May 16th 2024

For the Archive.
Footage from the month of May which I dedicated to figuring out how to play the 7 string guitar, and advance further on the 12 string guitar.
Mistakes and all, no edits, no changes - good and bad takes, it's all in here as it happened.
How did I feel at the time of recording these videos?
Not good. A lot of technical disappointment - from poor video angles and settings, to what the sound in the room was (very nice) compared to the dry board recording (not at all nice).
This is very important thing I need to drive home:
For me the gig is priority, recording is an afterthought.
Recording these gigs is inconvenient to say the least. This is not supposed to be seen. It's something meant to be enjoyed at the time that it's happening. I do it because it helps me figure out what needs to be improved and keeps me in check.
The important thing on these gigs is that the music starts and stops on time, is right for the crowd, creates good atmosphere, and probably most of all - is good for bar sales.
I generally do very well in all these, but it's hard to judge from these videos. Note to future self - you did well, whatever you remember musically is kind of irrelevant. You had a job and you got the job done very well. Music was the means to get the job done. And you can now play 7 string guitar almost ok. Another tool in the toolbox! Goal achieved!
When I record, that takes away from the quality of the performance, even though I try my best. And here I am struggling with the 7 string. I started with almost zero prior preparation, because, well, that's life. Figuring out instinctively, "in the battle", what works and what doesn't. Learning by doing. The choice I had was this - play it safe by doing what I already know (6 string, 12 string), or take the risk.
I felt I made too many mistakes, struggled with everything and didn't record nearly as much as I intended. I also expected it to happen like that. After two weeks I stopped recording altogether as it was too stressful to do a good job, and also set up and record without sacrificing the quality of my work. Too many plates to spin. So these are a document of a tough beginning.
Towards the end of this run I felt a bit more confident, the power of repetition is undeniable.
I have taken notes on what needs work and ways to approach it in the woodshed. When can I go in the woodshed? It's been years. There's always more work and things to do and no time and space to sit down and work out things in the lab. So until it's possible to have the time and space to really work things out on the instrument and materialize what I hear in my head this will have to do.
I am happy to be making a living with an honest job playing music.
God bless you.