More Practice... and Starting A Song!!!

Today I finally sat down and found something!!!

It's in the early stages i.e. 1 verse, opener & chorus, but it's good!

No spoiler, I don't like to show my work 'till I'm done, but I can say the focus chord is Dm.

I'm using Dm, Am, G, C, and A.

Dunno if there will be another in the bridge (not there yet) but it's good. i like it.
It's not all strumming, there's a bit of picking to it i may continue to modify and mess with.

I'm getting better with practice at guitar cardio. In case you haven't yet received my recommendation, it's a MUST for those that want to get good at guitar.

I have a link to the left.

I still need to name the song. That's in the works, too.

Songs Remembered

I wrote Eliza a song to the tune of "Hey There, Delilah" ages and ages ago, for her sixteenth birthday. She brought that up and wants me to dig out the lyrics and send them to her.

I need to figure out what I did with them. They are buried away between paper and computer files. I have to sit down and reconstruct them, because I never had a hard final copy - it was all in my head.

Yuck. I want to do it and will, but that's hard enough, considering I'm still trying to figure out what I did with those lyrics I need to get to Alyssa (no, I haven't forgotten).

Hmm... Oh, and to make things worse, her mom wants me to record it. I'm not big on doing recording!!! It's not like I have a way to do a decent quality recording. I'll have to come up with something, for my sake.

Why I care? I dunno. There was a song I wrote for Sarah, but I never had an opportunity to play it for her, as dumb as that is. I ought to reconstruct that, too.

Well, amid all this nuttiness, I want to write something else. Just makes my blood pressure go up thinking of all this. Maybe I need to go do something else. Peace out.

Playing Guitar (Hero) Again

On a side note, I'm well under way on beating Expert on GH. I rock in every meaning of the word. lol...

I've got back to playing my guitar more (finally), and I must say I feel kinda stuck.
I haven't done much new of late.

I'm thinking of writing a song, and I have the material to do so, but no lyrics.
However...

The gears are turning.
That's my expression for "i'm thinking about it".

What do you guys think? It's kinda strange to ask the internet questions, but seriously...

What topic do you think I should choose? Any ideas? I want to pick something unique.
Something close to me, but no mushy cliché love song.
It has to have meaning... I don't want it to be silly, otherwise I'd pick randomly.
I want it to be GOOD. Something people would want to listen to.

I wonder....
Well... if you've any suggestion, comments are always welcomed.
Enough musing for one night.
もう寝よ。

Valentine's Weekend Number Two

Today is guitar, and I'm still working on my little song.
I've got ideas, but the lyrics always come rather slow.

Here's some links to some of the love songs me and friends have liked of late.

Jason Mraz's Lucky

We The Kings' Check Yes, Juliet

We The Kings' Secret Valentine

Jason Mraz's Prettiest Friend

Bryan Adams's Have You Ever Really Love A Woman?

Happy Friday the 13th! And Pre-V-Day, at that.

Lyrics and Embarrassment

I think the problem I've been running into with lyrics is my mood.

I've had songs I've wanted to write, but I'm terrified the people they're written about will hear them. Call me chicken - that's just me.

Seriously, though - a good song often has a heart behind it. I'm not quick to wear my heart on my sleeve. So I've sort of held myself back because I was going to feel compelled to show what I've done here. So I'm retracting any obligation to. I may later do it anyways. But while I'm writing lyrics, I'm making no promises. that should help me psychologically.

I think I'm also going to pick out a new favorite/popular song to learn at the right challenge level; that will help me get better at playing guitar. I'm not sure what it will be, but I'm already narrowing it down.

Looking for Lyrics

I'm taking the songwriting more seriously now. I'm going to go write a song. It will be a while until it's finished.

I will post it when I'm satisfied with it, though. I'm excited... I haven't written a song in ages.

In other news, I've got four songs finished perfect lately, and am left with an almost-clean slate.
I've been working on Lee's what it does to us and Secondhand Serenade's Fall For You. Along with Jack Johnson's Banana Pancakes and Sitting, Waiting, Wishing that's quite a lot in just a month or two.

I do need to get better with lyrics... I find myself making up songs as I go about my day every now and then... I just can't make up stuff that would go with guitar, stupid as it sounds. Perhaps I need to write more down, or keep scratch paper with me.

The Blame Goes to Me...

...and it all comes undone again.

I can't believe I let this happen to me... I'm rather annoyed. It's technically not my fault, As I have tried to take care of it, but I'm going to end up so far behind it'll be days before I put up what's actually going on that day in my life.

Oh well... today I worked on What It Does to Us by my good friend the rekceD eeL.
It's getting near perfect...

I wanted to work on Confident, but I haven't been able to remember the chords, and (being the dum-dum I am) I didn't write them down anywhere. So I'm going to have to go ask him.
I have the lyrics, strangely enough...

Speaking of lyrics, Alyssa still wants those I wrote a while back for her birthday... and I will, girl. Hold on just a little longer.

I'm going to write a song, I'm sure of that, but I'm not entirely sure of the topic. I guess we'll just have to see, now won't we?

Cookie Jar

...that's the name of the Jack Johnson song I'm thinking of learning.

I need to find something more "romantic", though. I need to work on expanding my "chicks dig it" library, if you know what I mean... I really want to be able to play a wider variety, but I don't know just quite how to go about it. Perhaps I just need to write a new song.

I've been thinking of writing one about Danielle... but for now, that's our little secret. Yup. Don't tell anyone; it's just between me, Robert, and you, the entire world ;)

Well, anywho, anywhere, anywhat, anywhen, anywhy... I tink I'm gonna start writing some lyrics... I probably won't post them- I don't post stuff that I hold personal, not usually...

