Gratitude and introduction

Hi, I’m a long ways from my beginnings in guitar and in life. I’m in my early sixties. I retired early and decided to actually get a degree in music. After two years in community college finishing music for transfer, I’ve been admitted into the jazz studies program at my local state university and will begin there in fall 2025. I just finished two years in music theory and ear training and I feel more like a beginner than ever. I am so inspired by the young people I play with in ensembles and masterclasses. They show me what dedication looks like, and I discover new and old music alike from them.

I’m coming here to CtC after having been referred by lots of people, including Cecil Alexander. I think I’ve hit a plateau in my speed as I’ve been working to build up to what should be performance tempo on jazz pieces like Moose The Mooche and most recently The Eternal Triangle. I think it must be my picking technique that is throttling me because I feel like I hit a wall. I’m going through the Picking Primer and have reached the section of testing my picking motions and I find that I am most comfortable on Usx, although I’m still kind of sketchy when it comes to the terminology.

I have different musical hats I like to put on. There’s one part that loves the freedom of jazz, but another that is attracted to folk music, then there’s the classic rock and roll side of me. That’s good because I also like to sing and play, and have a real affinity for the music of Tom Petty.

I’m excited to learn about how I learn, specifically how I can put new techniques to use. I sing for elderly patients in skilled nursing often and have interest in the healing and therapeutic use of music. So I am interested in making myself a test case.

I’m grateful for this community and for all of you that have made it possible for me to be here.

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Great to hear that you are investing in the thing that you love. Music IS your 401K!! Obviously, technique and musicality are separate beasts to be challenged. No doubt CtC covers the technique (picking) area better than anything ever (CtC is the GOAT when it comes to picking technique). Regarding musicality, while the internet has mountains of instructors, for my money, few are able to offer anything other than memorization sans musicality. Try Carol Kaye’s instructional material (her website has a ton of it and reasonably priced). Carol Kaye teaches ‘chordal’ training’. This is not memorization it’s musicality. There is another guy (Rob Bourassa) who has been teaching for years and who has a free course called The Language of Guitar that is awesome. One of these may be the bump you are looking for.

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