Whats your new years playing resolution ?

[EuroAussie]

For me its mainly about learning how to fingerpick (in particular blues) and improvisation.

 

Thats my goals for 2011, what about you, what do you want to improve in your game the most next year ?

[Murph]

I'd like to spend more time on the mandolin and banjo. The different tunings mess with my head, and I'll spend a few days with one, then a few with the other. Funny I can jump back on guitar at any time, but that's because of the time invested, I'm sure.

 

I'd also like to finish the acoustic project I've started.

[larryp58]

I'm with ya, Murph! I've had this ol' mandolin laying around for several years and never really put a lot of effort into learning how to play it well. I mean I can "chop" along with several songs that we do in the bluegrass band, but not strike out on a good break on it. Lately, I've started picking it up more and have really started understanding the fretboard a little more. Quite a fascinating and adorable instrument! And when played really well, it will consume your full attention! Like you, I can always go back and grab my guitar, but this "mando-thing" has me mesmerized at the moment!

 

 

(Wow! I just hit 800! Wish I had back the 475 I lost during the crash last year!)

[Gilliangirl]

I need to practice more. Since buying my horse I have been TERRIBLE at practicing, and it shows. I need to come up with a schedule/plan and stick to it. I need to make some goals, i.e., learn one new song per week (memorized!)

[onewilyfool]

I now have the Chord/melody lines for THREE songs......My resolution is to finish them with words this coming year......by the way, how does one protect his songs by copyright???? (YES, they are that good....lol)

[Murph]

I now have the Chord/melody lines for THREE songs......My resolution is to finish them with words this coming year......by the way, how does one protect his songs by copyright???? (YES, they are that good....lol)

 

Go to the Library Of Congress, Registar Of Copyrights and print form S.R., (or P.A.), send them a copy and some good ole' Greenbacks and you're in business. I've got well over 50.

[BT Bob]

My resolution?

 

Just to play more - and hopefully improve as a result.

[ksdaddy]

Play more. Buy less. Put more wear on my Telecaster in one year than I have in the previous 32 years.

[gretchen55]

I have a pile of instruction manuals and DVDs that I've either just glanced at or started, only to get distracted by something else. My goal is to first finish the DADGAD book I started this month, and when that's done I'll switch to my neglected electric guitar, which has been sitting idly in the corner, and get through "Blues You Can Use." In other words FOCUS.

[E-minor7]

Try to stabilize the my state of skills (to give it a name) - and make that level day'n'night reliable. . .

 

Explore some new chords.

 

Get further into fingerpicking my 12-string. (gives some real nice flavours as your thumb-nail sometimes hits the high-octave bass string without touching the proper core bass-note, , , what !).

 

[Toneis everything]

Practice, practice, practice.(and maybe some new gear)

[MusicbyFirelight]

Finish the couple dozen half-written songs I've got on the go right now, and work on finessing a greater variety of picking patterns...

[fretplay]

I'm working on Glen Miller meets Chuck Berry at 'Chattangoo Choo Choo'. This old music as great but !!

[jt]

My goal is to get my harp guitar playing up to gigging quality by the time I host the 9th annual Harp Guitar Gathering next fall.

[retrorod]

Basically to keep on doing what I,m doing.....And to make more time to keep on doing it! There are enough pressures in other areas of life. No need to add to them....

Rod

[CAMELEYE]

Fight GAS! Whittle the guitar collection down to one main player and a couple oddballs. Get off the forums and just play. Ce

[MR GIBS]

I'd like to put more ballance in my music works.

May be the first thing is to cultivate the way I use the TC Helicon Harmony G XT and The ZOOM Loop Station pedal.

Then - have to learn how to smile before the video camera when I record my songs for youtube.

To finish and record 8-10 songs that I have started to make years ago.

To get my new calssical custom made guitar from the luthier - may be in february. And to record with her several songs that has to be played with nylon-strings guitar.

I will end thie year with some 33000 - 34 000 views of my songs uploaded in youtube. Next year I want to make the number of the views over 100 000.

At least, but not at last - to go in a professional studio and to try to record a couple of my songs professionaly.

I take part in a project with two of my singer-songwriters friends - we make tree of us a sort of a musical-poetry show - to finish that project and to start to perform it in small rooms before audience.

Ah - and to practice more, of course. Because I don't play enough...

To play & sing 2 hours by day.

Now I can see clearly that first I have to sit down and make a serious plan written.

[albertjohn]

 

Get further into fingerpicking my 12-string. (gives some real nice flavours as your thumb-nail sometimes hits the high-octave bass string without touching the proper core bass-note, , , what !).

 

 

This sounds like a great resolution/objective for coming year. I'm going to steal this one. If that's OK with you Em7.

 

I love my 12er but have not played it as much as would have liked this year - same goes for my others. Fingerpicking is not my strong point and on the 12er is a bit of a mystery so there's alot of work required from this side of my keyboard.

 

Em7, do you have any songs in mind you would like to tackle? A topical one which immediately comes to my mind would be Greg Lake "Snow At Christmas".

 

I will resolve not to spend too much of my redundancy package on Gibsons (although I'm quite tempted) at least until I have a regular income again.

[EuroAussie]

AJ- Im sorry to hear that it didnt work out on the job front, not a good way to finish the year. I trust it wont be long before youre back in the saddle again. The upside of course is it opens a whole bunch of practice time for those new years resolutions !

