Folk Guitar

“The Folksinger’s Guitar Guide” (1962©)   —   book review
This review is for the book: “The Folksinger’s Guitar Guide“, written by Jerry Silverman.  Silverman is a prolific writer of music books (over 200 to his credit) with an emphasis on “folk” music.  The interesting thing is his credits are not exclusively “American” folk music.  He has also written about folk music from several European countries and Afro-Caribbean / Calypso, too.  This book is one of his earliest and considered his most popular (at least in terms of sales).  This book was given to me as an early birthday present and was purchased from the “1/2-off” bin at a local music store (Rockin’ Robbies).  We got it for $3!!
As with all music tutorial books, this book must be evaluated by two standards:  1)  is it a good book?  And, 2)  will it help you “master” the topics covered?  For the second question, only time can truly tell…  For the first…  This appears to be an EXCELLENT book!
This is NOT a music theory book – but you will get “some” theory.  The is NOT a “method” book (according to the author), but you WILL get A LOT of method.  This is NOT a history of “folk” music book, but you WILL get considerable background and a list of historically significant guitarists and their works.  This IS a short (79 pages) and very fast read – mainly because it’s mostly songs / music and lyrics.  The writing style is as approachable as the music itself.  I learned a host of details / nuances about topics I haven’t heard addressed in my two years of watching (and re-watching) YouTube guitar instructional videos and “reading” various books.  For example:  picks are “meant” for steel string guitars.  Fingers are for nylon strings.  Striking with steel strings sounds different and nylon string guitars are not “meant” to have the harsh sound of a pick.  You are supposed to grow your right hand finger nails “a little” if you want the sharper sound, but it will still sound different than a pick.  The author also suggests if you are going to use a pick, to use the most flexible one you can find – particularly for strumming.
Now, of course, the example is purely the author’s opinion, but (to me) it intuitively makes sense.  I have noticed differences between plectrum (“pick”) types and fingers.  I had settled on a stiffer pick, because I haven’t practiced strumming as much as I have picking and I’ve moved away from growing my fingernails because I don’t like how they feel.  I believe it does give you that “almost” pick sound, but they simply don’t “feel” right to me and I spend most of my day living life, not practicing guitar.  (You also have to have strong nails.  I’m not sure I do.  And you have to keep the nails trimmed “just so”.  Yes, I’ve read the recommendations, but every individual has slightly different fingers – and nails – and I’m not sure it is worth the time and effort to experiment with all of the various lengths and angles / cuts until I can already play a LOT better than I do now.)
As for “playing”, I’ve been gravitating towards fingerstyle:  Travis picking, “regular” fingering, classical style, Spanish / Flamenco style(s) and blues.  Obviously, individually these various forms take considerable time to learn and years to master, but I’ve not found “my” sound / style yet, and playing (beginning) the various styles is tremendously interesting.  So, this book is right in line with my current investigations / interests.
Although the author claims this book is not “really” a method book – it is…  It covers all of the main beginner topics (holding a guitar, parts of a guitar, and tuning).  It then introduces chords “D“, then “A7“, then keys (theory).  (Remember how I said Silverman sneaks in a bit of theory.)  He finishes the “D” key with the “G” chord.  He quickly moves into “transposing” keys (more sneaky theory).  Next comes right hand work:  strumming, timing and alternating base;  then, base runs and a few more keys (“G“, “E” and “C“).  All of this is done with songs for / at the appropriate skill level.
Finally, there are advanced topics:  arpeggios, hammer-ons, and a brief introduction to various styles of music at the border of “folk”:  Blues, Boogie, Calypso, alternate tunings, barre-ing and the use of capos.  Silverman wraps up with a chord chart and discography and bibliography.  Whew!!
After completing the reading I asked myself:  would I be further along in playing guitar if I had found and read this book two years ago – when I first started.  I would have to admit, yes.  I would probably be considerably further along in playing ability if I had started with this book.  But there is a difference between playing and knowing / understanding.  And, here, I’m not sure…
I’ve taken the road less traveled.  That is true.  I’ve explored multiple guitar types: classic acoustic, modern acoustic, semi-hollow, full-size and 3/4 size, nylon and steel string, and then there is the whole range of electric guitars I’ve also begun to explore…  Am I a better guitar player for this experience.  I would say: NO.  I consider myself to be just slightly ahead of absolute beginner.  But I think I am a better guitarist because of the roundabout method I’ve taken to get where I’m at in my ability.
The author proposes three main criteria for learning to play guitar:  1)  listen to as much music as you can – over and over again, until you can feel the music you’ll be playing (what to play).  2)  watch as much music being played as you can (how to play), so you can get ideas about playing from those who’ve gone before.  And, 3)  play as much as you can, at every opportunity (practice, practice, practice).  Build a foundation and then add to it.
Final recommendation:  This is a wonderful book for any potential guitarist who is trying to learn this historical style of music: folk music.  I believe it would be of benefit to any type of guitarist, but if you have little or no interest in styles outside of your own favorite genre (hard rock or heavy metal with lightening fast solos), you may find the book too simplistic.  As for me, “folk music” was never on my radar, but it definitely is now!  Very highly recommended!
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On This Day In:
2022	A Whole New Kind
2021	Yea, Spring!
	Smile On Your Brother
2020	Spoken And Shared
2019	Real Tools
	Three Cruelties
2018	United States
2017	Out Of Luck
2016	Wavelengths Of The Earth
2015	God Said What To You?
2014	Not Saying
2013	Ears And Tongue
2012	The Story Of Joe (Middle-Class Republican)
2011	Happy Birthday, Diana
	Depending On Kindness

