Yesterday was my monthly date for special music at our small (about 50 members) Fillmore Baptist Church. You know, "J Dan Brown / Live at the
Fillmore." We have a lot of musicians for a small group which limits us all to about once a month. We have at least 8 guitarists which seems like many for
45-50 folks. I know better than to attempt tunes I don't know really well, but invariably I seem to. Most of the stuff I do solo is group numbers which
require intensive re-arrangement. My normal method is being brainwashed by endless listening to songs and totally memorize them. I decided to do two songs
that I learned only last Friday on Sunday morning using my standard lyric/ chord information that I use to learn something new. The reason this is a bad idea
is that after 7 years of becoming addicted to one brain altering substance while becoming un-addicted to another has made concentration difficult and even
looking off once may cause me to lose my place. I had never had stage-fright in my life, whether 10,000 or 5 until this constant intoxication started and
slowly I became shakier and more paranoid when I play live.
The first song went off without a hitch, a Third Day song in Em (without a capo) with only about five chords. It was well received and it seems even the older folks enjoy my more contemporary music along with the classics. The second tune was a Caedmon's Call that the original recording was a woman and I had to capo up to the third fret, play in D which was actually the key of F to reach my vocal range. Well in the heat of the moment, I forgot my capo, and while still thinking in F, began playing in D and trying to sing in F. Of course it only took me a few seconds to realize this disaster and to realize I had to stop. Blushing, I removed the old Shubb from the nut, placed it on the 3rd, and began again. It went perfect then and the power of this song ("Be Merciful to Me") seemed to wipe away the memory of all of this for everyone but me, but I yet am browbeating myself for not paying attention and tarnishing my monthly responsibility.
Blessed, and thankfully forgiven of my stupidity, Dan
The first song went off without a hitch, a Third Day song in Em (without a capo) with only about five chords. It was well received and it seems even the older folks enjoy my more contemporary music along with the classics. The second tune was a Caedmon's Call that the original recording was a woman and I had to capo up to the third fret, play in D which was actually the key of F to reach my vocal range. Well in the heat of the moment, I forgot my capo, and while still thinking in F, began playing in D and trying to sing in F. Of course it only took me a few seconds to realize this disaster and to realize I had to stop. Blushing, I removed the old Shubb from the nut, placed it on the 3rd, and began again. It went perfect then and the power of this song ("Be Merciful to Me") seemed to wipe away the memory of all of this for everyone but me, but I yet am browbeating myself for not paying attention and tarnishing my monthly responsibility.
Blessed, and thankfully forgiven of my stupidity, Dan
