DianeB

Nicely done, Ian!

For October, I’ll nominate this bit of sweetness from the Allman Brothers’ “Melissa”. It’s an Emaj7 (1-3-5-7; E-G#-B-D#) with the B doubled (066400). Two frets down, let’s call it F#m11/E (1-b3-5-b7-(no 9)-11; F#-A-C#-E-(no G#)-B). How these escaped the list of Money Chords in E, I can’t imagine (!) but Steve did include another mellow F#m11 (2x2200). Has anybody encountered these shapes in other songs?

Thank you, Mike! You made my day, big guy. And you don’t know how much I owe to you. Hope to see you in Nashville next summer! ?‍♀️ Members who are relatively new to the forum might not be aware that it was the initiative of Mike that revived the guitar gatherings in 2015. The gatherings were on hiatus when Mike proposed that we find a hotel in Nashville, get together to play, and maybe Steve would stop by. The buzz on the board increased that spring until about ten of us expressed serious interest. Then Steve joined in. He scrambled to find a hotel and assemble a program. On arrival, as I tugged my luggage down the hall to my room, I passed a door with a big poster plastered over it — a handwritten welcome to the gathering from Mike — with his cell number in case of questions. There were only about 20 of us, including spouses. Now we have over 80 attending, thanks largely to the vision of Cap’n Mike, in the back row on the far right.

Mike, I think this is fairly standard procedure for vocal tenor parts. Furthermore, the guitar and bass guitar are transposing instruments in the sense that they transpose on the octave: a written C4 sounds C3. This reduces the need for ledger lines. A vocalist can easily adjust to the transposition, but a keyboardist needs to know in what octave to play.

Very good: you have a plan. If it works for you, raises awareness, and leads to improvement, you're on your way. Here's some help with the fine points, from Gerald Klickstein. Carry on!

Dave, I’m still using the long-ago orphaned application Music Journal (shown). I’ve yet to find anything equal to it in the ever-opaque App Store. Sadly, it is 32-bit and the developer abandoned it two or three years ago. I would really like to find a suitable replacement. The closest I’ve found is Praxis: Music Practice Journal, but those who’ve tried it report that it’s not as good as Music Journal. Sigh. ATracker looks straightforward, and the price is right, but it seems to lack subcategories or a folder hierarchy for tasks. And I'm pretty sure there's no metronome. But you will find that the ability to visualize your practice time -- in some form -- is indeed a great incentive to keep going.

Sweet! Thanks, Gerard!

A sweet catch, Dave! Enjoy! Do I see Jonathan Harnum's The Practice of Practice on your bookshelf?! ?

Cap, you belong on stage! Way to go! ?

Third and final stop on Uncommon Ground's 2018 "We Play for Food" tour: a neighborhood pig roast yesterday in an upscale corner of Landenberg, PA. Warm sunshine bathed the lakeside recreation area where we were to play for our saxophonist's neighbors. Our band, unfortunately, felt like an afterthought. We were scheduled for midafternoon, but as we began, only a handful of guests had arrived. We played our first set outdoors to a white sea of empty tables and chairs broken only by the few early arrivals in the shade at the rear. To my right volunteers prepared the food service. Behind us rose two tall moonbounce pits for the kids. Rick, our keyboardist, called out, "Keep going. We'll skip the break. 'Tulsa Time'." We had to be finished by 5:00, so, onward. As people drifted in toward the end of the last set, I could at last make eye contact with someone. We soldiered on while children in face paint skittered back and forth in front of us. We gave them all six minutes of 'Year of the Cat', with the solos. Finally, before the last song, I introduced the band members and said thanks for having us. Silence. Not a clap. Anywhere. Not even for Pete, our sax player, one of their own. Just gabbing. I looked around at my band mates. "Okay, 'Heat Wave', then let's eat." We poured in on for three more minutes, then killed the amps. 21 songs. My legs were weak, my hands were cramping, and I was soaked in sweat. The DJ started up. As I coiled up cables a young woman approached me. "I was so happy to see a woman musician! That's cool. It's a good thing for the girls to see! They will think they can do it, too!" I smiled and thanked her, thinking, "She just called you a musician, kid. Perk up." We lined up for the barbecue and took our plates to a table in the back. Now the place was crawling: at least 200 grown ups and kids. A retired couple joined us. The guys' conversation turned to garage doors. I was silently replaying my mistakes when a man appeared at my side and announced, "You guys are terrific! That was great!" Then the woman across from me leaned forward and added, "And you have a great singing voice." "Thank you," I said, my eyes wide with surprise. It's an old story with musicians, I've heard: you never know who's listening. Or when.

Neil, I believe you are correct. The VII in G is F# half diminished (= F#m7b5). The IV in C is F major. I use the term “passing chord” here ver-r-ry loosely because in this section the bass is descending under Am. The chords are held a full measure, not the way we normally think of a passing chord.

By popular request, from Neil! As long as we're squashing fifths, we'll keep it up for September. Here's a passing chord from "As My Guitar Gently Weeps" that can't be passed over: F#m7b5 (F#-A-C-E = F# half-diminished 7). You can go the "Autumn Leaves" route, 202210 (as shown) or take my cheap shortcut, xx4210. Just make sure the bass player gets the memo.

Bernhard, here's a review from the latest issue of Acoustic Guitar on one kind of option: Power Pins 2.0 from Bigrock Innovations. The reviewer's acoustic analysis is intriguing.

I’m pleased to say the Major Scales Workout is not quite as tough as quantum mechanics. Mmm, true, but a high uncertainty Steve would go for that. I used to cry every few months over my slow progress. After two years on the Speed and Agility Workouts, I’m much faster. Now I cry at least once a week. Ewww, that didn’t come out quite right. With the Speed and Agility Workout, you can use out-of-network physical therapists. Or maybe not. C’mon, girl, Steve needs some cheerfulness and optimism here. Steve’s Major Scale Mastery Fretboard Workout has markedly improved my skills in three essential areas: melody lines, soloing, and fretboard geography. The graduated lessons will benefit the beginner through intermediate student. The Speed and Agility Workout is similarly designed to improve finger strength, dexterity, and independence. You might find similar tutorials elsewhere, but it’s unlikely you will find such a great value from so outstanding an instructor. Better. But now you’ve done it: he's going to expect you to play a solo at the next Gathering. Get your scaly carcass to the woodshed.

Darin, that's impressive on all counts: melody, lyrics, guitar, vocal articulation, and the entry of the keyboards. I liked the stronger "Alright" in the later choruses, and the bridge is just right. The only weak spot I heard was the final "Alright" where there's a brief, awkward silence between the last guitar note and the final keyboard chord. But, wow, you're hitting on all cylinders these days. ?

Way to go, Henk! Well done! ?

@fluidguitar“Need to know music theory to play?” No, as Randy suggests. But do you want to understand what you’re playing, and why? Do want to learn to play your solos in the most time- and physically efficient way possible? Then I say, yes, you need to know a certain amount. Steve’s Learn and Master course introduces music theory in minimum doses as the lessons progress. You can ignore it, but only for so long, until inevitably you will reach a point where Steve, or other musicians, simply can’t communicate with you. Then, you really will be playing solo. Don’t let that happen. Learn the scales, intervals, and chords, as much as you can. Here’s a good place to start (I hope).

Hi, Randy @randyh1953 I’ve subscribed to AG for several years now, and I agree with Neil and Bryan. If you’re around Learn & Master sessions 4/5, yes, much of the tutorial material in AG will appear intimidating or opaque. That’s true for me, and I’m not much farther along than you in my learning. But I look forward to every issue. I learn about artists, their music and recordings, history, gear, and other topics that I would not otherwise hear about. It’s not an exam booklet. But the magazine is not the real issue here. Whether you find it encouraging or discouraging in your journey is a reflection of how you see yourself. There is no shame in being a beginner. There was a time when you could not walk on your own two feet. You had to crawl, stumble, fall, get up, and try again. And sometimes it hurt. Learning guitar is not different. Not motivated? Sorry, I can’t help you there. Nor can anyone else, I dare say. You can do it or you can't do it; either way, you're right. You have to want it. Along the way, the universe will ask you many times, how much? My best wishes!

Kansas wins this one. I've seen Pat four times, but Kansas only on the documentary "Miracles Out of Nowhere" (twice). I snagged the last seat in the front half of the house. ? Pat won't miss me. He'll probably sell out the Mirriam Theater, as he's very popular in this area. Thanks for nudging me, guys.

Pat will be on Broad Street, and Kansas will be in Glenside (a Philly suburb) the same night! I can't decide! Auuggghh! If I don't make up my mind soon, I'll miss them both! ?‍♀️

Mark, thanks so much for the back story. There are some valuable lessons in there: the long hours of practice, playing even when you're scared, having a backup plan, playing through mistakes but staying in time, and knowing your role for the occasion. That's a professional. Well done!