Thanks Chris.
Well, the deed is done. I'm signed up. My first lesson will be May 6th because this week is the 5th week of the month, which they reserve for make-ups and a breather. I've got a 6pm Wed. time slot. Same as my last class.
I spoke with a woman who was waiting for her daughter and 50 something husband to finish their lessons, with the instructor I'll have. The woman was singing his praises; both husband and daughter love the guy and are learning what they want. So it sounds good.
I have my edited down list of goals and things I think I need to learn and improve on. The co-ordinator said to definitely bring it and talk to him about it. I've even got my iTunes list printed out to show the type of music I like and want to learn (and learn from), and a couple of my chords sheets. She said bring it all.
I'm looking forward to this. :D
But I rained on my own parade about inquiring about the Ibanez acoustic-electric bass. It's $349.99 on sale + 7% for the state, and they do 90 day layaway! Probably a typical sales tactic in telling me he can't always get them: "Roll on up for the price is down; come on in for the best in town... name your price I've got everything... come on in it's going fast... " :roll: I'd put $75 down then $100 each month, or 3 payments of $175 and be done with it.
A new Ibanez acoustic bass in 'Dark Violin Sunburst', you want, don't need and can't play: $349.99 + tax
An additional set of lessons: $80/month
Having your partner hand you your head on a cake plate (too poor for a silver platter): Priceless!
Decisions, decisions!
It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.
First session was last night. This guy has a good sense of humor, is somewhat animated, though he says he's laid-back. I told him I want him to be a drill sgt. at times if I need it.
I spent a lot of the time talking about what I wanted as goals, where I was, what I can do and not do, want to do and not want to do. I said right now, I want to learn things like blues shuffle, work on 12 bar blues, reggae (if only to play Bad Boys :lol: ), chord/melody, which will probably be the time to revisit pentatonic scales, and things like that. I gave him a copy of the resume' I put together. He liked the idea. I told him about my aversion to pentatonic scales and why. He agreed that they won't do or mean much to me right now. We can do things like lead and solo much later. He said we'll do whatever I want to do... I tell him. As well as continuing to do what I've been doing on my own. I'll bring that to class as working material.
So when I mentioned blues shuffle and 12 bar blues, we started talking about it, I did a little, he whipped out his blank tabs and wrote out a 12 bar blues tab for me to work on. He gave me something a little more to work on than this, which was all I ever did (but it works for I Hear You Knocking):--------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------|
---------------------2-2-4-4--2-2-4-4-|
---2-2-4-4--2-2-4-4--0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-|
---0-0-0-0--0-0-0-0-------------------| &c.
His exercise is ------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------2-2-4-4-6-6-4-4-2-2--|
---2-2-4-4-6-6-4-4-2-2-----0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--|
---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--------------------------|
------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------2-2-4-4-6-6-4-4-2-2--|
---2-2-4-4-6-6-4-4-2-2-----0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--|
---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--------------------------|
That's not the full 12 bars, of course, just to show. The progression is something like (I'm doing this from memory): A D D A
D E E D
A A E D
So I've got the pinky working in there too, didn't before. And I have some chromatic finger exercises, but disciplining myself to not move my fingers so far from the strings. We're going to work on "efficiency of motion".
I'm looking forward to making progress.
Oh and btw... I've started a savings fund for the Ibanez acoustic bass (Gloss Black!) and amp.
It could be mine around Sept 12. :D I told my teacher about noodling around with bass later on... he said sure, we can do that too.
It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.
Way to go Frank it sounds like you guys are on the same page and hopefully you won't feel frustrated the way you were the last time.
It's nice to have a teacher that is flexible which is like the guy I go to. You sound much more "organized" than I am and lately I've been wondering if I should change directions with my teacher as there are still many (OK there are always)many things that we don't work on that I need to.
I've concentrated on learning songs for the past year and a half and I've learned alot and there is good and bad.
The good is that I've learned alot of songs form beginning to end all fairly close to the original and some of the solo's. The other good thing is that learning all these songs has forced me to learn alot of new techniques along the way. The bad thing is if I go to an open mic which I have been no one else knows enough of the songs to play along with and I am not a solo performer.
what I need to do is get better at soloing so I can at least participate when they do some 12 bar blues. I mean I can jump in and solo to a 12 bar blues with mixed results and I think I can rhymically get in the groove but I don't always have the most interesting solo's and the speed is really lacking at least the kind of speed I would like.
