Tag Archives: guitar

Guitar

Posted on May 1, 2014 | Leave a comment

Yes, I took up the guitar at age fifty. I filed our taxes on April 15 and decided to pay a bit of our refund for a guitar. I didn’t have any idea how to buy a guitar and bought a good one but the wrong one for me for $200. But I also signed up for lessons, private lessons.

I learned a lot in a couple of months then they changed teachers and I got a drummer. He didn’t care to teach chords and said people don’t care if you can’t hit a note, you just have to be on the beat. That may be OK in his world but not in mine.

The downfall came when he realized I may have perfect pitch and he doesn’t so he wouldn’t let me into a darkened practice room to tune up before a lesson. I’m paying for this, not a parent and I want every bit of thirty minutes to count and I always pre-tuned at home a mile away.

This is not a bad story. I did get him a chronology of his favorite band before I quit. Now I have a really good folk guitar that I keep hydrated, a keyboard to help me figure things out because I read a piano better than I read a guitar. I’m not a musician, had to go to the mall instead and quit everything to be a kid.

The celebrated Western singer Juni Fisher approved my choice of guitar, a Seagull. Don’t tell anyone but we all sang Beatles Rock Band together once.

I wake up with a different song in my heart every morning and tend to sing it for a moment or two. Today I fused John Denver with The Eagles. I didn’t sing it out loud.

You, you, you are the sunshine…. from legendary PPM, we could use some of that sunshine here! Dee

 

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Recht

Posted on October 28, 2013 | 1 comment

Dextro vs. sinistre.

Lately when we watch TV I notice who is left-handed, especially left hook like me. I could never do calligraphy because the heel of my hand would smear the ink.

Dad was a leftie but his teachers beat him into submission as a child. Poor Dad. I am ambidextrous. I don’t know if I can swing a baseball bat anymore but I could choose which hand to lead with. I was the anchor of Lefties, Inc. in college and we made it to the playoffs. That was because none of the other teams showed up at the games.

Whenever I had roommates or went to work everyone was left-handed. Is it like menstrual cycles? All the gals have it? I was going to be the cook and we all had jobs the first day in our new college apartment. I asked to be seated at any end of the table and they all said “I’m leftie!”

Anyway, when my school said they were going to make me be dextrous rather than sinister, my dad stepped in and said “NO!” You let her be what she is going to be and do not punish her for who she is. Two of his four children are lefties.

I played the violin and was encouraged to play golf right-handed. I can only use scissors with my right hand. I tried to tell my teacher that when she handed me these snub-nosed, green rubber-wrapped leftie scissors. I’m sure my parents had to get into that one as well.

I cook, a lot. Knives are leftie. I don’t have or need one yet but Japanese sushi knives only cut on one side, for righties. A leftie chef told me 20 years ago that a leftie knife must be ordered specially.

As a leftie, never buy a $2 supermarket peeler because it’s only sharpened for a rightie. Go for OXO and it’s sharpened on both sides so that carrot can be peeled by you or your significant other.

Years ago I went to a Leftie store and there was very little that was useful to me. They wanted to create a “club” of us and that’s not what I want. I do not want a club and I don’t want a Lefties Rights (pun intended) revolution.

In my fifth decade I just don’t want children to be ridiculed for a side of the brain they use more than the other. Yes, we’re more artistic. Sinister? I think not. Please teach your children well (I owed you that CSNY for a horrifying version of that song when I was 12) and do not make them use their right hand if they prove left-handed.

Yes, after decades I play the guitar as a beginner, but I’ve a really nice guitar. I play it right-handed. Dee

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Music in Your Heart

Posted on December 8, 2009 | 1 comment

I took a few weeks off lessons, a good thing as the lack of humidity up here is shredding my fingers. But I miss it. Not the pressure of practice, the sound of music. I just pick up the guitar and ask my husband to name a song and I try to play it. Without the pressure of having to learn a song or try a technique, my mind is free to imagine the music and play at least chords.

Yes, I am definitely a work in progress and need many more lessons. Today, I stopped by the shop for a couple of items for a holiday gift. I gave greetings to some of the Conservatory staff and as I headed out I heard my teacher’s voice. I went into the office, gave him a hug and he asked what I was doing there. I told him and he said “You’re giving the gift of music.”

As I thought about it I said to myself what I did not say to Korky. My teachers, over the past six months, have given me the gift of music that I’ve missed for decades. While I’ve a lot of work ahead of me before I even play for family, it is incumbent upon me to share that gift of music with our family so that’s our gift this year.

