It has been just over two weeks since the band’s first gig. So I now feel that I can puts some thoughts about the whole experience.

I was reasonably happy with my performance. There were a couple of things that I have done better and so should have done better, but there were certainly things that went better than any practice. A lesson to take away is that you might realise that something was not correct but if you play with confidence and pleasure then the audience will not notice. I have realised that merely playing is not what people want from a live band - it is the performance - the stance, movement, smiles, nodding, syncing with other band members, etc. that you put in and they not only listen but watch the band. This sounds obvious - but it’s not easy to add that aspect when you’re trying to play all the right notes at the right time in the right sequence.

My enjoyment was a little tempered as I also was playing recorded music, the sound engineer, lights and announcer. There was a lot to do. There was a lot of preparation and after the gig it was a bit of a let down. Still, I will be ready for that next time. Forewarned is forearmed.

We have another gig coming up in October where I’ll be merely band member and sound engineer. It will be more relaxed for the set up and I expect that I’ll be able to enjoy the gig better.

I do find that the performance aspects can be a little addictive - there is a buzz that comes from playing and performing with others in the band in front of other people. So thankfully we have that new gig.

I have finished my guitar lessons, does this mean that I know everything?

No.

In the thoughts of something else, I’d say that I can start learning. But in fairness, the main reason I have stopped is that I am not playing the guitar. I’m playing bass, I’m practising bass. So I was not practising the guitar between lessons. So why take a lesson.

It also saves me a little money but that was not the main reason.

I do find that I’m learning more musical stuff on the bass, notes, scales, fret positions. So that should transfer across to the guitar.

The other important thing is that bassists are more on their own - there are not huge TABs for bass out there. So I have had to do more listen and learn - no bad skill to develop, as well as the underlying music constructs.

Well, after borrowing for some time and letting languish after a short burst of enthusiasm, my brother-in-law had his bass guitar back. Of course, not long after I really had the hankerings of a bass. So after some research, I ordered a Vintage V940. It arrived safely, in one piece courtesy of TNT from a company I've used for bits of PA - iMuso. So why did I order the V940 - the price was right - especially for a beginner and was sufficiently flexible to accommodate different styles. It also looked good.

So my first impressions? The guitar is heavier, longer and yet beautiful - being in a natural wood finish. How does it sound? Great - to my largely untrained ears.

I have a couple of books, some TAB, some songs and little time - but I hope to make some progress with it along with some cross-fertilisation with the 6-string normal guitar. I think that I will be using a metronome and drum backing tracks more often.

Now it is the day after and I've had some time to reflect on my experiences of my first real gig. So what went well? Clearly many of the songs we had were right and people did join in. We even had an encore - we didn't have another number to play so we replayed the best song - House of the Rising Sun. What didn't go so well? Backing tracks - we were out on a couple of them - in fact one of them were out by such a way that I muted the backing track part way through. I forgot to bring up the vocal MIC for the first track - oops.

What was I pleased with? My performance was good, confident and mainly all together. I had a few slip ups but I heard the others making some slips as well. My best parts? The solos in Summertime and my party piece (The Loner) - not because I did it perfectly - because I didn't - but I managed to continue with confidence and pick it up - people didn't notice or realise. By the time I got to the second half I was enjoying myself - that was a major goal.

You can see the photos of the event at this album

Well tomorrow is the day of the big gig - well for me anyway. It is my wife's brother's birthday and I'm playing with my wife's brother (guitar and vocals) and his friend on bass. My roles are several - a) sound engineer - I'm setting up the PA, mixing desk, foldback, MIC as well as the levels and the mix; b) technician for the backing tracks - the creation, mixing, editing; c) initiating the backing tracks using a MIDI footboard to trigger the tracks on the laptop; d) also playing guitar.

So I'm busy both beforehand and after with kit set up and take down as well as during the set when I'm playing and triggering the backing tracks.

I've been practising for nearly 12 months and my wife and I cannot agree on the estimate of the hours I've put in to this practice. Let's just say we agree that it is hundred's of hours in the 12 months.

Now, of course, I am desperate to 1) let everything go well 2) play well and 3) enjoy myself. I'm struggling a little with the latter one. But once #1 has been done then I can concentrate on the rest.

I'll report back early next week with my thoughts and feelings on the big gig.

We went to see the Hamsters - a band that several people had recommended we go an see. It was great - they did a playlist from their covers of ZZ Top and Hendrix. The Hamsters are a trio and watching the dynamics of the group - the lead guitar who was the lead singer and the leader - he spoke with the crowd. They were not a tribute band in that they didn't attempt to imitate the originals. The venue was good but I'd say that the acoustics were not brilliant. The audience was quite a mixture - young and old and much older. They concentrated on the music, no fancy light show, but their finale was unique. That's all I'll say - you need to go and see them.