But I'm my own worst enemy. I know just learning songs is not enough but that's what I keep asking him to do because every week I hear a new song and then get the itch to learn it.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Way to go Frank it sounds like you guys are on the same page and hopefully you won't feel frustrated the way you were the last time.
I told him I did not want to make the same mistakes I made twice before in not knowing the direction to go in, and just following the teacher's lead. And I keep giving the disclaimer that I'm not dogging my previous teacher, but our personalities did not mesh. He was very low key, it was hard to have a conversation; I have a goofy, twisted, warped, macabre sense of humor. The new guy seems twisted also.
It's nice to have a teacher that is flexible which is like the guy I go to. You sound much more "organized" than I am and lately I've been wondering if I should change directions with my teacher as there are still many (OK there are always)many things that we don't work on that I need to.
I've learned that you have to be organized. That's why I put that resume' together. It's going to serve as a checklist and "curriculum". "Plan your work, and work your plan". :wink: I showed him my colorful cheat sheets for all the natural scales, major and minor, as well as an abbreviated one for I IV V chords in each key.
I've concentrated on learning songs for the past year and a half and I've learned alot and there is good and bad.
The good is that I've learned alot of songs form beginning to end all fairly close to the original and some of the solo's. The other good thing is that learning all these songs has forced me to learn alot of new techniques along the way.
...
But I'm my own worst enemy. I know just learning songs is not enough but that's what I keep asking him to do because every week I hear a new song and then get the itch to learn it.
Sounds like me. I have a list of the songs I've been working on, and even though I can get through them, they are still on my "short list". But I think I may move them to a "completed" book so that if I want to play, those are the ones. I also removed some I added because I got that same itch you got. So, I will have 3 books... the huge one that has all the songs I eventually want to get to (94 at last glance :roll: ), the "working on" which will be kept to a minimum, and now the newly forming "can play".
He also reiterated what I've heard before... take a song in chunks and work on the parts that are giving you a hard time; don't keep working on what you can do easily. Those hard things for me are House of the Rising Sun arpeggio style (I can 6/8 strum it fine); full barre Fmaj and Bm; the 4 chords in My Sweet Lord I am unfamiliar with.
It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.
Yea I do keep track of all the songs I've learned..still not exactly sure why and it's over 100 now. I can play all of them all the way through but the ones I haven't played in awhile I'd have to spend alittle time with to get the up to speed.
actually that just came up Tuesday. One of the guys we play with at the open mic's was mentioning the song Play that Funky Music, and it's a song I know but hadn't played in awhile so I had to break it out Wednesday and relearn it, but the good thing is that to "re-learn" these songs usually only takes a half hour or so now.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Speaking of our respective song lists, how many does one typically have? As I've said, I'm in the neighborhood of about 94-95. My goal is to be able to get to play them all one day. Oh sure, some are simply variations on a key, timing and strumming pattern by several different artists. So if you learn one of those 3-4-5 chord songs, you've learned them all, pretty much. Some are much tougher. But as Mark, my new teacher said, for a tough one (e.g. Sultans of Swing) you can always find an easier way to play it, then work up to the more difficult (as written?) version.
I know I'm getting way ahead of myself, but hear me out...
If I were to play with others, let's say a garage band that plays backyard bbqs or Bar Mitzvahs (yes, seen videos) or birthdays, etc. I guess we would pick out other songs maybe from my book, or from Joey Baggadonuts's, or from Frankie Fafandone's and learn them if we are that proficient at playing. Yeah? I saw the list of songs that the band one of the teachers plays in plays on request, and hoo boy! is it long!
It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.
