6,726

(22 replies, posted in Acoustic)

I'm still in the merely strumming phase, so I'm acoustic.  If I go electric, it'll be to play some of the old rockabilly songs or surf songs trying to get that Danelectro sound.  But for now, acoustic all the way.  Occaissionally I pull down my electric and play it like an acoustic if I'm having a sleepless night and don't want to wake folks.  I just play it unplugged so only I can hear it.  Gives my fingers a work out anyway. 

- Big D

6,727

(15 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Me.  Mostly the songs, but I pick up a fair number of tips too.

- Zurf

As to that 'don't know what I did before' comment - me neither.  I was a musician as a kid.  But as a kid, it was easy to find other people to play with.  Schedules were pretty free compared to being an adult.  Friend's schedules were also free.  As I grew, space, finances, time all conspired against me and I left music for decades.  I tried here and there, but it didn't work out.  My wife made some teasing comments that she probably thought were just teasing but which hurt enough to interfere with my playing.  (dealt with, any advice on the matter will be promptly ignored) 

So I finally got to playing bass in a worship group a few years ago, but I had to leave that church for reasons I'd rather not discuss (nothing nepharious, it was a painful decision and I don't feel like going into it).  And I was once again adrift musically.  I played bass, and while it's fun to play with CD's it's just not the same as making music.  That's just practice.  In my mind anyway.  So, I took up guitar thinking that maybe it would improve on my theory and bass playing, and I could make music all on my own. 

HOLY MOLEY!!!  This is GREAT!!!  I don't need anyone else to play, but it's real easy to play with someone else too.  I don't know why I let all the baggage get in the way before.  So now, I guess I know exactly what I did before - which is stress and moan and whine - but playing guitar to satisfy that creative urge is just SOOOOOO much better. 

A buddy of mine who's been a jammer/gigger for years and years and years has taken me under his wing and is helping.  We don't get together often, but his encouragement has been immeasurable.  And then some other fellows (two of which are honest-to-goodness Nashville cats) took to encouraging me when they learned I was giving it a go.  So this time, rather than teasing all I've gotten is encouragement and help.  So cool.  Then I get involved here on Chordie, and folks are so supportive.  It's all good.  My bass hasn't been off the wall in months (though I did learn that my guitar playing HAS improved my bass playing). 

- Zurf

No worries and a very sensible approach.  I thought it was fair for you to have the opportunity. 

- Zurf

Hey LR.  I really, really, really like this one.  I've played it through a few times, but not quite as you suggest (shocker).  It's a little tough to read from the printout in my book, so I'm going to rewrite it.  When I get together with my buddies and they hear a new song, they usually say, "Who wrote that?"  (They'd know it wouldn't be me).  Anyway, I'm going to write it to credit of Last Rebel in my book, but if you'd rather me to use your real name with my friends and such, just send it to me in an e-mail.  If it's nothing to you to use Last Rebel, then it's nothing to me.  I just want to make sure credit is given where credit is due. 

Plus I'm thinking they'll come up with some new ones.  Like about a man who couldn't walk, or about a thief on a cross, or about a king who wouldn't hear, and maybe slip in some everyday stuff to really bring it home. 

I just can't tell you how much I appreciate your sharing this wonderful piece of work. 

- Zurf

Just turned 42.  I'm a desk jockey, but also a would-be river bum.  Been playing guitar for about a year.  On my umpteenth try to learn.  In the past, I always used lesson books.  I'd try to learn to play the guitar.  Then I got the idea that instead of playing the guitar, that I'd try and learn to play songs.  Novel concept, huh.  What can I say, I'm a slow learner.  Anyway, I was chatting with one of my bosses, and he's learning too.  He told me about this site and all the chords, and the transposing feature.  So I tried it out.  I printed out a lot of songs.  Then I wanted to put together a Songbook, and learned that I had to register.  So I registered and as long as I was registered figured I'd pop on into the forums. 

These forums were such a pleasant surprise.  You folks have been nothing but supportive and helpful, and I appreciate it.  And the Songwriting forum is nothing short of amazing and fun. 

