Skip to main content

Day One Hundred Fifty Six

I did my playing early today, because I knew family was coming in tonight, and I wouldn't have all that much time tonight. Turns out I was right.

It was the electric for me this morning. A little bit of warming up with scales, and then some work on the "Stairway" solo. I know I mentioned it last night, but it's really helpful to have both the regular speed solo, and the slowed down one in the same track. Hearing it both ways in succession really helps to comprehend the phrasing that Page uses. Oddly enough, it seems to me that the key to the timing on the entire solo is nailing the tempo coming out of the second series of notes. If the run that follows the first slide from the 8th fret up to the 10th fret is right on, then the rest of it just seems to flow. Getting the transition right at the end of that phrase and into the next one has been the point that hangs me up. I can get the notes right, I just don't have the phrasing yet. (This is what happens when you ignore it for three weeks). It's coming though, I can already tell with this slowed down version of the solo.

Hanging with family tomorrow during the day, so I'll be getting up early to do my playing again.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Day Two Hundred Six (Year Four)

Today was the first official day of the second half of my "album-in-a-month" challenge. As for today's goals, I wanted to see what I could get done in regards to track order, and get at least a little bit of a start on the lyric writing process. I spent more time working on the track order question than I did on the lyrics today, but as a result of that, I ended up with something that I think will work in terms of order. I did sit with the notebook for a few minutes at the very end of the day, and got a solid starting line of lyric and some other ideas that I hope will be jumping off points for lyrics. What I'm thinking I might do, however, is switch my focus from the lyric writing part of the process directly to the recording part of the process.  That way, if I can get the music recorded and burned onto a CD, I can take the music with me in the car, and listen and try to see what images and thoughts the music brings up.  It's a tactic that has worked for...

Day Two Hundred Ninety Two (Year Five)

Today was the last seminary village cookout of the year. While we were all sitting around the picnic tables eating dinner, I got a chance to talk with a few of the Mrs.'s classmates about guitar related stuff. As it turns out, more than one of them wants to be more proficient on guitar. I'm not saying that this will lead to more teaching opportunities, but I told one of them that I would throw a folder together for them. Essentially, anytime I get a chance to talk shop is a great chance for me to reinforce some of the things I have been focusing on. If nothing else, it gets me thinking ahead to tomorrow's day off and a chance to get into the studio for a decent amount of time.

Day Three Hundred Forty Two (Year Four)

Tonight was a slightly unfocused night in the studio. It was a night of acoustic stuff, but most of what I got accomplished involved tinkering with different songs by Jackie Greene and Johnny Cash.  If nothing else, I set up the next list of songs I want to figure out. Tomorrow night I need to start getting back to the Acoustic Goldmine book, as well.  Every time I sit down with the acoustic for an extended period of time, I reconnect with the emotional side of that instrument.  There's so much to learn still in that book, so much information designed to improve my playing.  I need to take better advantage of it. I know it's crazy, but I'm already looking forward to Friday.  I really need to spend a lot of the day in the studio.  Getting a weekday off of work is such a rare commodity.  I need to do a good job of using my time wisely.