As Long As It’s Music

Posted on November 10, 2011 by SusanG

Ok, I give. I don’t give up, I guess I sort of give in.

I don’t think I am going to do any more trying to figure out where I fall in line musically. In fact I think I just won’t both to get in line. I think I’ll just hang out over here and play a little of this and a little of that. If some one hollers I’ll jump in over there and play a little of that too.

It was monthly blues jam time and I was tired when I was heading over and not sure I was entirely up to it. Still I was going since I had said I would. I had a great time. I usually have a good time. But you know when you’re tired it can be hard to get psyched for something.

I got to play with a bunch of new people and a handful that I’ve played with before. Even got to do a few songs I’ve never done so it was all cool. I even got a mention from one regular that my rhythm playing is sounding better. You know having a good time, learning stuff, getting better, and hanging with cool people, that’s what it’s all about.

Of course, I did stay a little later than I should and I did over do things a little. As I mentioned a while ago, I injured myself and have been trying to recover. Well, in addition to a bit more time playing and standing than I’ve done, I stepped over something I shouldn’t have. Yeah felt it when I did it. Not too bad. I hope. But it sue started burning on the way home. Time for the ice. Ah well.

My point about giving in is that, music is music and I enjoy playing it. When it comes to playing it, I’m not sure I really care what kind of music I’m playing. What I listen to, that’s a little different. What I play, well what do you want to play and what key is it in? I think I’ll play a little blues tonight, some classical tomorrow and then maybe I’ll work on that jazz piece. Or maybe some Zeppelin or some Benatar or hmm, what else sounds good?

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Music Appeals Differently

Posted on November 7, 2011 by SusanG

I think it is interesting how different music appeals and how it appeals in different situations. Sometimes it will be a whole genre that appeals and other times the genre in general maybe does not appeal and yet there will be one song from that genre that appeals. And sometimes a song or a genre will appeal for one reason and not another.

As you may, or may not recall I am a guitar player. I generally play whatever I find interesting. Lately, I have been playing some blues stuff, a little rock, some of the surf guitar I like to play and listen to and some Spanish and classical guitar. Yes, this means I often play more than one type of guitar in a day depending on what I am playing. Truly, surf guitar, while possible to play on a classical style guitar, just does not sound right.

I listen to a lot of other styles of music depending on my mood and what strikes me that day. I listen to a lot more rock than I play and for that matter same with classical music. I do not listen to much blues. Though I play it regularly. It is a genre that does not hold my interest for long, yet it is the music I play when I play out with people. I play hardly any jazz, not for lack of desire, more for lack of practice. I love Django Reinhardt.

The past week or so I have been working on a classical piece and playing a Gypsy style piece quite a bit. What I find that I really like is to learn a piece of music really well, that is fairly complicated. I can strum, and pluck and strum for you all day. I can even learn a solo or two for rock or blues. Put an involved classical piece or Spanish finger style piece in front of me and that will be what I play when I want to test the sound of an instrument. That will be what I play when I am just messing around waiting for some one. The sound is often as soothing to me as it maybe complicated.

Classical style guitar is what most appeals to me to play. I am not a purist or a snob though. There are several songs that I like to play that are rock that do not necessarily have a complicated guitar part. Sometimes I like to play a piece just because it’s fun. Like ‘Wipe Out’. That for me is a fun song. Some songs have more than one guitar part and it will be the easier part that I find myself gravitating to. An example of that is ‘Magic Man’ I prefer to play the rhythm guitar part which is mostly a power G chord. And yet, rhythm guitar part for ‘Crazy On You’ especially if you are also playing the intro, is the challenging guitar part.

Having a fairly diverse taste in listening music lends to my having a rather eclectic repertoire of songs that I play. And really it all has to do with how music appeals in different contexts.

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The Desk is a Mess

Posted on October 29, 2011 by SusanG

So a couple of months ago I did some reorganizing in my home office to try to make the space more comfortable and efficient. Now here I am a several weeks later, all into using my space and it looks like it’s already needing changes.

I had set things up so that I could easily plug my monitor into my laptop for when I’m working on art pieces. I have yet to do this. A lot of the time, I have the computer that is also hooked up to the monitor on, and so I can’t use it for the laptop. I also set things up so I have a better layout for using my Wacom tablet with my laptop for when I work on art. This is working out, though I could probably get that working even better if I could get the cable run just right.

To get all this to work right, or so I thought it would work right, I had to take the keyboard drawer out of/ off the desk. This was to allow me to sit at the desk comfortably, something that is a challenge for me. I am short and I have a standard size desk so the top is too high unless I have my chair as high as it will go which causes the arms of the chair to get stuck under the drawer and my knees to scape the underside of the drawer, and my feet to dangle. So, out comes the drawer and a foot rest goes under the desk. Yes, some of the problem would be solved if the chair had no arms. I haven’t found one that I like yet.

Then there is the little matter of the stuff on my desk. As usual, when I first got it set up everything was nice and tidy and there wasn’t extra clutter on the desk. Now, there is an extra pad of paper, or two, and several pens, a camera I haven’t put away, and, oh the programming book. And there are a few more things as well. Ok, maybe that’s not a lot Of stuff to you but consider how much space the laptop and Wacom tablet take up. There really isn’t space for extra stuff.

So now, as I consider tidying up my desk, I am looking at it wondering if I need to re-organize it again. It turns out that stuffing the keyboard, for the desktop computer, up under the shelf for the monitor, really isn’t convenient. It would be fine if I didn’t want or need to use it occasionally. However, I do have need of it more regularly. Then there is the wondering if where the laptop is sitting and how it is sitting is really the best spot and position. Is there a better spot for the phone, or the speakers? Maybe the router. Oh who knows.

All this thinking about it isn’t really doing any good. The desk is still a mess. I guess I am going to have to do something about it.

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Big Idea at Forty Rod Roadhouse

Posted on October 21, 2011 by SusanG

Last Friday, some other friends of mine in the band Big Idea split a gig at Forty Rod Roadhouse with my friends the band Horsefly. It was fun and they were definitely having a good time, in spite of their organ being broken, the organ player just played guitar instead. Kind of cool but they weren’t totally prepared for it. Still I thought they sounded good. I stayed to the end if that says anything.

So here are some pictures of Big Idea

Big Idea - October 14, 2011 at Forty Rod Roadhouse

And another

Big Idea at Forty Rod Roadhouse October 14, 2011

 

 

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Horsefly at Forty Rod Roadhouse

Posted on October 21, 2011 by SusanG

Here are a couple of pictures of my friends, the band Horsefly. Last Friday they split the gig at Forty Rod Roadhouse with Big Idea. Horsefly played first and I thought they sounded great. Did a really good job and seemed to be having fun. After all, isn’t that what it’s about?

Horsefly

Horsefly October 14, 2011 at Forty Rod Roadhouse

And here’s another.

Horsefly at Forty Rod Roadhouse October 14, 2011

 

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