I need to improve Alyssa's song, so I can show it to her when I'm not half asleep. I might write a song about all four of us (Daniel, Marianne, Alyssa, Robert)... but things might be changing, so I might wait before deciding on the specific topics...

Oh, and Eliza wanted me to make a collection of all I'd written... problem is, I never managed to finish the lyrics to much of what I would include. And I need to find a decent way to record it.

So... yeah. I have my work cut out for me, as far as guitaring goes...

Daniel might be picking up guitar... it would be cool to have someone to play with...

Running Out of Ideas...

Lately I've been short of things to learn on my guitar.
I need to start writing songs, but I need to continue learning, too.

I can't seem to come up with much to do...

I can play Sitting, Waiting, Wishing perfectly now. I need to pick up something to do.

On the back of the to-do list, I've got to try and memorize Minority by Green Day, and I've got to go re-learn the ending of Times Like These (Jack Johnson of course)...

I need to learn a new song...
Sweet Home Alabama is a classic I need to go learn.
Wake Me Up When September Ends (Green Day) is another.
There might be a few good John Denver songs... I'll have to look.

I'm just tired right now, and short on ideas as a result. I'll probably look through my iTunes, and see if anything gives me ideas.

In the meantime, if anybody out there has ideas as to what I ought to learn, feel free to let me know.

Learning Another Song!!!

Today I started learning Sitting, Waiting, Wishing by Jack Johnson.

And maybe you been through this before
But its my first time
So please ignore
The next few lines cause they're directed at you.

I already can play all of it!!! Not together, but I'm working on that.
For those of you that play guitar (LEE!)
the tabs can be found by clicking here.

The same pattern is followed on all but the 1st measure, namely:
(B=A+1)
(C=A+2)
*counting
A C C A x x (x2) *1,+
A C C B x x (x2) *2,3
x x x x x x *4
A C A B x x (x4) *1+2, 3
x x x x x x *4
(move to new a,b,c)

The first measure is rest(x2), ACCAxx(x2), ACAAxx(x4) instead.
You'll have to take a look-see at the verse.

The bridge is C(335553),E(022100),F(033200),G(055400).
Each chord is played 2 measures. the whole thing is played twice.

The three things you'd need to learn it would be:
Tabs
Lyrics
to Hear it

I wish I would have kept it secret; I could have surprised Marianne with it or something.
Hey Alyssa! Look at the lyrics. See any...irony... in me learning this?
Hint:

Learning loving somebody don't make them love you.

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

must I always be waiting, waiting on you...

Jack Johnson is the best. He's a real guitarist, and I love his songs.
My latest (re)discovery is Sitting, Waiting, Wishing.

My friend Marianne has a very random iTunes collection. That's one of the only Jack Johnson songs she has. It's one of my favorites that I don't have. I think I'm going to learn to play it. I'll put on the to-do list; I've got other things on my plate.

That's one of the best JJ songs out there, though. I can play Fall Line and Times Like These. I've been thinking of adding one to my knowledge, and I think I found the one.

If you haven't seen the YouTube video, you need to. It's excellent. And it's backwards. Really wild, and fun to watch.

I can't always be playing, playing your fool...

Lee's Final Performance

My roommate/inspiration Lee is going home Saturday.
That means that tomorrow's his last day here.

I'm really going to miss having him around. I'm working on learning to play some of his songs; maybe being to play them will remind me of all he's taught me.

Hopefully I'll be able to begin writing songs soon with what I've learned; I haven't had the time as of yet...

I'll probably take up some of the songs he's played, such as
I Will Follow You Into the Dark (Death Cab for Cutie).
There's a few by Relient K he knows, too.
He's just the kind of guy who plays all the songs I've thought of learning to play; I've been thinking of learning "-Into the Dark" for a while now.


What do I have to say about Lee? Let's just say Lee's my middle name(it really is). I'll probably write a song about him at some point- there aren't many things out there that inspire me, and I've found one.

It'll be lonely without him; we'll keep in touch, but I'm so used to always having him around when no one else is... I guess I'll get over it.

But still- no one will replace Lee. Everyone should have a Lee. An awesome guy with endless amounts of talent and good music and speakers.

WIthout Rain

I've got a song I wrote long ago, that I just found. I've been trying to relearn the lyrics.

It uses C, Em, Emin7 and FMaj7.
Fmaj7 : 0123xx
Emin7 : 000020

V1
Why did it get so quiet my friend?
Night never ends when it's this quiet.
Out on the beach I'm lying again
Staring away
Into the zenith.
C
I looked straight up for a map of my life,
but the stars were so dim, and they fail to connect
to the point where I am
in the sand, by the waves, in the rain.

V2
I'd never known a girl 'till then
as sister and friend, even an angel.
I'm having trouble leaving again
the tides coming in,
and I'm still dreaming.
C
Then I looked up and saw some stars connect
to the place where I was, though the light was still dim
I was stuck, beneath the moon,
in the sand, by the waves, in the rain.

b/V3
Now I no longer look to the end
waiting to begin something so different
It is so easy leaving the sand
the rainwater thins
and now I'm happy.
C
I looked straight up for a map of my life,
but the stars were so dim, and they fail to connect
to the point where I am
in the sand, by the waves, in the rain.
C
Now I look up at this map of my life
and the stars are so bright and now they all connect
down to me and my toes
in the sand, by the waves, without rain.

without rain.

It was written in a time of great struggle as I began to find clarity. I didn't know how it would end when I started it.