So long 2020 - what's up 2021?
Wellllll...thanks to C19 we'll have similar things to deal with in 2021 as we all faced in 2020.
Musically though, I think it's useful to have a look back at 2020 - because I had intentions/goals made at the start of lockdown in March.
I wanted to polish up a jazz progression that I didn't quite have smooth.
Learn something 'fancy' (It turned out to be Bach - Toccata and Fugue.
Get stuck into CAGED and make it part of my guitar vocabulary
Gearwise, I gave the pimpocaster one last hurrah.
What actually happened was not quite as intended. but I'm not disappointed.
I kinda polished the jazz thing, but it's still not remotely smooth. It's three chords that are kickin' my ass still, but I've made some progress. My fingers can actually fret them now. Just not quickly enough.
After learning about the first 20s and giving up, I can say the Bach thing is HARD, properly challenging. I now have a begrudging admiration for classical guitarists. They're still massive masochists, but talented and disciplined ones.
I did make some progress w/CAGED. Enough to use it when jammin & composing. The major scale system is now familiar to me fingers, the minor scale not as much (yet). Though, if you are looking to level up your skills, DO look into CAGED learning and bash your head against it - really is a game changer - and a topic that has quite some depth to it.
Probably the thing I am happiest with, I have to thank myself and @domhatch for. I worked mostly on finger 'posture' and general physical conditioning. Because when I was hacking away initially at CAGED, Jazz thing and the Bach thing it was clear what my fretting hand was habitually getting up to wasn't helping me at all.
So I've been developing classical guitarist habits - you know the technique you guitar teachers show you and that you totally ignore =D. Y'know - Thumb is squarely behind the neck supporting the beautifully arched fingers that are fretting accurately behind the fret(s) with the very tip of the finger contacting the string.
What has helped immensely is doing exercises away from the guitar/bass. Back, shoulders, forearms strengthening & stretching and thanks to @domhatch I dusted off my digi-flex and used it regularly. That's a Grrreat tool for your fretting hand, can't recommend it enough. It doesn't replace time on guitar - but you can really develop finger 'posture' with it. Also useful as a warm up tool.
And the pimpocaster - After 7 years , I really enjoyed it in 2020. It's the classical guitar I never knew I always wanted.
What's the intent for 2021?
More of the same I think, more CAGED, more finger 'posture' correction. Really would like to stuck into a some jams to test out the work I managed to work on - but we'll see about that, things are a bit topsy-turvy still.
...and find some frikking ball-end high tension classical strings for the pimpocaster 🙂
You got some 2021 goals, achieve any 2020 goals?
