10:51 PM; New Years Eve

Went through some hard work practicing with the five patterns in the Silver book tonight. My musical goal for 2015 is a simple one: work through the Silver book.

ALL THE BEST IN 2015 TO ALL WHO ARE READING THIS. 

Valley Night

Ok so they say when learning music, there will be plateaus, peaks, and valleys. Well today was a valley day. My bassist/ukelele player came over to play some jazz tunes. Well my fingers fumbled over my repertoire, and my attempts at improvisation were abysmal. 

After he left I just went over the four of the five patterns in the Silver book.  

Mucho Practice

•Went over repertoire.

•Continued to practice four out of the five of the patterns in Silver's book. Went over the patterns all over the guitar's neck; taking my time really trying to get them ingrained.

•Added the last pattern of the pentatonic scale to my knowledge base

• Starting to think of musical goals for 2015 but I have a feeling they will be few in number but concise.

• Starting to think of getting into doing the exercise bike while watching movies, and eating better. 

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to my daughter (middle child) today!!!!

Went over repertoire, pentatonic scale stuff, and added the fourth of five patterns from the Silver book.

December 26

Happy Day After Christmas to all. 

Christmas Eve Mass went well except my dang-gone microphone kept going on and off during "Children Go Where I Send Thee."  Time to get back to the guitar today.

Well, I did get back to the guitar today! Went over repertoire and still if I do not go over these songs consistently they are remain not easy to remember. Went over shape number 3 of 5 in the Silver book, and worked on the pentatonic scale.

Christmas Eve, 2014

Starting work early today. I should

add that with regards to the car accident I was involved in last night that the driver of the other car was ok too. If there is a good thing to have come from this for me, it was that the other person was extreme my nice; the person was kind of young, so the father was called; he was very civil about it also. I do not trust driving my car so a friend volunteered to take me into work today. Another friend will take me home. This is my favorite day of the year, and I'll try to not let the car accident mess that up. This being my favorite day  probably means that I'll be adding addendums to this post as the day goes on...

Addendum: 2:53 PM

Things progressing. Will be picked up at 3:15 to play at Mass tonight. Daughters and wife and neices getting ready. Son playing drums.

Happy Christmas' Eve's Eve

Played gig. Got in a car accident. I'm ok.

(Not so) Little Drummer Boy

Ok no guitar practice today. But helped my son put together his early Xmas gift: a drum set!

"Happy Xmas (War is Over)" [John Lennon]

Worked on Patterns 1 & 2 in the Siver book. Worried it's going to get complicated. Went over my repertoire. In a couple of days I'll be playing Christmas music with a couple of bandmates at a coffee shop. There's been some friction in our church band regarding the appropriateness of us playing John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" in the spot after our Christmas Mass in the spot we usually play "Oh Christmas Tree." Apparently Lennon remains controversial after all these years. I arranged the Lennon song for the band, so of course I'm in the camp that wants to play the song. Yesterday I got disgusted, and gave up trying to argue to do the song, but then I changed my mind today. We'll be doing it. 

Taking the Plunge

• Practiced with some band members for the Christmas Eve Mass

• After practice, played some songs with the bassist/ukelele player. My improvs were, in my opinion, sorely lacking in quality.

• Received a book/CD package in the mail today. Will "take the plunge" and take my time with it, because it seems to be exactly what I'm looking for: A method for improvising that just might match how I'd like to learn it. Looks like this year I'm going to devote a lot of guitar time to it. It's called: "Contemporary Guitar Improvisation" and its author is Marc Silver. I started the first lesson today....

Just The Way You Look Tonight

Experimented with recording some improvisations! Feel good about it. Mistakes are obvious, you can hear my dog bark, but I'm glad I tried this:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/89r410ad5xzghdp/Improvitwylt.m4a?dl=0

                  Dylan and Bruce

Pentatonic Plan

I have one more pattern to learn on the pentatonic scale. Of course it's not mastered, but here's a little plan that just might yield some cool dividends:

In playing an improv over standards, just play the pentatonic scale on the appropriate key. But here's another key: I may be wrong (only time will tell), but it just might be that the scale notes will sound appropriate as long as the chords to the particular diatonic scale (I think that's what those chords are called) are used. If the chords change to a different key, then possibly just adapt accordingly. 

Went over repertoire tonight and added that other pentatonic pattern.

Practice, etc.

Went over repertoire, adding "What Child is This?" to the list. Added another pattern to my improv stuff. Playing a very small Christmas gig at a coffee house December 23rd.

Dec 17

Last known pic of John and Paul (1974, with Harry Nielson)

December 16

Went over repertoire. Also went over some patterns that can be used in a major key in improvs AND IT SOUNDED GOOD!!

