Post by leoroberts on Feb 7, 2024 3:02:03 GMT
I'm 62.
I've been messing about on guitar for 50 years or so. Today I had my first proper lesson.
I say 'proper' lesson because hanging around on this forum and going to the forum meets has given me the opportunity to learn loads of stuff from just about everyone on here - whether that's from listening/watching you play or the more direct approach of "what the hell did you do just then, and how?"
But I wanted to go further, a more focussed one-to-one approach from someone I admire a great deal.
A few years ago, I arranged for Steve Tilston to come along to one of our meets and lead a songwriting/performance workshop. It was meant to be my gift to the forum after having got so much from you all but I wasn't even able to do that as my gift was re-gifted to me on the understanding that I used it to attend one of Steve's songwriting workshops.
Then COVID happened and Steve wasn't able to organise any workshops. So that was seemingly that. Until I went on his website and saw a little note saying he offered 1-2-1 tuition. So I contacted him and booked a session for myself.
Which is how I ended up driving the 30 odd miles to Old Hebden and spending a couple of eye-wateringly eye-opening hours in his kitchen.
Now, I've got to be honest, a lot of time was spent with me just being an open-mouthed fanboy. I make no apologies about that (although I did apologise to him for the drooling) but, being a trainer myself, I had a very clear idea about exactly what I wanted to get from the session: 3 songs. I wanted an insight into how he played 3 particular songs that, I reckoned, would give me an insight into his style and have enough transferrable techniques that it would lift my playing a notch or, if I'm lucky, two notches. I didn't want to be a Tilston clone or tribute act (Steve Tilted?) but I did want to see if I could replicate some of that mojo.
I got my money's worth. Boy, did I get my money's worth. We started with general conversation and chat over a cup of freshly brewed coffee and a piece of his wife's Bara Brith. We talked about how we were proud of our kids doing things that made them happy but wouldn't it have been nice if just ONE of them had been a plumber. We talked about his songwriting process (the tune almost always comes first as a result of noodling) and how he decides whether to use standard, dropped D, double dropped D or DADGAD for a tune. He showed me a trick that HE had been shown by Bert Jansch to liven up dead strings. Not that my strings were dead - I'd changed them specially (admittedly I'd changed them specially for scorpiodog 's birthday extravaganza and that was only 4 months ago. Bloody professionals.)
Then we got down to business - firstly we looked at how I played 'Along The Road When I Was Young' and he showed me a few ideas about what he did that made it different - including how he played a descending bass line and an ascending bass line at the same bloody time (albeit on different strings)! He also pointed out to me that there was one point at which I played a D Major whilst he played a Dm. I explained my rationale for doing so and he pretended to be impressed and agreed that it worked. I doubt he'll be changing what he does, though. He gave me the TAB he'd written out (I'd told him that I wanted to look at this song in advance and he'd listened to my version on Soundcloud) and I could have happily left there and then and felt that I'd got my money's worth.
But, no, we went on to look at 'Oil and Water' (double dropped D) and 'The Fisher Lad Of Whitby' (standard). He took me through the various phrases and invited me to video him playing them so that I could transcribe them for myself later. If he said "You're not playing the F Natural - don't forget to play the F natural" once he must've said it 10 times. Reader, I tried. Honestly. He manhandled my fingers into positions that my fingers didn't want to get into and it just worked, somehow.
I came away knowing a lot more than when I'd got there. I came away with the knowledge that I have some serious work to do if I want to be able to play some of his stuff naturally without thinking too hard about it. I came away even more in awe of a very nice chap than when I'd gone in.
I also came away grateful that this forum (and davewhite in particular, possibly in cahoots with Martin and ocarolan , I suspect) hadn't let me be all generous but had re-gifted to me the opportunity to learn from Steve.
I'm still excited and a little over-awed. I can't sleep (which is why I'm posting this now) and I'm still buzzing - probably something to do with my action, d'you think I need to fettle my truss rod?
So, yes, 50 years on I have come to the realisation that lessons are worthwhile. I reckon it's a bit late in the day for me to do too much else but I'm deffo a convert to 'spend some money on, and time with, an expert.' You never know what you might be taught.
