Search options (Page 238 of 279)

Let me get this straight... Stuff comes with manuals that instruct how to operate it?  Who'd have thunk it?

- Zurf

I think Fender has many rivals and is frequently excelled within a price point for acoustic guitars.  I am entirely unimpressed with their acoustic offerings.  No animals were harmed in the posting of this message.  Your mileage may vary.  Do not read this message if you are now or may become pregnant.  (I think that's enough disclaimers)

- Zurf

D-A-G.  Three chords and the truth, baby!

- Zurf

Concentrate on skill not on speed.  Speed will come, but will only sound good if skill is also involved.  When you can get to the chords you need to well, THEN you start stringing them together. 

My recommendation, based on not much of anything at all and so can be thrown out like so much chaffe, is to [1] be sure you can get from one chord to the next cleanly, comfortably, and easily.  [2] Then start playing a song with the chords in order, but very, very slowly and only with downstrokes on the "on" beats.  If a waltz-time song, then on 1, 2, and 3, if a common time song on 1, 2, 3, 4.  [3] When you can comfortably and smoothly play chords in the right order on the downbeats of the song with a steady tempo, THEN you can start working in some flourish and more interesting patterns.  To achieve a steady tempo, nothing with ever be as useful to you as playing with a metronome.  It is an indispensable tool for learning steady tempo. 

Hope that helps. 

- Zurf

Wow, that's a wicked fever for an adult.  Hope they find what's ailing you Doc.  Be a good patient now.  Doctors make the worst patients I've heard. 

- Zurf

NELA - Message sent.  Sorry I didn't get your e-mail because I've been gone.  Sent you my cell phone number and Windows Live Messenger account.  Let's get a brew after work. 

Doug_Smith - I don't know what kind of work is here.  This is my first trip.  Too much personal stuff to get into to describe what I'm doing here online, but it's not the kind of work that one can just pick up when they come to a town.  Seems like a nice place, though.  Been riding around on the public transportation and meeting a lot of locals.  They seem like cool and friendly people. 

- Zurf

I apparantly understand trigger finger to mean something other than how you were using it.  What was the problem?  I hope you recover soon and are playing full speed ahead.

- Zurf

Doc,

Churches are important in many communities but not all.  Remember that there is one God (my viewpoint) but he established ZERO religions.  All religions are man-made sets of rules for behavior and worship.  God is all about one-on-one relationship.  That is not meant to run down religion, because I think communal worship is important, and I think many people can almost always do more good than one.  Religion has its place, but it is not a substitute for God or a substitute for a relationship with God. 

There is no obligation to attend church in America.  If you took that impression, either you misunderstood or the person misinformed you.  In some small towns, it would be difficult for you to make many contacts without attending a church.  There is a strong and real component of community wrapped up in churches in many smaller towns.  However, there is no obligation or requirement.  In fact, we have laws here that PREVENT employers from considering religion when hiring, promoting, demoting, or taking any other official employment action. 

About music: attendance at churches here are waning too.  Some churches found that a lot of people couldn't relate to the 18th and 19th century hymns that were being sung.  So, for a variety of reasons but mostly so that people could use the singing portion of the service for meaningful worship time and also so that people attending could relate to the music better, some churches began using "contemporary" music rather than the old Wesleyan style hymns.  Many churches mix it up, doing some of each.  Some worship and praise bands have started doing modernized "rock" versions of the old hymns.  They have so much meat in the lyrics that they're hard to ignore, but the style can be offputting to some.  There's a lot of different ways that music is handled. 

When I was playing in a worship & praise band, it didn't matter how we wanted to sound, everything came out as bluesy folk/pop.  We played hymns, contemporary Christian, Christian rock, and even regular music you'd hear on the radio that has a spiritual component if it fit into the theme of the sermon.  But it all sounded like bluesy folk/pop because of the odd mix of people playing.  I have a blues background on bass.  The lead guitarist is a metal-head.  The worship leader/rhythm guitarist was a folk singer, and the drummer was self-taught listening to Christian rock.  So we had blues, rock, folk, metal all represented in the band.  Blend it together and you get blues folk/pop. 

Hope that answers some questions.  If it doesn't, next time you're in the states if you are in my neck of the woods (northern Virginia), I'll be happy to take you to church with me and introduce you to the band and our worship leader.

- Zurf

Switching to Elixir lights nanoweb soon.  I had a set given to me and they were very nice.  When I next purchased, I went back to my less expensive (initially) favorite D'Addorio Silk and Steel, but they have worn out so quickly that I will return to the Elixir Light Nanowebs because while more expensive initially their longer life makes them less expensive in the long run.

- Zurf

Thanks guys.  I found it on Ultimate Guitar too and was just coming in to edit.   

Great song.  Just bought the CD tonight.  Yeah, I'm a little behind the times...

- Zurf