Guitar Progression

I took about 4 months of guitar lessons when I was 9 or 10 years old.  It wasn't for me.  I don't know if that was because it was too difficult to press the strings with my baby fingers or the fact that learning an instrument is akin to learning a new language...a complex language where the words are felt and heard rather than seen.  It was too much.  For the balance of my musical education as a child, I took piano lessons, and then, in the late 80s, took keyboard lessons because the thing made cool sounds (read: obnoxious).

It wasn't until I was at my grandmother's house in Elmsford, NY when I regained an interest in guitar. I was out of college, living with a good friend in Kingston, NJ, and trying to balance my free time with my job and new car payments.  As I walked into Grandma's house, her friend was over and had brought a shabby looking electric guitar over so that Grandma's kids could "knock it around."  I saw that it was a real instrument and bargained with Gram so that I could keep it.  You know, I changed light bulbs and brought things up from the basement that were heavy...good grandma bartering.  I've described this instrument in detail here, but I brought this thing, after having it freshly restrung at Sam Ash, home with me, and figured out a way to plug it into my boombox/stereo where I mastered the E minor chord arpeggio opening to Pink Floyd's "Welcome to the Machine."  That was it.  I was hooked.  I started using NetScape (right, it was a long effing time ago) to look up tabs and chords, and soon I was able to teach myself some basic songs.

A co-worker and friend who rocked a bass convinced me to purchase a legitimate amplifier.  Back to Sam Ash, and I was able to score an $80 Vox 10-watt practice amp with built in overdrive and, something I'm still not entirely comfortable using today, a Morley wah-wah pedal.  And, I begged him (bassist) to jam which he obliged me a couple of times.  He'd also throw me some other dude's used equipment, like a beat-up case for the guitar, and a patch cable.  A good friend.

I was set, but, it wasn't exactly the sound for me.  I leaned (and continue to lean) towards folk-rock, and longed for an acoustic sound.  So, in 2001, I bought an Ovation Balladeer acoustic/electric guitar with an on-board preamplifier, and a hard case.  At $450, this, by far, was my most expensive musical purchase to date. The sound was perfect, AND I could plug it into the Vox amp and wah and try to get my money's worth out of those investments.  I taught myself more songs, figured out barre chords, and, all the way in 2009, decided to take more lessons, this time with the creative and talented Carla Ulbrich, satirist and comedienne, and a helluva good guitar teacher.  With her, I performed at my first recital in forever...me and the rest of her students...mostly kids.  Still, I rocked with acoustic versions of the Allman Brother's "Melissa" and Kermit's "Rainbow Connection."

My first show.

Since then, I've been on again/off-again with music.  I bought a used bass guitar for $100...complete with bass amp.  And, when my son started playing Grandma's electric guitar, I started playing more...mostly bass, but still music.  I was playing music again.  In fact, at his recitals, he invited me to play with him as part of his back-up band.  So, I was able to get back on the stage again, and I decided I loved it.  I wrote my friend Mark and asked if he wanted to get together and jam a bit.  Mark is masterful at electric guitar, loves the Grateful Dead, and said "yeah, man, let's have some fun."  So, after a number of rehearsals, jams, get-togethers, I'll be sitting in on Mark's set at Pino's in Highland Park, NJ for a couple of hours, hopefully adding some depth to his set, and maybe a backup vocal or two.  It'll be my debut, so to speak...and, I'll have my newest acquisition with me, complete and set up, and loud as hell.  I don't have a name for it yet, but I think that calling it the LP Feather wouldn't be far off.  So, if you have a free Saturday night, either on the 6th or on the 27th of April, make your way over to Pino's around 8pm and listen to the music play.

Cheers.