[sunday_girl]

Hi everyone,
I've been gone quite a while, had a lot of problems and havent really be playing for a long long time.
ever couple of weeks i would pick the old girl up play for around half an hour, my fingers would kill and i would hang her back on the wall.
well a couple of days ago i thought if i didnt start playing again i would give up for good. so i started slowly but surely picking her up for fifteen mins twice a day and i think i am going to get back into it properly.
hell i could play for hours before, never thought that the guitar would hang on the wall for weeks and week.

Now my problem i havent got a clue what to attempt to play at the moment i am just picking away quietly its great what your fingers remember even if the speed has gone. so any ideas nothing too hard to begin with just something i might like to have a go at slowly and surly.

hope i will be back to normal soon and asking loads of my stupid daft questions and driving everyone up the wall.

sunday

[kurtlives]

hi

[okiejohn]

Hey, girl, nice to hear from you. Sorry that you've had some problems, hope you are over whatever it was that kept you from playing.

My suggestion.....just go back to the things you used to do, those songs you played when you played.

[kurtlives]

have you seen a doctor

[Joe Hard]

Hey I am a new member here but have been playing guitar for a long time. I had a few things going on in my life that I was only able to play occasionally. I went through exactly the same things as you explained. I try to play everyday but am a commercial fisherman and sometimes so tired food and sleep are all I can manage. I think you will have to be the judge on what you want to play, but keep playing. It will come back to you

[sunday_girl]

thanks for the replies,
Two years ago if someone had said that they took a long break from playing i would have said " you must be mad!" crazy go see a doctor too.
but things happen in your life that put pleasures to one side and you just cant play for a while, every time i would pick the guitar up i would cry. not nice. but true.
I can now play without crying and am really starting to enjoy it again, i have got worse though and need lots of practice to get back where i was and to get better i hope.
hope to post more often now.

sunday

[dadfad]

Hello, Rachel. Welcome back! I completely understand how Life gets in the way of one's "art and passion!" Sometimes it's all I can do to manage to play enough to just not get worse! I'm glad you've picked her up again.

Why not try something new? Here's a tune I arranged and tabbed for my daughter a year or two ago. It's called "At Last." It was originally an old Glen Miller tune but made popular again+

in the early 60s by a woman blues-singer named Etta James (hers is probably the best-known version). It was also done by Eva Cassidy before her death maybe ten or so years ago. She did it in an excellent fingerstyle arrangement as she sang. My daughter asked me if I would work out an arrangement for her in a similar style. I'll post that tab below. Now that arrangement is slightly complex as a fingerstyle, but at the start of each fingerstyle "movement" I placed a "starting-position" for that movement which is basically just a chord to hold (or start from if fingerstyling). Those starting-positions are then, in effect, the chord-tab for the tune (as well as a few little extra notes and arpeggiations that might be added as the player becomes more familiar and "adventurous" with playing it!

In any case, it's a great old torch-type love-song tune, sung in a slow sultry style. If you can (and haven't already) try to hear Etta James' as well as Eva Cassidy's versions of the tune (Both are excellent in their own ways). If you like it, try to work with it. Anyway, it's good to see you back again!

CODE

"AT LAST"

Words & Music by Mack Gorden & Harry Warren
Recorded by Glenn Miller, 1939
"Sun Valley Sarenade" (movie) 1941
w/Glenn Miller, and Pat Friday (vocals)
Etta James, 1960
Eva Cassidy, circ. 1994



(introductory refrain, used in classic Glenn Miller version only)

I was never spell-bound by the starry sky...
What is there to moon-glow when love has passed you by?
Then there came a midnight and the world was new
Now here I am so spell-bound, Darling
Not by stars, but just by you.....




At last my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
(Ohh yeah)

At last the skies above are blue
And my heart was wrapped in clover
The night I looked at you

(bridge)
I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I could call my own
I found a thrill to press my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
Oh yeah yeah...

You smiled ohh and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine at last...
For you are mine at last

+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+

The tablature:

This tune can be played very simply strumming only the simple chords
of G, Em, C and D, but if you want to make it sound much more special
you need to use slightly more sophisticated chord-forms and fingerstyle
additions. This is a common progression in "torch songs" of this type,
like "Since I Fell For You" and many others. The chords and fingerings
shown below are merely an example. They can be played as shown or used
with similar chords substituted as sounds best. In the tab below at the
start of each chord change I first show the chord to be held as a
starting position from which and notes or simple fingering changes can
best be approached. If you have a more comfortable way to do it, then
ignore my notes and hold it as is best for you. These starting-chord
holding positions are not to be actually played, it's just the best
position to start the fingerings within. I show these in bars up and
down the tab enclosed in || like this:

-|3|--------    For example, this would mean to hold the G-chord 320033
-|3|--------    and then play the 6th-string 3rd-fret, then the 4th-string  
-|0|--------    open, etc, etc.
-|0|----0---
-|2|--------
-|3|-3------

Below each tab-staff I give the words approximately as they would go timed
to that passage. They aren't exact, timing is a matter of how you personally
choose to deliver the tune. I also give notes below the tab-staff in ()'s
such as arpeggiate (which means to play slowly so each individual note sounds
as opposed to a faster strum, etc. In any case, once the chording and timing
is worked out, it will all fall into place anyway, so enough over-explaining
on my part. Here's the tune.....


