"Muse" - ings on Rock & Life

So, I know I said that I really wanted to find a big chunk of time to spend in the studio today, more focused on the playing side of things.  That didn't exactly happen today.  What I did manage to focus in on was this list of songs that I've spent a bit of time with in the last week. Today was the biggest block of time I've had to put toward the song list, and I managed to make it all the way into "F."  Somehow that feels like a decent accomplishment for this sort of thing, where staring at it for too long is liable to drive one round the bend somewhat.  At any rate, the list is up into the 200's in terms of total songs.  I'm hoping, with a little luck, to be able to make it all the way through the iTunes by the end of this next week.  I bit off more than I could chew when I made that proclamation last week, but this week, I'm thinking I can pull it off. That said, I really need to get back to the playing side of things tomorrow.  The Mrs. works 4...

Not that it took much, but today was a better day than yesterday. I spent time with both the electric and the ukulele in my hands tonight, and both felt good (although it took a few minutes to get warmed up with the electric).  I'm still hoping to have a longer run of time in there tomorrow. The other thing I'd like to do tomorrow is make another substantial run at the song list.  I stayed away from it today, almost intentionally. I also made a bit of progress in The Inner Game of Music , which was good. Tomorrow needs to be more centered on the playing side of things for me, though.

The weekend is finally here! We were out tonight, and I picked up the new issue of Guitar World . Lynyrd Skynyrd on the cover this time around. There's a tab for 38 Special's "Hold On Loosely" in the magazine this month as well, which is one of those songs that I have always wanted to learn, but never really gotten around to, so that is a fun coincidence. I didn't get around to as much as I might have tonight, if only because the day was such an exhausting one. I was going to work some more on the song list tonight, but the idea of sifting through the iTunes wasn't all that appealing to me. I'm sure that I will get some work in on it this weekend, though. I got some listening in on the way to and from work, though, so that was good. I'm really looking forward to getting into the studio this weekend, and having a good chunk of time to play. I'm pretty sure that I need it.

Today was a fun day.  I didn't do much with the song list today, but I did get to spend some quality time with an instrument that I haven't picked up in a while: the ukulele. The Mrs. announced earlier this week that she intended to learn to play the ukulele this summer, as a distraction from all of the work she has going on.  She made it known that she would be looking to me for help, even though I "hadn't picked it up in a while," and "somebody ought to."  With that being the case, I figured that I should spend a little bit of time with it, and after she had started messing around with it tonight, I did just that. It felt good to get back to it, and while I was a bit rusty on some of the chords, they came back quickly.  I'm still thinking that I'll have to try and learn at least some of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" this summer.  That may be crazy but it still sounds like fun.

Today was a quieter day than I was hoping for, but I made some progress on a couple of things, so I'll take it as a win and keep moving forward. The biggest thing I made progress on was the song list that has been somewhat of a focal point this week.  I'm halfway through "B," at the end of the day today, and I'm up to 72 songs.  Something tells me that this list is going to be rather extensive. After working on that for a bit, I did a bit of studying, and was done for the day.  Not a lot to report today.  Felt like a small bit of a step back today.  I'll go after it again tomorrow, hopefully with better results.

Another better day today.  I spent more time in the studio tonight than I did yesterday, and while I wasn't singularly focused on any one thing, I made some progress on a few different fronts today, so I'll take it. It felt good to pick up the electric again today.  I knocked a bit more of the rust off, so that's a good thing.  As an added bonus, I only go in for the afternoon tomorrow, and so I'm optimistic that I'll be able to get into the studio for a little while tomorrow morning. I kept working on the ever expanding list of songs tonight, as well, making it all the way through "A" in iTunes.  It doesn't seem like much, I know, but I'm up to 51 songs. The other thing I did tonight was to start reading The Inner Game of Music.  I'm only about 20 pages into it, but it seemed like a better place to start than The Mastery of Music , which I had started in March and haven't made much progress in at all. Today was better than yesterda...

