into and if I’ve completely given up on sleep because of obsessive hobbies.