Coffee and music!

So, there is this cool little coffee shop in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, that has an open mic on Monday evenings. The shop is called Calypsos Coffee & Creamery. I had the opportunity to play a few flute songs for them last monday, and had a great time doing it. If you want experience playing in front of people, open mic nights are one way to get that. Plus, you can get a great cup of coffee and listen to the other musicians, poets, etc.

This is the latte that I had on monday eve. They make some pretty cool designs! Calypsos roasts their own coffee, and what I've had has always been pretty smooth and flavorful. Definitely worth checking out if you are in the area.

-Native Guitar Joe-

Workin' On a Christmas Song!

I hope to be able to put a song together for the holidays, and make it available soon. It is mainly guitar and definitely has an interesting feel to it. Hopefully, a good background track for those nice holiday moments!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone gets to spend some time with family and friends. This year, I am especially thankful for family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Update on Tuners

So I finally settled on a new tuner. I've been pretty happy with the previous version of this tuner. These are based on vibration rather than sound. It makes them better for noisy situations. The one I have seems to tune a little tighter than the other brand I tried.

Clip-on Snark Guitar Tuners

My album is available on iTunes!

After 10 months of intermittent hard work, my debut album is available on iTunes. The name of the album is "A Lonely Road Together". It is a glimpse into some of my travels along with the important things that I have carried with me everywhere. Important things like faith, family, and love. I have had a blast recording and producing this little project and look forward to more in the future! Here is the link:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/a-lonely-road...-together/id571066574

Guitar Tuners

Tuning a guitar in front of an audience can be nerve racking, especially when it is extremely quiet! My guitar teacher suggested buying one of the clip on, vibration based tuners. I actually had the privilege of watching him perform. Throughout the performance, he seemed to have an effortless time tuning. He did an excellent job playing as always, and I left the auditorium determined to get a clip on tuner. I may post a description and evaluation of the one that I get. The Fat Boy clip on listed here may be the one that I pick up. I at least would like to try one out. There are other brands out there with good options, one of which is Korg. We will see!

Fat Boy Accessories FBET3000 Clip-On Electric Guitar Tuner (Google Affiliate Ad)

Guitar/Flute Album Update

Editing several of the songs on this album.

6 songs recorded and I am working on another one to bring the total to 7 songs.

I hope to make some good progress this week and maybe have a 'ballpark' release date!

I've learned a lot through this process and hope to be able to do a lot more recording. It does take a lot of work and I have a new appreciation for the whole process.

NativeGuitarJoe

I just had this guitar fixed up at a local shop and am remembering why I liked it in the first place. I bought it used in '96 and am quite pleased to have it back in working order again.

The neck had a slight curve to it and the tuning pegs needed adjustment. Also, the wires in the 1/4" jack had come loose, so I had the shop put on a better connector. The last thing was adjusting the "fine tuners" on the bridge.

Great guitar back up and running!

NativeGuitarJoe

Nail Care? Sandpaper?

Classical guitar requires fingernail care… (tough to get used to for some of us) One of the tools that can be used for this is sandpaper. I use 500 grit. You can order it in sheets from some guitar string suppliers. I ordered from Strings by Mail (http://www.stringsbymail.com/store/accessories-2/nail-care-408/micro-mesh-paper-1201/). There are other types of sandpaper and all, just stay away from the kind that says Wet/Dry. It makes squeaky noises on fingernails! The idea of this fine sandpaper is to get your nails as smooth as possible which enables you to get a good sound on a classical guitar.

Nativeguitarjoe@gmail.com

Two songs available on iTunes!

My brother and I recorded a cover of Revelation Song by Phillips, Craig, and Dean. Also, I have recorded several flute songs. I was able to make Revelation Song and a flute song that I call The End of The Road available on iTunes! I hope to be able to put up more if there are enough sales to cover costs. Thanks for the support!

Here is a link:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/revelation-song-feat.-josh/id516087339

Flute & Guitar Album in the works!

I was finally able to make one of my recordings available on Amazon. I've had a great time creating this music and hope to be able to do more. I recorded this song using a small USB interface that enables me to use a microphone with my laptop. I cut down on the background noise that can usually be heard when recording without a soundproof room by working with the recording levels and other technical stuff. I had a good learning experience through the recording process. I hope to make an entire album of flute and guitar music, and this is the second of those songs so far. I am Shoshoni/Paiute/Pottawatomi and am enrolled with the Gun Lake Tribe of Pottawatomi (Match-e-be-nash-she-wish). http://amzn.com/B007R098VI

Counting Time- such a painful necessity!

1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and, etc. Counting the beats in music is crucial for learning to read music. I am learning the value of counting out loud when learning a new song.

The Time Signature of a song/score in guitar music is included in the beginning of the piece and anytime there is a change throughout the song. These numbers are key to understanding what the song is supposed to sound like, especially if you have never heard it before.

Some Youtube videos to check out

I received a Native American style flute for Christmas and have been using it for a few recordings on Youtube. Here is the link to my Youtube channel:

NativeGuitarJoe-Youtube

Hope you all had wonderful holidays!