Small Update

I haven't been able to post anything lately. I'm not really bogged down by work or anything, I just can't seem to finish my half-baked writings. I suppose I should use the occasional office down time to write instead of just passive mining.

I started with my new job just this month. As liaison officer, I am tasked with inter-office communications between the Climate Change Commission and local partners for Project Climate Twin Phoenix in R-10. It's something new to me, but the work is contributing to a worthwhile cause.

Practice with the guitar has been slow but steady. There hasn't been much improvement compared to the speed at which I learned when I first started, but that's because I hit the barre chord wall. The good thing is that my barre chords don't sound as dead as when I first tried doing them. I'm trying to keep myself from buying another guitar (since it's really unnecessary, just GAS). Maybe I'll just buy mods for Ceres, but it's a bit difficult with the very limited selection in CDO or even Davao.

I also bought a new harmonica! Playing this harp is way more challenging compared to the past ones I've used. The clean and clear sound more than makes up for it though, and I'm actually starting to get used to it. I even bought a holder for simultaneous use with a guitar. Getting addicted to music and music instruments can be a bit addictive, so I better watch my spending.

What's Up

Progressing quite nicely with the guitar. I can now do a faster chord change from open chords to a barre chord. I managed to improve my chord change speed by using chord pairs and a metronome set to 60 bpm. I'll be posting a complete write-up of the exercise I used within the next few days.

I finally bought the Treasure Adventure Game soundtrack from Bandcamp. It's a really well done collection of music that helped build up my love for the game. Here's where you can buy it. On a related note, I just learned today that the creator of TAG is making an HD remake of the game. It comes with new features and extended gameplay. The title is going to be Treasure Adventure World and it is currently in production through a joint effort between Robit Studios and Chucklefish Games. I am definitely going to buy this game, and hope that it's released on Steam and/or GOG.

Here's the trailer:

The Guitar - A Beginner's Thoughts

Over the past few weeks I've been continuously practicing with my guitar. It’s been a little over a month since I bought my own electric, but I’m glad I can actually see some progress.  I started practicing again so that I could have a more ideal emotional outlet and time sink, but I have to be careful about turning this newly found passion into an obsession.

Ceres

It’s a good thing that this plan pushed through. I've been reconnected with my old playlist, rediscovering music by listening to the lead, rhythm, and bass guitar parts of the songs. Although I’m far from being good enough to play all my favorite songs, it’s still fun to be able to strum along or learn a few notes by ear. The thought of actually playing those songs perfectly is very enticing, which is good since I get extra motivation to practice.

There have been a few difficulties that I encountered since I started. These problems can be quite discouraging, and I've seen, read, and heard of beginners quitting because of them.

Barre Chords

F

Back in high school when I first tried (and failed) to learn how to play the guitar, this was the biggest obstacle. I tried repeatedly to press the strings but it still sounded pretty dead. It also hurt my wrists a lot.

I've only learned recently that applying a lot of pressure isn't necessary, but the proper application of pressure is. My wrist was strained by the somewhat semi-awkward hand position and the fact that I used my fingers to grip and squeeze the neck. When I tried pulling using my arm with my thumb and wrist controlling the application of force, I found it easier to do barre chords. They still sound dead sometimes, but that’s where practice and repetition come in.

On a related note, the B chord can go die in a fire.

Picking/Plucking

So easy to misplace these things

I’m not really one to give advice for this problem since I still pretty much suck at it, I've noticed that a few changes in approach of technique make practicing and playing more enjoyable and pain-free. I now make it a point to keep my right index finger under my thumb when holding the pick to prevent it from snagging strings during upstrokes.

Pinky Anchor

This was recommended to me by a friend who has far more experience playing the guitar than me. It’s supposed to help guide the player as to where the pick or picking fingers are located. It helps develop a sense as to which string the pick or finger is close to and how much distance is needed for it to reach the corresponding string for the next note.

