Playing The Guitar
23 May 2007 
I’m playing the guitar every day. I’m enjoying playing with new chord shapes that I make up and have completely given up on learning about the circle of 5ths and theory and scales.
My head begins to thrum when I think about reading notation or working out key signatures. Written music must work wonderfully for the highly educated, great musical minds out there but for me it is a royal pain in the jacksy and I have decided to save myself the headache and simply enjoy learning to play the guitar in my own topsy turvy way.
Luckily guitar tablature was invented and this has been a great tool in enabling me to practice. After over three years of diligent practice, my hands are only just beginning to get stronger.
I’m learning from this amazing book called Arpeggio Studies for the Right Hand. The exercises from the book are strengthening my hand somewhat but in my heart, I know it’s going to be some time before I can play the guitar with the same natural ease as singing.
Still, it’s so great to be able to write songs with the guitar and each month, I feel that I learn something new. I’s good there’s no pressure here. I will look for a great guitarist to play the songs on the next record.
The songs will sound beautiful with a well played delicate guitar and they deserve to be played well.
My Yairi guitar is a sweet little guitar. I bought it in Japan when I was working on the Dropz album. I’m really glad I bought it now. One day, I think it would be great to have a vintage Martin or a Bourgeois guitar. Brazilian Rosewood and lovely ringing tones!
For now though, while we’re on the move so much, it would be crazy to get a super duper acoustic to bang around.
Recording the Yairi for these demos has been a learning experience in playing and mixing. I’m learning to play with more conviction but trying not to play too hard. I’ve also found that by recording two or three guitar takes and panning them in various positions in the mix can produce a really lovely effect but it very much depends on the patterns being played and can also sound way too fussy if I’m not careful.
It’s cool having the time to play around with different ideas and lovely to be feeling like I’m getting on with the guitar, sometimes I feel really frustrated and bewildered as to why it’s taking me so long to be able to play well!
Anyway the only thing for it is to keep playing, keep learning and keep playing!
