Welp. That Went Badly.

László

László

Too Many Notes
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
34,607
Location
Michigan
When last I checked, I was a pretty decent acoustic guitar player. OK, not a Tony McManus, but I could do an ad project and sound reasonably good. I'd never have bought my PS acoustic otherwise. Not that it'd have been wrong, just not something I'd have done.

But ever since Covid. I've played it only sporadically. I've concentrated on orchestral writing, and when I've played guitar, it's been mainly electric.

I've practiced the acoustic for the last couple of weeks trying to get the hands back in shape. Today I felt confident, and decided to record it and see how things sounded (I always think I'm brilliant until I hear playback). So I set up a mic, got the height just right, used the mic and mic preamp that have always sounded great with this guitar, and thought I'd be rockin' and rollin' like a champeen.

It was not to be.

Friends, when I heard playback, I wasn't just lousy, I was execrable.

Picking? Inaccurate. Timing? Marginal. Tone? Who could even tell with multiple failures to get an even, clean note. Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. An embarrassment to myself and all of humankind!

If people needed qualify for a license in order to play guitar, I'd have had mine confiscated by the guitar police right then and there. If playing badly was an indictable offense, I'd be doing time.

I have some work to do! I just hope it's not too late and I haven't lost it permanently! :oops:
 
Some days are like that. The last time I played at home (Wednesday), my ring finger got a cramp. All of my fingers feel older than I would like most of the time.

Today I decided to play my daughter’s 12 string for my Sunday morning porch series. It’s strings are way to old. Battery in the tuner was dead. And I had played a 12 exactly once this year and once last year. So I cheated and only played stuff I could make halfway work.
 
László said:
When last I checked, I was a pretty decent acoustic guitar player. OK, not a Tony McManus, but I could do an ad project and sound reasonably good. I'd never have bought my PS acoustic otherwise. Not that it'd have been wrong, just not something I'd have done.

But ever since Covid. I've played it only sporadically. I've concentrated on orchestral writing, and when I've played guitar, it's been mainly electric.

I've practiced the acoustic for the last couple of weeks trying to get the hands back in shape. Today I felt confident, and decided to record it and see how things sounded (I always think I'm brilliant until I hear playback). So I set up a mic, got the height just right, used the mic and mic preamp that have always sounded great with this guitar, and thought I'd be rockin' and rollin' like a champeen.

It was not to be.

Friends, when I heard playback, I wasn't just lousy, I was execrable.

Picking? Inaccurate. Timing? Marginal. Tone? Who could even tell with multiple failures to get an even, clean note. Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. An embarrassment to myself and all of humankind!

If people needed qualify for a license in order to play guitar, I'd have had mine confiscated by the guitar police right then and there. If playing badly was an indictable offense, I'd be doing time.

I have some work to do! I just hope it's not too late and I haven't lost it permanently! :oops:
Click to expand...
To paraphrase Schwarzenegger, you'll be back.

I don't find that acoustic is forgiving when neglected for a long time. I picked up my Martin the other day and was reminded how much stronger my left hand needs to be. My bet is that you get back before I do.
 
Don't Feel Bad, I Try To Play As Often As I Can And Still Sound Bad After Decades Of Wood Shedding. I Am Considering Dropping Guitar And Taking Up The Harmonica. It Is Less Expensive And Easier To Store "A Collection."
 
Funny, I feel the exact same way when I go back to my electric- I’ve spent the past 3 years playing to accompany myself on acoustic that I find that I overplay on my electric to the point of it sounding like mush. I need to figure out either how to use my electric in my solo music, or find another band to join!
 
László said:
When last I checked, I was a pretty decent acoustic guitar player. OK, not a Tony McManus, but I could do an ad project and sound reasonably good. I'd never have bought my PS acoustic otherwise. Not that it'd have been wrong, just not something I'd have done.

But ever since Covid. I've played it only sporadically. I've concentrated on orchestral writing, and when I've played guitar, it's been mainly electric.

I've practiced the acoustic for the last couple of weeks trying to get the hands back in shape. Today I felt confident, and decided to record it and see how things sounded (I always think I'm brilliant until I hear playback). So I set up a mic, got the height just right, used the mic and mic preamp that have always sounded great with this guitar, and thought I'd be rockin' and rollin' like a champeen.

