C....F....G7

Focused today on getting those 3 chord forms in my brain. Enjoying the guitar more now that's cleaned up and with new strings.

Good Gypsy Jazz practice tonight with the band! I hope we keep doing this band past the next gig. 

Changed the strings on my Ibanez and cleaned it up. Practiced a little of the C forms.

Goodbye Flashcards

Flashcards? Bad idea. Got focused on the wrong stuff. Basically by focusing on the flashcards, I think I have been too much in my head in not enough playing the instrument.

Starting yet again on learning and burning into my brain the C, F, G7, Dm7, and Am7 chord patterns. I think instead of going off on some tangents, I need to stick with leaning the book, and watching the video. And playing my guitar more and into my brain less.

Really focused today on burning that C pattern into my hands, forward and backward.

The issue is simple: I see "The Assembly Line" material as being an ideal opportunity for me to play some good stuff. So why pass? Do it the right way even if it is slow going.

Worked a little on Flashcards. But here's a great picture of my mom, my brother, and me (the little one) taken many, many years ago....

A Day For Flashcards

No playing on guitar today; spent time just trying to memorize my Flashcards. Would really like to have those shapes internalized and ready for instant retrieval.

Maybe I'll alternate one day flashcard work and one day guitar work. 

Middle School!

Under the..... Work in Progress

Did some studying of my Conti Chord Organization. Also did a recording of "Under the Rainbow." Here it is (may need to copy and paste onto your server).

https://app.box.com/s/0empzgad4vozxuevulyu

It is a work in progress.

Bobby Fisher Teaches Chess

A long, long time ago, I completed a book called, "Bobby Fisher Teaches Chess." Now you would think after completing a book like that, my chess game would improve, correct? Well it did not. Reason? I read the book, but did not INTERNALIZE the book. I read words, and looked at diagrams, but did not study it.

Reminds me of how I do NOT want to go through "The Assembly Line" book. I could get through it faster if I just did the exercises with little attempts to integrate the material, but I really want to learn this stuff.

Worked a bit in the book today (I'm up to Lesson 10) but mostly worked on organizing my flashcard system. The book has 24 lessons, and then concludes with an arrangement of "Danny Boy." There is then more supplemental material that can be learned.

Gypsy Jazz

A fun rehearsal tonight of gypsy jazz. Me on rhythm guitar; also had a mandolin player, a viola player, and a musician who played an electronic woodwind instrument that sounded wonderfully like a clarinet and also a sax. Stand up bass player was ill; drummer had difficulty finding the rehearsal place. It was great seeing the mandolin player; I haven't seen him since January. Had fun playing tonight, especially when the woodwind player used the clarinet sound. I am a sucker for that old New Orleans Louis Armstrong music! A really nice time.

On second thought...

On second thought, maybe the flashcards are not a bad idea, but maybe how I was utilizing them can be altered to maximize their effectiveness. I may try to keep using them; however, I think using them in conjunction with learning the C, F, G7, Am7, and Dm7 chords in order as presented in the Assembly Line Book just might not be a bad idea.

Practice, practice, practice

Worked a lot today; learned the Dm7 chords, and continued to work on "Over the Rainbow." It doesn't quite sound the way I'd like it to, but it's ok, I guess. Not really sounding the way I'd like it to amplified, but it's ok, I guess. Frets on the guitar feel somewhat difficult on my fingers. Want to clean up the guitar and put new strings on it. Time to move on in the Assembly Line book.

Mother and Child Reunion

A beautiful Paul Simon song that takes on a poignant meaning for me since my mom died. 

To me, he's saying that to those who lose a mom that he doesn't want to give "false hope" or sugary advice, but there will be a reunion someday between the child and the deceased mother. He's empathizing with the person who lost the loved one: "I've never been laid so low." "Although they (the Beatles) say Let it Be," "it just don't work out that way (it isn't that easy) when you lose your mom. You will experience other deaths "in the course of a lifetime" "over and over again," but the reunion "is only a motion 

(an effort to feel their presence) away." Or, the reunion is "only a moment away 

(Life is so short, you will meet up with the loved one in person soon)."

Although he got the song title from a simple menu item at a Chinese restaurant, Simon taps into some poignant and timeless themes of love, empathy, hope, and spirituality.

Last Known Pics of Lennon & McCartney Together

I think there is one more I missed, and I think the year is 1974.

Working the Assembly Line

Mostly worked on Am7 chord group today, and continued to work on "Over the Rainbow."

Back to Basics

Went back to learning the C, F, G7, and some of the Am7 forms. It's coming along. Also continued to work a bit on "Under the Rainbow." 