- Zurf

6,732

(27 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I am sort of a jack of all trades, including a variety of creative expressions, rather than the master of any.  I am learning guitar and that's going pretty well (though my bass is jealous).  I have done some drawing in the past, though I don't think there was much worth to it.  It was better than some do.  Painting, not so much.  My main alternative mode of expression is tinkering.  I like to tinker with my kayaks and canoes.  Add some deck rigging, or put in tackle holders, or add a rowing station.  Nothing special, but if I think about it the creative process is much the same.  Get a notion, expand on it a bit, think through how to make it happen, then get your hands busy, and when you're done you've made one thing into another. 

My sister however is a freelance artist and also a talented banjo picker.  She also plays guitar, mountain dulcimer, a little piano, and even harmonica.  She is also brilliant at math - earned a degree as an architect and worked as an architect for a while before going freelance with her art. 

My mom was the same way too.  She played piano by ear and sang like Patsy Cline.  Plus she was an astoundingly good quilter.  She could reproduce traditional patterns, but mostly she enjoyed making up scenes.  She'd describe what she wanted to my dad, who is an artist (and a brilliant mathemetician, but not musician).  He'd draw it out from her description.  Then she'd cut out the paper and figure out how to make the patterns (radical math application as far as I'm concerned). 

Me, I earned a degree in economics.  It requires quite a lot of math but the answers aren't nearly as concrete.  Gives a lot of fudge space that way. 

- Zurf

Well cool.  We haven't resolved yet whether it's wierd or not, but we have discerned that I've got company. 

:~)

- Zurf

My wife and I escaped for the weekend alone last weekend to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary without our little kneebiters along.  I debated about whether to take along my guitar, but figured we'd be too busy being adults without children for me to play anyway.  I was right about that, we absolutely relished in being tourists and walking with full strides for several days and had a blast, totally exhausting ourselves by an early bedtime.  BUT when we got the kids picked up and home, the first thing I did after getting the kids to bed was sit down with my guitar.  I actually missed it.  Is that wierd.  When we were on our trip, I mentioned to my wife on the day we first woke up in our destination city that it was the first day since I started learning to play about a year ago that I hadn't played.  C'est la vie.  Seems wierd to be tied to a thing.  Not sure I like the idea, but I sure do like playing on a guitar.  We walked past a music shop and I almost went inside to get ten minutes of practice.

- Zurf

6,735

(8 replies, posted in Songwriting)

Jeff,

Very nice site.  If you would like to check out some of my adventures, you can look in on me at www.picasaweb.google.com/halffastpaddler/.  There's a few albums there.  Mostly fishing and paddling.  No music, no guitar, and no explanations of who I am or what I'm about.  But if you care to find out who I am or what I'm about, lets go hiking!  A couple of my other 'screen' names come into play there.  I also use "halffastpaddler" and "Big D".  Big D was taken on Chordie when I registered, and paddling has more than one connotation and you know musicians do have a reputation...

- Zurf

6,736

(7 replies, posted in Songwriting)

I am LOVING your music Last Rebel.  This one is coming across like a blues, so I won't be playing it.  Not because I don't want to, but it's just a talent limitation thing you see.  Nevertheless, I can hear what I'd like it to sound like just by reading the lyrics.  So cool.  Definitely some of your best work yet. 

- Zurf

sumelton1 wrote:

??

WeaserP's post says Toby Keith is an unpaid endorser of Kaman brand guitars.  I was surprised by that. 

Sorry for the threadjack.  We'll go back to your Gibson addiction now.

- Zurf

Huh.  I'm surprised to see Toby Keith endorsing anything without being paid for it.  Nothing against Toby Keith.  Just the opposite.  He's seemed like a solid business operator since coming onto the scene, and that's something I can respect.  Excepting his support of our military members of course.

I don't really have a single favorite, but here are some contenders I didn't notice mentioned above:

CDB - "Uneasy Rider", "Devil Went Down to Georgia"
LS - "Gimme Three Steps"
Molly Hatchett - "Flirting With Disaster"
ZZ Top - "LaGrange"  (how, how, how, how), "Cheap Sunglasses"


- Zurf



oops - looks like LR posted LaGrange while I was prepping my response

6,740

(22 replies, posted in Acoustic)

I thought C/G was 302010.  If not, I've been playing it wrong.  And the reason I thought I knew that one was it's how I was playing G7 wrong.  I've got to stop finding chords by playing them wrong.  Maybe I should get a chord calculator...

