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Post by creamburmese on Aug 10, 2014 17:10:06 GMT
Ah - well having had time to check this out I realize that Alasdair is posting the official sanctioned chords that all good guitarists should use. As I don't fall into that category, and I couldn't get to the entire chord fast enough, I just tried to fret the strings that were needed. OK so call me a wimp... just want my hands to avoid dropping off long enough to learn to play this b****y classical guitar! Eventually maybe I might get my short stubby fingers around those chords in the same measure I'm supposed to play them, but it isn't happening right now, and necessity is the mother of invention and all that. ps I also modify my classical pieces if I think they sound better another way .... recently I (gasp) changed a bunch of B naturals to Bb cos it sounded moodier, and I haven't been struck by lighting yet!
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Post by creamburmese on Aug 8, 2014 14:29:05 GMT
If there's one person who turned me on to playing guitar - it's Michael Chapdelaine...
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Post by creamburmese on Aug 8, 2014 14:14:13 GMT
I'll try those alternatives when I get home - if they are easier to play I'm all for it! Julie
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Post by creamburmese on Aug 7, 2014 19:12:00 GMT
For sure! And because I've been before, I'll get to preregister and be able to pick from the classes that fill up first. I'm planning strategy already... sign up for 4 so I can try them all the first day and drop one to allow some semblance of coping - try to pick afternoon classes so I can stay up late and jam, etc etc.
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Post by creamburmese on Aug 7, 2014 17:27:57 GMT
Pat Kirtley moved way too fast for me, what with learning rhythms and chords for the first time. I wasn't the only one - there was at least one person in the class who took it last year and said it took the year of practice since last year to get comfortable and keep up. That piece I'm posting actually has a tune that Pat picks out to go with the chords, and it goes twice as fast. He ran through 3 songs in that manner in the course of the week (6 hours of lessons). Hence my creative finger waving as an alternative to making strange atonal sounds on the guitar and having everyone scowl in my direction. He did however hand out chord charts, and I did get a pretty good idea of how the itzasamba chords are supposed to sound because we spent most time on that one (and I have a cellphone recording). Another neat teacher at camp was Muriel Anderson - I only took a couple of lessons in one of her classes, but I wish now I'd taken more. It was all too overwhelming - they suggest you don't take more than 2 or 3 classes (out of 4 max) and I can now see why - you need time to practice and sleep! At the time I really wanted to learn bossa and Muriel's classes seemed a bit scattered so I dropped it, but after having been back home awhile I realize that I will probably take away more from the 2 lessons that I took with her than I did with the 9 I took with Pat Kirtley (I also took his thumb style - we'll draw a blank over that - I never did get my alternating thumb to even vaguely approach independence which was a prerequisite for blazing through the song he was teaching). Muriel basically just demonstrated tips and techniques in several general styles - I'm using her pre- and post-play stretches for the fretting hand daily to prevent overuse injury and have discovered that stick-on nails stay put for days on end if you tape them and they work as well as regular nails if you break one (which I did) but they don't damage the nail underneath ... The best class I took as an alternate choice, called "string theory" taught by the folk artist Ray Chesna. A gifted and funny teacher with a unique approach to teaching theory - everything he taught was immediately applied to the guitar - who knew it was so easy (well relatively) to figure out the key changes the Beatles used repeatedly in their songs? I had several "light bulb' moments with him, and bought his book while I was there so I can continue where he left off (he covered approx the first semester of a college course in the week, he said!).
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Post by creamburmese on Aug 7, 2014 16:53:05 GMT
Um. Spelling seems to be a problem here. You are right! Pat Kirtley!