Finding it somewhat easy to learn the building blocks (chord forms),  but difficult in application within the context of the song.

The expectation that a lot to do with music learning is easy (at least for me) will only lead to frustration. Need to accept the fact that its difficult, but focus on merely continuing to do the work. The book The War of Art I believe talks about this. It is not the artist's job to criticize his or her work; in fact, the artist has no business criticizing the work. The artist's job is to create. The artist's job is to provide quantity. Provide quantity, and the quality will take care of itself. In terms of where I'm at now with this stuff, this can be worthwhile. My job isn't to criticize myself for any so called lack of talent or anything else that I might put a negative spin on during this process. My job is to just practice.

Relatedly, I read a story about an old time clarinet player, I think it was Artie Shaw. A fan approached him and said that he (the fan) tried music when younger, but the talent just wasn't there. Artie Shaw replied something like: you put in all the X number of hours of practice that I put in, and then come tell me about a lack of takent!

Flashcard Fail

In playing the guitar tonight, I think I may have been wrong in thinking that flashcards would have been very helpful. I think I'll learn better by mostly following the method as described in the "Assembly Line" book. Back to the drawing board we shall go in learning the forms yet again. This time with guitar in hand. 

New Guitar Here

A bit disappointed in that the guitar has small indentations on back of neck; can sometimes feel them in play. It's ok, though, I can live with it. Worked on some flashcard stuff today; getting interested again in Gypsy Jazz. 

Just Plain Creepy

Slow Goings

Difficult to memorize those Flashcards. But after my guitar comes, it will be time to focus practice time on playing songs, continuing with the "Assembly Line" book, and seriously consider taking on the "Ticket to Improv" material again. 

Daughters

Daughters #1 and #2 a number of years ago

Some More Pics

On the butterfly bush yesterday:

Yours truly, many years ago:

The Guitar to Arrive Tomorrow!

This isn't my guitar, but pictures of the same make/model of guitar that is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow:

The James Hunter Six

Had a great time yesterday in Sellersville last night seeing the James Hunter Six with my wife and some good friends (one of which surprised me by driving from Toronto)! Great retro type music (think James Brown). Been practicing with my flashcards.

Daughter #2, Me, and Daughter #1

A Few Things

1) Continued to work on Flashcards to help with chord melody work

2) Rehearsed Gypsy Jazz with bass player (surprised how it was somewhat difficult to play rhythm to these same songs I was once familiar with).

3) Considering again working on the Ticket to Improv stuff AND the chord melody stuff. There is something really to be said for having the ability to improvise!

Flashcards

Working on my Flashcards. Still have more to go. Would be great if I had them all done by the time my guitar arrives (supposed to get here Monday), but will just have to wait and see.

Abandoned Ferris Wheels

Dominant Chords

Just getting into my dominant chord Flashcards while still using the Major chord Flashcards. Guitar is supposed to be delivered Monday.

John Lennon / Rolling Stones / and a pic

Listened today to John Lennon's first solo album "Plastic Ono Band," as we'll as some cool Rolling Stones stuff. The Lennon stuff was very personal stuff to him and was pretty powerful. Although I am familiar with the album, it takes on a different meaning for me these days. This is the first time I played "Mother" and "My  Mummy's Dead" in a long time.  On another completely different note, the Rolling Stones just have a groove unmatched by any other! 

Started to try to memorize the dominant chord Flashcards...

Another pic of me and my son taken, I believe, around the time of his first birthday:

Waiting

Waiting for my guitar to get here; it should arrive by Aug 19. Browsing for digital delay pedals; I love the sound it can bring to my playing. It's part of my sound. Continue to work on my flash chords for the major chords.

Pictures

Here's mom and my son taken when he was a little guy:

Here's mom with her sister:

Meteor Shower and Waiting and Flashcards

Went out with daughter #2 to see shooting stars; saw none, but below is a picture she took of the moon through corn stalks. The wait is on for my guitar to arrive in the mail. Working with varying degrees of success on memorizing the Major Chord Flashcards.

Flash Cards

Made a number of flash cards on index cards associating melody notes/chords for Major, Minor 7th, and Dominant chords. 

Although the Sudnow piano method and Conti's guitar material seems to emphasize learning by playing the instrument, I think the method by which I learn best combines playing the instrument with rote memorization.

However, I never had much luck memorizing piano chord forms. We'll see if this memorization works better for me on guitar. I think it will, since guitar feels more like home for me than piano.

Getting Organized Better

Ok, organized the chords into the Major, Minor 7th, and 7th chords with associated melody chords. Starting to memorize them.

