Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Lessons beget more lessons

With summer vacation looming, and children soon home everyday, my banjo teacher is laying on the music theory. "This is something for you to think about until we can have weekly lessons again." Yesterday he lent me a guitar song book and suggested I try to figure out the chords so I can play along. This task builds upon the lessons on how chords are assembled and where the individual notes are found on the fret board.

Last night I gave some songs a try. My fret map on one side of the music stand the chord outline laid over the middle and the song book on the other. I believe I am the slowest chord constructor on the planet. And what to strum with the right hand? "Just improvise," was his suggestion. My improvising sounds like crap.

If I had my way, instead of one lesson a week, I'd now be signed up for two or three.

No comments: