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zigzag

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Posts posted by zigzag

    Post your Gibson Chet Atkins Country Gentleman?

    in Gibson Custom

    Posted

    I own a 1990 Gibson Chet Atkins Tennessean, which was the first year of that model. Same red finish as your Country Gent, 16 frets clear of the body, 25.5" scale, 1.5" width nut, ebony fretboard with offset dots, 3 piece maple neck, silver pickguard, silver truss rod cover, no armrest (later models had a black pickguard, trc, & armrest). In many respects somewhat similar to the Country Gent, and of course this was by Chet's design. I've always been partial to skinnier necks, but for some reason this thing is a breeze to play. I also own a 335 & 339, and the Tennessean compares very favorably while being significantly different. Imho, these two Gibson CA models are real sleepers.

     

    Saw and heard a guy playing a Tennessean about a year ago and I was GASsing hard for one. Fortunately, I passed GAS for it. I'd still like to have one, but that is way down the road if it ever happens.

    Revelations

    in The Gibson Lounge

    Posted

    I've been playing off and on for over 40 years, but really seriously for just over the last fourteen. Around 5 years ago, I figured that I wasn't really improving. I got to a point where I couldn't teach myself anything else- just learned songs. Deciding to take lessons was the best thing I could have done. I found not just a teacher but an excellent musician who didn't just teach me songs, but he also taught me music. Not just learning scales, but learning to improvise using that knowledge improved my playing exponentially. I'm not saying that improvisation through strict adherance to scales is the way it should be done, but the practicing of scales is the most direct route to acquiring a feel for the fretboard.

     

    The old saying about how to get to Carnegie Hall is right. I actually benefitted from getting away from lessons to apply what I had learned and just have fun; doing that was hugely beneficial. The three best things I've done to improve have been to take lessons, stop taking lessons, and learn (and practice) scales horizonally in two and three string groups up and down the neck. And btw, I've picked up taking lessons again.

     

    Also, not having other people to jam with, I bought Band in a Box last Christmas. That has helped me a lot. And playing to a metronome has also helped.

    Revelations

    in The Gibson Lounge

    Posted

    Then there was the day all the "Positions" just melted away' date=' leaving one big scale all over the neck. The day I stopped thinking in "positions" and started playing the Whole Neck, I got better.[/quote']

     

    Great advice. Unfortunately, to get there takes years of practicing (scales). I'm getting there.

    Revelations

    in The Gibson Lounge

    Posted

    I'm sure most of you during your playing times, or learning times, have had revelations that have made something in your understanding of the guitar, or your musical understanding, click.

     

    When I was learning chords and chord structure, I learned fret distances from the I, to the II, III, IV, etc. But when I realized that working from the 6th string to the first on the same fret that the 6th string being the I, the 5th string on the same fret is the IV, the 4th string same fret is the bVII, the 3rd string is the bIII, the second string is the V, and the first string is the I, it made it very easy for me the quickly shape and grab a target chord.

     

    Of course, if the I is on the fifth string then you have to make a slight adjustment.

     

    Anybody else have any tricks they'd like to reveal?

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