Getting To The Bottom

Posted on January 22, 2019 by mfna

This past Saturday I met with the worship leader at church. For those not into the “lingo,” the worship leader is the band leader who kicks off worship services with music and song, and energizes the congregation into singing in praise.

I had previously informed him that I was adding bass guitar to my stable. Since the band has been playing without a bass for a while, I felt this switch might get me involved with the band.

And so, we met on Saturday for an audition/rehearsal. Let me say for the record that Jesse, the worship leader, is a consummate professional musician, a terrific singer, and a devout Christian. We spoke first, and he informed me that the worship band is not a place for showing off, or being the center of attention. Knowing that eyes are on the performers, the band members should appear professional, and not grimace if the make a mistake, and that the focus is on God and not the band.

I concurred, and so we went over two songs. We both are aware that bass is a new instrument to me, so he kept it simple, indicating that the most important thing for me, as the bass player, was to keep time. Play just the root notes of the charted chords, keep time, and that’s all that’s asked of me.

We practiced and agreed to meet every Saturday morning to refine my skills, and with the hope I’ll join the band on stage when he’s decided I’m ready. When I’m ready, I hope to publicly debut my newest, and premier bass guitar, an Epiphone Limited Edition 20th Anniversary Jack Casady Signature Bass.

Epiphone Limited Edition 20th Anniversary Jack Casady Signature Bass Guitar

Reading reviews on bass guitar forums, this guitar is considered by all who own one a top-notch instrument. It’s a semi-hollowbody, designed with Jack Casady’s (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna) input and advice. Yes, he plays one.

The Bass Guitar Headstock With Signature and 20th Anniversary Truss Rod Cover

This is a gorgeous bass! I need to get used to the 34-inch scale, as my small fingers are creating fret rattle as I move along the fingerboard. I may need to have it professionally set up, but I have time to do so. In the mean time, I’m using my short-scale Ibanez to rehearse.

Ibanez GSRM30 “MiKro” Short-Scale Bass Guitar

2019. First Post.

Posted on January 1, 2019 by mfna

Happy New Year! I am sometimes surprised that I’ve made it this far, this long. God has blessed me with good health despite my not always taking care of it. My only physical complaint is a back that sometimes causes me discomfort. My hair has thinned and greyed, I’m showing wrinkles I never had before, and I’ve slowed down considerably. But I take no medications, can still fit into suits that I purchased decades ago, and have a generally positive outlook on life.

My only New Year’s resolution is the same one I’ve made for years: to not make any New Year’s resolutions!

There are changes coming! Recently it occurred to me that the church’s worship band has no bass player. Since there are already two guitar players who are well established with the band, the thought came to me that maybe I could pick up the bass and join the band.

I did some research, and felt like I could buy an inexpensive bass. To make a long story short, I found a used bass guitar I paid $99 for, and a used amp I bought for $35, and thus the story begins…

But wait, there’s more. Because I’m an impulsive guy, I read that guitar players with small hands may be more comfortable playing something called a “short scale” bass. The regular scale of a bass guitar is 34″ (measured from the nut to the bridge). A short scale bass usually falls into the 30″ range.

Having a computer and an Internet connection can be a dangerous mix. I surfed around and found a short scale bass from Ibanez called the MiKro. At 28.6″, it’s even shorter than the standard. I found a store that had one in stock, so I went and played it. Nice!

I hated the color, but fortunately, they come in a variety of colors, and everyone — online or local — sells them for the same price. So, now on order, due to arrive January 3, is an Ibanez GSRM20RBM MiKro in Root Beer Metallic.

One of my college roommates had an Ibanez guitar. I never really cared for them, but they seem to be very popular with heavy metal rock players and “shredders.” However, their reputation for building quality bass guitars — especially at the low end of the price scale — seems to be unmatched.

Time will tell. If nothing else, I have a new interest to keep me occupied for the near future. That future is 2019. Happy New Year!

Time Keeps On Slipping Into The Future

Posted on December 20, 2018 by mfna

With apologies to Steve Miller…

A digression right at the start: I was a big fan of the Steve Miller Band when they first started out. I bought their first five albums, and then, following Miller’s car accident, the band resurfaced with a new “pop” sound, I lost interest. I saw them in concert in 1968, and then again in 1998. I took my daughter to see them, since she’d become a fan. The opening act was Little Feat, who I wanted to see more. Miller announced it was his 30th anniversary tour, and I told my daughter I had seen him on his first tour!

Image of "Sailor," Steve Miller Band's second album — Cover of “Sailor,” Steve Miller Band’s Second Album

Okay, now on to the point of this post and why it’s titled as such:

Last Sunday, while I was seated in church, my phone vibrated with an incoming call. I checked to see who was calling, expecting it to be a spammer (on Sunday?). It was from Richard K. I couldn’t imagine why Richard would be calling, and when the transcript of his voice mail was done, he had indicated he had “serious” news and needed to talk.

