NeilES335

You must have been the idol at the local burger joint?

I spent a lot of my youth staring at, working on, machining and rebuilding small block Chevy engines. My Dad was a GM mechanic, and did side jobs at home in the driveway. So at 12 yrs old, changing spark plugs, points/condenser/rotor/dist cap was my job.Changing brake shoes too... by 16 I was swaping engines ( like pulling a 283 and dropping in a 327 or 350 ci ) all supervised of course.

Now that was a good salesman! Your grandma must have loved that car. Too bad your cousin "drove the wheels off it". A car like that in "survivor" condition with 27,000 original miles is now a classic, very desirable, and worth some serious coin. ( maybe $70-$100k) (if you'll pardon the slight correction... the 327 ci engine was not available until 1962. If this car was all original, then the V8 was likely a 283 ci engine which first appeared in 1955. It could have been the higher horsepower "power pack" engine)

Glad to provide a testimonial Steve; " I have all of Steve Krenz's "Fretboard Workouts" and highly recommend them to any guitar student who is serious about making huge strdes in their learning ! Very professionally produced, clear and concise, Steves' teaching is easy to understand and enjoyable too. I found I made substantial gains in ability and understanding in a very short time frame. You will too!" and " When "Fretboard Workout - Jazz Chords" came out, I jumped at the chance to get it. Having an interest in jazz guitar, but not knowing where to start, this was perfect. Step by step Steve Krenz teaches dozens of colorful chords and progressions which may be used in all styles of music. A great way to open the " jazz world" and spice up your chord knowledge" . I hope thats acceptable ? Kindest Regards; Neil ps feel free to paraphrase if needed.

Gorilla glue? epoxy?

This debate rages on ad infinitum. ( is it ad nauseum?) I tend to agree with my friend @Eracer_Team-DougH, and leave mine out on stands where I can appreciate them and pick them up and play them whenever the mood strikes. Just be sure they're in a safe spot and its not too dry there . I do case more often in winter (with Daddario humidipaks,) those guitar(s) Im not playing often. Just (un?)common sense.

@Magnit Welcome to the Forum? I am not expert on this topic however to the best of my knowledge, "modes" ie: aolean etc are not mentioned per se on the LMG course, and I have rarely heard Steve K mention it unless asked. In later sessions (14, 15, 16 etc) you could say it is taught by inference in the form of 3 note per string scales , starting on say, the 2nd 3rd or 4th step below the root and so on. I'll leave others to address to rest of your question.

Hardly anyone mentions or thinks of Jimi Hendriks playing acoustic blues (on a 12 string no less) ... or his voice which was really good too.

Great Ian! My only suggestion at first listen is to spice up the guitar in the verses... the 2 chords are a bit repetitive. The bridge is good, with a nice variety of chords. Well done!

@matonanjin Thanks Ron and all for your kind comments! Here's the video clip and a photo of the band. I hope my account does encourage others to "get out there" too. I think my "take-aways" from this are; * Most musicians are very friendly, welcoming, helpful and encouraging. *You don't have to be a stellar guitar player to participate (it helps, but not required)' * Any "nerves" you have will quickly fade away once you get started. (I didnt really; I'm used to "pushing the envolope) *It's over way too soon! When's the next time?

I wish too Doug...

I had a great new experience the other night you might like to hear about. I played with a great band on stage in front of spectators for the first time... It was super! http://liveoriginal.visitsouthgeorgianbay.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Music-Lab-Mondays-2018.pdf The Town of Collingwood Ontario is a super place for artists and musicians, both amateur and professional and the location of the Worlds biggest "Elvis Festival" . The Town Arts and Culture Department often sponsors events for musicians, and recently they have offered an opportunity called " Music Lab" , where amateur musicians can meet, jam, collaborate and showcase their material, led by a great local band of performing musicians. http://liveoriginal.visitsouthgeorgianbay.ca/ I had the opportunity to go, so, not really knowing what to expect, (and wanting to get out of the house and play with others) off I went. Well, the venue was an actual theatre with stage, lighting, PA system, seating , the works! (I was slightly apprehensive, but as it turned out, this was totally unfounded.) The band leading the event https://shipyardkitchenparty.com/listen/ was very welcoming and friendly. This folk/pop group had recently won an award of excellence from the local Arts Council. They are often featured at local events, and play many area restaurants, bars, and theatres. (they are actually a comedy troupe and play '50's 60's 70"'s cover tunes too) They played some opening tunes as people dribbled in, and then invited other performers to come on stage and play. There were several ( 5 - 6) really good singer/songwriters who performed their own material ( some weren't say, "the best" at guitar playing, but they did well just the same. No one seemed too worried about "being good enough" ) I was asked if I wanted to come on stage and perform solo... ah.... well thanks, but I wasn't really prepared for that. "No problem.... come up on stage and play with us!" I quickly looked at one of their original tunes on an IPAD, and off we went! I plugged direct into the PA system (with my Godin 5th Ave, which sounded awesome btw) and followed along playing rhythm guitar with a super female singer, drummer and 2nd guitarist. Fortunately the tune was pretty simple, ( a 1 - 4 -5 folk type song) So I kept up and got a few smiles back , and there was a enthusiastic round of audience applause ? from about 50 people . (no boo's anyway!) Then the band asked other guitarists to come on stage and play with them, ( maybe 5 - others) so, being plugged in, of course I stayed! They asked for suggestions so I just started in with a basic 12 bar Blues in E, which went over great! The singer was so good, she just made up lyrics on the fly! After that, a couple of other singer/guitar players did their songs, and I followed along playing rhythm, even daring to throw i a couple of Lead lines, (that got a wink or two...) It was maybe 1/2 hour, but it was over in a flash. Lots of camaraderie, and chat after, and a few contacts made. They have another event next month and I'm hoping to make it to that one too. Who knows; I might screw up the courage to do a song or two solo... ? If you get the chance to do something like this...DO IT! FUN! Super experience ! Sorry I dont have any pic's of me... but I assure you, I was there! this is a video clip of the band... please excuse the cell phone video quality.... they sound great in person!

