Acoustic Rhythm Survival / Blues Jam Survival - Course 3 & 4 of Mac's Journey

[rogermack50]

This blog started out talking about Survival courses; and you will see some Posts talking about that below; but I decided to add "Blues Groves" to the mix to make this a 3 course Blog. You'll read my reasoning at the bottom of this post.

Wow, A blog about Survival, now I'm all over that!
First how many people out there could last 1 week without having to go out for food or water if necessarily? Hmmm, I'm waiting for a answer! Don't make me yell at you and force you to get down and give me 20...
Quote from Family Survival:
"Every day there are headlines in the news that should motivate each of us to prepare as quickly as we can. Unemployment, hurricane season, floods, and other disasters happen somewhere in the world. (Don't forget the Mayan's!)
How long do you think it will take for the grocery store shelves to become empty? Numerous articles have stated that the entire world is only 3 days away from starvation - meaning, in 3 days there would be no more food in the stores. This scenario, of course, would depend on the scope of a disaster."
http://www.family-survival-planning....#axzz1sRBF3te1

Oh, we are not talking about our survival, we're talking about Guitar survival. Dam, here we go again, leaving a topic I know something about and blogging about something I know nothing about. It figures that now a days any @#R$% Commie Pants on the Ground skid wipe can pick up a pen and be a expert on something they know nothing about, lead their followers down the wrong path and then blame it on Obama! Don't worry, I'm not going to blame it on Obama! or Michelle! But once again I'm going to Blog on something that I have a long way to go to claim any expertise. Read if you wish, comment if you want to, but I've warned you, if its a statement about the 6 strings of hell, then take TrueFires Forum advice before mine. I'll meet you 6 stories under ground in the NY subways when the crack splits the world but until then I'll take my Angry Pen and write about my three next courses:
"Acoustic Rhythm Survival"; "Blues Jam Survival" and "Blues Groves".

Why 3 courses?
Didn't you just state that you found your Path?
WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your Driving us crazy!

After watching all of the videos for all 3 courses, here is why I made that decision:

Acoustic Survival is one of those Technique courses that your spending time getting the technique down to where you feel comfortable playing. I will go through each of the 19 Techniques one by one; sharing problems that I'm having; asking questions; discussing things that I like and don't like etc. I don't want to rumble through any of the courses.

Blues Survival is one of those courses that your learning new voicings, chords, shapes, licks, ideas, etc. It starts for 3:00 minutes at my level but right away moves into chords and shapes that I have never seen before. This will take time. The Turtle wins the race sort of thing. I like the new ideas (to me) and the thought process. I want to $uck it all in as I go through it.

Blues Groves looks like it is just fun. Allman Brothers, Chuck Berry, Slow Blues, Shuffle all with Rhythm parts and Solo parts for every style.

So in my weird thinking process; I'll be working on Technique with Acoustic; Style with Jam Survival and Rhythm and licks with Blues Groves. To me that sounds like the perfect Practice session.


Blogging soon, have a great weekend.

Mac

[gadlaw]

I happened to hear a few minutes of one of those survival 'guys' on the tele last week or so while I was reading the forum. I heard that this guy and his wife had dug under the floor of their garage, a big hole, put some sort of underground lined and lockable vault in there and had 6 months of stuff for survival and they had the cameras rolling as they tested their little bit of shelter out. You know, checking everything out, going over the 'plan'. They said that after six months they'd peep out and see what was what and if things were still hairy they'd go 30 miles out where dude had a boat ready to take out for points unknown and they were talking about how it might be hard to get those 30 miles. I Laughed out loud at these morons. IF things were so bad that you had to hole up in the underground shelter under your home what makes you think your boat would be where you left it. Show is funny as can be. Yup in the upcoming Zombie Apocalypse when the Umbrella Corporation accidentally lets loose whatever super bug kills everyone but me and Milla Jovovich I will get myself to the Optometrist and make sure I have a good supply of lenses so I don't end up like Burgess Meredith in that Twilight Zone episode where he had all the books in the world to read and he broke his glasses. The worse thing that could happen is that I couldn't find the extra glasses but I'd have Milla read to me, she has a good voice and I would find it soothing. Of course my second plan is to have a lot of barbeque sauce at hand and know where all the fat people live along with my FireFox books I got from the 70's so I'll know how to carve waterwheels from Tree trunks and how to make soap and more importantly - how to make banjos and dulcimers.
Volume 1: c1972. Log cabin building, planting by the signs, moonshining, etc.
Volume 2: c1973. Ghost stories, mid-wifery, burial customs, wagon making, etc.
Volume 3: c1975. Animal care, banjos & dulcimers, wild plant foods, etc.
Volume 4: c1977. Fiddle making, horse trading, gardening, etc.
Volume 5: c1979. Iron making, blacksmithing, bear hunting, etc.
You can download some from Scrib through your Facebook account http://www.scribd.com/doc/6791586/Foxfire

[rogermack50]

Gad,
If you where one of those people standing in line for days for a gallon of water to bring home to your family during Hurricane Katrina, you could understand the point of being somewhat prepared for anything, tornado, snow, hurricane, man made etc. Those TV shows always show the extreme cases.

