I got an iPad a couple of weeks ago. I’ll get to why I did it in another post. One of the cool things. About the iPad and the Mac is the app or program called GarageBand. If you haven’t seen it, stop in an Apple Store and have some one show it to you. It’s very powerful and robust for a $15 program for the Mac and a $5 app for the iPad. It’s so cool that Guitar Center has teamed up with Apple to offer a four week course on recording with GarageBand.
I’ve decided it might be time to learn to play lead guitar or at least be able to play the occasional solo. While I could just try it at one of the next Blues Jams I prefer to be a little prepared. So I’ve come up with the idea of using GarageBand to record a 12-barre blues rhythm track and maybe throw a basic drum track behind it. Then I can record it in whatever key, or just record it once and change keys. Once that’s done I can loop it and play solos over it forever until I feel like I’ve got a style or phrasing that I like.
With this all in mind I signed up for the class and hauled myself off to the local Guitar Center on a fairly cold Saturday morning. The class was cool and there was a bunch of good info and think I’m going to go back for the next class.
Equally as cool was the experience I had as I was heading out. The store manager there goes to the same blues jam that I do and he’s good. He and the other guys that play together really do shine. They’ve also got a band that plays around. I didn’t really figure I stood out that much at the jams but I’m going to go with he’s observant. Anyway, as I’m leaving he stops me and asks if I’m going to the next jam and we got to chatting about the experience and such. He also gave me a nice tip on finding the right place to play in the box based on the key. I can’t wait to try this.
My rabidness regarding playing music has fortunately mellowed over the last month or two. Unfortunately it means I don’t play as much, either at home or out. I was starting to wonder if perhaps I was pulling away from that group that I was so happy to find and get to be a part of when I first moved to the area. The visit to the Guitar Center and with the store manager made me realize that that is a group of people I enjoy and an experience I enjoy and it allows me opportunity to stretch and grow. More importantly it gives me a connection to a community. We may not be that close knit but they do care and are very patient and accepting and we all need those connections.
What it means for me is that I need to make time for those opportunities. I may be knee deep in some other project but if it’s jam night, I think I’ll be going. Though probably not more than about twice a month. That’s just enough to get in some camaraderie and yet not get totally consumed by it to the exclusion of all else.