I quietly walked out into the atrium and called Richard. When he answered, my first question to him was, “Is this about Duncan?” Duncan is a mentor of mine. He is now 91 years old, and the Christmas card I received from his wife informed me that he’d been in and out of the hospital, and was “not doing well.”

“No,” Richard replied, “it’s about Mark.” Mark?

Mark is a long-time acquaintance I see on Fridays when I’m in Great Falls. I had not seen him this past Friday. Now I know why.

“Mark passed away Friday night,” Richard informed me. Shock!

Mark was 63, a husband and father of three daughters. He had not been seriously ill, to my knowledge. Apparently bipolar, he’d been on medication to treat this condition for thirty years. His latest medical “challenge” was prostate-related. He never said it was cancer, just that his PSA numbers were high and that he’d been given meds to address that condition.

It seems that he was admitted to the hospital with excessive fluid surrounding his heart, a condition known as pericardial effusion. Frequently, there are no symptoms, especially if the fluid has developed over time (source; Mayo Clinic)

It was too late for Mark. Doctors tried relieving the fluid, but even still, they could not save him.

As one gets older, this kind of news becomes more and more frequent. Years ago, I worked with an elderly (to me) man who would often say, “I check the obituary page every day to make sure I’m not on it.” One day, though…

For me, this was a great reminder to tell my loved ones that I love them. Every opportunity I get!

Musescore – Music Composition Software (FREE!)

Posted on November 13, 2018 by mfna

Being in the computer field, I frequently look to technology to help me in my life’s endeavors. So it is with my ongoing efforts to improve my guitar playing.

Some background: I began playing piano as a child due to my parents’ insistence that all three of us siblings learn the instrument. Odd, because neither of my parents played! Eight years of keyboarding, recitals and basement practicing took their toll on me. Especially the basement practices, where I had to go to a clammy, dank, knotty pine-walled room sitting at an upright piano with my back to the door.

Eventually, the piano disappeared as we moved, and it wasn’t until I was in high school that I heard the beginnings of the “rock and roll revolution.” Spurred by the Beatles and surf music, I was hooked. My best friend sold me my first guitar, a Sears Kay acoustic, for $10. With my limited knowledge of music learned from piano playing, I taught myself to play guitar. I would buy sheet music of songs I liked that included guitar diagrams, and would follow along, learning the chords.

Guitar is not the same kind of instrument. A piano is a linear progression of keys (88 in total) that span the full range of musical notes. In western music, there are 12 tones per chromatic scale, and eight notes per tonal scale. The guitar, on the other hand, (usually) has six strings that are staggered in tone. This means that the same note can be played in different locations on the fretboard.

My guitar instructor is teaching me in the “classical” way–he’s giving me standard sheet music on which he writes the fingers and frets to use, referring to scale fingering terms such as “two over five” (second finger beginning the scale on the fifth fret). This is a new way of learning the guitar for me, and I continue to lean on technology for assistance.

Some of the software I have purchased to further this goal in the past are titles like Neck Diagrams, which as the name indicates, lets one create images of a guitar neck with notes and chords.

Songs Pro is another guitar-based program. Sadly, the author has discontinued support for this program due to changes in macOS. It’s a little quirky, but its strength is the chord search function that lets one choose from a large number of chord diagrams for a given tone.

My latest dilemma became how to transpose written music (staves, notes, rests, etc.) to guitar tablature? (Side note: I never learned TAB either, as it was not standardized when I was teaching myself to play). I’m not sure how I found it, but the answer to my newest problem is a piece of free software called Musescore. Available for Mac and Windows, this is software capable of producing professional music scores (hence the name).

Originally, I found it hard to learn (it’s still hard, but getting easier); there are so many features available. But once the work flow and keyboard shortcuts are learned, the process starts becoming faster and easier. Here is my transcription of Freddie Hubbard’s classic “Little Sunflower.” I wanted TAB to use the proper fingering.

On a final note, I have also found some useful online sites for finding guitar chords, diagrams and names. Among those are Chorderator, chordsearch (it does more than just search!), and The G-Net, which displays chords in TAB!

Ain’t technology great?!

I Travel Because

Posted on October 26, 2018 by mfna

I couldn’t think of a suitable title for this post, and may come back and change it (and this post) if I can think of something more appropriate. Why? The reason is simply complex: I decided to take a mini-vacation to accept my “elevation,” and since it was hard to justify a “down-and-back” overnight trip (cost-wise, time-wise, etc.) and since I had a surplus of vacation time coming to me, decided to extend the trip. Fine. But then what?

Well, I decided to do what I’ve done before: Let someone else house and feed me for a few days. So, here I am, less than a week away from another Caribbean cruise.

Carnival Cruise Line’s iconic smokestack and logo.