I was interested to see how the guitarist played and did things - but he was rather fast - a challenge. A huge pedal board - but with Hendrix I'd guess a lot of effects. I did notice the lack of rhythm in the songs, but the bassist was playing a 5 string bass and covered some aspects of the the rhythm.

Live music is good to hear and see. Must do more.

I thought that I would try to get myself a playlist - a portfolio of songs that I could play, if someone said to me - well what do you know? After considering several things like a) what I like b) what I've been learning c) what I've made progress on d) what I have transcribed and e) what I can listen to. I have come out with a list - a varied list. And varied in several ways. Firstly, they are not all one type of music - there are acoustic songs; they are not all just chords and rhythm - there are a few where I think that I could get the solo and lead parts. They are not all dead easy - but I remember not to set a Personal Everest - and yet a challenge. Yet as I look at the list they feature many songs that are a backdrop to my life - which is good. So without further words here is the list as it stands at the time of writing this entry. Of course, I reserve the right to change it.

# Part Title Artist
1 R Wish you were here Pink Floyd
2 A Hardest button to button The White Stripes
3 R Hey Joe Jimi Hendrix
4 R Wonderful tonight Eric Clapton
5 R Wishing Well Free
6 A Blowin' in the wind Bob Dylan
7 R Black Night Deep Purple
8 R Smells like teen spirit Nirvana
9 R One U2
10 A Silver Machine Hawkwind

11 R Heart of Gold Neil Young
12 R Everlong Foo Fighters
13 R All I Wanna Do Sheryl Crow
14 A A Horse With No Name America
15 R All Right Now Free

16 R Don't Worry About the Government Talking Heads
17 R Free Bird Lynyrd Skynyrd
18 A Psycho Killer Talking Heads
19 A I'll be Creepin' Free

Where A is all parts and R is Rhythm part only.

Well after about 12 months of fortnightly visits to a tutor for 30 minutes of show, try, look, listen and then a pile of stuff to go away and practice. I know that I have progressed. You could argue that starting from scratch is the only time to show rapid progress. Well, I'm still encouraged and by measuring things it is possible to actually see improvement.

As an old dog definitely trying to learn new tricks, the hands, fingers and brain are sometimes well out of alignment. But in an encouraging book I got there are 3 P's to consider: Patience, Perseverance and Practice. Along with the idea that you do not set any personal everests - how it is difficult when all you hear in the music you listen to and the musicians you see - are people very much at the top of their game.

Still after a year, I'm progressing with soloing around the pentatonic scales, getting the main open chords and main barre chords up to a satisfactory consistency and fluidity. Though I admin readily that I have some obvious weaknesses - D minor chord! Just started to finger-pick a bit. That's hard - and as a point to not develop bad habits I'm deliberately not looking at my right hand.

I have found a tutor. He's the chap that taught someone who was on a Sound Recording course I attended at Kendal college. So I will have 30 minutes once a fortnight. Seems short to me. But he knows best. He seemed to think that the second hand guitar I'd got was a reasonable piece of kit. So no excuses on blaming kit rather than lack of effort, practice or ability!

I suppose it's my age. But I need a new challenge. And I've decided that I'm going to learn to play the guitar. I suppose it's my history. Having grown up with all of the great guitar heros - Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Dave Gilmour, etc. and it's probably more achievable than the piano.

But I decided that the electric would be easier to pick up and get started. I got my self a second hand guitar from a local shop. So nothing much ventured so far - and a book with CD.

It brought to light within me that I don't even remember playing the recorder at primary school - or being invited to learn an instrument ever at school. Perhaps they knew some I don't. Still now I need to set myself some sort of target, so I don't just dither along. And I'll try to find a tutor. Always good to have that external stimulus.

A new category to my blog is about music - its creation, editing and reproduction. Though I'm not a musician, I appreciate music, and good audio reproduction.

My current environment consists of hardware and software with some skills (they are still embryonic).

Hardware
Hi-Fi system with speakers, amp, cassette deck (yes I'm that old), record deck (similar comment), CD player. Into this is plugged my PowerBook that allows me to playback and record. I also have an M-Audio Oxygen 8 USB keyboard controller, Griffin iMIC USB input and output (one stereo channel each way). I have access to some live audio equipment - such as mics, analogue mixing desk and active PA speakers.

Software
iTunes - brilliant - great organiser of music and yes I have bought some music via iTunes Music Store; GarageBand via iLife '05 - this is so neat. I also use Sound Studio, Spark XL, Bias Peak to do some audio editing.

Skills
I have rerecorded some old cassette music onto the computer and created mp3 and CDs. I have been the sound engineer for several village pantos and created soundtracks, edited snippets of music and sound effects to go with the performance.