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A Magical Milestone

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(@fredramsey)
Estimable Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 128
Topic starter  

Well, I've been at the guitar thing for about 4 months. It's been slow going, but at least I can tell that I am making progress.

I recently started going to a new teacher. At Friday's lesson, he kind of threw me into the deep end of the pool. He started playing a chord, rhythm-wise, and told me to improvise on the one pentatonic I know really well.

What happened next was nothing short of magical.

Sure, I've been listening to a LOT of guitar blues, but...

It was incredible. It was like I was in a different place. I couldn't really listen, even though I could hear. I took to heart the idea that music is the space between the notes, and paused and doubled and tripled notes, going up and down the scale in what sounded good to me. Sure, I hit some "wrong" notes, but not many.

My wife was downstairs waiting for me to finish, and heard the whole thing. She said she couldn't tell who was playing what.

My teacher said he stopped playing just one chord and went into a 12 bar, and I followed perfectly. I can tell you I wasn't doing it on purpose, it just kind of flowed.

It was profound.

I think I'm gonna like this guitar stuff :D

Learning requires a willingness to be bad at something for awhile.


   
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(@nathan080)
Estimable Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 131
 

Sounds great! Congratulations... i'm sure there will be many more moments like that :D
Nath

From Your Influence...
http://www.overplay.com/BandProfile.aspx?BandId=e78b497f-4f31-4182-8659-e8b6fa91d582

http://www.youtube.com/user/FromYourInfluence


   
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(@jackss565)
Reputable Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 233
 

Sounds great! Congratulations... i'm sure there will be many more moments like that :D
Nath

I hope there are for everyone, i'm still waiting for mine. But congrats.

Jack


   
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(@ballybiker)
Honorable Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 493
 

congrats!!!!!!!

moments like that...sometimes few and far between :cry: .....make all those hours of frustration melt away to a distant memory.... geetarism is kinda magical 8)

what did the drummer get on his I.Q. test?....

Drool

http://www.myspace.com/ballybiker


   
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(@elecktrablue)
Famed Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 4338
 

:lol: Congratulations!! :lol:

..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ .·´
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´ -:¦:- Elecktrablue -:¦:-

"Don't wanna ride no shootin' star. Just wanna play on the rhythm guitar." Emmylou Harris, "Rhythm Guitar" from "The Ballad of Sally Rose"


   
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(@dogbite)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 6348
 

I am sure glad you had 'the moment' with guitar.
now I hope you alter the guitar language a bit....'guitar thing and guitar stuff'???

if my guitar were Rodney Dangerfield it would say, "I get no respect".

just teasing ya.
those moments are greta. sometimes I feel they are rare. on any given day I could grab my guitar and play really terribly. and then the next day play brilliantly.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=644552
http://www.soundclick.com/couleerockinvaders


   
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(@musenfreund)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 22 years ago
Posts: 5108
 

8)

Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon


   
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(@corbind)
Noble Member
Joined: 22 years ago
Posts: 1735
 

8)

+1

"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."


   
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(@twistedlefty)
Famed Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 4113
 

good for you!

#4491....


   
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(@wes-inman)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5582
 

Congrats on the great guitar moment Fred. :D

You know, Blues players have never received their proper credit from so-called "learned" musicians because of the basic 3 chord structure of Blues and the simple Pentatonic scale. But that is what is so difficult about the Blues. I am always amazed that a great Blues artist can play 30 Blues songs, all basically the same progression, and yet each song sounds completely different and fresh from the others. Easier said than done.

Sounds like you were into the moment, and this is what a great Blues player has to do. Just keep playing, you will get it, and you have many great guitar moments to look forward to.

If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis


   
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(@anonymous)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 8184
 

just so you know, the more you play, the more often it happes.


   
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(@vic-lewis-vl)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 10264
 

But that is what is so difficult about the Blues. I am always amazed that a great Blues artist can play 30 Blues songs, all basically the same progression, and yet each song sounds completely different and fresh from the others. Easier said than done.

So, so true. It's one of life's great mysteries - how CAN so many different guitarists take the same old 3-chord progression, and make it sound different? It's all about the feeling for the music - once you're in that zone, and like Jason Brann said, it happens more frequently the more you play and practise, you feel like you could play all day and all night. You don't HEAR the music, you FEEL it - you become part of the music, and the music becomes part of you. If you could bottle those moments and sell them, you'd be a rich man! Oh wait - isn't that what musicians do?.........

Sounds like you've had a "musician" moment - here's hoping for many more for you!

:D :D :D

Vic

"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)


   
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(@classico)
Estimable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 65
 

Good for you man :D it's moments like this that you practice for, and i'm sure that as you continue your learning of this "guitar stuff" you'll have many more.
it's always magic when something you learn on paper and thecnical practice becomes music you can hear and feel.


   
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(@dan-t)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5044
 

:D Congrats! :D

Dan

"The only way I know that guarantees no mistakes is not to play and that's simply not an option". David Hodge


   
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(@crkt246)
Honorable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 592
 

8)

+1

+2 8)


   
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