"Muse" - ings on Rock & Life

Tonight's post already feels like a random hodgepodge of information, and I haven't really started it yet. 1) Not quite finished with getting all of the music organized on the new computer.  I'm very close (there are only a few things left to be transferred), but after getting the wrong power cord from the friend that sold me the computer, the battery is almost down to nothing, and I can't get the cord until tomorrow, so I called an early halt to the rest of the transferring for the night. 2) Read an article from the AV Club about how the average age most people stop listening to new music is 33.  It makes me happy that I officially buck that trend.  Here's a link to the article.   http://www.avclub.com/article/new-study-shows-people-stop-listening-new-music-33-218752 3) Did a bit of studying tonight.  Felt good to get back into some sort of rhythm with things.  The last few days have felt very scattered. Can't believe the weekend is here tomorrow.  I

Another quiet studio day today, but this time it was thanks to my desire to have all of the music on the new computer.  I'm finishing up transferring all of my music over to it as I write this.  I'm three quarters of the way done. While I've been working on that project, I've been checking out the new issues of the guitar magazines that I picked up yesterday morning.  I know that studying columns and lessons isn't practicing, in the "guitar in my hands" sense, but everyone talks about being able to run through concepts and ideas while you are away from your instrument, so I indulged in a bit of that this evening. I did a bit of listening today, too.  I keep coming back to the latest Manchester Orchestra record.  There's something about that album that has stuck with me big time.  Tomorrow I really need to find a way to get some quality studio time in.

So, I didn't make it into the studio tonight, but I didn't get in there for a good reason. I got a new laptop today, and have spent the bulk of the evening getting both music and other files transferred onto an external hard drive, so that I can have an easier time getting everything loaded onto the new computer. What that means for the music is this: the old laptop will now be moving into the studio to facilitate progress in there. I have wanted a computer for the studio for a long time now, so that will be great. Also of note today: I finally got around to picking up the new Alabama Shakes record, and I snagged the latest issues of Guitar World and Guitar Techniques. All told, it was a pretty good day.

Had a bit of time in the studio at the end of the day today, but I was feeling low energy again, so not a whole lot of playing got done. I did pick up the electric for a few minutes tonight, but most of my time in the studio was spent doing a bit of reading in The Mastery Of Music , a book I had started when we were in Chicago, and had proceeded to mostly ignore since then. So, after expecting to have the whole day off tomorrow (and with it a good shot at channeling some energy and getting some good work done in the studio), I walked into work today to find they need me to come in and work the afternoon tomorrow.  Good for the paycheck, but not for the studio time.  All that means is that if I want a crack at some decent time with a guitar in my hands tomorrow, I'm going to have to get up on the early side. Then again, anything I get to tomorrow will be better than I felt I did today.

So, I finally got back into the studio tonight.  Having felt like death warmed over for most of the last week, by this afternoon, I was finally starting to feel like I had enough of my wits about me to be able to go into the studio and be somewhat productive. I broke in the new strings for a bit, and they sound great.  I always forget how full and crisp and clean everything sounds with a new set of strings.  I also took a very quick glance at a bit of tab (Brad Paisley's "Alcohol") and fit in a bit of listening before my energy started to fade again and I needed to call it a night. Considering where I started the weekend, today wasn't too bad, although I would have liked to get more done.  I've got Tuesday off this week, so if I can build off of today, I should be able to turn in a respectable start to the week.

Made it to Uncle Ike's around 11:30 this morning. The line wasn't too long, but I was still there until about 1:30, between waiting in line and then looking around. I'm just glad that there wasn't a ton of money sitting in my guitar fund, or I would have been walking out of there with a brand new Telecaster as well. I'm always glad to have some needed repairs done on my instruments, because it makes the urge to play even stronger than normal.  Today, however, I was still fighting this rather wicked cold, so by the time I got home from Ike's, I was exhausted. Did some listening during the rest of the day, but didn't get much else accomplished. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

So, I sort of figured that I'd spend the weekend either immobile and recovering from this wicked cold that has laid me out for the last 96 hours, or I'd spend it rocking out with an electric guitar in my hands.  I was somewhat wavering back and forth until I got home from work tonight and the Mrs. told me that the local guitar shop is having their annual "bring in a guitar, get it re-strung for free" event tomorrow.  The Strat needs new strings.  Guess that answered my question about the weekend. The electric was within arm's reach from the moment I got home, and I did some playing tonight, but I'll freely admit that most of what I did was watch the closing episode of Sonic Highways .  What a great series.  Now all that remains is the nearly three hours of special features. This weekend, I'd like to do some studying, some writing, some reading, and some listening.  Wish me luck.