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A Baker’s Dozen

[Disclaimer:  I have not received as a promotional consideration any guitar or music related product, nor am I mentioning anything in this post to secure compensation / income for myself or the manufacturer(s) of the products mentioned.  I am only posting about this / these item(s) because I personally purchased it / them and am excited to be learning about music and playing guitar.  This is a long post…  You’ve been warned!    —    kmab]
Background:  If you’ve been following this blog for the last two years, you are probably aware I’m trying to learn / teach myself how to play guitar.  I began this journey in late 2020, when I decided to try, and, then in January 2021, when I purchased my first guitar.  Since then, I’ve gone deep into Guitar Acquisition Syndrome  (G.A.S.) and I now have thirteen!  So, yes, after a brief 25-ish months, I’m averaging about one new guitar every two months.  How’s that for “G.A.S.”?!!
My most recent purchase is:  “Idyllwild (by Monoprice) Full-Size 4/4 Spruce Top Classical Nylon String Guitar with Accessories and Gig Bag“.  This is the “bigger brother” of the “Idyllwild by Monoprice 3/4 Classical Guitar with Gig Bag, Natural“, which I bought back in June of 2021.  The 3/4 cost me (roughly): $43 and this full-size version cost: $75.  Despite the fact I feel like I’m pretty hooked on guitar at this point – “doubt I’d keep playing” was the main reason for buying “inexpensive” (re:  cheap) guitars when I started out.  I’m pretty happy with all of my purchases, but I’m STILL resisting the urge to splurge on an expensive “big-name” guitar.
This is my third “Monoprice” guitar and second “Idyllwild” brand guitar.  I have the two already mentioned (this and the 3/4) and I have one “Indio” guitar (by Monoprice).  That guitar is an electric “telecaster” style.  I guess, their electrics are “Indio‘s” and their acoustics are “Idyllwild“.
Start of review:
So, this (4/4 size “classical” acoustic) is the latest guitar I’ve purchased – as of March 2023.  It was ordered on 24 February and received on 1 March, so shipping was less than a week – an initial very good impression!  The box had a couple of slight (1in x 1in) dents in it, so that was a negative, but they did not necessarily have anything to do with the manufacturer / seller, so it’s merely a comment on delivery status.  (Note:  Virtually every guitar I’ve purchased has come with a slight – or not so slight – issue with the shipped box / container and NONE have resulted in a damaged instrument.  I may just be lucky…)
Per their site, this is what I received for $75 and change – all-in (including tax and shipping).
Strings:  6 – nylon;  the three bass strings are metal wrapped.  The strings do not feel “real”.  They feel like they should be on a $2 plastic, toy guitar, BUT though cheap feeling, they have held tune surprisingly well.  By not “real”, I mean they feel VERY thick.  They are BY FAR the thickest strings I’ve ever played on a guitar.  I don’t know what gauge they are.
Electronics:  N/A
Tuners:  typical chrome (three to a side, linked) classical tuners, but they neither look nor “feel” flimsy.  They also do not have dead spots (when you turn and nothing happens, then suddenly the gears seem to grab).  The tuners on the 3/4 were a “brassy” looking color.  I don’t know if they were actual brass.  I doubt it.
Neck Shape:  I’m not sure how to describe it.  It is WIDE.  The top is flat;  almost to the point of being concave.  I have very wide fingertips and this is BY FAR the most string separation I have on any guitar I own.  To be honest, I LOVE it!!  I have virtually NO bleed over from my fingers in ANY chord.  The down side, of course, is that any chord with a 6th string is much harder to reach.  I had thoughts of buying a twelve-string guitar and removing the extra strings, just to see what it would feel like to have room for my fingers.  This is no longer necessary.  I now know what it will feel like…
Neck Material:  Okume
Top Material:  Spruce / Solid
Body Size:  4/4, 39in total length
Body Shape:  Classical (no cut-away) Acoustic
Number of Frets:  19  (but the “upper range” 7 frets are virtually unreachable except for tapping)
Note:  the above image is from the Monoprice product site and I make no claim to ownership.
Fretboard:  no idea (unspecified)  Note:  As with most “classical” style guitars there are NO fret markers inlaid on the face of the  fretboard.  Unlike, most classical style guitars there are “dots” on the upper side (the base strings side) of the fretboard.  I don’t know if they are true inlaid or simply painted under the gloss varnish.
Frets Size:  2.2mm
Nut / Saddle:  Plastic (Minor tuning adjustments make the strings “ping” at the nut.  This means I need to “lube / graphite” the nut a little when I get around to changing the strings.)
Nut Width:  not stated;  but I believe it is “classical”:  i.e. 2 inches wide
Bracing:  not stated
Back / Sides:  No idea.  I am assuming it is Okume, like the neck, but I haven’t seen this documented.  I don’t know if the back and sides are solid or laminate.
Bridge:  no idea, but the saddle appears to be plastic (like the nut)
Pickguard:  none
Finish:  Natural gloss all over (including the full neck and headstock).  Wonderfully smooth to the touch!
Included Accessories:  Battery operated electric tuner, extra set of strings, 3 picks, strap, gig bag  (Note: the picks were NOT received and the strap is useless as there are no knobs to attach a strap to.  Most classical guitars are held, not strapped.)
Gig Bag:  Included.  This bag is ok considering the total price.  It is more than a dust cover in thickness (but with no padding at all), and it seems tough, (but not waterproof).  The zippers look medium weight and works smoothly.  There is also a zippered pouch on the front of the bag.  The bag is sufficient for most carrying about, but it is baggy (not form fitting) and offers only the slightest of protection.  It does not have a super sturdy handle or padded shoulder straps, but the straps are adjustable, so that’s something.  Lastly, the strap guides are metal – not plastic – as you would expect on a simple, unpadded gig bag.
Not mentioned on the site:
They give you an Allen wrench to adjust the truss rod which runs through the guitar’s neck.  The truss rod is accessed via the sound hole, so there is no visible clue on the headstock.  The neck is visibly straight;  not bowed one way or the other.  The top fret is 12, where the neck joins the body.  I believe this is why the nut can be tuned and open chords sound good, but the top frets are all uniformly (still) sharp ended and will be a devil to round (if I decide to make the effort).  (Note: it is my understanding that most “classical” style guitars do not come with a truss rod.  Also, you cannot put steel strings on a guitar meant for nylon strings. They lack the physical support to hold steel strings and you will most probably either severely bend or outright snap the neck off the guitar body when you try to tune it.)  As the intonation is already perfect, there is no need to adjust the truss rod.
Main Review –
First:  the guitar is light weight.  Even in the box, it feels weightless!
Second:  my first visual and hold – the finish is beautiful and the guitar does not “feel” cheap (or inexpensive) – except for the extreme light weight.  The top is blonde and the sides and bottom (body and neck) are a beautiful, dark honey-yellow color.  The fret ends do not extend past the neck edges (good), but they are not rounded, so they feel a little bit sharp.  This is the same as was true for the 3/4 purchased earlier.  The fret board surface seems slightly ash grey-ish – again, like the 3/4.  I believe it is supposed to be black.  Again, I think this means it is just overly dry.  I will add some lemon oil to it when I get around the rounding the fret ends.  The neck is good for relief (not bowed up or down) and is not warped.  As mentioned above, the string action is high at the high frets which I would have thought would effect the intonation.  It did / does NOT.  Once tuned, this guitar is the best intonated guitar I have EVER received.  It is PERFECT at open, 5th and 12th frets!!
Third:  the strings are new and appear wrapped enough to hold without slipping, but they are not excessive – as was true for the 3/4.  It is nit-picking, but the strings do not appear to be wound consistently – all left or all right.  In practice, this means they could vibrate against each other.  They don’t at the moment and it will be a simple thing to correct when I get around to restringing.
Fourth:  There are two very minor blemishes on the finish.  One looks like the side got a wide brush scratch and the other looks like a speck of something was caught under the varnish.  Both are virtually undetectable without very close examination.  There is no dip or lump in the varnish finish to provide a tactile clue there is any damage / fault.
Fifth: (exactly like for the 3/4) the “gig-bag” is a functional dust cover / carry-all.  It will NOT protect the guitar from any but the most trivial bumps.  Having said that, it is FAR better than one of the “gig-bags” I got for “free” with a more expensive guitar.  It has a handle and un-padded shoulder straps.  The straps are not long enough for someone my size to use, but I suppose they would be fine for a child or slender teenager.
Sixth: This guitar has very high action!  Visually, it is off-putting.  In practice, it is irrelevant!  The intonation is perfect at open, 5th fret and 12th fret AND the strings are very flexible and easily pressed.  Today was my second time using the guitar and I practiced for well over 2 hours with no discomfort to my fretting hand finger tips.  There is no buzzing (high frets) and there are no dead frettings.
Finally:  What this guitar reinforced was that nylon strings are extremely forgiving for longer (over one hour) practice sessions. The flat neck definitely has more room for my chubby fingers to practice scales and chords, but is only slightly more difficult to practice / play barred chords.
Recommendation:  I would highly recommend this guitar to any adult thinking of beginning guitar lessons who would like to learn guitar with an inexpensive “starter” guitar.  The fretboard may be too wide for children or adults with shorter finger lengths.  You may outgrow this within a year or two, but you’ll keep it handy and pick it up frequently because if it gets a little banged up, it can be easily (and inexpensively) replaced.  Like it’s little brother (the 3/4), I bought this specifically to keep laying around, for a quick pickup to practice (specifically finger-picking and classical style playing).  It will certainly exceed those simple requirements.   Caution:  unlike my inexpensive electric guitars and LIKE my other acoustic guitars, you should NOT purchase this thinking you will be able to use it for a “mod” (modification) platform.  Other than changing the strings and (maybe) polishing fret ends, there is almost nothing you can do to make this a “better” instrument.  Just bite the bullet and shell out for a more expensive replacement guitar when you get past what this has to offer.  Then, keep this one for when you go to the beach or camping.  Please remember if you pay full retail price, it is STILL only a $75 guitar.  Actually, “my” guitar was $75.  The “normal” retail price is $99 as of March 2023.
One final “comment” – which may sound unfair – this is a “listeners” guitar, more than a “players” guitar.  By that I mean if you play it, it feels good and sounds okay.  Not great.  Just okay.  But if you turn the guitar face so the sound hole is to your ear, this guitar sounds fantastic.  The difference is – to me – amazing and I repeat the exercise every time I pick it up.  I have noted this effect on my other acoustics, too, but nowhere near this level of difference.
Because my impressions / opinions of the guitar may change over time, updates to my reviews will appear on the specific guitar review page and not in a daily blog post…
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On This Day In:
2022	Putin Invades Ukraine To Recreate The Old Soviet Union
2021	Even If It’s A Nice View
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2020	First Steps – The (California) Primary Vote
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2019	Hearts Torn In Every Way
2018	Recently Seen On A T-shirt:
2017	Rhythmical Creation
2016	In The Beginning
2015	False Gods
2014	But Sometimes Careers Choose People
2013	Pretty Sure Of Uncertainty
2012	Face Reality
2011	Intelligent Luck

