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  1. Hey all, We've had some people ask about our "bad-word filter" and why do we need it. What about free speech? Are we censoring people? The short answer: Yes. Rule #1: This board exists to help people learn guitar with information and encouragement. Here's my thoughts on this... FOUL LANGUAGE I used to cuss like a sailor. (My parents would be mortified to know that in middle school and high school, I had very foul language. But I could turn it on and off depending on the situation.) But I vividly remember the moment in my first year of college that I had just said some expletive to some friend of mine in the course of normal daily conversation. The thought crossed my mind. "What's wrong with you? Can't you even express yourself without using bad language?" And from that moment on I stopped - without fanfare or effort. It was like a switch that was turned off in my vocabulary. And, in all but the rarest of circumstances, I've never casually cussed since then. Having said all that, I feel this discussion board should be free of rampant foul language. I've found that other discussion boards are just littered with foul language which turns me off and I'm glad ours tends to not go that direction. Rampant foul language turns people off - especially new comers. We're here to help people. There are plenty of other guitar boards around filled with people ranting about this or that, putting down other people with every imaginable word. That's not us. (Please refer to Rule #1 above) So, yes, we do have a bad word filter - just like we had on the previous boards. I installed it myself and it was quite an interesting read. CENSORSHIP I am infinitely more concerned that the person who is struggling in learning how to play guitar can come here and find encouragement and support from the people here, rather than finding a few people cluttering the boards with rants about this or that. I'm not in the free speech business. I'm in the helping guitar player's learn business. This is not a "free speech" haven. It's a guitar forum. I don't mind getting off topic. Some of my best interactions on the forum have been on off-topic threads. Just don't get divisive, and mean to people. Heated debates, I have no problem with. But, if it is nothing but people arguing back and forth, particularly on an issue that has nothing to do with music, and folks are getting mad then I am going to step in. If you have a problem with how the board is run, then talk to the guy whose life work is poured into this community and who pays all of the bills and takes all the good and bad for this whole party. I know him pretty well and he will vehemently protect what the purpose of this forum is for - this place exists to help people. (Please refer to Rule #1 above) CLOSING THOUGHTS I have always seen this place as the proverbial water cooler at the gym - a place where folks, all united in a common love for music and guitar, can come, talk about struggles in learning, get encouragement from each other and support to get back into the gym of learning. Along the way, we may talk about other topics, and get wonderfully intertwined a bit in each others lives from the quirky to the amazingly profound. My goal is to help people as they are learning. If yours is too, then I welcome you and need you. If you're not interested in helping people, and see nothing here but a place to vent your frustrations with life, then move on. I wish you well. - Steve
    24 points
  2. Any of us that spent any time over at our old home know about the very amazing repair work on guitars that PatIam is capable of. It was well documented over there. I was talking with Pat about the annual toy drive here to provide toys for underprivileged kids on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Pat very generously donated three of his guitars to go along with us to the reservation to give to kids wanting to learn to play guitar. There are some very happy kids on the reservation learning guitar as I type this and I am going to have a full post about that soon. The conversation turned to my granddaughter wanting to learn guitar. Pat said "I have just the perfect guitar for her". In fact, Pat gave me the choice of two different parlor size guitars and a very, very attractive price on it. Pat couldn't have begun to cover his time but I know, for Pat, it's not about making money. And Pat shipped it to my son's house so I didn't even need to worry about taking it on the plane to Chicago! My granddaughter's birthday is after the first of the year so at that time we went to Chicago and had a late Christmas and birthday celebration. There was one very surprised, happy 10 year old girl. And after that Papa had the great time of taking her to her second guitar lesson. And I had arranged for her lesson with a guy I had taken some lessons from on trips to Chicago. And the real treat was spending some time with my granddaughter helping her practice. My son and I and granddaughter got in the car to go to that lesson and my granddaaughter said to my son, "Daddy drive carefully! I have my new guitar back here"!!!
    18 points
  3. Hey everyone, I don't have the ability to play difficult pieces (yet), so spend quite a lot of time trying to play simple pieces well. This song is fairly simple, but I wanted to work on maintaining an even fingerstyle arpeggio tempo (without a 'nome) whilst maintaining a gentle, but controlled vocal. I usually record at least some of my attempts, because I find the instant feedback really helps me to learn and improve (even/especially if it sounds really bad). Anyway, I was quite pleased with how this session went. This is one, continuous 'live' take (one of about 6, the others were not so good!) that I simply recorded on a Zoom portable recorder and then I uploaded it into Logic just to add a bit of compression and gain to bring the levels up. Ian
    17 points
  4. Hello all, It's 1:20am in the morning and I couldn't sleep so I'm at the computer hanging out and answering questions on the discussion board. It's been a long time since the board was a wonderfully fun, engaging, friend-filled place that I could go on any time of day or night and find activity and friends. Too long. For the first time in a long time, the discussion board is, once again, an exciting place. And, I'm so ready to finally move on from the limitations and neglect of the Legacy board - to finally have something of our own, to build and enjoy. While this new board has a ton of new bells and whistles, I realize that the real heart of the board is not in all of that - but that it's in you - the people. Just good people trying to learn guitar and enjoy each other's company and the support and encouragement it brings. Learning can be a lonely endeavor - each day, you, your guitar, and the current mountain you're working on meet to struggle and eventually conquer. It helps to have a group around to cheer you on and help. That's what our community has always been about. I hope that this community begins to thrive, find it's own rhythm, and humor - it's own cast of characters. I want this to be a place of encouragement, information and support for the old timers as well as the new folks passing through. My hope is that the fun and camaraderie of this place will reach many people who aren't here yet. There's a lot of learning guitarists out there that need what we have here. The online learning world is full of hecklers, charlatans and cynics. We desperately need more educators, coaches and cheer-leaders. That's what our little guitar family has always had and I'm so, so proud to be a part of it. - Steve
    16 points
  5. Hi All, I wanted to say how much I appreciate Steve Krenz's teachings and the community he has helped to create with all of us here. This arrangement is from his Learn and Master Fingerstyle Guitar course (amazing course) and I recorded it yesterday. I hope you enjoy it. 41789178_263420141019589_2064040570489548358_n.mp4
    16 points
  6. Over the years Steve Krenz has created some wonderful short video lessons and tips, called Guitar Tips, Guitar Tips of the Pros, and Tip of the Month. Here is a selection of those videos from YouTube; (in no particular order, titles are at the top of each video. Not a comprehensive list, so if you find others, feel free to add any not already inserted here) I hope you find them as useful and enjoyable as I have!