I'm still not feeling all that great, but I was able to focus a bit better than I have been able to the last few days.  I still spent the whole night on the couch with the electric in my hands, but there was more playing than there has been. Musically, I am feeling pretty good right now. I'm looking forward to the weekend and the time to get healthy and work on things in the studio. I'vegot to believe that tomorrow will be a better, more productive day.

Still not feeling all that well, but the Mrs. was kind enough to grab my electric out of the studio for me tonight.  I happily sat on the couch in some semblance of a fog and ran scales. I had time to do some listening on the way to and from work (the new Waxahatchee disc), but aside from that, I didn't get much else accomplished today.  That feels like a huge letdown.  Tomorrow needs to be a better day.

I dragged myself into the studio tonight (think I might be coming down with something), because after the last few days, I felt like I really needed the time in there. Once I got in there, I started off with some of the scale work that I had briefly looked at yesterday.  I spent a few minutes on that, and then stopped to do a bit of listening, which in turn led me to the final part of my work for the evening. In the last fifteen minutes or so that I spent in the studio, I turned my attention to the songwriting side of things.  I've been fighting on and off recently with a song idea that I just can't seem to get quite right.  Each time I go back to it, though, I feel like I get a little bit closer, and I spent another few minutes with it tonight, in the hopes that the final breakthrough would happen... no such luck, but it did feel good to try and pick up the thread again on that particular idea. More tomorrow, and better.

Well, I'm down to the final episode on Sonic Highways .  Such a great series, and definitely something I will revisit over time. I did some studying in regards to scales today.  Hadn't sat down and did that in a little while, and it seems like things are sinking in a bit better than they were before, so maybe the break helped in that regard. The one thing I didn't get to much of today was listening, which is a shame, because I've got so much great stuff to dive into in that regard. I really did want to get more done today, but time sort of evaporated on me.

Realized after I posted yesterday that I forgot to post the picture I got of my destination on Record Store Day, so here's that for good measure: Today was a good day.  I got to spend time in the studio with a guitar in my hands, I got to do a bit of listening, and I found time to sneak in another episode or two of Sonic Highways .  All told, I'd consider that a win. There's a lot I want to get done tomorrow (oh, the joys of the occasional three day weekend) that is more specific in terms of studying and playing, but today I was happy with some time to jam and some time to relax.  Tomorrow will be a more detail oriented day where the studio is concerned.

Record Store Day today, and while I picked up a few things, I didn't end up bringing home anything on vinyl. Here's what I came home with: Ivy Tripp - Waxahatchee Little Earthquakes (Deluxe Re-Issue) - Tori Amos Under The Pink (Deluxe Re-Issue) - Tori Amos I started with the Waxahatchee record, and I'm really enjoying it so far.  I'll get to the Tori in the next few days, but that felt like a longer experience than I felt I had the energy for today. Also, I watched the first two episodes of Sonic Highways today.  That series is pretty epic, and I can't wait to watch a bit more of it tomorrow. Oddly enough, the thing I didn't have enough time to really get into today was the playing side of things.  That part of the day was frustrating, but I'm hoping for a much better day tomorrow in that regard.

Today was a mostly quiet day. I called the record store, just to make sure that they had gotten the new Waxahachie record in today, and  put a copy of it on hold once I knew that they had.  I'll pick it up tomorrow, which just happens to be record store day. I got into the studio for a few minutes, and did a bit of studying and playing, but was pretty worn out at the end of the week, and so I decided to make it a short night and dive in with a renewed focus tomorrow morning. All told, it was a quiet day, but not a bad one.

Today was a really good day that still left me feeling like I could have done more. I taught today, both my student and his father (who brought his own guitar, and wanted to learn a bit after the initial lesson), and I didn't realize how much I missed it.  Just being able to share information and questions back and forth not only helped my students out, but also helped me to clarify a few things in my own mind.  I'm doing better than I give myself credit for this year.  I'm not where I'd like to be yet, but I know that I'm getting closer. Stopped by the record store today, in search of the new Waxahatchee record.  Apparently they will have it in tomorrow, so I guess I'll be stopping back there after work.  I ran a few other errands, and in the process, scored the Blu Ray of the Foo Fighters documentary.  Something tells me that Sonic Highways could keep me justifiably busy for most of the weekend.