In my life I have traveled through the poorest parts of the world where people live in card board huts, disease is rabid, and hope is never found.
I always yell at the TV screen when the camera person says send money to us; I yell give them your lunch you Fat B@#Tard... Then you read about only $.05 of every dollar getting to these people while the charity CEO makes half a million and throws lavish expensive parties to make even more.

I agree with you, people always take things to the extreme. But, I'm not going to be one of those people walking to the Store only to be met with violence and endless lines while my family is left unprotected at home.
It is easy for me to be prepared; I only drink 6 Ensures a day. So if I buy 6 cases, I can survive for 2 weeks. Period. But my wife and daughter need real food, real water.

I am not one of those nuts that has everything figured out; but being a special forces marine, I was trained to survive on my own for an extended amount of time. I have enough bullets to get me to a gun store and get what I need. I always keep 72 - 16 oz bottles of water, I will up that to 144 max, cost $15.00. I got $10.00 of Ramen Noodles. That's 100 meals. I have a small freezer in the garage, with frozen meats; vegetables recycled every 3 months etc. I have a stand by generator that powers the whole house if necessarily, we lose power here all the time so it has already paid for itself by keeping us warm and the refridge running while our neighbors ran to their Sister in Laws or froze listening to my Generator noise.. Cost of the generator installed less than $5000.00, cost of a new roof $7000.00+, kitchen $20000.00+, front stairway $9000.00+, new washer & dryer $3000+. You figure out what is more important. The goal is not to leave home, but to stay safe at home while the rest of the world around you tries to figure it out.

It doesn't take a lot of money, just enough for 2 weeks.That's all I ask of my friends, but they laugh it off also. It is impossible to believe that your level of life will ever change, but I have seen it over and over again. If it never happens great, I'm out maybe $100.00 of food and water. People spend their lives savings building these elaborate structures and massive plans but in reality if you can last 2 weeks, you'll have the pick of most of them.

That is one of the reasons why many people around the world hate Americans. We are entitled, nothing ever bad will ever happen to us, we expect better treatment than the less fortunate. I have made many friends worldwide by being able to appreciate what is offered, and thankful for a roof over my head, even if its card board. Most nations requires every citizen to serve in their military man and woman, but here we have more people complaining about our military than serve. Freedom of speech is a right here until your caught mountain climbing into another country that doesn't care about your rights. then you play the I'm American card, it can't happen to me. But guess what anything can happen to you at anytime.

For your families sake at least store some water!

"People only see what they are prepared to see."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Now back to the courses...

Mac

[gadlaw]

Well one thing you should know about me is that I'm irreverent about most things. I've always stored many weeks of food and water since the 1980's and Okinawa where the Typhoons would come and the infrastructure would bend to the breaking point. At Kadena when I was first there and didn't know anything I wondered what the big long lines at the Commissary were and so you know, naturally enough I parked and went to go ask. Then you know, panicked people trying to stock up at the last minute of course I got in line. After that I didn't get in no lines cause you know - you would have your emergency kit ready to go and could drive past the lines of panicked people and be ready for whatever was going to come on down your way. And besides, the water down this way isn't really that tasty so storing lots of water is in my best interests anyways.

And there there's TrueFire's own brush with disaster with Jeff Beasley - Shred Ahead Blues Rock - http://truefire.com/rock-guitar-less...ad-blues-rock/ who was in the path of one of those Tornado's a while back and his whole neighborhood was pretty much destroyed. He'd check in and say it quickly became lawless and scary there. And then there was Wolfboy in Ohio who lost electricity for weeks in the middle of winter and then we all know what happened with Katrina in New Orleans so all in all be prepared as best you can is always the sane and rational thing to do

[rogermack50]

Well I'm off and running on the first of three courses at the same time. Today I'm working on Acoustic Survival with Instructor Vickie Genfan.
After going through the neat introduction we go into the first progression.
The progression is a: I - V - vi - IV or the: One - Five - Six minor - Four progression
In this case the I/One = G
So counting on your fingers if the G = I/one counting from your thumb; then II/2/Index finger = A; III/3/Middle finger = B; IV/4 or Ring finger = C; and 5 or Pinky finger = D, your VImin/6 finger = E or E-minor because we are looking for a minor chord.
The progression in G would go: I/One = G; V/5 = D; VImin/6 = E_minor; IV/4 = C.
The G - D - EM - C is the progression that she uses in this first section. She notes that there are many, many popular songs that use this progression then she plays bits and pieces of several songs.
What makes all these songs different and unique is the different techniques used.

