Premature Update

[Roselynne]

STILL waiting for the book. (Shouldn't have been so stingy with the shipping fee ... )

In the meantime, I keep on practicing. Beats dragging my sleeping bag to the mailbox!

Jamie ... I just want to let you know that I've already gained a lot from this site. Now, I think I know why my playing's so wildly inconsistent, even though my fingers are in great shape. My fingers don't shake, but now I can feel how my entire upper body tenses up, and I can feel it when my fingers lose contact with my brain. On top of that, since my state of relaxation (or lack thereof) is different each time I pick up the guitar, there's no way of knowing how the first run-through will go.

Naming the problem is one giant step toward fixing it.

Next Step: Learn how to get into a good guitar zone, and stay there.

Next Question: How do you find the time to teach, write and play as you do? Whatever your secret is, I deeply appreciate the results.

Time to pick up the guitar, or hunt for my sleeping bag.

[Jamie]

Hi Roselynne, Sorry about the book, it usually arrives pretty quickly. Hopefully, it will be there soon...maybe today!

I am glad you are getting some info from the site though, that will help. Most people find they have a considerable amount of tension due to the usual "clueless" practice, but no big deal, we'll fix it.

In answer to your question, I am pretty focused, and pretty obsessive, and have always been that way. So, as the years go by, you tend to get a few things done!

[Roselynne]

Many thanks, Jamie!

Aaannnd ... the book arrived as predicted! Good stuff. Daunting, too -- but that's as it should be.

Meanwhile, I've learned a lot about tension. Pre-guitar, I thought I'd had that hunched-shoulder thing beat. But now I see that I do it all the time, whether I'm on guitar or not. It never went away, nor did it diminish one iota; it just faded into my mental background.

Fortunately, it's only been a month since I picked up the guitar again. In many ways, I'm in exactly the same place as one who's never touched a guitar at all -- except that I already know a handful of nifty chords. Not a bad place to be. For now.

Focus has never been my strongest suit. Most of that is due to pure hardwiring, woefully un-tweaked. But this is also the first time I've had enough space in my life to pursue anything in depth. Guitar has been waiting, and calling, for a very long time.

Of course, and well duh, this about so much more than wood and wire and sound.

(For one, it's also about getting to know my webcam.)

Time to get to work. And once again, many thanks!

[Jamie]

Good luck Roselynne.....and remember the first thing I say in the Principles....DESIRE! That is what gives us the energy we need to overcome our obstacles. And everybody has got obstacles!

Whatever yours are, there is help for you in dealing with them here.