Any Guiter Players here? - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Kuan · #16 01-23-2006, 02:48 PM

I play Classical Guitar, although I've been stricken with focal dystonia so that kinda stinks. I play mostly piano now. I actually have a diploma in recording engineering which I've never put to use ever.

I currently serve on the board of the Minnesota Guitar Society. We bring a lot of big name concert artists into town. Check it out:

www.mnguitar.org

Biodiesel300TD · #17 01-23-2006, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PHAEDRUS242

Perpendicular teeth.
Little America.
Deliver the kidney.
In my double decker double wide.

I like this bit by Keller. I have it on CD too.
Keller at Tipitinas in New Orleans

Check out this section of free streaming music.
Nugs.net Streaming Music

mikemover · #18 01-23-2006, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kuan

I play Classical Guitar, although I've been stricken with focal dystonia so that kinda stinks. I play mostly piano now. I actually have a diploma in recording engineering which I've never put to use ever.

I currently serve on the board of the Minnesota Guitar Society. We bring a lot of big name concert artists into town. Check it out:

www.mnguitar.org

Very cool!.... I never knew you did that.

Where'd you go to recording school? Full Sail?....

What is focal dystonia?... Doesn't sound pleasant.

Mike

coldwar · #19 01-23-2006, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kuan

I've been stricken with focal dystonia so that kinda stinks.

Very sorry to hear and I can sympathize fully- I have had Spasmodic Torticollis (neck dystonia) for 8 years. (Actually, playing guitar helps relieve my symptoms somewhat) Where does it affect you?

Dave

Kuan · #20 01-23-2006, 03:24 PM

Dave, Mike: My focal dystonia isn't the painful type. It's most closely related to writer's cramp. It's when the areas of the brain which control individual movements merge. For example and to be real simple, when I send a signal to use my middle finger the muscles which control my index finger fire as well. The details are tedious so I won't bore you, but basically a muscle contracts when it's not supposed to creating an antagonistic relationship. Think pushing and pulling muscles operating at once. BUT, it's not the end of the world, there are people worse off like Dave, and there are lots of other things which make me happy.

I got my recording diploma at the Grove School of Music in Van Nuys, CA. Now defunct, and I also went through the composing and arranging program there. It was fun, but I wasn't a really good arranger, plus I was much more of a player than a composer.

mikemover · #21 01-23-2006, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kuan

Dave, Mike: My focal dystonia isn't the painful type. It's most closely related to writer's cramp. It's when the areas of the brain which control individual movements merge. For example and to be real simple, when I send a signal to use my middle finger the muscles which control my index finger fire as well. The details are tedious so I won't bore you, but basically a muscle contracts when it's not supposed to creating an antagonistic relationship. Think pushing and pulling muscles operating at once. BUT, it's not the end of the world, there are people worse off like Dave, and there are lots of other things which make me happy.

Hmm... I never heard of that condition before. I hope it never worsens for you. Are there any promising treatments for it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kuan

I got my recording diploma at the Grove School of Music in Van Nuys, CA. Now defunct, and I also went through the composing and arranging program there. It was fun, but I wasn't a really good arranger, plus I was much more of a player than a composer.

I have another friend who went to Grove, and several who went to Full Sail in Florida.

I was a music performance major at University of Kentucky. My strengths lie more in the performance and arranging areas, with composing running a distant second. The whole songwriting process is sometimes frustrating and irritating for me, but I do have a very good sense of arrangement.... Regardless, I'm much happier when songs are done, and I'm PLAYING them.

Mike

Kuan · #22 01-23-2006, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikemover

Hmm... I never heard of that condition before. I hope it never worsens for you. Are there any promising treatments for it?

I have another friend who went to Grove, and several who went to Full Sail in Florida.

I was a music performance major and University of Kentucky. My strengths lie more in the performance and arranging areas, with composing running a distant second. The whole songwriting process is sometimes frustrating and irritating for me, but I do have a very good sense of arrangement.... Regardless, I'm much happier when songs are done, and I'm PLAYING them.

Mike

Botox injections work. Leon Fleischer had FD and they worked for him.

Yeah, playing is a lot more fun.

