Bye bye baby

In my hallway there is a box measuring 115cm x 45cm x 16cm.  It's waiting for the courier to deliver it to it's new owner.   After almost 20 years, it's time to say goodbye.  In that box is my first ever Gibson.

I made the decision to sell because the guitar wasn't getting used, which is just wrong, and because I want to raise some cash to buy a new guitar.  But now it's sold, I have to admit to feeling a little weird about it all and, judging by my Facebook feed, so are some of my bandmates.

I have always found it odd that people get attached to objects - giving names to cars, assigning them gender, and even talking to them - but here it is happening to me.  Selling it feels like a little betrayal, a turning away. But what am I supposed to do? Hoard every musical item I've ever owned?  What is this?

Let's start with the facts.

The guitar in question is a 1997 Gibson Les Paul Special in yellow-burst with P90 pick-ups. Made in the USA.

The Specials were a mid-range alternative to the Les Paul Standards, well-made but less finesse.  The gateway drug to the heroin of Gibson guitars.

I bought it on 18 April 1998, pretty much at the insistence of our drummer.  Bungi believed our band Spirits One80, needed a heavier guitar sound than my Patrick Eggle New York Plus could deliver.  And the solid mahogany body surely delivered that - it was a beast by comparison, weighing in at nearly 7.5 kilos.  The P90s appealed to my indie sensibilities rather than going full Slash.

Over the following years, the guitar did hundreds if not thousands of hours of rehearsals, gigs, writing and recording. 


I put it through a Fender RocPro 100w amp and, if you have never done the Gibson-through-Fender thing, give it a try. The sparkle to the tone is where indie lives (imho).  Here's some of the things that we did together (he said anthropomorhising like mad).

Nostalgic rock action pic of me and 'Les'

Empty       

Complicated

Glitter Girl

Between My Knees

For a couple of years, this guitar was in my hands virtually every single day, during the period when as a band, we were making our push for the summit via the A&R couch.  So maybe it should be no surprise that I feel a pang or two of nostalgia and doubt at letting it go.  Maybe it's captured the hopes, the possibilities and the raw excitement of being in a band, even if our musical success far outweighed commercial success.  Maybe it's like a comfort blanket or the hand of a loved one - something familiar that can transport you to happy times in an instant. The muscle memory of something that just fits.

Don't tell me what I must learn...?

"Fuck you. I won't do what you tell me. " - Rage Against The Machine.

Don't you hate it when people tell you what you must do? It doesn't matter what part of my life it happens in, I can't stand it. It pushes all the wrong buttons.

Well, recently there seems to have been a massive increase in posts on YouTube and Twitter that start with .... "The 4 scales/chords/techniques/licks every guitarist must know..." or similar claptrap.

It is really poor teaching technique and shameless clickbait. 

So in retaliation, here are three things that will make sure you get what YOU really need.

1. Have fun. Play things you enjoy. For the  vast majority of guitar players, having fun is where it's at.  Learn stuff that helps you have more fun. This will help you get what you want out of playing. 

2. Songs not studies. Whatever you learn, make sure it takes you to a song that you like. Techniques are important but they are not entertainment and they don't impress anyone for longer than a few seconds, whereas a song keeps everyone happy for a few minutes. Nobody ever shouted for more techniques.

3. Ask "why do I need to learn this?". This is straight from justinguitar.com . If you don't know the answer then don't learn it until you do.  The guy from Stitch Method does/explains this really well.

That's it. Use these tips to create your own 'must learn' lists. All those other posts are mostly people rehashing stuff that THEY know rather than what YOU need.

Do. Or do not. There is no try. (Just learn the damn song).

I spent the weekend learning to play Like A Rolling Stone. It is a beautifully simple progression in C that uses chords exclusively from the major scale. In terms of arrangement you can strum it like Dylan or electrify it like Hendrix. Or you can take a leaf out of Yoda's book. Just play it.

These days you can get access to note perfect video lessons in seconds. I have used them often but on occasion I find that they can be a block to me learning the whole song. This is because I often spend more time trying to perfect some minute technical detail, rather than focusing on learning to play the song. Some songs get relegated to 'long term project' and I drive my wife mad practising that bit. And I end up not ever playing the song.

If this sounds familiar here's a couple of unblockers for you....

1. Nobody cares as much as you. Sure some songs need to be played pretty close to the original, but most don't. Most people want to hear the song not the details.

2. Those Christmas TV ads with simple acoustic arrangements of famous songs probably come from somebody strumming because they want to sing. Everyone loves those. If it works for them, it'll work for you.

3. People remember what you played, not whether you got the slurred phrase in bar 11 correct. They remember feel.

4. Just learn to play it the way you can and start playing it. You can do the long term project as well.  That way you learn two arrangements of the song.

5. Learning and playing the chord progression WILL help you to learn the complex parts.  At worst you might find something that you like that sounds like you.

Just finish it.