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Hanging On By My Fingertips…

In my continuing efforts to learn more about playing guitar and making music, towards the end of last year, I began trying some  “finger-picking” styles.  Before that I was either using a “plectrum” (guitar pick) or just casually strumming with my thumb / index finger.  There is an obvious tonal difference between the two: using a pick tends to be louder and with individual notes better defined;  no pick (to me) sounds “fuller” but softer (muffled isn’t the right word to describe the sound, but it’s all I can think of).
Finger-picking is used the most extensively (exclusively) in Classical and Spanish style guitar playing and frequently in Country (“Travis Style”) and Jazz.  As these styles are all far beyond my basic skill set, I have (to date) paid little heed of the physical requirements of this / these style:  Fingernails.
As I began exploring these styles (yes, my reach exceeds my grasp), I kept stumbling on advice for how to maintain appropriate nails – length and shape.  And, in turn, I’ve tried growing my nails out…
“PIMA“: P = pulgar (thumb); I = indice (index finger); M = medio (middle finger); A = anular (ring finger)
Traditional “Classical” style uses the thumb (“P”) and three fingers (“I”, “M”, “A”).  The “pinky” is unused.  Traditional “Travis” style uses only thumb and index finger, but most guitarists nowadays use at least two fingers (and usually three).
1 – 2 mm past your finger / nail join point
The traditional “strike-zone / sweet-spot” for finger-picking is the point where the nail and finger join.  This allows the guitarist to both deaden a moving string (using the finger pad) and get the most precise release point for the string (the edge of the finger nail).
Of course there are a variety of individual factors which determine how long and what shape your nails need to be, including: the shape of your fingers, the width of your nails, the shape of your nails, the distance from the join point (finger and nail) to the top of your individual fingers and the angle of “attack” you use to pluck each string.
Poorly shaped, but approaching the correct length
Bottom line?  Too much, too soon.  Yes, I can feel the difference when playing, and yes, I can hear the difference, but this is a LOT of hassle.  I have a LONG history of OCD with my fingernails.  I don’t bite them, but I keep them VERY short and just going a few weeks to grow them out this far is driving me crazy!  LoL!!
So, no, I won’t be keeping my right hand nails long…  And, so, my dreams of becoming the next Andrés Segovia / Merle Travis must fall by the wayside…  (Just kidding.  I have NEVER dreamed that!)  Now, where are my clippers?
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On This Day In:
2022	Do People Know What You Stand For?
2021	The Republican Party Can Survive Trumpism (If It Wants To)
	Don’t You Ever Ask Them Why
2020	Art Work
	One Person (Republican) Can Make A Majority
2019	Hopefully, Closer To Noon
	Can You See The Bottom?
2018	Stock Market Sets Another Record Under #DumbDonald
	#LyingDonald: About That Special Prosecutor Testimony
2017	We Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet
2016	But You Have To Learn It Feels Good
2015	Never Stop
2014	Caution
2013	Treat Her Like A Lady
2012	Build New Worlds
2011	I Grok Elegance
	Standing Relish

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Musical Notes

Today’s post is just an update on my “learning” guitar progress…  Two years and counting…
I’m continuing to practice most every day for at least an hour.  There have been quite a few more days in the last six weeks when it’s only been 30-45 minutes, but that’s life.  Most of those times, I’ve been playing until fatigue / sleepiness and stopping when I start nodding out.  LoL!  I do most of my practicing between 11:30pm and 1am.  I can sit out in the front room and not disturb anyone (our bedrooms are on the other side of the house).
I’m still alternating between my various guitars.  I’m now up to 11, split mostly in favor of electric (7 to 4).  I’ve had them in a rotation schedule of a couple of acoustics laying in the living room and bedroom (for quick access) and then the rest in a monthly rota, but I’ve recently shifted to a three week rota as I don’t feel like I’m actually touching each enough with now having so many.  The perils of G.A.S. (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome)…   If you’ve been counting, or reviewing my “Learning Guitar” page, you’ll see I don’t have all of my guitars accounted for (only eight reviews).  My original intent was to do initial impression reviews and then subsequent updates as and when I “modded” them.  “Life” and my procrastinating nature have more or less shot that plan down.  It’s too late to do the initial impressions and I haven’t done very many mods, but I still plan to do reviews at some point.
I am still planning to get two more guitars to round out my collection – a full size nylon-string classical / acoustic and a single neck-humbucker telecaster style electric.  After that, any additional purchases (quality upgrade) will necessitate a charitable donation to make room for the new toy.)  The “Happy Wife” policy…
As far as “playing” goes, I’ve already forgotten more than I’ve learned.  I’ve been skimming the odd book and watching a lot of guitar videos, but while they “teach” you a lot – it’s really more a case of “informing” you about motivation, techniques and concepts.  The more I’m practicing, the more I’m realizing that if “it” (a given action) isn’t under your finger tips as muscle memory, you really haven’t learned it…  And all of that muscle memory takes time and (more) practice – not more awareness / understanding.
Fortunately, for me (and not so fortunate for my family), my OCD allows me to be fairly content with just practicing things (scales, chords, spider walks, children’s songs) over and over and over again.  I enjoy the repetitive action(s) and I feel like I’m finally starting to hear the notes.  I mentioned in a prior post that I am “kind of” able to hear myself hum an “F#” and then tune the guitar from there.  I’m continuing to get better at this.  I’m also a little better at using a A400 tuning fork to tune the guitar.  This is as opposed to using an electric tuner as a default tuner.  I still (also) use the electric tuners, but I’m gaining confidence in my ear for relative pitch.  Starting out, if ANYONE had said I’d be able to do this AT ALL, I’d have told them they were crazy and it’ll NEVER happen.  LoL.  The old dog is learning new tricks!
Most of the relatives feel I’m going about this “learning guitar” all wrong and that I should be learning songs.  While I appreciate their viewpoint, I don’t find learning “songs” to be that interesting.  I have two “songs” memorized (finger-style): “Taps” and “God Save the Queen“.  I also have a couple more close to memory: “Ode to Joy” and “Drummer Boy”.  On “Ode“…, no, not the full version – get serious…  But enough so you can tell what the song is.  Random people I discuss “learning guitar” with generally say: “As long as you’re having fun, who cares what you’re playing.”  But I have a feeling they’re thinking, “TWO YEARS(!!!), and that’s all he can play?”  (LoL)
So, I still haven’t settled on a single guitar I want to specialize with.  I still haven’t decided if I want to concentrate on finger-style or plectrum-style.  I still have very poor (almost none) rhythm – which makes leaning to strum problematic.  I’m still SLOW at changing chords – even the few I know.  And, I still haven’t decided what kind of music (rock, country, jazz, classical, blues, Spanish, folk, pop) I want to play.  Slowly, slowly.
And, finally, other hardware…  I’ve added a second “amp” and a “looper pedal” to my collection of kit.  The second amp is a portable, super-mini (3 watt) battery operated job.  It sounds slightly better than my original amp, but I don’t know enough about either to have the faintest idea of why – or if I should care.  The looper allows me to record a few seconds of playing chord changes and then play it back in a loop to play lead over.  The problem (of course) is my chord transitions are soooo bad, there is little point in trying to record / loop them – particularly when there are already hundreds of good background loops available on YouTube.  Oh, well, another toy to play with…  Slowly, slowly.
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On This Day In:
2022	A Murmuring Note
2021	Satisfied If Not Fulfilled
	You Don’t Know
	Urban Ballroom
2020	R.I.P. Kobe
2019	Looks A Lot Like #45
2018	Trying To Stay Young
2017	Seems Reasonable To Me
2016	We Can Get Through This Together (In Time)
2015	How Long Is A Piece Of String?
2014	Heathen, n.
2013	Wisdom’s Folly
2012	When The Student Is Ready
	Disconnected Leadership
2011	The Complex Richness Of Life