    15 points
  7. On my Blues journey, I am working on a cover of Eric Clapton's version of Freddie King's Tore Down.I added the fills, but decided not to work out the solo yet.Unfortunately I can't sing. So I ended up recording the vocal melody line as a separate guitar track. Thanks for listening, Wim
    15 points
  8. From Freddie King to Stevie Ray Vaughan is a logical step ?. It is still work in progress, but here is my attempt to play Texas shuffle. Thanks for listening, Wim. J
    14 points
  9. We’re all here, and we’re out of the starting gate. Trevecca’s main hall filled once again this morning with three score eager guitarists. With so many new faces around me, introductions spun out one after another. Paulette said there was no one this year from outside the U.S. Steve welcomed everyone, settled us down and called for questions. From the other side of the room I heard: “Steve, is your online moderator Diane here?” With that, any chance of staying under the radar was shot. Our first task was to get warmed up with stretches, then came Steve’s workout with basic chords. Flatpicker David Grier’s masterclass was indeed a class, as he not only entertained us but also patiently explained his techniques and how he learns them. I must paraphrase, but David urged us to play with people who are better musicians, and ask them how they do what they do. Persevere. It can be something simple, but play in time. How reassuring to hear a virtuoso admit, “the simplest things will befuddle me”. With no lunch service on campus, we had to scatter and scrounge. Greg Otto and I followed the GPS-recommended, presumably scenic, route to M. L. Roses — mobbed as usual — but found a table and managed to return without crossing county lines. I hurried back inside, scooped up my gear, and scurried past a crowded room where Collin Hill started up his finger style workshop. Seeking something new this year, I parked in the back of Kim McClean’s session on songwriting. Elsewhere, Greg Voros taught setup and maintenance, and Paulette covered introductory music theory. Steve had about half of us for his blues basics workshop while the jazzers found their sevenths on the second floor with Andy Reiss. We broke into six groups of about ten each for beginner, bluegrass, jazz, and blues jams. My blues group was led by our friend Dino Pastin and his son Vince. We were all skill levels, and I could see we were all having a ball. Bluegrass pro Jim Hurst closed out the day with sincere advice to make your music your own and play from your heart. As I finished a solo dinner, I realized I was about to fall asleep right in my food. Outside I saw road work, and I remembered Kim’s challenge to write a song for tomorrow. Write a song? I could barely chew. But I had an idea. Two words, a title perhaps. I drove back to Trevecca, parked in the shade, sat in the AC and wrote a verse on my iPad. Hardly thinking, I took out my phone and sang it to a melody that came from — wherever they come from. Then a chorus. Recorded that, too. Tweaked the title. Geez, I thought, this is already half a song. Suddenly I was awake. We closed out the night with an acoustic concert featuring master fingerstylists Collin, Parker Hastings, and Joe Robinson. What a first day. Maybe by lunch tomorrow I’ll have a song for Kim.
    13 points
  10. Dear Fellow Members; As many will know, its been my privilege to serve here in the moderator chair since the inception of this Guitar Gathering site in January 2018. Im proud to say Ive helped it grow from Zero to nearly 1700 members, and hope that I've been able to make some worthwhile contribution. To be run well it requires regular (daily) attention. I find now, that due to other commitments, it is necessary, for me to share the duties with another eminently qualified member. Please join me in welcoming @DianeB as co-moderator!
    13 points
  11. I have been looking for something really light for some time. After talking to a couple of the PRS owners on here, and talking with a few on other forums, I had decided that a PRS Hollowbody I or II was the guitar. I was already a huge believer in PRS guitars. I had looked at a couple on Reverb, at Chicago Music Exchange and elsewhere and made a couple offers but never ending up owning one. Last week my wife and I were in a local guitar shop and this one was hanging on the wall. Way up high where the nice ones are! The owner had to get it down! He handed it to me and my wife immediately said, "That is really pretty!" I played it and fell in love both with the way it played and the tone. My wife actually told me to make on offer on it but I didn't. I don't know why! I told her wanted to think on it. It has driven me crazy all week and I went back and brought it home tonight! It is feather light and has this gorgeous hollowbody tone. It has McCarty Humbucker Pickups. There is just no doubt at this point that this is going to be my "go to" guitar.
