Yes, it’s NFL playoffs time. I watched the 49’ers beat Detroit and the K.C. Chiefs beat the Ravens. I was hoping the Detroit Lions would make the Super Bowl.
And yet, I still found time to play guitar at the end of the day for 60 minutes.
What did I Learn Today?
- Getting better at E Minor Pentatonic practice as suggested by my Old Town School of Folk Music instructor, Henry A.
- Strumming is my main impediment.
- Learn guitar songs for kids.
E Minor Pentatonic Practice
My instructor Henry A. gave this as an assignment for this week. I am enrolled at the Old Town School of Folk Music. (Lucky me, I live in Chicago.)
I am getting better at it but there’s so much more to learn. I need to do it with alternate picking. Playing notes with my right thumb is easy, using a pick adds a degree of complexity.
But why am I learning this? Henry A. said it’s a common riff used in many songs. Also it’s good finger exercise and memory practice.
Strumming is Hard – Country Roads by John Denver
Strumming remains a significant impediment to getting better at guitar. I learned how to play an A chord but that was easy by comparison. So I won’t give up, I’ll just keep on strumming and seek better guidance.
For example, how would I analyze the song “Country Roads” by John Denver regarding good strumming for the song?
- How do you analyze a song to know its beat (4/4 or 3/4 or whatever)?
- How do you pick a strum pattern. I know at least 4 strum patterns but I don’t know them in my heart, yet.
- How do you align the strum with the chords being played?
- When do you add dynamic rhythm to each strum?
Learn Guitar Songs for Kids to Sing
My wife is a smart and wise woman.
During the NFL playoffs she said, “Learn songs for the kids.” My grandson is starting to sing Happy Birthday and Kumbayah. My granddaughter loves “Deep in the Heart of Texas”, “She’ll be Coming Round the Mountain”. Although I can play “Good Hearted Woman” for my wife, my grandkids don’t understand it (and neither should they).
So I will spend some practice time learning kids songs so my grandkids can join in more when I play guitar on my 1/2 “Play and Learn” Hohner guitar.
Accordions, Oboe, and Guitar
So I played accordion when I was less than 10 years old. I was horrible.
Oboe came in 4th grade. It was the only instrument I could play so they said I was an oboe player. I was decent but didn’t practice much. My oboe career ended freshman year of high school when a cork repair to my oboe was an estimated $250. A staggering amount a long time ago.
So now it’s guitar. Even now after 4 months of guitar I can play familiar songs, badly. I am at the “plinking” level where many people probably drop out. They can play a song decently in their basement, and that’s good enough for them.
Here’s hoping my guitar playing will go well. It already has gone well 🙂
Thanks for Visiting KaizenGuitarist.com Today
Keep exercising. Play guitar for some kids. And be Kaizen with tiny improvements in your playing every day.
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