Ask and you shall receive...

[deathpixie]

So, yesterday was the day I asked for - a good day. No-one got on my case about anything, work was pretty good (for what it is) and I had my first guitar lesson with Johnny. That natural ear for pitch is coming in handy. Of course, the fingertips of my left hand aren't happy with me now - they're bruised-feeling and numb all at the same time, which makes typing weird - but I've learned how to read my chord chart on the wall and with practice I'll remember the actual chords. I'm going back to practice in a bit - needed my second lunch and I'm having trouble tuning the high E string. It's being particular. :P

After the lesson was the gym with Mindy while Dex was at poker, and then the pub for food. And beer. Possibly more beer than I should have had, but I was feeling in a good mood. Needless to say, I was a bit seedy this morning.

Winter has fled. There hasn't been any snow for a week or two now, and yesterday it was around 8 degrees. Warm enough to sit outside the bakery during my break in a t-shirt and jeans. *pouts* I've been gypped.

Okay, back to practice for me - want to try and get at least an hour in every day. It's the only way the fingers are going to toughen up.

Comments

[khanfused.livejournal.com]

>>Okay, back to practice for me - want to try and get at least an hour in every day. It's the only way the fingers are going to toughen up.

Try ramping up your practice times. An hour a day (esp. if you've got a steel string guitar) may hurt more than a little, and set you up for a nice mental block towards practicing more.

My guitar teacher starts people out at "just five minutes a day" at home (given that most of his students are first-timers, have JUST bought/borrowed a cheap guitar, and aren't too sure about the playing-music thing, other than 'this could be cool'). This gives them a chance to build up muscle memory in the fingers ... build up caluses on the left hand (and oh was typing fun for me when the caluses first built up).

After a little while you'll end up playing, practicing on your own, looking at the clock and wondering "damn, where'd those hours go?"
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re: the high E string ... Is this a) a new guitar or a previously-owned one? ... b) if previously owned, are the strings new?

Sounds either like an old string that's starting to demand retirement, or a new string that hasn't stretched into place yet.

[deathpixie]

Try b) New string on a previously-owned guitar that hadn't stretched. Not use of the past tense - managed to snap the damn thing. :( Still, got a replacement today, shall call Johnny for help tomorrow.

[iamgerg.livejournal.com]

Winter has fled. There hasn't been any snow for a week or two now, and yesterday it was around 8 degrees. Warm enough to sit outside the bakery during my break in a t-shirt and jeans. *pouts* I've been gypped.

Be careful of what you wish for when it comes to winter. You very often get what you ask for and more. :D