Sorry again for not updating last week. Day job got the best of me but I won't let it happen again.
I hope you all got the e-mail about the early registration discount. You can save a little if you sign up this week--and only this week!--with the code SPRINGSTRUM14. I'm teaching the same days/ times next session, moving up a half step (one level) on each day so we can all stay together if you like--and I hope you do!
So Thursday night's Guitar 3rep class took it to the next level with Just Like Heaven last week. We broke into 5 small groups to tackle the multi-part intro. I feel like I don't even have to recap it because you all handled it so incredibly deftly. That run-through was a moment I will never forget. You guys are amazing. If everyone could spend some time with BOTH riffs this week, I'd like to figure out how we're going to divvy those up in the transitions later, but otherwise keep on polishing your part and we'll have something great on our hands. Many of you chose to stand and play with a strap which I thought was great. No pressure for anyone to do that who doesn't want to, but you might like it and I encourage you to at least try. Also if you could all come in next week with Robert Smith hair-dos that'd be greeeeat.
In Guitar 3, we finished the nitty-gritty-strummy-strummy of Kodachrome and put that one all together at last. Keyword there is "loose." Don't panic and tense up at the end of the song. Keep it limber and you'll be able to play faster on the double-time coda. We also worked through Killing Moon which has that oh-so-satisfying-but-oh-so-wrist-hurty chorus where you keep your barre finger glued down the whole time to the 3rd fret while you move between a Cm and G chord progression. Remember it's the same shape on different strings, so you can move all three of those fingers together as a unit (theoretically anyway!).
And Guitar 2--you guys are too good! I'm going to have to dig up extra songs because we're just burning through that packet! Daydream Believer is sounding fantastic, and Be My Baby came together like you'd been playing it for weeks! We did change the percussion part from knock knock-knock clap to stomp stomp-stomp knock, but other than that you've got it all there in front of you! Old Country Waltz was a good start. Change those Em chords to Es everywhere except the very last line (the Em7 stay the same). Pick the bass note on the one and then lightly strum on two and three. Connect the C and G chords with a walk down in place of the C chord (consult the "Where am I Going...?" page in the front of the packet for a roadmap but remember to skip the "strum" step when you're in 3/4 time). Do that at the end of every verse, the bridge, and repeat it in the outro EXCEPT on the last two chords, and we'll have ourselves a country tune!
This session is flying by but you're all making incredible progress, so thanks for your hard work and good spirits.