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Feeling GAS* (Again)

Nothing is more beautiful than a guitar, save perhaps two.
—     Frederic Chopin
[As in “Guitar Acquisition Syndrome“.  (LoL)   —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	And Even Fewer Regrets
2021	Today Counts
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2020	Maybe #IncompetentDonald Really Is A Great Manager
2019	Your Only Choice
2018	A Good Definition
2017	Getting It Done
2016	Getting To Know Me
2015	Why I Pay Taxes
2014	Inequality Of Sacrifice
2013	I Never Saw A Moor
2012	Fill In The Blank
	Not For Naught
	Cliff Notes To Life?
2011	Conference Games Sunday

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Discovering Humanity

The joy of playing classical guitar extends beyond the prize (the perfect performance).  It’s the daily journey and how we travel it.  That’s where we find the gold.  That’s where we discover the humanity, in both the music and in ourselves.
—    Allen Mathews
Allen Mathews is a professional musician and classical guitar instructor who maintains a site located at:  https://classicalguitarshed.com/
Every Tuesday, Allen posts a quote (which may or may not be specifically about music).   He then goes on to tie the quote to a “teaching moment”.  Allen’s “Quote page” is located at:  https://classicalguitarshed.com/tuesday-quotes/
[Disclaimer:  Although I have viewed many of Allen’s videos and subscribed to his emails for over a year, I have not personally purchased any of his packages of instruction as I am merely dabbling in “classical” guitar to see what it’s about.  I have no other association with Allen or his site and have not requested permission to re-post this quote.  If he requests it, I will remove or substantially edit this quote.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2021	Likely To Be Subtle
	My Temp’s Pretty High
	Scratching A Persistent Itch
2020	A Word Of Assurance They Are Not Alone
	Is #45 Still Crying?
2019	It’s Obvious
2018	Passed Too Swiftly
2017	On Our Wall (Part 1)
2016	Or The Ripples From A Good Life
2015	Titles And Reputations
2014	Unfolding
2013	Again
2012	Needs
	Damned
2011	Potter & Prejudice
	Blink, Blink

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Happy 13th Anniversary Of Blogging

