New practice regimen. I’ve never been good at keeping up with practice. Just ask my mom. Before I could drive myself to guitar lessons, I would often find myself getting the only practice for the week in the back of the car with my guitar awkwardly placed on my knee, trying to master whatever study I was working on. I figure that since I now get paid some money to play in front of people, I should probably start working a little harder on focused practice.
I have a plan. I have four days per week with dedicated practice time set aside. I’m rotating through practice on time, reading, left-hand technique and right-hand technique. I don’t have to practice much per day. Instead, by having very focused practice sessions, I hope to see some big improvement.
Today was the first day of time practice. I spent over 30 minutes doing the same C Major scale at 80 beats per minute. I started pizzicato with clicks on the one and three of each measure. Then moved on to the clicks on two and four. After getting comfortable with that, I went for clicks on the “and” of one and the “and” of three. I had to cheat at first with a very light click on the one and three to get the feel, but I was soon able to remove that safety blanket. Once I got that going, I changed to clicks on the “and” of two and the “and” of four; this turned out to be an easier feel than the previous one. Finally, when I was comfortable doing all that pizzicato, I started over arco. That was torture to listen to, and I was the one playing.
Awesome music from these guys we met at the Durango Bluegrass Meltdown. Listen.
Source: music.cahalenandeli.com
Second breakfast on the way up to festival gig.
I am a huge nerd. Here’s a song about a character from The Silmarillion.
A Song for Hurin
Alone you sit
Watching the ones you lovePowerless
To change their fate belowThrough distorted glass
You watch their lives as they goBlood like fire
Courses through their veins
Deadly desire
Kills the Dragon’s Bane
Source: SoundCloud / jessecarl-1
Oh I Love You
I’ll whisper in your ear
Whenever you are near
I love you, oh I love you
I love you, oh my dearHold your hand in mine
Tell you you’re divine
I love you, oh I love you
You’ll return in kindWhen we’re old and gray
We’ll not forget to say
I love you, oh I love you
Every single day
Source: SoundCloud / jessecarl-1
Speak of Your Appeal
Never had the courage
To tell you how I feel
Never could bring myself
To speak of your appealTime passed so fast
Before I knew it you were gone
Never came to passMy chance is shot
Is it forever? I don’t know
I can hope it’s not
Source: SoundCloud / jessecarl-1
Image of 1962
You turn all the heads in the room
Image of 1962A classic cocktail in your hand
You dance whenever there’s a bandA yellow dress and red lipstick
I would make you my dance-card pick
Source: SoundCloud / jessecarl-1
Let the Night Wash Over You
I apologize for the hiccups. I just home from a show in Tempe and I just want to go to bed.
Lay your head
Down to restLet the night
Wash over youMay your bed
Be the bestLet the night
Wash over youDay is dead
Do not protestLet the night
Wash over you
Source: SoundCloud / jessecarl-1
Why Can’t I Find a Girl?
Had fun writing this one. I tried recording straight from my pair of Rode NT5 mics in an x-y configuration instead of my phone on the couch like before.
Why can’t I find a woman?
Why can’t I find a girl?
Not in that glass of bourbon
But out there in the world
Why can’t I find a woman?
Why can’t I find a girl?I might have found a woman
I may have found that girl
She’s got a slight addiction
She likes to dance and twirl
I might have found a woman
I may have found that girlThat girl was quite the handful
And so we fell apart
Her way would be the only
She made the fight an art
That girl was quite the handful
And so we fell apart
Source: SoundCloud / jessecarl-1
I Drink to Kill the Past
Pour another one for me
Fill up another glass
Libations free the spirits
Spirits kill the pastI drink to pass the time
To calm a troubled mind
I drink to all who’ll raise a glass
I drink to kill the pastI seek out bravery
To be all I can be
But I can’t be without my glass
I drink to kill the past
Source: SoundCloud / jessecarl-1
Things I think about.