So the first Technique 1 is: Time Signature.
4/4 is the most common time signature and Vickie has us using different ones starting with the 3/4; 6/8; 5/4 etc.
Instead of counting she uses words; if you want to count them as words.
For one + two; she uses Ta-Ki; so instead of counting 1, 2, 3, 4 she would state: Ta-Ki, Ta-Ki.
For one, two, three; she uses Ga-Ma-La so a 6/4 measure would be Ga-Ma-La-Ga-Ma-La.
A 5/4 would be Ga-Ma-La-Ta-Ki
Do you get it? words instead of counting, that's all it is.
Make sure that you give a slight accent on the first syllable.

"Take each variation and just with words, repeat over and over so you begin to get the feel and flow of this pattern. Remember, that's all it is - a pattern. A pattern of 2 and 3, and these are patterns that our brain and body are already familiar with!


1 GA-ma-la-TA-ki GA-ma-la-TA-ki GA-ma-la-TA-ki GA-ma-la-TA-ki - Note: Accent on GA; TA; GA; TA etc.
2 TA-ki-GA-ma-la TA-ki-GA-ma-la TA-ki-GA-ma-la TA-ki-GA-ma-la


To apply this to a strumming pattern on the guitar, try playing the low bass note on the accented syllables and strumming on the quieter syllables. You can alternate the bass notes. Say the syllables out loud while you play.


Now, here's how we'd do it with 7/4:


GA-ma-la-TA-ki-TA-ki


or TA-ki-TA-ki-GA-ma-la"

Finally in Technique 1, you can have a 4/4 and add a few measures of a different time signature like 3/4 etc to mix the song up.

OK, why do I post all this information when its in the course.
Well its for my own good. I read my posts over and over again when people reply or I want to see what I said before replying. So I am reinforcing the information each time I visit.
It's not always about you OK, sometimes its about me when I post.

Question: In the example below, the measure below states 3/4 signature time, but measure one has one note, measures 2 -5 each have 4 strums. If it was 3/4 wouldn't it be 3 strums per measure? Could someone explain.


OK that about wraps it up for Technique 1 - Time Signatures; I'm going to spend some time practicing the different time signatures while playing the I - V - vi IV progression in the Key of G.

Is anyone else having problems when typing into Posts. I will start typing and then the typing area will jump into another paragraph in mid word etc. It is difficult to write. Maybe its a setting but it is very frustrating. You can barely get 2 words in a row before it jumps some place else and your typing into a sentence you wrote earlier.

Thus my posts have been delayed well I figure this out.

Mac

[gadlaw]

Is anyone else having problems when typing into Posts. I will start typing and then the typing area will jump into another paragraph in mid word etc. It is difficult to write. Maybe its a setting but it is very frustrating. You can barely get 2 words in a row before it jumps some place else and your typing into a sentence you wrote earlier.

Thus my posts have been delayed well I figure this out.

Mac

You know Mac I've started to have a bit of an issue myself. Nothing major just that it tells me I have already posted the post I just posted when I click on Submit Reply. I will bump this issue and your issue up to Ren who will be delighted to bug hunt it and see what there is to be done. Alright maybe not delighted but he'll work on it. Great to hear from you again and sorry about the reply system giving you a bit of trouble.

[Ren]

Hey Guys,

What OS & browser are you using when you are having this issue?

Thanks! Ren

[gadlaw]

Well I'm off and running on the first of three courses at the same time. Today I'm working on Acoustic Survival with Instructor Vickie Genfan.
After going through the neat introduction we go into the first progression.
The progression is a: I - V - vi - IV or the: One - Five - Six minor - Four progression
In this case the I/One = G
So counting on your fingers if the G = I/one counting from your thumb; then II/2/Index finger = A; III/3/Middle finger = B; IV/4 or Ring finger = C; and 5 or Pinky finger = D, your VImin/6 finger = E or E-minor because we are looking for a minor chord.
The progression in G would go: I/One = G; V/5 = D; VImin/6 = E_minor; IV/4 = C.
The G - D - EM - C is the progression that she uses in this first section. She notes that there are many, many popular songs that use this progression then she plays bits and pieces of several songs.
What makes all these songs different and unique is the different techniques used.

So the first Technique 1 is: Time Signature.
4/4 is the most common time signature and Vickie has us using different ones starting with the 3/4; 6/8; 5/4 etc.
Instead of counting she uses words; if you want to count them as words.
For one + two; she uses Ta-Ki; so instead of counting 1, 2, 3, 4 she would state: Ta-Ki, Ta-Ki.
For one, two, three; she uses Ga-Ma-La so a 6/4 measure would be Ga-Ma-La-Ga-Ma-La.
A 5/4 would be Ga-Ma-La-Ta-Ki
Do you get it? words instead of counting, that's all it is.
Make sure that you give a slight accent on the first syllable.

