Learning stuff

Discussion of history's greatest guitar player.

Learning stuff

Postby lakepikr » Tue Feb 21, 2017 12:16 pm

Hello all.

Being someone who just started playing guitar at age 67 ( now 72) I still consider myself a "beginner", and I'm constantly amazed by the knowledge some posters here have about "CHET".

They know "everything" about him, right down to the brand of pickups, strings, tuners, and amps he used in every song or album he played.

It makes me realize how little "I" have learned over the past 5 years, and makes me laugh at myself when I think about the small bits of knowledge I've gathered.
Some things most of you have known for years.

Things like:

There aren't enough years left in my life to reach the skill level I'd like to play guitar at.
I suppose every guitar player feels that way.

It's impossible to count how many different brands, styles,types,and colors, of guitars, amplifiers, picks, and strings, there are, if a guy has the money to buy them.

No matter how much you stea ..... I mean "borrow" from another picker, you still wind up liking it better when you play it your own way.

Thanks to Adam Rafferty, I learned that when my playing is sounding it's worst, I need to concentrate on the "RHYTHM"
It helps every time.

I've learned not to "scoff" any more, when I hear about someone breaking a "nail".
It becomes "life changing".
I never thought I'd find myself in Walmart looking at fake fingernails.
I've tried glue on, stick on, gel nails, acrylic nails, and even had to resort to the "pink" ones, when that's all they had on the rack.
I also know, that as soon as I get the nails stuck on, filed down just right, and start playing, my doorbell rings, and it's a neighbor wanting me to help him do something.
So, I have to take the nails back off.
I like living here, and going out of my house wearing pink fingernails, where the big macho neighbors can see me, would also be "life changing".

I know now, that my wife has learned how to release the safety on my Ruger 9 mm.
I'm sure I heard that definite sound out in the hall while I was practicing.
I'd been trying to learn "Windy and Warm".
I know that "repetition" is important, and I had been playing "Windy and Warm" over and over, and over, for about 8 weeks.
I wanted to get it "right".
I had just started trying to sing the "naw naw naw naw, naw naw naw naw" part like Chet did,

I've learned how valuable the YouTube videos can be, when you're trying to learn a song.
With all the videos of Chet, Paul, and Jerry, out there, plus all the other great pickers, I can hear how the song is supposed to be played.
Those guys are "still" teaching us.
Now long ago, Paul taught me how to play "Sweet Alalee"
It doesn't get better than that.

The learning goes on ......

bill
lakepikr
 
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Re: Learning stuff

Postby Pickin Palmer » Tue Feb 21, 2017 1:08 pm

Welcome to the "agony" of pickin' Chet music, Bill. If you didn't pick up a guitar until 5 years ago - you are starting a little late. HOWEVER, you are never too old to enjoy the challenge of trying to figure out what He did, and how close you can come to it. I started a little late myself (at 50) and I'm now 75 - but, I enjoyed reading your post and can relate to what you are going through with your training aids (I picked up a bunch from Paul, too.) If I had it to do over again, though, I'd probably force myself to take lessons from a "theory" teacher rather than the "Chet" teacher I took from for a few years - learning more structure, scales, and chord shapes.

A suggestion for you would be to get yourself as many of Craig Dobbins books as you can afford. He not only give you the tabs (notes) to play - he explains how and "where" to play them... good stuff...

My only other suggestion for you is to move yer practicin' to the "basement" like the rest of us - where the "little woman" can't hear you as well. :D The story I love telling (over and over) is when my last ex-wife (sounds like a good lyric) finally came into the coffee shop where my Chet pickin' buddies and I jammed every Tuesday for years. Somehow I really nailed this one tune and somebody leaned over to my wife and said, "Wow, wasn't Palmer terrific on that tune?' She replied very dryly, "I've heard it."

Keep on Pickin'

Palmer
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Re: Learning stuff

Postby DagerRande » Tue Feb 21, 2017 2:11 pm

There's also a big difference between knowing all about Chet's life and the intricate equipment details compared with guitar playing experience. Focusing on the songs themselves is a separate category.

