Of course, when I began to play the acoustic

guitar I learned the songs from Peter Paul and

Mary, and the Kingston Trio, and the New

Christie Minstrels, and the Back Porch Majority.

In between rock bands I would get some friends

together from High School and we would work out

songs like “500 Miles” and “Man of Constant

Sorrow” and more traditional folk music. Then

along came Bob Dylan. His music gave a new life

to the sounds of acoustic guitar music and he of

course led me to singer/songwriters like Tim

Hardin, and Phil Ochs, and then to the great

guitar playing of Dave Van Ronk and the task of

learning to finger pick.

I would sit for hours playing picking patterns,

but all I could come up with were the arpeggio

fingerings,

thumb-finger-finger-finger-thumb-finger-finger-f

inger. It would drive me crazy. I would ask my

friend who could do the alternative pattern, “Do

I have it, yet?” He would say “no not yet” and

I would try some more. Finally, one afternoon

my thumb started to play alternate to my fingers

and the elation I felt was really something. I

would still rather finger pick than play any

other style.

Title: Jam Session
Location: 3445 S Broadway , Englewood, CO 8011

Description: Bring your instrument (all acoustic instruments welcome) or come to sing. Bring a song to share or just come to toe tap or sing along. First Thursday of the Month.
The jam session is freely open to all levels of playing ability.  The idea is to share: songs and licks, and joy.  Here’s a great way to improve your playing!

Start Time: 7:00 pm

These are just some steps we take to insure that your guitar is in top playing condition when you receive the instrument.Widening the slot on the nut to allow smoother tuning when the slot is too narrow.Adjusting the truss rod to improve the action and intonation.Tuning the guitar to insure that it plays in tune up the neck and that the action is set up just right.Eye balling the neck to insure proper action for ease of playing.Final check of the intonation to insure that the guitar plays in tune.

My father once told me, back in the 60s, that buying me a guitar was the worst mistake he ever made. And he was my biggest fan.

My love affair with the electric guitar started with the Beatles, influenced as well by the Venturers and Chuck Berry. My love affair with the acoustic guitar also started with the Beatles. Their sound had a flat top acoustic guitar somewhere in the mix on so many of their tunes. And if you stop and think about it they played those acoustic/electric guitars that were so old fashioned and out of date at the time. But the presence of the flat top (mostly Gibsons) on so many Beatle songs just captured my imagination. The sound of six strings vibrating a sound board of spruce made me want to reach for the sky and dance on thin ice. And it’s a sound that still thrills me to the core.