I might not have been around in a while, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been picking and learning. It’s simply amazing how, when you are “born with a bad ear” and finally work through a lot of ear training, you learn to actually hear. I think it’s the coolest thing ever.
Outside of still working on my ear, I’ve been chasing Jerry Garcia around the fretboard by ear (I never cheat and look at a lesson), and I discipline myself enough to say, “OK, in this break, what chord shape am I supposed to be in, and where are my scale/notes?” Why Jerry? It’s simply amazing how he moved around. There’s no doubt he spent tens of thousands of hours practicing.
My thoughts on my progression over the last few years? Time well spent. It’s been an awakening—like a musical rebirth. Give me another winter of practice when the snow is blowing, locking me indoors with my guitar, and I expect some pretty cool creativity and jamming to emerge come spring. I’ve not been “learning licks” just for the sake of it. I’m after Jerry Garcia’s sound and tone—his flowing melodies and boundless creativity—but I want to infuse it with a more bluegrass flair. So, I’m still planning to work through all of Ben’s lessons once I finally get this fretboard fully figured out, clean up my ear a little more, and start venturing back into hot licks, fiddle tunes, and grass.
Ben, at some point, let’s chat. There’s an entire world of folks out here with bad ears who struggle to hear, just like I did. I can probably help you out with some lesson ideas/my struggles.
Oh, and when I’m not picking, I’m playing golf. Just like Jerry putting in tens of thousands of hours, so am I. I play 4-5 days/wk and installed a home golf simulator where I hit about 1,500 balls a week on the range. I joined the Newsweek Senior Amateur Tour—it’s like the minor leagues for earning an invite to play as an amateur on the Senior Pro Golf Champions Tour. I was in Kentucky two weekends ago and down below Birmingham this past weekend. Managed a 7th place out of 90—heck, I was even leading at one point until the trainwreck showed up.
Fretboards and Fairways.