Shazam - "How To" Question

[Rosemary]

Hi Donna
It's great to see another lady playing Shadows and your new Classic Vibe is a fantastic guitar. I tried one out in a shop when buying a new amp recently and couldn't believe how light it was and what a fantastic tone it had and have heard many other very favourable reports about them.

As I've only been playing 2 years I know very well some of the problems you are experiencing.
The beauty of learning Shadows tunes though is that with good equipment which you have already have, you can learn easier versions of their songs and have them sound very good and then work on the difficult parts to replace the easier way of playing them when you develop the technique to do so.

For instance double stops where you play two notes together could be played as a single note until you can play the two notes together and instead of bending a string you could perhaps fret the note that the tabs say to bend to until you build the strength to bend them .

A good example is 'Apache' which has very easy notes to learn but which I really struggle with because of the gallop and the string bending at the beginning as well as some slides though I've almost got the slides now. You could perhaps try that one and just strum the two notes in rhythm for the gallop until you master it.

None of them are easy to play (in my experience anyway) and I still haven't perfected any although I can play along with backing tracks and with other musicians. Some are easier than others and with time the techniques used get easier too so my advice is to keep learning Shadows tunes but don't get put off by the difficult parts but instead play them an easier way with single notes or strum along in time for a few bars if need be until you learn those parts.

Also it helps to concentrate on what you can do now that you couldn't a few weeks ago rather on what you still can't do. I still have a very long way to go but every week there is a little improvement even if it's just a few bars or a phrase or a double stop that sound a bit better.

Best wishes
Rosemary

[donna plasky]

Hi, Rosemary. Thank you for your advice and wisdom. I hope some day I can play as nicely as you can. I feel much less "guilty" now about the things I cannot play and some of the temporary shortcuts and work-arounds you were describing; I have done some of them myself. The beginning part of Apache is something I can only play only in individual little pieces. I can bend the "D" note (the third note in the song), but not in the context of playing what comes before it, then do the bend, and then play what comes after it. I joke that it's like not being able to walk and chew gum at the same time. I have not quite decided what to do about the galloping. My horse walks, he doesn't gallop

I love "Flingel Bunt" but those opening power chords (or maybe they're called double stops) are another thing I can't do, except as piece-work. It takes me too long to align my fingers before I strike the strings. So I have resorted to playing the first power chord the correct way (using two strings), then for the next two I have to use single strings, and then return to the double-string chord where the song started. "Foot Tapper" has something like that in the middle, and part of it is a slide. I can play it, but not at anywhere near the correct tempo -- because of how long it takes me to align my fingers on the fretboard. So I play what I can, but I don't dare record my rendition of Flingel Bunt or Foot Tapper at this point in time!

A very kind person from this Board suggested that I try playing "Theme For Young Lovers" which I started working on last night. It is the perfect match for me. It does have some of those two-string chords -- but at least the song is at a slower tempo than Foot Tapper. I am getting the hang of it. And...how nice that it was written by Bruce. That alone is motivation enough for me to keep going until I master it.

Congratulations, Rosemary, on establishing the Brisbane club. Your website and the videos are fabulous. Thank you again for your help.

Best wishes,
Donna

[Rosemary]

Hi Donna
Thanks very much . It sounds like you're doing very well. A lot of the tunes are very difficult but TFYL is an excellent choice to learn and another I found fairly easy is Blue Sky Blue Sea Blue Me. It is a lovely tune, slow paced and very relaxing to play.
Best wishes
Rosemary

[abstamaria]

Hello, Donna. SInce it appears you are just starting, I would suggest you spend some time learning chords too, which will not only help you with finger dexterity but also make playing lead easier. I started late too and realuze this is something I should have done as a matter of priority.

BTW, not that it's necessary to have an all-female ensemble, but if you were minded to, we now have at least three women studying the Shadows - Rosemary, yourself, and our bass guitarist Anna. The only problem is that you cannot be spread farther apart! And you don't have a drummer. Perhaps one can be found in the UK or Europe, since that is the only region not represented.

Best,

Andy