    13 points
  12. I stepped out of my car into a warm, sunny, muggy afternoon in Nashville. On the seat, I saw a glint of blue and green — two picks I thought were already lost. A good omen. With me behind the music building at Trevecca sat only a single blue SUV, but I recognized it as the one that matters. We were back. Paulette greeted me with a big smile and a warm hug. She had already set up the store, organized the goodie bags, and arranged the chairs. The stage was assembled, and Timothy arrived with the ice. Nothing left for me to do. I treaded softly up the steps toward a familiar figure who was tweaking a video message board. “Just make sure I look good,” I said with a smile. Another big hug, from Steve. I left him to his preparations and returned to the rehearsal hall. Others were arriving. Paulette said we were up to 61 this time, along with some spouses. Soon we had about half that number for the meet and greet. We had serious catching up to do over our ice cream. The room filled with animated, excited chatter as the first timers met the old hands — and I suppose that now I fall into the latter group. It’s particularly nice to meet in person for the first time someone you’ve only known through the discussion board. And there are many first timers. Attendance this year is a bit off. There were 90 plus here in 2019. I suspect that the pandemic took its toll on budgets, priorities, and even health. But here, for a few days, anticipation, fellowship, and music will be in the air. We’re already thinking of our guitar friends who just can’t be with us. Wherever you are, tune up and play along with us in spirit. We are back.
    12 points
  13. Around the first turn we go. Steve’s workout exercised the mechanics of picking and strumming. If the morning coffee had yet to kick in, the pot of Bart Walker’s steaming hot blues got us in gear. SRV at ten a.m.? Only at this affair. I strolled with Greg, first timer Liz, and our fellow migrating bluesbirds to the Subway at the front entrance. It felt good to walk around in the warmth — briefly. Liz and I camped at a table in the music building’s loft and enjoyed some leisurely quiet time getting acquainted over our sandwiches. Back in songwriting class, Kim critiqued some raw and finished compositions that had been sent to her overnight. She pitched us an pop exercise straight out of a prose writer’s workshop — two minutes to write seven song titles — 3, 2, 1, go! I managed three duds, a maybe, and a keeper that got her attention. Meanwhile, Steve and Paulette continued teaching theory and Collin had the fingerpickers a-boom-chucking away. Andy Reiss set the jazzers’ axes to “Phrase”, and Jim Hurst mowed down the bluegrass tricks. Kim kept my class running overtime, and I was on a roll, so I lingered until she had to leave. It meant skipping Steve’s worship music class, but my compensation was a blissful, quiet respite in the lounge before returning to Dino’s blues jam. We all piled back into the main room to wrap up with Parker Hasting’s thumb picking masterclass. He’s not quite twenty one years old and already teaches with more clarity and poise than a lot of tenured professors I’ve known. Jim Hurst and his trio entertained us at our evening concert with a sweet mix of toe tappers, ballads, and endearing stories. And his handshake? Warm as the Tennessee sunshine.
    12 points
  14. "Tears in Heaven" is on Eric Clapton's soundtrack album "Rush" for the 1991 film of the same name. This is my attempt to cover this all-time classic in a solo fingerstyle arrangement. Wim. https://soundcloud.com/wim-van-damme-401299565/tears-in-heaven-ec
    12 points
  15. Hello Friends; Well, Mandy's Recording Challenge theme this month is " songs with Power Chords" , and my latest recording definately doesn't have those.. So this seemed like a more appropriate forum. Continuing with my recent theme, my 2nd Bossa Nova tune, the very well known "Wave", by Antono Carlos Jobim. Those of you who have studied Steve Krenz's Fretboard Workout "Jazz Chords" will recognize this as the 'graduation tune' in the course. This course definately got me started on the jazz path. I recorded this using my trusty ES-137 Gibson, which is a bit jazzier in tone (what Neil? not your ES335?) direct through a Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 interface to Reaper DAW, with a bit of reverb. I hope you enjoy it.
    12 points
  16. it was about five years ago my brother had gone through a nasty divorce and lost everything. he was 57 years old. he had been playing guitar since he was 12. I saw a guitar hanging in the window of a guitar shop. so I bought him that guitar hoping that playing guitar would bring him out of his funk. he gave the guitar back to me told me it needed work, so I took it back to the guitar shop and the guy was a real jerk to me. so l left and figured i could fix it. I was a general contractor and owned Anderson log homes. I figured hey it's wood I can fix it. next thing I know I went to work for this guy in the guitar store for free to teach me how to work on guitars. then i thought maybe I could play guitar. so I bought a guitar started taking lessons 4 1/2 a half years later I'm still not that good at guitar. I really struggle at playing. i am 60 years old. so why do I play guitar? pure stubbornness and sheer determination to be efficient at learning songs and playing guitar because for some reason 4 1/2 years later I struggle at playing Guitar. last week I was ready to give up and never play again. as I sat there and contemplated my struggle. I looked over and I saw a course that I purchased five years ago. By Steve Krenz Gibsons learn and master guitar. so the first song I learned was last Saturday before church ode to joy. Sunday morning at church I played ode to joy😀The beginner lesson in Gibsons learn and master guitar by Steve Krenz and I even sang the words while playing the guitar who knew I had never sang before in my whole life. thank you Steve I don't know why I didn't start learning these lessons along time ago. 🤔😀
    12 points
  17. Last night my little acoustic trio had its first public gig. We played at a private party last summer but this was our first go at an open event at a small brewer in town. Microbreweries are big in the Northwest and this is one of them . The place was packed when we arrived and we added our own friends and families , so space was very limited for us to set up in. That said, we had a great time and everyone seemed to really enjoy our Americana style of music. Not without a few hiccups but only the musically astute would notice. I was exhausted after singing and playing while standing for two plus hours. I am an old man now ?. The owner loved us and wants us back. Tomorrow I go looking for a stooll Greg
    12 points
  18. My band 'Uncommon Ground' opened at a food truck festival Saturday to benefit our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. This was my, and the band's, first time performing in public. We were set up by the front door and surrounded by the food trucks, so people wandered around us and lingered to listen all afternoon. Business in the store was brisk. A brigade of volunteers entertained the kids with games and scavenger hunts. After our first set, another duo, ‘Gypsy Holiday’, took over while we kicked back. Then we closed with a few more songs, signing off with "Heat Wave" as it hit 90 degrees. Lessons learned on the road: (a) Amplifier output is greatly enhanced when there is input. (b) The gain control is your friend. (c) Aiming your vocal mic true south when the boys have aimed the Bose PA true north can produce much screaming and gnashing of teeth. ReStore gave us each a voucher for the food trucks, so technically this could count at my first paid gig. I went for a dish of mango gelato. Some of my guys have a lot of experience with performing, but I just marveled at the scene, the sound, and the feeling. How wonderful to get to do this. Steve, I hope you're reading. If you're not Steve, keep practicing. Keep playing. Keep dreaming. Oh, just one other thing: the event earned 15 seconds on Philadelphia’s 6abc local news that night. The band got about 4 seconds, without audio. Yeah, that's a public debut! Here’s “Black Magic Woman” and “Wagon Wheel” with Ron (no, not our Ron) playing some tasty leads. Pictured, a rare sighting of an Ebmaj7 in the wild, from "Does Anybody Really Know What Key This Is In?"
