...a bit of Rumba, a bit of Hotel California

The first meeting of WAGS at the Pioneer Community Church building was focused on discrete bits of education in guitar playing. Rick first took us down the wild and woolly path of playing Rumba-style...it seems simple enough (hah!) with just a tap, upstroke with the fingertips, downstroke with the fingertips, upstroke with the thumb, and then repeat...nothing to it, right?  (hah!) Give it a go, then once you have your rhythm down, try changing between chords while maintaining the rhythm, then try doing it at a fast pace.   

But, don't take my word for it, grab Rick's instructions and try it! Download Rick's Basic Rumba Techniques.pdf

Randy took us down another path, providing the chords (& lyrics) to "Hotel California", and walking us through the chords he is using (many bar chords instead of the open chord versions). A bit challenging but fun, and once we had the chord pattern down he started demonstrating the related lead riffs to go with it.

Beyond that point we went off on various tangents (movable jazz chords with up and down sliding notes), and random bits of fingering techniques.

This next week WAGS meeting will be at Rob and Diane Stockhouse's pavilion (59 West Bernie, on Puget Island) -- (the same location as the Two Islands Farmers Market that is held every Friday afternoon, but another 100 feet further back...) Send me email  if you have questions on how to get there [Wednesday, July 25th, 7-9pm].