Guitarded

[otaypanky]

I started playing when I was 10. Next week I'll be 57. There were lots of periods throughout my life when I wasn't able to devote the time to guitar that I wished I could. But although your guitar may become more valuable over time, or season and sound better, it will never change as much or as fast as that 8 year old. Things will change and you will get your time. But for now it sounds like you have other priorities that can't be kept in a case in a closet. They come first ~ Speaking with your fiance about it was a real good idea, as is your plan for setting aside a little time for lessons.
I'm fortunate now that I get lots of time to play, often several hours a day. But on days when I don't, I sometimes head down to my music room after my wife is asleep. Instead of using an amp with a headpone out, I use my 'puter with a recording program.
But as much as my music and my guitar are a huge part of my life, if I was on my deathbed and an angel came and said I could have one more day, - would I like to go play my guitar or spend the day with my wife ?
That's a no brainer

 

[FrankenFretter]

I started playing when I was 10. Next week I'll be 57. There were lots of periods throughout my life when I wasn't able to devote the time to guitar that I wished I could. But although your guitar may become more valuable over time, or season and sound better, it will never change as much or as fast as that 8 year old. Things will change and you will get your time. But for now it sounds like you have other priorities that can't be kept in a case in a closet. They come first ~ Speaking with your fiance about it was a real good idea, as is your plan for setting aside a little time for lessons.
I'm fortunate now that I get lots of time to play, often several hours a day. But on days when I don't, I sometimes head down to my music room after my wife is asleep. Instead of using an amp with a headpone out, I use my 'puter with a recording program.
But as much as my music and my guitar are a huge part of my life, if I was on my deathbed and an angel came and said I could have one more day, - would I like to go play my guitar or spend the day with my wife ?
That's a no brainer

Very well spoken. I agree, family time takes top priority. Ten years from now, when the kid is away at college (hopefully), I'll probably have more free time than I know what to do with. I figure taking 20-45 minutes four or five days a week is a good compromise for now.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, OP.

 

[gump]

You need some "you time"...

3-4 nights a week I tell wifey and the kids I'm going down to the basement to practice-they can come with me and listen, or stay upstairs and do whatever they want until I'm done. It's only an hour or so, but it makes all the difference in the world...Especially after a lousy day.

 

[FrankenFretter]

3-4 nights a week I tell wifey and the kids I'm going down to the basement to practice-they can come with me and listen, or stay upstairs and do whatever they want until I'm done. It's only an hour or so, but it makes all the difference in the world...Especially after a lousy day.

Had one of those myself today. Maybe a bit of time on the ol' six string twangers will make me feel better.

 

[Commodore 64]

Had one of those myself today. Maybe a bit of time on the ol' six string twangers will make me feel better.

Heh, I attempted that last night too. Did some work with Mark Wein's Phrasing lesson. It ended up making me insanely frustrated. I'm guitarded.

I'm really having trouble with online lessons, I think I need a face to face teacher.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Sean, talking to the boss lady and getting lessons were both good ideas.

For me, I've found I literally have to get out of the house to play guitar. We don't have a basement or other suitable man-cave I can retreat to, as our house is full to overflowing with stuff. As a result, I volunteer for the praise band at church. This gets me out of the house for an hour or two for practice on Saturdays, and an extra hour (pre-service run-through) on Sundays. Also, I helped teach my daughter bass (she really taught herself with some help from me), and she recently went from being the praise band sub bassist to the fulltime bassist, so now the me-time is also family time! Also the extra pre-service hour on Sundays is doubly excusable because my son is in confirmation classes and "strongly encouraged" to attend Sunday school between services, so somebody would have to drive him to church anyhow.

Similarly, in addition to praise band, I'm in a batch of original-music bands. We don't gig every week or anything, but practices for those get me out of the house as well. If you're not ready for an actual gigging band, you could still get together with friends for jams at different people's houses, and invite any family members who might want to, to come along and listen.

It sounds like the lessons thing could be your me-time, analogous to the band practices I go to.

 

[Eric]

Similarly, in addition to praise band, I'm in a batch of original-music bands. We don't gig every week or anything, but practices for those get me out of the house as well. If you're not ready for an actual gigging band, you could still get together with friends for jams at different people's houses, and invite any family members who might want to, to come along and listen.

It sounds like the lessons thing could be your me-time, analogous to the band practices I go to.

You are really dead-on with this. I wish I had discovered the benefit of playing with others years ago.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

You are really dead-on with this. I wish I had discovered the benefit of playing with others years ago.

It really has all kinds of benefits in addition to being a lot more funnerer.

Your learning curve shortens, you learn dynamics and to leave space, how to swing a rhythm, keep your fills to in between the vocal lines, how to give and take visual cues, the list is endless. Some of those things are nigh on impossible to learn by solo practicing.

