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Guitar chord forum - chordie → Posts by Zurf
dfoskey -
I keep buying my kids instruments, and my wife keeps getting driven nuts by them. My eldest has her own guitar, and a full set of harmonicas. The youngest has a couple harmonicas, a tambourine, and several rhythm instruments. I don't know how my wife has shown sufficient restraint not to do what your dad did to your guitar.
I have to know though, what is "going Elvis?"
- Zurf
Sheesh. "Low Rider" by War. I feel like a knucklehead not remembering that one.
Thanks for the link James. One of the songs listed was by a band called "Too Much Fun". I used to hear a bar band named "Too Much Fun". I wonder if they're one and the same. Their name was descriptive. The band frequently was just too much fun. I remember one time the trumpet player got up on the bar during a version of Tequila. Then he walked down the length, walked across the floor, and right out the door. He came back in the door, still playing, escorted by one of the town's finest. Fortunately the policeman had a sense of humor, waved to the crowd, put his finger to his lips in the classic "shhhhhhh" symbol, and then walked back out.
- Zurf
I am really getting a bad visual on the kilt thing, Zurf.
Why tell me, it's Ken's kilt. 
- Zurf
Johnny Cash had one (I think) something about stealing it piece by piece?
One Piece At a Time.
Doesn't Alan Jackson have one about a Mercury or something?
The Mercury Blues - first recording I heard of it was by Steve Miller, but I don't know whether he wrote it. I like Alan Jackson's version better, though. Then again, I'm a country kind of guy.
Another I've remembered - David Wilcox' "Rusty Old American Dream" - great lyrics. It's written from the car's perspective.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NS_vlEdBK4
Let's not forget James Taylor's "**** the Traffic Jam"
And didn't both Aretha and John Mellencamp come out with different songs both titled "Pink Cadillac" at about the same time back in the 80's? I wondered at the time if they had a contest to see who could come up with the better song with that title. I cast my vote for John Mellencamp, as much as it pains me not to vote for Aretha for anything.
- Zurf
Go to the "Public Books" tab at the top of this page. From the menu on the left, select "Absolute Beginner". Browse.
- Zurf
You may also want to check out music clubs. I live in an area with a folk music club. They rent a back room of an establishment once per week and set up a small sound system. They play for each other to work on songs, stage presence, etc. After each song, they chat and critique one another - always done with a great deal of encouragement. I've never played there but do enjoy going to see them. Anyway, give it a go and see if there's a club in your area.
Doug - I wear a bandana much of the time I'm outdoors for the same reason. Actually, I'm not hiding so much as trying to prevent sunburn. My forehead goes all the way to my backhead. And while you may not think you're that good, we all have our own windows on the world.
- Zurf
Ken may keep the contents of his kilt to himself, or at least shared only with those inclined to discover them. Whether he has a MIDI interface for him to use the contents of his kilt to make music on a computer... all I can say is I sincerely hope there's no such thing but expect that there is.
- Zurf
So I guess alcohol increases one's confidence level? Then you have to rely on that 1% talent to get you through. LOL
In my case, it is a matter of reaching an balance between retaining coordination and memory while simultaneously diminishing inhibition.
It's not for everyone, as Doug has clearly established. I surely wouldn't encourage anyone to fall off the wagon merely to sing.
- Zurf
I just had my group class and had a strange time going from Bm to A, or Bm to G with an F#m thrown in for good measure. It was an Irish tune called the "Musical Priest". It was hard, but the experience was good, as was the fact that we did it several times over until it became second nature!
Going from Bm to F#m to G can be done more easily using all barre chords.
Bm to F#m is a frequently used chord change. Practice it until smooth. You keep your barre finger in the same place, move your other three fingers over three strings (check a diagram to be sure on that) and lift your index finger in the process. Then to go from F#m to G, just put down your fourth finger making the same shape as you had with Bm, but in the location of F#m and slide the whole kit-and-kaboodle up the neck one fret from the second fret to the third fret.
Bm to A, you're on your own.
- Zurf
Good advice, Zurf. I'd just like to point out a small inadvertent error here.
In the 3rd example it should be DGDA. (not DADG) I'm sure it's just a typo, but might confuse the poster a bit when trying to work back to the I, IV, I, V on that one.
Thanks for catching that, and for the kind way in which you pointed out the error.
- Zurf
Yeah, it all depends on your style too. I play mostly fingerpick. I want a guitar that is bright and has volume. I've got kind of long, bony fingers, so I also kind of like a little bit wider neck. It allows me to be a liiiiiiittle bit sloppy with my left hand finger placement and not mute other notes. My fingers are long enough to handle that. Also, I've tried finger picks and hate them. So, when I say fingerstyle, I mean FINGER style, not fingers with picks on them style. I've tried a lot of different brands and have been consistently suprised. I'll try three guitars going up a line's price points and find that I love the top and the bottom but hate the middle one. It's not all about brands. OK, I'm just rambling on now. You've got the point.
- Zurf
Zurf wrote:Ken,
Does that site require MIDI interface?
- Zurf
:LOL:
whats that? sounds like something on the starship enterprise
I think it needs something but whatever it needs I have it as I can see the videos no problem and I dont think I downloaded any interface thing, but thats not to say I havent ,lol
yep, I have no idea.
ken
Sounds like "no."
- Zurf
Zurf.... this post is so funny...! lmao
You haven't heard us sing. If you had, you would consider it tragic.
Actually, there's a few fellows around the campfire who are quite good. One fellow went to an open mic night and played a Ralph Stanley tune with his father. The lead guy in the house band had played with Dr. Stanley for years. At the break, he came and found my buddy and asked if he would come back up and do "Rank Strangers." How about that? A guy who personally knows Dr. Stanley, first time meeting and playing with this buddy REQUESTED "Rank Strangers". He's real good. A few of the guys are real good. I'm not. Everything I said about me sucking is absolutely true. They're still nice enough to let me play with them. In their defense, they are generally drunk at the time.
