Four chords every beginning guitar player should know and songs that go with them

You want to learn the guitar. Does it seem like all the songs you love have chords like F#maj7/B? Have no fear! You don’t need chords that look like a physics equation. Learn G, C, D and E minor. With them you can play a ton of songs. Keep reading and I’ll tell you how to play those chords, where to find the tab and as a bonus, I’ll show you a strum that’ll work for all of the songs.

 Chords

These diagrams show you the top of the guitar. The line that goes across at the very top (under the letter) is where your strings start. The line that goes up and down on the far left is the lowest sounding string. The one on the far right is the highest sounding string. The dots show you where to put your fingers. The numbers on the dots show you which fingers to use: Learn G, C, D and Em:

Ignore the rest of the chords. Remember, I only said you had to learn four chords.

 Strum

You can use the strum suggestions in the link for each song. Or you can simply play:

down down up down down up

If you’re counting, that’s 1-2-and-3-4-and. If you read music you may understand this pattern as quarter note-two eighth notes-one quarter note-two eighth notes.

That’s one measure. There might be some places where you play that pattern twice and a few places, only half that pattern. Make the strum sound even and smooth.

 Songs

These all come from the Heartwood Guitar site. If you’re a regular reader of my blog you’ll know that I go there because unlike many other sites, his tabs are accurate. He’s a guitar teacher. They’d take away his guitar teacher card if he wasn’t right. Or at least, make him suffer such great ridicule that he’d take up the accordion. I hear “Lady of Spain” is a nice song.

Just click on the song title to get to the chords. Use your back button to return to my site.

Big Yellow Taxi – Joni Mitchell. Fun song, whether you know Joni’s version or someone else’s.

Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrision. A lot of my adult students like this one.

Blowing in the Wind – Bob Dylan. This one’s only three chords. Some versions of this have a fourth chord but I’ve found that this version works just fine.

Dead Skunk – Louden Wainwright lll. Because it cracks me up.

Good Riddance – Green Day. You can ignore the altered G chord. A regular G chord works well. And while it sounds good with the Cadd9 chord it’ll also work with a plain ol’ C.

Hurt so Good – John Mellancamp.

Let It Be – Beatles. The outro has more than the four basic chords but it’s not essential to the song.

Orphan Girl – Gillian Welch. Great folk tune. A lot of her songs are easy to play.

Ring of Fire – Johnny Cash. Everyone knows this one.

Teardrops on My Guitar – Taylor Swift. Country music is always great if you’re looking for simpler songs. My teen students really like this one.

You Are My Sunshine. This one’s great for campfire singing.

 Want more?

Check out my earlier blogs especially for guitar players.

If you’re in the Ottawa, Ontario area, and you want a teacher, contact me and I can show you how to play these and much more. I’ll also be teaching in Durham, NC in June and this summer, at festivals where I’m booked to perform.

Writing funny songs – should the cat barf go before or after the chorus?

Comedy tunes are fun to foist on an audience ’cause you can only do so many Adele covers. Here are a few tips for writing your comedy relief.  (Before Adele lovers load up their weapons let me tell you that I hope she finds happiness and writes songs that don’t make me hightail it to the nearest liquor store.)

Songwriting basics

Write down ideas as they come to you. I always have a small notebook with me. You can record on your phone or computer too — any way to remember those great thoughts as you get them, even if they don’t seem so great at the time.

When you’ve got the space and time to write, pull out that notebook and take some ideas out for a spin. Present your ideas in a clear form. Use other songs as guides. Don’t edit when you first write. You can polish your songs later.

 Look at other funny songwriters

I’m a big fan of Weird Al Yankovic. You could try writing new words to an established song, like he does:

He looks pretty good for a middle aged guy. I could never pull off a bikini like that.

 Write what you know

Sometimes real life is funnier than anything you could make up:

Consider different types of humor

Exaggeration – if it’s funny when it’s small, it’ll be funnier when it’s big. Although it’s based on a true story, a little exaggeration makes Dave’s song funnier:

 

I love the glee on the baggage handler’s face as he tosses the guitar.

