“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 | |
Posts Tagged ‘Music’
Folk Guitar
Posted in 2023 Book Review, Book Review, Guitar, Music, Reviews, tagged 2023 Book Review, Folksinging, Guitar, Highly Recommended Book, Jerry Silverman, Learning Guitar, Learning Music, Music, The Folksinger's Guitar Guide -- Book Review on March 26, 2023| Leave a Comment »
A Baker’s Dozen
Posted in Disclaimer, Guitar Stuff, Music, tagged Acoustic Guitar, Classical Guitar, Disclaimer, Full-Size 4/4 Spruce Top Classical Nylon String Guitar, GAS, Guitar, Guitar Acquisition Syndrome, Idyllwild, Monoprice, Music, Nylon String Guitars on March 3, 2023| 3 Comments »
[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…) | |
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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. | |
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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) | |
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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! | |
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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 |
There’s A Calm Before The Storm | |
2020 | First Steps – The (California) Primary Vote |
#IncompetentTrump Administration Faces A Pandemic | |
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 |
Musical Notes
Posted in Guitar, Music, tagged A400, Chords, Drummer Boy, F#, God Save The Queen, Guitar, Guitar Amplifiers, Looper Pedals, Muscle Memory, Music, OCD, Ode To Joy, Taps on January 29, 2023| 2 Comments »
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 |
Caution Before Starting…
Posted in Music, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Addiction, Miles Davis, Music, Philosophy, Quotes on December 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Music is an addiction. | |
– Miles Davis | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Are You A Loner? |
I Got Work | |
2020 | I Wish Republicans Valued Democracy As Much As They Say They Value Freedom |
It Sure Does | |
2019 | Something Very Different |
2018 | For Most Of Us |
2017 | Stories We Need On Life’s Edge |
2016 | Heart Trouble |
2015 | From The Inside Out |
2014 | Alone And Free |
2013 | Superstition Is Your Way |
2012 | Escape Hatches |
2011 | Sing Like No One Is Listening |
Deadlines And Bills
Posted in Music, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Composers, Frank Zappa, Music, Philosophy, Production Deadlines, Quotes, The Real Frank Zappa Book on November 24, 2022| 2 Comments »
A composer’s job involves the decoration of fragments of time. Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid. Living composers are entitle to proper compensation for the use of their works. (Dead guys don’t collect — one reason their music is chosen for performance.) | |
— Frank Zappa | |
From his book: “The Real Frank Zappa Book“ | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Why We Protect The First Amendment |
When A Voice Can Make You Cry | |
The March Continues… | |
2020 | #45: And State Prison Waits When You Leave Office |
I Keep Getting Up | |
Difficult To Relax | |
2019 | Looking For A Republican With A Profile In Courage |
2018 | Hammers, Bells And Songs |
2017 | My Friends |
2016 | In Need Of Some Work |
2015 | Elections Have Consequences |
2014 | An Ear Of Happy Accidents |
2013 | Powerful Substitute |
2012 | Heroes Restored |
2011 | As You Should |
Discovering Humanity
Posted in Disclaimer, Guitar, Music, Other Blogs, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Allen Mathews, Classical Guitar, Disclaimer, Guitar, https://classicalguitarshed.com/, Humanity, Music, Other Blogs, Personal Journeys, Philosophy, Quotes, Tuesday Quotes on November 12, 2022| Leave a Comment »
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 | ||
And Longer To Stay That Way
Posted in Music, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Miles Davis, Music, Philosophy, Quotes, Time on October 22, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Man, sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself. | |
— Miles Davis | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Press On |
Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This | |
2020 | AMA |
Still Shiny | |
2019 | Things That Go Bump In The Night |
Hoping I’m Careful | |
2018 | I Must Be Truly Wise |
2017 | My Sensei |
2016 | The Worst Sin |
2015 | Rules Of Thumb |
2014 | A Prayer |
Orange October (IX) – Giants Lose Game 2 In Bullpen Collapse | |
2013 | Complacent Reality |
2012 | Two-minute Sex |
Just Staring, Why? | |
2011 | A World Of Difference |
On A Diet Of…
Posted in Diets, Music, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged American Radio Listeners, Diets, Frank Zappa, Music, Philosophy, Quotes, The Real Frank Zappa Book, The Ultimate Rule on October 4, 2022| Leave a Comment »
The Ulitimate Rule ought to be: “If it sounds GOOD to YOU, it’s bitchen; and if sounds BAD to YOU, it’s shitty.” The more varied your musical experience, the easier it is to define for yourself what you like and what you don’t like. American radio listeners, raised on a diet of ____ (fill in the blank), have experienced a musical universe so small they cannot begin to know what they like. | |
— Frank Zappa | |
From his book: “The Real Frank Zappa Book“ | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | A Model Democrat |
Listen Mister | |
2020 | The Main Thing: Vote! |
No Other Reason | |
2019 | A Big “IF” |
2018 | Committed To Thinking |
2017 | More Pictures From My (Family) Retirement Party |
A Fondness For Sins | |
2016 | Are You Waiting? |
2015 | The Future Myth |
2014 | Hands |
2013 | Because You Have Lived |
2012 | 47% |
2011 | Conservative Values: Low And Lax |
2010 | A Non-Zero Sum Game |
What If “c” Isn’t A Constant? | |
2009 | Pictures from UCLA trip… |
Atmospheric Perturbations
Posted in Music, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Atmospheric Perturbations, Frank Zappa, Music, Music Composition, Philosophy, Quotes, Sensations, Sound, The Real Frank Zappa Book, Wiggling Air Molecules on July 30, 2022| Leave a Comment »