    12 points
  19. Down the backstretch hard, and turning for home. Does Pat Lindgren ever sleep? She had a jam going at 8:30 am when I walked in the door. Eventually they had to stop to give Steve a chance to run his show. We started with a lesson from Steve and Dino on solo improvising. Joe Robinson returned for a masterclass on fingerpicking, for which I afterwards heard only praise for his skill as a teacher. Check out JoeRobinson.com to see for yourself. My noon expedition with Greg in search of the Hattie B’s on 8th street, only 12 minutes away, devolved into a 45 minute loop of central city, two crossings of the Cumberland, an encounter with a funeral procession, and a near collision with an idiot who cut in front of us. He promised to have the GPS app humanely euthanized. Back to theory land with Steve for me. He responds to the phrase “tritone substitution” the way most most people respond to “free dessert”. Enough said. Another new guest artist this year was Scott Bernard, side man to Kenny Loggins. Scott walked us through his pedalboard as he explained how he gets the tone he wants. The gearhounds among us couldn’t get enough. We wrapped with singers Debi Shelby and Peter Penrose demonstrating how guitarists can be proper accompanists. They closed with soaring harmony on a hymn that brought a tear to my eye and the whole gang to their feet. After a short break at my hotel to panic about tomorrow’s song and where to find dinner tonight, I scooped up Liz at Trevecca and executed Operation Tell Greg Where to Go. He was already waiting at the LongHorn when Liz and I pulled up. We toasted our teacher and cheerfully took the rap for each other for Liz’s benefit. Then off to Franklin. On Main Street I had to wait for some tourists to cross in front of me. They looked a lot like David, Keith, and Mark. We parked and strolled towards towards the Franklin Theatre as Greg rolled by, shouting out his window: “Diane! Where did you park?” Operation TGWTG still nominal. The Franklin Theatre is a little gem within a diamond of a town. Poor Liz, sitting to my right: I had not been sitting next to the gentleman on my left for more than five minutes before we were into George Gruhn’s albino snake, Carter guitars, and David Grier. Tonight a full house welcomed the return of Larry Carlton to the stage after a year’s absence for the shutdown. Drums, sax, trombone, keys, bass, and everything of Steely Dan except Donald and Walter. They bid us goodnight; we clapped for an encore. I turned to Liz and shouted, “Well, he has to come back for ‘Peg’”. He did. Liz and I looked at each other and grinned.
    11 points
  20. This tune was composed for the broadway musical, Carnival in Flanders, by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen. The play opened in 1953 and ran for just six days. What is best remembered about the production is this tune from the second act. I became aware of 'Rainy Day' listening to a recording by Wes Montgomery on his Bumpin' LP. This chord melody arrangement was inspired by the first chorus of Kenny Burrell's cover on his LP, Soul Call. I recorded it for an audition for the Jazz Port Townsend Workshop in 2019. Thanks for listening!
    11 points
  21. After 10 months of fun, I finished the L&M Fingerstyle course today. It was for me the final one of the 4 Learn and Master DVD courses (L&M Guitar, The Song Hits, Blues Guitar and Fingerstyle) to be completed. Due to Covid 19, I suddenly had more time for guitar practice, so this course came at the right time. With some side steps, primarily into some other Blues and Rock courses, the total L&M cycle took about 5 years. Learning and playing songs was and still is my main goal, and with this Fingerstyle course finalized, numerous fingerstyle songs and arrangements are now within reach. The course is great and covers all possible genres of fingerstyle. I especially enjoyed the classical guitar session, as this was completely new to me. What I want to do next is to dig into the Merle Travis style a bit deeper. There is an introduction into that style in session 8, but I want to spend more time and learn more of the "Freight Train" type of songs 😀 Wim.
    11 points
  22. I laid down a few tracks using Audacity and decided to play "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" by Van Morrison. Here is the Youtube post and you can see it here: Please give it a good critique. There were four tracks - bass, acoustic rhythm, electric rhythm and lead on the Gibson ES-150D. I recorded the video using Powerdirector 16. I hope you enjoy it and hopefully we can all learn too. ~Ron Service.
    11 points
  23. What a coincidence. Yesterday I recorded this Beatles song from the L&M Fingerstyle course that I had been working on for some weeks. I heard McCartney say in an interview that they wanted to sound like Bach in this one 😀. Wim.