Surprise – “Your mama scares me” is the surprise line in this one. Now pretend you don’t know that and watch this:

Parody – Weird Al is the king.

Satire – “I Wanna Be a Straight Guy” is one of my songs. Just look at me – clearly, it’s satire although that didn’t stop one woman from sending me a page long diatribe scolding me for “wanting to be a guy.”  Um, yeah.

The audio isn’t great. You can catch all the words if you turn it up:

 

Things to remember

Build up to a punch line – Lisa Koch doesn’t give you the first funny line until she’s lured you into thinking it’s a serious song:

Use vocal sounds – this song of mine uses a few sound effects. It’s always fun to hack up a hair ball in the middle of a song:

 

Use sound effects and props –  here’s Carla Ulbrich in “If I Had the Copyright.” She used to actually sing the four letter word but found it was funnier (and probably saved her from losing a few gigs) if she censored herself with a noisemaker:

 

Watch your intros — if you introduce a song by saying “Here’s a funny tune,” you set yourself up for failure. If you treat it like a serious song and just do it, the surprise will make it funnier.

 Want more help?

Find a teacher. I teach songwriting in several places :

Ottawa, Ontario — I teach privately and at a city recreation center. Contact me here for private instruction and get more info here about rec center classes.

Durham, NC — this summer I’ll be at the Durham Arts Council and High Strung Music.

Various festivals — when I’m booked to perform at a festival I sometimes teach a workshop too. Contact me here if you want to know more.

 Want to laugh some more?

You can hear more of my funny tunes here.  The list includes some serious songs because I like to confuse my audience.

When all else fails, balance the guitar on your head.

She had a crush on her gym teacher and I had a crush on her

Photo by Irene Young

In the 70’s and 80’s, women’s music was the soundtrack for my life. There was one performer in particular who made me just a little short of breath and it wasn’t because I had asthma. Meg Christian had the most charming Southern accent, told funny stories, wrote a hell of a song and in her hands, a guitar was an orchestra and every song a folk symphony.

One day in ’77 or ‘78 I visited my local women’s bookstore in Phoenix, Arizona. Instead of breezing past the little rack of LPs like I usually did, I stopped. Even though there was nothing by Carole King or Carly Simon I examined a few of the albums. One sported a drawing of an orange juice can with the words “Lesbian Concentrate.” I knew this had something to do with Anita Bryant, a conservative singer and part time orange juice pusher who thought queer folks were endangering children. (Too much vodka in that juice methinks.) Even though I’d never heard of any of the performers, I bought the album.

 

Hear it here.

It stayed on my turntable for days. I kept dropping the needle on favorite songs including Meg’s very funny “Ode to a Gym Teacher.” It was love. I returned to the store and found I Know You Know, her first solo album. More love. Then I went to a concert and there she was, with her beautiful guitar playing and that impish smile.  Love … love … love … oh, sorry, I was off in a gym teacher fantasy.

At a concert early in her career.

At my first National Women’s Music Festival in 1988, she gave a guitar workshop where she taught us to play “Sweet Darlin’ Woman,” a wonderful love song written by Diane Lindsay and recorded by Meg for her Face the Music. I sat up front in that crowded room, restless hands on my guitar, and did my best to focus … ooh, she’s so cute … that intro looks pretty easy … she’s adorable … so that’s the chord she plays there … wonder what she’s doing later … if I talked with her afterwards what would I say? I’d casually stand in front of her and thank her for the instruction, then tell her a little joke and chat a little.

Did I stop and offhandedly deliver those rehearsed lines? No. I walked past her, eyes straight ahead, hoping I wouldn’t trip on the way out. Stepping out into the hallway I thought, hey, that song wasn’t so hard to learn.