This is a four-night excursion, most of which takes place asea. There is one stop, Cozumel, Mexico, which I have visited several times. I doubt I will even get off the ship. But I might go ashore for a couple of hours just to walk around. I’m feeling lazy, so my plans are to just wander the ship, eat, and relax in my stateroom, practicing guitar.

Speaking of which — I just ordered a new guitar specifically for this purpose. Somehow, I learned of a kickstarter-funded company that was making carbon fiber travel guitars. The carbon fiber makes them virtually impervious to temperature and humidity changes (they have wooden necks — I ordered my with carbon fiber truss rod reinforcement). The key here is that the neck is removable, make the guitar a “foldable!” So it’s downsized and foldable, which means it should be packable in a suitcase! These are KLŌS Guitars, and they get surprisingly good reviews!

KLŌS Foldable Guitar

Order fulfillment said 2-6 days, and not wanting to risk not getting it in time, I paid extra for expedited shipping. I hope it’s worth it! I’ll post a review when I return.

Finally, I hoped to be included in the special Chef’s Table meal (I did it last time, and it was FABULOUS). I received an email saying they had filled all the seats, but I’ll be waitlisted. If I make it, great. If not, that’s fine too.

Sail away!

An Elevation Surprise

Posted on October 12, 2018 by mfna

Four years ago, in 2014, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I had been “invited” to become a Knight of the Order of Salvador, a chivalric group of patrons of the Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.

I have been a long-time member, supporter and patron of the museum, so this was a recognition of that. Not that I thought I’d done anything extraordinary to deserve it, but it was a nice gesture, and it resulted in a silver (real!) medallion that I am to wear on formal social occasions and government events.

Today, I received an envelope from the museum. I expected it to be the annual notice of the Ceremony of Investiture and Elevation. Just earlier, I had debated going. But it was more than an invitation, it was notification that I will be “elevated.” This is like getting promoted. I anticipate being invested as a Knight of the Order of Salvador First Class.

Outside the museum it’s a pretty meaningless award, but I’m thrilled and honored.

I’ll post more after the ceremony (I’ve already made my hotel reservation. Next is my flight…).

A Four Song Playlist

Posted on October 7, 2018 by mfna

I’ve been giving this some thought: There is an “open mic night” at the church every week. And though it’s aimed more for the younger crowd, I’ve been thinking of taking the stage and practicing my live performance capabilities. Performers are only allowed three or four songs per set, so what songs would I play?

These are the songs I’ve been playing and practicing. Some are new (to me) and others I’ve been playing for years (but have gotten of practice):

Daydream (Lovin’ Spoonful)
Presence of the Lord (Clapton)
Dino’s Song (Quicksilver Messenger Service)
Pride of Man (Quicksilver Messenger Service)

As backup songs, I might also consider:

Thinking of You (Loggins & Messina)
My Sweet Lord (George Harrison)
Melissa (Allman Brothers)
Little Wing (Hendrix)

The latter four are more complex, and would require more practice before I feel comfortable playing them in public. Heck, I would have to practice all of them before playing publicly. But no dream is to great, eh?

The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Daydream”

Eric Clapton “Presence of the Lord”

Quicksilver Messenger Service: “Dino’s Song” and “Pride of Man”

(Kenny) Loggins & (Jim) Messina

George Harrison – All Things Must Pass solo LP

Allman Brothers Band – Eat a Peach (Melissa)

Jimi Hendrix Experience – Axis: Bold As Love (Little Wing)

Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks

Posted on October 2, 2018 by mfna

They said it can’t be done. I beg to differ.

In fact, I think I knew intuitively that I could change and grow by getting professional help, but I resisted. For years.

That has all changed. I have now had four guitar lessons from a professional guitar player and teacher. (for more see this autobiography of Steve Tjernagel). This past month has been an eye-opening experience, and almost makes me regret not having done it sooner (I don’t believe in regrets; as they say, “It is what it is”).

Going back to square one. I approached my first lesson with trepidation, thinking to myself that if he wanted me to do scales and finger exercises I might have second thoughts. Walking out of my first lesson, my homework was scales and finger exercises! And he was absolutely right!

The finger exercises are getting more complex, and the music theory that goes along with some of them is increasing my knowledge. I took several music theory courses in college, but that was over 40 years ago!

Memorizing the Cycle of Fourths was one task I put my mind to. Having examined it and played it using the four-note chords he’s taught me has begun to make things “fit.”

(The above image is located at deftdigits.com, a page that nicely explains how the Cycle of Fourths and its counterpart, the Circle of Fifths works).

Other concepts that Steve is hammering into my brain: Knowing where the root, third, fifth (and currently 7th) notes are on any give chord form. This coincides with the basic premise that one should memorize the entire fretboard (sorry to keep using the deftdigits site, but it has a nice visual layout and the descriptions are easy to read).