Using the pinky comes naturally for most people, but I find it kind of restrictive. I end up using it as a stand for my right hand, which applies unnecessary stress to the finger. I have to keep reminding myself that I should keep it relaxed and use it only as a pivot and not a hand rest.

Neck Pains

For those times that you need to crane your neck around to see if you’re not messing up the finger placement or planning for the next chord progression. I’ve been having these pains a lot recently and I suspect it’s because I have developed the bad habit of looking at the fret board at an odd angle. Sometimes this habit also causes wrist pain because “lookers” like me tend to hold the guitar at an angle to get a better view of things.

This problem can be prevented either by using a mirror, which would also help develop a great sense of inverted direction, or by being constantly aware of your playing position and making corrections when necessary.

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There are a whole lot more obstacles one can encounter when trying to master the guitar. Most are a bit more minor and some are only encountered only when a certain amount of skill or knowledge is achieved. Hopefully I’ll be able to tell these problems to go suck it when the time comes.

2012, 2013

Well, 2012 has passed and a new year has started. The last year was somewhat underwhelming on a personal level. I wasn't able to meet my year-end goals for physical fitness. I had a few experiences that threatened to knock me off balance. But I suppose having survived another year is a good thing.

I'm not particularly fond of new years resolutions. If you want to change something about yourself, why not do it the moment you realize it regardless of time and day? I understand how difficult it can be, so I suppose using the new year as a change motivator is a good thing. Too bad that most resolutions don't get fulfilled.

I've started some projects and I hope I can continue carrying them until they are finished or until I establish a lifetime commitment. These project will help keep me occupied, so I could prevent myself from brooding excessively and going all Edgar Allan Poe

• Guitar
• Drums
• Dream Log
• Writing
• Parkour

I also kind of miss being employed. But seeing as to how I don't really have any unreasonable cravings or a family to support, I can't seem to find motivation to find a job. This is a bit unfair for my family since I'm currently freeloading. I hope I can find a job this year since I'd like to help out with house expenses. Budget allocation is going to be a bit more challenging starting in a few months, since there's a baby on the way.

Dream Guitar

I know I just bought my own guitar, but I suppose it's not detrimental for one to fantasize every now and then.

Body:       Solid Narra
Build:      Les Paul
Neck:       Hickory
Neck Joint: Bolt On
FB:         Rosewood
Hardware:   Sterling Silver
Pickups:    H|H|H with 3-way selector
Frets:      22 
B/S:        Tune-O-Matic bridge | Stop tailpiece
Inlays:     Dot
Finish:     Matte/Gloss Mix Black

If I had even a decent amount of talent for drawing or visual art, I'd be more than happy to provide an image. Unfortunately, I don't so we're gonna have to settle for something within the limits of imagination.

Back From Trip

My brother and I went on a trip to Kabacan, Digos, and Davao last week. Kuya thought up the travel plan and it underwent many changes until the day of departure. Preparing the ube took a huge chunk out of kuya's prep time, but we managed to catch a bus a little late at about 3 pm on December 12. Once we arrived in Cagayan de Oro City, we saw that there were a lot of passengers like us who were hoping to catch the next (and apparently last) bus to Tacurong. It would be unusual to find such a crowd on a normal Wednesday, but I heard from some of them how they were stranded in Visayas due to the last storm that hit the country. Good thing I got in line in front of the ticket booth a bit early.

We went first to Kabacan for our aunt's retirement-birthday party where we also visited relatives from my father's side of the family. Having stayed there for about two days, I had just about enough time to absorb the changes that occurred during my absence. Most of the buildings from the school where I used to teach were freshly painted. I wasn't able to meet up with my old co-workers but I managed to see a class of Biology students who were now on their third year. Good thing they managed to pull through and stick together.