This post marks the first day of my 14th year of blogging here on WordPress.  A great deal of this post is a repetition of last year’s post…  (And, yes, it’s a long one…)
With almost no change from last year…  The number of countries who’ve visited this site continues to (slowly) grow and the number which haven’t continues to decrease.  North Korea and Cuba are still among them (the latter…)  I’m also still missing a belt across the middle of Africa (but it’s no longer coast-to-coast) and a few spots in Asia.  (Slowly, slowly…  Resistance is futile.)
On reviewing my content over the past year, I’m mostly back to one post a day.  They are almost entirely just quotes with occasional political opinions, infrequent film reviews and rarely book reviews.  I haven’t added near as many posts about learning guitar or music as I thought I would.  I’m not terribly sure why.
My blog is continuing to be part of my “normal” retired life (since 2017).  I routinely receive about 20 to 60 emails (per day) from the roughly 300 blogs I follow.  I say “roughly” because I don’t check how many I follow.  I just looked, and I (still) have fewer than 2,000 followers myself.  Every year there is a trade-off:  you pick up a few steady followers and a few drop off.  Those who actually post about leaving (their own sites) say they are simply moving on to other things.  Most, don’t bother and just stop posting.  A few come back after some period of time.  Many do not.  It doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve stopped blogging.  Some just move to a hosted service to try to monetize their thoughts and don’t provide me a way to follow them.  Or maybe they did and I simply missed the link…
I do have bone to pick with some (many?) of the posts I receive.  Three bones, actually…  First, I receive a large number of posts which don’t contain “Like” options.  This means I have to click to your site and log into WordPress to give you a like.  Most of the time, I will not do this.  I’m just lazy and if you don’t want the feed back, I’m happy to not provide it.  The second is an email with a title and five or six words from your post and then a “read more”.  Again, sorry – PROBABLY 95% of the time, I no longer click through to your site.  If you don’t give me at least a paragraph to hook me, you’ve lost me for that post.  It’s different if you are running a visual / photo site, but not by much.  If you give me one (or two) image(s) per post – fine.  If you regularly have 10 – 15 – 20 images in a single post, I might view one post a week.  And, lastly, in general I only view one post a day from a single source and it’s kind of random…  Sometimes it’s the first.  Sometimes it’s the last.  Sometimes it’s just whatever…
At any rate, I easily spend an hour per day reviewing the posts I get (via email subscription) and sometimes that is simply overwhelming.  It’s not always the average blogger’s fault.  If you post something interesting, I (still) will go off and investigate it further:  authors, artists, locations, books, movies, science / math / history topics – they will all lead me off down the rabbit hole.  And that hole can be DEEP!   There are a few (a handful) of sites which I know are visual and I more frequently click through to the actual site, because I’m interested in the bits which are not offered in the smaller / limited / text based emails I tend to receive.  I apologize if my failure to click-thru affects your view stats negatively…
So, besides this blog, what am I up to?  My health has been mixed.  I’m still morbidly obese and none of my “lifestyle” changes (diets) have stuck.  The problem I have is I’ve had some changes in my meds so I’m not sure if they are affecting me or if I’m just getting older and less motivated – or a combination.  As always, one has to balance the good of the med versus the adverse (potential) effects.  The two which seem the best (for me) are the juicing / blending and the “40hr water fast twice a week”.  The former for losing and the latter for maintaining.  If I can get my meds stable, I’ll probably go on an alternating schedule of these two for a prolonged period.
In January 2021, I purchased my first guitar and I’ve been practicing most every day since. (I miss about one day every other month.)  I “know” my basic (C, A, G, E, D, F, Am, Em, Dm) open / “cowboy” chords and major / minor scales – single string and in first position.  Strumming, finger-picking (Travis style) and chord changes are coming slowly (slower), but they are getting better now that I’m practicing them more consistently.  I now own three acoustic guitars and five electrics, and I have another acoustic on loan from my brother.  I had them on a monthly rotation calendar, but shifted to three weeks at the start of the year (2022).  I’m planning to move to a weekly rotation.  I’m looking into picking up a few (three) more inexpensive guitars and I’ve dropped the idea of basses (for at least a while).  There is no time pressure.  It’s all about my ability to save (here and there) until I can justify a purchase.  [Wife:  How many guitars do you NEED?  Me:  …One more.]  At the moment, the plan is one more strat (type), one more tele (type) and a round-back acoustic.  I didn’t really even think about round-backs before.  I thought they were only over-sized guitars for Mariachi style music, but I’ve learned otherwise.  Anyway, they “tend” to be plastic / fiberglass backs, and I’m interested in what that sounds like.  I have a distinct memory of strumming an “Ovation” (round-back) guitar MANY years ago, but I don’t remember anything about it (sound or feel).  We’ll see…  I am also going to start looking into amps and pedals for the electrics.
The few things I’ve learned (mainly about myself) have truly been amazing (to me).  I do seem to have a smidgen of musical ability (although it’s still buried under layers of doubt).  I’m (still) finding the ability to concentrate on practice to be as relaxing as zoning out in computer programming used to be (in my youth).  Sixty to ninety minutes can easily seem like five or ten minutes.  There is also the complete exhaustion which results from prolonged concentration – however “relaxing” it may feel at the time.  In a strange way, it feels good to be mentally tired at the end of a practice session.
But, am I getting any better at playing?  An objective opinion would be:  Yes!  Am I any “good”?  An objective opinion would be:  No!  Does it matter a whit?  No.  Why not?  Because, like blogging, I’m doing it for the enjoyment of doing it and not for the expectation (mine or anyone else’s) of being any good at playing guitar.  Again, like blogging, as long as it’s fun and interesting and fulfilling, I’ll just keep doing it…  My not so secret goal remains to write a song (lyrics and music) for my wife.  (LoL)
I posted a while back about my guitar goals for the remainder of 2022, but I can easily see them (the goals) extending into 2023.  If I have ANY disappointments over guitars it’s that developing my luthier skills has definitely fallen by the wayside.  I’m happy being able to change strings, round fret ends and play with action and intonation, but it turns out, if you buy inexpensive instruments, the decent quality luthier tools and better quality parts are almost as (or more) expensive as (than) a new instrument.
So, it’s guitar playing and blogging to keep me occupied (and mostly out of trouble).  LoL!!
Other than that, we got one of our bathrooms remodeled back in February 2022 and we’re hoping to get our other one done in early fall.  All things in their time (LoL – and with available funds!)
Once again…  “Excelsior!!“
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On This Day In:
2021	Happy 12th Anniversary Of Blogging
	We ARE…
2020	Happy 11th Anniversary Of Blogging
2019	Happy 10th Anniversary — Thoughts On My First Decade Of Blogging
2018	Happy 9th Anniversary — Three Thoughts
	Day 2 – Notes On Progress
2017	Happy 8th Anniversary
2016	Happy 7th Anniversary
2015	Happy 6th Anniversary
2014	Happy 5th Anniversary
2013	I Resemble That Remark!
2012	Happy 3rd Anniversary
2011	Is America Safe Tonight?
2009	Hello world! (See how it all began…)

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Goals / Test

The following is my “goal” for learning / playing guitar for the remainder of this year (2022).  (It will be quite a stretch-goal for me.  LoL!)
	Guitar Test
1.)	How much do you practice  —  # of Day (6) / week (52);  # of Hours (1)
2.)	How well do you know the fretboard
3.)	Knowledge of major & minor scale for natural notes
4.)	Knowledge of major & minor chords  —  open & barred
5.)	Perform three:  Maj7, Min7 & Dom7 chords
6.)	Playing & modifying a chord progression
7.)	Perform three different Arpeggios  —  anywhere on the fretboard
8.)	Build A Major scale (at least 3)  —  demonstrate a knowledge of scale formulas (along 1 string)
9.)	Name the tones of four major key signatures
10.)	Name & explain three time signatures  —  count, beat, stresses & accents
11.)	Explain note duration  —  whole, half, 1/4th, 1/8th, & 1/16th
Of course the object of “learning” these things is not the inherent value of knowledge.  It is the ability to put the knowledge into use why playing the guitar.  Some of the items on the list are things I already “know”.  They are just (still) not yet under my fingertips.  That will come with time and practice…  Inshalla
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On This Day In:
2021	Waiting For The Sting
	Right From The Start
2020	Reward Truth In November
2019	Prepare For The 2020 Election
2018	Why #45 Is Uncivil And Sinking
	Ole! … Ole, Ole, Ole
	Is This Still The United States Of America?
2017	Go Where?
2016	Returning To The Same Box
2015	The Hunter’s Music
2014	Dedication
2013	Unhappy Alternatives
2012	Implications
2011	Never Let Us Down