Today was a better day.  It wasn't quite everything that I wanted it to be going into it, but it was still a better day than I've had in a while. I kept working on that list of songs, and was able to push it up to 30.  The next step in that process is to go all the way through iTunes, and just add everything that seems like a lot of fun.  I'm giving myself a small bit of grace on that, and thinking that, if I spend a few minutes with it every day, I should (hopefully) be able to get it done by the end of next weekend. I got in a little bit of playing, and it felt good to get back in there and get a bit of work in.  It wasn't the huge day I was wishing for, but it was something. Also, I kept working out my thoughts on the practice binder, and just making small steps with that felt good.  I'm really confident that I'll get that where it needs to be sooner rather than later now. About the only thing I didn't get to today was any extended listening.  Wh...

I took a lazy Sunday, and used at least the end of it to get some more of the organizing for the summer in order.  I started up one of those spreadsheets that I made mention of the other day.  I spent maybe fifteen minutes with it, and have a decent start on a list. Tomorrow is setting up to be the big day of progress.  Admittedly, I had thought that might be today, but as long as I am smart with my time tomorrow, I should be able to get a lot done.  It's listening and (moreso) playing that are at the top of my list.  I'd also like to get more work in on this list of songs. That's really all I've got today.  Time for sleep.  More tomorrow, and better.

Today was another one of those days when I did more work in my head than I did in any other way. About the coolest thing that happened today was a conversation with my brother's girlfriend about practicing. Really, the best thing about having the last few days to do more thinking than doing is that it has gotten me to the point where I can truly just dive in and get to work tomorrow, and sometimes that can be the biggest help of all.

I headed up to Eau Claire after work today for my brother's graduation, and while it didn't give me a lot of time for guitar today, it gave me a lot of time for thinking through the summer. One of the cool thingsthat I found in the last few days was a printable spreadsheet designed to help you organize all of the songs you want to learn. That is one of the small things that will definitely be in my practice binder. Got a chance to do some listening tonight on the way up as well. I got all the way through the new Modest Mouse record. It's a strange, beautiful record that will require a few more listens to really be absorbed. All told, it was a long day, but a good one.

So, there were issues posting yesterday.  I'm still working out why things didn't post the way I had them written, but anyway... Today was a continuation of yesterday, in that I'm continuing to put pieces in order for organization and improvement over the summer.  I found a few articles tonight that I really liked.  The picture of the summer is getting a bit clearer with every day.  I'm really hoping the weekend can help me crystallize things even more. I've got a long drive tomorrow night after work (my brother is graduating from college on Saturday), which should give me ample time to do some thinking and organizing in my head as I go.  Then, Sunday and Monday should give me the time I need to physically get things in order. Today was a decent day.

Two months and a few days until I've been blogging for five years.  That's insane.  In a related story, I finally got a chance tonight to sit down and try to plan out (at least) the summer.  There were a lot of things that ended up on that list.  Whether or not I'll get to everything by the end of August, I have no idea, but here's a glimpse of what made the initial list: The biggest thing on there is the EP, but then again, that's no surprise, considering that I've had at least the germ of it buzzing around in my head for at least a year.  If there's a chance that we would be moving next summer, what it all comes down to for me is "did I make the best use of this space while I had it?"  If I can finish the EP, then that answer will be a resounding YES.  I'm hoping to be able to get the songs finished and recorded by the end of August.  That may be too adventurous, we shall see.  If I have to keep working on it in the f...

I made a bit of progress today when it comes to getting my goals and such for the summer plotted out.  Already, even with the small bit of progress I made tonight, my brain feels like it is quieting down somewhat.  There are some obvious goals for the summer, and then a few that are still a bit foggy.  I want to give myself tomorrow to get a better handle on where I sit before I write anything down in a serious list, though. It wasn't a lot of time in the studio tonight, but it was just enough time to let me know that I'm once again headed in the right direction. I know today's post is both short and vague, but I promise that tomorrow will bring more clarity and a longer post.  For now, however, sleep.

It took until part way through the day today, but I finally figured out what at least some of my hang up has been for the last few weeks.  I'm suffering from at least some form of organizational issues. It's not a physical organization problem, things in the studio are pretty well put away right now, it's more along the lines of me doing a bad job of plotting out goals and next steps lately, and thereby feeling somewhat adrift in a sea of too many options and not enough coherent structure of where to go next. That said, my goal for the rest of the week (along with fitting in more playing than I have recently) is to get the summer planned out music-wise as best as I can right now.  Just spending some of the day with that idea running through my head has helped ease my mind at least a little bit.  As usual, my day off for the week will hopefully involve a lot of this work, but if I can get some parts of it done other days this week, too, I'll feel a lot better by the ...

