Let’s see if I can write a shorter journal entry tonight.
Yesterday I purchased the very nice Bristol BM-16 guitar so why would I practice on the 7 year old Journey JF410 and the 54 year old Sears Roebuck student guitar?
Because they are my guitars 🙂
Also, I knew the Bristol BM-16 is very easy to play (low action, Elixir Nanoweb strings). I wanted more practice on my Journey JF410 guitar that’s my travel guitar for a trip to Florida. Its action is a bit high and the new strings are not as friendly as the Elixir Nanoweb.
What did I learn today?
- I can play a guitar with high action if its well set up (Journey JF410 and Sears Roebuck 1969). Its a bit more painful, but I can play them.
- The song Stand by Me by Ben E. King is great strumming practice for me.
- Learning new chords is a revelation to me, a joy.
Practice Routine – Perhaps in future blog posts I will just say I practiced 90 minutes. But I want fellow beginners to know I practice guitar on average 1 1/2 to 2 hours a day.
- Finger stretching.
- Finger exercises.
- Peter Gunn
- Cream riff
- Exercise of Champions
- E Minor Pentatonic Scales
- Richard’s Riffs
- G, Em, G, Em, C, D, G
- Am, C, Em, A7, D
- Practice all 20 known chords
- Practice four different strums on Richard’s Riffs (see above)
- Play “Angel from Montgomery” by John Prine
- Use Justin Guitar app to practice “Old Faithful Strum” for Stand by Me by Ben E. King. It’s my daily strum practice.
- Pushed forward to Justin Guitar section II modules (I a pay a monthly fee for access to it).
- Practice children songs as I chill out on guitar.
Guitar Practice Notes and Observations below – I keep a pad of paper next to me while I practice the guitar. I write down my observations. Perhaps it’s too much. But I’ve always studied that way 🙂
Journey JF410 Guitar – Every Guitar has its own Balance
I played two 36 inch guitars today. They both balance differently. It’s important that the neck should float in the air balanced rather than your neck hand supporting the neck.
I guess you could tell me to just play one guitar well. Sorry, that’s not enough fun for me. I like visiting different guitars every day. Although I do seem to practice the most on my Fender CD60 acoustic.
I enjoying the booming voice from the Journey JF410 guitar. It will travel with me to Florida. But I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to play if were strung with Elixir Nanoweb strings with a lower action. But since the guitar cost $80 and has new strings, I don’t want to pay $70 for a setup. So far now, I’ll just get used to the Journey JF410 the way I bought it.
Stand by Me song for great Strumming Practice
After almost 4 months of guitar study, I know over 20 chords, I can play various songs marginally, and my strumming skills are not so good. Strumming is a major impediment to becoming a better, Kaizen Guitarist.
Stand by Me as a song is incredibly good practice. It is part of my routine. Each day I push my speed in practicing it, increase BPM (beats per minute).
Need a Capo
I think I know what a capo can do for me. I think if I use one, remembering my chord shapes, I can adjust songs higher/lower so I can sing them.
Sears Roebuck 1969 Student Guitar – Kind of a Stella Guitar
I switched from the Journey JF410 to saying “hello” to my Sears Roebuck “Atomic” Guitar from 1969.
Yes, “Summer” the guitar (my Sears Roebuck 1969 guitar) was manufactured in the Spring of 1969 on Chicago’s south side at the Harmony Factory. So why do I call her “Summer”?
Because I graduated from high school on Chicago’s north side in the Spring of 69. Yes, I could call her “Spring” but I like “Summer” better. So in the summer of 1969 before college, I “could have” purchased this guitar, but never even thought of it.
I struggle with this guitar. I know I can double or triple what I paid for it by selling it again. It’s action is too high and with new guitar strings its a bit painful to play. The 7th fret is too high so it causes some frett buzz in that area. It even smells of cigarette smoke after living in a McHenry, IL, home for 54 years. So why do I keep it?
It’s just has a bright, almost brassy voice. Its all wood, not good wood, just plain old birch. But when I strum it, it just rings out. It just sounds bright and cheerful and it makes me happy to be with it (I know, this sounds silly).
How great does it sound? I encourage you to visit Jake Wildwood’s website and his page on the 1970 Harmony Sears Parlor Guitar. Search his page to find a sound clip of him playing that guitar. My guitar sounds as bright as does his guitar.
His website is wonderfully well written, full of beautiful graphics. And he plays his guitars. One day if I can afford it, he might fix my Sears Roebuck student guitar.
Learning New Chords is a Revelation, a Joy
I was trying to learn a new song (thanks Tom G.). I still can’t play it.
But what’s amazing is that it required 3 new chords that I have never seen before plus my old friend the C chord. See below.
All these chords were easy to play. I will learn them probably in a few days. And my learning sheet with 84 chords doesn’t even list them. What are they?
Apparently, the C/G chord shape on the right is called a C Over G Chord. I’m new to this so whatever it is it sure does make a nice sound. And apparently, I have lots of music theory to learn.
As a Shoshin (beginner) guitarist diagnosed with moderate hearing loss, I very much enjoy the beautiful sounds I can make on a guitar (acoustic or electric). Whether I use a hearing aid or not, C Over G Chord is beautiful.
Thanks for Visiting Kaizen Guitarist
Before I started blogging about my guitar journey, I kept a handwritten journal. So I wanted to capture my learnings in a website for myself and for my readers. Today I practiced 90+ minutes and this blog post has taken a solid 60 minutes.
Give me your feedback. Was today’s post just too darn long for you? Did you enjoy it? Did you learn anything useful from it? Thanks.
And thanks for visiting Kaizen Guitarist today.
Be Kaizen and Keep on Playing your Guitar.
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