Today was an okay day in the studio, but it's tomorrow that I'm really looking forward to. That said, tonight I: 1) Found a few random lines of lyric that I got to add to my notebook. 2) Tried to get ready for my lesson tomorrow afternoon, and made a bit of progress in so doing, but will need to take another crack at it tomorrow before my student(s)? show up just to make sure I've got all my ducks in a row. 3) Spent more time with the electric than I did anything else.  That has become the norm again.  I need to get back to the acoustic tomorrow for a while.  Teaching will help that. 4) I really need (want) to pick up Ivy Tripp , the new Waxahatchee record, tomorrow.  A trip to Moondog might just be in order. I know it's vague, but that's all I've got for today.  Tomorrow's post will be more focused, I promise.

A few things to note tonight, although there wasn't quite as much time to play tonight as I had been hoping for at the start of the day. 1) I took a shot at the solo for "Baba O' Riley."  I didn't get it down perfectly by any means, but then again, I didn't spend a whole lot of time with it tonight.  In all honesty, I spent more time playing through the rest of the transcription than I did with the solo tonight, but I made a bit of progress in my limited time tonight, so that was cool. 2) I'm off Thursday this week, and apparently (for the first time in what feels like forever) I'm also teaching in the afternoon.  That will be fun, it'll be nice to reconnect, see where things sit, and dive into learning and explaining again. 3) I spent a couple of minutes on a lesson from the most recent issue of Acoustic Guitar as well tonight.  I felt like I covered a broad range of things in a very short period of time, but that will give me more to focus

Another good night tonight, and a solid follow up on yesterday. I, again, started by paging through the newest issue of GT .  Having touched on that column regarding scales the other day, tonight I decided to turn my attention to one of the transcriptions from this month's issue: The Who's "Baba O'Riley."  That song has always been one of those that just gets cranked up as loud as possible whenever it comes on the radio.  And, as much as I love it, I had never thought of learning it on guitar (don't ask me why, as I have no good response).  It's pretty much all Bb, F, and C, and once I got started looking at it, I very quickly progressed to the point of putting it on over the speakers and rocking out along with it.  The only thing I didn't try to learn tonight was the solo.  It doesn't look terribly hard, though, so maybe I'll give that a go tomorrow night. That's really all I've got today, but it was a fun, and productive night in

Tonight in the studio was the night I was looking for. Having spent a lot of time in the last few days focusing in on scales and fretboard patterns, tonight I decided that I wasn't in the mood for more studying.  Tonight, I wanted to focus on trying out some of the things I've been working on. With that in mind, I cued up The Refreshments on my iPod, plugged in my mini-speakers, and started working out melody lines over "Preacher's Daughter."  After playing around with a few ideas on my own, I went digging for the transcription of the song that I knew I had.  After finding that, I learned the intro solo, and then started working on the mid song solos that appear.  I didn't get those all the way down, but I had a good time working on what I did. Heading into the week, I'd like to keep going with both the theory, and the woodshedding as a way to get the ideas underneath my fingers in a more practical sense.  I really don't do enough of that, and in

Today was a quiet day, which I expected.  With it being the only full day that Mom is here, I knew I wouldn't get a lot of time to focus in on music. I did have a chance to pick up new issues of Acoustic Guitar (with Brandi Carlile on the cover) and Guitar Techniques .  The GT answered a reader's question on learning scales that will come in handy, and has a cool lesson on country guitar, which only makes me want to unleash my inner Brad Paisley.  I haven't gone through either issue in depth yet, but just skimming through, I can tell there will be plenty to keep me busy in the next month. Had a chance to start listening to a few of the new releases I've picked up recently, too.  Again, it wasn't a ton of time, but it was something, and I'll take that today.

Today was one of those days that I knew would slip away from me pretty much from the moment I set foot in the studio.  I got in there on the late side tonight (we did a late dinner with Mom).  The first thing I did was go over the GW columns from yesterday, just to make sure that things were still tracking for me.  They were!  With that accomplished, I tried to move forward, only to discover that my brain was too full to accommodate more information tonight.  What that says to me is that I need to: a) sleep on the work I have done b) concentrate on where I am right now At some point this weekend, I need another session like I had yesterday.  Intensely focused, and about an hour in length.  I know it will fit in somewhere in the next 48 hours.  Where, exactly, still remains to be seen.

