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Hi Mandy, Thanks so much for keeping this going. Every song posted inspires me! I always "like." I too want to post, but negotiating the "COVID-19 shoals" is taking most of my time and energy. I hope to hear you singing and goofing around soon. Hugs from Phil in Arizona, USA

Sorry, been busy. No guitar playing for a few weeks now. :-( Triple-o: I hadn't heard of a Larrivee either until I heard one on Guitar Spa. I got a great deal on a like new instrument. I recently bought a twelve-string Larrivee that I also love to play. Alice: Yes on the muting. I like this for showing how difficult it can be. I laughed when Rick said something to the effect that: It looks hard. Well, it *is* hard. ha! Mmmmore practice. K9kaos: But muting dogs can be even more challenging! My dog is an Akita who doesn't do much barking, but I've had barkers too.

Btw: I attended the performances. I've only performed with West African Drumming.

Thanks for posting! Over the years I've enjoyed some live performances of this type around here. I started out with one of those big horns--a didgeridoo. Can we safely say this is an example of advanced looper usage? What a great musician and performer! Here is a free form example of traditional didgeridoo usage by a guy who played for ceremonies. It's called a yidaki by this aboriginal tribe in North Arnhem Land, Austrailia:

The question of how to mute strings has come up a lot both here and other places. This explanation is clear, real world and short.

Hi Alice, Sorry, been busy. Glad you enjoyed the lesson. I've noticed other top players--Gordon Lightfoot the latest I noticed once again--using twelve strings, which inspires me to keep at it. Some say, "You can't -fill in the blank- with a twelve string," but then someone like Doyle Dikes shows otherwise. Enjoy your exploration!

Recently I purchased a twelve string guitar. I'm still low tech, so no pics yet. The twelve sounds wonderful and challenges me even more than a six string. This guy sure knows his way around a twelve string. https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/doyle-dykes-fingerstyle-playing-on-a-12-string-guitar/?utm_content=video4-button&utm_source=insync&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20201219-t1

Hi Mandy, So sorry for your loss. What a gift to have had a soul mate for a partner. Maybe when it is time, play that happy girl guitar and sing one of your favorite songs for your hubby. I have found that those who pass can communicate with us. Hugs and love from us. Phil

Sounds lovely! Thanks Mike.

Although I am early in the learning process, I love my Larrivee DV-05. It is a dreadnought body size with a cutout for playing high on the neck. The top is spruce, the sides and back are solid mahogany. I was planning on getting a Seagull but happened upon a Larrivee review on Guitar Spa, a guy in Singapore who had reviewed a Seagull. The difference in sound and versatility was obvious, even on youtube. I was looking for a matt finish model, which have the sound qualities of more expensive Larrivees in a plainer package. One day a like-new 05 model showed on Reverb for the price of the used 03's. My feeling--my first and last check for a musical instrument--was that this would be perfect for me, and it is. I think about it and just want to play! Larrivees don't hold value like a Martin or Taylor, but I'm not a collector. The lower used value makes it possible to play very nice guitars for a price I can handle. Larrivees consistently win guitar sound comparisons in the 2000 dollars and under category, due to the plain models. I recently bought a Larrivee C-15 twelve string on Reverb. These have spruce tops, rosewood sides, six or twelve strings and Florentine cutaway in a smaller body than a dreadnought, but not small. C-15's have been way over my price range until this example was posted. It was brought back to perfect playing condition by a top luthier who does non-warranty repair for Larrivee. The guitar plays like a dream and the balanced sound makes me smile and want to play more. It's a beauty as well. Just in case, the seller included the luthier's card. I have seen posts of people who have not had such positive experiences with Larrivees as well.

Congratulations!!! What an awesome accomplishment.

Thanks! This made it simple for me too. I watched a mode presentation by this guy months ago from a Guitar Gathering link. I'm not sure whether this was the one. Musical knowledge seems to ripen and solidify as time passes. I'll have to play around with this today.

This is great. Thanks for sharing it. I first learned of the circle of fifths from a friend who had played didgeridoo for years. He showed us how to find the notes a fifth away from a given didge's key for beautiful combined didgeridoo sound. How fun to see the circle so clearly explained. Along that line I think it's time to order a chord wheel from Steve.

The same thing was happening to me, definitely my finger placement. Once I was able to consistently bar all six strings, I found that I was rolling my hand ever so slightly when I brought my other three fingers into use. Our hands and fingers can form so many angles.

You do love that guitar, don't you? Sounds beautiful to me. Glad you went for it. I feel the same about my acoustic. I have to force myself to look at other acoustics--mainly classical and twelve strings for "someday"---because I feel sated playing mine. I wondered why the sound was muted the other day. Well, first I needed to check my strumming path. Then I noticed the coating worn off the strings over the sound hole. :-)

This is awesome! She makes it simple and clear. My music transcription has been delayed, but the twelve stave paper sits ready to go. Thanks for sharing.

Lots of nice guitars coming into the Guitar Gathering family! I look forward to hearing your Taylor.

Sweet. What a beaut.

What a beauty. I've seen guitars made of myrtlewood, but haven't heard any. What a pretty wood. I'll be interested to hear how the hybrid shape works for you. Nice!

Steve Vai practiced odd time signatures while walking around. His footsteps were the 4 beats. Then he practiced saying the five, seven or whatever over the four. Vai says that breaking a rhythm down into two smaller portions gives an incorrect feel. I'm just repeating what he said as food for thought. It may have been in one of the books in the Steve Vai special our Steve offered awhile back. Years ago when I was learning West African Mande music--mostly drums called dununs with bells and djembes--I often did this while walking. The majority of the music I learned was either 4/4 or 12/8. There are many off beat and mixed measures that I had to listen to over and over. Practice. Listen. Practice. Listen. An entire family of rhythms share a common part on a high-pitched drum in which nothing is on the beat. Thar's nothin' to hold onto! Aaaaaaaa!! It took a long time, and I never mastered those most advanced rhythms, but I had to get the feel correct or not play in dance class, for example.

Yes. I highly recommend Sweetwater. I bought my SE Custom 24 from Sweetwater on clearance. I love the hot pickups and it plays and feels great! Stays in tune too. Before the PRS, I had purchased a Blackstar Artist 10 AE also on clearance. So I had my first tube amp, which I still love, and a killer guitar for the price of either item at regular price.

Eclectophile: Sorry to hear about the disappointing SE experience. Glad it"s a player in any case. I'll keep this as a precautionary tale. I've been lusting over the new SE Hollowbody II Piezo model for someday. Last year I got a new SE Custom 24 that looks and plays great. Later I unexpectedly found a used core Starla that also looks and plays great. However, the fit, finish, feel--everything--is in a different league than the SE line. Given adequate money, I would get a core model without a second thought. Yum.

Thanks Frettless. I recognize those sounds. Now I know how to make them.

Happy Birthday Steve! Thanks for all you share and do. I'm sure I'd still be in the dreaming about playing guitar without L & M. It's difficult at times to fit the playing in, but it is possible. That's enough.

Oldjock: As an aside. Is that like "extra spicey"? :-) I had to get a clip on chromatic tuner in order to tune my grand niece's violin. I liked my Snark, but haven't used it since. Prabhu: Touching the tuning fork to the guitar face makes it easy to hear. I didn't get that right away. And for extra credit, here is a tech showing how to tune an acoustic twelve string by ear.