We had a disappointing session this week. I had to relearn a half dozen guitar solos and it showed. I did okay on most of them, but we are revisiting the same set again next week. Of course, I make the sets so it's technically my fault.
The songs I chose this week were based on the fact that we should know them, but we don't. There are a decent amount of songs on our song list that we simply don't practice enough. I grouped them all together and it made for a lot of work.
It still feels good to work on things and tighten up trouble songs, but it didn't go well. I feel like as a band we don't always gel on tunes. If we're playing a song I know well then I'm invested in it, but maybe Robb and Guy aren't. I have trouble learning songs I don't know before we choose them, but I can tighten them up with practice. Learning lyrics is the toughest for those.
Anyway, I'm hoping next week will be better.
Static factory also played, and the things we already have solid continue to be so. We are still trying to iron out the kinks on two newer tunes. I need to revise the lyrics to one again. I'm on my 3rd rewrite. Maybe next week I'll get it.
-Merlin out
Guitar
Acoustic Guitar and Hand
Friday, January 24, 2014
Friday, January 17, 2014
Weekly update
I've actually had two practices since my last blog. Well, two full-band rehearsals. I practice the guitar every day. I've done at least 30 minutes of guitar a day in 2014, and I'm averaging more like 45-60. Some weekends it's more like 90.
The first full practice was covers only. Two hours of drop D and drop B songs. It went okay considering we don't often play those songs. I actually feel really strong about quite a few of them. It's a shame that we don't sprinkle drop-D songs into our sets and currently just play them in a big bunch. Many of them are newer songs because of how in vogue the tuning has become.
That makes the set feel more new or fresh, but it also lacks that classic-rock feeling. I feel like a good cover band should try to shoehorn some classic rock in all the time. We do play fat-bottomed girls, though at this point it's pretty rough going.
Then on Wednesday we played originals for a couple hours and then covers for an hour.
Static Factory ran through 5 or 6 songs in our own low-tuned catalogue, then we played a newer tune that we are still working on. The newer song, Lazarus (Pits), is pretty sweet. I sang it much more to my liking this week than I have previously. For that reason we recorded a version so I would be able to find and practice my own vocal line. I guess that's the danger of writing from intuition rather than intellect. Sometimes I just feel my way around until I emerge from the dark, sweaty and fulfilled.
Recording turned out to be a debacle. We have -a- version of the song for my purposes, but the four of us didn't quite gel on the whole song. Perhaps next week we will get it right.
I also wanted to run through another song I've been tweaking, called Haven No More, but my goddamn iPhone ate the lyrics I had been working with on the road all day. I often write songs in the car while driving, using talk-to-text to "write" them.
Autocorrect is bad.
Anyway, that sounded good, and I wanted to revise what I'd already written anyway. Then we played a bunch of covers that make me feel rad. Yellow Ledbetter is still my spirit animal. I love playing that song.
Next week we are working on those two new originals and I want to relearn about a dozen songs that we haven't played well or in some time. I hope that goes well.
Peace,
-Merlin out
The first full practice was covers only. Two hours of drop D and drop B songs. It went okay considering we don't often play those songs. I actually feel really strong about quite a few of them. It's a shame that we don't sprinkle drop-D songs into our sets and currently just play them in a big bunch. Many of them are newer songs because of how in vogue the tuning has become.
That makes the set feel more new or fresh, but it also lacks that classic-rock feeling. I feel like a good cover band should try to shoehorn some classic rock in all the time. We do play fat-bottomed girls, though at this point it's pretty rough going.
Then on Wednesday we played originals for a couple hours and then covers for an hour.
Static Factory ran through 5 or 6 songs in our own low-tuned catalogue, then we played a newer tune that we are still working on. The newer song, Lazarus (Pits), is pretty sweet. I sang it much more to my liking this week than I have previously. For that reason we recorded a version so I would be able to find and practice my own vocal line. I guess that's the danger of writing from intuition rather than intellect. Sometimes I just feel my way around until I emerge from the dark, sweaty and fulfilled.