Today was, hands down, the most productive day of the week. I got a good forty five minutes to an hour's worth of time in the studio tonight, and I made excellent use of the time I got.  I kept focusing on the GW columns, but instead of just scratching the surface of what they have to offer, I got deeper into them tonight, and I feel like things are finally starting to pay off this year. I took a look at the concepts outlined in the first four columns, and in so doing, I was able to see enough of the through-line to know the way that the groundwork is laid out.  Seeing that helps put things in perspective, and it also shows me where I need to do a bit more work.  Heading into the weekend, that's the perfect place to be at.  Granted, my Mom will be in town, but I'm pretty confident that I can still find some time to get into the studio and keep building on the work I've put in. I still believe in my gut that this year will be the year it all falls together for me,

A much needed night of live music tonight.  The Annie Moses Band was playing on campus at the Heritage Center, and thanks to the ticket package we bought at the start of the year, we got to attend. The show was based around their upcoming album (due out in September), and called "Rhapsody In Bluegrass."  It was American music and influences, filtered through the lenses of classical, rock, folk, and (yes) bluegrass. For a large ensemble (drums, bass, piano, two fiddles, viola, organ, harp, mandolin, acoustic, & electric guitar) they managed to meld sounds and voices pretty well.  The harmonies were excellent, and if certain instruments tended to get lost in the mix at different times, that just gave an extra opportunity to focus on what voices and instruments came to the forefront at those moments. The show was energetic and fun, definitely keeping the audience well involved.  It was hopeful, uplifting music that provided a needed burst of energy in the middle of the

Today was another decent day. I spent the night sitting on the couch with the electric in my hands, working through notes and scales, going through things I'm already comfortable with in order to ensure that the base of my work is solid. I'm really trying to take my time and work through the columns. It's working, but even so, I could stand to speed things up a little bit. As slow and steady as the last few days have been, I feel like tomorrow needs to be more productive.

An okay day. I made some more progress through these Guitar World columns.  As before, slowly but surely the pieces are dropping into place.  Things that I had worked through earlier are coming back quickly, which is a good thing. I'm off tomorrow, and I'm really hoping for a good chunk of time that I can use to get into the studio and dive into things a little deeper than I feel I've been able to in a while.  I need it.  As busy as things have been lately, just getting into the studio for a good chunk of time will feel like a victory, regardless of the work that gets done. Right now, however, sleep is in order.  More tomorrow, and better. 

Another okay day today. It was much the same as yesterday in terms of what got attention, although I did manage to get some time with the Chuck Berry lesson today. I had watched the video that they put up on the website, and just taking a quick look at that really helped my progress today. We got in on some good music this morning at sunrise service, which I would be remiss if I didn't at least make mention of. It was most of the listening and absorption that I got to do today, and while it wasn't always perfect, it was a good time overall.

Today was an okay day.  I picked up the new issue of Guitar World .  There's a lesson on Chuck Berry, and a transcription of "I Love Rock & Roll."  If that's not enough to get someone fired up, then I don't know what is.  I played around more with the Joan Jett tonight than I did the Chuck Berry lesson, but that will be a focus tomorrow. I also did a little bit of theory work (not as much as I maybe should have), and fit some listening into my day. Not a ton to report, but not a complete loss either.  I'm hoping that tomorrow will be a more productive day.  Time for sleep, though.  Sunrise service for Easter starts at 6:15.

Another good day in the studio. I kept going with the theory studying, and things are starting to click into place, just like I expected they would when I got back to it.  A good day of work tomorrow will only further that feeling.  I'm really looking forward to seeing what the weekend has to offer from a musical point of view.  The Mrs. works 8-3 tomorrow, so if I can manage to pry myself out of bed at a decent hour and be productive, I should be able to get in a good amount of work during the day. We stopped by the record store after dinner tonight, and both of us did pretty well.  Here's what came home with us: Carrie & Lowell - Sufjan Stevens I Love You, Honeybear - Father John Misty Pure Fiction - Eric Hutchinson Kintsugi - Death Cab For Cutie Unida Cantina - Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers All told, it was a good day all around.

Another good day today, but also another day with limited time in the studio. I finally got back to the GW columns that I had been working from.  I had taken them along to Chicago a few weeks back, hoping that I would be able to put in some serious time with them, but it didn't quite work out that way.  It was good to get back to them, do a bit of review, and see where I'm at.  I also sat and watched the first of the videos that goes along with them. Again, not a lot of time tonight, but I'm happy with the reviewing I did, and I'm ready to head into the weekend, where I'm hoping I will have more time to practice and study.

Today was a much better day than yesterday. I got a small amount of time in the studio tonight, but I made the most of it, by going through the first couple of chapters of a PDF I found online a while back on scales and fretboard knowledge.  Not everything that's in there will end up making my practice binder, but there are definitely some sections/ideas that will be included. I got a bit of listening in today, too, in the brief moments between work and home. Not as busy of a music day as I would have liked, but we're past the mid-point of the week.