One year here

JohnDX

Blues Newbie
It’s been a year since I’ve been on BGU. Still can’t believe it took me so long to get here. But that’s OK. Happened last July 4th week (I take a 1 week break from practice July 4th and Christmas weeks), a BGU post just popped up on my FB feed. I usually click guitar stuff. After watching the video, I was like ‘this is different’. I bought BGU 2.0. I had overlooked AAP, but I fixed that as soon as I found it. What a year. BGU 2.0, Little Wing, AAP sessions, Challenges, a few other courses. I’m up to Solo 6 in BGU 2.0 now (Solo 4 took almost 3 months) and really looking forward a lot more BGU courses. Oh, and I am definitely better. It’s hard to see having played since 1964, but I really feel improvement. Wishing all the best to this great community
 

jammoore99

Blues Newbie
Looks like you've made some great progress with BGU, keep at it. I need to get some of that determination you have. Wishing you continued success and enjoyment. As Tom said prior, have fun!
 

Grateful_Ed

Student Of The Blues
Happy Anniversary John, hope there are many more. :Beer:

You've gotten a lot further than me John, and I've had BGU over 10 yrs!!

I'm with Many Moons on this. The fact that you have 55 years under your guitar strap and are improving with BGU is inspirational to me, a long time guitar collector who has given up more times than I can count.
I'm glad you're here and hope you will share more of your experience. There may be other members besides myself that find them inspirational.

-ed
 
Last edited:

JohnDX

Blues Newbie
Happy Anniversary John, hope there are many more. :Beer:



I'm with Many Moons on this. The fact that you have 55 years under your guitar strap and are improving with BGU is inspirational to me, a long time guitar collector who has given up more times than I can count.
I'm glad you're here and hope you will share more of your experience. There may be other members besides myself that find in inspirational.

-ed

Thanks Ed & Moons. All you guys are great. What I didn’t mention is that in doing/watching Challenges & AAP fixits is how really good the players here are. They have really put in the time and effort. Very inspiring and eye opening. The only inspiration I can relate is that I have been totally guitar driven since I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan in February 1964. I was brought up in a music environment. My mom was a voice major in college and both my parents brought me up on classical music, opera, the New Christy Minstrels, Cubby Checker and so on. So there were earlier guitar influences. Music has always given me chills.

Obviously life gets in the way over the years and so do other diversions- I got seriously into ham radio in 2007. Fun/challenging but I sorta wish I had been doing more guitar. But as internet and bandwidth improved, online guitar really became attractive. After a few years of dedicated practice, I found BGU. And this is the space that has really challenged me.

The advice or perspective- I’m never frustrated with the process, I try to measure myself but I don’t compare myself, if I don’t feel I can give it 100% I put it down for a while (this is rare but important), I keep records of my efforts, I really congratulate myself when I feel I’ve reached an achievement, I realize that I always need to put myself out of my comfort zone (I know I need to step that up here but I’m aware and working on it), and I enjoy helping and encouraging my local peers as much as I can. With all the work, I have to let it be fun.

Cheers, John
 
Last edited:

Silicon Valley Tom

It makes me happpy to play The Blues!
Thanks Ed & Moons. All you guys are great. What I didn’t mention is that in doing/watching Challenges & AAP fixits is how really good the players here are. They have really put in the time and effort. Very inspiring and eye opening. The only inspiration I can relate is that I have been totally guitar driven since I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan in February 1964. I was brought up in a music environment. My mom was a voice major in college and both my parents brought me up on classical music, opera, the New Christy Minstrels, Cubby Checker and so on. So there were earlier guitar influences. Music has always given me chills.

Obviously life gets in the way over the years and so do other diversions- I got seriously into ham radio in 2007. Fun/challenging but I sorta wish I had been doing more guitar. But as internet and bandwidth improved, online guitar really became attractive. After a few years of dedicated practice, I found BGU. And this is the space that has really challenged me.

The advice or perspective- I’m never frustrated with the process, I try to measure myself but I don’t compare myself, if I don’t feel I can give it 100% I put it down for a while (this is rare but important), I keep records of my efforts, I really congratulate myself when I feel I’ve reached an achievement, I realize that I always need to put myself out of my comfort zone (I know I need to step that up here but I’m aware and working on it), and I enjoy helping and encouraging my local peers as much as I can. I am never ashamed that my goal is to be the best guitar player in the world (I’m also pretty realistic). With all the work, I have to let it be fun.

Cheers, John
WA6FCO since 1958 - guitar since 1952 - piano since 1948 - and lots of other instruments along the way! :):Beer: 73 de

Tom - whiskey alpha 6 finest California operator ;)
 

JohnDX

Blues Newbie
WA6FCO since 1958 - guitar since 1952 - piano since 1948 - and lots of other instruments along the way! :):Beer: 73 de

Tom - whiskey alpha 6 finest California operator ;)

Wow Tom that is awesome. KB4HKG 1983, KI4YPC/AJ4BT 2007, W4DX lottery winner 2010. 73 de whiskey 4 delta X-ray
 

CaptainMoto

Blues Voyager
Thanks for signing in and say'n hello.
Looks like you're a good student !

I picked up my first guitar at the age of 13, I'm a few days away for my 72nd birthday and I've learned more in that s few years than I did in all the decades past.
Continue learning..........have fun(y)
 

david moon

Attempting the Blues
It’s been a year since I’ve been on BGU. Still can’t believe it took me so long to get here. But that’s OK. Happened last July 4th week (I take a 1 week break from practice July 4th and Christmas weeks), a BGU post just popped up on my FB feed. I usually click guitar stuff. After watching the video, I was like ‘this is different’. I bought BGU 2.0. I had overlooked AAP, but I fixed that as soon as I found it. What a year. BGU 2.0, Little Wing, AAP sessions, Challenges, a few other courses. I’m up to Solo 6 in BGU 2.0 now (Solo 4 took almost 3 months) and really looking forward a lot more BGU courses. Oh, and I am definitely better. It’s hard to see having played since 1964, but I really feel improvement. Wishing all the best to this great community
Congrats on your improvement. Just wondering- are you playing with others, going to local jams, in a band? If the answer is no, not a problem. Just consider as a next step.
 

JohnDX

Blues Newbie
Congrats on your improvement. Just wondering- are you playing with others, going to local jams, in a band? If the answer is no, not a problem. Just consider as a next step.

Thanks David. I’m lucky to know a local “pro” blues and southern rock player who invites me to jam. We’ve had 3 sessions this year. He has to carry me but I’ve done better each time. He’s given me a few things to work on. I’ve also gotten up with a friend that I played in bands with as kids then we played a lot of acoustic through the before kids years. We hadn’t played together in a long time and he has been focused on fingerpicking. So for jamming in blues, I have to carry him some but we do better together after each time we play. Playing with other people does make a difference.
 
Top