"Take each variation and just with words, repeat over and over so you begin to get the feel and flow of this pattern. Remember, that's all it is - a pattern. A pattern of 2 and 3, and these are patterns that our brain and body are already familiar with!


1 GA-ma-la-TA-ki GA-ma-la-TA-ki GA-ma-la-TA-ki GA-ma-la-TA-ki - Note: Accent on GA; TA; GA; TA etc.
2 TA-ki-GA-ma-la TA-ki-GA-ma-la TA-ki-GA-ma-la TA-ki-GA-ma-la


To apply this to a strumming pattern on the guitar, try playing the low bass note on the accented syllables and strumming on the quieter syllables. You can alternate the bass notes. Say the syllables out loud while you play.


Now, here's how we'd do it with 7/4:


GA-ma-la-TA-ki-TA-ki


or TA-ki-TA-ki-GA-ma-la"

Finally in Technique 1, you can have a 4/4 and add a few measures of a different time signature like 3/4 etc to mix the song up.

OK, why do I post all this information when its in the course.
Well its for my own good. I read my posts over and over again when people reply or I want to see what I said before replying. So I am reinforcing the information each time I visit.
It's not always about you OK, sometimes its about me when I post.

Question: In the example below, the measure below states 3/4 signature time, but measure one has one note, measures 2 -5 each have 4 strums. If it was 3/4 wouldn't it be 3 strums per measure? Could someone explain.


OK that about wraps it up for Technique 1 - Time Signatures; I'm going to spend some time practicing the different time signatures while playing the I - V - vi IV progression in the Key of G.

Is anyone else having problems when typing into Posts. I will start typing and then the typing area will jump into another paragraph in mid word etc. It is difficult to write. Maybe its a setting but it is very frustrating. You can barely get 2 words in a row before it jumps some place else and your typing into a sentence you wrote earlier.

Thus my posts have been delayed well I figure this out.

Mac

Hey Guys,

What OS & browser are you using when you are having this issue?

Thanks! Ren

FireFox 9.0.1 and Windows Pro
UPdating Firefox right now

[rogermack50]

Hey Guys,

What OS & browser are you using when you are having this issue?

Thanks! Ren

Ren,
Thanks for your reply, i am using Windows 7 on a Dell 64 Bit E6410 and have been using Google Chrome (64 Bit on Chrome is most likely the problem) but since your response I have done several things. First I found out the problem was more on my laptop end because it was happening in several situations email, word etc besides the forum. I tried to shut off Tapping, Numlock other resolutions found on the internet but they didn't work. So after doing a complete virus scan using Microsoft Endpoint and Spybot and finding nothing. I did a system restore back a few days. Right now that seems to have fixed the problem.
Again, Thank You for taking the time out of your day to get back to me.

Regards,
Mac

[rogermack50]

Do you remember when you hit that massive Home Run right through your next door neighbors Front Window. Immediately all that pleasure of being one with the bat, ball, Hall of Fame inspirations went into panic mode. You ran like hell to some safe place looking for your "Happy Place". Finnally after you got sick thinking about it, did anyone see you, how where you going to explain it to Dad etc. You went home with your tail between your leg, told your Dad and both you and his wallet slowly made the trek next door. It didn't turn out as bad as you thought and the window was repaired like nothing happened but for that time when you where alone worrying about it you suffered.

While I got that feeling when I started Blues Jam Survival. I opened up the program and exactly 3:00 minutes into it, Jeff introduced a chord I never had seen 9ths,13ths and slides called 6ths and voicings soon followed in the first lesson. My stomach said run away, I can't do this, where is the Johnny Walker Blue. So i went back to Acoustic Survival and watched every video. Then I did the same for Blues Groves trying to decide which one would be the buffer that would fill the spot of walking away from Jam Survival. Then I did the unexpected. I put my tail between my legs and slowly made the walk back to Jeff's Jam Survival. I watched the 12/8 Slow Blues Introduction, The Practice and then the breakown sections several times. Then I picked up the guitar and starting with one chord at a time, 1 beat per measure played the progression. OK, that wasn't so hard. Next I used the new G7 chord that helped being in the right place for the slide. That wasn't to bad either. Slow and easy is the way to get through this course. If it takes one finger at a time, then that's what it takes.

Do you feel one of those dam circles happening again, the wind is starting to pickup; the shutters are slamming, look there goes a rolling desert bush, ok, perhaps not 30 miles North of Boston!

