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