sleepingangel

Exactly. That is why I’m going to try and plow through session 17 through 20 and then go back to the beginning. So I will consider this a “first visit” through these later chapters but saying in the Arnold Schwarzenegger voice “I’LL BE BACK!” Maria

Hi yes just last night with my low level night class I decided to review the alphabet and vowels etc. like right back to the beginning and I told the higher lever folks that it will benefit them as well. I told them they have to figure out what they know before they learn what they don’t know. And it actually showed me some weak spots that they have with some of the letters etc I explained to them that the alphabet is the building blocks of the language and as I was saying this I thought Of the session 17 scales I’m trying to learn and realizing that these are the building blocks of music and also my “what I don’t know” but all the little successes I’m feeling as I relearn are what I do know. And I bet that’s why going back to the beginning even if I zip through some of the early chapters will be the key for my success in this program !! anyway I do have one daisy rock guitar but it was a close out sale bought on a whim and I’m actually looking to sell it cheap. I think the action might be a tad high but don’t really have the knowledge or the money to invest in fixing it since it was a “bargain”. Take care Maria

that's great that you finished. tHAT IS AN accomplishment!! I hope to do it one day. I got close. Now to continue...so i did my half an hour of working with that first set of scales in F ....and I realized why i initially stopped at 17...it's hard! lol but I have a new mindset so every day I hope to put in at least 20 minutes or more of just this and It's got to sink into this brain enough to be able to move on to the other scales. The problem is that if I don't have the patterns memorized in the first scale I won;t be able to move on cause I'm relying on the tab too much...so I have to get past thAT...which I never did before falling away.... and yes I wish Steve could somehow get those lessons back! Maria

I have been teaching adults how to speak English through a state funded program for the last 5 plus years and until about two years ago it was only two nights a week but then I got offered 4 days on top of that and since it’s not a full day as I get home by 2ish I can still get to my other job in plenty of time. in the past until my dad died in April it afforded me the opportunity to spend time with him and even take him here or there etc now I’m trying to fill the time with positive things: sure I am catching up on laundry and the house but I also decided some or most of the time between my jobs will be devoted to Music since I never had that time before and also since I’m still very much in mourning over the loss of both of my parents within the last 5 years anyway I always tell my students who have had to repeat my class that when they get to a part in their workbook that has already been filled out by them the prior year that they should re do the work in their notebook because they are not the same person or student they were from the year before. That whether they realize it or not they have grown and they probably have learned a little more than they thought they did and most of the time they’re going to answer the questions in a different way and most likely get them right where they may have gotten them wrong in the past. So I’ve decided that advice is perfect for me as I re approach these lessons. I know that it’s going to be hard getting back to where I was but I also know there is something to be said for muscle memory and also that I’ve been doing music with other instruments and those instruments (like the dulcimer ) have helped me in my musical ability and journey !! just thought I would share that and also something funny I’ve noticed : I don’t remember struggling with this way back in 2011-15 when I was still working through the lesson book but darn the font is really small In almost 2020 !! 🤪lol ha ha I am going to work tomorrow and enlarge this particular page for sure lol Maria

i know i wish i could see that one again!! I remember how i played that song so much i think i drove my family crazy,....but I did learn it....so now hoping to relearn it as I come back to the guitar! Maria

It's so great to be back! Thanks for the warm welcome. I know that I'm not "truly" at session 17 anymore as I have forgotten a lot but I am going to plow through and then go back to the beginning!! Take care and thanks so much for all your kind words!! Maria

that really made me laugh!! thank you~ Maria

ah Dan!! I'm so glad to hear from you! I was wondering and hoping your were still in this group! and I'm glad that you are playing, And It's good that you are doing the scales..THAT is something I need to re visit ~~ Yes and you say hi to your lovely wife for me! Maria

awe that is so nice of you to remember me,. And thanks it sure is a journey and one I'm glad I'm back on!!

And HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!🎁

Hi Barbara (you have the distinction of being one of the first people that I got to join my Dulcimer group and it’s really crazy that we have like 2500 people there now.) so nice to hear from you and thanks for the welcome back!! and I will most likely start from the earlier chapters or even the beginning once I work through the last 3 and I’m sure there will be much flipping back to wale or units as I try to remember what I’ve forgotten!! thanks again for the nice welcome back. It’s great to see so many familiar faces. Maria

Thanks for the encroachment and also the nice advice. I do have a few things that remind me of him. He was always wore caps not baseball but the old fashioned type and I have one right near my piano and of course he made me a few things out of wood as he was an excellent woodworker. So I use some of those or see them all the time. ; everything from a tissue and recipe holder to a 10 Native American Flute holder and even a selfie stick holder that I use ad a little tripod. So yes God is good and I have many reminders of his love for me. I know what you mean about the master part. I think for my sanity I am going to try and work through the last three that I simply just didn’t do and then fo back and start again. Im only doing some of the three note per string scales very slowly to get back into it. Glad my portable DVD player still works as it will be utilized for this endeavor. glad to be back Maria

Thanks so much for the nice imagery and your welcome back!! maria

Thanks for understanding!! Maria

Thank you so much for your kind words and well wishes. It’s great to be back amongst people like you good luck with your own hand probs Maria

Thank you so much for the condolences and the welcome back. Hope you have been well! Maria

hey everyone, been a long time. Lots of stuff has happened....the good the bad and the ugly as they say... well to jump right in I've had some setbacks with my guitar playing over the last 4 years. BUT right now I'm playing guitar again. I'm not gonna say without pain but that's just the way I think it's gonna be BUT the ruptured ligament surgery a year and a half a go was successful and now with time and a smaller bodies acoustic guitar I AM playing almost everyday again. I decided today that I am going to try in earnest (little by little) to finish the course that I began almost 9 years ago!! Yikes..I got all the way to session 17. IN fact it's still in the portable dvd player that I was using to learn !! Other sad news is that my almost 94 year old dad passed away in April and it was kind of a surprise when he first wound up in the hospital but after 10 days the doctors had to give up and right before that he did as well. It was a lot of work cleaning out his house and it's in the process now of being sold. I miss him terribly. ( my mom passed almost 5 years ago so we got even closer) I am working much more than when I first started this course. In fact I started the course when I was laid off.... Now I'm working 4 days and 2 nights teaching ESL. I've had the day job now for almost 2 years and the night job for 5. With my dad gone (he lived a few feet from me in another condo right across the path) I have some extra time that I didn't before. I've been trying to use it for positive things. Like music etc. I hope that i can continue to get better at the guitar ( i feel like I am and in a strange way due to playing different instruments when I couldn't play the guitar..... I have been playing the dulcimer when I am able and the ukulele. They were a little easier on my hand then the guitar. Now that I've picked up the guitar again I feel like my playing is better. My fingers still may miss some of the notes because of the closeness of them to each other but the other stuff is better. Like my musicality or something) so that's my story..... Thanks for not giving up on me. I know some of you from the live lessons which I try to attend when time permits. Take care Maria

Mayellene thank you so much for your kind words. I’m so glad you liked it ! Maria

That is so nice of you to say and means so much to me ! Maria

Thanks so much Diane! I really appreciate your listening and your kind words!! Maria

thanks so much! I'm really glad you liked it and thanks for the well wishes too!! Maria

Thanks so very much! I'm glad you liked it and I truly appreciate the prayers for my healing! Maria

thanks so much!! i"m so glad you liked it...and yes my motto is: where there's a will there's a way and never give up!! Take care Maria

Thanks so much. I really appreciate it! maria

oh that's so great to hear!! I'm so glad you liked it! And thanks so much for the well wishes on my hand!! Maria