Tuesday, February 10, 2009
We be Jammin'
Warning: this is a stream of consciousness post…
I took part in my first guitar Jam session this past weekend. I have some friends down in Norfolk that were having, of all things, a Ground Hog’s Day party.. Any excuse to invite friends over will do, I guess.
This was a thrill for me…. Because it is very, very different than the way I typically play music.
This was 6 guitarists with 6 different styles with 6 different interpretations of the same songs. The results were a lot of fun. This next statement may just be my own lack of self confidence in my playing…. But, I was the most inexperienced player there. Which basically means I learned A LOT.
This type of playing was more about playing together… simple 3 chord tunes like “Mustang Sally” that everyone knows. I am typically playing by myself in my living room.. working a song towards my perception of perfection. Lack of perfection was more than acceptable in the jam session.
Sitting in the garage in a circle of chairs, 5 acoustic guitars, one electric.
One guy would start out the rest would pick up with the rhythm … the next guy would start singing.. Then another would take on the lead guitar role… at the end of that tune, the next person in the circle was expected to start the next song. And so it would go all the way around til it started over again.
During the playing, everyone was encouraged to wail out the chorus… some would sing just the way that they had last heard the song on the radio…. Others would try very hard to harmonize… others would just loudly hum a muffled version of the words. It became a menagerie of sound that somehow made sense.
Beatles tunes; Van Morrison; Old Soul; Buffet… all were represented really well.
Our host for the evening is a relatively new friend of mine, Mick. He and I had played together several times before with the first time being when we met with our Significant others while on a trip to Keywest. This is another story in itself. (for another time). He had not played music with most of the others. They were well seasoned performers that had played together frequently at local pubs etc. Mick was beside himself at having them play in his garage.
It became his turn. Now you should know that Mick is no slouch at the guitar, He usually but not always, fingerpicks and always sings. Every song that he takes on becomes his very own. He started enthusiastically with the Doobie Brother’s “Long Train Running”… and the group just fell in behind him, but the show was all his. He was so into it that his guitar strings began making sparks… This is not a joke. No one could believe it… also, no one got a picture of it. Turns out that he was using a pick, which is rare for him… and this pick was made of Jade. It was a very cool thing to see… and the sound it produced was incredible. When he finished…. Everyone cheered loudly.. it was one of those exciting moments that comes without warning and everyone.. the 6 guitarists and the 20 people listening were in awe.
As for me… I realize I have a lot of work to do… I enjoy my playing, but like I said earlier, I'm working a tune to perform it… not that this is bad.. and I do really enjoy it. I want to be able to take more of a role in this type of an outing too… So, I’ll be working on my 3 chord tunes… and my timing and my singing and my memorization of the Keys and… and… and… well, working on just allowing myself to have fun playing just for fun’s sake. I am however thrilled to have been involved in this event. I keep learning new ways to have fun..
Dave
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Living on the edge...
Its February, technically the middle of winter. Its increasingly more difficult to be outside and keep active. I do my best, but cold is not my favorite thing. I dress warm and add some adrenaline to overcome it. The end result is generally something that I feel satisfied over.
This months adventure left me very satisfied.. but I got to relearn a few things along the way as well... Im not in my 20's... fear is not always bad... patience takes practice.
Quote: "If your not living on the edge, your taking up too much space...." refridgerator magnet
PS - Polar Bear Plunge next week... Wanna join me?
Enjoy
Dave
*********************
Winter has finally set in here in Virginia and Wintergreen is just 1.5 hours away. It’s close, cheap, easy to get to and for a novice snowboarder the slopes are just challenging enough.
I like to live on the edge, but sometimes I have to find it first. This is literally the case with snow boarding. The snowboard is a rigidly flexible piece of fiberglass that you strap directly to your feet. By flexing the board and making the metal edges dig into the snow you can manage your speed and most importantly manage your direction. Too little edge and you’re speeding down hill like a rocket, too much edge and your flat on your ass.
The goal is to transition from front edge to back edge seamlessly while cruising down the hill. There is an instant, however between transitions when you are searching for the catch of the alternate edge. Start the turn, waiting…. heading down hill… picking up speed… Brain Racing… Catch! The instant the edge digs into the snow you feel it and once again you’re wholly connected to the earth. But in those split seconds of what feels like a helpless space walk you can relive your entire life. It requires trust.
My first trip out this year was a shakedown trip. I needed to learn to trust myself and my equipment again, boots, bindings, board, and knees. I took a methodical approach finding my edges while there were kids with no fear were flying past without regard to me or the consequence of a fast and painful fall.
On my second trip just one week after the first I forced myself to do a couple of runs down the slope and practice my transitions. I’m glad I did, because nothing felt right. I didn’t feel as comfortable in my abilities as I had on my last outing. Although my goal for the day was to hit some more difficult slopes, I decided to continue on the easier slope till my confidence increased.
After 2 or 3 runs, I took a break at one of the snack shops to regroup my confidence and ponder what was going wrong. There is no sporting problem that a logical approach can’t fix. While there, I had some hot cocoa and read an article in an adventure magazine about how to control ‘panic’. It was simple advice really, Breath; Organize; Act… Advice that I would later use.
I did a few more runs linking transitions, finding my edges; my version of ‘carving up the hill’, not with the speed of the fearless kids, but far from geriatric snowboarding.
I decided in the last hour of the session that I was going to hit the next more difficult slope. Just one run is what I told myself. I hopped onto the chair lift and as I did one of those ‘fearless kids’ jumped on next to me. Neither of us reached for the safety bar that holds us in. Wanting to be viewed more like one of the fearless kids rather than the cautious “older kid” that I am, I left it up. While he was complaining about the lack of challenging slopes, my brain with all of the cumulated wisdom that comes from growing up, raising a child and holding down a day job was screaming “lower the damn bar!” Instead, as the lift took us increasingly higher, I used my new found advice. I looked at 50 foot drop, I breathed deeply, I organized a plan (If I fall, I’m taking him with me!) and then acted like it didn’t bother me. No fear, Hah!...
After making it to top, it was clear that this slope was considerably steeper than the last. I had to literally look over the edge to see where the bottom should be, and then had to trust that it was really there because it was out of view.
I started slowly, stuck to the basics and after 4 runs… It’s Time to find a new edge.
Dave
Its February, technically the middle of winter. Its increasingly more difficult to be outside and keep active. I do my best, but cold is not my favorite thing. I dress warm and add some adrenaline to overcome it. The end result is generally something that I feel satisfied over.
This months adventure left me very satisfied.. but I got to relearn a few things along the way as well... Im not in my 20's... fear is not always bad... patience takes practice.
Quote: "If your not living on the edge, your taking up too much space...." refridgerator magnet
PS - Polar Bear Plunge next week... Wanna join me?
Enjoy
Dave
*********************
Winter has finally set in here in Virginia and Wintergreen is just 1.5 hours away. It’s close, cheap, easy to get to and for a novice snowboarder the slopes are just challenging enough.
I like to live on the edge, but sometimes I have to find it first. This is literally the case with snow boarding. The snowboard is a rigidly flexible piece of fiberglass that you strap directly to your feet. By flexing the board and making the metal edges dig into the snow you can manage your speed and most importantly manage your direction. Too little edge and you’re speeding down hill like a rocket, too much edge and your flat on your ass.
The goal is to transition from front edge to back edge seamlessly while cruising down the hill. There is an instant, however between transitions when you are searching for the catch of the alternate edge. Start the turn, waiting…. heading down hill… picking up speed… Brain Racing… Catch! The instant the edge digs into the snow you feel it and once again you’re wholly connected to the earth. But in those split seconds of what feels like a helpless space walk you can relive your entire life. It requires trust.
My first trip out this year was a shakedown trip. I needed to learn to trust myself and my equipment again, boots, bindings, board, and knees. I took a methodical approach finding my edges while there were kids with no fear were flying past without regard to me or the consequence of a fast and painful fall.
On my second trip just one week after the first I forced myself to do a couple of runs down the slope and practice my transitions. I’m glad I did, because nothing felt right. I didn’t feel as comfortable in my abilities as I had on my last outing. Although my goal for the day was to hit some more difficult slopes, I decided to continue on the easier slope till my confidence increased.
After 2 or 3 runs, I took a break at one of the snack shops to regroup my confidence and ponder what was going wrong. There is no sporting problem that a logical approach can’t fix. While there, I had some hot cocoa and read an article in an adventure magazine about how to control ‘panic’. It was simple advice really, Breath; Organize; Act… Advice that I would later use.
I did a few more runs linking transitions, finding my edges; my version of ‘carving up the hill’, not with the speed of the fearless kids, but far from geriatric snowboarding.
I decided in the last hour of the session that I was going to hit the next more difficult slope. Just one run is what I told myself. I hopped onto the chair lift and as I did one of those ‘fearless kids’ jumped on next to me. Neither of us reached for the safety bar that holds us in. Wanting to be viewed more like one of the fearless kids rather than the cautious “older kid” that I am, I left it up. While he was complaining about the lack of challenging slopes, my brain with all of the cumulated wisdom that comes from growing up, raising a child and holding down a day job was screaming “lower the damn bar!” Instead, as the lift took us increasingly higher, I used my new found advice. I looked at 50 foot drop, I breathed deeply, I organized a plan (If I fall, I’m taking him with me!) and then acted like it didn’t bother me. No fear, Hah!...
After making it to top, it was clear that this slope was considerably steeper than the last. I had to literally look over the edge to see where the bottom should be, and then had to trust that it was really there because it was out of view.
I started slowly, stuck to the basics and after 4 runs… It’s Time to find a new edge.
Dave
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