 

Regarding 12 strings, I have problems getting my head (well, fingers) aroudn those beasts. Can barely play chords, not to mention picking them !

 

cheers.

 

This sounds like a great resolution/objective for coming year. I'm going to steal this one. If that's OK with you Em7.

 

I love my 12er but have not played it as much as would have liked this year - same goes for my others. Fingerpicking is not my strong point and on the 12er is a bit of a mystery so there's alot of work required from this side of my keyboard.

 

Em7, do you have any songs in mind you would like to tackle? A topical one which immediately comes to my mind would be Greg Lake "Snow At Christmas".

 

I will resolve not to spend too much of my redundancy package on Gibsons (although I'm quite tempted) at least until I have a regular income again.

[albertjohn]

AJ- Im sorry to hear that it didnt work out on the job front, not a good way to finish the year. I trust it wont be long before youre back in the saddle again. The upside of course is it opens a whole bunch of practice time for those new years resolutions !

 

Regarding 12 strings, I have problems getting my head (well, fingers) aroudn those beasts. Can barely play chords, not to mention picking them !

 

cheers.

 

Cheers mate. New challenges ahead. A couple of things look pretty good at the moment.

 

On the plus side, the b******s had to pay me far more than they thought to get rid of me, I'll be able to stay up and watch The Ashes, and as you say more practice time.

 

I love 12 strings. I find that some songs just cry out for one, or just sound better. It contrasts well with a 6 string, like when I play in my duo, but I like to play it solo too.

 

You should perhaps include a 12 string in your arsenal. It will give a different texture to some of your live songs. In Ash and my set we use a 12er on: Wild Wood, Wish You Were Here, Through The Barricades, Hotel California, Blaze Of Glory, Weather With You, Pineapple Head etc.... probably close to half of our set has one or other of us playing a 12 string.

 

Fingerpicking it with any degree of proficiency is going to take me alot of practice.

 

Sorry to hijack with talk of 12ers!

[EuroAussie]

Yep, all good arguments for a 12 strings ... and Ill give you one more, which now that Doubleshot has expended to Tripleshot with my guitar teacher joining us on the 'bigger' gigs we want to have a crack at ... Wanted Dear or Alive, the Bon Jovi classic which just SMOKES on a 12 string ...

 

And yes, watching the Ashes from midnight is a GREAT fringe benefit, has turned itnto a great series I hope !

 

cheers.

Cheers mate. New challenges ahead. A couple of things look pretty good at the moment.

 

On the plus side, the b******s had to pay me far more than they thought to get rid of me, I'll be able to stay up and watch The Ashes, and as you say more practice time.

 

I love 12 strings. I find that some songs just cry out for one, or just sound better. It contrasts well with a 6 string, like when I play in my duo, but I like to play it solo too.

 

You should perhaps include a 12 string in your arsenal. It will give a different texture to some of your live songs. In Ash and my set we use a 12er on: Wild Wood, Wish You Were Here, Through The Barricades, Hotel California, Blaze Of Glory, Weather With You, Pineapple Head etc.... probably close to half of our set has one or other of us playing a 12 string.

 

Fingerpicking it with any degree of proficiency is going to take me alot of practice.

 

Sorry to hijack with talk of 12ers!

[albertjohn]

Yep, all good arguments for a 12 strings ... and Ill give you one more, which now that Doubleshot has expended to Tripleshot with my guitar teacher joining us on the 'bigger' gigs we want to have a crack at ... Wanted Dear or Alive, the Bon Jovi classic which just SMOKES on a 12 string ...

 

And yes, watching the Ashes from midnight is a GREAT fringe benefit, has turned itnto a great series I hope !

 

cheers.

 

I reckon it won't be decided until the 5th day at Sydney. It's already a great series.

[jgwoods]

Guitar: Keep working on the flatpicking- Whiskey Before Breakfast and a few others, Polish up a half dozen country songs.

Mandolin: Learn Bach's Prelude for Suite #1 for Cello as a mandolin piece, also work on double stops a lot.

Banjo: Add some new songs, polish some old ones.

Fiddle: Now that I have a way to hold it that doesn't bother my hands and wrists I am going to work a lot more on it. It is just so foundational to what I play and totally addictive. It also inspires all the other instruments and changes my lines a lot.

[onewilyfool]

Playing resolution????.......1080i and 240 HZ hopefully......

[E-minor7]

This sounds like a great resolution/objective for coming year. I'm going to steal this one. If that's OK with you Em7.

 

I love my 12er but have not played it as much as would have liked this year - same goes for my others. Fingerpicking is not my strong point and on the 12er is a bit of a mystery so there's alot of work required from this side of my keyboard.

 

Em7, do you have any songs in mind you would like to tackle?

 

Feel free. . .

 

The 12-string offers a good alternative when you can't get down to the 6. It opens an other gate and takes you through the rye till you find a tinkling stream. There you step out barefoot among shoals of small black fish between the swaying green seaweed. Jewels sparkle from the surface - if it's not the sun, it's the moon. . .

 

Pardon, but that's my 12-string feeling and of course it would be too much to go there daily.

 

Never the less I have made an intro-piece that must come under control for some recording before spring (the rest of the song is already done).But it's so damn difficult for me.

 

Apart from that, I'll just play home-fun tunes like Suzanne, Solsbury Hill, maybe The First Cut, , , and the make more or less ordinary stuff ring different.