    11 points
  24. Don’t feel like practicing? That’s acceptable every once in a while. (For our purposes, “once in a while” is defined as “once every fifty years”.) If you’ve already used up your 100-year allowance, as I have, try these. The time frames are merely my suggestions. Tip: add a book to your Amazon Wish List, then later search for it at your local library. For beginners or first year students: First, Learn to Practice, by Tom Heany The Little Book of Talent, by Daniel Coyle The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield Grit, by Angela Duckworth For second year students: The Practice of Practice, by Jonathan Harnum The Talent Code, by Daniel Coyle Mastery, by George Leonard Turning Pro, by Steven Pressfield For third year students and beyond: The Practicing Mind, by Thomas Sterner The Musician’s Way, by Gerald Klickstein The Artist's Journey, by Steven Pressfield Do the Work, by Steven Pressfield Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise, by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking, by David Bayles and Ted Orland Other resources I have used and recommend to anyone who is new to music theory and principles: Understanding the Fundamentals of Music, by Prof. Robert Greenberg for The Great Courses The Vaughn Cube for Music Theory, by Dean Vaughn is apparently now out of print. The link here is to the first of the few lessons available on YouTube. In its place, I recommend the two-volume set from Berklee: Berklee Music Theory - Book 1, and Berklee Music Theory - Book 2. And for those who want to dig deeper: How Music and Mathematics Relate, by Prof. David King for The Great Courses
    11 points
  25. Neil reminded me on last Tuesday's guitar lesson that I bought a few more guitars that I haven't posted. I bought the first one in October but never got around to posting it. Here is the Mega-NGD thread! First up - 2008 Dark Fire. It is Gibson's 2nd Generation Robot guitar. This one wasn't working when I got it, but I'm pretty good with electronic equipment. It runs perfect now! The next one is a surprise find. My wife saw it sitting behind the counter and asked them to pull it out. There is almost nothing original on this guitar. It has even been refinished. Here is my 1976 SG Standard: The next Guitar was one that I was looking at when my wife spotted the SG. I decided that I really didn't need another guitar but she surprised me with it for Christmas. It's a 2019 Classic Lite: The last one is the biggest news of all! It's true - I've finally gone over to the Dark Side. Here is my new Limited Edition Fender American QMT Telecaster with the Pale Moon Ebony fingerboard: I'm hearing that they only made about 350 of this guitar. It was a Black Friday special. I guess I'm probably set with new guitars for a couple of months. 😛 Ben
    11 points
  26. I love playing guitar for many reasons. Grandpa bought my 1st Kay in 1959. I learned chords to play along with dad in the kitchen. In 1966, my dad bought a Chet Atkins Home Studio Album. I was turned upside down, 10 yrs. old in love with Chet's style. I discovered the Beatles and rock music, and then I went to college in 1975 and played country/bluegrass. One of my buddies who had taken lessons from Joe Pass showed me some chord progressions and I got bit by the jazz bug. I just loved it. I went to seminary and became a pastor and played worship and gospel music. I've attended CAAS in Nashville for several years and my fingerstyle playing improved 100%. Since 1997, I've been playing guitar for a gospel group called Singing Churchmen of Okla. In 2003, our group was invited to tour Sydney Australia and played the Sydney Opera House. I'll never forget the sound check there. I played classical gas and a Tommy Emmanuel tune. That was awesome experience that I would never have dreamed of in my life. I'm writing this (too long I know), but hopefully, some young kid is holed-up in his/her room holding their guitar and dreaming. I would encourage all guitarists at any level to discover the "gifts of Steve's instruction" and eat and sleep with it. Hopefully, and prayerfully, the guitar will become your friend and with the good Lord's help, it will take you around the world. That's why I love to play guitar! Sorry for being too wordy. Pastor Randy Parker
    11 points
  27. iPhone recording practicing the solo for Paranoid with a backing track. No guitar in the backing track so you'll hear when I come in and go out. Fell off at the end but pulled out a reasonable landing.
    11 points
  28. With a last practice session on the bonus materials of Session 20, I finalized the L&M course today. Wow, what a feeling! Before starting the L&M course, I never ever thought I would get this far. For too many years, I thought I missed the talent to become a guitar player, but what was really missing was a good course and teacher. Searching the internet for good guitar instruction materials, I found L&M some 2,5 years ago and started to practice with lots of enthusiasm. On the way, I also got the Song Hits and discovered Justinguitar as a great additional resource for learning songs. The Major Scale Mastery Fredboard Workouts have been essential to my development as well. They have been the key for me to "unlock" the fredboard. I combined them with Session 17. Sessions 18 and 19 were the ones that required most practice time, also because I used complementary resource to dive a bit deeper into Jazz (with Steve's Jazz Chords workouts) and into soloing (with Chord Tone Soloing by Barret Tagliarino). And here I am at the finish line. I cannot thank @Steve Krenz enough for being the guide in my guitar learning journey. It's his way of teaching, his personality and his method that have taken me this far. I synchronized the L&M sessions with learning the Song Hits. So I consider the last songs of the song hits as my "graduation" projects. The first one recorded is "Don't know why" by Norah Jones. The final and definitely most difficult one to get under my fingers is "Mona Lisa". I would like to encourage all who are on the L&M course. Like others have said on this forum, it's all about practice, perseverance and patience. Trust the process. Steve's method works. Wim.
