A Bit of a Breather

Posted on October 30, 2018 by SusanG

Now that football season has started one of our Blues Jam venues is unavailable so we’ve had a little extra break in between Jams this month. I think maybe it’s been a good thing. For me at least, as much as I hate to admit it.

There have been a few things going on in my world and taking the time to concentrate a little on them has been helpful. I’ve still been practicing and playing. I’ve just taken a more relaxed approach. Partly because, at the end of some of my days, I’ve really only had an hour’s worth of energy left in me. And partly because I did something not in my best interest and have needed to take things a little slower for a bit.

Ok I may have done two somethings not in my best interest. I’m not sure. I know only one impacts my guitar playing though.

What I did that impacts my guitar playing is; I played for too long and then played even more. I was really excited, really enjoying playing and just kept playing. I started out playing my new Telecaster which has a much different neck shape than I’m accustomed to and that is what got me in trouble. I needed to work up to longer playing times with it and I didn’t. Of course, when I realized I was in need of resting, I was still having a good time playing so I just switched guitars. No. This did not help the cramping. But I kept playing. I have learned my lesson. For the moment. I’m pretty sure I learned this lesson before.

The result of this particular not in my best interest activity is that I was forced to limit my practice time for rhythm, and particularly chord work. It meant I spent a little more time practicing some lead type of stuff because that didn’t strain the muscle and whatever else I managed to irritate. It also started me thinking about different ways I might be able to carry the rhythm for a piece, besides chunking at bar chords.

While I was trying to keep playing and not make things worse I took the time to learn a surf guitar song. I now have all the notes for ‘Apache’ down. I’m still working on getting all the timing right and getting it to sound really good. It’s coming along. I’m pleased. Very pleased. And now I am looking for another surf guitar song to learn. I may go back and learn or relearn the bridge to ‘Wipe Out’. I get all the rest of that song ok. The bridge is a little awkward for me.

The other not in my best interest something might have been flying side kick practice with the kids in between my regular Taekwondo class and my extra class to prepare me for my next test. I tried to jump over too many targets and I might have landed wrong. At least I think that might be what I did. I’m not really sure. It might have also been that I rolled that foot inward really bad on my way from the garage to my door while weighed down carrying two guitars, in their cases. I didn’t think too much of it at the time, other than it might hurt the next day. But it didn’t. So I’ve done something to a foot or ankle. Nothing is swollen and when I get to moving, it doesn’t hurt. So. Yes, not in my best interest. I’m just not sure what I did.

As you can see, it’s been a good month to have that extra time to prepare for the next jam. I have finally got the videos from the last jam edited and I’ve started posting them. I should have the rest up in the next couple of days. I’m counting down until my next vacation time from the day job. It’s just a few weeks away and fortunately there is another Blues Jam in between now and then to get me through. I can’t wait. For the jam and the vacation. The hand is feeling better and back to not fussing at me if I play for longer than 15 or 20 minutes so I’ll be back to more practicing and working on new stuff this week. I’ve got a new one I was working on when I over did it and I’ve got a couple of others that I need to get worked out. And of course there is still that homework. Not to mention finding more new songs to learn.

I don’t really have any new pictures to share this week. I’ve been head down working on other stuff so I’m re-sharing pictures of my current obsessions.

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Cry Baby

Posted on October 23, 2018 by SusanG

A Cry Baby and other goodies and conclusions are on deck this week.

I’ll start with the Cry Baby. Kevin suggested I learn the song ‘Voodoo Woman’. Ok. I found Koko Taylor’s version, which, might be the original, I’m not for sure. It’s great. Except. It sounds like the horns are carrying the rhythm. I mentioned this to Kevin and he said to try the Susan Tedeschi version and that it has this wacka-wacka guitar sound on it. Turns out, I have a CD with the very version on it. Sure enough there is the distinct sound of a wah pedal on that song. Cool. That sounds like fun to play with.

As it turns out, my guitar playing, work colleague has a wah pedal. Actually it’s a Dunlop Cry Baby. And he very graciously lent it to me to play with, oh sorry, try out and experiment with. Oh holy cow! That’s so much fun! After figuring out how to get it
engaged and at which points you get that wah effect, it turned out to be a really cool tool. All, excited kid in a candy store stuff aside. I can see where with some patience and practice that it could really be mastered to do some outstanding stuff and create amazing effects. Though, it is the kid in the candy store that now wants one.

