(Untitled)

[an_gadhar]

After a hiatus of something like 20 years, I've taken up the guitar again. This is largely thanks to my beloved friend Bear, who lent me his brother's unused steel-string Martin Sigda. I'd been having a hankering to play again, but I wasn't sure I could. Hence the loan. And it turned out that I hadn't forgotten too much to return to it.

Comments

[srl]

I'm not at the FFF for a host of reasons too long to bear repeating.

As for the voice changing: conventional wisdom says that one should keep singing, if only for practice, during the cracking etc. I tried to, and it helped some.

If you were to plan some kind of music jam thing--- particularly if it involved bluegrass--- i might be interested. I sort of play guitar, and I'm trying to restore my voice to its pre-T on-key-ness.

[rexlezard]

I'm sorry to hear you're not at the flea - I hear it's a thing not to be missed. But, here I am, missing it.

Funny how that happens - I've been contemplating getting my guitar out of storage at my mother-in-law-ish's house and picking it up again. I haven't played it much in five years or so, ever since I started having bigger problems with my hands, and somehow, guitar does not seem the appropriate remedy for cranky paws. It just isn't. Still, I can't bring myself to even get it appraised and find out how much it's worth in order to decide whether or not to sell it.

I miss music. I've always wanted to have a piano of my own, but I'm just not settled enough to make that kind of commitment.

Anyway, I'll maybe make my own post about the guitar soon. I've been thinking about my fraught relationship to it a lot lately.

[an_gadhar]

They now make electronic keyboards that roll up. I couldn't learn to play the piano when I was supposed to for my major, but boy would I love to fool around with one of those. They look like fun. And they are (obviously) extremely portable.

But might your hands really not benefit from the exercise?

[rexlezard]

Hmmm...they might. Only one way to find out, I suppose.

As for the electronic keyboards - no way, no how. I am *such* a snob, but I hate the fake sound of electronic pianos, even the really good ones. I like to feel the strings and the soundboard vibrating when I play.

from a Girl with Nails...

[moonshadow]

I can't get my nails to grow, though. Gelatin never seemed to work when I was a teenager, but I'm going to try it, and also clear nail polish and see if that helps as it used to. I'd welcome advice on this not only from guitarists but also from Girls With Nails. (Spent too long as a butch lesbian, I guess.) I used to be totally obsessed with nail care. That's how I got the gorgeous nails I have now - I established habits that lasted even though I don't care about it that much anymore

[an_gadhar]

1) I doubt I need calcium -- I drink so much milk. Wouldn't keratin be pretty much the same as gelatin?

2) That I can do. I think I've got Vitamin E. Would almond oil work? (I've got that for massage and it smells better than olive oil.)

3) Why Tefflon Tuff and not Diamond Strength? Why is it scary?

At first, I quailed: so much work! Just for nails!?!? Then I realized, Duh! I only need THREE of them! Why bother with the rest? It will only take less than a third of the time, and that feels like I'm getting a deal! Woo-hoo!

[kaphine]

For me, the more I keep my nails trimmed, the better they grow. Because the edges stay strong and aren't damaged, they're less likely to break. As soon as You I'd have a rough edge, if I didn't trim it, I'd start either breaking it or chewing it. But if I trim rough edges immediately, the nails stay longer.

It's quite ironic. The harder I try to keep my nails short and smooth for realsupergirl's sake, the longer they get.

Oh, not ironic at all, actually....

[an_gadhar]

When I was in massage school, they said that our nails would grow faster because all the exercise to the hands would increase circulation and encourage growth.

So I guess your hands must be getting a lot of exercise -- lucky realsupergirl!