Yep, the old "Rome wasn't built in one day" thing all over again. Now that this dam statement keeps poping up in this blog, lets take a deeper look into the meaning.
I found this article written by a Mr. Danial Stringer on a I.T. website of all places.
"Rome began in the 9th Century BC as a little Italian village. Legend has it that two brothers, Romulus and Remus, decided to build a city together. It is said that after an argument, Romulus killed his brother, Remus, and named the city Rome, after himself. I’ll bet that Romulus never even dreamed the city would one day become the vast civilization that dominated the Mediterranean region for centuries to come. He didn’t set out to build the dynasty that would one day become the Roman Empire. He focused on building a town, then a city, and the vision was carried forth generation after generation becoming one of the most famous cities ever to have existed in human history.
"Perspective changes everything" (Here we go into @#$% quote land.) They say "hindsight is 20/20" (Oh my @#$% Gad, not another quote!) because now the perspective you are looking at the situation with is full of clarity and understanding. Many times we look at our current and imminent challenges, goals, and dreams feeling completely overwhelmed due to lack of perspective. Maybe we don’t know where to begin because the size of our dream or goal is so big in our minds that it becomes incalculable. It’s been said "that if you “think” you can do it, dream bigger" (Somebody @#$% save me). But where does that leave us when the dream is so big we are now left just simply… dreaming? Like I said, perspective changes everything. As entrepreneurs, it is our job to dream. It is our job to cast vision and to forge ahead towards it. But we must choose the right perspective to support the long-term viability and sustainability of our dream. Am I discouraging you from dreaming big? Not at all. But I am encouraging you to break down your dream into realistic steps, phases, or stages. Focus on what you can accomplish today, first. Then, plan your week, month, and year. Put together realistic goals that move you in the direction of the ultimate vision that captivates your heart.
Fear is an overwhelming emotion that seeks to keep you from taking any steps at all. Fear hates movement. It hates when, instead of being overwhelmed with the size of your dream, you make a proactive decision to simply take steps toward it. Even if they are baby steps, you are moving. You are that much closer to your destination.
Climbing Mt. Everest is one of the toughest physical challenges on earth. But, believe it or not, it’s been described as an even bigger psychological challenge. It takes 3 weeks or more to climb the tallest mountain on the earth taking into consideration the acclimatization process that has to be completed. The last phase, the summit, is the most difficult. It’s the shortest leg of the journey but, because of the altitude, the human body can only take 1 step for every 5-10 breaths. While it’s only a 5 mile climb to reach the summit from the last base camp, it can feel like an eternity at that pace. Just staring at the summit can be all too overwhelming psychologically. The key is to focus your eyes 10 feet ahead of you, find a piece of ice or snow to concentrate on, and slowly but surely make your way to that piece of snow. Once reached, you set your eyes on the next 10 feet, and the next, and the next. Before long, you’ve reached the summit; but only because you never stopped moving, you never gave up, you never lost perspective.
So, dream big and shoot for the stars. But don’t let your dream become your nightmare. Put your dream in perspective, determine what can be accomplished today, and forge ahead. You might be building the next Rome."

Wow, pretty well stated. The same goes with learning anything, "One step at a time" Yep, even guitar.

@#$% Dam Chowder-Heads; now we'll be looking into that quote, Where will it ever end!

The circle is closing; the circle is closing!

Besides the one step at a time; you must realize that your not alone. Many people have faced the guitar, put it away and picked it back up. Part of the adventure is the road that you travel. If you took a helicopter right to the top, you would miss out on everything in between.

Jeff states you must get out and play with people. No, not another circle, please.

I have a childhood friend that I haven't seen since I left for Viet Nam in 1969. We grew up together from 8 years old. Playing foorball, baseball, even playing War, does anyone remember the Dead Man's Grip? Perhaps it was just something we made up while playing. If you shot someone in he was declared dead by the other guys playing, if you got to close to him, he could still reach out and grab you with the Dead Man's Grip; thus you where now declared Dead because the grip could never could be broken. Perhaps we saw it on Combat or the Twiilet Zone. Anyway, back to John. He became a very accomplished guitarist, I found this out on FaceBook. He only lives about 20 minutes from me and has invited me to play. 40 something years since I've seen him and I never knew he played or did he know that I played. I did state a while ago that I was a Closet Guitarist.

That is all for today. Tomorrow I will be doing a speil on the first lesson of Blues Groves.

@#$% Rome

Mac

[rjbasque]

Mac,
I happy you are sharing your journey with us. It's great that you are reconnecting with an old friend and potential guitar buddy. Try and stick it out with Jeff Sheetz, he is one of the best teachers. I think of Jeff as the good friend going "MAC, Mac, I gotta show you what I just learned". Real enthusiastic and motivating.

BTW I love the color commentary.

[rogermack50]

Today I jumped into the 1st lesson of Blues Groves - The Allman Brothers Rythm and Solo.
It was good, I already was familer with the Progression A - D - E, so I just added in the Baselines and went slow but was off and running.
A great thing that I learned right off the bat; Mark Wilson the Instructor for Blues Groves taught me that I could play Barre chords on the 5th string majors like D & E using my pinky.
I never thought of using it that way, but @#$% dam if Mr. Wilson wasn't right, it was so much easier to get the higher 3 strings to ring than using my ring finger.
Of course it will take time for it to be a natural feeling, but it sounded good and felt relaxed. I never could get my ring finger to flatten out and if I hit one string at a time there was always one string or more dampened out.