 

[FrankenFretter]

It really has all kinds of benefits in addition to being a lot more funnerer.

Your learning curve shortens, you learn dynamics and to leave space, how to swing a rhythm, keep your fills to in between the vocal lines, how to give and take visual cues, the list is endless. Some of those things are nigh on impossible to learn by solo practicing.

Did you know that "funner" was added to Webster's dictionary? I hate it when the lowest common denominator wins. I'm trying to popularize the word "worser" enough so that Webster's has to add that one as well.

Yeah, Brian, I hear you on that one. Some of my best times in the last year have been playing with friends, either when I'm up in Washington state visiting, or when they come south. Unfortunately, I don't have enough space and too many neighbors for me to have an actual band practice at my place, but I'm trying to figure out something. I know a bass player and a plethora of other guitarists. I miss the band practices of years gone by (think hair-metal. It was the 80s). Playing with others makes you a better player, much like mountain biking with others makes you a better rider. I'm probably unfit to make that analogy anymore, since I am...unfit...and don't ride my bikes more than a few times a year. But I digress... Thanks for your input, Brian.

-Sean

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Did you know that "funner" was added to Webster's dictionary? I hate it when the lowest common denominator wins. I'm trying to popularize the word "worser" enough so that Webster's has to add that one as well.

Oh my land! Srsly?

Dayum.

I used to teach Legal Writing in law school, and my wife is an English teacher and has been an adjunct English/Education professor (teaching future teachers of "English as a Second Language") so I know where you're coming from.

My own favorite coined term I'm working on getting acceptance for is "bosstastic." But that's just me. Hey, it's no worser than any other word.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

The nuns used to make me diagram sentences until my fingers would bleed. Actually, I loved diagramming sentences though. I enjoyed the logic of it. I do not care for the so called "modernizing" of the English language insofar as it includes putting slang, or worse, simply incorrect English in the dictionary. "Funner" is not slang in the same sense as using a term like "defrag" which is descriptive of something that is new. "Funner" is simply incorrect.


I have a pet peeve regarding incorrect use of contractions, like writing "your" when the person means "you're". Grrr.

 

[Eric]

I'm with you on prescriptive vs. descriptive (Eats Shoots and Leaves is one of my favorite books), but someone did once point out to me that if that held up universally, we would still be using old English and adding Es to the end of all of our words. Funny to think about, isn't it?

I think that, even if everybody had a common language, it would probably diverge within a couple of weeks. People like that feeling of exclusivity, and invented words and linguistic detours fill that need.

I suppose the thing that gets me is the uncontrolled nature of the whole thing; abuse turns into correct usage. What's the name of that French governing body to control proper usage of grammar?

 

[Brian Krashpad]

I'm with you on prescriptive vs. descriptive (Eats Shoots and Leaves is one of my favorite books), but someone did once point out to me that if that held up universally, we would still be using old English and adding Es to the end of all of our words. Funny to think about, isn't it?

I think that, even if everybody had a common language, it would probably diverge within a couple of weeks. People like that feeling of exclusivity, and invented words and linguistic detours fill that need.

I suppose the thing that gets me is the uncontrolled nature of the whole thing; abuse turns into correct usage. What's the name of that French governing body to control proper usage of grammar?

L'Academie Francaise!

Yeah, the cool thing about English is its adaptability. There are rules, but once everybody decides to ignore 'em, they're outta here. I think that's a great thing. (Anarchy, baby!) But the transition can be rough,

 

[otaypanky]

You are really dead-on with this. I wish I had discovered the benefit of playing with others years ago.

As my long time friend used to say, 'lots of guys learn how to play an instrument, but learning how to play with other people is a whole different skill'. I think he's right, and that's what takes you to the next level.

Also, I helped teach my daughter bass (she really taught herself with some help from me), and she recently went from being the praise band sub bassist to the fulltime bassist, so now the me-time is also family time!

Now that's cool !

 

[deeaa]

L'Academie Francaise!

Yeah, the cool thing about English is its adaptability. There are rules, but once everybody decides to ignore 'em, they're outta here. I think that's a great thing. (Anarchy, baby!) But the transition can be rough,

I always like to incorporate 'new' Finnish words in my speech. It's also a common trait of people from my area to twist words, or use words that aren't really words, and still people understand what we mean. You know, things like - impossible to translate of course, but say things like 'gimme that screemering' when we're talking about a loudspeaker, or 'I got a splart of water on me' meaning a special kind of splash that occurs when tap water hits a curved object in the basin; or describe someone looking 'nopeful' meaning that someone is looking simultaneously relieved yet worried (i.e. He looked behind into the toilet with a nopeful look his face

Language variation & change is a nice thing, but I do resent changes that simplify the grammar 'too much' to my liking, usually following English grammar. Like in my lifetime I've noticed the possessive suffixes have pretty much vanished from Finnish following english, meaning when you used to say 'My car' as : 'Autoni', you now say 'minun auto', i.e. changed the (ni) suffix into a possessive pronoun like in english.