After playing guitar (on and off) for 50 years, I am not embarrassed to admit to friends that I’m taking lessons. Heck, even Tiger Woods has a golf coach!

The 7th chords I’m learning. And playing in the Cycle of Fourths.

Four notes, four fingers. These are “core” chords

Android Horrors Redux

Posted on September 18, 2018 by mfna

In an earlier post I wrote that I would never again have an Android device. That was a bit premature it turns out, as in a fit of (temporary, I hope) madness I thought to myself, “Maybe it was the older version of Android that was the problem, and that Google had improved it.” The Google Nexus 7 I had literally thrown against the wall in a fit of pique was incapable of running newer versions of the Android OS.

I came across a cheap Chinese “phablet” on Amazon running Android 7.0 (nougat) and so I bought it. Made by an unfamiliar company called Irulu, it was the same size and form factor as the Nexus 7. It was named the eXpro (no, it’s not your browser, the site’s page appears to be completely munged).

Not a phone, eXpro is capable of accepting a SIM card and becoming one. I pity anyone who does so, though.

For starters, the eXpro is very bad at holding wi-fi connections. Sometimes a reboot is necessary when traveling from one physical location to another.

But the worst part is Android.

On my Nexus 7, which I completely scrubbed and factory reset, apps have an annoying habit of just quitting in mid-use. Annoying, for sure.

On the Irulu, there is a piece of malware that defies removal. It is called QuickTouch and is installed as “system software,” which means the typical anti-virus/crap cleaners fail to remove it; some even fail to recognize it as the intrusive infection it is. Searching Google results in only user complaints about it, with the solution being – wait for it – a factory reset.

There is a QuickTouch on the Google Play store that gets high marks. I can’t tell if it’s the same program or not, but the version on my eXpro installs software without my asking, shows notifications for programs I don’t want, and now having disabled (since I can’t remove) every one of its features I can, starts throwing messages about programs not responding that I never activated.

I could go on, but I won’t. If QuickTouch is pre-installed by Google/Android and can’t be removed, then shame on Google for including such a piece of noxious trash in their OS. It’s bad enough that apps spy on us every minute of our lives, but when they take over our devices, I draw the line.

(I still harbor the dark feeling of satisfaction I might derive by destroying these devices by shattering them with a few well-placed shots from a .45 caliber weapon).

Woohoo – NGD!

Posted on August 29, 2018 by mfna

For those not into the lingo (or the acronyms), NGD is shorthand for “New Guitar Day.”

Yep, I did it again.

Fender Stratocaster XII – 2018 MIJ 12-string

This is a new (2018) Fender Special Run (FSR) Made in Japan Stratocaster XII. If you didn’t notice outright, look again – it’s a 12-string Stratocaster. That’s what the XII denotes in the model name.

The first guitar I bought brand new was a 1971 Framus 12-string acoustic. That guitar is now 47 years old. I played it both as a 12- and as a 6-string for years. But it’s 100% acoustic, which means no onboard electronics as is common with acoustic guitars today.

1971 Framus “Blue Ridge” 12-string acoustic guitar

There is something about the sound of a 12-string guitar. The Byrds, back in the 1960s, used Rickenbacker 12-strings on a number of their songs, which helped give them their “signature” sound.

As I played with the church band recently, I used my acoustic 12-string to add that “chiming” sound to the songs we played. But I had to sit near a microphone that picked up the sound and broadcast it through the P.A. system. Sitting, while more comfortable than standing, limits one’s ability to sing. Especially when also using an electric guitar for other songs.

This is a lower-end Stratocaster 12-sting. Its body is basswood and the pickups are standard single-coil (Fender makes a slew of pickups for a variety of sounds). The neck is maple with a rosewood fingerboard (all my other fenders have maple boards, although my Gibsons use rosewood, too). The neck is a “U” shape, with a 7.5″ radius. Compare this guitar with my Eric Clapton Artist Series Stratocaster, which has an alder body, a “soft V” neck, 9.5″ radius, and “Vintage Noiseless™” single-coil pickups. And more features, which add to the cost.

The only colors available for this FSR guitar are Olympic White and Sunburst. I have an unexplained aversion to ‘bursts, and my EC Strat is Olympic White, so I dithered a bit before buying. But the seller announced he was accepting offers on the OW, so I offered and we negotiated a price. Deal!

So now I have two Olympic White Stratocasters. They aren’t twins, however, as the photo below show. The difference in neck color as well as the color of the pickguard (it’s listed as “3-ply eggshell,” but it looks Mint to me. Perhaps when I remove the plastic protector? I consider them “brothers.” The EC Strat is the older, the 12-string the younger.

Brothers. Eric Clapton Artist Series Stratocaster and FSR Stratocaster XII

Running FROM Office

everyone is entitled to my opinion