After getting the Rhytm down in my head, I decided to try the Solo.

At first I was suffering with the first two measures:
Attachment 3753
The slide from 5/6 was no problem but the Bends using the pinky on the "B" string - 8th fret then going to the 5th fret was not good.
In the past that would have stopped me in my tracks and I would have said "Forgetaboutit" Nope, I'm not Italian but Scottish American; but I do like those Mob movies; not so much the Mob TV shows. After failing for about a 1/2 hour, I made a monumential decision!
Why not just learn all the notes to the entire lead, forget about the Bends and Pull-off's.

None of my instructors, books, CD's, DVD's ever mentioned to do that. They all stated go measure by measure; but a person learning needs to be told to get the notes down first, forgetabout the add on's right now, Go Measure by Measure - Just the Notes you Dummy; you can add the other stuff when your comfortable playing the notes. I didn't figure it out, until after posting so much about @#$% Rome not being built in one day, the light bulb went off on my Marblehead. Now I'm dreading about all those items I bought over the years and just threw them out because it was to difficult.

So the next two hours I went measure by measure and learned the entire solo minus the add-on's. I played it perhaps 100 times until I got it down pat.
I figure once I got it down in my head, then I can work on adding the Bends, Pull-Off's and timing down using the Guitar Pro tab.
It was kind-of a neat thing for me because like I said in earlier posts, I can play the pentatonic scales up and down all 5 positions but I could never figure out how to make them sound like anything but a scale when trying to jam with music. Not this time, I used the Blues Groves Jam track and was having fun using the whole Allman Brothers Solo and then when I got comfortable I started breaking it up using Bits and Pieces of the solo. It didn't sound to Dusty! Also I was using the Solo in A, in G and other Keys to see how it sounded. It was fun playing instead of just learning. Now I can see how learning different licks can help you out.

Blogging on these courses does matter, it slows down the thought process and allows you to re-hash what you have done and helps in the planning process for the future.

Per this Blog, I am working on 3 courses at once. So I also did about 30 minutes of Acoustic Survival technique # 1.
That's the Timie Signature technique.
I strummed through the I-V-vi-IV progression in G, using my GA-ma-la-TA-ki instead of counting.
It would be easy for me to move along to the next lesson, but I want to take a full week in each lesson of each course.
I'm sure in the Blues Jam Survival and Blues Groves it will take longer than a week in some of the lessons.

Speaking of which, I did about a hour in the Jam survival and am now familar with the Progression and the chords and timing.
My fingers hurt doing the slides, so I had to lay off on doing too many of those. I expect the pain will go down after I've done the slides for a while.
I will work on some of the voicings but really I just want to get the basics down first. I guess it is neat to sound like a horn etc; but I want to make it sound like a guitar first!

I have to get over the fact that my playing sounds far from perfect. Perhaps it falls into place after playing the same thing over and over again a million times.

Now I have my practice session for this week down solid; some Ga-Ma-LA; Progression in G; Progression in A with solo.

Later on.

Mac

[jrhoden]

I was watching the sample videos from the Acoustic Rhythm Survival course and noticed what appears to be a capo that only covers the lowest (tone wise) four strings. I have never seen such a device before. Do my eyes deceive me?

[rogermack50]

I was watching the sample videos from the Acoustic Rhythm Survival course and noticed what appears to be a capo that only covers the lowest (tone wise) four strings. I have never seen such a device before. Do my eyes deceive me?

JR,
You are right, Vickie is using a "Short Cut - Kyser Capo"
I also had never seen one; but she provodes a website which sells and has videos on how to use.
http://www.partialcapo.net/shop/

Have fun with it and thanks for reading my Blog.

Mac

[gadlaw]

Brilliant observations about how to learn. Slowing it down and making it as simple as possible. One of the things I've mentioned many times with any of the instructors is to mentally remember that some of the folks that are looking at their material don't know much musically and sometimes don't even know the vocabulary to even understand what they are talking about. You know, leave no students behind, constantly reach a hand down by explaining themselves as they go so folks can keep up and keep interested. Your observation about nobody mentioning how to approach the basic structure of learning when every bend and pull off is a new experience is a very good one.

The other thing I'd like to mention is the pain you were mentioning. There is the 'sore fingertips' type of pain and then there is the pain down with the tendons and the kind that sort of is non muscular. Keep an eye on that and if find yourself getting some of that strange soreness often associated with carpal tunnel syndrome don't try to soldier through it. That's the kind of pain that needs resting and not trying to plow through regardless of the pain cause you could end up being out of commission longer than you would like.