Just down the line

Just down the line, this may be my next guitar, a Sunburst Ibanez AS73.

Stumbling / Crawling

But it's ok. Trying to find the quickest method of connecting a melody note to its associated chord. Figured the best way to do this at this point might be to remember HOW each chord shape is associated with each note. It's easier to do if the chord contains the root on the E or A strings. I may have mentioned this before, but with regards to the five chord groups, only the two major ones have chords not associated with the root on the E or A strings. So today I worked on just trying to remember how those C shapes are related to the associated notes and roots. So far, a procedure I'm using is this:

1) Find the melody note on the B or E string.

2) Try to find the chord shape associated with it. This is the hard part: trying to get to the associated chord shape as fast as possible. So perhaps by learning the chord shapes and getting them associated with the root quickly in my mind may be key. And I started that today. 

A possible good exercise: For each given note, find the chord structure for a lot of chords. Difficult.

Edit: there's got to be a way to crack the code, and I think I'm getting closer to it by trying to learn rules like: "when the bass note is here and the melody note is juxtaposed here, use this chord form,

Slowed to a stall

Not too much progress today. There has got to be an easier way for me to remember and utilize the basic C, F, G7, Am7, and Dm7 forms in different keys. On p. 19 of the book, but struggling trying to find the correct forms in those different keys! It isn't helping that I'm playing on my Gypsy Guitar where the fretboard isn't as easy too remember for me as on the electric guitar. Not having luck looking for an electric guitar; just might buy it from eBay.

Lemons to Lemonade

Started today with the guitar deal going through. Looked around internet for guitars with no luck. 

Then I wasn't sure about practicing. But it ended up being a good day for practicing and for possibly picking a guitar (Ibanez AS73 sunburst). No need to look at too many guitars.

Practiced more of the Conti book. Actually began working on the chord melody version of "Over the Rainbow" Conti style, and its sounding nice! 

Crawling Along

On p.18; Lesson 8 in the Assembly Line Book. Learning about diminished chords and how they can replace dominants. Also playing in different key. That's the hurdle for me; playing those chord groups in different keys. Crawling along, but that's ok; slow progress is progress nonetheless. 

Big news today is that I sold my Epiphone Casino. Trying now to finagle getting an Ibanez Artcore. 

For now, will have to practice on my Gypsy Jazz guitar shown below.

Epic Guitar Day

Went around a couple music stores looking for an Ibanez. Got my eyes on a Sunburst Ibanez AS73 that has the advantage over my Casino in that it has humbuckers, and its somewhat easier to play down the high end of the neck.

Practiced and practiced the chord forms today. Started again to learn the three diminished forms. Even composed part of a melody using Conti's chords. 

One hurdle for me will be in the transposition of the chords to different chords. A task I may work on tomorrow is to keep track of what forms DO NOT USE THE ROOT.  

This Conti Stuff? Absolutely Great.

Edit: it looks like the only forms that sometimes do not use the root are majors. Hmmmm. I wonder if that's useful to know. We'll see.

Back Home

     Back home after a very long drive from Virginia Beach. Nice vacation. On the way home just reviewed Conti stuff in my brain. Had some nice email exchanges with my piano buddy. Good to be home.

      Looks like there is a Gypsy Jazz gig on the horizon. Wish I had the time to practice not only from Conti's Assembly Line stuff but also his Ticket to Improv material.

       I became disenchanted with Gypsy Jazz. Started most recently when I heard a Django clone. Where's the originality? Then I guess I got disenchanted with it knowing all the work that I'd have to put into it....the chord melody stuff seems closer to my heart....kind of like the Sundow piano approach on guitar. 

      Used to really enjoy the Sudnow method, but in the end it seemed to be not the right thing for me. But I did take something from it, including the skill that given a period of time, I can probably play a standard in a way that utilizes great piano voicings.

          Au revoir la plage de Virginia

Day 4: Last Full Day of Vacation

A good guitar day, continuing to work on the first five chord forms. A mostly rainy day today; walked my hour on the boardwalk, though mostly through the rain. Cleared up a bit as the day went on, but we were met with a bit of a thunderstorm tonight as we were on the beach with friends. This vacation I started to read "Les Miserables." Going through some spiritual stuff, trying to make sense. As I did my morning rain walk, I saw something very beautiful....what appeared to be a homeless person was sitting on a bench in the rain, and another woman with child came up to her and gave her what appeared to be some food and drink. Talked to an old woman tonight who didn't seem very lucid, but it turned out that she is known to the community. On the way home tomorrow...

 

              CLOUDY BOARDWALK