As last week’s lesson was on a Wednesday, this week’s one was too, at my request, in order to give me a full week’s practise. I told Max that I hadn’t progressed much in the last week and had found the work, frustrating, hard and painful. He got me to play a very slow 2-note power chord version of You Really Got Me by The Kinks (last week’s homework), making me concentrate on timing. I struggled through but felt better for doing it. The lesson of concentrating on timing and slowing things down until they were in time was starting to sink in.
I was then shown the famous opening riff to Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. Played by Max on his acoustic guitar it sounded beautiful. It starts with 3 notes of an E5 power chord, followed by 3 notes of muted strings, 3 notes of [note] power chord, a note of open A, D and G strings. I could play all of these notes but together, at the pace of the song, I found it hard. As I was struggling with these fairly simple power chord songs, Max decided not to give me any other homework. Despite this, I left much more positive then I had arrived, with a refreshed desire to progress further.
That week’s practising went quite well, and I managed to start playing a 3 note version of You Really Got Me. I really struggled with Teen Spirit, as I found concentrating on the timing, plus playing a mixture of muted and fretted notes, to be too much for now. So I continued to practise You Really Got Me, and looked up some more power chord songs, my favourite being a power chord version of Hot Cross Buns.
Since day one I have been playing my electric guitar unplugged. To start with this was because I didn’t want to make too much noise, and then once I could cleanly play some notes and chords it was because I had leant my beginner’s practise amp to my brother for his electric drum kit. I considered buying another amp but then remembered that on my iPad Garage Band app there is an amplifier function where you can plug your guitar in and it simulates classic guitar amplifiers and effects. If you’ve got an iPad and an electric guitar then this is definitely recommended as there are dozens of combinations to choose from. To get this to work however you can’t just plug your guitar into your iPad – you have to buy an adapter first. I ordered Amplitude as it was one of the cheapest.
When it arrived I spent about an hour playing around with it and listening to my guitar through the different amplifiers and effects. It sounded good but what I really wanted was for my guitar to have the same rich and clear tone as Max’s guitar – an acoustic. I disconnected my guitar from my iPad and thought that it was about time I got an acoustic. My other purchase that week was a music stand – I bought one of the cheapest going, and again, if you are learning music of any kind then I definitely recommend one. I use the music stand every time I practise as it is so much easier to have the music you’re trying to play in front of you rather than on your lap or on the floor.
I enjoyed listening to Max play Smells like Teen Spirit so I bought Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged album. The performances on it are beautiful: my personal favourites being About a Girl, and covers of The Man Who Sold the World by David Bowie, and Where Did You Sleep Last Night by Leadbelly. I’d heard of the name Leadbelly but had never listened to his music. I then found out he was a blues musician from the 1940s and was responsible for bringing some classic American folk songs to fame. I downloaded his album – the sound quality isn’t great as it was recorded 80 years ago, but the guitar playing, musicianship and soul is very clear.
IMAGE: Nirvana, MTV Unplugged in New York
Continuing to the acoustic discovery I listened to Automatic for the People by R.E.M., and continuing the exploration of folk music I listened to House of The Rising Sun by Sinead O’Connor, and The Wassailing Song by Blur. Quite a mixture, and certainly not my normal preferences, but I enjoyed listening to a different type of music. My new musical discoveries weren’t going down too well with Selina who asked me ‘where have you suddenly got this obsession with shit music?’
Lessons learnt: B flat 5 power chord, A flat 5 power chord, D flat 5 power chord
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