Progress report: 3 weeks

Sunday 21st I was given a guitar and a practice amp (30W). The guitar is a Tanglewood TSE505, a good Gibson copy, for what I've read around the internet, one of the best copies, except for the Epiphone, of course. Playing the guitar with this equipment it is a bit more different than the Variax into the POD. The Variax has a perfectly clean noise, this guitar has a dirtier tone. This guitar had been played by the singer of a local band, it needed very small repairs: change strings, put two tone knobs and the cap on the three way selector. Done all that.

Setting the amp at a low overdrive (don't want to make much noise) with the Tanglewood the power chords for Wild Thing sound quite well. The same setting, but connecting the Variax, the sound is too clean, in my opinion. But that's what the POD is there for... once I learn to use it.

Soon I'll get a Bass, and start with that too. I'll go for a Fender, I think. I've been told many times that you should get the best you can afford, and in 10 days I'm going to be able to afford a cheap Fender (which is still expensive), not sure if Mexican or American.


Well, after three weeks of learning, I have learnt:
- Tab reading. Music sheet reading. Some music theory.
- All the open chords, Major and Minor.
- C Major scale and C Minor scale.
-"House of the Rising sun", by the animals. Still need to get those transitions faster.
-"Knocking on Heaven's Door", by Dylan.
- I've been mainly practicing with 7 unknown learning songs from one of the online courses I am following (I am following 2, maybe that's why I'm going a bit slower. Most of the material at first is repeated, but it is good to practice and practice and practice).
- I'm fighting with Barre Chords. Those are tough.

Still lots to learn, it seems! Some people learn at a faster pace, but I believe in Slowly but Surely. I may take longer to get there, but once I get there, I want to have a good basis.