3 Year Hiatus

My last post was in May 2018 after I had my first live performance at the Capitol Guitars student recital. My guitar journey was put on a bit of hiatus as in August of 2018 I was transferred to Costa Rica for 2 years for work. When I returned in August 2020, there was another life changing event, a.k.a. Covid, which kept me from diving back in with my guitar lessons. I have done some noodling around here and there, but I have not started back with lessons, in any form, yet.

That’s where this post comes in. I’m ready to get back to progressing and learning again and my current plan is to start back with some on-line lessons for 3 months or so and then go back to in person lessons with Jack Mansk at Capitol Guitars. I also plan to do some vlogs to document my current skill level (or lack there of), how much I progress with the on-line lessons, and how I progress once I get back to in person lessons.

I have a 5 year plan to learn at least 25 songs to make up the John Ellis Band setlist, even if it just me playing along with the track. This list will most likely change over time, but here is the initial list:

Year 1
Song 1: AC/DC: Highway To Hell
Song 2: Jason Aldean: Hicktown
Song 3: Sammy Hagar: Heavy Metal
Song 4: Donnie Iris: Ah! Leah!
Song 5: Jack’s Choice

Year 2
Song 1: AC/DC: Hells Bells
Song 2: The Baby’s: Midnight Rendezvous
Song 3: Foreigner: Hot Blooded
Song 4: The Call: Let The Day Begin
Song 5: Acoustic Guitar Song

Year 3
Song 1: The Baby’s: Head First
Song 2: Cinderella: Somebody Save Me
Song 3: Kiss: Detroit Rock City
Song 4: Def Leppard: Switch 625
Song 5: TBD

Year 4
Song 1: 38 Special: Hold On Loosely
Song 2: Ted Nugent: Cat Scratch Fever
Song 3: Black Sabbath: Neon Knights
Song 3: Chuck Berry: Johnny B. Goode
Song 4: TBD

Year 5
Song 1: Y&T: Mean Streak
Song 2: Sammy Hagar: There’s Only One Way To Rock
Song 3: The Goo Goo Dolls: Long Way Down
Song 4: Journey: Chain Reaction -or- Keep On Runnin’
Song 5: TBD

Ultimate Goals
Song 1: Iron Maiden: The Trooper
Song 2: Kenny Wayne Sheppard: ???
Song 3: TBD
Song 4: TBD
Song 5: TBD

First Live Performance

I had my first live performance at the 12th Annual Capitol Guitars Student Recital on Sunday, May 6. I played the rhythm guitar part on Switch 625 by Def Leppard and the lead guitar part on Heavy Metal by Sammy Hagar. Overall I felt it went really well and I am happy with my performance even though I had a few flubs in both of the songs, and for the fact I have only been taking lessons for 1 year and only get in an hour or two of practice a week.

I had a complete blast despite the fact I was nervous and anxious about performing in front of people for the first time. It definitely sparked the performer in me as I want to find some people on about the same level as I am, learn a few more songs, and practice together as a band.

A major shout out and thank you goes to Jack Mansk, who is not only my guitar teacher but the guitar teacher of the majority of the students. Jack also spent countless hours organizing the recital and all of the rehearsals leading up to the recital. Without Jack, none of this would have become a reality.

Here are the videos of the performance:

I’m a recording artist

The Capitol Guitars CD is hot off the press and the song I recorded for it is Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry.  I recorded all of the guitar tracks and vocals.  My friend, Luke Pehoski, laid down the bass and drum tracks and my guitar teacher, Jack Mansk, did all the final mixing and production of the CD.

The tempo is slower than the original recording as I am not able to play the song up to speed, yet.  The vocals are a little strained, in my opinion, as the key is a step or two on the high side for my vocal range, as Rob Halford I am not.  I think it turned out pretty good considering I have really only been taking guitar lessons for 6 months and I have not done any “real” singing in 30+ years since graduating from high school.

So here it is, the first single from the John Ellis Band, a cover of Johnny B. Goode.

It’s Been A While

I have not posted since signing up for the Twin Town Guitars group beginner lesson.  The group lesson was OK. As with all things group based, there are people who are on the upper end and don’t get as much out of the lessons as everyone else, and that was me. Since I had been doing some beginner lessons on-line I had already learned most of what the lessons were planning to cover.

The group lesson was supposed to end with the Twin Town Guitars group recital but everyone in the class, except me, dropped out by the end so the beginner group did not participate in the Twin Town Guitars recital.

I started to take individual lessons at Capitol Guitars from Jack Mansk in June. So far I have learned Highway To Hell by AC/DC, Sweat Home Chicago by Jack Johnson, the Blues Brothers version, and I am working on Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry at the moment. I started to learn Heavy Metal by Sammy Hagar, but at the moment I am not able to play the riff at tempo so we are holding off on Heavy Metal for now until my picking and finger dexterity and speed improve.

Group lessons are quite a bit cheaper than individual lessons, but I have learned a lot more in eight 30 minute individual lessons with Jack than I did in eight 1 hour group lessons. I attribute this to the individual lessons being specific my ability and progressing at my pace, not the entire groups.

Lessons Round 1

I am officially signed up for Twin Town Guitars Group Guitar for Beginners class starting on January 12. Now I just need to raise $450 before the end of the year to buy the Breedlove acoustic guitar I decided on and for the lessons themselves. Let the selling begin!