Journal
A common complaint among new guitarists is sore fingers after practicing. I used to have this problem myself, particularly when playing steel string guitars. Eventually practice will develop calouses on your fingertips that will protect your fingers, but until those build up your fingers can be quite sore.
The root of the difficulty lies with string tension. I resolved this on my own guitars by tuning all of the strings down one note and then using a capo bring pitch back up to standard tuning. So for example the bottom E string is now tuned to D. In standard tuning EBGDAE becomes DGCFAD. Tune down, put the capo on, and tune again as the capo will vary things slightly.
One of the beautiful things that came out of that exercise in addition to being able to play longer and better was that I liked the sound of the guitar tuned lower. Several of the songs on "Forgiving Dreams" are played in DGCFAD.
I now use mostly open tunings, some popular and some I came up with on my own. But varying the tunings started with that first simple effort to make my fingers less sore.
Good luck ~ and good practice.
I can listen to Pierre Bensusan talk all day. His playing is pretty fantastic, too. Here he talks about DADGAD, an open tuning I'm using quite extensively in new work. Lots of enjoyable performance in this kitchen table talk, too.
I wrote this song in La Push, Washington, on the first day of a vacation trip to the ocean. I made the mistake of checking business email on the ferry ride over, and one of the messages infuriated me.
Writing this music was an effort to let it go and enjoy the weekend. It helped but wasn't entirely successful. I still owe my wife a do-over for that trip. The piece is fundamentally about new beginnings, letting go and moving on.
I marvel at the way the Universe (or our gracious God) can send me beautiful music even when I'm in a bad mood.
About a year ago Lily and I attended Lucia Neare's delightful "Lullaby Moon," a beautiful performance art meets theater presentation outdoors at Seward park here in Seattle.
The piece is a beautiful exploration of the world of dreams. After we got home I tucked Lily into bed and picked up the guitar. As I often do, I started playing things that sounded like what I was feeling. Within a couple of hours I had composed this simple piece. The song sounds like childhood to me. Like the moon and stars and learning. It's tentative and fearful but full of excitement and confidence at the same time.
Childhood. I hope you'll enjoy it.
"Rotation Of Earth" is the title track for this album. I composed and recorded these pieces in the early mornings before the start of my work day throughout 2009. In this way it became part of my day, part of my life, rather than something set apart. I worked for many years in an engineering job that was financially comfortable but ultimately left my spirit unrewarded. At a given point I realized that I was spending my life away being unhappy. I now make my living from a combination of things - art, design, and music. They are all occupations where the actual work itself makes me happy. I don't take this gift lightly.
My wife and I recently travelled to Pittsburgh to visit family and attend a neice's wedding. We had a great time, the wedding was beautiful. On the way home we were standing in the airport and out of the corner of my eye I saw a beautiful Mennonite girl waiting to board the plane.
She was wearing a long dress and a prayer cap. I am particularly moved by the sight of women in prayer caps. There is something about the outward symbol of a simpler lifestyle based on a deep faith in God that draws me in. The world seems somehow a better place when I see these things.
The golden thread woven into my music, and my life, are the people who are my chosen family of friends. Last September I was working on a song when one of these friends went into labor. Things were progressing very slowly and I was worried about her. She told me she was listening to Forgiving Dreams to help her relax. I said a little prayer for her and the baby and soon enough the child was born. I finished this piece as she was being born, and I named it after her.
I had the pleasure of being interviewed for a radio program called the Storytellers Campfire which will air on KKNW Alternative Talk Radio at 1150 on your Seattle AM dial on Sunday, April 4th, at 6:00 pm.
The program features an interview with a culturally significant individual (not me as of yet), a poet, and a musician, followed by a classical reading by a fellow named Misho.
I was interviewed by the lovely and gracious Lady Selah SuJuris. My interview lasted about fifteen minutes and was over before I could remember what to talk about. I mentioned David Haxton, the gentleman who made my guitar, and we talked about the origins of the name Amadeo I use for my record label (It means "One who loves God.")
Five pieces from "Forgiving Dreams" were used to begin and end the interview sequences. I performed a live version of "Mika'ele Moon," a track from my upcoming release "Rotation Of Earth."
The culturally significant individual interviewed was Anna Haala, designated a peace elder by the National World Council of Indigenous Elders. I found her story riveting. She asked for my business card. Not having any with me I gave her a copy of "Forgiving Dreams." In return she gave me a hankerchief she had sewn little beads into. In her talk she shared a powerful story of prayer with intention. Prayer has been important in my life and, whether by intercession of the divine or simply out of the power of positive thinking, it actually works for me.
I feel fortunate to have met the others involved in this show. I'll be performing in a live version of the Storytellers Campfire near Lake Chelan, Wa on May 15th.
