NeilES335

@Opie Thanks so much for doing this.great for those who could not attend and a review for those who could.

I recall seeing a YouTube video with Tommy Emmanuel teaching thumb picking ... was excellent. You should be able to find it...worth the effort.

Congrats on the new Gretsch... any pictures?

@DianeB Seriously though... thats a great thing to do that must be very satisfying. You've taken the next step of getting out of the practice /learning stage (which I have not done as yet) to the performance mode, a bit step. Congrats!

@DianeB Way to go Diane! So now you're a celebrity will you still talk to us mere mortals? ?

The Mel Bay chord book (as I recall) has a black / white photo of Mel Bay holding a beautiful original D'Angelico archtop jazz guitar.

Welcome back Mike! Be sure to join us for Live Lessons on most Tuesday evenings on the Guitar Gathering YouTube Channel, and post your progress with the LMG course under the appropriate forum on this site. We'd love to hear about your guitar learning journey. All the best! Neil

On 2nd look, this issue does appear to be a finishing defect in my humble opinion... so I wouldn't touch it any further until Maton replies to your inquiry. The dealer where you purchased it should assist you as well. True, natural finish guitars do develop a certain "patina" over many years, but they should not look like the "stain" your's has. ( Some people are "excreters" meaning their perspiration is slightly acidic, which could react with the wood finish. ) The tone also usually improves with age too; often described as "opening up" with play and proper storage. Btw..I have a 50 yrs old Ovation acoustic with a Sitka spruce natural finish top, in excellent condition that has a slight patina to it (with no stains and I often play with short sleeves) that has a marvelous tone i consider better than many much more expensive newer guitars.

Jay; If you purchased this beatuful instrument recent (or even if not) it's likely still under warranty. I suggest you contact Maton customer service before attempting any cleaning or repair.

The recording with a dAW is like a separate hobby / interest from my pov...i just want to play guitar. K..I.S.S.

@DANIELGUITAR88Man... if you can play 16th notes @ 120bpm actually picking the strings you are WAY faster than most accomplished players! Most would be playing a combination of picked notes, hammer-on's and pull off's to get anywhere past that speed as in Level 3 of the SA course. (I've been playing a while and struggle at that speed)

@zeus7625 and @Jess010101 Welcome to our Forum and Guitar Gathering family! Great to here from you about your guitar learning journey so far. Feel free to ask questions, keep us up to date on your progress and join us for Live Lessons (see link above) most Tuesday nights. All the best, Neil

Another option for higher quality recording and simple operation would be a Zoom H1 Handy recorder. About $100.00.

Some other brands to consider in this price range would be LaPatrie (Godin) or Almansa.

The simplest way I've found without a lot of gadgets is to use the voice recorder on your cell phone.... I think they all have them. I also use my Ditto X2 looper sometimes. The X2 allows you to save and download it if you wish or play solos overtop. It saves even when unplugged.

How things have changed... We have such a plethora of guitar learning materials available to us now that most of us will likely never finish them all. A far cry from when as a 14yr old began to learn basic guitar with only a ragged Mel Bay chord book a few buddies to show me things and listening to vinyl LPs over and over ( they call it trascribing now). (This why I try not to get too much material, stick to 1 or 2 courses like LMG)

You're too kind my friend... Thank you. One thing I learned is (as @Steve Krenz has stated many times) you have to crawl before you can walk, lest you stumble. Moving ahead in playing skill is great and a lot more fun, but I found without the theoretical knowledge there will be gaps in your ability. You just have to trust that the practical application of this newfound knowledge will present itself when needed. "Oh...I know that!" ??

Getting started on S14. This one looks like fun... improving techniques I know and adding some new ones?. Anyone with me?

pps Also studying Jamie Aubersold Jazz 1 introduction to jazz improvisation. If i had not done the theory groundwork from the LMG course to date, this course would be all "Greek to me..." but so far its a fun excersise with great play along tracks?

Ok, so after several study sessions with the Triad worksheets (writing them out about a dozen times ) I managed to get 100% several times ... so, I think I can consider that " a wrap " for Session 13 ... Moving on to S14?? PS. In case any of you are wondering... As Steve says, you MUST know how to spell your major scales Very well or there is no way to honestly get past this point. I'm certainly not an expert like Steve, but thankfully i invested the study time earlier. I'm sure that regular review and practice on this is needed until its like tying your shoelaces?

Leave your index finger in place and stretch your 4th finger to reach the note. This practice will pay off for you later while learning to solo.

Congratulations Mike! A fine quality instrument. Hope it gives you many years of enjoyment.?

Maybe a mini course on "Applied Music Theory for Guitar", Steve?

Barre cords like F at the 1st fret are hard enough for even the seasoned player so dont sweat it too much right now.... you will need time for your hand muscles to develop. Be sure you're using the correct muscles... dont be afraid to pull the guitar toward yourself using your large muscles and body, not just gripping the daylights out of the neck with your thumb. You could also try barre cords (they are movable) at say the 3rd to 7th fret (G, G#,A,A#,B,C) for practice which are usually easier to fret. Some day soon, you'll be playing barre cords most of the time... clear as a bell. All the Best! Neil

Best to just listen to the song and compare the original recording to the Song Hits version and see if/where the shortcuts are. Justin Sandercoe does a very good lesson on it with all some nice fills and the iconic riff here;