Effects pedals are dangerous things. Not because you can trip over them. They are dangerous because there are so many cool effects out there that you can get lost in them and what they can do and how they can enhance your sound without really thinking about how to get a good sound to begin with and then build on it. Yes. I want a Cry Baby or similar Wah pedal. Once I tried it, I could immediately hear possibilities of what I could do with it. I had the same response to the demo video for the Ocean’s 11 reverb pedal from Electro-Harmonix. I want one of those as well. And while at one point I would have just expected them to ‘make me sound better’.  Today I look at them and think of what cool stuff could be done after I spent a lot of time really learning what they can do and how I want to use them. And what effects, though really cool sounding, should only be used sparingly.

You might remember I did some experimenting with strings this summer. It started with the suggestion to try some really light gauge strings. And sort of snowballed from there. I think my Les Paul has had six sets of strings, or more, on it this year. What I found was really interesting. I found that strings can effect the character of the guitar and significantly change the way it sounds and plays. I also found that some strings really bring out the character of a guitar. I also finally understood the complaint so many around me had about the really light strings. Yes they are easier to finger. They are also slippery and they bend really easily. If that’s your need then they are perfect. But, even though they made fingering bar chords easier, my fingers also slid around a lot and I didn’t always get a clean sound.

I also discovered something else about string gauges that I did not think about. I was researching what came on my new Telecaster as far as strings from the factory and found that they came with 10’s. And then I found an article on the Fender site about strings and the different types and gauges. Which is how I found that the gauge can make a difference in how loud the guitar is. It has to do with the metal being picked up by the magnets in the pickups. Hello, Gretsch problem. I’ve had trouble getting my Gretsch loud enough for it to be heard. About the time I started having this trouble I had changed the strings on it to a lighter gauge. Since I had tried adjusting the height of the pickups and found I didn’t like the overall tonal change that that gave me I figured I should just go back to the 10’s like it originally had. I changed the strings and lowered the pickups and sure enough, I got some of the volume back. It’s still not as loud as the Les Paul but as I understand it Les Paul pickups are notoriously hot.

Since getting the new Telecaster and the Stratocaster I’ve started to understand a lot more about the differences between humbucker pickups and single coil. This wasn’t anything I’d paid attention to before. It turns out, with one exception, most the guitars I have had have all had humbucker pickups. When I purchased the Stratocaster I made a point to make sure I was getting what is considered the standard. The three single coils with the five way switch. If I was going to get a Strat I wanted that full Strat sound and experience. I have not been disappointed. I had never really paid attention to the fact that the Telecaster I had was single coil pickups until I was looking for my new one and they tried to show me one with humbuckers. At that point I started to really grasp the difference in what the single coil offers for sound and what the humbucker offers for sound. They are very different. And I’m pretty sure surf guitar is only meant for single coil pickups. It sure sounds cooler to play now.

I’m still working on a new song or two. I have  a couple I think I want to try to figure out and I’ve still got that homework. There’s quite a bit to be learned from Albert Collins’ playing style as well as Jimmy Vaughn’s. All good stuff, just new territory for me.

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It’s The In Between

Posted on October 16, 2018 by SusanG

You know, that time in between projects. Or in this case, in between jams. It’s that time you use to repair, recuperate, and get back out to the shed and get to practicing and learning new stuff.

That’s me right now. Practicing and learning new stuff. I’m not just trying to learn a new song. I’m also trying to learn my way around the two new guitars. I know, it’s a guitar. What’s to learn my way around about. Trust me. There’s lots of learning my way around.

The Telecaster, you would think that since I have one, I wouldn’t need to learn much about it. Not so. There are some differences. The brass barrel bridge, for one. You get just a bit of a different sound and it takes a little experimenting to figure out how to get that just like you want. The other thing is that it’s got the ashtray bridge with the cover. Yeah. Cool. I learned something really interesting. Bryan joked with me about me being the only person he knows that plays with that cover on. So I wondered if there was a difference. It turns out it does make a difference. That cover seems to dampen the pickup a little. I took it off.

The Stratocaster is a whole new ball game for me. With three pickups and a five way switch I’ve got more knobs and switches than I know what to do with. Ok. Maybe not. My Gretsch has a switch and five knobs but the switch is just a three way. All that is beside the point. Which is, the three single coil pickups and the way the switch works means I’ve got lots of sound options. Learning where I want that switch to be to get close to the feel I want is taking some time.

I told you that Kevin gave me home work. He recommended some videos of Albert Collins and of The Fabulous Thunderbirds with Jimmy Vaughn. This has been some good stuff. I’m working on grasping some of what they do and how they approach their leads. And in the case of Jimmy Vaughn, how he works the rhythm and lead parts. That’s fascinating to watch and listen to. I’m learning stuff. It’s sinking in slowly.

