Guitar tends to be medicine for me at times, as some of you know. When I am feeling crappy, it helps focus my mind on something more pleasant.
So, I’ve been playing a bit of guitar the past few days, and have worked out a short arrangement of an old Ray Charles tune, and I hope you enjoy it.
I enjoy making little licks up, like the one on the end of the tune. For fellow guitar pickers, this is played in F (actually in F# since I use a capo to make it easier on my fingers). I recommend playing in “oddball keys” like this from time to time … it’s a great way to free up your creativity a bit. You can of course get open strings in F (A, D, G), which is one reason I like to tinker with it from time. Actually, this is first time I’ve played in F in a while … should really do it more often.
Note: The full collection of my free recordings is available at this link.
Leave it to music to help you out of a dark place. I learned that back when I was a kid – crappy day in school? When I got home I’d be down in the basement blowing my ears out with my amp wide open, beating my guitar mercilessly. (Billy Gibbons calls it spanking the plank) I totally agree about playing in different keys now and then too. It’s a little trickier when you also have to sing in some of those oddball keys though
. But there are still ways to change things up a bit – non-standard tunings are a great example. I’ve also been getting a little more adventurous with my capo lately since discovering several old Paul Simon songs capo’ed at the 5th fret, and the well known 12 string opening bit to “Hotel California” is played with a capo on the 7th fret. It doesn’t leave you a lot of room to solo, but some simple stuff sounds really interesting way up there.
Mighty fine pickin. I find when I’m playing I forget about everything else. Sorry it took me this long to reply but with the reply button on Twitter is broken , as I’m sure you know , I just saw it this morning. Had to go to http://www.summize.com and put in my Twitter name to see them. I’m off for 9 days and hope to do a little picking myself. Keep posting your pickin, I really enjoy them and I can’t steal them licks if you don’t
Thanks, Ray. I’m working on another little ditty, but it is coming together slowly. Just odds and ends licks right now, with no umph. Maybe it’ll come together in a few days. Kids visiting this weekend, so won’t be doing anything with it soon.
Thanks again for the good words, buddy.
Capo, yes, I love non-standard tunings, especially just the 6th run down to D. And, I like a capo (punny, huh), but seldom go beyond the second fret with it … I really should jump it down to the 5th or 7th just for the heck of it. I’ve done it before, but rare. Maybe should do more often. I tend to like a bit more bassy-ness, though, and it sort goes out the window with a clamping down.