After it airs the show will be available on the KKNW website and at StorytellersCampfire.org.
Anna Haala, Peace Elder
The Grammys aren't perfect but it is a vote for musicians by musicians.
Observations -
The Best New Artist category is pretty weak this year, but The Ting Tings stand out as having created a sound that's at least a little different.
There is lots of good songwriting in all categories this year and I am encouraged by that.
Taylor Swift is an angel.
I ignored all categories I have no expertise in - How I voted:
I stumbled across these photos today and thought they might amuse you.
1980 and in the throes of teaching myself how to play. I'm holding handmade Les Paul copy that I later traded for my first real classical guitar. This was probably December, but I'm wearing a down jacket, indoors, in San Diego. Maybe I was just sick. Dig the Kenny Loggins hair.
1982. I took this old Harmony guitar on trade for a $100 motorcycle I was trying to sell. I stashed it at my Dad's house for many years because I thought it was so ugly but on a 2008 trip to visit him I pulled it out and played it and saved it to use as my camping/travel guitar. It has a solid spruce top and mahogany sides. I've played outdoor concerts with this guitar and I don't think I'll ever part with it.
1980. Tour jacket, tour van. No I was not high.
One of my cousins died last week, at age 52, of a collapsed heart valve. I hadn't seen him in a long time but I always remember him having a sweet innocence and a goodness about him no matter what was going on.
My biological family is a combination of long-lived and short-lived. My mother died at 58. My grandfather was 96 when he died. I try to be mindful of this as I live each day to the fullest.
Godspeed, Chris.
I wrote this piece for my friend Mika. He made a little video of it, which I am honored by. It will appear on my December release "Rotation Of Earth.
I want one of these. This is David Kilpatrick, of Scotland, one of my label mates over on Many Miles Music. A neat little guitar.
Learn more about the instruments if you like at David's website.
I think this says it all for right now ;-).
I played a nice little concert on Vashon Island recently. Nice venue, really nice audience engaged in the music. A beautiful ferry ride over and back. I'm hoping to return again soon.
Forgiving Dreams, produced by Will Ackerman and engineered by Corin Nelsen at Imaginary Road Studios released on Many Miles Music.
I remember shaking Will's hand for the first time. What went through my mind in that instant was the memory of every note I'd been moved by in his music. The fingers that composed and performed The Bricklayer's Beautiful Daughter were gripping mine and welcoming me to Vermont. And I was supported in my desire to record my music in the most perfect environment possible.
The studio itself is warm, inviting, and hand made. Most of the wood that makes up the structure, and its finishing parts, was milled from trees grown on the property. Will and Corin Nelsen built the studio. It is beautiful.
On the second of my trips there I stayed in the dream garage, Will's guest house. As I awoke each morning I became aware of the greatness that has graced that space. Tuck Andress. Patty Cathcart. Michael Hedges stayed there many times.
I was nervous recording the first few days. How could I not be? Will and Corin are good at putting people at ease. They have an incredible system of working together to review mark each take. By 1:00 we had the first song finished and Corin's brilliant editing was complete. Will pulled out a felt pen and invited me to sign the studio door.
I just returned from Imaginary Road Studios in Brattleboro, Vermont, where I recorded the last three songs for my new record produced by Will Ackerman, and engineered by Corin Nelsen.
We’re working on mixing and graphic design now. The album will be mastered around August 8th. After that, files are transferred to the duplicator and copies of the new record will be ready to put in your hands. Stay tuned!
I've thought of Will Ackerman many times over the years. His music has always been an inspiration. After my mother's passing, a difficult time, I was working in an engineering office with a view over a stand of second-growth fir trees. Late one day the sun setting over the trees reminded me of the Windham Hill logo. The year was 1993. Ackerman had just sold his interest in the company and moved to Vermont to reinvent himself. When I got home that night I picked up the guitar. As my fingers touched the strings I knew I was at the beginning of a reinvention of my own.
When it came time to pick a studio, a year ago now, to record this next record in I immediately thought of Will's inspiration. I Googled him, simply to find out what he was up to. To my surprise I found that he is available to produce recordings for independent artists like myself. I called the studio, expecting that the requirements would exceed my budget.
What followed was a Saturday morning phone call with one of my heroes. Will generously spent an hour with me. I set about sending Will some demo recordings, and things were set in motion. Recording there was not an insignificant expense, to be sure. But I calculated the number of units I'd need to sell, and what I stood to gain from the experience, and decided it was worth it.
I just made the first of two trips there, intending to record five songs as a demo. We captured nine. I scheduled another trip and got to work on polishing another couple of pieces to finish the record.