Looking to possibly find others who would like to play some casual and fairly basic music for fun along mid coast Maine (between Camden and Belfast). i do not play well, but I can play basic rythm guitar/chording, etc.
2 2009-08-27 01:21:10
Re: How soon did you “outgrow (29 replies, posted in Acoustic)
My beginner guitar wa a real piece of junk, so as soon as I knew I was sticking with it (after about 6 month), I started scouting pawn shops. Good guitars are not that expensive. I have a Tacoma cedar acoustic, And I would put it up against almost any other basic acoustic guitar. I have had many compliments on it, both sound and playability. It runs about $450 new but I got mine at a pawn shop for $250, and I'll never sell it, its by far my favorite guitar.
Good luck
3 2009-08-27 01:09:49
Re: Some "simple" questions (5 replies, posted in Acoustic)
We I'll tell you I've been at it for about 3 - 4 yrs now, practicing some almost daily, and I can still not play anything that would be considered "lead" guitar. So I can't help you there. As far as playing softly... try just using your fingers. It will sound dull at first, but soon you will not even notice. I almost never play with a pick, beause.. I can never find one when I need it, It drops out of my hand all the time (often into the sound hole) and its very slow, meaning its very hard to pick individual strings quickly with a pick (unless you are a really good player). I just hold my finger and thumb together as though I had a pick in it. Your index nail then gives a bit a brighter tone, and you can alternate hitting the Low E/A and D strings as needed to accentuate the base line as you play. It also frees your middle finger to pluck the higher strings as you see fit. I really like this psuedo-finger picking style, and it keep the house from being awakened in the night with too much volume.
4 2009-03-23 06:41:54
Re: Tenor ukulele tuning? (5 replies, posted in Other string instruments)
My Tenor Uke is currently tuned high G, because thats the way it arrived. I will say it does promote a unique sound, but some chord progressions sound odd with high G tuning. I will be changing it ti Low G when i get a new set of strings.
5 2008-04-09 16:21:05
Re: Here's one that Iv'e agonized over.. help me with a good chord prog. (5 replies, posted in Songwriting)
Thanks jets60! I'll give it a go.
6 2008-04-09 07:20:24
Topic: Here's one that Iv'e agonized over.. help me with a good chord prog. (5 replies, posted in Songwriting)
Itsa ballad about a relationship gone wrong. Its probably sounds best as a up-tempo 4/4 (southern rock-ish) in G or D, but I've also palyed it numerous times in Am, and others.. but it always comes out a bit dull. Maybe its the words, although I've been told they are pretty good. I've wrestled with 2 chords/line versus 3/line vs 4/ line, in various combos, etc. Hey if it just plain sucks.. then tell me that as well.. I've seen some pretty good songs on here so far.
Both gentle and harsh criticism accepted.. Cheers!
"Back Then"
Her last words fell without a care,
Dancin' with her breath in the air,
And oh how my soul wept, As we shiver'd on the door step,
And my hand fought back another tear
Well that was an age ago it seems,
They way it always happens in a dream,
With tears in our eyes, our time passed us by,
And left us with nothing in between...
CH: And I know thought that night would never End
And I know I swore forever to be her friend
And I remember how lovely she said it was back then,
But I just never could be her little twig to bend.
Somedays now I sit and wonder why,
We'd ever let ourselves live that lie,
But the Prozac and the wine, kept me in line,
And made it all feel real for a while...
CH repeat
Well I'll not sit back now and cry,
about all those empty days gone by,
But I'll never forget, all the nights I wept,
Thinking without you I would die...
FINAL CH: And I know I swore that night would never end,
As she laughed away that last of the Gin,
With her love, her life and her honor on the mend,
No I just never wanna live that way again,
And I just never could be her little twig to bend.
7 2008-04-09 04:31:58
Re: Backpacking Guitars (11 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)
I'll tell you I bought a "back packer" by Martin (which I always associated with quality) but the little thing just sounds like junk. Not just because of the lack of bass, but there is really no good treble either. So I would not recommend it. I don't know about any others. I will say that you can pick up a "junior" guitar, like for a child, made by Fender or some other fairly good guitar maker, and the sound is 100x better, costs less and takes up only a bit more room. Just a thought.
Have fun down there!
I made an error. It was not a backpacker by Martin, it was made by Washburn. Otherwise all the othe rinfo is correct
8 2008-04-08 08:05:35
Re: Reality or Mith? (30 replies, posted in Acoustic)
I definitely agree with most of these posts. I never played any intrument at all Before 2005. I became fascinated with the acoustic guitar after sitting and listening to a bunch of inlaws ( just afetr I was married) play. It was fantastic, and I just had to learn. So a bought a guitar and obsessively practiced until I learned rythms and all the common chords and keys. Now I'm not a "really good guitar player" by any means, and I would say I have little natural talent. But almost everyone who heard me 3 years ago and hears me now says my improvement is outstanding... all from practicing every day (if only for 1 hr or less).
Cheers and have fun!