PHAEDRUS242 · #23 01-23-2006, 05:50 PM

I've seen the Flecktones quite a few times, as well as Vic and Bela's solo outings. Great stuff. I saw Bela and Sandeep Burman (master tabla) play in front of like 100 people at some ***** little theater in Madison, WI. Truly breathtaking stuff; we all sat on the floor and watched from a couple feet away. Bela was explaining the weird time signatures that Sandeep's native music was written in-like 36/27, something ridiculous like that. The funny thing was, he explained it plain as day while actually playing in unison with Sandeep and randomly starting to count in time. Great taste in music though. Gotta check out Sirius channel 17 (Jam On!).

mikemover · #24 01-23-2006, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PHAEDRUS242

I've seen the Flecktones quite a few times, as well as Vic and Bela's solo outings. Great stuff. I saw Bela and Sandeep Burman (master tabla) play in front of like 100 people at some ***** little theater in Madison, WI. Truly breathtaking stuff; we all sat on the floor and watched from a couple feet away. Bela was explaining the weird time signatures that Sandeep's native music was written in-like 36/27, something ridiculous like that. The funny thing was, he explained it plain as day while actually playing in unison with Sandeep and randomly starting to count in time. Great taste in music though. Gotta check out Sirius channel 17 (Jam On!).

Don't you just hate those guys who can talk, count, hold entire conversations, while playing their a$$es off?!?!... Damned showoffs! hahaha...

Yes, tabla patterns are amazing, and quite complex. However... traditionally, they don't really notate it and figure it out mathematically, in the way that we do in "western" musical notation.

They use long verbal phrases of syllables that must be understood, sung, and memorized, before applying it to the actual tabla drums.

Also, the hand technique for the tabla is completely unique to the instrument. VERY different than bongo, conga, djembe, or any other kind of "hand" drumming. Very, VERY difficult to learn... It's at least as difficult as learning the rhythms, if not more so. Also, the technique for the left hand drum is COMPLETELY different than for the right hand drum.

I consider myself a very good drummer (not egotistical, just confident!

), and I'm a decent hand-drummer, yet I can't even BEGIN to get all of the various sounds out of the tabla drums that they can produce!

A very frustrating instrument to be a "beginner" on.

Mike

G-Benz · #25 01-23-2006, 06:21 PM

I own a classical guitar from 1968 and played proficiently through my late teens. Keyboard playing pretty much eclipsed that afterwards, but I have been falling back to the electric bass for the past three years.

I can still play the stuff I knew back then, but at my age, I just sound okay, not phenomenal...

Biodiesel300TD · #26 01-23-2006, 07:23 PM

I saw Victor Wooten play a few year ago with all his brothers. I was floored. I ended up standing with my arms rested on the stage. I could have unplugged Victor's pedals if I wanted. He is an amazing bass player, and he has such stubby little fingers. How's he do it. His show was one of the best I have ever seen.

mikemover · #27 01-23-2006, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biodiesel300TD

I saw Victor Wooten play a few year ago with all his brothers. I was floored. I ended up standing with my arms rested on the stage. I could have unplugged Victor's pedals if I wanted. He is an amazing bass player, and he has such stubby little fingers. How's he do it. His show was one of the best I have ever seen.

All of those guys are amazing.

They have an ongoing once-a-week "house band" gig at a little bar on Market St. in Nashville, TN.... Depending on who is busy doing something else and who isn't, it's kind of a "revolving" line-up, with local studio guys and other people mixed in.... but you can catch one, two, and on some lucky nights, even ALL of the Wootens in a very informal setting, jammin' on cover songs, just having fun. Unfortunately, I don't recall the name of the club... but if you're on Market St. (the "main drag" of the entertainment district in downtown Nashville), I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to find.

I was there a couple of years ago for the NAMM summer session, and caught them all playing one night, with some great guests that got up and jammed too.... Mike Mangini on drums, for one.

Very cool.

Mike

#28 01-23-2006, 08:52 PM

coldwar · #29 01-24-2006, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kuan

there are people worse off like Dave,

Hmmm... Ha Ha...

Yah- I know where you're coming from. I would gladly trade my torticollis for your writer's cramp

You generally described it well- it's kind of like short-circuits between muscle groups. For me, my head is all too willing to rotate to the left, but I have to fight a group of spastic muscles to make it rotate to the right. Also my neck pulls my head back Stevie Wonder style, so I have to use my front neck muscles to fight that. The insidious thing about the condition is that it originates in the brain, so no matter what I do in terms of massage, or stretching exercises which bring temporary relaxation, the short circuited brain soon takes over again once normal activity is resumed. Brain distractions work well- guitar playing is one such distraction. I also get the Botox shots- I've had so many now that it's not as effective as it used to be. There are a couple of Parkinson's drugs I take too which help a lot. Fortunately, the disease usually does not progress. I am no worse now than when it first hit me 8 years ago.

Dave

MattBelliveau · #30 01-24-2006, 08:20 AM

Medmech, is that you? Just Kidding