And also I've noticed some young people are starting to use the English indefinite article in their speech, and even overuse it - articles are not used in Finnish at all, plural forms are different from singular so articles are not needed - but they use it by entering the word 'one' instead of 'a' or 'an'. i.e. there was one man in this one park and he had this one computer with him...

Anyway, my language teacher side kicked in I guess...

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Krashpad
Also, I helped teach my daughter bass (she really taught herself with some help from me), and she recently went from being the praise band sub bassist to the fulltime bassist, so now the me-time is also family time!

Now that's cool !

Man, that kid is fearless. No way I would have had the guts as a novice player at 16 to play in front of 200-300 people, much less on a regular basis. She lucked out because our regular bassist decided that she'd rather play acoustic than bass, so our praise band leader asked my daughter to play full-time instead of just as a sub.

She has a performance history that I didn't have as a kid though. She's been in several adult community theatre productions, while she was in elementary school and middle school, including as one of the orphans in "Annie" (even though she has no formal individualized singing training), and a role in "A Midsummer's Night's Dream."

I promised my son if he learned to play guitar, he would have his choice of one of a couple of my cheaper guitars, but I have a lot fewer basses, so Hannah learned on mine and got one of her own for her 16th birthday, this Peavey USA Foundation:

 

[deeaa]

Yeah, I told my older son (only 5 and not yet showing any music interests) that if he ever learns to play the guitar he can take his pick and have any of my guitars, except the Davette, my main axe, which he can only have when he's a better player than daddy is and can really appreciate it

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Yeah, I told my older son (only 5 and not yet showing any music interests) that if he ever learns to play the guitar he can take his pick and have any of my guitars, except the Davette, my main axe, which he can only have when he's a better player than daddy is and can really appreciate it

My dad did something similar with me and my siblings-- anyone who learned to play could have the instrument they learned. I still have the acoustic I learned guitar on, and a banjo that was also his. So I felt like that was a family tradition I should carry on.

 

[FrankenFretter]

That's so cool that you guys have kids that are into music, and musicianship. My fiancee's daughter, Matilda, has expressed some interest in learning guitar, albeit at random times, and not terribly often. I bought her an inexpensive child-size acoustic, but she was having so much trouble with the strings hurting her fingers that she more or less gave up. She's a sensitive kid, and cries over almost anything, so I have to let her come back to it in her own time. I did change the strings to nylon, which should help once she's ready. I'm not a great teacher, I don't have the patience it takes to teach younger kids. When she gets frustrated, I get frustrated, and that vicious cycle makes for very short lessons. It may be worth it just to get her lessons, at least to start with. Part of me wants her to hurry up and learn, so that I can get her an electric. Selfish, I know.

Any tips on teaching kids? Maybe I should start a separate thread for that one...

 

[Brian Krashpad]

That's so cool that you guys have kids that are into music, and musicianship. My fiancee's daughter, Matilda, has expressed some interest in learning guitar, albeit at random times, and not terribly often. I bought her an inexpensive child-size acoustic, but she was having so much trouble with the strings hurting her fingers that she more or less gave up. She's a sensitive kid, and cries over almost anything, so I have to let her come back to it in her own time. I did change the strings to nylon, which should help once she's ready. I'm not a great teacher, I don't have the patience it takes to teach younger kids. When she gets frustrated, I get frustrated, and that vicious cycle makes for very short lessons. It may be worth it just to get her lessons, at least to start with. Part of me wants her to hurry up and learn, so that I can get her an electric. Selfish, I know.

Any tips on teaching kids? Maybe I should start a separate thread for that one...

The only thing I'd say is go slow. Right now my son is sort of at a standstill. I can wait. I've given him some chord diagrams that show chords in a given key and how to play them, but he's not practicing. When he asks for help I'll give it to him. We really can't afford music lessons from a teacher, so he will have to take the initiative to at least ask, when he wants and has the time to be helped. If I try to impose a strict schedule on him, it'll make it into work instead of fun. If he gets more serious about it later and wants to set a certain time for me to help him, that'll be fine too, but if that comes from me it could hurt more than help.

My daughter is a little older, plus more self-motivated. I wrote down some scales for her, and showed her how to figure out where a note is on the fretboard. She went online and found tab, and with only a little help from me began looking up songs she likes and learning the tab bass lines to them. I did teach her the bass line to one song, CCR's "Down on the Corner," because it's a song with a memorable bass line that's doubled by the guitar, and is illustrative of the bass following the melody rather than merely echoing the roots of the chords. Now she's "learning by doing" with the praise band at church, which will give her a lot more than any coaching from me could.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I'm with you on prescriptive vs. descriptive (Eats Shoots and Leaves is one of my favorite books), but someone did once point out to me that if that held up universally, we would still be using old English and adding Es to the end of all of our words. Funny to think about, isn't it?