A little story as an example. I was watching a Fabulous Thunderbirds concert performance on YouTube. I was watching Jimmy Vaughn play and I noticed him playing a chord form up higher on the neck than where I’m used to seeing it. When I realized what it was and how to use it, I realized I can use the seventh of that chord form in the same way. I decided, I need to practice this. It opens up so much more sound opportunities. As I was practicing changing between this chord shape and the seventh chord for the same shape I started thinking about how I’ve spent years reading the little chord diagrams in the music books never thinking about how that was the same shape as one of the really basic chords, it was just moved up on the neck and a small fingering change made. Now, I think about these things. How do I play that chord in a more interesting way or a way that is easier to finger or sounds a little better. That’s progress.

With two new Fenders in the house I decided it was time to represent. I made a little visit to the Fender online store and found me a couple of t-shirts that I liked. I picked up a mug too. I mean, I have a Gibson mug and I only have one Gibson guitar. I have more than one Fender guitar so I needed a mug.

I took a little time out from practicing to work on the music room. I have my first two guitars. I don’t play them. I keep them for sentimental reasons. I have been wanting to hang them up for decoration. I’ve been putting it off because I needed a stud finder so I could be sure I was mounting the holder to a stud so they don’t fall. I finally got the stud finder and decided to give hanging one a go. I managed to get both those guitars hung this weekend. I have two more I want to hang but I’ve only got one more of the same kind of holder so I’ll need to get another one to finish out that project. I’m slightly surprised and pleased with the look and the ambiance it brings to that small room.

The other thing I did as a break from practicing was watch a movie. It was more of a documentary really. It’s called ‘The Wrecking Crew’ and it’s about the group of session musicians who played on almost all the hit songs that came out of Los Angeles in the 1960’s and early 1970’s. It was a quite good. Really interesting. Great stories. Just as Tommy recommended it to me at the last jam, I recommend it to you. It was supposed to be streaming on Netflix according to the website, but I couldn’t find it there. It’s available for rent on YouTube and Amazon.

I’ve been neglecting my homework long enough. Time to get back to it. I’m excited to see what else I might figure out how to do. I haven’t forgotten about the video from the last jam. I still have that to get edited and posted as well.

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Turn It Up

Posted on October 9, 2018 by SusanG

That’s what I need to do. I need to turn it up.

I know someone out there has been waiting for me to say that. Waiting for me to figure that out. It’s a big step for me, to admit to that. I need to turn up. I was watching the video of the sets I played for this weekend’s jam and that was the one big take away for me. I need to turn up. Oh, not my vocals. My guitar.

In case you hadn’t heard, we had a blues jam this weekend. It was interesting because for as big a turn out as we had last week, outside, at Moochies, this week, outside, at Halligan’s, we had a much smaller group. A smaller group of musicians and a smaller
audience. Not to worry. That meant that some of us got to play more than we usually do. And that’s not a bad thing. It also took a little pressure off that maybe we don’t realize is there sometimes. With fewer people, there was less worry about getting it perfect. Instead it was more like, we’ll give it a go and do our best, and have fun. Which is the most important part.

I certainly had fun. I felt more relaxed. And I think when you watch the video you can see that. Not that I didn’t get bits of nerves a time or two. They only lasted for a moment though. And of course Bryan has a way of choosing songs from my ‘not quite ready for prime time’ list and I find myself singing and playing songs that I don’t have down as well as I’d like. I need to work on those songs more or I need to take them out of the book to stop tempting him. Though, to be fair. It does cause me to step out of my comfort zone a bit and make that stretch which is a good thing.

Now back to the main theme. Turning it up. I’ve been working on my lead stuff and I got to do some fun rhythm stuff this week. As I was playing, I felt like things went pretty good. I had some leads that fit pretty good and I made a point of taking them on most songs. On a couple, it just was too difficult for me to fit it in and pick back up the rhythm. Or in the case of ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ I didn’t really play. I just sang. And while I don’t think I got all 19 ‘I know’s’ in there, that one turned out ok. I was worried.

With it feeling like the night went really well, and with as much fun as I had, I was really looking forward to seeing the video afterwards. I wasn’t disappointed overall. I had a fairly accurate read on the night. The only thing I was disappointed in was that I couldn’t always hear myself when it came to my solos. I did turn up for them. I really did. You can see it and you can hear it. I just started out not loud enough so when I turned up, it still wasn’t quite loud enough. You can still hear me. It just doesn’t have as much punch.

That means, in addition to all the other homework I still have from last week, what I’ll be paying attention to next is turning things up when I go to play a solo. It’s not just so everyone else can hear me. Though that is important. It’s that when I watch the video, it’s hard to evaluate how I did if I can’t hear myself. I know I’m getting better at leads. I know I still have a ways to go still. I just want to be able to hear what I’m doing right and what doesn’t work so that I know where try something else or work on a particular technique.