And those Irish mob movies are pretty good as well. I mean, if you like that kind of thing.

[rogermack50]

There is the 'sore fingertips' type of pain and then there is the pain down with the tendons and the kind that sort of is non muscular.

Just a sore finger tip sort of thng. I have never slid down a couple of frets using a couple of fingers before.
Thanks for the post.

Mac

[rogermack50]

I wonder how many people start Blogs and then just disappear without further statements or explanations; sort of the way I lose my train of thought!
Well I have not posted in over a week and perhaps you may have thought that I was one of those mysteries like the Crop Circles, the answers to be found out on some late night Alien encounter on the Discovery channel. The truth be told, you can only move so fast on the things/techniques that are more advanced than you are. On the techniques issue that you can do, you can only do so much before the boredom of not playing songs. I will explain a little better, I am at the point with Acoustic Survival where the Finger Style has come back into my life. I am taking it slow but I don't have much Man Love for the style. On the other two courses I am holding the chords and doing the progressions but not the advanced voicings or techniques. So as I work through these there is not much to write about at this time.

OK, the following statement is not a knock on anyone but we are not all going to be Professional Guitarist. There are perhaps one or two of us who just want to pick up the Axe and play a few songs on the porch or having a light jam with friends. All technique and no fun loses a lot of guitarist along the way.

Over the last week or so, I have left TrueFire and gone to a free guitar lesson site. I don't think its fair to mention the site here on TrueFire's forum but I would like to say a few words about it in the hope that TrueFire will learn a little from my visit. He starts off like most courses with the easiest chords "D", "A" and "E" but by the end of lesson 1, you have a practice schedule that looks like this:

Description	Time
Chord Practice (Strum / Pick / Strum)	5 mins
1 minute Changes
--- D to A	1 min
--- D to E	1 min
--- A to E	1 min
Songs / Chord Sequences	5 mins
Ear Training	5 mins

But that's not the cool part, the cool part is he has complete video's on playing at least three songs using what you have learned,
By the end of Lesson one you are playing songs that are known using the techniques that you learned in the lesson:
The Gambler by Kenny Rogers
Blowing in the Wind by Bob Dylan
Love Me Do by the Beatles
Common People by the Pulp

Why am I bringing this up, well if you followed my posts from the beginning, I stated that I have been trying to play guitar for nearly 40 years; I can play all 5 positions of the Minor Pentatonic scale but I can't play a song. So it is clear to me that learning technique after technique but having zero fun, makes me put the guitar back in the closet. The point is for that all these sure fired guitar courses that guarantee you that they will get you to where you want to go playing are missing the mark. It's about playing, not technique after technique. They use the statement in the style of this person or that person, then leave you hanging because they don't want to pay for the rights that the person deserves. So my question is how can this other person do it for free. He even states that some artist have told him to pull this or that but others have opened up and even been interviewed by him. He could have just pulled a song, but he tells you what happened and why. After all being a artist is all about exposure.

So after lesson one on this persons site I am playing 4 songs. Yes, they are at the simplest forms of each song, but people listening would know what song your playing. That's three more songs than what I learned over the last 40 years and the best part of it is that I'm having fun strumming away; I hear it in my dreams and wake up with the song going around in my head. That is something missing from the TrueFire courses, I have never had a dream about a progression. He has 9 stages of beginner lessons which means you have learned over 30 popular songs before you move to his Intermediate stage. The Intermediate level continues with the same type lessons including more advances style and Technique songs. He starts with the "E" shape Barre chords and moves on from there. I will email the link to those two or three people that might email me asking for it.

I have been trying to explain what I have been looking for in my guitar training, and it comes down to learning by playing songs that I know. I filled out the TrueFire survey as honest as I could. It is my feeling that after the Beginner Courses are great but if your following the Path, that the Intermediate courses become specialist courses, when in truth most people that hit the Intermediate level, still aren't ready for the specialist level. You go right from the beginner Open chords having never seen or discussed Barre Chords, to courses that start off with Barre chords and different Voicings and Embellishments that the student will have to dedicate serious time without any self satisfaction, just technique after technique. That is real tough on the guitarist who wants to just play guitar. It should follow the Beginner level, by breaking it down at the simplest level and moving forward step by step, song by song. I'd like to say for me anyways, it is the words and the melodies that make a song. I have never been a Jazz fan for that reason.

So with that all being said. I will be using both sites, having fun with the Free site and returning to TrueFire as I get to the level and technique interest.