    11 points
  29. A few months ago, the week between Christmas and New Years, I was feverishly researching discussion boards. Our old discussion board, was on life support - hopelessly out of date and non-functional due to factors beyond my control. So, it was way past time for a new board. After a bit of researching of other guitar discussion boards I couldn't find any that seemed bright, colorful, friendly and helpful. After a lot of research, a good investment of resources and some technical help this board was born. I wish I would have taken a picture of the board when it was first setup. All it said was one topic "Test Forum" with one post "This is a test forum." Everything else you currently see here - pictures, menus, tabs, videos, chat was painstakingly purchased and added to create a great place for us all. After a week or two of work it was ready to open the doors to our beta -testers - about 15 of our guitar family that came in and ruthlessly tested out every imaginable feature. And for a glorious week or so it was just the 15 of us in here. We'd come home after work and check in on the board, testing this or that, and chatting in the chat. I'm so thankful for that group. Then, after another week or so, we opened up the doors and today we added our 1000th member. I'm quite thrilled with our new little home. It's what I wanted - bright, colorful, friendly and helpful. I can go on here most any time, day or night, and start chatting with someone learning guitar. I've got lots of plans for more things but I'm so thrilled at how this is turning out and so honored to be among you all. Thanks, Steve
    11 points
  30. Two children on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation are going to have the opportunity to learn guitar. Let me digress for a moment. The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is Shannon County, South Dakota. According to US statistics it is the poorest county in the United State. Just a couple statistics: per capita income is $9,286. 1 in 4 children, yes 1 in 4! , is born with fetal alcohol syndrome. Each year a musician friend of mine, Larry Dunn, puts on a benefit concert, The Toy Drive for Pine Ridge, to get toys donated for Christmas for the kids on the Pine Ridge Reservation. If you want more to read about Larry and his efforts you can do so here. Every year I go with Larry to deliver the toys and what a heart warming experience it is. I'm not sure how the conversation came about. But @PatIam and I were discussing about some of these kids having access to a guitar and learning to play. Actually, what we were discussing is how unlikely it is for that to happen. We all know about Pat's repairing guitars. Immediately Pat said, "Why don't you let me send some guitars along?" And just a few days later guitars showed up up for me to do just that! Here are two children, that if not for Pat, would never have the opportunity to learn. I took for each of these a Hal Leonard "Method Book 1" and TrueFire has a "Learn Guitar 1. First Steps for Beginners". I need to check to see how they are doing! Pat, both these kids said to tell you "Pilamaya"! (Thank you in the Lakota language>) Aroja Thunder Bull: Jace Fire Thunder:
    11 points
  31. Version 1.0.0

    15,741 downloads

    The 10 page PDF book for lesson 1 of the special teaching series Triads. Let me know how it works for you and if you have any questions. Just comment below. The video is below. Learn all you can! - Steve
    10 points
  32. Finally! After years I am pleased to announce that I have completed Learn and Master Guitar! My signature doesn't reflect this yet and I will change it. I took a lesson with Steve in Nashville last August on session 17. And then I completed it shortly after that when I got back home. I then finished the remaining 18-20 over the next months bringing us to now. What a great few years it has been. I looked at many different avenues to learn guitar not long after Santa brought me my starter guitar kit. I looked at some online sources like Justin Guitar and Guitar Tricks. I, of course, considered one on one lessons with a local instructor. And I took a couple lessons with a local guy. But when I distilled it down I decided L&MG was the route for me. And what a great decision it was. Certainly, an enjoyable part of the journey has been the friends I have made on the original forum and here after Steve moved us here. Enjoyable and helpful. Anytime I was confused or frustrated I knew I could come here and find answers or just encouragement. It's because of this forum that I met @Dan Brown on the Keeping the Blues Alive cruise. He and his lovely wife, Diane, have become friends with my wife and me and an important part of our lives. See you next March, Dan! I mentioned the lesson with Steve in Nashville. Some of you may remember I also flew to Chicago to take a lesson with Steve not long after my starting L&MG. Not only did I get the hugely helpful lesson but I got to then spend some casual time with Steve including lunch and a trip to the Chicago Music Exchange. Numerous zoom lessons with Steve have unquestionably been significant in my learning. Most importantly, I have come to consider Steve a friend. To be completely truthful, and you can also see this in my sig, I haven't finished session 10. So I suppose you can make an argument I haven't really finished L&MG. I really struggled with it and consulted with Steve. He suggested that I move on and that is what I did. I really should go back and complete it. "What's next?" you logically might ask. Since somewhere in the second half of L&M, session 12 or 13 or so, as so many of us have, I've supplemented my studies with some outside learning materials. And I have lots!🤣 Certainly, whatever I study is going to be blues based. I think the very near future is going to be dedicated to just learning some songs I've wanted to learn. I'm thinking "Sunshine of Your Love" by Cream is next. Thank you every one! It's been nothing but a joy to be a part of @Steve Krenz's Guitar Family these years.
    10 points
  33. When I watch Tommy E. play this, I always get a smile on my face. So I hope I can pass the good vibes this song gives me on to all of my guitar friends here. Wim.
    10 points
  34. It is awful quiet in here. I thought I would make some noise with my new Taylor Grand Pacific. Mistakes are free!
    10 points
  35. For this month’s recording challenge, emotions, I am submitting “Ashokan Farewell”. This song written by Jay Unger is from the Soundtrack of the PBS series “The Civil War”, a film by Ken Burns. The tempo marks for this song say to play Slowly, with expression, so I think it qualifies for this month’s theme. I decided to try recording my acoustic guitar with a condenser microphone, not my usual recording practice. Probably could use some more EQ’ing, perhaps for another version.