The fun thing about this jam was that, besides Bryan’s song choice, I got to do some new stuff that I hadn’t played before. They were songs that were a little more interesting to play or maybe a little more involved to play. That was a lot of fun. And I have a couple that I’m going to add to my list of songs to work on. Even just for playing. I don’t need to sing them. I’d just like to play them with a little more confidence.

Yes. There is video. I played three sets which means there is a fair bit of editing to do to get them posted. I’ll be working on that. As well as a new song or two, some lead practice, some hammer on practice, work on getting good tone, and a half a dozen other things. I’m going to be busy. Here are some pictures that I pulled from the video as we here playing and a couple of the other groups that played. Enjoy.

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Train Wreck

Posted on October 2, 2018 by SusanG

I’ve been really fortunate. I haven’t had a set or a song that went sideways in a long time. Most of the time, we’ve managed to make it all the way through the song with it mostly intact. Until the jam this week. We had one song that turned out to be a train wreck. And you know what, that’s okay.

A complete train wreck of a song or set has lots of lessons in it. Just as this one did. In this case it was just one song. The rest of the set went pretty good. Including my shaking hands on the first song. But that’s about normal for the first time I do a new song. And while I usually manage to make it through it pretty solid on guitar, this was a little different because I was playing the intro. I looked and my fingers on the frets and they were shaking like I don’t know what. I managed to get through it though and get to the song. I even took a lead that I thought went pretty well.

Back to the train wreck. We wanted something a little more up beat since we had two slow songs so we chose a song that relies heavily on a very predominant riff. It’s played through the whole song except the stops and at the end. I can play the riff. I can sing the song. I’m still working on playing the riff and singing at the same time. That means I have to rely on the other guitar player to carry the riff while I sing. That means they have to carry it until we get to the break. Things didn’t really go that way. I tried to pick up some sort of rhythm but I got off and lost my place. Then the bass player got lost and the other guitar player couldn’t find his way back. Train wreck. Near total derailment.

What did I learn from that? You mean besides that it’s not the end of the world?

That song is not my strongest. I’m not strong on the vocal and I’m not that strong on that riff, which really is the rhythm riff. I am better if I am just playing the riff. If I try to do both, sing and play? No. The most basic thing I learned with that song is that, I need to work on it more. It’s not that I won’t be able to do it. I will. I just need to be able to play the riff, and keep it going, and sing over it. That sounds like a tall order given what I’ve said about it so far. And maybe it is. However, there is a reason for it.

If I’m going to do that song, I need to be able to hold the rhythm and the pace and keep us all in the same place, even if someone wanders off. I need to hold the line so that others can find their way back if I’m going to lead that song. And as the singer, and rhythm guitar player, that’s my role on this song. It’s not that I can’t rely on another guitar player to carry the riff, I just need to be prepared to do it if they can’t, or if they lose the riff.

I also need to pay better attention when discussing a possible song with others. I am pretty up front when someone asks if I know a song. Usually, I will tell them I don’t know the song, or that I only kind of know it. I might want to play it but I know my limits and I will share that so that if it’s a tricky song, whoever is leading it has the option of choosing something else or letting me fumble my way through. In this case, when I was discussing the song, there were clues in the conversation that this might not go so well. I didn’t pay attention and we forged ahead. I could have been upset about it. What was the point? It was one song in a set of three and the other two went pretty good. And look at what I got to learn.

I’ve been aware for the past couple of months that I was at a point where it was time to step up my playing again. Time to make that next move towards the next level of skills. Then, I traded in those guitars for two new ones that are a couple of steps up from what I had. And now when I play those, along with my Les Paul and my Gretsch, all I can say is, it really is time to get busy and step up my game to meet my guitars. This experience, was just one more reminder. One more voice, or email, or insistent notice saying ‘Get with it. You said you want to do this. You can do this. Now do it.’

Thanks to Kevin, I came home with some homework and lots of stuff to work on. I’m excited. I can’t wait to dig in. I feel a bit like my friend’s son. She posted that he’d been at band camp all day marching and drumming and he came home, had dinner and went up to his room and started drumming again. Even after a full day of playing, he was ready to keep going. I relate to him. I would have done the same thing if it weren’t for having a day job that meant I had to be up early. And I can say that after that day job, I came home and unpacked everything and got in and started working on a way to make that song work for me. And I started working on my homework.

I have the video from the previous jam edited. I just need to get it uploaded. I don’t plan to post the train wreck. Just because. I only have partial video of the first song from this week’s jam so that won’t go up either. I have the last song and I will probably post that. There’s another jam coming up again this weekend so I’ll be practicing and learning new stuff and working on making the old stuff better. I’ve got a couple of recommends to add to my repertoire that I’ll get started as well. Enjoy some pictures from the jam. Along with a picture of the new guitars.

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