Well let's see if this posts but here's my list. Like I said I don't really know why I keep this list it doesn't really serve any useful purpose other than for those Alzheimer moments when i can't remember what songs I've learned, but if I can't remember them chances are I won't remember the whole song either and I have to "re-learn" it
867-5309 Jenny Tommy Tutone
Ain't it Fun GNR
All My Life Foo Fighters
All Right Now Free
American Woman Guess Who
Back in Black AC/DC
Badge Cream
Bang a Gong T Rex
Beer drinkers and Hellraisers ZZ Top
Birthday Beatles
Black Magic woman Santana
Blue on Black Kenny Wayne Shepard
Boom Boom The Animals
Born to be Wild Steppenwolf
Bring Me to Life Evanescence
Buddy Holly Weezer
Californication RHCP
Call Me Blondie
Call Me the Breeze Lynard Skynard
Can't get Enough Bad Company
Cocaine Eric Clapton
Cold Hard Bitch Jet
Come Together Beatles
Crazy little thing called love Queen
Crazy on You Heart
Day of the Eagle Robin Trower
Electric Eye Judas Priest
Enter Sandman Metallica
Everlong Foo Fighters
Everything Zen Bush
Facedown Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Fool for the City Foghat
Four Day Creep Humble Pie
Funk #49 James Gang
Get Up Stand Up Bob Marley
Godzilla Blue Oyster Cult
Goin Down Jeff Beck
Good Riddance (Time of your Life) Greenday
Got a line on You Spirit
Hashpipe Weezer
Headknocker Foreigner
Hell's Bell's AC/DC
Hey Joe Jimi Hendrix
Hollywood Thin Lizzy
Hot Rockin Judas Priest
I just wanna make love to you Foghat
I shot the sheriff Eric Clapton
If you could only see Tonic
In Memory of Elizabeth Reed Allman Brothers
Jesus just left Chicago ZZ Top
Kyrptonite 3 Doors Down
La Grange ZZ Top
Lit Up Buckcherry
Livin after Midnight Judas Priest
Love Removal Machine The Cult
Machinehead Bush
Mama Kin Aerosmith
Miami Counting Crows
Mother Danzig
Mr. Jones Counting Crows
Nobody to depend On Santana
Paranoid Black Sabbath
Play that Funky Music Wild Cherry
Pork and Beans Weezer
Prayer to God Shellac
Purple Haze Jimi Hendrix
Rebel Rebel Bowie
Redhouse Jimi Hendrix
Rock n Roll Ain't Noise Pollution AC/DC
Rockstar Nickelback
Rocky Mountain Way Joe Walsh
Roots, Rock, Reggae Bob Marley
Round Here Counting Crows
Sad But True Metallica
Satisfaction Rolling Stones
School's Out Alice Cooper
Secret Agent Man Johnny Rivers
Seek and Destroy Metallica
Sex on Fire Kings of Leon
Sgt. Peppers Beatles
Shook me all Night Long AC/DC
Simple Man Lynard Skynard
Since U Been Gone Kelly Clarkson
Smoke two Joints Sublime
Smooth Criminal Alien Ant Farm
Space Oddity Bowie
Stone Cold Crazy Queen
Strange Brew Cream
Suffragette City Bowie
Sunshine of your Love Cream
Sweet Jane Lou Reed
Takin Care of Business BTO
Teenagers My Chemical Romance
Thayer Street Dogmatics
The Stroke Billy Squires
Tie your mother down Queen
Tighten Up Archie Bell and the Drells
Too Rolling Stoned Robin Trower
Troublemaker Weezer
Two tickets to paradise Eddie Money
Walk Away James Gang
Walk This Way Aerosmith
War Pigs Black Sabbath
War with the World Foreigner
We're an American Band Grand Funk
White Room Cream
White Wedding Billy Idol
Wicked Game Chris Isaac
Woman Wolfmother
Yer Blues Beatles
You Got Another Thing Comin Judas Priest
Ziggy Stardust Bowie
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Well let's see if this posts but here's my list. Like I said I don't really know why I keep this list it doesn't really serve any useful purpose other than for those Alzheimer moments when i can't remember what songs I've learned, but if I can't remember them chances are I won't remember the whole song either and I have to "re-learn" it
Hey, that's a pretty good list. There are more than a few on there I may add to mine. I've scoured the internet and published song books for tabs and chord sheets, so I have all that to go along with my list.
Here's what I have so far:
Angie The Rolling Stones
Bad Boys Inner Circle
Bad Company Bad Company
Bad Moon Rising Creedence Clearwater Revival
Bang A Gong T Rex
Blowin' In The Wind Bob Dylan & George Harrison
Blue On Black Mark Selby
Bolero Charo (I'm going to learn this!)
