One year ago today: December 29, 2019, WIP
Five years ago today: December 29, 2015, increased my dislike.
Nine years ago today: December 29, 2011, the social network of GA.
Random years ago today: December 29, xxxx, WIP
Japan is experimenting with wood as a satellite material. The thought is they will burn up harmlessly on re-entry. There are currently three-quarters of a million junk objects in space larger than a penny, all traveling 17,600 miles per hour. Elon Musk, our version of Howard Hughes, plans to add at least 40,000 more. I saved $9 this morning by wasting an hour. Tennessee vehicles must have a pollution inspection. There was a one-hour lineup when I arrived. I pull into the bay, and guess what.
The photo is our part of our Xmas shop, the largest budget item when I’m here. Careful, don’t get the wrong impression that I regularly help myself to ine, pineapple, goat yogurt, and fancy bananas. I found a wee note on my guitar later, saying, let me get this right, “There is nothing like you, there was nothing like you, an there shall be nothing like you.” Hmmmm.
Yep, it is definitely the front freeze plug, a pinhole leak that is just enough to drain the radiator in five miles once pressure gets behind it. If this town ever warms up, I may try a quick repair, long enough to sell it. The important thing that happened since last day was my trial run with my guitar playing Must I tell you every little thing? Yep, it’s part of this blog and I don’t know which ones will become big things. I’m also flying blind so I’m leery of changes that seem okay to me. Each must be field-tested. Sit back and read, as I over-explain such things, a policy that’s saved my bacon often enough.
My aversion to comping (playing the same rhythm to every song) is well known, but produces a Catch-22. I’m not good enough to play a special arrangement for every song, unless I customize each tune, a mammoth task. I don’t have the Beat Buddy [drum pedal] yet, but I’ve programmed them before to compliment my bass lines. And each one of my bass lines is tailor-made to the point I can solo it on bass—which gives me a pretty keen idea of what I would want a rhythm player to do. So I put the two ideas together—use a complimentary bass line and strum guitar to the absent bass line that I can hear to myself.
This produces the situation that needs audience approval. If the last ten tunes are any indication, I’m on to something. I had people who know I don’t play guitar say I had improved dramatically. I found that encouraging, since most of what I changed took aim on presentation, a form of drama. Neat circular logic and since it worked so well, no need to let anything think less of concept. As ever, not every tune is adaptable to this, but I’m now spending a hour going through the list to find which ones are best. There is also news of a new “smart amp”, so watch for it.
It’s noon, I’m taking a nap. But I got a full hour of material I can do now. I’m on-line looking for the Beat Buddy, but careful, here are a lot of the old models out there. I inadvertently left the tablet on-line overnight and MicroSoft Edge installed itself. It is a Chrome derivative, so I have to get rid of it despite it having no uninstall option.
Standard fish & chips order.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.
Continuing with music, Trent has directed my attention to a device called Smart Amp. He’s back home from Texas, so I’ll like drop by to visit on the return leg. Made by Positive Grid, the on-line videos crow about the features, but don’t detail the practical side that I need. You strum a progression and the software generates a bass and drum line, probably some form of loop. I need to know how this works on stage, not in the studio.
For instance, does it memorize this loop? How easy is it to get back? Can if handle chord changes during the chorus? And a dozen other queries the on-line bozo crowd somehow never seem to think of. Like does this tiny 40 amp unit have an extension speaker jack, does it require a computer link, and a dozen practical items that don’t cross the minds of these people.
If I find a unit, I ‘ll put it through the paces. If it works, it takes a couple months off my schedule—and I’m prepared to accept it may work only partially well. Take for instance, it has settings for rock, jazz, blues, and rap. Tells you right there it is not for stage work right out of the box.
ADDENDUM
I was unaware there is now a occupation called “video explainer”. I had the outmoded impression it was the video itself that was supposed to clarify things. That’s misleading, the job is to create whiteboards and explanatory material. It’s akin to audio-book voiceovers, which I knew was a trade. It makes sense to me but I would still like to see some examples of how the work is done. It’s amazing when done right, have a gander at this Brit guy sell himself. He’s got it down to a science, blinking mostly between sentences.
