So, what are you learning now? 2019

[Dogwatch]

I've been working on my inversions and learning the root notes for them.  I'm finding it tricky to retain the information because I'm not playing often enough at the moment.

[J.W.C.]

Started working on Ashokan Farewell.

[J.W.C.]

After spending a lot of time on classical pieces and violin/viola accompaniment stuff on nylon string, I'm back to steel string for a while. I got out my Gretsch Honeydipper resonator, tuned it to open G, and dusted off my slide. I have a drums/bass backing track for Travelling Riverside Blues, and I've been working on that one. It's a blast to play.

[DavidP]

After spending a lot of time on classical pieces and violin/viola accompaniment stuff on nylon string, I'm back to steel string for a while. I got out my Gretsch Honeydipper resonator, tuned it to open G, and dusted off my slide. I have a drums/bass backing track for Travelling Riverside Blues, and I've been working on that one. It's a blast to play.

That sounds great.  On my list of ambitions, open-tuning, slide and playing on a resonator.  At this stage, I have a resonator and a slide.  Back to laying the foundation ... folk-finger style and IM foundation 1

[sairfingers]

I’m working on two John Lennon songs, Imagine and Woman. Also EC’s Tears in Heaven. (strumming not picking). Imagine and T in H are in Justin’s songbooks which I really like as his books have tips and advice, explanations etc. Lots of nice chord transitions and barre chord practice in these songs. I struggle a bit with some of the slash chords as I can’t always work out what notes to play when using sources other than Justin. Lots of fun! When it all gets too difficult I go back to a 4 chord Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door!

[J.W.C.]

I decided to learn some pop songs (I don't listen to modern pop, but I figured what the heck). I just learned "Old Town Road" (which I'm playing on an acoustic). Pretty easy, and sounds surprisingly good with just cowboy chords and vocal. (Actually, the vocal is the hardest part. You really have to pay attention when to grab a breath in some parts.)

Next up is "Bad Guy." Putting together an acoustic version of that might be more challenging. Not sure yet...

[Alex6strings]

I'm working on two tunes right now.   The first is  Blood Brother by Tommy Emmanuel which is pretty much done which is exciting for me.   The second is my arrangement,  or will be of Society by Eddie Veddie.   I have been kinda arranging this song in my head for years but now it's coming to life Im digging it alot.    I recently learned a beautiful acoustic guitar arrangement of Pachabels Cannon which is so much fun to play.  Life would Bb without the guitar.

Sent from my brain using a device, invented by a much larger brained person.

Sent from my brain using a device, invented by a much larger brained person.

[sunjamrblues]

Since my singing is so bad, I'm trying to learn blues harmonica, so I can at least get a little variety in my instrumental stuff.  I guess I could try to learn to be rapper, since they only talk, but my poetry is also pathetic.

[Alex6strings]

@sunjamrblues I am feeling every bit of what you're saying.   I offend myself sometimes when I sing,  so it can't be nice for other people.  I use that as motivation to play better guitar.    Harmonica is an idea I've thought of and I actually got myself a C harp.   Not for me.   Takes all my concentration to play guitar.  I guess my ex-wife was right,  I can only do one thing at a time.   When I jam with a mate who can play the harp,  it's so much fun. 

Please don't rap.   

Sent from my brain using a device, invented by a much larger brained person.

[embishop]

I recently learned a beautiful acoustic guitar arrangement of Pachabels Cannon which is so much fun to play.

That sounds like one you should post to AVOYP. One of my ambitions is to learn the Canon Rock version, but I could be inspired to (try to) learn an acoustic arrangement! 😃

Mari

[Alex6strings]

That sounds like one you should post to AVOYP. One of my ambitions is to learn the Canon Rock version, but I could be inspired to (try to) learn an acoustic arrangement!

Mari

I think you'll like the acoustic arrangement Mari.   I found it challenging but not overly difficult.  I really enjoy playing it, one of those very satisfying tunes.   I love cannon rock too! Never tried learning the whole thing but I've done lots of jamming along with the backing just for fun,  and fun it is.       I'll possibly do a vid of cannon as you suggested Mari.  I'd be happy to knowing you may get something out of it.   Leave it with me.  Cheers





Sent from my brain using a device, invented by a much larger brained person.