I find that at this "master" stage, the course is written in such a way as to give the student more discretion as to what they want to work (and when) on along with any "side studies" . All the best? N

Hey Ron Thats great! Enjoy s14! This one focuses on techniques, some Im sure you likely know. Personally, the part that is taking time and effort is memorizing 7 arpeggio forms. While the lesson is hammer on/pull offs, i figure i may as well work on the arpreggios too. Im trying for 2 per week so I'll be here a while longer. Meanwhile i skipped ahead and am working on S15 as well.

@DianeBis being quite modest in saying "I’m not much farther along than you in my learning." (her theory knowledge challenges my "little gray cells") She does bring up a good point that reading material beyond your current capability does one of two things. It either discourages you or challenges you to learn more. You decide.

"No good excuse, just not motivated" So... you want to play in your church praise band. That's a very worthy goal. My buddy @Eracer_Team-DougH has been playing guitar in church for years. He's also a VERY dedicated student of guitar, and practices virtually every day (even in his car at lunch hours and at the mall while his wife is shopping) since he started maybe 10+(?) years ago. You already have the advantage of band experience, know rhythm and playing with others (that many of us don't have.} Learning guitar is like anything else worthwhile; it takes commitment, dedication and desire. Beyond that it requires Practice, Patience, and Persistence. But the rewards are great! It's something you can do solely for yourself, and which others will enjoy also. So, what's it going to be? You CAN do it IF you want to. Hope to see you around. All the best; N

Hi Randy @randyh1953 I cant really comment on the magazine, (although other members here do subscribe I believe, and Steve has given away copies). I can imagine if the articles are for intermediate/advanced players, it might not be the best for you, right now anyway. You don't mention where you are in your guitar learning journey. Are you using the Learn and Master Guitar program that Steve Krenz wrote ? If so, what level of lesson are you at? If not, how are you learning?

Sounds great Henk... please check your link... "video unavailable"

Plus...if you start throwing this chord out there in a jam they either look at you funny or think you're a guitar genius??

Thanks for the reply Mark... I see you have put a lot of thought and practice into this, and that's why you're popular and get the jobs... I thought you're set up looked something like this equipment (maybe a European version ) https://www.long-mcquade.com/2383/Pro-Audio---Recording/PA-Speaker-Cabinets/Bose-Professional-Products/L1-Compact--Portable-Line-Array.htm

@mark_h Thats great Mark that you made a business out of doing something you love and obviously do very well. I was wonering... What actual gear ie PA, amp, etc do you use? Do you use backing tracks or just go solo on everything?

Thanks Gerard; I have watched many of Ritchie Zellon's video's on YouTube...and through your blog. I'll keep it in mind. Before I get off into any other courses, my intention is to complete the LMG course, (which of course has some Jazz content.) with the odd detour, no doubt. In the past I've ventured off into some Truefire basic jazz lessons with Frank Vignola, who's teaching style I like.

@Wim VD Thank you so much Wim for your time and detailed response ?. Having recently completed this stage I was sure you would know. Your comments could assist others as well . I will do as you recommend. All the best with the Blues course (for you, it should be relatively easy ?)

In S14 (which is mostly a series of "technique " lessons) Steve introduces Arpeggios, (7th position in Key C)using hammer on /pull off technique. He seems to be giving an overview here, and alludes to a more detailed theory based lesson in S17. I cannot, however, find any referrence to Arpeggios in S17 (3 note per string scales, definately). In the "Your ready to move on " comments , arpegios are not mentioned. Is the intention to have the stident memorize the arpeggio paterns during this session or just introduce them to practice hammer on / pull-off technique? Anyone have any thoughts on this? @Wim VD maybe yòu could comment please?

Congrats... a good choice. All the Roland Boss products a quality built items that should give you excellent service.