It’s been almost a year since I bought my first guitar, and I’m excited about how many songs I can play now! Today’s guitar practice was about experimenting with strumming with my fingers, while also using a pick (adding a few extra sounds with my fingers after the initial downstroke of the pick – the best example of this appears at the end of the song when you can see my fingers better).
This works best when using a song that’s very familiar to you, and also with a song that you can start off at a slow tempo and then pick up the pace, changing the song’s dynamics, and letting yourself feel the music and lyrics. When losing yourself into the emotion of the song and making a connection with it, the new technique of adding finger strumming feels more natural because you’re not hyper focused on that new trick. For me, if you’ve been following my website or YouTube channel for a while, you’ll know that I love MercyMe songs, and this one “Bring the Rain” is a particular favorite, so it was a natural choice for me to select for today’s guitar session. If you’re on this learning guitar journey with me, I hope it’s going well and that you’ve not lost steam. Every day is a fresh start.
SPOILER ALERT: Did you notice the new addition to my studio space? A shiny apple red ELECTRIC guitar! The week of my birthday, my husband won an auction for used a left-handed small guitar in my favorite color (red! although there are several other colors I love, red is consistently one of my favorites). He waited to see if I liked playing it, and when I loved it, he then bought me a brand new Fender amp – also a shade of red! WOOT! So, I’ll be playing my new electric guitar in upcoming videos! I still love my green acoustic, which is my first guitar and first love, so I won’t be leaving that behind. I’ll play both. 🙂
I hope you are peacefully wrapping up the last of your summer and looking forward to fall, cooler weather, seasonal fellowship, and CHRISTMAS! Have you started shopping yet? Have I? Of course! I started in July, or was it June? Fa la la la la! Gift giving, baking, making – what a beautiful love language! So, happy end-of-summer, and merry Christmas-in-4-months!
Blessings to you and yours! xoxo
Blessings to you too Natalie. Your True friends all miss you at church!!!!!!! Zak has left the church and a new Choir leader is being searched for. Come back, All of you. You have a Merry Christmas as well. Chaplain Al