Helena,

I really wish you had not posted that!!

I shall now NEVER be able to watch one of my all time favourite films without busting my gut at that scene

Roger

Well for my two penny worth,

I reckon that my memory can only hold a finite amount so if I can remember how to play my guitar and remember how to sing I can use a sheet of paper for the chords and lyrics. That way I will not fill my memory with stuff that is not neccessary and leave room for more important things.

Seriously why worry, a lot of artists when they are performing will have an Autocue in front of them so they do not forget and most of the semi-pro musicians that I know will have their songbook at their gig. OK there are exceptional people who have incredible memories and do not need a memory aid but if you do need one, as I certainly do, then you have to accept it.

Roger

Hi Ark and Russell,

I have listened to both recordings of this fine instumental and the addition of the percussion certainly adds the finishing touches to it. Great work from both of you.

Roger

Hey Mark I can only think that perhaps your version was better than the original and they got frightened.

Roger

Hi vhagopian,

What you are doing with all this practice, practice, practice is training your finger muscles and tendons  to immediately go to a certain position each time you think to play a different chord and it does take time for this to become automatic.

I have been playing a number of years (my first guitar used dinosaur gut for strings ) but I still come across a song with a chord I do not normally use and have to spend time learning it. OK, it comes easier with experience but it is never instantaneous.

So keep at it, everyone's progress is different, but the rewards make the effort worthwhile.

Roger

Hi Oldnewbie,

Wonderful song which brought back many happy memories of my childhood, and one in particular.

My maternal grandfather spent hours playing with us kids (he had 10 children and 28 grandchildren). He was at his happiest when we were around and in the bottom drawer of his desk were all his toys for us kids, amongst then some musical instruments, drums, triangle, xylophone, tambourine, trumpet etc. The story goes that one day there were 8 or 9 of us grandkids there and my grandfather had us marching up and down his back yard, he was singing and we were in line behind making 'music' (you can imagine the racket). My grandmother rushes out and shouts "Bill, what are you doing? You will annoy the neighbours" to which he replied "No it is all right I am only keeping the children quiet".

Thank you,

Roger

HI Jeff,

Just gave your song a whirl, strumming the verses and fingerpicking the chorus worked just fine for me, the Eb+ was just right in it too. I changed one word in the lyric though - I substituted cat for dog . Well done.

Hate to tell you, we had a little rain today but it is still T shirt weather in Portugal.

Roger

Hi Jeff,

I am wondering whether your message about the Ebaug chord came after you saw the chord chart. According to my info xx1003 is Eb+ and xx1004 is Gmmaj7 (G minor Major7). It is possible that the chord chart is incorrect and if I can get confirmation I will ask Per to amend the existing chart.

I will play your song and comment on it later.

Take care,

Roger

Hi Russell,

Well done, with even just a basic knowledge of scales and your video, anyone can 'walk up to G' (with a bit of practice, of course).

Asked for and delivered in a very short time.

Roger

Phill,

If you look at the original posting from IBE and Arkady's first reply, you will see that Ark, like I, have read the tabs as chords Em, Am, Fmaj7 and C. Read as chords I think you will see it makes sense although I am a bit unsure of the rhythm, 3 fast beats and 2 slow ones, it will be interesting to see how that pans out in a full song.

Please do not go crazy on us, we are only just getting to know you

Roger

Thank you daddycool, Helena, Phill, Oldnewbie and Ark,

Phill, I think I would have to pronounce 'baby' differently to try to sound like the late, great Adam Faith, mind you since you have brought him up, I reckon this song would have suited him just fine. I enjoyed his performances as a singer and later as an actor, he was brilliant in 'Love Hurts' with Zoe Wanamaker, and met him in a restaurant once.

My musician friend Howard says I sound like Jon Anderson but I do not think I sound like either I think I just sound like me

Roger

I have never had a problem dropping the picks I use on my acoustic. I have five, called a thumb and  four fingers, they have a soft side and a hard side, that can be used individually or together and I can created many different sound with them. Well worth investing in!!

Roger