[close2u]

Mrs C and I have been avidly watching The fine TV adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale.
Series 3 is currently being broadcast in the UK.
Oh my - what prescient writing. It is spookily close to current events.
Anyway - series 3 episode 3 ...
There is a closing sequence in which the main protagonist delivers a monologue which seems to foretell of a tide turning.
And the background music is a song I used to listen to and play so many times in my younger days.
Yet a song I had totally forgotten about.
I was transfixed.
The song over powered what was a hugely powerful sequence in the drama.
Just because of the association I had of it.
I was unable to multi-task but could only listen to the song and not the monologue.
I had to re-watch the entire sequence next day and make myself concentrate on the characters words rather than the song.
And what a magnificent, powerful and moving sequence it is.
But wow, the song is all that too.
Perfect combination.

So, today was new string day on the acoustic.
And I had some spare time for playing.
I took the golden moment of crisp new strings and tuned to open D tuning.
D A D F# A D
I checked I still knew the basic shapes and then, for the first time in over 25 years, I played this:




Play it loud and soak it up.

[close2u]

And so, whilst in open D tuning I spent some merry time learning or re-learning:

Big Yellow Taxi

Shelter From The Storm
Tangled Up In Blue
Simple Twist Of Fate
You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
Up To Me
Dylan was big in to the open tuning for Blood on the Tracks - open E mostly though so capo 2 from open D.

[nigec]

I've been having a go at drop D, nothing exciting, the intro to A Day Of The Races and She's So Heavy the Beatles
The intro was the first thing I've tried to transcribe myself, She's So Heavy its repetative, but it helps me with a shake I have in my left hand, also I do the bass track for Boris the Spider which helps my hand (standard tuning) and  Black Sabbath's End Of The Beginning

[close2u]

More open tuning from me

Open G
Romeo & Juliet - Direc Straits
That's The Way - Led Zeppelin
Plus
Standard tuning
More Than Words - Extreme

[DarrellW]

More open tuning from me

Open G
Romeo & Juliet - Direc Straits
That's The Way - Led Zeppelin
Plus
Standard tuning
More Than Words - Extreme

More than words is a great one to learn, the syncopated slaps have always been my nemesis! I will get it some day 😂

[DavidP]

Yeah, Darrell, you suggested I give it a shot ... so just listened to the original recording on the Pronograffiti album. 

Beautiful. 

So not sure what you mean by the "slaps" ... the steady percussive hit throughout perhaps.   

And then there are the body taps.      And if you tried to reproduce the original, the lead just before the outro with the harmonics with vibrato.      And that is all before we talk about trying to sing the song.   

But a challenge for some day ... one day

[DarrellW]

Yes David, that’s it the percussive part that goes on throughout - I made the mistake of learning the chords first without the percussive part and then trying to add it later, big mistake, start as per Justin’s lesson for it, in the long term of learning the song it’s much better!

[DavidP]

Yes David, that’s it the percussive part that goes on throughout - I made the mistake of learning the chords first without the percussive part and then trying to add it later, big mistake, start as per Justin’s lesson for it, in the long term of learning the song it’s much better!

Thanks for the tip, Darrell ... I'll save the Justin Lesson for later.  For now am plugging away at a steady bass note for some 12 bar blues   So much harder to do that than just strumming a shuffle 

[J.W.C.]

After at least a month of barely picking up the guitar (life got busy), I've been putting some time into music the past week. I recorded a backing track (bass and guitar) for the song Loch Lomond, and have been learning to play the melody on a low-G whistle, trading off with my eldest daughter on viola. I had the track on my Ditto X2 looper. Tonight I went to save the guitar track, and accidentally held the switch too long and deleted it. Don't know what I was thinking. I'm annoyed. Now I have to re-do the bass and guitar.

[J.W.C.]

Working on a few things:

• Experimenting with a cut-capo (guitar in EBEABE). Very cool, especially on a 12-string.
• Working on arpeggios for the chords of the Autumn Leaves chord progression.
  