I am heading to the Voice Institute in 2 weeks, I am hopeful that I will finally find a way to talk or start learning sign language, either way I'll be moving forward. Its going to be a little weird for me being at a Convention with people in a similar situation as me. I am really bothered by those stop smoking commercials that state stop smoking or you'll end up like this, then they show people puffing out of a hole in there neck etc; how gross is that!. I have never had one cigarette in my entire 62 years on this planet, but I'm betting that most of the people that I'm going to be around was self inflicted. Some think mine was caused by Agent Orange, but the Government has denied my claim by sending in a Oriental doctor who didn't speak English to examine me for 30 minutes, I don't speak, she doesn't speak or read English, claim denied.
Then its on to the Security Convention in Disney World, so its 2 straight weeks on the road for me, no guitar. Finally a major operation at the end of June, so not to many posts in my near future.

Finally in the Once a Marine always a Marine department, I went to a wedding last Saturday and I was communicating by writing to 4 of my nieces and nephews. When this jerk came up and started mocking me as if I were Deaf and Dumb. (I'm only the Dumb part!) A quick kick straight to his balls put him in the wiggling, screaming worm position on the dance floor, while I continued to finish my communication. There is nothing more dangerous than a old marine that can't speak; nothing! Because you have no idea when he's going to attack!

Mac

[gadlaw]

Nice to hear from you again Mac. And good luck at the Voice Institute. And you are right, folks come and folks go and sometimes they come back again. There is no lock on the door for anyone and everyone is welcomed. I mean, as long as you don't willy nilly go around kicking people in the jimmies here for no reason. Weddings are a good place for morons to be morons and thank goodness you were there to provide a valuable life lesson to someone who hopefully took the lesson as it was intended.

As for the sites that do songs, well there are legalities involved and TrueFire usually likes to work with how to play rather than what to play. You can get the songs of Tommy Emmanuel, Stephen Bennett and others with them teaching them. Just not the songs of Bob Dylan, Kenny Rogers and the Beatles. Seriously though, shoot me the link for that - I love the song 'Common People' especially done by William Shatner.

[rjbasque]

Mac,
I understand and appreciate your reluctance to post a "competitors" website on the forum, but most of us have discussed other sites we visit in the past. As long as it is relevant and not in direct competition. And not blatant advertising for them. The TrueFire community has always been about sharing the joy of playing and helping each other reach our personal best, whatever that might be. To steal an advertising phrase, we're a judgment free zone. We all learn from several sources, including those offered here. So we acknowledge that fact.

As far as the theory/song argument goes that is something we all have to find our own balance with. And remember that balance will shift back and forth over time. Many of the "core" courses here are theory based, but there are also many (admittedly later intermediate) that are repertoire building. And like gadlaw said these are songs from the instructor, not "popular" songs you would hear "on the radio" (does anyone even use commercial radio anymore?) Some examples off the top of my head are Blues Alchemy, Rock Solid and Blues Rock Evolution. Each provide a back rhythm and a basic lead, then 2-3 variations on each. String a bunch of the choruses together and you've got a song.

And I'd also like to say good luck on finding a "new voice".

[rogermack50]

OK. here is the link for Justin Guitar:

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-00...nersCourse.php

Remember "Water seeks its own Level" - Most of you guys maybe way over the level that this Justin Dude provides. But it is free and fun for those of us that just may want to sit down with the old lady and strum on the back porch, he provides us with what we want in a calm, relaxing manner playing songs that we know at a cost that anyone can afford.

Mac

[gadlaw]

OK. here is the link for Justin Guitar:

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-00...nersCourse.php

Remember "Water seeks its own Level" - Most of you guys maybe way over the level that this Justin Dude provides. But it is free and fun for those of us that just may want to sit down with the old lady and strum on the back porch, he provides us with what we want in a calm, relaxing manner playing songs that we know at a cost that anyone can afford.

Mac

Ah we love Justin here, there are threads about him everywhere. I bought his acoustic album from iTunes, as well as iTunes albums by Jeff McErlain and Jeff Scheetz for that matter. We like kickstartguitar, siggi, Marty, Goldhat, Walliman, to name a few. Not exactly in competition with TrueFire, different niches for these guys and all good in their own rights.

[gadlaw]

OK. here is the link for Justin Guitar:

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-00...nersCourse.php

Remember "Water seeks its own Level" - Most of you guys maybe way over the level that this Justin Dude provides. But it is free and fun for those of us that just may want to sit down with the old lady and strum on the back porch, he provides us with what we want in a calm, relaxing manner playing songs that we know at a cost that anyone can afford.

Mac

And thanks - I hadn't been to see Justin's Site in a while and I see he has that book of which you speak so I ordered a copy. Listened to his lesson on Common People and that was pretty darn cool. I do like his manner and business plan. Part of the interesting part of the whole Guitar Instructor stuff is the various ways they go about connecting and hopefully making a living. I'd pay real money to see the numbers for all these various sites and see how effective each way of appealing to the public is. OF course when you go to Youtube and punch in a Justin video some of the other other folks I mentioned will come up along the side. This is a great age to be able to soak things in and learn them.