Bruce Brannon

Hello to you too!  Glad to know you are joining the class!

Great to know you are part of the crew!  Welcome and hope we all learn lots together!

Follow up to my plan and purpose:

I just returned from traveling on a long ago planned trip to visit my best friend in San Diego.  I had strong feelings about going, and repeatedly spoke to family about changing it.  I was uneasy because my Grandpa was failing in health.  My family said he would tell you to go and enjoy yourself, so go.  I went.

I called daily, because of the unr…Read More

Hello James,

I share your feeling of being drawn here.  I truly hope you will enjoy the good spirit here.  Even though I have never met this group in person, it feels like a family.  We are all trying to keep everything our own life needs us to do, and to fulfill a need to learn, make music, and have fun (even if it is hard work).  Great to have you here!

My current purpose and plan is multifaceted like you Ann.

Purpose:

1. I love music.  It is a universal language.  You can transmit emotion and energy through it, and connect with people soul to soul.  I have always wanted to share like that.  I still want to get to the skill level (like I described in my Introduction) to play favorite songs, and maybe even write my own.
2. I recently fou…

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Update:  I have a small list of things I have noticed:

1. My posture affects the guitar position.  (not sure how drastic this can affect play)
2. My posture is affected by the type of chair I sit in when playing.
3. My right forearm rests on the guitar body, and my arm pivots on that point.
4. When strumming:  My hand/wrist do not pivot in a consistent arc pattern like yours does in the pr…

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Part 2:

If I click on the “message box” icon, I get a new box, that constantly has the updating wheel.  It doesn’t progress any.

Hope this helps.

Hello Mr. Mathers,

I share your finger issues, and your frustration with them.  I did get a little better with practice.

As for the sound, I am not sure how to help.   I have seen little tests to see if the guitar needs adjusted, like measuring tune on the 12 fret, string height, or harmonics.  I am not a luthier, but I have watched and asked them questions.

As for my sound pro…Read More

Hello Mr. Mathers,

I am glad you are back practicing.   I admit I have days when I had so many tasks, I could not even get near my guitar.  I recently had family visiting for an extended stay, and I just couldn’t stop to practice because of all of the hostess demands on me.   I did miss “me and my guitar” time.

I am not sure your previous teacher really was “teaching” you.   Inst…Read More

Hey Jonathan,

I think I may try playing in front of a mirror to try and “see” what I am doing.  If that doesn’t work, I may try recording myself with a camera.  With what you are describing, I may not know how to fix my problem if I can’t “see” what I am doing when I mess up.

Until class-time,

Cheryl

Hello Pam,

I think you have found a great place to start!  Your dancing ability will come in handy keeping a toe tapping to the beat!

Happy strumming to you!

Cheryl

Hey Jonathan,

The new format looks to be jam-packed with information.  I realize your hard work and moves to perfect your curriculum and strategies to share about guitar; playing, picking, strumming, chords, rhythms, song progression, etc., etc.  At the development stage of guitar playing I am currently in, I say that these changes would explain more than the previous examples I have u…Read More

Hello Ann,

I just wanted to give you a confidence boost!  You send such wonderful messages, and definitely show your love of music and the Lord God throughout.  I believe you can meet your goals and surpass them.  Learning doesn’t stop because you retire, and you are proving a whole bunch of nay-sayers how wrong they are!

Keep on pickin’

Cheryl

Hey Paul,

Just curious, as I am a beginner and I have some issues too;  what helped me was to use a metronome app on my cell phone.  I made it really slow (around 60 beats).  I kept short practice sessions, until I could do my strum pattern well.  Then I moved the speed up by 2 beats per minute, and repeated my practice sessions until I felt proficient at it.  It also helped me when I wa…Read More

Wow!  Awesome goal and motivational story!  I really appreciate your sharing it.  Especially the new guitar purchase, as I have just put a layaway on an Eastman guitar.  It felt just right in my hands, and my ears were pleasantly filled with some amazing sounds.  I can hardly wait to get it!  I didn’t let my eyes pick my new guitar, I let my hands and my ears.  It could have looked like a…Read More