- Zurf
Ken,
Does that site require MIDI interface?
- Zurf
This is what radio is. They are selling music. They are not hiding the fact that they are selling music. They have devised a way for you to hear music performing in styles you tell them that you like. Then they pick it from the entire www.amazon.com repertoire of available music. They play it. And they hope you buy it. I have found several different artists whose music I will buy as funds for CDs become available. I bookmarked them on the site so that I won't forget them. It's a slick little device. I wish it were available in my car rather than only being able to listen to it when I'm at my desk.
- Zurf
Just do it.
Make sure the audience is drunk.
For the record, I suck at singing too. I suck less at singing than I did two years ago, because I sing every day. Perhaps I have just anesthetized myself to the horrors of my voice.
There are books to teach you to sing. I haven't used any. They might be useful.
Mostly I just make sure the audience is drunk.
Or I am, 'cause then what the audience thinks really doesn't matter.
You can also do sing-alongs. The audience will sing along if they're drunk.
To be clear, I am an adult and my friends are adults. This sort of behavior is usually in someone's yard or at a campground and no one drives anywhere. We might be drunks, but we don't endanger anyone else with it.
Except possibly their eardrums. 'Cause we suck at it. However, what we lack in talent we make up for in volume.
Most of all - when in doubt, sing loud.
- Zurf
I go to school in a town that is growing steadily more hippie-ish so I'm sure there will be more mellow players around there than in my hometown. Ill just ask around.
Find a park bench near where there will be young women walking. Near a college campus is best. You will find a man with stunning blue eyes, an easy smile, wearing long blonde dreadlocks and a braided hemp bracelet playing guitar there. He is nice, a little stoned and smelling of patchouli, but nice. He will play with you. Be prepared to 'trade' songs. He plays, you play, etc. You will be welcome to play along on his songs if you can follow his chord changes. He won't invite you, you'll have to jump in. I don't know what town you live in, but I can practically guarantee that this will work if your town is turning more hippie-ish. Be ready. That blonde dreadlocked guy is good.
- Zurf
Thanks. It's been so long since I've actually tried to read music that I forgot the notes. I got the riff I wanted figured out. It's not exactly as written on the page (typical for me), but having the right notes for the staff sure helped to get the riff where I want it.
I read an article once that said, "let the guitar sing". What he meant was on songs with simple tunes, sing through a verse or two but on another verse "let the guitar sing", i.e., get somewhat close to the melody for the verse and listeners will fill in the rest in their heads while they "sing" the melody. The author said it was an effective tool. I'm working on a lullaby for my kids - John McCutcheon's Featherbed - and have the authorized sheet music I bought at one of his concerts. As long as I had the sheet music from the author, why not actually try and use it (or a close proximity, which is as good as I'm willing to be about it)?
- Zurf
I'm a former horn player myself. Very former. Your skills will do you well. Here's how I WISH I has started with guitar and am having to play catch-up. Learn scales, at least the major scale, the minor scale, the blues scale (flat the thirds but play a major seventh). Practice the chords used most in the music you want to play. For me that's A, C, D, E, G, F, F#m, Em, Dm, E7, A7, D7, B7. Learn arpeggios and inversions for those chords too. Don't JUST do those things. You need to learn the chords well enough to switch between them in time to make songs, but those are things to practice.
How should you practice them? Well, go to the site ApeDoctor recommended. It's wonderful. I wish I had known about it when I was just beginning. I reference it frequently now.
- Zurf
Self-taught on guitar and self-torture on harmonica. However, I already had a solid foundation of knowledge about music in general from having been instructed as a bass player and horn player from way back. I learned how to read music playing trumpet and trombone and tuba. I took up upright classical bass, and learned a lot about foundation and rhythm through that. Years later I took up electric blues bass, which is where I learned to put together a riff on a chord without having it all written out for me. I started using chord charts then and haven't 'read' music since. In fact, earlier today I was trying to read some music to work out a riff and couldn't remember the notes from bass clef to treble and had to ask for help (in the acoustic forum).
- Zurf
On the treble staff. Are the lines
Good Boys Do Fine Always
and the spaces
All Cows Eat Grass?
I can't remember if that's the treble staff or the bass staff. Help me out. If that was the bass staff, what's the treble staff? It's been so long since I've actually tried to read music that I've forgotten how. I usually just play licks and chords from chord charts. Use it or lose it, I guess.
Thanks.
C - I
D - II
E - III
F - IV
G - V
A - VI
B - VII
C - VIII
Construct any major scale from your root note:
Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Half
Or if you are from Europe and use semitones rather than whole step or half step:
Two, Two, One, Two, Two, Two, One
The basic rock and country chord pattern is I, IV, I, V. Using the C major scale above, that's C, F, C, G. If you do it in G, it's G, C, G, D. If you do it in D then it's D, A, D, G. If you can figure out WHY its GCGD or DADG to get I, IV, I, IV then you're doing great and well on your way.
Blues sometimes uses what's called a blues scale and flattens the third and sometimes also the seventh (which is a regular minor scale).
Good luck. Check into the theory forum on Chordie. It's amazing. Simply amazing reading in there from good teachers.
- Zurf
I'm still learning to play. However, I have progressed from a free guitar to another free guitar. Free is my favorite brand. One day perhaps I will buy one.
- Zurf
One of my favorite albums is "Neck and Neck" by Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler.
- Zurf
Guitar chord forum - chordie → Posts by Zurf