Recording turned out to be a debacle. We have -a- version of the song for my purposes, but the four of us didn't quite gel on the whole song. Perhaps next week we will get it right.
I also wanted to run through another song I've been tweaking, called Haven No More, but my goddamn iPhone ate the lyrics I had been working with on the road all day. I often write songs in the car while driving, using talk-to-text to "write" them.
Autocorrect is bad.
Anyway, that sounded good, and I wanted to revise what I'd already written anyway. Then we played a bunch of covers that make me feel rad. Yellow Ledbetter is still my spirit animal. I love playing that song.
Next week we are working on those two new originals and I want to relearn about a dozen songs that we haven't played well or in some time. I hope that goes well.
Peace,
-Merlin out
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Inauspiscious Beginnings
I haven't quite figured out my update schedule for this blog. I feel like daily updates without substantial content is silly, though perhaps a "journaling" tone might be fun for a bit. Weekly seems to be what I will do for the time being, with most updates on Wednesday evenings.
Last week was a good one for my personal practice but not for the bands' rehearsals. We missed a bit over the holidays and then had to cancel again last night as quite a few of us are dealing with illness, family, or family illnesses. I don't like missing practice, and as the Ugly Americans tend to get a lot done while Eric is out missing that chance was rough too. Perhaps we will get together this weekend.
Personally, I've decided to let my kids choose some songs for me to learn. Austen didn't quite understand the question, but I will probably learn some Raffi song or other for her. Harper asked that I learn another Neil Diamond song, Forever in Blue Jeans.
I have the basic chord structure down; it's simple enough. The pretty part in the introduction is tabbed a half dozen different ways on line. I'll probably pick the easiest and get it down, as I won't be playing this for the Ugly Americans any time soon.
I also spent some time with Judith by A Perfect Circle and Sweet Child O Mine by GNR. Those are both technically difficult songs made more so by the fact that I'm also singing them. I have most of both down (I am going to have to dump hours into the big solo for Sweet Child) on guitar but bringing it all together will take practice, and full band practice at that.
I'm continuing to work with our low-tuned songs for next practice as well. Fat Bottomed Girls is weirdly timed.
-Merlin out
Last week was a good one for my personal practice but not for the bands' rehearsals. We missed a bit over the holidays and then had to cancel again last night as quite a few of us are dealing with illness, family, or family illnesses. I don't like missing practice, and as the Ugly Americans tend to get a lot done while Eric is out missing that chance was rough too. Perhaps we will get together this weekend.
Personally, I've decided to let my kids choose some songs for me to learn. Austen didn't quite understand the question, but I will probably learn some Raffi song or other for her. Harper asked that I learn another Neil Diamond song, Forever in Blue Jeans.
I have the basic chord structure down; it's simple enough. The pretty part in the introduction is tabbed a half dozen different ways on line. I'll probably pick the easiest and get it down, as I won't be playing this for the Ugly Americans any time soon.
I also spent some time with Judith by A Perfect Circle and Sweet Child O Mine by GNR. Those are both technically difficult songs made more so by the fact that I'm also singing them. I have most of both down (I am going to have to dump hours into the big solo for Sweet Child) on guitar but bringing it all together will take practice, and full band practice at that.
I'm continuing to work with our low-tuned songs for next practice as well. Fat Bottomed Girls is weirdly timed.
-Merlin out
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
New Beginnings
Hello. My name is Merlin and I play the guitar. I want to play the guitar better than I do, so I'm creating this blog to chronicle my self-teachings and practice plans. I'll also probably use this as an all-purpose music blog for both my cover band (The Ugly Americans) and my metal band (Static Factory). I'll be talking about songwriting and poetry in addition to guitar, but hey, the main thrust of this is to spur me to greater guitar skills.
2014 is the year of the song.
-Merlin out
2014 is the year of the song.
-Merlin out
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)