So, we got home from Northwest Iowa a little bit on the late side today, but we stopped along the way to stretch and walk around. In the process, I picked up Riding With The King , the album that B.B. King recorded with Eric Clapton. Somehow that album has eluded my collection until now, but given the recent passing of B.B. King, it seemed like a fitting time to pick it up. I had been hoping to sneak in a bit of listening before church this morning, but that chance never really presented itself. I am hoping that the coming week gives me a chance to get some work done in a productive and efficient run. I feel like I need it.

So, we headed for NW Iowa today, for a trip with a ridiculously quick turn around. Somehow I got it in my head that the best things to bring along with me music-wise were a book of Jimi Hendrix tabs, and my notebooks filled with lyric and chord progression ideas. I'm not entirely sure how those things go together, but I'msure there's a connection in there somewhere. The fact that I didn't have a lot of time to actually get much work done wasn't shocking, considering that we were hanging out with family, but I found a few minutes to sneak in a bit of work, and am hoping to get a bit of time to do some listening in the morning before church. It was a long day today, but definitely a good day.

Tonight was another decent night. Nothing spectacular to report, but I was able to have the electric in my hands all night. Most of my playing was just noodling while I sat on the couch, but it was nice to be able to spend some time loosening up my fingers. What I'm really looking forward to is tomorrow morning, when the Mrs. is at graduation, and I have the house to myself to get some work in.

So, while I didn't exactly make it into the studio tonight in any sort of official capacity, I did spend the night sitting on the couch with the electric in my hands. It was a much needed chance to get back to a bit of running scales and looking at a bit of theory. There wasn't a whole lot else today, but I was able to get to a bit of listening on the way to and from work, so that was good.

Today wasn't quite the huge day of music that I had hoped it would be, but it wasn't a complete bust, either. I got into the studio on the early side today, which felt like a miracle in its own right, considering the track record of the last few weeks. I got in some acoustic playing today, making an attempt at figuring out a song that I came across on a Criminal Minds episode. Oddly enough, the song is electric guitar based, so why I chose to go at it with the acoustic is anyone's guess. I came across a couple of different ways to go at the song, but didn't settle on a particular way that felt the easiest for me. That will come either tomorrow or Friday, when I can find a bit more time to sit down with the song. That was most of what I got done today, as a prior engagement took up most of my evening, thereby cutting short the rest of my time.

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.

Today was a better day. It was the start of a week that I hope will get me back on track. I spent some good time with the electric tonight. Actually got in enough time that my fingers are feeling a lot better than they have in a few days. I'm already thinking through tomorrow night, when I should be able to spend even more time working in the studio. Being off on Wednesday means that I am free to burn the candle at both ends tomorrow in a push to get as much done as I possibly can.

Today was a quieter Sunday than I had been expecting, but it was restful, which I think I needed.  I'm still on a pretty big high from the concert last night, which is cool, but I know for sure that tomorrow will need to involve more playing than the last couple of days have had in them. I did some listening this afternoon, but aside from that and a small bit of playing, my day was fairly void of music.  I feel like I let myself down in that regard, and that feeling will stick with me and push me to do better this next week. As much as I hate to say it, that's really all I've got for today.  More tomorrow, and lots better.

Tonight was the make up date for the Paul McCartney tribute band trio be at the Heritage Center. They played for a solid two hours, split about 50/50 between Beatles tunes and Wings tunes. The harmonies were tight, and the solos were accurate to their respective studio recordings. I know that I have said it before, but seeing live music always gets me pumped up to get back into the studio and practice. I can't wait until tomorrow, when I will have a bigger block of time to get some work in. Definitely a good day.

I downloaded a music theory map tonight.  Someone out there has put things together in a "first this, then that" way.  I'm pretty certain that I've got at least a basic knowledge of a lot of the things on the map, but it's going to be nice to be able to follow a bit more of a roadmap. I also read through the first of an old series of Steve Vai columns on ear training. After most of the week felt sluggish and lacking in direction, I knew going into tonight that  I needed to find a way to refocus things, and I feel like I was able to do that tonight. Mom's in town for the weekend, but I should still be able to carve out a decent amount of time to get some work in on music in the next couple of days.

