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13s on that guitar. I like Topdown's attitude. It's cheaper than therapy.

That stinks.

Play CFG and tell everyone else to go suck eggs.

Don't bust on my grammar or my Gram will come back from the grave, bust my knuckles, and make me conjugate verbs.

Get a metronome.  It will be your best friend and worst enemy at the same time.  Play the rhythm you want at some moderate to slow speed.  It doesn't matter what it is, but I'm going to use 80 beats per minute (bpm) as an example.  That's a nice slow-to-moderate speed. 

So, play the strum pattern you want EXACTLY RIGHT at that speed.  If you can't get the strum pattern EXACTLY RIGHT at that speed, slow down until you do get it exactly right.  Practice at that speed for as long as it takes for the strum pattern to become second nature.  Then speed up the metronome.  For example, if you started it at 80 bpm, bump it up to 90.  Strum it a few times, and you'll have it exactly right and realize that 90 bpm is ridiculous and why did Zurf ever tell you to bump it up so little.  Then take it to 140 bpm.  It'll stink.  You'll hate it.  You'll want to throw your pick out the window.  Instead, slow it back down to 90 bpm where you have it exactly right.  Get it exactly right a few times at 90 bpm, then bump it to 100, and then 120, and so on. 

The idea isn't to practice it at speed UNTIL you get it right, because you never will.  The idea is to practice it right at as slow of a speed as you have to go to get it right, and then get the speed up.  In other words, practice it so that you can't get it wrong, rather than having to work to get it right. 

I wish I was wise enough to take my own advice.  It's really good.

happy belated wishes.

Congratulations.

At least Russell, King of the Mutants, hasn't revoked my B chord amnesty yet this week. (Long live the king!)

Zguitar, that would have been a great show.  I've really liked Mellencamp for a long time, back to when he was Cougar.  I respect him both for being willing to take the advice of those who he thought knew more about the music business than he did, then when he found the advice too distasteful to continue he changed his stage name back to his family name at the risk of being a laughing stock (and he was for a little while).  I respect that he did that.  I respect that he's been so involved with Farm Aid and other charitable activities, putting his money where his mouth is.  But I also really, really like his music.  I was listening to some cuts from Uh-huh just last night while I was cutting grass and had to catch myself.  I was using headphones and had it cranked and when it got to the line "Forget all about that macho **** and learn how to play guitar," I very nearly yelled it along with the music.  Only at the last moment did I recall that no one else could hear what I was hearing and I'd look like a total nut case. 

As far as Fogerty, did you know he's Country?  He is.  My mom loved CCR and Fogerty after they broke up.  I enjoyed CCR and Fogerty as well.  I recognized them as Rock, but mom only liked Country music, so by definition (Mom's dictionary), any music she liked was Country.  That means Neil Young, James Taylor, Fogerty, and Jimmie Buffett were all Country.  Even Schubert symphonies were Country to Mom. 

Is he under-rated?  I don't know.  Probably not.  He's recognized everywhere.  His songs are known everywhere.  He's had recognition.  What I think it's safe to say is that Springsteen is over-rated, at least so far as I'm concerned.  I'm not impressed with his playing, his voice, or his song-writing.  That's not fair.  I'm impressed by anyone's ability to write songs.  So I am impressed by his song-writing.  But I think there are a number of song-writers on this forum who are more skilled and artistic than Springsteen is. 

- Zurf

Thanks BGD