Nail care - I forgot to ask him about sodding nail care. I *knew* I should have written some questions down first
I've been messing about on guitar for 50 years or so. Today I had my first proper lesson.
I say 'proper' lesson because hanging around on this forum and going to the forum meets has given me the opportunity to learn loads of stuff from just about everyone on here - whether that's from listening/watching you play or the more direct approach of "what the hell did you do just then, and how?"
But I wanted to go further, a more focussed one-to-one approach from someone I admire a great deal.
A few years ago, I arranged for Steve Tilston to come along to one of our meets and lead a songwriting/performance workshop. It was meant to be my gift to the forum after having got so much from you all but I wasn't even able to do that as my gift was re-gifted to me on the understanding that I used it to attend one of Steve's songwriting workshops.
Then COVID happened and Steve wasn't able to organise any workshops. So that was seemingly that. Until I went on his website and saw a little note saying he offered 1-2-1 tuition. So I contacted him and booked a session for myself.
Which is how I ended up driving the 30 odd miles to Old Hebden and spending a couple of eye-wateringly eye-opening hours in his kitchen.
Now, I've got to be honest, a lot of time was spent with me just being an open-mouthed fanboy. I make no apologies about that (although I did apologise to him for the drooling) but, being a trainer myself, I had a very clear idea about exactly what I wanted to get from the session: 3 songs. I wanted an insight into how he played 3 particular songs that, I reckoned, would give me an insight into his style and have enough transferrable techniques that it would lift my playing a notch or, if I'm lucky, two notches. I didn't want to be a Tilston clone or tribute act (Steve Tilted?) but I did want to see if I could replicate some of that mojo.
I got my money's worth. Boy, did I get my money's worth. We started with general conversation and chat over a cup of freshly brewed coffee and a piece of his wife's Bara Brith. We talked about how we were proud of our kids doing things that made them happy but wouldn't it have been nice if just ONE of them had been a plumber. We talked about his songwriting process (the tune almost always comes first as a result of noodling) and how he decides whether to use standard, dropped D, double dropped D or DADGAD for a tune. He showed me a trick that HE had been shown by Bert Jansch to liven up dead strings. Not that my strings were dead - I'd changed them specially (admittedly I'd changed them specially for scorpiodog 's birthday extravaganza and that was only 4 months ago. Bloody professionals.)
Then we got down to business - firstly we looked at how I played 'Along The Road When I Was Young' and he showed me a few ideas about what he did that made it different - including how he played a descending bass line and an ascending bass line at the same bloody time (albeit on different strings)! He also pointed out to me that there was one point at which I played a D Major whilst he played a Dm. I explained my rationale for doing so and he pretended to be impressed and agreed that it worked. I doubt he'll be changing what he does, though. He gave me the TAB he'd written out (I'd told him that I wanted to look at this song in advance and he'd listened to my version on Soundcloud) and I could have happily left there and then and felt that I'd got my money's worth.
But, no, we went on to look at 'Oil and Water' (double dropped D) and 'The Fisher Lad Of Whitby' (standard). He took me through the various phrases and invited me to video him playing them so that I could transcribe them for myself later. If he said "You're not playing the F Natural - don't forget to play the F natural" once he must've said it 10 times. Reader, I tried. Honestly. He manhandled my fingers into positions that my fingers didn't want to get into and it just worked, somehow.
I came away knowing a lot more than when I'd got there. I came away with the knowledge that I have some serious work to do if I want to be able to play some of his stuff naturally without thinking too hard about it. I came away even more in awe of a very nice chap than when I'd gone in.
I also came away grateful that this forum (and davewhite in particular, possibly in cahoots with Martin and ocarolan , I suspect) hadn't let me be all generous but had re-gifted to me the opportunity to learn from Steve.
I'm still excited and a little over-awed. I can't sleep (which is why I'm posting this now) and I'm still buzzing - probably something to do with my action, d'you think I need to fettle my truss rod?
So, yes, 50 years on I have come to the realisation that lessons are worthwhile. I reckon it's a bit late in the day for me to do too much else but I'm deffo a convert to 'spend some money on, and time with, an expert.' You never know what you might be taught.
Nail care - I forgot to ask him about sodding nail care. I *knew* I should have written some questions down first