Today was a better day. Oddly enough, after all of the talk about electric stuff the last few days, I spent all of my time in the studio tonight with the acoustic in my hands. I went back through some of the old issues of Guitar World Acoustic that I had rescued from my Mom's storage unit last year, and found myself taking a look at Uncle Tupelo's version of "No Depression."  I love both that song and that band. I must really be all over the plae right now, because as excited as I've been over the prospect of going solo electric, having the acoustic in my hands tonight felt really, really good.

Today wasn't the day I was hoping for, but it was still an okay day. When I went to bed last night, I wan envisioning a day where I got my running done early in the day, and then spent a huge chunk of time in the studio.  In the end, the only thing that went according to plan was getting my running done fairly early in the day.  While I was doing that, I made enough time to pick up the new Mumford & Sons disc and the new issue of Acoustic Guitar .  Jerry Garcia's on the cover of this one, and that sneakily confirms my theory that the Grateful Dead are trying to worm their way into my life. I did some more thinking about my solo electric endeavors, but didn't spend enough time on it today.  I had really wanted to sit down and work through a list of potential songs for it, but I didn't quite get around to sitting down and getting it done. Essentially, I'm sitting here at the end of the day and wishing I had almost my entire day back.  Not a great feeling...

Another decent day. I focused more on the electric tonight, wanting to keep the whole "performing solo electric" thing at the front of my mind.  I didn't quite go so far as to sit down and write out a list of songs that would be cool to try this with, but I'm thinking I'll give that a try tomorrow during the day. It was just good to get back into the studio again.  I'm finding that sense of consistency again. There wasn't as much playing tonight as there could have been, but I'm really looking at tomorrow as a big day for time in the studio.

Today was a much better day. I got into the studio later than I had hoped to, but still had a decent amount of time to spend in there, and I feel like I made fairly good use of it, all things considered. I'm never sure why the things that grab hold of me do so at the times they do, but tonight, I was sitting in the studio with the acoustic in my hands, trying to remember a bit of Damien Rice I had glanced at some months back.  I went to the shelf that has my tab books on it, pulled down the book for O , and spent the next half an hour or so working through bits and pieces of DR. From there, I did a bit of listening, and then switched over to the electric for a little while.  I had a conversation with someone who was at my window at work the other day.  He was cashing in change for gas money so that he could make it to the Quad Cities to play a gig.  We chatted, and he told me that he plays all of his gigs solo electric.  That's something I've been thinki...

Today was a quieter day than I had been expecting.  In fact, I didn't get around to much playing at all. What I ended up with was a low-key Sunday that had bouts of reading and studying, but nothing that ever approached the day of music that I was hoping for yesterday.  I know that these lulls are going to happen throughout the course of the year, I just wasn't thinking that this weekend would be one of them. All that means is that, as the week starts up, I need to be extra-vigilant about making sure that I get my studio time in for the next few days.  I've really got to get myself back into a good rhythm, because the last week and a half or so has felt like a down period.

Today was a much better day than yesterday.  I actually got to spend a solid chunk of time in the studio tonight, and was able to get to any number of things.  I: 1) Learned a bit of "High & Dry" by Radiohead.  There's an article in the latest issue of Guitar World on the 20th anniversary of The Bends , and the mag included a transcription of that song.  So, I did what anyone would do in that situation: I read the article and then started in on the transcription. 2) I picked up both the acoustic and the electric tonight.  I'll be the first one to admit that I could have spent more time with both of them than I did, but after the last few days, it just felt good to be able to get into the studio.  I'm really hoping that the slow build from yesterday to today sets me up for even better things tomorrow.  I could use a full-on productive day of music. I'm not quite over being sick, but I'm starting to feel more like myself, and if I'm getting my...

Today was a mostly quiet day. I had a get together with co-workers to attend after work, which was great fun, but definitely cut into my time in the studio. I tried to make up for it with some studying on the theory side of things, and was somewhat successful, but didn't get to as much as I would have liked to. I'm still hoping for a big weekend, but most of it is going to have to wait until tomorrow to really get started.