    10 points
  36. The 2020 mix. This is from The Song Hits.
    10 points
  37. Version 1.0.0

    3,355 downloads

    Here are a set of Drum Loops for you to use when you practice. They are four different tempos - 90bpm, 100bpm, 110bpm, and 120bpm. These are the loops used in the Triad Workouts
    10 points
  38. I used Acrobat to combine the three triad PDFs (major, minor, and sevenths) into a single 5.6 Mb file, attached here for convenience. Triads Book(M-m-7).pdf
    10 points
  39. For this stormy season, I recorded a Stormy Monday based acoustic blues. Wim.
    10 points
  40. Today's theme was improvisation. A few days before we started, Steve's plans for a tour of the Gibson factory fell through, so he had to scramble for a morning program. He arranged for a visit to Curb Studio and a return to historic Columbia Studio B and the Quonset Hut. We listened to stories from our raconteur host, who was an engineer in its heyday. Yes indeed, Patsy Cline stood right there on 'Crazy'. Goosebumps. Our schedule crimped, we had to dash back to Trevecca in time for lunch and our afternoon workshops. For me, it was more on chord substitutions with Steve. The entire congregation reassembled for a session on improvising over "Stand By Me" with Steve and Dino Pastin. Our UK delegation contributed a great little solo line and our boys cooked up a fun lesson on the fly. Finally, we all piled on stage, guitars in hand, for the group picture. We adjourned early to a have a little down time. Fatigue is showing on some of us. A large contingent hit 3rd and Lindsley for Jack Pearson's Birthday Bash. Terrific. But Dave, Keith, Collin and I bailed out before the finale; we were fading. If only we could take the weekend off and start it up again Monday, but no, the finish line approaches. And the ii-V-I and the hallowed ground were the third day.
    10 points
  41. It's been quiet a ride... but here's my first "real " recording. I originally started learning this song from Steve Krenz's "Learn and Master Guitar - The Song Hits" some time ago. That version is in the key of Fmaj. I located a transcription in Dmaj, which I found much better (for me) to play. I'll be glad to share the chart (sheet music ) with you on request. Recorded with my Godin 5th Av Kingpin archtop, Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 interface into Reaper DAW. (yes I like this MUCH better..) 2 tracks in Stereo, panned left and right, with a touch of reverb and compression. Moon River, by Henry Mancini, from the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's. I hope you like it.... Thanks for listening.
    10 points
  42. In LMG session 18, Steve teaches us how to jazz up chord progressions. That background, together with the Jazz Chords Fretboard Workout, helped me a lot when learning this slow blues. Thanks for listening, Wim.
    10 points
  43. Now the final, early morning chorus. Time to pack the suitcases and guitars and go down for breakfast. John Knowles, CGP, arrived for our last session as we queued up for pancakes. Some campers had already left for the airport; others were loading their cars and leaving. My table was finishing up and emptying, and I was on my last sips of OJ when John sat down between Mark and me. He was once a physicist, I was once a chemist. He is a Certified Guitar Player, I am a Catastrophic Guitar Player. Of course we hit it off. Mark and I eventually let him finish his pancakes and set up for his lesson. We assembled in the living room for parting thoughts from Steve: the last few days were magic; remember to put your guitar in your case before you leave (!); and what's with the crazy woman sitting over there staying up past midnight to post updates on the board? He introduced John, who offered a master class: turning ideas into songs, being aware of your body as you play, thinking chord shape - release - move - arrive. He was just responding to Steve's question, "Can you tell us about how you get your tone?" when a retreat employee in the front yard cranked up a leaf blower. Exit Steve for a brief intervention, then it was back to high tension nylon strings and a final song. As the applause faded, it was 10:30 and we had to be gone in 30 minutes. I said goodbye to former TI engineer John -- I mean, CGP John -- and Steve and Paulette, and everyone I could catch, in a flurry of handshakes, hugs, and hollers. I tugged my bags up the hill to the crunch of acorns beneath my feet and put them in the car. I flicked away the wet leaves and set off down the narrow, winding driveway as a chorus from The Sound of Music came to my mind: Nothing comes from nothing Nothing ever could So somewhere in my youth or childhood I must have done something good
    10 points
  44. Love it. Can't believe I just stumbled upon this great thread. I'll try and post a pic of the group I'm playing with tomorrow at church. Here's a clip from the choir special a few weeks ago on a Sunday I was playing... - Steve
    10 points
  45. Here is a quote from Steve Krenz. I think it is beautiful. "Let me explain. Playing guitar, as with any creative endeavor, for the vast majority is not about "being the best". (Forgive the upcoming metaphors) It's about breaking through something - it's about creating something. It's about pounding against the concrete layer put over us in our daily lives by this hardened world to eventually find a crack to burst through our flower. It's about saying to this hardened, cynical world, there's more to me than just my role - I was made to create something. I'm not putting this as eloquently as I would like but I hope you understand. We create because we were made to create. It's why we try to paint, to sing, to play a guitar. Learning guitar is not a talent show. It's not about who sings the best or plays the best. It's about getting the music that's inside of us out."
    10 points
  46. I have a few guitars , and they are all so much fun and different in their own ways... But my very favorite is Curley... my 1933 Gibson L-OO... Restored by the best and most talented luthier!