A person with a feel for rhythm can walk into a factory and hear the machine noise as a composition. If we expand that concept to include light, behavior, weather factors, moon phases, anything (whether it’s a rhythm that can be heard or a rhythm that is perceived, i.e., a color change over time — or a season), it can be consumed as music. | |
If it can be conceived as music, it can be executed as music, and presented to an audience in such a way that they will perceive it as music… | |
When someone writes a piece of music, what he or she puts on the paper is roughly the equivalent of a recipe — in the sense that the recipe is not the food, only instructions for the preparation of the food. Unless you are very weird, you don’t eat the recipe. | |
If I write something on a piece of paper, I can’t actually ‘hear’ it. I can conjure up visions of what the symbols on the page mean, and imagine a piece of music as it might sound in performance, but that sensation is nontransferable; it can’t be shared or transmitted. | |
It doesn’t become a ‘musical experience’ in normal terms until ‘the recipe’ has been converted into wiggling air molecules. | |
Music, in performance, is a type of sculpture. The air in the performance space is sculpted into something. This ‘molecule-sculpture-over-time’ is then ‘looked at’ by the ears of the listeners — or a microphone. | |
SOUND is ‘ear-decoded data.’ Things which MAKE SOUND are things which are capable of creating perturbations. This perturbations modify (or sculpt) the raw material (the ‘static air’ in the room — the way it was ‘at rest’ before the musicians started fu**ing around with it). If you purposefully generate atmospheric perturbations (‘air shapes’), you are composing. | |
— Frank Zappa | |
From his book: “The Real Frank Zappa Book“ | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | An Afternoon Nap |
How Should I feel? | |
2020 | Magical Voices In My Head |
I Still Need Educating | |
2019 | And I’m Not Letting Go |
2018 | The Continuing Failure Of Speaker Paul Ryan |
Day 3: Approaching The Half Way Point | |
2017 | Orange Comb-Overs Unite! |
2016 | Speaking Of Which |
2015 | Complexity Has A Strict Architecture |
2014 | Just Support |
2013 | Wandering Free |
2012 | Contribute = Paying Taxes |
2011 | How Will You Be Judged? |
Hope For Me, Yet
Posted in Music, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Music, Nick Hornby, Philosophy, Quotes on July 5, 2022| 2 Comments »
Because music, like color, or a cloud, is neither intelligent nor unintelligent – it just is. The chord, the simplest building block for even the tritest, silliest chart song, is a beautiful, perfect, mysterious thing, and when an ill-read, uneducated, uncultured, emotionally illiterate boor puts a couple of them together, he has every chance of creating something wonderful and powerful. All I ask of music is that it sounds good. | |
— Nick Hornby | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Would You Know How? |
Understand The Way I Feel | |
2020 | Learn To Forgive Yourself |
Violating Guidelines | |
2019 | I Walk Faster (Too) |
2018 | Modern Day Behaviour |
2017 | On Misogynist Tweets From #DumbDonald |
2016 | Cowboy Boots & Missing Teeth |
Or Electricity | |
2015 | Oh, To Be Vulnerable |
2014 | Neglected Horror |
2013 | The Price Of Illusions |
2012 | Once Again |
2011 | And The “Market” Isn’t Always Right |
Goals / Test
Posted in Education, Guitar, Music, tagged Arpeggios, Chords, Fretboard, Guitar, Guitar Test, Music, Practice, Progressions, Scales, Time Signatures, Tones on June 18, 2022| Leave a Comment »
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 |
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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 |
Taking The Chance To Improvise
Posted in Music, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged Improvisation, Music, Philosophy, Quotes, Solos, The Real Frank Zappa Book on June 7, 2022| Leave a Comment »
I want to know three things when I go on stage: [1] that my equipment is working, [2] that the band members absolutely know the material, so I don’t have to worry about them, and [3] that the rhythm section can hear what I’m playing and that it has some ‘concept’ of it so it can help build the improvisation. | |
If those conditions are met, if the acoustics are reasonable, and if I’m satisfied with my amp sound…, then all I want to do is go on autopilot, wiggle my fingers and listen to what comes out. | |
During the 1984 tour, I would usually play eight solos per night (five nights a week, times six months), and out of that there might have been twenty solos that were musically worth-while enough to put on a record. The rest of it was garbage. It’s not that I wasn’t trying to play something; most of it just didn’t come off. | |
If you’re working this way, the chances of doing it ‘right’ every time are not good — but I’ll take the chance. I don’t feel I have anything to apologize for, or any exalted reputation to uphold. | |
— Frank Zappa | |
From his book: “The Real Frank Zappa Book“ | |
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On This Day In: | |
2022 | Taking The Chance To Improvise |
2021 | A Bit Like Politics |
How About Tonight? | |
2020 | Independent Isolation |
2019 | This Pilgrim Has Had A (Mostly) Happy Road |
2018 | And Men, Too |
2017 | Damned If You Do |
2016 | A Storm Over The Horizon |
2015 | What About Today? |
2014 | Idiot, n. |
2013 | Temporary Reality |
2012 | The Great Objective |
2011 | Read A Book |
Hanging On By My Fingertips…
Posted in General Comments, Guitar, Guitar Stuff, Music, Pictures, tagged Andrés Segovia, Anular, Finger Nails, Fingerpicking, General Comments, Guitar, Images, Indice, Medio, Merle Travis, Music, Pictures of Me, PIMA, Pulgar, Travis Picking on February 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »
“PIMA“: P = pulgar (thumb); I = indice (index finger); M = medio (middle finger); A = anular (ring finger)
1 – 2 mm past your finger / nail join point
Poorly shaped, but approaching the correct length
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