What are you playing (or learning)?

Actually I fibbed, one was a classic rock book. The other one is Peace, Hope, and Love (a Hal Leonard book I found on ebay.) Has such fun stuff as "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing," "That's What Friends are For," "Peace Train," etc. I also bought a Joni Mitchell book of most of her stuff - I am an old "folk rocker" as I started playing guitar in the 60s and I kind of never outgrew where I started.

I lean toward 60s/70s folk-pop-classic rock type songs.  I love JM and Cat Stevens too.  I remember that song, mostly for appropriating it in that Coca Cola commercial!

"Peace Train" is one of my favorites and its not that difficult to learn (to me anyway). The signature double stop lick is very fun to play.

About a month ago I got really interested in flatpicking. I downloaded the tabs for a bunch of classic tunes, Blackberry Blossom, Whiskey before breakfast, that kind of thing and I've been working on them  almost exclusively and really enjoying it. A curious thing happened though. The other day I thought I would record the rhythm part then I could play the lead along with it. I started playing the chords and it was really bad. It was like someone just learning how to play. I couldn't believe it, a few weeks away from chording and I stunk. That might have been the biggest lesson I've learned in a long time, everything needs practice, even the basic stuff. 

I've recently decided to expand my folk style music repertoire, concentrating in the British Isles type of folk, but more generally as well. At the same time, the fellow I play with the most is pushing in a more classic rock direction, as appropriate for acoustic guitar. Between those two things I'm staying fairly occupied, having a lot of fun, and learning new material. New to me, at least.....

Tonight I was cleaning out a drawer and found a piece of sheet music that I got from my late mother. It's an old piece called Cecelia, not the Paul Simon song, but the one written by Herman Ruby & Dave Dreyer:

Does your mother know you're out, Cecelia?
Does she know that I'm about to steal yah?...


I've decided that this will be my next song.