Richard Hawley

I am self taught I am a bit of a strummer nothing fancy but I enjoy playing and learning new songs. At the start it was hard when you are trying to learn and you can easily lose motivation when you sound so shit, but if you stick with it until you can play a song or two as simple as they may be it is the progress you have made which will encourage you to go on. Do not rule out the idea of getting a few lessons as it may help you on your way and give you a bit of a fast track and iron the bad habits you sometimes pick up from being self taught. Being self taught is good though you get a real sence of achievement when you progress and learn new songs, chords and so on so stick with it, its worth it in the long run.

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http://www.last.fm/user/strumms
I saw an elsebound train, on the overpass
In the driving rain, every ticket costs the same
For where you can't go
Mustang horses, champagne glasses
Anything frail anything wild
It's the price of living motion, what's beautiful is broken
And grace is just the measure of a fall.

I love it!!!

Was going to mention calluses, is that how you spell it? well it's that toughening on the end of the fingers.
When they finally toughen up will I be able to feel again, they don't half hurt at the moment...
As for guitar playing, my wife told me that some bloke from work was learning to play the guitar, and I said " I wish I had learned to play a musical instrument" then I thought well what's stopping me?
Following that I'm on e-bay, and then exchanging money for a Yamaha Dreadnought (sounds like a boat to me) in a service station car park on the M6 Motorway one Friday night, the rest is history.
I've got my guitar for dummies, my Yamaha electric tuner, a plectrum (got more than one actualy), and these bloody sore fingers.
When I can play some chords without pain I think I will invest in some lessons and if I prove my dedication then perhaps a new guitar for Christmas, solves the pressie thing in one fell swoop.
The guitar is an FG402, obviously an improvement on the FG401! anyway with me playing it probably sounds like an FG01 circa 1812, not sure Yamaha were around then?
Been bashing around for 2 weeks now, just two weeks, with 3 days out for an unplanned extended stay in hospital (choked on wife's cooking, long story wont bore you with the details.
So finally to my point, how long before my fingers stop throbbing?[color=darkred][/color]

Persevere Con, it does get better. I pick up my guitar so rarely it hurts my fingers. I have to cut my nails too before I can play.

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Love is so hard to find
And even harder to define

Keep applying the surgical spirit after you play

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The heartbeat doesn't change, only the faces surrounding it.

Yeah - Glen Ord before during and after

Yeah - Glen Ord before during and after

Yeah - Glen Ord before during and after

Yeah - Glen Ord before during and after

Louise how you getting on with your guitar?

Have decided I'm getting myself one at the end of the when I get paid as will have a bit of extra dosh in the pay packet this month. NickD is persuading me towards an acoustic and yesterday bloke in guitar shop taught me how to do a couple of chords ... A, E, D. Tried a few out and was messing around for about 20 minutes and my finger tips are still really sore ... and despite cutting my nails am going to have to cut them even shorter

Shall spend the week running into every guitar shop I pass to try different ones ... but so difficult to decide which one to buy!

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The way your face could light the bitter dark of every street
In every town I'll ever go

fantastic stuff, you realise you are setting off on a road to certain poverty you face a future of hanging round guitar shops gazing longingly at expensive stuff convincing yourself that you need another guitar, of course you will need another amp and of course some pedals as you search for that sound you are after.
A typical story might go Stage 1.you have the steel string acoustic that you are learning to play,then you try someone elses that is much easier to play than yours and you want one of course it costs more but you buy it and you are happy for a while,Thats Stage 2. but its not enough so you need an electric so you buy that tele copy and an amp to go with it , Stage 3.brilliant! the guitar is great but you quickly realise the amp is rubbish so you buy a better and bigger one of course its more expensive, stage 4. You fancy a combination of both acoustic and electric they are everywhere you look on Jools every time you switch it on, you find out they are called electro acoustics £ 250 later you own one of those as well and you also bought some stands for your growing collection oh and a couple of decent leads, while you were at it you also bought a bottle neck cos you like blues.Stage 5. the bottle neck sounds great but it rattles against the frets a mate explains that the guitars that are used for bottle necks are the ones with high action ( remember the one's that initially were bastards to play) so you see one on e bay with a nice metal resonator part with £400 and buy that as well, I could go on but I wont.
Its a curse but its a bloody fantastic one

That has me laughing bluefield ... it was an electro-acoustic that I was playing around with and it just was such a lovely thing to hold; really mellow (on the few occasions that I managed to play the chord so it didn't shriek with horror) ... and matt rather than shiny* ... I've found it £50 cheaper on the web including delivery (... I think I may be jumping around with the stages). Anyhow next step for me (are there steps within stages) ... I'm going to nip up to Cambridge for access to a wider range before I decide.

*I can resist shiny ... I can even resist shiny with inlaid bits around the edges ... the one I like is cedar and mahogany ... I'm not sure how the different woods can influence the sound ... am sure mahogany is one of those woods that I shouldn't buy because of sustainability/ecological issues ...


... and I haven't got to amps or pedals yet ... I'm still at the looking at false nails step if I've got to cut mine even shorter

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The way your face could light the bitter dark of every street
In every town I'll ever go

Yeah thats the best thing try out as many as you can, dont make the mistake I did, I bought a Tanglewood acoustic for about £200 and its a nice guitar for that price range and it sounds really great through a PA or amp, but because its quite a small guitar it sounds fairly quiet un amplified so now Im wishing I had payed a little more attention to its sound un amplified and gone for something with a slightly bigger body.
Guitars of the same make and model can sound quite different so try out as many as possible and good luck also with the nails situation.

Going to the guitar shop next weekend to sort out some lessons. Don't have a case for my guitar, so guess I might be making a purchase.
I have a grand plan to wait until I know more what I'm doing & make an informed decision on a nice guitar, one to grow old with. At the moment I fancy something in the 335 style.

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The heartbeat doesn't change, only the faces surrounding it.

i've been teaching myself piano the last few weeks and started playing the bass with fingers rather than pleccy. Keeping my fingers in like whilst on a break.

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Sunday morning sunlight,
mixed with moonlight in your eyes from last night.
www.myspace.com/theboyhoy