"Off to the Hunt"

This is meant to be played as Fox Hunting engages on the meadow.  You know, the red-coated English-styled riders behind a pack of hounds? They are tracking down the fox to protect farmers crops from devastation. Tally Ho!

Also learning to play this week is "Minuet".  Challenging

"Michelle" for Guitar

"Michelle" for Guitar

Portable Stereo Microphone for the iPod

Now this is what I had been looking for.  Something that's strong and will let you record stereo where ever you go.  This was $200 but but well worth it when I saw it included inputs for XLR cables!  I can't wait to hear how great it records!

El Choclo

MADNESS

MADNESS

One of the best bands of it's time.

"Strawberry Rag" "Grinch Ending"

Eric Abrahamson 3 section version of "Strawberry Rag".  This was inspired by taking the first bar of something I wrote then expanding on the idea.  Most of it is sixteen notes which you can play straight but also you can swing it.  

Dave Caballero's Ending that sounds similar to the Grinch.  The basses here are minor and fix into what I was learning on "El Choclo" which isn't that hard once you put some time in practicing.

Sugar Plum Fairy

This difficult piece of music is one of the most memorable Christmas songs from composer Peter Tchaikvosky from his Ballet the Nutcracker Suite.  Repeated themes in different voices in a single scale.  He uses many Chords but mostly explores the diminished chord.  The trouble I have is the two note voicing of the chords that seems to never follow or repeat.  There are two notes that outline a chord.

The last stanza repeats an interesting pattern using the circle of Fifths that leads you back to the top "Em". I find it 80% easier to think of the only the chords and then play the 3-7 to the 1-5 pattern.  The odd bass line is very simple octaves but the last chord changes to a V chord and the octave doesn't change pulling the two hemisphere of your brain apart.