California Dreaming The Mamas & The Papas
Can't You See The Marshall Tucker Band
Coconut Nilsson (like this is really hard... finger pick C7 for 3:48)
Come Together The Beatles
Could It Be Magic Barry Manilow
Crying Roy Orbison
Dream On Aerosmith
Dust In The Wind Kansas
End of the Line The Traveling Wilburys
Every Breath You Take The Police
Fields of Gold Sting
Fire and Rain James Taylor
For What It's Worth Buffalo Springfield
For You Blue The Beatles
Friends Led Zeppelin
Get Back The Beatles
Give Me One Reason Tracy Chapman
Greensleeves Stevan Pasero
A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall Bob Dylan
Heart Of Gold Neil Young
Here Comes The Sun George Harrison
Hey Jude The Beatles
Hold My Hand Hootie & The Blowfish
Horse With No Name America
Hotel California The Eagles
House Of The Rising Sun The Animals
How You Remind Me Nickelback
I'm Your Captain/Closer to Home Grand Funk Railroad
I Don't Know How To Love Him Andrew Lloyd Webber / Jesus Christ Superstar
I Hear You Knocking Dave Edmunds
I Heard It Through The Grapevine Marvin Gaye
I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor
Imagine John Lennon
It's Too Late Carole King
It Don't Come Easy Ringo Starr
Jet Airliner Steve Miller Band
Law and Order theme
Lay Down Sally Eric Clapton
Layla Eric Clapton
Let It Be The Beatles
Light My Fire an acoustic version
Lola The Kinks
Lonely People America
Losing My Religion R.E.M.
Maybe I'm Amazed Paul McCartney
Me and Bobby McGee Janis Joplin
Moondance Van Morrison
My Sweet Lord George Harrison
Night Moves Bob Seger
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down The Band
Ode To Billy Joe Bobbie Gentry
Only Wanna Be With You Hootie & The Blowfish
Photograph Ringo Starr
Proud Mary Creedence Clearwater Revival
Rhiannon Fleetwood Mac
Rock'n Me Steve Miller Band
Runaway Train Soul Asylum
Serenity Godsmack
Sister Golden Hair America
Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay Otis Redding
Something The Beatles
Spirit In The Sky Norman Greenbaum
Stairway To Heaven Led Zeppelin (maybe, maybe not)
Stand by Me Ben E. King
Still The Same Bob Seger
Stuck in the Middle with You Stealers Wheel
Sultans Of Swing Dire Straits
Sundown Gordon Lightfoot
Sunshine (Go Away Today) Jonathan Edwards
Tears In Heaven Eric Clapton
That's All Genesis
This Masquerade Leon Russell
Tight Rope Leon Russell
Tin Man America
Turn The Page Bob Seger
Two Of Us The Beatles
Venus Shocking Blue
The Weight The Band
Werewolves of London Warren Zevon
While My Guitar Gently Weeps George Harrison
Woodstock Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Working Class Hero John Lennon
The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald Gordon Lightfoot
Yesterday The Beatles
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet Bachman-Turner Overdrive
You Don't Mess Around With Jim Jim Croce
Your Song Elton John
I can't find Magic Mirror (Leon Russell) for love or money. I heard it's out of print. But someone has to have tabbed it.
It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.
Instead of a new thread whining, I mean describing the process of getting back into learning with a teacher, I have found a few bad habits I've developed while I was learning on my own, that I must correct.
1. My practice habits suck! All I've been doing is trying to learn songs. I've neglected finger and hand exercises. For some (most?) open chords I cradle the neck in my hand. Not quite a baseball bat or death grip (the death grip has actually almost gone away, yay me! :D ). But I find my palm hitting the bottom of the neck, thereby making the e string often twang. Though I need to cradle it because if I don't, I seem to lose control of the neck. My thumb is usually where it should be. I just need to have more of a gap between my palm and the bottom of the neck.
2. I am trying to play too fast; I find my fingers landing on the wrong strings, you know, either one sting up or one down. I can finger a note on the D string for example, but strick the A or G string. :roll: I simply haven't been slowing down and watching where my fingers are going. This is probably the reason my chord changes (some not all) are very rough and inaccurrate.
3. This one I never considered and don't remember from last time... my fingers, mostly index finger, stick up and out from the fretboard when I am playing a chromatic scale for exercises, or any other series of notes. My teacher has a thing about "efficiency of movement" and likes to see the fingers very close to the fretboard to be ready to make a note. I'm trying, I'm trying! But that index finger sticks out. Kind of like people drinking tea with their pinky sticking out.
Well, seeing it written out it's not as bad as all that. It seems slowing down and palying attention is the biggest issue. So if that helps any other newbies, I will be happy. :wink:
It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.