- Big D

6,741

(12 replies, posted in Songwriting)

Last Rebel - I like it well enough that I'm not going to wait for you to put up chords.  I expect that'd be the kind thing to do, but I don't expect you're ever going to hear me play it whether right or wrong (but little would please me more).  Besides, there's a long tradition in Country music of stealing one another's songs and putting your own tune or chords to it. 

Great lyrics.  Thanks for sharing.

- Zurf

6,742

(8 replies, posted in Songwriting)

Jeff,

You live right around the corner from me.  We should head out to SNP some day to pester some trout and sing some songs. 

Nice poem.  I have felt the same sort of feelings in the same general area, though have not come across any bobcats.  I'm afraid that my woodscraft is sufficiently poor to notify any wild animals of my whereabouts long before I get the chance to spot them.  Perhaps you wouldn't enjoy hiking with me after all...

- Zurf

6,743

(1 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

HOLY MOLEY!!!  What a bargain someone got.  It's good to know they're out there still.

- Zurf

6,744

(49 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

jerome.oneil wrote:

Kids that laugh at you for not doing drugs are eminently mockable.   You should practice pointing an laughing and make fun of them for being ridiculously stupid.

The best part about mocking stoners is that they can't remember who did it. 

While I don't think anyone should be mocked, and that all people are redeemable (see bootlegger's post), I certainly have to suggest that if I had to choose which behavior to mock - doing drugs versus not doing drugs - I would surely pick doing drugs.  Good choice on your part Rockerchick for choosing to abstain.  That is a PERFECT example of the difference between learning the hard way (it's hard to resist peer pressure and make the right choice) and learning the Uh-oh What Have I Done way.  Well done!!!

- Zurf

6,745

(5 replies, posted in Acoustic)

You're flirting with financial ruin.  But you'd have a very fine guitar collection!

- Zurf

6,746

(49 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I recall being 13 and it did in fact suck.  The good news is that what you learn now will serve you your entire life.  The bad news is that it's not fun learning it.  Part of the problem is that your mind, your spirit, and your body are all in conflict with one another for now.  Another part of it is that you have so many important lessons to learn.  Worse is that there's only two ways to learn those life lessons, the hard way and the Uh-oh, What Have I Done way.  Your parents are trying to guide you to learning them the hard way.  There is no easy way, but the Uh Oh What Have I Done way seems like the easy way on the front end of the lesson.  Bear with it.  Better times worth waiting for are coming. 

- Zurf

6,747

(5 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I expect it has as much or more to do with the listener as it does the instrument.   (and in His Unofficial Majesty's case, the whisky)

- Zurf



edit: I forgot that Scots don't require an "e" in their whiskey.

6,748

(22 replies, posted in Acoustic)

I've seen that variation recommended in a few songs and have given it a try.  I may not have played it right because I didn't notice any particular improvement over the other way when I gave it a go.

- Zurf

6,749

(31 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Pretty much everything.  I play mostly old Country tunes because they're easy, but I aspire to Sissified '70s Folk Pop.  I think right now the song my wife least enjoys me playing is "Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road."  It also happens to be my most requested song, because I have two young daughters who LOVE it. 

Song that I do the worst is probably Crocodile Rock.  Yeah, on guitar.  Fingerstyle.  Pretty bad. 

- Zurf

6,750

(5 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I'm not a song-writer.  I'm always making up little ditties singing around the house, but not SONGS.  With that in mind, I wanted to take a moment to thank the folks who take the time to share their thoughts put to music over on the Songwriting forum.  You will never see me posting a song there, because it's just not something I'm equipped to do.  But reading through them and seeing the emotions and thoughts that are obviously so personal being set to music and shared with us - well, I feel like it's a special privilege. 

I've been playing songs by Last Rebel and James McCormick and Selso and others right alongside songs by Willie Nelson and John McCutcheon and some of the other great songwriters of our time.  I thought it appropriate to say thanks to our songwriters for being inspirations and for being so generous of themselves and especially for allowing their talent to be my pleasure. 

- Zurf