I feel Fine

Learned this classic tune by the Beatles this week. Never thought I'd be able to play it, but it's so easy. Just John noodling about on the frets.

Birthday Tele

.

Happy Birthday to me!

A birthday Telecaster



The Recital

Sky lays down the beat.

"Oh, the Ukraine girls really knock me out"

Afterwards, Sky, me and Tristan Shannon, our bass player.

Pete, my instructor, me, Little Boo and Sky.

Still feelin the effects of the adreneline rush!

We had our music recital on July 15 at Lindenwood University. The recital was in two halves, due to their being two stores and we were dead last, the very last one to play on the second one. That was okay with us.

After sitting for 2 hours watching endless trumpet solos, a couple piano pieces and one poor soul who stopped during his sax solo (I hope this doesn't happen to me!), it was our turn.

Knowing we had a friendly audience, I marched right up there, took my guitar out of the case and then couldn't hardly plug in as I was shaking so bad. No rehearsal that day, we were just going to go for it.

My instructor Pete did the introductions after we got all plugged-in and tuned up. I quietly asked Pete and Tristan if they were ready and they nodded. I turned to my right and asked Sky and he said "Yes" too. With that I turned and counted us in.

We did "Back in the USSR" off boringly bland, all white covered album by some obscure band from the 1960's that maybe your Grandma danced too. And we rocked the house. A couple of "Oh yeas" and a little more than scattered applause ended our turn onstage. It was great!

I was sooooo nervous but I remembered all the parts. I hadn't been onstage since a 1978 High School Band Concert. Sky was rock steady, Pete and Tristan were old pro's at this.

Afterwards, Sky and I remarked about how fast the whole thing went. We couldn't even remember playing the song! My wife assures me we did. And I got to follow my dream of playing rock n roll onstage with my son.

Thanks Pete and Tristan!

Learned a new song this afternoon.

Sky and I played "I Saw her Standing There" this afternoon. I've wanted to be able to play that song since it came out.

Another song is learned.

Sky and I learned "Think for Yourself" by the Beatles off the Rubber Soul album today.

Great Harrison song!

We're still playin'!

We're still playin! I bought Sky a new drum set a couple weeks ago and he's made a Franken-Kit out it. I've bought 2 more guitars since the last post, an electric-acoustic Epiphone and an Ibanez SZR520, which I'm playing here.

We're working on a few songs together: Fortunate Son, What I like about You, Pretty Woman and my favorite-Paul McCartney's Venus and Mars/Rockshow/Jet.

We have our first recital in six weeks and we want to sound good.

Early Practice Picture-Donnie and the Flyboys.

Skyler and I practicing in the living room.

Great time at this weeks Band Camp!

I had to fly, so I was a little late showing up to this weeks Band Camp but it was well worth attending.

First of all, my good friend Kenny Webb was there along with his vintage Les Paul. He hadn't hardly played it over the last 25 years but with this kids up and gone, felt now was as good a time as any to get back into it.

We also played my current favorite Already Gone as well as two songs I didn't know the chords to but love anyway; Little Sister and Kansas City.

I'm going to learn the rhythm part to them over the weekend as well as a couple others so next week will be really good.

Big Step today

Today I practiced for an hour and a half. The callouses are well-formed on my fingertips and my fingers are gaining strength.

I decided to get brave and tackle one of my favorite songs today: Already Gone by the Eagles. The basic rythum is just three chords but the lead part seems (ed) pretty complex. You really have to stretch out your hand/fingers to play those X6 chords.

So I played thru the pain, stretched out my fingies and went thru the song slowly.

It's still not there but it's coming and it's a lot closer than it was.