"AT LAST"
(in the style of Eva Cassidy, key of G like her recording)



An Intro line......

E)-|3|---------3---------|2|----------1-------|6|---------6--|5|---5---
B)-|3|------------3------|0|------------0-----|6|---------6--|5|---5---
G)-|0|------0--------0---|0|-------0------0---|6|------6-----|5|---5---
D)-|0|---0---------------|2|----2-------------|5|----5-------|4|---4---
A)-|2|-------------------|2|------------------|6|-6----------|5|---5---
E)-|3|-3-----------------|0|-0----------------|X|------------|X|-------
                                                                   ^
      (Slowly arpeggiating through the chords and then a slow strum...)

E)-|3|---------3---------|2|----------1---0-|0|--------0-|5|---------5--
B)-|3|------------3------|0|----------------|1|------1---|5|---------5--
G)-|0|------0--------0---|0|-------0--------|0|---0------|5|-------5----
D)-|0|---0---------------|2|----2-----------|2|----------|4|-----4------
A)-|2|-------------------|2|----------------|0|-0--------|5|---5--------
E)-|3|-3-----------------|0|-0--------------|X|----------|X|------------

...At  last.............................................my love has come a-  

E)-|3|---------3---------|2|----------1---0-|0|--------0-|5|---------5--
B)-|3|------------3------|0|----------------|1|------1---|5|---------5--
G)-|0|------0--------0---|0|-------0--------|0|---0------|5|-------5----
D)-|0|---0---------------|2|----2-----------|2|----------|4|-----4------
A)-|2|-------------------|2|----------------|0|-0--------|5|---5--------
E)-|3|-3-----------------|0|-0--------------|X|----------|X|------------

...-long.............................................My lonely days are o-


E)-|3|---------3---------|2|--------------|0|----------0-|5|---------5--
B)-|3|------------3------|0|----------0---|1|--------1---|5|---------5--
G)-|0|------0--------0---|0|-------0------|0|-----0------|5|-------5----
D)-|0|---0---------------|2|----2---------|2|------------|4|-----4------
A)-|2|-------------------|2|--------------|0|---0--------|5|---5--------
E)-|3|-3-----------------|0|-0------------|X|------------|X|------------

...-ver..............................................and life is like a....


E)-|3|-------------3-----|3|-------3--------3------6->--5--        -1-
B)-|3|----------------3--|3|-------3--------3------6->--5--        -0-
G)-|0|----------0--------|3|-----3----------0------6->--5--   or   -0-
D)-|0|-------0-----------|2|---2------------0------5->--4--        -0-
A)-|2|----2--------------|3|-3---------3----2------6->--5--        -2-
E)-|3|-3-----------------|X|----------------3--------------        -3-

.....song.......(arpeggiate ^ this then strum ^ these chords)   (or to bridge)

The verses are played like that shown above. However, when going next into the
bridge verse replace the X65666 to X54555 part with a G7 320001 chord. Then...


(Bridge)

E)-|3|----------3----0-----------3-----0--|3|--------3-----1--
B)-|1|-------1----1-----------1-----1-----|3|-----------3-----
G)-|0|------------------------------------|0|-----0-----------
D)-|2|----2----------------2--------------|0|---0-------------
A)-|3|-3----------------3-----------------|2|-----------------
E)-|X|------------------------------------|3|-3---------------

      I......found.....a....dream...I...could...speak to....
  

E)------|3|-----------3---2->--3---0--|3|----3--3-----1-----
B)------|3|-----------3---2->--3------|3|----3-----3--------
G)------|3|--------3------2->--3------|0|----0--------------
D)------|2|-----2---------1->--2------|0|----0--------------
A)--0---|3|--3------------2->--3------|2|-------------------
E)------|X|---------------------------|3|-------------------

.....    A dream  I could  call  my........own...
    

E)-|0|----------0---0--|2|--3----0--------0--|0|------------------------
B)-|1|--------------1--|3|--2---------3------|0|--0-----------0---------
G)-|2|-------2---------|2|--3----------------|0|--0-----0---------0-----
D)-|2|----2------------|0|--0----------------|2|--2---------2-----------
A)-|0|-0---------------|0|-------------------|2|--2---------------------
E)-|0|-----------------|X|-------------------|0|------------------------

       I...found....a.....thrill to press my....cheek to.........


E)-|0|------------------------------|5|--5--------6->--5------
B)-|1|--1----1---1-------1--1---1---|5|--5--------6->--5------
G)-|2|--2----2---0-------2--2---0---|5|--5--------6->--5------
D)-|2|--2----2---2-------2--2---2---|4|--4--------5->--4------
A)-|0|--0----0---0-------0--0---0---|5|--5--------6->--5------
E)-|0|------------------------------|X|-----------------------

    A thrill I have.....nev-er....... known      (oh yeah...)   You....

