Blues

Played a little bluesy stuff, but not really a lot. A cool book arrived yesterday: “The Complete Book of Electric Blues Guitar,” by Dave Rubin. Read the first chapter on T-Bone Walker, and listening to him while I type this.

Guitar … piano

Practiced the five pentatonic scale patterns as well as the five pentatonic blues scale patterns. Also started learning a blues arpeggio for dominant major chords. 

Made a decision today to stop the piano lessons. Sounds maybe a little weird that although I like the sound of the piano, I hate practicing piano. I like practicing guitar, though. It probably makes sense to quit piano, when it’s looked from the perspective of what I’m best at (guitar). I’m more familiar with the guitar. So that explains some of the decision. 

I can always go back to piano if I want.

I’m enjoying the learning of guitar scales. However, I’m thinking that I should start playing them more in the context of songs.

Guitar / Piano / visit

Weekend over. Played more guitar today. Borrowing son’s Stratocaster and amp; he’s borrowing my soprano saxophone. Youngest daughter visited too. 

Did a little more piano stuff today 

Jesus Christ Superstar

Got up early Saturday morning with the dogs, then practiced guitar this morning until it was time for Church music practice with the Church band. Got home and practiced some more. Nice this weekend having youngest daughter, son, and son’s girlfriend over. Went to see Jesus Christ Superstar with son and son’s girlfriend. It was quite cool. Saw the guitarist and keyboard player, and that was interesting. 

Pentatonic Blues Scales

Keeping on working on them !!!!!

Pentatonic Blues Scales

Haven’t posted here in a little while, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been practicing! Continue to try to burn those pentatonic blues pattens into my hands. At this point I’m up to four out of five, but that doesn’t mean that I’ve mastered those four 🤓. 

I go back and forth still about whether I should continue with the piano.  

Regular

Regular day of practice. Still trying to burn in my mind shapes 2 and 3 of the Blues Pentatonic Scale. I got shape 1. Practiced piano too. First day of practicing piano using the new method. Playing C scale with both hands. Not looking forward to going to dentist tomorrow. Having teeth cleaned, and trouble with a false tooth. 

Blues

Trying to learn the blues scale on guitar; I am getting close to it; working on the first three patterns. Started the new piano course. I’m at the very beginner part of the program now. 

Guitar / Piano

Learned how to turn pentatonic shapes 1 and 2 into the blues scale. Played piano at Mass tonight and I’m glad I did it; it went well. Joined a new online piano lesson site….

G u I t a r p I a n o

Not too thrilled with my guitar playing today. Finding it will take practice practice practice to sound like I want to. Just a tiny bit away from starting piano again.

Marathon

It’s a marathon and not a sprint. Yep. That’s where I am regarding music learning. Practiced some soloing tonight in a jazz standard, and it wasn’t particularly fun… Difficult! The right notes in the pentatonic patterns, but translating them in real time to my fingers is different game. The trick too is to not just play the patterns, but to make m u s i c out of those patterns. Needless to say, I wasn’t too satisfied with what I recorded tonight trying to solo. The key is to not get too judgmental! 

Phygerian

Had some fun today playing this mode to a backing track of using two chords. Need some clarification though.

My old school

Guitar

Practiced soloing a bit tonight to “The Way You Look Tonight.” Went ok. Takes practice. Continue to read the Jimi Hendrix biography, and I’m enjoying it. It’s so cool how he loved his guitar. Reminds me of when I was a kid reading some of Hunter Davies book about the Beatles, how I think it was George Harrison who would practice guitar until his fingers were feeling the results. 

My first school that I attended from 1968 to 1976. Amazing… hard to believe that I was in school in the 1960’s.

Epiphone

Used to have this Epiphone 335-Pro. Liked what I think was its coil splitting capabilities:

Found

Found a link to my past music:

https://www.reverbnation.com/shortwaveradioband

Assignment

Recorded what might be the final assessment in my guitar course. My practicing for it sounded better than my actual performance! My playing needs polish, 

From tonight’s recording: