Wednesday January 30, 2008

Guitar:

• Riff Interactive "Picking and Strumming Patterns", all of lesson 2 (45 min or so).

Guitar and Vocals:

• Della and the Dealer x5

Updated List of Songs I (try to) Sing

Kris Kristofferson:

• To Beat The Devil - If I thought Little Boxes explained my outlook of our society fairly well, this one by Kris Kristofferson couldn't be more me if I wrote it myself (if only I had a fraction of Kristofferson's talents...). This page seems to have the same chords as the original.
• Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down - words and music by Kris Kristofferson. I don't think the chord progression I have works for me. Looking for another version. UPDATE: This webpage seems to have the appropriate chord progression, although the formatting has bumped some of the chord changes away from the correct positions.
• Me & Bobby McGee - I finally found the chord progression of Me and Bobby McGee that I feel sounds most like Kris Kristofferson's version! I would say "Kristofferson's original", but although he wrote it, the original performing/recording credits are generally given to Roger Miller or Gordon Lightfoot (according to wikipedia) .
• In The News - lyrics and music by Kristofferson. Lyrics can be found here. As you can see, that page claims the chorus is the verse that starts "Not in my name...", and I guess since it is the only verse that repeats completely with no change in lyrics (other than the intro/outro) I can see where they're coming from. However, based on my interpretation of the chord progression, there's nothing that musically distinguishes any of the verses in what could be viewed as a chorus. Of course, since my knowledge of musical composition is very close to zero, who am I to argue? Either way, I'm simply going to call them all verses. I think it's in the key of D, and I think the progression is as follows: Verses 1-2 and 8: D D - A D - D D - A D; verses 3-7: D G - A D - DG - A D.

Johnny Cash:

• It Ain't Me Babe - lyrics by Bob Dylan, but I sing the Johnny Cash cover version. It's a very simple song to sing; 4 chords right in my vocal range. This is the best lyrics/chord website I could find.
• I Walk The Line - lyrics and music by Johnny Cash. The March 2006 issue of Guitar World Acoustic has both the actual chords and tabs, copyright 1956 HOUSE OF CASH, INC. While I certainly know I can't scan the docs in and post them, I don't think I'd be in breach of copyright laws if I said it's in the key of A (I think), and contains 4 chords: A, B7, D and E. You'll have to figure out the progression from that!
• Long Black Veil - Lyrics and original music by Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin, but I'm doing the Johnny Cash (again) style. Here are the lyrics and chords.
• Port of Lonely Hearts - Lyrics and music by Johnny Cash (I think). Here are the lyrics; the chord progression is quite similar to Long Black Veil. I'll post my interpretation soon.
• Ring of Fire - Gotta post the website.

The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem

• The Moonshiner -
• The Real Old Mountain Dew - http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/folk-songs-with-chords/Real%20Old%20Mountain%20Dew.htm
• Brennen On The Moor - http://www.itroubador.com/subPage/tunes/BrennanOnMoor2.htm
• Jug Of Punch - http://unitedireland.tripod.com/id57.html

Others:

• Little Boxes - Lyrics and chords by Malvina Reynolds. Great song that tells it like it is, at least in my opinion. I'll be back to link to a Youtube video.
• Simple Man - lyrics and music by Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd). Again, I have the true tab sheet music from the August 2007 issue of Guitar World. Lately I've been spending all of my time just practicing the finger picking and not singing. I have a bit of difficulty attempting to hit some of the higher notes (in the chorus) in the same octave as Ronnie Van Zant, and that pisses me off! Again, hopefully this isn't a breach of copyright: guitar is standard tuning, but down half a step. Chords include C, G, Am7, A5.
• Della and the Dealer - Great song by Hoyt Axton. Lyrics and chords here.
• Over There - This isn't the classic 1917 song, but the theme for the shortlived television show of the same name. I thought it was a good program that showed many sides to the Iraq war, but I fell in love with the song the first time I heard it. Here are the lyrics, here is one interpretation of the tab, here's the Youtube video of the theme song (words, music and sung by Chris Gerolmo), and here's a Youtube video of a fan's interpretation and instruction.

This site has tons of songs to check out.

Monday January 28, 2008

Guitar:

• Riff Interactive "Picking and Strumming Patterns", parts of lesson 2 in both Em and E

Guitar and Vocals:

• Sunday Morning Comin' Down
• To Beat The Devil

Sunday January 27, 2008

Sang a few songs yesterday and did part of Riff Interactive Picking Lesson 2.


Guitar:

• Riff Interactive "Picking and Strumming Patterns", parts of lesson 2 in both Em and E

Guitar and Vocals:

• Long Black Veil (gripping too tight on this one, busting hand out. Gotta loosen fret hand)
• Sunday Morning Comin' Down x3 - capo on first fret.

Friday January 25, 2008

Guitar:

• Riff Interactive "Picking and Strumming Patterns, lesson 2 (first half, in Em)

Guitar and Vocals:

• Long Black Veil

Thursday January 24, 2008

Guitar and Vocals:

• Long Black Veil
• It Ain't Me Babe
• Me and Bobby McGee

Guitar:

• Riff Interactive "Blues Solo Riffs", lesson 1 (solo in A) for around 30 minutes.
• Riff Interactive "Picking and Strumming Patterns, lesson 1 once through (around 30 minutes)

Wednesday January 23, 2008

Guitar and Vocals:

• Long Black Veil x2

Guitar:

• Major Pentatonic Scale in A, all five positions up and down the neck, 10x each.

Monday January 21, 2008

Guitar:

• Minor Pentatonic Scale in A, each position up and down the neck 10x

Saturday January 19, 2008

Guitar:

• Riff Interactive "Blues Solo Riffs", lesson 1 (solo in A) for around 20 minutes.
• Major Pentatonic Scale in A, all five positions 10x each

Monday January 14, 2008

Guitar:

• Double-stop lesson from Acoustic Guitar # 181, examples 1-5 for around 20 minutes (mostly #5)

Saturday January 12, 2008

Guitar:

• Double-stop lesson from Acoustic Guitar # 181, examples 1-5 for around 30 minutes (mostly #5)

Friday January 11, 2008

Guitar:

• Major Pentatonic Scale in A: all positions 10x
• finger tips too sore to continue

Thursday January 10, 2008

Guitar:

• Major Pentatonic Scale in A: all positions 10x
• Riff Interactive "Blues Solo Riffs", lesson 1 (solo in A) for around 45 minutes

Wednesday January 9, 2008

Guitar:

• Riff Interactive "Blues Solo Riffs", lesson 1 (solo in A) for around 45 minutes in the afternoon, then another 40 minutes or so in the evening.

Monday January 7, 2008

Guitar:

• Riff Interactive "Blues Solo Riffs", lesson 1 (solo in A) for around 30 minutes.

Sunday January 6, 2008

Guitar:

• Riff Interactive "Blues Solo Riffs", lesson 1 (solo in A) for around 10 minutes.

Guitar and Vocals:

• Long Black Veil


• Me and Bobby McGee

Saturday January 5, 2008

Guitar:

• Riff Interactive "Blues Solo Riffs", lesson 1 (solo in A) for around 30 minutes
• Hunger Strike finger picking on the electric, attempting to mute strings with right hand (not successful at this point!).

Friday January 4, 2008

Guitar:

• Riff Interactive "Blues Solo Riffs", lesson 1 (solo in A) for around 15 minutes starting around 9:30 am. Again for around 15 minutes at midnight.
• Sunshine of Your Love intro riff for 10 minutes or so.

Guitar and Vocals:

• Little Boxes x2
• Long Black Veil x2

Thursday January 3, 2008

Guitar:

• Riff Interactive "Blues Solo Riffs", parts of lesson 1 (solo in C, solo in A) and lesson 3 (solo in Em) on and off through the day and evening.

Wednesday January 2, 2008

Guitar and Vocals:

• Long Black Veil
• It Ain't Me Babe
• Little Boxes
• Sunday Morning Coming Down

-voice is off today, so enough of that.

Guitar:

• Simple Man finger picking
• Hunger Strike finger picking

Tuesday January 1, 2008

Lead Guitar:

• Riff Interactive 'Blues Solo Riffs', Lesson 1 for over an hour