I think that, even if everybody had a common language, it would probably diverge within a couple of weeks. People like that feeling of exclusivity, and invented words and linguistic detours fill that need.

I suppose the thing that gets me is the uncontrolled nature of the whole thing; abuse turns into correct usage. What's the name of that French governing body to control proper usage of grammar?

I agree that English will keep moving forward. As I wrote down my thoughts above, I remembered "Olde English" and the Shakespeare I read in old english as required by my teacher. Obviously things evolve. What I do not like are the evolutions that take away from the ability of English to describe or otherwise give meaning to the reader. "Your" means something different from "you're". I was always told not to use the term "got", but it has become part of the language and allows people to express themselves. That one can stay. "Funner" vs. "more fun" is a tougher question. The change does not add anything to the language, but arguably it does not subtract. The terms are interchangeable. One is just considered correct and one is not. I suppose the lowest common denominator will win. I do feel, however, that the more correct terms should be taught. It is more elegant and expressive in my view. That view was shaped by nuns, Jesuits, and the technical and precise language of law school though. ancake

 

[Eric]

I agree that English will keep moving forward. As I wrote down my thoughts above, I remembered "Olde English" and the Shakespeare I read in old english as required by my teacher. Obviously things evolve. What I do not like are the evolutions that take away from the ability of English to describe or otherwise give meaning to the reader. "Your" means something different from "you're". I was always told not to use the term "got", but it has become part of the language and allows people to express themselves. That one can stay. "Funner" vs. "more fun" is a tougher question. The change does not add anything to the language, but arguably it does not subtract. The terms are interchangeable. One is just considered correct and one is not. I suppose the lowest common denominator will win. I do feel, however, that the more correct terms should be taught. It is more elegant and expressive in my view. That view was shaped by nuns, Jesuits, and the technical and precise language of law school though. ancake

I had a public-school education, but just latched on to grammar as a backlash against fellow engineering students who did not value spelling, grammar, or punctuation.

I've mellowed out a lot. I used to be considerably more anal (analer??), but came to realize that nobody really cared or liked it when I was that way. These days I just try to write as well as possible.

Because of the continual mellowing process, I now only get really fired up when grammar is so bad that it actually hinders the communication (i.e. makes it difficult to ascertain what the writer is trying to say). Do I form an opinion if someone can't get your/you're right? Maybe, but I usually understand what the person is trying to say.

I notice that I'm being extra extra careful while writing this. Too funny.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I notice that I'm being extra extra careful while writing this. Too funny.

LOL!! I noticed I was doing the same thing. I kept going back and breaking up run-on sentences. I hear you about mellowing out on it. Things like using "your" when the person means "you're" still bug me, because I think it is pure sloth to use the terms incorrectly. But I would never say anything to an adult. I do correct my kids though. I am sure they LOVE that! :thwap ancake

 

[FrankenFretter]

I had a public-school education, but just latched on to grammar as a backlash against fellow engineering students who did not value spelling, grammar, or punctuation.

I've mellowed out a lot. I used to be considerably more anal (analer??), but came to realize that nobody really cared or liked it when I was that way. These days I just try to write as well as possible.

Because of the continual mellowing process, I now only get really fired up when grammar is so bad that it actually hinders the communication (i.e. makes it difficult to ascertain what the writer is trying to say). Do I form an opinion if someone can't get your/you're right? Maybe, but I usually understand what the person is trying to say.

I notice that I'm being extra extra careful while writing this. Too funny.

The older I get, the less patience and tolerance I have for certain things. It infuriates me to see misspellings in ads, on signs, in magazines. I almost wrote a sternly-worded letter to Guitar Player Magazine (or maybe it was Guitar World. They're almost the same magazine, and I don't know why I subscribe to both) because of all the errors I found within about 10 minutes of opening the front cover.

I have noticed that since I write fairly infrequently that my spelling and grammar has become less than perfect. I sometimes have to look up simple words, because I'm unsure. Age and lack of use. It's true, use it or lose it.

I know this thread has digressed quite a bit, but frankly I'm enjoying the digression. I haven't had a good rant in quite a while. I used to use my MySpace blog for that purpose, but I don't even log in to that anymore. No time, and to be honest, not much interest anymore.

And now, back to you...

 

[NWBasser]

I was kind of wondering what happened to the original topic....


Sean, you may want to advise your neighbors that there may be a bit of electric bass around the area next month.:what

 

[FrankenFretter]

I was kind of wondering what happened to the original topic....


Sean, you may want to advise your neighbors that there may be a bit of electric bass around the area next month.:what

Hmmm...either I'm getting a new bass for Xmess, or you're in the doghouse for something. Are we getting a new roommate?