It was not to be.

Friends, when I heard playback, I wasn't just lousy, I was execrable.

Picking? Inaccurate. Timing? Marginal. Tone? Who could even tell with multiple failures to get an even, clean note. Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. An embarrassment to myself and all of humankind!

If people needed qualify for a license in order to play guitar, I'd have had mine confiscated by the guitar police right then and there. If playing badly was an indictable offense, I'd be doing time.

I have some work to do! I just hope it's not too late and I haven't lost it permanently! :oops:
Click to expand...
Recently I picked up my acoustic after a long hiatus. Yeah, I was pretty rusty, but it was still inspiring, fun and enjoyable. Nothing more direct than hitting some strings and hearing the natural resonance through an unamplified guitar.
 
Bogner said:
Don't Feel Bad, I Try To Play As Often As I Can And Still Sound Bad After Decades Of Wood Shedding. I Am Considering Dropping Guitar And Taking Up The Harmonica. It Is Less Expensive And Easier To Store "A Collection."
Click to expand...
Plus, just think how much cash you could generate when you sell off that amp collection and all you need is one SE 5 watt combo for harp!
 
Back to the main topic for a moment, I did another practice/record session today.

It went better.

I concentrated on even dynamics, steady tempo, more accuracy, and playing each note cleanly. I played an Americana style - rhythmic flat-picking, almost like I'd want to fingerpick a rhythm track, with no solos. I created a little piece that was fairly repetitive, simple enough to concentrate on the basics I felt I needed to work on. About 117 beats per minute, which felt about right for where I am today.

I recorded about a minute and a half after I felt reasonably comfortable. There were a few notes that weren't clean, but for the most part it hung together and sounded reasonably proficient. I want to compare the recording with what I record, say, a week from now, to see if in fact I'm getting farther along, or just kidding myself. I need to hear the evidence! Memory can be faulty, but the tape doesn't lie. ;)

It's going to be a process. I'm taking it one step at a time. But, progress!
 
Last edited:
I severed the Ulnar nerve in my left wrist ( the "funny bone nerve') 15 years ago , and lost all the feeling in my pinky and ring fingers and side of my hand all the way down to the elbow. I could not play guitar for a year , I tried but it was like sticking a hot soldering iron up my hand. I thumped along on fretless bass .. Thankfully the the lack of feeling now is only in my hand/wrist and those two fingers , unfortunately the motor control for those fingers has forever been comprimised . After all this interim I can still play , thankfully and practice 2-3 hrs a day at least but virtuosity will have to wait for the next life.

Hanging around old blues guys lately , I've learned that technical wizardry isn't nearly as important as making EACH NOTE count .

Keep dusting off the cobwebs , we may not shine like new .. but hey vintage patina is a desirable look ....
 
László said:
Back to the main topic for a moment, I did another practice/record session today.

It went better.

I concentrated on even dynamics, steady tempo, more accuracy, and playing each note cleanly. I played an Americana style - rhythmic flat-picking, almost like I'd want to fingerpick a rhythm track, with no solos. I created a little piece that was fairly repetitive, simple enough to concentrate on the basics I felt I needed to work on. About 117 beats per minute, which felt about right for where I am today.

I recorded about a minute and a half after I felt reasonably comfortable. There were a few notes that weren't clean, but for the most part it hung together and sounded reasonably proficient. I want to compare the recording with what I record, say, a week from now, to see if in fact I'm getting farther along, or just kidding myself. I need to hear the evidence! Memory can be faulty, but the tape doesn't lie. ;)

It's going to be a process. I'm taking it one step at a time. But, progress!
Click to expand...
You Could Just Call Your Playing/Recording "Murphy Aged" And Slap A Higher Premium On It And Make Out Like A Bandit! Life Today Is All About The Spin...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
PRS CE24 and best paired amp
Replies
8
Views
61
Headset
H
andy474x
Let's talk gear that blew you away from the first note!
2 3
Replies
45
Views
1K
Mondoslug
M
ruger9
Pickups most like DGT pickups?
Replies
2
Views
73
Rider1260
Rider1260
I
New here, and just got a Modern Eagle V
Replies
8
Views
190
Tedder
Tedder
V
Blue color fade
Replies
15
Views
209
dogrocketp
dogrocketp
Back
Top