Repertoire

Went over repertoire; received email that my new book was shipped. 

(Before) picture of Marlon Brando.

(After makeup) picture of Don Vito Corleone

12/14/14

A nice day playing with the band for the Make a Wish Foundation. 

Later played my repertoire at home through the amp with the fireplace and Christmas lights on. Also recorded a little Christmas solo:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/94lz1ii4081773q/What%20Child%202.m4a?dl=0

Marc Silver

Practiced today with the band mostly for Christmas Eve Mass. Ordered Marc Silver's "Contemporary Guitar Improvisation" book/CD package. Why not reiterate again: I want to improvise! Playing in the band for the Make a Wish Foundation tomorrow. 

A Nice Night

Played some Christmas music for older folks tonight. Was ok, but what was particularly touching was the performance by a specific singer.

On Sunday our band will be playing for a holiday celebration for the Make a Wish Foundation. Well tonight, a 12 year old girl with a brain tumor sang the most beautiful version of "Blue Christmas" ever. 

Jamey Aebersold

Just might return to book 1 (adapted for guitar).

Great News

Rock and roll band back together. Bassist asked to rejoin. Watched a bit of Jamey Aebersold's "Anyone Can Improvise" DVD and found it interesting.

No More Rock and Roll Band

Yesterday got the news that our bass player no longer wants to be in the rock and roll band. Shocked. I'll hopefully still do some jazz with him. 

Back & Forth

Went over repertoire. Continue to work on the Baker book. Wonder if I should continue with the Baker book, use the Aebersold book, or give the one book book that I've been looking at a chance.

I want to learn to improvise over chord changes. The first half of the Baker book seems to focus on learning jazz chords which I can already kind of play already. Actually I "fake"them now. But I'm just wondering if it's just worth it spending so much time on learning chords that I can already mostly play when the time might be better spent on practicing what I really want to do, which is improvising.

Weird

A weird music day. Got into some Mickey Baker stuff, and played my repertoire. But looking at another possible book that teaches improv...............

Using this website

Here's a great website that I'll be using to help with the Mickey Baker book:

http://www.advancedguitarstudygroup.com

Mickey Baker. Decision Made.

Decision made. Will utilize the Mickey Baker book. And that's it. It is jam packed with stuff and it seems to be a great course that is broken into 52 chapters (one per week). I think he'll be discussing practicing two hours a day, and I really don't see that happening; however this is it. No more pondering if methods. I mean it this time! Started chapter 1 today.

Mickey Baker

Thinking of not using the Aebersold book but getting down to serious business with the Mickey Baker book....it's called "Mickey Baker's Jazz Guitar" (the blue one). 

Breakfast With Santa

Played some Christmas songs with some bandmates for the Breakfast With Santa event at our church. Friday playing for some senior citizens, Saturday practice for Christmas Eve Mass, Sunday playing for a Make a Wish event. 

Making yet another change in my guitar learning plan. Will not add any more chord melody songs for now. After trying so many methods of learning improvisation, I think the best for me is back to Jamie Aebersold. So I'll be returning again to his Volume One, adapted by Corey Christiansen.

A Lot of Guitar Gigging

Today is the 45th anniversary of the disastrous Rolling Stones Altamont concert. Well today my gigs were a lot different. Played a gig with two bandmates benefiting the "Make a Wish" Foundation. Also played electric guitar at Mass. Tomorrow will be playing at a "Breakfast with Santa" event at our Church. 

Went over repertoire. I need to sound smoother with a better sense of easy flow in my repertoire songs.

Continued to try to learn some chords and some of their associated scale numbers in the Charlie Christian book.

Friday Guitar

Went over repertoire and learning the proper thirds and/or sevens in the chords in the Charlie Christian book. Playing a benefit tomorrow for the Make a Wish folks. Looking forward to that.

Here's my version of "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" as it sounded tonight:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jv8av3lud2n756a/Chrestut.m4a?dl=0

Children Go Where I Send Thee

Practice for Christmas stuff tonight. Went well. New song "Children Go Where I Send Thee" (Johnny Cash version) went well. Worked on other stuff including Lennon's Christmas song.

Interesting day....kind of.

Went over repertoire. Trying to learn all the intervals in a scale or chord is very daunting. So almost gave up again on the Charlie Christian book. Bit I think I want to stay with it and try just to memorize where the appropriate third or seventh is in relation to the root. Must learn some new chords too. Today learned the chords associated with the low E strong as the roots.

Monday Change

Decided to move in another direction. Will be using Joe Dochtermann's "The Charlie Christian Method for Jazz Guitar" to work on improvising. Tried it before, but I want to give it another chance. Must go slow and be patient.