This was a good evening

[BigBear58]

Pulled out my '76 Ibanez 2350 (recently restored) for some blues lesson stuff courtesy Griff, and then a noodle on a Quist jazzy blues backing track.

Then the Epi ES-339 for a run through of Pat Metheny's "James", which I have on MySongBook (I mute the guitar part and play along with piano, bass and drums...).

I've got the melody, but my soling still stinks. Love the tune so won't give up on it, but until I have my arpeggios down cold (will I ever get there?), I'll always be four notes-on, two notes-off. But it's still fun.

I've been jonesing for a new semi-hollow (Ibanez AM153QA), but sheesh, I really can't justify it. My two guitars are patiently waiting for me to make them fly, and I'm flappin', but still grounded.

I like playing the guitar - doesn't always like me back, but...y'know.....

 

[tommytubetone]

I think guitar playing can be a mental game. You have to feel good about what you are playing. If you can afford the Ibanez, go for it. You might be inspired to practice more, so you'll grow into it. YMMV.

 

[ronico]

I think guitar playing can be a mental game. You have to feel good about what you are playing. If you can afford the Ibanez, go for it. You might be inspired to practice more, so you'll grow into it. YMMV.

Nice enabling Tommy! I'll second that!

 

[BigBear58]

I think guitar playing can be a mental game. You have to feel good about what you are playing. If you can afford the Ibanez, go for it. You might be inspired to practice more, so you'll grow into it. YMMV.

Yeah I can afford it, but it is holiday season, and I think I should spoil my wife, instead of myself.

I'm not very good at this GAS thing...I dither.

 

[Grateful_Ed]

I'm not very good at this GAS thing..

Nonsense! Sounds to me like you've got that GAS thing in your hip pocket.
Happy wife, happy life.
They'll still be making those guitars in another month or two. Besides, if you do right for the missus, mayhaps she'll buy the guitar for you.

 

[BigBear58]

Nonsense! Sounds to me like you've got that GAS thing in your hip pocket.
Happy wife, happy life.
They'll still be making those guitars in another month or two. Besides, if you do right for the missus, mayhaps she'll buy the guitar for you.

Alas, I can afford it, but she can't. Got a litter of grandkids to attend to. (They're my step-grandkids.)

zZounds has a demo, two actually - they'll be be there in a couple of months. Maybe I'll have my arpeggios down by then.

 

[OG_Blues]

....... Maybe I'll have my arpeggios down by then.

In my world....
Any 2 consecutive notes that are not the same pitch = arpeggio.
Some of them are just from some pretty weird chords.
Don't overthink it. Go buy the guitar.

 

[Grateful_Ed]

I have a feeling it'll work out and you'll do the right thing (which inevitably ends up with you getting a new guitar).
As far as arpeggios, the first song I ever learned on guitar was House of the Rising Son, the Animals version. I didn't know what a chord was, let alone an arpeggio. I learned a few chords, a bar chord (1st position F) and didn't realize for many years that bar chords were supposed to be hard or what an arpeggio was. I think it was when someone was showing me how to play Stairway, that I was told about arpeggios.

 

[BigBear58]

The new guitar is not an oppressive proposition for me. I'll get it later, or not. Life's just fine until that time, and would be without it at all. We all kid around about GAS - but at the end of the day, I believe quality of life can't be over-dependent on acquiring more stuff.

I have come to believe that my desire to lay a decent solo over a backing track is fairly dependent on at least mastering some level and understanding of arpeggios. I do have some trouble memorizing and rapid-changing between different arpeggio forms (I don't practice them enough), so it's a challenge for me. Playing convincingly over changes is still kind of a mysterious skillset for me.