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I found an old beat up acoustic guitar in a closet when I was 12. It had a cowboy painted on the front and only four strings. I taught myself to play with the help of "Play Guitar With the Ventures" and believe it or not I can still knock off Pipeline and Walk Don't Run without blinking an eye. I played with several cover bands (mostly classic and country rock) for many years and now just as a hobby.
My most memorable gig was the Ag Bag Drag (familiar to anyone who went to the University of Saskatchewan) where a fight broke out during a break and a speaker column was knocked over breaking the neck of my Rickenbacker completely off. Turned out to be a good thing in the long run though as it led me to meet the late Glenn McDougall (Fury Guitars) who built a new neck and repaired the guitar for me. I am now the proud owner of a beautiful Fury BBM which hangs prominently in my office.
My goal is to expand my playing to blues and jazz and I'm finding Robert's teaching style works nicely for me. My advice to anyone learning the guitar is not to focus on the destination, just enjoy the ride!
You have a great attitude to be able to consider a horrible event as a good thing! I would have been horrified!!! Glad it turned out well for you.
Robert is a great teacher and an inspiration. He helps us all enjoy the ride!!!
Posted : May 9, 2021 12:19
Welcome to the MGA! I do like that lemonade from lemons attitude. And what the hell, I'll diverge with one of those winding old guy stories from back in the day...
Halloween night 2002, and I'm in the house band holding down and open jam in Baltimore's Fells Point. All of fell's point was a madhouse and the bar was completely jammed with players and drunk college kids pub crawling. We get to closing time and there's a call for one last song which requires a significant donation to the tip bucket in advance. Up from the crowd the cry is heard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and several Dead Presidents enter the tip bucket. We lay down a great version of Sweet Home Alabama with a monster jam in the center section. Everyone is happy except for the fellow who threw the cash in the bucket- and he is reaching back into the tip bucket declaring that he meant Free Bird. To use the Glam Rock phrase, it was a ballroom blitz!
Good times.
Posted : May 9, 2021 16:17
Welcome Ernie! Good to have you here. I hope to hear you play a clip or two!
I remember a gig in Round Hill Alberta, where a drunk redneck girl got up on stage and fell backwards into the drums, which led a cymbal stand coming down on the neck of my guitar. Every time I play that guitar, the dent on the neck reminds me of that night. 🙂
Posted : May 10, 2021 10:12
Clayton reacted
Let me also welcome you. And thank you for reminding us and pointing out the very important essence of guitar learning: « not to focus on the destination, just enjoy the ride! »
With this in mind, enjoy your time here at MGA and stay healthy – you and your guitars!
Birgit
Posted : May 10, 2021 23:53
Clayton reacted
Topic starter
Some of the younger members may wonder how we survived before the Internet. Check this out...
This was on vinyl and include tablature. These guys were way ahead of their time!
Since we didn't have Google and YouTube, we had to wear out our records by "rewinding" them in order to decipher what Mick Jagger was singing.
Some of the younger members may wonder how we survived before the Internet. Check this out...
This was on vinyl and include tablature. These guys were way ahead of their time!
Since we didn't have Google and YouTube, we had to wear out our records by "rewinding" them in order to decipher what Mick Jagger was singing.
I wore out, and scratched, many of my favorite vinyl LPs back in the day. Running them at 16 RPM trying to pick out parts of songs... Life is so much easier now, though I do have a few more aches and pains going on these days!!! 😉
Posted : May 12, 2021 05:31
Marketing is right, there were so many opportunities that were not exploited because of the tight fisted business models back in the day. Not to open a can of worms, but the open access model to music that started in the 90’s and bloomed with the internet has given us so much material. It is astounding how much the new paradigm of digital access has changed the way we discover, access and learn just about anything. Yes, there are soooo many ways in which the digital age has allowed for degradation of content quality, etc. (Let’s leave that alone on MGA)
Look at Ron’s post with Josh Smith sharing information. It is astounding how much the information flows now that the valves have been opened. Just looking at the sunny side of the new world.
Posted : May 12, 2021 05:57
robert and Bluesiline reacted