Here are two interesting emails and comments I have got lately.
Let’s start with an email from Dawna.
She is talking about what I mentioned yesterday regarding The Rolling Stones guitarists, Keith and Ronnie…
Email #1
“Happy belated birthday, Dan!
Re: Stones video, I think that’s what Keith has termed “the ancient art of guitar weaving.” He likes to get the interplay so blended that it’s impossible to tell which guitar is doing what.
He has also said that many times during recording sessions, either he or Ronnie has dropped a pick or a cigarette or otherwise been absent for a few seconds and expected to hear a hole in the playback…but there wasn’t one, because the other guy filled it! Possibly without even realizing it…spooky!
Terrifying lives/lifestyles those guys have lived at times, but it would be amazing to have such sublime musical relationships…”
– Dawna
That is a cool story.
You’d think with their lifestyles there would be many forgotten parts and many holes for the other to fill in!
…But joking aside, they are consummate musicians.
I love watching bands where there is more than one guitar.
It takes a lot of skill to be able to share the space with another.
Some bands have the classic rhythm guitarist/lead guitarist arrangement.
…But it’s very cool when guitarists interplay and switch things up.
I’m a geek about such stuff and love to listen deeply to work out what they are playing.
As a bonus, it can be a good skill to be able to do this.
You can pick out each part you hear in a song and try to isolate it in your ear, ignoring all the other stuff.
You can do this with anything really – listen to the bassline, listen to the rhythm guitar, listen for any lead parts, etc.
It’s a great skill but yeah, that is a bonus of listening to great guitarists like Ronnie and Keith play!
Email #2
“I went to my friend’s 95th birthday on Saturday. We were all asked to bring food, I planned to bring my guitar and play “Don’t take the good times for granted” a Daniel O’Donnell song
Now with food, a gift, wine, not knowing where I could park in the big city Montreal, I left the guitar behind.
However the desire to play the song, I sang it. My friend really appreciated it, and it was the guitar that taught me the song, playing it over and over as a favorite, despite forgetting a few lines.
A belated Happy Birthday.”
– Norma
I love to hear things like this.
Well done to Norma.
It can take a huge amount of courage to get up on stage at the best of times.
…But even more so when things such as parking, not knowing where to go, etc., all become part of it.
I mean, I’ve played many a gig in the past, where we didn’t know where the venue was or where to park.
Stress levels go through the roof – especially if issues cause us to be late or anything.
So well done to Norma for adapting.
…But a good lesson for anyone wanting to perform ever is this – prepare as much as you can.
Want to play for a loved one, at an open mic, or have a jam?
Go for it, enjoy the moment, but be as prepared as you can.
… But mostly, well done to Norma!
Talking of preparation, one of the coolest things we can play on the guitar is the blues (in my opinion).
…And the 12-bar blues shuffle is something I like to teach all students.
One reason is that if you know the 12-bar blues inside out, you are literally prepared to jam the blues pretty much at the drop of a hat (as long as you truly know it inside out, that is).
It’s like when you see legends up on stage all jamming at charity events or whatnot, they look at ease.
To the naked eye, it’s like magic – but it’s not, it’s a whole lotta practice and years of playing the blues.
So, if you want to be prepared to jam the blues any place, any time, give the 12-bar shuffle a go.
…And for help with that, you might like to check out my course which is on sale as part of my birthday celebration for a few more days.
The Beginner 12-Bar Blues Mini Masterclass
Anyway, there are two interesting emails and some musings from me there, which I hope you enjoyed and found useful.
Thanks to Dawna, Norma, and everyone else for the birthday wishes!
Dan Thorpe
Guitar Domination
P.S. This post was originally taken from Dan Thorpe’s private email list. To get blog posts like this sent to you which are full of great tips to make fingerpicking, strumming, and learning guitar more enjoyable (especially if you are over 40) join Dan’s list. It’s 100% free, HERE.
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