Educate me- adult beginner acoustic guitar

[Bill]

I’m still pickin’! Antelope and elk season have reduced my practice time (my excuse) but I’m playing chords, learning scales and now starting to re-learn reading sheet music. No wrist or finger pain and I’m figuring out the narrower neck on a 3/4 size guitar.

I think my biggest problem is managing my time since I’m retired. My next step is mornings will go make coffee- practice guitar- only then I get to eat breakfast.

I can pick my way through Ripple’s melody and play chords with my instructor playing lead. Once elk season is over, I met a local guy thru hinting who is is also retired and quite good on guitar who said he’d enjoy getting together with a new guitar player. Since our Montana winters are long and cold I’m looking forward to that.


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[3ChordTruth]

Been wondering how the guitar tunes were going Bill, good to see you post and thanks for the update. Understand that antelope and elk season sure nuff take priority over guitar for now, but your guitar will be a good amigo to you through that long, cold Montana winter. Happy pickin’!

[Bill]

Thanks!


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[Bill]

Working on learning D major scale, and reading music. Flash cards!




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[Hoytbowhunter]

Following

[etbowhunter]

Congratulations on the progress Bill. I was sitting on the back porch earlier this evening playing with my son after shooting our bows and wondered how you were coming along. Can't wait to hear how you progress playing with the guy you met.

[Bill]

Been wondering how the guitar tunes were going Bill, good to see you post and thanks for the update. Understand that antelope and elk season sure nuff take priority over guitar for now, but your guitar will be a good amigo to you through that long, cold Montana winter. Happy pickin’!

Cold? Not if you’re dressed right

I have 5 cords of mixed pine and fir bring dumped in a big pile on the 15th. Once hunting season is over, that’s the plan.


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[Bill]

Educate me- adult beginner acoustic guitar

Wow- 3 months later.

Work is equal to force time distance.

The more I practice the more fun it becomes. Elk season over (no shots, I saw lots including me scrambling up the side of a mountain chasing 400 cows mewing 30-40 yards above behind a ridge and sliding back 2 for every 1 step up) and Montana winter is here so more time to practice.

I ‘almost’ broke my left wrist when my SxS was crossing ruts on a national forest road (kinda) the front wheels jerked left and my left arm was twisted gripping the steering wheel. Not fun playing the guitar in pain.

I did play sone Christmas tunes for my family. My first ‘performance’ and boy did I choke. It was all fun though.

One thing I realized was it’s like shooting a bow. After lessons if you want to do something a bit different in your form, as long as you hit what you’re aiming at…. there’s “ no points for pretty”.

After struggling with bending my left wrist and the smaller neck on a 3/4 size guitar, I figured out I could play an A chord with a barre on the G and B strings. Like magic I’m not diddling with finger placement and transitions are much faster. Turned a problem of strings close together into an advantage.

I have a few folks coming over for a ‘jam’ session next weekend. A local guitar player who I got out on my mechanic’s ranch for a whitetail buck, his wife who plays standup bass and another student from where I take lessons in BozeAngeles (Bozeman). That should be fun.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to the strummers and pickers in Texas. Let me know if you draw a Montana elk tag and want to bring your guitar too. Those are the Greenhorn Mountains from our sun room. After -7 yesterday, +18 feels like a heat spell.




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[3ChordTruth]

Happy New Year Bill, great to see you post on this again. Sorry to hear about the elk hunt outcome and your sore left wrist, but you sure had those things happen to you in some of God’s best work on this old Planet. Always enjoy your pics of that beautiful country. Cool that you did some Christmas tunes for your family, that’s the first gig for most of us. Have fun at that jam, and get someone to take a pic of it so you can post it here. And don’t be shy, when it is your turn to call a tune to do, rock out on "Ripple" just like you have been practicing it!

If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung

[Shane]

That's awesome! Glad to hear of your enjoyable progress, Bill.

[Bill]

I just finished my first ‘jam’. A friend played guitar and his wife standup bass. While my fingertips are tingling, I learned a great amount in a couple hours- and had fun. It was amazing how much faster my chord changes were when I had to ‘keep up’ with other folks playing.

We played Ripple (of course) and they had me sing, and Hotel California. If we get down to Bownanza (50/50 right now) I want to play it in Texas!


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[3ChordTruth]

Good going Bill, glad to hear your jam was rocking. Try to jam with other pickers every chance you get, and work on having a handful of your favorite tunes ready to play and sing. It is cool reading about your progress, good luck with it!

[eastover53]

I just finished my first ‘jam’. A friend played guitar and his wife standup bass. While my fingertips are tingling, I learned a great amount in a couple hours- and had fun. It was amazing how much faster my chord changes were when I had to ‘keep up’ with other folks playing.

We played Ripple (of course) and they had me sing, and Hotel California. If we get down to Bownanza (50/50 right now) I want to play it in Texas!


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That’s awesome! Keep it up! I’ve been playing for twenty years and I’m still trying to master the fretboard. Play along with YouTube guitar jam tracks, but learning from playing with others will take you a long way. Take a couple of lessons, if you haven’t already. Jam on!

[Bill]

I take lessons every week (or 2) since the instructor is 90 plus minutes away in Bozeman. We set up lessons around ‘driving to the big city’ for Costco and other shopping. What a change from living in San Jose with more people than all of Montana.

It’s easy to see who else shopping there is coming in from a rural area- we drive pickups, don’t wear covid masks the urban Bozemanites do, and have a large cooler in the bed for perishables on the drive home. We’re probably all armed too, but gentlemen don’t discuss that with others. No longer are permits are required for concealed carry in Montana.

When I come in and show him what I’m working on I hear “how did you figure that out” or “I don’t usually teach those chords to beginners”.

Then we get down to work.




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[etbowhunter]

Congratulations on your first jam session. Sounds like you’re working on becoming a full blown picker. I agree with 3 Chord in the fact that it’s been cool to follow your progression. Unfortunately your next step in this progression is a lot like archery. You’ll start finding “deals” on guitars and before you know it, you’ll have a room full of them.
The next time you get together with your band, hit the “record” button and post it up. We’d all like to hear it.