Singing and playing guitar.

These days, it would have helped with the regulations about how many people are allowed to play, if there's no entertainments licence in the pub, or wherever.....

 

Bluegrass festivals Denders!!? Good lord! I fancied myself as a bit of an Earl Scruggs at one time, but most of my banjo was folk stuff. I also played guitar (never flatpick tho') 'cos it's more versatile. Also played banjolin & tin whistle!! The other guy in the band only played guitar - but he never helped to carry any of my kit! :(

I played until Arfur told me to stop.... You know 'im? Arfur Itis?

So now I've regressed (second childhood) and gone back to brass. I used to play solo horn in brass bands - just for a change! I've gorn an' bought me a cornet, but after not having blown a note in anger for 20 years, my first efforts were more like bovine flatulence than music.... :D

I'm getting better, though. Must be the tablets. Maybe they'll let me out of the asylum if I'm a good boy and eat my spinach!

 

:D :D :D

Yes, Arfur stops a lot of people playing - must be a critic, I reckon! Nobody ever helps me with my instruments either.... rotten lot! I moved up a size, from guitar todouble bass, and Mr D went from banjo to mandolin - how sensible does that sound? :rolleyes:

Enjoy blowing your cornet, it ahs to be better than blowing your trumpet.....

 

The others are in self defence! Bluegrass Banjo, Lap Steel guitar, Flute and Alto sax.

Elaine, can I suggest that you visit http://www.musofinder.co.uk There are scores of bands advertised on there.

 

Oh, and if any of you guys want backing tracks, I sometimes produce them for solos and duos.

 

Thankyou dendrobium.I just liked to try different things when i was younger.Until recently,my best friend worked in a factory for 20 yrs and she used to say things like, "why don`t you stick to one thing?" and,"why don`t you settle down?"and i used to say things like,"why don`t you try something different?"I never understood how she could be happy doing the same thing day after day.Granted there`s alot to be said for having a guarranteed wage packet at the end of every week but winters bad enough without not being able to see daylight.I honestly feel for the folk doing shift work nowadays.I don`t think it can be healthy for a body.
Trux,thanks for the link.

 

Dendrobium, don't you find the bass a bit limited? That was my complaint with some of the band scores - I was often just the "pah" in somebody else's "oomp"!! I'd thought about switching to a flatpick guitar, but even holding down chords with the left hand just hurt a lot!

I hope "Arfur" didn't stop me to protect the public, though... we did actually get paid for gigs, and often used to play in front of a row of "Brixton suitcases", all merrily filling tapes with US! Dear me, the royalties we never had, eh?

Must admit the cornet's not as satisfying. Folk music can be incredibly direct and powerful, and however sweetly a cornet's played, it'll never hit people between the eyes like songs can. So I still get the Lingering Hankers - but you can't get a cure on the NHS!!! I'll just go and cry into my vino, eh....!!!!

 

Now there's a good name for a band - "The Lingering Hankers" :D

What a talented bunch you are!!

I did a bit of flat-top picking, but I never had the time or patience to practise enough to be good, so I switched to Bass, which our jam session didn't have, so I was jamming from day 1 with it! Great fun.

I don't find it limiting, because I can hear and feel how much the bass helps the rest of the session sound good, and keeps the banjo players to the right speed...... they do get a bit carried away at times! :D

 

Learning guitar seems to be the 'in thing' at the moment

My son was recently tempted to buy a guitar from QVC and actually got a reasonable bargain. He too is now having a look around for a tutor.

Perhaps Eleagnus will be able to advise Nathan because they used to live in Essex and her son is a very accomplished guitarist so should know of tutors in your area.
Hope you are successful - and looking forward to some download guitar music on GC :D

 

For what it's worth, Yamaha instruments are at least very good, and often excellent. Yamaha S2 pianos are the upright of choice for many professional pianists, pro cornettists often use Yamaha Maestros and Xeno's, and even their student instruments are good quality. (I played semi-pro guitar/banjo and solo tenor in a number of brass bands!) And at �£120 you're not getting a cheapo Chinese nothing-at-all!!

 

I have a yamaha cutaway - I like them! :D

They have narrow necks, which may be good or bad depending on your hands and finger size, Nathan.

If you liked the Johnny Cash stuff, it might be a good idea to go to a teacher who says they deal with any form of "picking", like flat top, or 3 finger, or anything like that.

You'll learn the same basics with anyone, as everyone has to learn about chords, and practise laying on chords while picking with the right hand, but with flat-top picking, you will play very much more complicated things, and do riffs and stuff which feature a lot in JC stuff, like the bass lines you always hear.

Do avoid classical teachers, though - they don't do chords, and I think that's not the right way for you.

I know of bluegrass specialists in Essex, so if you haven't any luck in looking in local papers, I'll pass you my contacts.

I got myself a basic yamaha to have as a spare to keep at my Mum's house rather than carrying my good one up and down in the train from down south, and that cost around �£100, so your price is about right. Definitely get a tuner, the electronic type. IF poss, get an "on-board" one, as that cuts out background noise.

http://www.musicroom.com/se/ID_No/0413644/details.html

I always use that - then I can tune anywhere, even with loads of banjos and mandolins tuning up....

 

Just to give you a taste of what's out here - here's something where you have the songs, complete with music, words, where there are any..., and you can hear it over and over again! And adjust the speed, if I remember rightly!

http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/bluegrass-songbook/idxv13as.htm

Enjoy!

 

Hi Nathan, maybe you can get some advice from "THE STAGE" which is a monthly (I think...)paper for music professionals, by the look of it.
I can only say that a good musician not necessarily is a good teacher...
which area of essex,more near London or...?