Then promptly forgot everything. I mean, daaaayum, that was MEG CHRISTIAN.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a professional musician too and I don’t usually lose it around musicians I admire. We don’t get all shook up around really good accountants – and believe me, I have great admiration for what they do. Why should we get twitchy when we meet musicians? I met Melissa Etheridge once – shook her hand even – and if she’d have showed me how to play “Bring Me Some Water” I would’ve remembered every note. I’ve played a lot of festivals with women like Cris Williamson and Holly Near; we’ve had some delightful conversations. I love their music and have a lot of respect for them but I don’t require oxygen to be in their presence.

With Cris Williamson at Olivia's Carnagie Hall concert. Photo by Irene Young.

Even before I started performing at festivals I traveled from my home in Arizona to the Midwest and California many times to attend them. Bonus points if Meg was one of the artists. One time I made a two hour drive to hear her in concert. Well, sort of hear her. I had a raging cold, the congestion plugging up my ears so badly that the music sounded like it was a mile away (although you can be sure I sat up front). With a pocket of cold meds and a box of tissues I was good to go. (My apologies to anyone I infected that night. It was worth the sacrifice, wasn’t it?) Another time, I made a six hour drive to San Diego to hear her on one of her last tours. It was well worth the long miles, fast food dinner and floor space later that night on some stranger’s floor.

She was on the bill for the West Coast Women’s Music Festival in 1981. I didn’t hesitate when a group of friends told me they needed someone to share the drive. I scraped together money from my office clerk job and set off, four of us crammed into a small pickup.

The night Meg was scheduled there was some political turmoil. Rumor had it that women of color working in the kitchen were paid less than the white women. There had been a meeting or two that day and during the act before Meg (the all-women big band Maiden Voyage) a group of women stormed the stage demanding to be heard. The band knew nothing of the issues and stopped playing for a few moments but after a brief period simply started playing again.

At one point – I think it was after the band  - Robin Tyler, the festival producer, came out and gave an impassioned speech, ending up in tears. Activist Flo Kennedy was there too and they argued on stage. Even though they were friends, Flo sided with the upset workers and Robin denied the allegations. They left the stage.

A long moment of awkward silence settled over the crowd. Many audience members left to go to a meeting in solidarity with the workers, including most of the women who shared my blanket. There was no freakin’ way I was leaving and missing Meg. I figured I could investigate the turmoil later.

Several minutes passed. The crowd had grown smaller and was fairly quiet except for a low murmur of whispers from women trying to decide what was going on. There was no recorded music played over the speakers and no emcee making announcements and cracking jokes. Then suddenly, Meg walked on stage. No intro, just there she was holding her guitar and wearing an adorable brightly colored tie dyed jumpsuit. Diane Lindsay took her place beside her, a bass guitar in her hands.

Meg did the first two songs without much talking, unusual for her. Later on she opened up a little, entertaining us with stories about the songs and about her new album Turning It Over; there were a couple of hints that all was not right including a comment about surviving and her insistence that we listen to one song that talked about healing.

Out of the many, many, festival performances I have attended, this one stands out in my mind. The music was beautiful and well-played despite difficult circumstances. I had to swoon, just a little, when she played “Sweet Darlin’ Woman” with Diane at the piano. So beautiful.

You can hear that very performance here. Click on the link in the upper right hand corner that says “click to listen 2.” (The other download button is to hear the rest of the show, a wonderful tribute to Meg’s music including part of an interview from the early 80′s.)The concert recording is a surprisingly good quality. You’ll notice that it starts abruptly, without an intro, just as I mention in my story. (While you’re at the Queer Music Heritage site, make a cup of coffee and settle in because there’s an amazing amount of info about many other artists too. JD Doyle, who maintains this site, is a treasure.)

Meg with Diane Lindsay at a 1981 concert. Photo by Pat Gargaetas.

I probably shouldn’t tell you all this. I’m writing a book about early women’s music. Already I’ve talked with many of the greats but I haven’t yet spoken to Meg. I don’t even know if she grants interviews these days and if she does, I don’t want her to think I’m some crazy woman who’ll blather on incoherently.

