[the-old-coach]

KevinZ-

Great video and setting!

The playing is great- (way beyond me)- and I particularly like the way you are “all in” on the singing. Committed. That’s the way an old-time real, actual guitar-player/singer told me it should be done. Go all in.

Did I detect a little “Elvis” sound in the vocals?😀

Thanks for sharing the song– and the nice outdoor setting.

-coach

[the-old-coach]

Thank you all for your well-thought-out replies!

Overall, I have no trouble at all playing barre chords- and actually find them easier in some cases- than “regular” or open chords. “A-shape”/ “E” shape doesn’t matter at all either, and I can play them on and on for extended periods.

It’s way up the neck that gives me issues. Much more of a squeeze- as GerryB says- trying to jamb fingers into those narrow frets. 12th fret barre?– fuggedabouddittt.

None of my present guitars has a cutaway- a 12th-fret barre chord is simply not possible for my old hands.

I’m gonna give last week’s tough-for-me lessons maybe 2 more, 5-minute sessions (each)— going as high up the fretboard as I want to— and the likely put them in the rear-view mirror and move on.

Thanks again for encouragement. I think getting bummed-out once in a while is the RIGHT way to do this guitar-stuff.

Maybe it was just “Mr. Expectation” peeking around the corner at me………

It’s funny how I can get bummed-out—- but still be having fun with all this😎

Our TAC family is great- thank you all again

the old coach

[the-old-coach]

MrFred–

Coulda been that you were a little bit distracted(?)……….😉

[the-old-coach]

One tool I have used to pick up patterns is the TAB music on sites like Ultimate Guitar, E-Chords, etc.

They of course show all the chords in a song you are playing (along with).

Study those chord tabs– they will ALWAYS have a repeated pattern through the song.

Of course, the “chorus” sections might be different from the “verse” sections– but still the patterns are pretty easy to pick up on.

A lot of the time– (on a simpler song- on a four-line verse, we’ll say)- it seems like it’s:

Line 1— 4 chords/ Line 2— repeat/ Line 3— repeat most of the chords- (but there may be a minor chord in there)/ and Line 4— most of not all of the same chords in Lines 1 & 2.

This very simplistic and certainly not always the case.

I just scribble down those first couple lines’ chord arrangements, add in the minor third line, scribble down the same thing for the Chorus’. Then, turn on the song- (and assuming I at least partially “know” the song in the first place)- turn off the TAB-page and play away just off my scribblings. After a few times thru, maybe it sounds pretty good- and I now know- (or are reminded of)- some of the lyrics!. All I have then, most of the time anyway, is maybe 4-6 different chords scribbled down in the right “order”. Give it a try for yourself with an old 4 or 5-chord Creedence song- (maybe “Stuck in Lodi Again”).

Anyway- that’s one way this simple mind uses to recognize patterns– and yes– they are ALWAYS there in a song.

Simply, simple-minded–

the old coach

[the-old-coach]

Wow–

This discussion was very interesting to begin with, but now it has taken on a whole new area of thought indeed!

Is there any way this train of thought can be used by someone who ***doesn’t*** have an android, or an ipad, or any kind of new-fangled “tweeter-hooter”- (that’s what my wife’s uncle calls “them fancy phones”)— but rather, has only a regular guitar tuner, a laptop, and a flip-phone???— (asking for a friend😉).

-coach

[the-old-coach]

MrFred-

“I just push on, gently swearing, and wishing it was not true”

There ya’ go again!— there’s gotta be a song in there somewhere🤔……..

-coach

[the-old-coach]

Your sentence– “I have not learned this much this fast since my first girlfriend”…….

Hilarious!!!!!🤣🤣😊

There’s some sort of song title in there somewhere!

[the-old-coach]

👍

[the-old-coach]

🤔🤣

[the-old-coach]

Yes– I painted it blue.

[the-old-coach]

It would have to get lighter out for me to be living in the Dark Ages😎

Android- no. I-pod- no. I-pad- no. Dial-up phone- no. Tweeter-hooter- no. Round TV- no. 650-pound stereo console- no. Party-line- no (but we used to have one when I was a kid). Flip-phone- yes. 10-year-old, beat-up laptop- yes.

There ya go. Welcome to my world😀

Mark

• This reply was modified 3 years, 7 months ago by  the-old-coach.

[the-old-coach]

Mike–

“Just learn to match your voice to the plucked strings………”

My simple mind🙄 says this is exactly right. Wouldn’t the earliest guitar players and “sing-along-ers”- (I’m talking since the invention of the guitar itself)- have had to have some sort of reference as to what note they were actually singing?

Like the old “pitch pipe” or maybe tuning fork?

With-OUT something to compare to, like your example– the plucking of a certain string at a certain fret, how would they have had any way of knowing if they were singing a- (example)- C note or a G note?

Different octaves- yes– but by picking any fret on any string- doesn’t your guitar “tell” you what note you are on?

To me, your idea with this “Just learn to match…” paragraph is simple, easy, and foolproof.

I’m takin’ as a challenge😜👍😎

Mark

[the-old-coach]

This is indeed awesome stuff- this thread!!!

I wonder if when we use these simple ways– are we re-tracing the very same steps as our “guitar fore-fathers”?🤔

They learned to play & sing LONG before all the electronics of today……

You may have just explained how they did it hundreds/ maybe thousands of years ago.

(Again-🤔).

the old coach

[the-old-coach]

Mike–

Did you just answer my (friend’s) question?

I can tell you that he never thought about this, and finds it all very interesting.

-the old coach

[the-old-coach]

“Breathing in general is so underrated”….. but…. it’s way better than the alternative😉.

(sorry, I took a smart-a** pill this morning).

Despite my antics— this is a great thread- and great reply/suggestions!

-coach

• This reply was modified 3 years, 7 months ago by  the-old-coach.