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I Learn The Hard Way

The reason so many guitarists fail to reach their potential is error filled repetition, aka not knowing exactly how to do each movement!
—     Aaron Shearer
Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.
—    Rita Mae Brown
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On This Day In:
2022	I Learn The Hard Way
2021	I Ask For Two Minutes…
	Always
2020	At Least A Lot More Gray
2019	Walking The Lonely Path
2018	The Ultimate Trial
2017	Vain Expectations
2016	Or Of One Thought
2015	What’s In Your Future?
2014	Light In Darkness
2013	How ‘Bout Just Obeying The Law?
2012	Or Maybe Not
2011	My Interval Is Too Short!

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Strumming And Changing Chords

Talent is a pursued interest.  Anything that you’re willing to practice, you can do.
—     Bob Ross
[Maybe Bob is right, but it sure would be nice if this effortless guitar playing came faster…   Good thing I’m one of those OCD folks who actually enjoys practicing without seeing much improvement.  LoL.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	Strumming And Changing Chords
2021	B U
	Blueprint Blue
2019	I Struggle With One At A Time
2018	An Infectious Political Cancer
	Site Update / Poems Page Evolution
2017	Our Thirst
2016	History Favors The Victor
2015	This We’ll Leave Them
2014	Sounds Like Faux News To Me
2013	Reasons
2012	American Libertarianism
2011	The Goal

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I’m Still Mediocre With Easy

Try to play easy pieces well;  it is better than to play difficult ones in a mediocre style.
—     Robert Schumann
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On This Day In:
2022	Refreshing My Look Ahead (Back)
	I’m Still Mediocre With Easy
2021	I’m An Optimist
	Talent Is A Ticket To Ride
2020	Works For Me
	Rivers Versus Waterfalls
2019	Better To Do
	News: Drunken Party Girl Saves Seoul
2018	Keep Moving
2017	Fighting Good
2016	Size Matters
2015	Maybe The Best Thing
2014	Ready To Be Fried?
2013	A Real Lover
2012	Winning Wars
2011	A Different Lesson

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Guitar Music

Out of the depths of the mysterious box,
Flowed the marvelous symphony,
Of all the virgin voices of the forests of America
—     Agustín Barrios Mangoré
From his poem:  “Profession of Faith“
[Happy Birthday, Mom!  Love, Kevin    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	Guitar Music
	Yesterday
2021	Maybe Faith Is Based On Hope
	I Want To See You Smile
2020	Thank You (To Those Who Serve)
	Hanging In There
2019	Her Job, Too
2018	Just Another Song I Like
	Earlier Still
2017	Ten To Go
2016	Unstable Emergence
2015	88
2014	Some One-Liners Are Too Easy
2013	Greatness
2012	Memories Of Arlington
2011	Wake Up

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Under My Fingertips…

I’ve been learning how to play guitar for a little over thirteen months and this morning when I began practicing I realized I’ve already “forgotten” more about guitar than I know (remember)…
Because playing a musical instrument is so much about muscle memory, practically none of the information I’ve read / watched has been retained in a usable format.  I’m reminded of what we used to say in the Army:  “You don’t know it until you can teach it and you can’t teach it until you can do it.“
I’ve “learned” about so many music / guitar concepts without practicing them – until they are “under my fingertips” – that I am constantly experiencing “oh, that’s what that was talking about” moments.
Lately, I’ve been trying to tune the guitar by ear.  I’m actually starting to get close.  Of course, all of my guitars are already close to being “in-tune” (from frequent use), so I guess my next step will be to fully un-tune (de-tune?) one of them and see how close I can “really” get from scratch (on my own).
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On This Day In:
2022	Under My Fingertips…
	Seeking The Divine
2021	And My Sister Is Taxing
	What Did The Wise Men Say?
2020	One Phrase
2019	Why #LyingDonald Can’t Trust Any Honorable Person
2018	An Old Style Conservative
2017	John Q.
2016	In Trembling Hope Repose
2015	Let There Be Light
2014	Unless
2013	Divergent Roads To Similarity?
2012	In The Process
2011	What Do You Emphasize?

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Small Moments, Lived Well

When we see someone online play a piece note-perfect, we are seeing the fruit of more time than we would ever suspect.
Professional players have often spent hundreds of practice hours on a 3-minute piece of music.  And even more time working on basic skills and abilities.
When we see and hear them, it appears simple.  It looks easy.  So we again assume incorrectly.  We chalk it up to talent or luck.
But the reality is that high-level playing is possible for anyone (physical limitations aside).  It’s all matter of minutes and hours.
Luckily, time will pass whether we practice or not.  In three years, we will either have three more years of practice behind us, or we won’t.
We don’t need more time in the day.  There’s no race or competition.  No one cares how well we play.  Guitar is a personal challenge and pursuit.  Others may support and encourage, but they don’t care whether we practice each day or not.
The trick to putting in more time on something is to enjoy the practice.  And this is born of creating small, achievable challenges, and meeting them.  Over and over.  We find something slightly difficult then we work on it.
We get feelings of satisfaction from winning the challenge.  And our skills expand bit by bit, day after day.
We can (and should) still care about short-term results.  We need the motivation that comes from success.
But we can also keep the long-term in mind.  We can accept that pieces may take months or years to play well.  Our speed and agility may take months and years to improve to where we want them.
Like life itself, our music is made of small moments, lived well.  And the more we focus on process and quality, the smoother and more quickly we enjoy the fruits.
From a website I follow:  https://www.classicalguitarshed.com/
The specific post / page is:  https://www.classicalguitarshed.com/tq-raymond-joseph-teller-magic-time/
[Please visit the original site if you have a few moments…    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2021	Small Moments, Lived Well
	Shaking My Confidence
2020	Two Happy
	Every Time I Look Around
	Boxing (Day: 3) – Double-End Target Setup
2019	Stand Up, Hook Up, Shuffle To The Door…
2018	Ridiculous Idea
2017	Waddle On!
	A Severe Challenge — When The President Is A Liar
2016	The Best Of Circumstances
2015	Reverberating Silence
2014	Wrong Again?
2013	Improper Faith
2012	One More Rung
2011	Sunday Morning Earlies (Hugging trees and smiling…)
	Hurry
	Updates On Life
2010	It’s Gettin’ Deep In Here