The room I used when I was still teaching in Kabacan

The Family

Digos was up next on our itinerary and by Saturday morning, we've managed to pack up and prepare for the ride. We went there with the main intention of taking home some of the wedding gifts we left behind last May. The local Gaisano mall had 20 kg kettlebells in stock, and I almost bought a decent looking guitar they had on display. We didn't buy the KB since it would overburden us on our trip back to Tubod and I managed to convince myself that there would be better guitar choices in Davao. We spent a night in Digos and rode a bus to our last major destination.

Walking around Davao wasn't as refreshing as on previous occasions, mainly because I already had something in mind that I wanted to buy. Right after we arrived, I started weaving my way through the shops and stalls inside the bigger Gaisano while kuya tried to get a room reservation. I found some guitars in the department store, but none of them really tickled my fancy and there weren't any music shops inside the mall (maybe we missed them?).

Having found nothing of note other than a fancy hat and a potential purchase of a tablet PC, we moved on to SM Ecoland. There we found what I was looking for. They had a package offer for a Washburn LP clone that came along with beginner essentials. I was already quite convinced that I would buy the package then and there, but reconsidered since we were still set to visit other malls. One other important discovery was that a Krispy Kreme store had recently opened there. Their donuts are really good but I'm quite thankful that I didn't develop any cravings after my first taste last year. After we had our snack, we went to the NCCC Mall where we found a music store that had contacts regarding saxophone repair. We weren't able to actually buy anything there, so we moved on to Abreeza.

Outside Abreeza

We were quite excited by the fact that they also had a Krispy Kreme store inside the mall, but we never managed to even enter it. I found three of the latest Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei english volumes and felt compelled to buy all of them even if they were a bit pricey. After finding no other offers that would beat the package offered back in SM, we hurried back there before it closed. Kuya was a bit disappointed because we weren't able to try eating at TGIF.

We went straight to the music shop with the Washburn package. After a bit of fiddling with the guitar (I had no idea what I was doing), I made the decision to buy it. We made small talk while testing out the electronic components and putting stuff inside the box. It had a discount supposedly because the tuner included in the package was defective. The box was surprisingly heavy, but I was more bothered by the fact that it was rather unwieldy to lug around.

Dinner aftermath

My brother advised me against opening the box at the inn but I couldn't help myself. Unfortunately, I was immediately let down because the amp's power plug didn't match the sockets inside the room we rented. Still, I was able to get a good feel of the instrument. Good thing kuya bought some tape, so I managed to put everything back together for the trip back home.

The ride back to Tubod would've been barely bearable had it not been for the interesting movies they played on the bus. The manga I bought also helped keep me from getting too bored. I actually had to tear open the guitar's box since I was too worried the the instrument would be damaged if left in the cargo hold. Being a noob at proper guitar handling, I managed to bump and bang the head against stuff which resulted in me getting pissed off by  my own incompetence. We arrived home safely, and by then I was too tired to put things in order but not tired enough to stop myself from trying out my new instrument.

Washburn WIN14B

The Guitar

The realization that I actually have more than enough time to acquire new skills pushed me to take up the guitar once again. I took a few guitar lessons during high school, but by the time I got into it again I had to basically start from scratch. I've been quite busy these past few weeks trying to re-learn the basics. It's a good thing my father left us two classical guitars. Using a classical/nylon guitar for practice can be somewhat challenging, but for the most part I seem to be making progress.

Father's classical Yamaha | First broken string

I remember the reason why I quit in the first place was because I couldn't really get a good enough sense of rhythm for strumming patterns. Having learned basic drum beats in college and watching my buddies play really helped me develop my rhythm. My guitarist friend isn't really that much of an instructor, but I followed his advice and started using an informal self-teaching method. By now I've already memorized a few chord sets and am trying to further improve speed and finger independence.

Right now I'm pretty much dead set on buying my own electric guitar. They have necks that make it much easier to perform barre chords. If I manage to gather enough funds by the end of the week, I may even be able to buy one before the year ends. I'm currently aiming to get a Les Paul or an SG but by looking at my budget range, I could say I won't get top-tier axes. I may have to settle for a knock-off or a more affordable model.