I gave Korky a holiday gift and he said he had nothing for me. That’s not true. Today I pass on a gift of music that was instilled by my grandfather, my father, my music teachers in grade school (one just sent me a cookbook about grapes) and is present in me. Throughout life, my music teachers have been my salvation – I just gave them up for thirty years! Giving the gift of music encourages a budding musician and encourages the giver when s/he sees the gift grow.

Do I have a food analogy? Of course I can find one. Most cooking schools teach amateurs a dish or meal to serve for Valentine’s Day or whatever. They don’t teach techniques. If you know how to braise and what to braise, you can braise any appropriate ingredient. Learn the basics (see my cookbooks list) then do your own thing. Same with music. Know the rules then when, and how, to break them.

Yeah, I’m a dangerous gal now. Politics, cooking, music. PDXknitterati, do you REALLY want me to take up knitting and have sharp objects in both hands? Think about it. Happy holidays, Dee

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A “Left-Handed” Compliment

Posted on November 30, 2009 | 4 comments

That has a derogatory ring to it. I just read that up to 93% of people are right-handed. I’m a leftie, a southpaw, and according to history you’re dexterous, I’m sinister. Wikipedia has an informative site on left-handedness. My father was left-handed but his knuckles were rapped enough to change him. He swore he would not change or allow anyone to change the two of his four children that followed suit.

At school I was issued safety scissors with a green plastic handle and blunt ends, even though I’ve never been able to use scissors with my left hand. Golf was interesting, in my short stint at lessons I was told by the Pro that I should use regular clubs because all the action is from the left hand, the swing and follow-through. As to guitar, which I just took up a few months ago, I never considered a left-handed guitar. It’s interesting reading as to well-known guitar heroes use their strong hand for the frets, not strumming (the awesome Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits). Perhaps as I take up guitar as a leftie on a rightie guitar, I spend more time learning chords and notes than getting through an entire song on the beat.

Knives are another issue. Kitchen peelers are rightie-based. I have to buy them for me. I’ve never bought a Japanese sushi knife but many of the Japanese knives are only made for right-handers and lefties used to have to special order. I can only use knives, or write, with my left hand. Many other motions are naturally done with the right hand (golf, guitar) and others are required of me, like starting the car with the key in my right hand.

Dad was caned. I was issued safety scissors. Let’s hope our teachers aren’t still penalizing children for being different. All my life, I’ve ended up in situations with groups of left-handed friends. All are smart and creative and my life would be less full without those experiences. Yes, I’ve been to a left-handed store and nothing stood out for me. The one thing I could use is a left-handed or dual-spout ladle. After all, I’ve turkey soup to serve! Cheers, Dee

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Amends

Posted on September 2, 2009 | 2 comments

I think I know why I took up guitar at age fifty. I remember Mrs. Smith (violin), Mrs. Pullano (voice) and Mrs. Rotunda (voice) from grade school and middle school. I remember Mrs. Hoffman (piano) from private lessons, then Mrs. K who my mother fired for cutting my and my little sister’s nails well below the quick because she thought she heard a click on the keys. I was twelve. I was eleven when I rebelled and told my father, a violinist, I no longer wanted to play violin.

Giving up piano and ballet were easier. We moved from a small village to the big city and there was a mall nearby that my girlfriends frequented. It was more fun to wear nail polish and hang out at the mall than no polish and no nails and practice.

Today, I hear no recriminations about practice except in my own head. No-one says “I’m paying good money for these lessons,” though my loving husband could do so. It was April 15, I’d filed our taxes and went out and bought a guitar, the wrong guitar for me because it was too big.

Dueling Guitars

Dueling Guitars

Today, I have a new Seagull acoustic guitar made of Canadian hardwoods from my Mom’s province and it’s decidedly folk and I’m a beginner. My new teacher had me play Eleanor Rigby today, a song I learned in the fourth grade in poetry. I love this song. He taught me a bit about vocalization and asked if I could read music and tell him of the note that started the song. I told him and sang it. He then said he’d play and wanted me to sing the first verse. We stopped for a moment and he told me I have perfect pitch. I said, “I know.”

This makes it sad that my faux hippie girlfriends were more interesting to me than learning music. My life would have been quite different had I mastered an instrument at an early age, but I may never have met my soul mate. So, as of today, my mother’s heritage is being honored through the guitar, plus my father and grandfather for instilling a love of music in me that has been unrequited for some time. I may be doing penance for my ‘tween years but it’s fruitful and I know my husband loves to hear me progress in my studies. That, and my willingness to learn, may make me good enough to play for family and friends. Cheers, Dee

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Posted in Editorial, Utah

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An Eocene Welcome

Posted on August 31, 2009 | Leave a comment

Finally the Greater Sandhill cranes, prehistoric birds, sounded out a tribute at 6:27 this morning. I’d like to think it a welcome to our vocal, guitar playing, songwriting Western gal visitor, Ms. Juni Fisher. Also hail to her on the journeys to come. When Zoe and I hit the trail this morning about 6:40 we heard warning noises which means we were only a few feet from the cranes. The grasses are so tall that we can’t see them. Another sign. Jim’s folks will be here for a week, in two days and I hope the cranes come out and can be seen and heard.

