Welcome to a new Tuesday post with 3 random thoughts on all things guitar, music, and life, including thoughts on a cool rock concert, big thrills, and my birthday.
#1 – Bridges to Bremen
One of my favourite things to do on a Saturday night is to grab a beer or glass of wine and watch some music TV.
The BBC often has some great shows.
The other day, they had a gig from 1998.
It was The Rolling Stones and their “Bridges to Bremen” concert.
I’ve often enjoyed a lot of Stones’ stuff, but it’s usually their more obscure stuff I prefer rather than the big hits.
This gig featured a great mix of hits and also songs I wasn’t as familiar with.
There was one ace moment when guitarists Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood were jamming together.
Ronnie was playing one part and Keith was playing another.
Watching them enjoy the moment was great.
They were intense, but relaxed, if that makes sense.
You could really sense they had a very cool connection on stage.
That, to me, is a very cool feeling.
…And that brings me to the next point.
#2 – The big thrill
Just like Ronnie and Keith, for me, those moments when I jam with others and we “lock in” together are powerful.
No longer do you feel like you’re just playing guitar, but you are contributing to something bigger.
I’ve had this feeling many times over the years when jamming in bands or with friends.
Performing live is something I have missed a little.
At some point, I’ll get back to this.
…But what’s cool about jamming is that you can get a similar sort of buzz when you jam with recordings too.
It’s not exactly the same as jamming with real people, but when you play a song and “lock in” with the CD…
…Or you jam with a video tutorial where a tutor shows you how to play something…
It’s a very cool feeling.
Back when I was learning guitar, it took me a long while to get confident at this but…
It was well worth it.
One of the best things anyone can do to improve is constantly play with other musicians – either in person or via recordings.
Definitely worth doing and although not easy at first, it sure is fun.
#3 – My birthday
It was my birthday the other day.
…And I’ll be honest, it has been one of the most bizarre ones yet.
On the downside, me and Emma who I have been dating for a year, have decided to part ways.
It’s been great, but we both want different things in life, so it’s for the best.
Personally, I’m at the stage where I’d like someone to be around more and not casually date.
…Because of our very different lives, that was not something that could really happen.
She’s a great person so I will miss her, but alas the relationship journey continues.
On the flip side though, me and Archie had a great weekend.
The family came ‘round, and we had some Greek-style kebabs, a basketball tournament, and a good laugh.
Archie went out with his mum specifically to get me a birthday cake as he was concerned I wouldn’t have a cake.
What a lovely boy he is.
Talking of cake, my sister also bought me a cake, and this all led to something funny…
When my sister lit the candles for the birthday cakes, no one fancied singing.
Instead, they all said, I should play Happy Birthday on the guitar.
So I grabbed my guitar and played a little fingerstyle version of Happy Birthday.
It was a bit of fun, but don’t worry, I made them all sing it to me too!
Was a fun day and overall, a great birthday.
Here’s a little bit more fun…
I’ve decided to celebrate my birthday with you (sadly, there is no cake left though).
…But to celebrate, I’m doing a mini sale on my blues course for a few days.
I love the blues and it’s music for every emotion.
…But one of the most joyful blues we can play, in my opinion, is the 12-bar shuffle.
It’s the backbone of many songs, it’s lively and energetic, and it’s great if you’ve ever wanted to jam and throw in some licks and riffs at the same time, i.e. combine rhythm and lead guitar.
I cover all this in the blues course and you can find out all about it below…
The Beginner 12-Bar Blues Mini Masterclass
Have a great week ahead!
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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