  
(Now to last verse)




E)-|3|----------3----|0|----------0----|0|----------0----|5|----------5-----
B)-|3|-------------3-|0|-------------0-|1|-------------1-|5|----------5--5--
G)-|0|---------------|0|---------------|2|-------2-------|5|-------5--------
D)-|0|-------0-------|2|-------2-------|2|----2----------|4|----4-----------
A)-|2|----2----------|2|----2----------|0|-0-------------|5|-5--------------
E)-|3|-3-------------|0|-0-------------|0|---------------|X|----------------

........smiled.........oohh...............and..........then the spell was...

E)-|3|----------3----|0|----------0----|0|----------0----|5|----------5-----
B)-|3|-------------3-|0|-------------0-|1|-------------1-|5|----------5--5--
G)-|0|---------------|0|---------------|2|-------2-------|5|-------5--------
D)-|0|-------0-------|2|-------2-------|2|----2----------|4|----4-----------
A)-|2|----2----------|2|----2----------|0|-0-------------|5|-5--------------
E)-|3|-3-------------|0|-0-------------|0|---------------|X|----------------

.........cast..........................and................here we are in...


E)-|3|----------3----|0|----------0----|0|----------0----|5|----------5-----
B)-|3|-------------3-|0|-------------0-|1|-------------1-|5|----------5--5--
G)-|0|---------------|0|---------------|2|-------2-------|5|-------5--------
D)-|0|-------0-------|2|-------2-------|2|----2----------|4|----4-----------
A)-|2|----2----------|2|----2----------|0|-0-------------|5|-5--------------
E)-|3|-3-------------|0|-0-------------|0|---------------|X|----------------

.......heav--en......................................for you are mine at....



E)-|2|--------------2---------------------------------
B)-|2|-----------2------------------------------------
G)-|2|--------2---------------------------------------
D)-|1|-----1------------------------------------------
A)-|2|--2---------------------------------------------
E)-|X|------------------------------------------------

.....last... (arpeggiated strum. Let ring, and fade... then...)

E)-|0|----------0-|5|---------5-|3|-----------3--|3|-----------|7|---------7-
B)-|1|--------1---|5|-------5---|3|---------3----|0|-----------|7|-------7---
G)-|0|------0-----|5|-----5-----|3|-------3------|0|-----------|7|-----7-----
D)-|2|----2-------|4|---4-------|2|-----2--------|0|-----0-----|5|---5-------
A)-|3|--3---------|5|-5---------|3|---3----------|2|---2-------|X|-----------
E)-|0|------------|X|-----------|X|--------------|3|-3---------|X|-----------

  .......for..you..are...mine...at......last....... (slowly strum and fade...)



These are the chords used and how best to finger them for changes:
(using index, middle, ring, pinkie)


G=320033 and 320003   G7+320001   Emadd9=022001   Em=022000      
  mi--rp     mi---p      rm---i          -im--r      -im---    


Am=002210   Am7=002010   D9=X54555    D#9=X65666    D=000323    
   --mri-       --m-i-      -mirrr        -mirrr      ---irm    


C=032010 and 032013   C9=X32333   B7=X21202   Gmaj7=XX5777  
  -rm-i-     -rm-ip      -mirrr      -mir-p         --ippp

[BByrdman]

After some time off, I do about a week or two of technique exercises like 1,2,3,4(fingers) up and down the strings then up and down the neck. you can also change the fingers to 1,3,2,4 or 1,4,2,3, etc. This usually gets me back in the groove the fastest because the knowledge is there, but the finger strength, endurance, and conditioning is what needs to be worked on the most. Good luck !!

[sunday_girl]

well thanks for that tab john, it looks lovely trouble is my fingers wont make those d chords .
but i will keep trying.
Rachel

[dadfad]

well thanks for that tab john, it looks lovely trouble is my fingers wont make those d chords .
but i will keep trying.
Rachel

Rachel, I assume you mean the D9 (and D#9) chord. You'd be surprised how easy they become and how quickly it will happen. That ring-finger will begin to flatten against all three of those strings in no time (the 1,2,3 strings). The alternate way of making it it to use both the ring and pinky instead of just the ring finger, with the ring finger only holding the 2 and 3 strings, pinky on the 1-string. The advantage to eventually using only the ring finger to bar the entire three strings is that as that chord-shape becomes more often used (and it will, because that 9-chord is sort of like the "smooth-blues'n'jazz" guitarist's barre-chord. It's so very moveable and (soon-to-be!) easy to form.)... the advantage using only the ring on those three strings is that it frees up your pinky which may then be used to "colour" that chord even futher (and easily) by for example placing the pinky up the neck two frets on the 1-string which will turn say the D9 X54555 (held xmirrr) into a 13th-chord like D13 X54557 (held xmirrp).

Almost everyone finds it a little difficult at first flexing that ring finger to bend slightly backwards at the first joint, but it usually becomes easy very quickly so give it a try!


(If you want to take the cowardly way out, you can use 7th chords as substitutions like D7 X5453X, C7 X3231X, etc. )