I’d like to thank Juni for re-kindling my interest in playing music. It’s been a long time since I’ve held a violin or touched the keys on a piano. She asked why I didn’t call before I bought a guitar. It was an impulse purchase of a learning guitar and I had no idea there were different sizes, woods, tones et al! I just went with what I had for the first couple of months and did research on a better guitar that fit me. I believe I’ve found it and she agrees. But she’s right. I should have called as there were any number of mistakes that could have been made. As it is she just said the neck should be adjusted a bit.

Last year pdxknitterati, a fellow blogger from the west coast, when told that Jim sang El Paso in a restaurant in Scotland at our going-away dinner, told me of Red Velvet Slippers, written and sung by Juni Fisher, a cowgirl poet. I downloaded the song and immediately my husband and I started making preparations for a surprise for his grandmother’s birthday. Juni came and sang and wowed everyone. We’re sorry pdx wasn’t there to join us but I sent her an inscribed CD.

Visitor season has begun! Jim’s folks arrive in two days and I have to run everything through “Neat Receipts” and box them and clear my desk so we can have a dining table. I’m not a shopper but yesterday we all went to the market and it was fun! We didn’t HAVE to get anything so it was fun to browse and everyone ended up with a special treat and lunch was very good at Bandit’s. Jim’s showing signs of a cold so I need to go check on him and feed Zoe. Cheers, Dee

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Posted in Editorial, Education, Utah

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Varied Interests

Posted on July 27, 2009 | Leave a comment

One grandfather was a carpenter, the other was a bridge-builder. I don’t know what their interests were early in life, except my mom’s dad taught me copper tooling and that was the only time I ever got an A in art class. Most kids were doing a daisy or something simple and I did a jaguar in a forest. Then in fifteen minutes I did a daisy for extra credit (had to make up for soap carving).

Interests change and are certainly moulded by parents. I started violin at age six, along with ballet and piano a year later. Those were not my choices but I kept with them for several years.

At age 12, “Santa” bought me a cheap guitar and I taught myself a few chords and we even performed. Amazing. Day is Done, and Teach Your Children. That didn’t last either. But at age 50, I’m back! Real guitar this time. I’d love to be able to play well enough for family and friends to sing along.

Cooking started early and has lasted for more than 40 years. It is such an honor to be able to cook for friends and loved ones and share with you my recollections and recipes. At times I’ve tried knitting and needlepoint, even took a class in basket weaving that made me a basket-case in one afternoon!

Birdwatching is contagious here staying on a nature preserve. If I keep my mind open there may be opportunities to expand the interests and talents I have with new ones. I’ve always believed that one should learn something new every day. Hoping we’ll learn something today. Cheers, Dee.

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News

Posted on April 14, 2009 | 2 comments

Three great things happened today. First you’ll all be happy to know that Pippi Longstocking is alive and well and living on my head.

Pippi's hat

Pippi's hat

This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t met pdxknitterati, who also led us to cowgirl poet Juni Fisher who played a surprise party for Jim’s grandmother’s birthday last fall. She heard I liked it so sent it off in the mail, God bless her. Pippi will come in handy later this week when the snow flies again. It is beautifully knitted and will be cherished forever.

Today, in the rain and dampness I kept the heat at 68 and turned on the fire for 15-20 minutes to take off the chill. I also got a chance to wear my Arran fishermans’ cardigan from Oban, Scotland and sent them a poem as well.

For years Jim’s been saying “anything you want to do, anything that makes you happy.” I called him today for reiteration of same. I bought a guitar, case, pitch pipe, and book and may take lessons. What I learned in high school I all but forgot. Other than a G chord I’m useless. My fingers don’t work as they used to when I was seventeen! I lent my 8th grade Christmas gift to a boyfriend after college and he kept it, perhaps as service rendered after two dates and I wouldn’t… you know.

Third is that we finally got Jim’s W-2 so I can finalize our taxes and not punt or send an unnecessary check. So, there’s more work to do.

All in all, with rain, it’s been a good day. Cook well tonight. Cheers, Dee.

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