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Four Fifths Of Music

“The Circle Of Fifths For Guitarists” (2017©)   —   book review
This review is for the first guitar book (non-song book category) which I have finished reading.  Hopefully, there will be many more in the future…
The book is written by:  Joseph Alexander and is part of a series of learning about music / guitar titled:  “Fundamental Changes“.  There is an associated website at:  www.fundamental-changes.com.  It also has associated Facebook and Instagram blah-blah-blah…
Background:
In January of this year (2021), I decided to teach myself to play guitar.  I’ve now purchased multiple guitars (acoustic and electric) and about a dozen books on learning music and learning how to play various genres of guitar.  I am trying to “find” my voice on both hardware and in music.  I am doing this (journey / vision-quest) “mostly” through YouTube, Wikipedia, Google and my local second hand bookstore.  I am averaging about one hour a day of hands-on practice and another couple of hours exploring genres, music theory, musicians / bands / songs, and hardware reviews.  Although I have (probably) over 300 hours of hands-on practice, I still consider myself to be a near complete-beginner guitarist.  I have watched multiple hours worth of videos on “The Circle of Fifths” and given this book is only a little over sixty pages of material, I’ve spent far more time watching videos than I actually spent reading this book.
Review:
Having said this, the questions remain:  is THIS a good book about the topic and would I recommend it to others?  The answer to both is:  “YES“.
First (good):  this is not a particularly easy topic to cover / explain.  I may feel this way simply because I’m such a beginner, but I’ve asked a few people who’ve “played” guitar in the past and they (mostly) said:  “Just learn some chords and play songs. Nobody is interested in theory.”  The problem is: I AM!!  Not only am I interested in guitar (as a physical instrument), I am also interested in it as a means of musical expression.  I seek to “Grok” guitar.  This means I have to learn the how’s and why’s of just about everything “guitar”.  Hence, my interest in the topic:  “The Circle of Fifths” (TCoF).
Alexander has written a very easy to read explanation of TCoF and I feel this book significantly increased the depth and breadth of my understanding of this music tool.  Obviously TCoF is a tool for all musicians and not limited to just use by guitarists.  Having said this, the author appropriately makes the effort to explain things from / for a guitarist’s point of view.  He defines words / terms when he first uses them, so ensuring the budding guitarist knows what he is talking about.  Alexander also takes the time to briefly explain some things beyond the scope of the book and cautions readers when a side topic is going to get deep.  Basically, he explains fundamental concepts clearly and then builds on the foundation to round out the reader’s understanding.
As mentioned earlier, there is an associated website with audio files which can be played to increase understanding by ear training and not simply expecting the reader to “understand” a point by reading about it.  This is a book about practical application of theory to music (sound).
Second (bad):  If that’s the good, what’s wrong?  Well, my copy came to me with every third page glued together.  Not consecutive pages, but facing pages and every other set:  two pages open, two pages glued, etc.  The glued spot was pretty uniform at about two inches in from the center / binding.  Most were only spots.  A few were lengths (a quarter inch to two inches) running from binding margin to the center of text.  A couple were the full height of the page as well as being over an inch in width.  Most could be pulled free.  Three of the sets completely shredded the opposite page – which meant you couldn’t read the back of that page either, even though it wasn’t glued.  Fortunately, the worst pages were at the extreme front and end of the book.  When contacted, the response was:  the books are printed and delivered by Amazon;  take it back to them and they’ll arrange to give you another.  If this was a hardbound book or more expensive, I would have done this.  Weighing the cost versus my time, I just decided to live with what I have.  And, after all, the book was still readable.  Although annoying in multiple locations, I could figure out the missing words from surrounding context.
Third (bad):  The book had a handful (less than five) of editing errors where either a word was dropped or an incorrect word was used.  Only one was so bad (impactful) that I had to go back and re-read adjoining text to ensure I knew what the author was saying instead of what it looked like he was saying.  I would add, I personally would NEVER buy this type of book in kindle format without having seen the complete book on whatever hardware version I owned.  There is too much valuable information easily accessible by laying out two pages and seeing them next to each other in a readable size / format.  In fairness, I am a “book” person, not an “ebook” person.  Of course, with kindle I wouldn’t have had the glue issue.
Final recommendation:  strong recommendation.  If you are interested in learning a bit about music theory, how chords and keys are built and how chords work together to create music, this is an excellent beginner’s resource.  Is it going to “vastly” improve MY music skills.  Not in the immediate future.  I’m not that good, yet.  But I’ll get there some day and I believe reading this book will have helped me get there sooner than if I’d not read it.  I will look for this author and series in my local used book stores where I can open and check the pages before I buy the book.
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On This Day In:
2022	Still Looking
2021	Misunderestimated
	The Sincerest Form Of Flattery
	Four Fifths Of Music
2020	Doctor’s Orders
	Make That Seven Orders…
2019	Innocent
2018	Ripost
2017	Just Asking…
2016	And 4
	How Tall Do You Stand?
2015	More Prejudice
2014	Say What?
2013	Daring Errors
2012	Are You Comfortable?
	I Just Have To
	In Flux
2011	True New
2010	A Job Well Started Is A Job Half Done
	I See With My One Good Eye

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