    10 points
  47. by Steve Krenz [First appeared: November 21, 2013] If you are like me, you appreciate straight talk – especially when it comes to something that is important to you, like learning guitar. There are just way too many opinions, by too many people, and too little time to wade through them all to find the real information. So, here are a few things, from where I sit, that every learning guitarist should know. 1) Decide. Are you going to do this or not? Is learning guitar and playing music an important goal in your life? If it is ever going to be more than just a “wouldn’t it be great” and a “maybe some day” kind of a hope, then you need to get busy. Stop waiting for the perfect time to get started. It will never come. Inspiration is for amateurs. Decisions, goals, and actions are what get any job done. Decide, then start. 2) Don’t wait for free time, PLAN time to learn. Everyone’s busy. Waiting to practice until you have some free time is a recipe for finding yourself a week from today not having touched your instrument. Think about your daily schedule and decide where you can fit in a few moments to practice. Set this time aside and be faithful to it. 3) Consistency is more important than quantity of time. The old saying goes “only practice on days you eat.” The human mind learns best in regular, consistent, small doses. You’ll find you learn and retain more in 15 minutes a day for 5 days than a 3 hour “binge” practice session on the weekend. Don’t believe me? Try it and see. 4) When practicing, work and reach. Don’t fool yourself into thinking, “just because I have my guitar in my hands, I’m getting better.” Progressing in your learning comes from “reaching” – from doing things that you can’t do. It comes from struggling with a new task, fumbling around, making mistakes, eventually getting better at it, until slowly more successful attempts are made. If you’re not “reaching” and “struggling”, then you’re not progressing. 5) Never waste a good mistake. Learn from it. Don’t make a mistake and think “well, I just messed up.” If you make the same mistake more than once then stop and think about what happened. What specific musical task did you stumble over? Isolate it, and analyze it. Was it the change between two specific chords? Or, perhaps, you’re consistently overreaching to get a particular note? You’ll find that your mistakes are hardly ever random. They are very specific. Find what you stumble over, isolate it, practice it slowly until you can play it consistently correct, then put it back into context within the song. Be a student of your mistakes so that you can learn from them. 6) Record your progress - seeing the flower bloom. When you finally get that new exercise down make a short video of yourself playing it. Try to make one video a week. After three months, you’ll be able to clearly see the progress you are making. Recording yourself helps you measure your progress but it also helps you learn how to switch from “practice mode” to “performance mode” which is a vital skill. 7) Bring someone else along in your learning journey. It’s no fun learning alone. Involve someone else in your learning journey. Play your new song for your spouse, or friend. It’s not about them being “impressed” with your playing. It’s about having someone to help you be faithful to your commitment to learn. 8) Relax. It’s just guitar. Learning guitar shouldn’t be stressful. It’s a long road toward a very worthwhile and life-enriching end. Relax and enjoy the journey. You’ll learn a lot better. Keep up the great work! – Steve
    10 points
  48. Epilog I’m back home after my usual extra week of stops in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia. Lately it’s the only significant traveling I do. I see friends and family, decompress, and ease myself back into the real world. Ironically, the two weeks carve a hole in my practice and playing, but it’s a healthy break. I don’t feel guilty, only blessed that I have the chance. A theme of several of my conversations with my guitar pals was: enjoy this to the fullest — in time this, too, will pass. I’ve come to know many of our gang like family. I am grateful for your kind words and constant encouragement. I’m just trying to pay it forward where I can. This gathering felt especially intimate after skipping a year. It was my sixth, and counting two retreats, my eighth event with Steve. There’s nowhere else I could stumble through a song in front of sixty people with every face looking my way. That’s a memory to cling to — when it all goes crazy and the thrill is gone.
    9 points
  49. New Used Semi-hollow Guitar day. Over the past couple of years, seeing several NGDs for this style of guitar got me thinking I should give one a try so I’ve been playing a few various models at GC the past few visits. This ES-135 was at my local Guitar store and I played it a while back when the price was well above my point. Well this time I guess they decided it had hung on the wall long enough and floored me when I asked what the bottom line was. It was so far below what I expected all I could do was stutter I’ll take it. The guitar is in good shape but not mint. That said this picture didn’t do it justice. It’s a very different animal and I’m enjoying figuring out what it does best.
    9 points
  50. The session-specific Roadside Assistance videos, and dozens more by Steve, are available on YouTube here. Many people are now discovering our community through Live Lessons and the summer conferences, instead of the Learn & Master DVD course. For their benefit, and because the new forum is not — at least at the outset — organized by course session, reprinted here is Steve’s outline (originally posted in 2009): Here is the basic overview of the course by topic and what I am trying to get you to learn... The Basics and Finger Exercises – Session 1 The Big Idea: To get your fingers used to playing the guitar and finding the right places on the fretboard. Also to toughen the fingers up for the road ahead. Learning to Read Music and Learning the Notes in the First Position – Sessions 2-4 The Big Idea: Being able to read a simple melody and be able to play it on guitar in the first position. Learning Basic Open Chords – Sessions 5-6 The Big Idea: Being able to form and play basic open chords in the first position using basic eighth note strumming. Learning Barre Chords, Major Scales, and Keys – Sessions 7-8 Two Big Ideas: 1) Overcoming the physical challenges and being able to play 6th and 5th string based barre chords. 2) Understand major scales and keys. Strumming and Intervals – Session 9 Two Big Ideas: 1) Gain familiarity with basic strumming patterns using ties. 2) Be able to identify intervals correctly. Fingerstyle Guitar – Session 10 The Big Idea: Overcoming the physical challenges of basic Fingerstyle technique. Pentatonic Scales – Session 11 The Big Idea: Learn how pentatonic scales function and how to play them on guitar. Advanced Chords – Session 12 The Big Idea: Expanding your chord form repertoire and using chord substitutions. Blues Scales and Triads – Session 13 Two Big Ideas: 1) Playing blues scale forms. Introducing improvising and soloing. 2) Spelling triads from memory. Various Technique Issues and Basic Chord Harmony – Sessions 14-15 Two Big Ideas: 1) Gain a basic understanding and familiarity with several guitar playing techniques. 2) Basic understanding on how chords work together. Advanced Strumming – Sessions 16 The Big Idea: Overcoming the physical challenges and gaining familiarity with 16th note based strumming. 3 Note on a String Scales and Seventh Chords – Session 17 Two Big Ideas: 1) Learning the guitar neck by playing and using 3 note on string scales. 2) Spelling seventh chords from memory. Jazz Chords and Harmony – Session 18 Two Big Ideas: 1) Expanding chord repertoire with more forms. 2) Chord alteration and harmony. Soloing Concepts – Session 19 The Big Idea: Using your ear to foster creativity when soloing. Chords, Abbreviations, and Inversions – Session 20 The Big Idea: Learning remaining important chord forms. I hope this helps clarify some things for you. Keep Learning and Growing! — Steve Krenz
    9 points

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