Pages

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Where to Focus?

I've been giving some thought recently to what I want to concentrate on in my playing. I've done some playing with the aikido band on both guitar and bass, and have also enjoyed the monthly acoustic jams. I'd like to do more playing with people, either in a formal band or in jam sessions. It's both a lot of fun and the quickest way to learn and improve.

Here are the options I see:

Bass: while I'm spending just about all of my practice time on the guitar, it's a fact right now that I'm a better bass player. I can play rhythm guitar in a band or a jam session, but I'm not good enough yet to be in a gigging band. As a bass player, I think I am good enough to step into a gigging band and play out. That would be fun in the right situation, and I'd be open to it...but it's not what I really want.

Electric guitar: this is my main focus, and I'm having a blast. I can feel the improvement I've made, and I intend to keep progressing. I'm not *good*, and I don't know if I ever will be, but it's just a whole lot of fun. I'm going to keep playing with the guys, and hope to find other folks to play with. I *love* the gear I have, and have no big desires right now (yes, I'll qualify that with "right now", as Darling Wife rolls her eyes.)

Acoustic guitar: this obviously isn't that separate a thing, as improved playing skills on the electric will carry over to the acoustic. But sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't focus more on the acoustic. So many of the issues of tone and gear issues that you spend time on with the electric just go away when you pick up the acoustic. The sound of the instrument is all there is - and I adore the feel and the sound of my Canadian beauty. Maybe I should focus on acoustic playing, and look for opportunities to play with acoustic folks. Maybe even look to form a group to play folk/acoustic/soft rock songs. I think I could do that with more confidence that I could in an electric situation.

I'll continue to think about it, and we'll see how things develop.

No comments:

Post a Comment