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Post by creamburmese on Aug 7, 2014 16:42:59 GMT
And it progresses.... Em9 0x355x alternating to 5x355x Dmaj9 x3240x alternating to 3x240x
The base note alternates in both chords so you don't hold down 5th and 6th strings at the same time, just alternate between them. I haven't yet mastered the muting business - will have to work on it https%3A//soundcloud.com/creamburmese/itza-2
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Post by creamburmese on Aug 7, 2014 16:10:00 GMT
And here's my somewhat inept version of the same chords played at a slow tempo. I use the F# augmented (?) to add at the end of the F#7 - whenever you choose to add the extra finger the 2 chords between them make up one pattern. When I started learning the pattern I found it easiest to start with alternating base, then gradually add parts of the pattern. In this simple version the ima fingers are used as a block on strings 234 and p is used to either alternate between strings 5 and 6 or stay on string 6 according to the chord. https%3A//soundcloud.com/creamburmese/itza-measure1
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Post by creamburmese on Aug 7, 2014 16:00:11 GMT
Here are the chords for the first measure of Pat h Kirtley's "Itza Samba" he taught us (at least he taught some of us - I was just waving my fingers in the general area !)
Bm 22023x Em7 02003x F#7 22232x F#+ 22233x Bm 22023x
In each case only strings 234 and either alternating 5 and 6 or just 6 are used.
https%3A//soundcloud.com/creamburmese/bossa-1-chords
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Post by creamburmese on Aug 7, 2014 14:39:25 GMT
I'm just checking into this thread after being away... sounds good! I'm going to start practicing the transitions. While I was gone I took a Bossa Nova class and got one of the basic rhythms down, so I'll see if I can post it once my head clears (I'm home sick ... or malingering... today) How did you get those nice chord diagrams? I have some progressions I can add...
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Post by creamburmese on Aug 5, 2014 19:11:28 GMT
What happened to the chords? I can't see them!
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Post by creamburmese on Aug 5, 2014 0:37:00 GMT
Well I'm back from Swannanoa and it was a lot of fun! I met new people, attended 3 outstanding concerts, learned some music theory as applied to the guitar, some bossa nova chord sequences and mostly what I can't do (yet) such as making the fattest appendage on my right hand independent of all the others. Also discovered I have to move my sleep schedule about 6 hours to fully participate in the camp - I'm way past the age where staying up all day and most of the night is fun. or doable. Oh, and the beer tent opened at about 4 pm and was open all night, in case anyone was wondering After classes finish at 5, there is dinner (and beer, of course) followed by a concert or open mike for about 3 hours, then the jams start in earnest at about 11 pm and go for another 3,4, or 5 hours.... One night was devoted to Beatles - I think they got through 70 Beatles songs... (I'm sorry I had to go to bed...). Definite problems with staying awake when you get up at 5.30 or 6....
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Post by creamburmese on Jul 23, 2014 12:09:28 GMT
AAAAagh! Keith -the mere thought of going without playing for 2 months puts me in DT's .... I start to have cravings if I don't get to play at least twice a day ... The last time I had a break I had surgery and was unconscious.... I think there's a name for it beginning with a... at least there's no down side apart from sore fingers! However you have a great point - maybe I should be doing something entirely different - I play to make tunes happen... I like the thought of figuring out songs for myself and haven't had the confidence to try yet, so perhaps we shall start - maybe with baa baa black sheep !
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Post by creamburmese on Jul 22, 2014 23:41:05 GMT
Great sounds-can't wait to get started:)
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Post by creamburmese on Jul 22, 2014 23:24:09 GMT
Thanks for all the ideas- love to hear about your individual experiences Just posting to this thread helped me think about what I really like about playing the guitar- if I continue in what I know how to do - learn from notation - I can learn from my Spanish music book. Just love Spanish music! And I've only tried a couple of pieces from it so far so there are lots of possibilities. The other thing I would really like to do is learn to harmonize tunes - I don't have a problem picking out the tune but I have no clue how to make an arrangement to go with it. I will check out some if the recommended sites - I know chord and scale structure I just haven't figured out how to apply it- especially the variations that aren't straight major or minor. As for barre chords - never thought of using bandaids - will give it a try! though in general I can manage 5 string barres and 6 string E shapes just fine - it's when other fingers are also required to perform ascending or descending slurs or stretch 4 frets while holding the barre that I am out of my depth. I think I'll give up on the thumb over for the time being. It would definitely require me to shift my playing position and my hand position quite drastically and possibly acquire a guitar with a narrower nut. I guess with more experience some find it easy to shift - but I've got a very long way to go before I reach 10,000 hours . Love seeing all your ideas - I'm enthused!
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