By the way Bill, it's interesting that you mention "Windy and Warm". I was asked to perform my arrangement of that this coming Saturday night!
Rande Dager

We are all capable of doing more than we think we can!
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Re: Learning stuff

Postby Tom Workman » Tue Feb 21, 2017 3:12 pm

Hey, Bill, better late than never to start. I've been playing since I was 13 years old and started with "Chet-style" at 15. I'm 65 now and still learning new arrangements and licks. That confounded wooden box with the metal wires both frustrates me and gives me much pleasure and enjoyment all at the same time. I found your post amusing and it reminds me of the time my wife came upstairs to tell me to quit tapping my foot while playing or else take off my shoes... pretty loud and annoying downstairs, I suppose. I also joke with a guitar-playing buddy of mine that I'm no longer allowed to play "Freight Train" in my house. - Regards, Tom W.
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Re: Learning stuff

Postby Ray Bohlken » Tue Feb 21, 2017 7:05 pm

Hi Bill. Glad to hear from you. Chet always said "If you're lucky, somebody wiil put a guitar in your hands". Sounds like you did thst for yourself. It sounds like you're having a great time with it and I think we can all relate to that. It sure is fun to work out a lick or a song. I've been playing since the late 50's in my rise to mediocrity and it has been so much fun. Craig Dobbins is a great source for learning and so is John Knowles. Check out his website and his Fingerstyle Quarterly newsletters. Hope you keep picking and having fun...keep posting, too...I enjoyed your thoughts.
Take care.
Ray

http://www.johnknowles.com
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Re: Learning stuff

Postby Vidar Lund » Fri Feb 24, 2017 10:45 am

Bill, don´t worry about that, compared to Chet most of us feel like beginners!
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Re: Learning stuff

Postby lakepikr » Fri Feb 24, 2017 11:17 am

Thanks all for your responses.

That's another thing I've learned ....... the "Chet pickers" are the most supportive folks out there.

bill
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Re: Learning stuff

Postby emjaybee94 » Mon Feb 27, 2017 9:25 am

Bill,
It's never too late to start learning guitar. It's good for the brain; it's good for the fingers, but most of all it's the satisfaction you get from learning something new. I started playing when I was 15; discovered Chet at 18 and never looked back. I'm 74 now and still regard myself as a beginner when I compare myself to some of the youngsters I hear on UTube, but that doesn't matter.
I'm glad we have very restrictive gun laws in the UK as my ex-wife would have shot me years ago when I was repeatedly attempting to play "Stars And Stripes Forever". After 30 years it still sounds amateur, but it gets them going at the jam sessions I go to....... not too many people playing that round these parts!
At 74 I don't do gigs anymore as the fingers are playing up a bit. I can't get some of the stretches I used to play and it takes me a few minutes longer to warm up than it used to. The brain is still active though and I'll fight that dementia all the way.
More power to your elbow Bill .... and keep pickin'

Regards
Mike
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Re: Learning stuff

Postby Tom Keller » Mon Feb 27, 2017 12:44 pm

Bill, I have been trying to play Windy And Warm for fifty years. I am probably no closer to actually sounding like Chet today than I was back then. I look at it like this the journey has been the reward and music and especially the guitar has been a valued gift that has sustained for lo these many years. I wish you the very best with your guitar adventures. I would also repeat what some others have said about Craig Dobbins material. Its some of the best.


Tom Keller
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Re: Learning stuff

Postby Tom Keller » Mon Feb 27, 2017 12:48 pm

Bill, I have been trying to play Windy And Warm for fifty years. I am probably no closer to actually sounding like Chet today than I was back then. I look at it like this the journey has been the reward and music and especially the guitar has been a valued gift that has sustained for lo these many years. I wish you the very best with your guitar adventures. I would also repeat what some others have said about Craig Dobbins material. Its some of the best.


Tom Keller
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