• Wild Horses in Open G (inspired by Justin's video lesson). Playing this on my resonator guitar, since it's currently tuned to open g, anyway.
• Working on smooth transitions to c-shape major barre chords (I find myself stumbling on that chord grip, sometimes).
• Learning to play the soprano and alto recorder. This is a development of my whistle playing. I like the whistle, but it's annoying that each whistle is diatonic to a specific key. The recorder is chromatic, so it's a little more versatile. There's also a huge repertoire of recorder music (especially baroque pieces). Anyway, I'm working through a soprano/alto recorder method book.
• Arranging various folk and classical pieces for viola + violin + (something). The something is usually guitar, but now can also be recorder or whistle.

A very recent arrangement of Telemann's Rigaudon in Am for soprano recorder, violin, and viola:

• Rigaudon in Am (PDF score)
  
• Rigaudon in Am (MIDI) (The MIDI export of the score didn't seem to include the trills.)
  

I just realized I neglected to add dynamics to the score. Need to address that.

I haven't arranged a guitar accompaniment part for the rigaudon, yet, but I think it would be pretty simple (probably just a bass note + chord on beats 1 and 2, for most bars). The harmony seems to based around A melodic minor (with those F#s and G#s), so it looks like it's mostly Am -> E7 transitions, then C -> G, then back to Am -> E7.

The recorder and violin parts are the same (i.e. doubled), although the soprano recorder is a transposing instrument that sounds an octave up from the way its notated. That melody line could be played by just about any treble instrument: recorder, violin, whistle (a g-whistle would be a good choice), guitar, flute, et cetera. If you try playing the melody line on guitar, I suggest playing it starting at the VII fret (the A on the d-string). That will make the staccato and legato portions easier than if you play it in first position with open strings.

The viola part could be played on some other "alto" or "bass" instrument: a tenor or bass recorder, a cello, et cetera. Even a piano (which could do the viola part with the left hand and the melody with the right). However, for many of those you'd need to adjust the viola part from alto clef to bass clef.

[licksnkicks]

Working on so much right now.

Here’s my list:

Enter sandman solo
Hey Joe solo and a big etc. The list is long.

I started practicing with a metronome every time I practice. It really keeps me on track .

[Lord_Gigabyte]

Since i realised a while ago that i completely neglected learning songs (i was too focused on technique), i made up a list.

Sitting on the dock of the bay
Working class hero
Polly
Redemption song

Layla as a future option....

[glpguitar]

Transcribing the whole Far More album from Lari Basilio.

If you do not know her, here's the making of album:




A few months ago, Captain also posted an interview with her on Andertons YouTube channel if anyone is interested. She is an amazing musician and seems a very nice person as well. Was quite disappointed that I was on holidays and missed her gig.

[J.W.C.]

Acoustic Guitar (steel-string)

• Still playing around with DADGAD and EBEABE (with a cut capo). I'm making an arrangement of a Celtic tune. (Guitar, violin, viola, and probably whistle or recorder, plus bodhran.)
• Still working on arpeggios, but now I'm improvising with them (still over the Autumn Leaves progression) and mixing in pentatonics.
  
• Been brushing up on triads on string 4-3-2, going around the circle of fifths.
• Various strumming + vocals songs

Classical Guitar

• Working through Etudes from a method book
• Re-learning Le Cygne (I neglected it for months. It's coming back, though.)
  
• Robin Reddocke (lute song arranged for guitar)
  

Recorder

• Working through a method book (alto recorder)
• Sakura (alto recorder)
  
• Kalevala Melody (alto recorder)
  
• A Jig (soprano recorder)
  
• Minuet in D Minor (Handel) (soprano recorder)
  
• Rigaudon in Am (Telemann) (soprano recorder)
  

Piano

I recently bought a Yamaha digital piano to go in my office. I've been playing piano a lot more now that one is handy. (We have a piano in the living room, but there's always activity out there, and all my music stuff is in my office, anyway.)

• Chord inversions (circle of fifths)
• Chord inversions (I-V-I and I-IV-I progressions)
• Scales
• Re-learning old repertoire pieces. Currently working on Stardust Falls and Prelude Opus 28 No. 20 (Chopin)
  

Ear Training

Using Toned Ear and working on identifying harmonic intervals without using a fixed root. I've discovered that's a weak spot, for me.