Meg left women’s music in the mid 80’s and has led a fairly quiet life that focuses on her spirituality. She still composes and performs but from what I can gather, not often. She’s been on an Olivia tour or two and is scheduled for a big one they’re doing in 2013. I’d go but it doesn’t fit into my budget. Besides, I might want to remember the Meg I knew then, not the one I’d see now.

Hell, what am I saying? It’s MEG CHRISTIAN.

If any of you wants to suggest to Olivia that they book me for that cruise, please do. Just don’t tell Meg I’ll be there or she’ll feel like she has to hire muscle-bound women who are experts at fending off drooling folk singers.

Should I get her a lacy lacy lacy card for Valentines Day?

So you wanna be a guitar teacher?

After touring for many years I decided that long drives and bad food weren’t good for me. A friend who teaches music suggested I try that. I found that I loved it plus I eat better (and still get to tour part time). Thinking of doing the same? Eating well is a blog better written by someone else but I can give you a few tips about teaching.

Worried that you don’t play well enough?

The best teachers are not always the ones with the flashy licks. Sure, if you’re still struggling with barre chords and fingerpicking is a mystery, you might want to wait. But if you have a few years of playing under your guitar strap and know how to read chord diagrams and tab you’re doing great. It helps if you can read notation too but not absolutely necessary. Most of my adult students aren’t interested in reading music although it’s a good skill to have if you’re teaching kids.

Where to teach?

I started by teaching one-time workshops at festivals where I was booked, then moved into teaching at an arts center. It was a fairly easy thing to do because they don’t require a music degree (or any degree at all). You could also start off with private lessons, either in your home or at a music store. If the former, make sure you have a space that’s already set up. Look professional.  You can go to the student’s house but remember that’s going to cost you (and them) more. Not only do you spend money on gas and other transportation expenses but you can’t teach in the half hour before or after that lesson.

What to teach?

The basics are important – chords, strum patterns, using a pick, reading tab or notation – but so is keeping the student interested. Ask them who their favorite artists are and what they’d like to learn. Choose songs that are challenging enough so that they learn something but not so challenging that they want to throw the guitar across the room.  Kids love songs they recognize, like “Skip to My Lou.” Adults usually like songs they can sing and play, like “Brown Eyed Girl.” Many of my students, adults and kids, learn a 12 bar blues  – they learn the two finger shuffle, the chords that go with it (open, barre and/or power, depending on their interest and skill level) and a blues scale and licks in the same key.

Jamie’s top ten songs that students love

This is what many of my students have requested and enjoyed playing, in alphabetical order:

Blackbird

Brown Eyed Girl

Good Riddance

Heart of Gold

House of the Rising Sun (great for fingerpicking in ¾ time)

Purple Haze

Skip to My Lou (for kids)

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Smoke on the Water (for kids)

Stairway to Heaven

 Where to find material

My favorite tab site is www.heartwoodguitar.com because it’s maintained by a guitar teacher and the tabs are right. There are a ton of books out there too. I use the Mel Bay books for my beginners, especially for reading notation. I get my books at discount book sites on line then resell them to students. It’s easier than having students hunt for them.  I also have a whole filing cabinet of things I’ve printed off the net.

Check out my earlier blog Ten Great Songs for Beginning Guitarists  for more about finding tab on line.

I also list tab sites on my blog Free music instruction and tab.

Go slowly

One of the mistakes I made in the beginning was to give students too much material in one lesson. Don’t overload them. If they’re beginners, give them just one or two songs. Practice the strum or picking pattern separately. Go over the chord forms. Talk about singing with the song (if that’s what they want to do). Put it together. Play it several times before you go on to something else.

Diversify

Do you play another instrument that you can teach? Can you teach songwriting or simple instrument repair? Many of my students just want to learn to change strings.

 What age should students be?

I don’t take students younger than 7 and even then, some aren’t ready for lessons. Nine is an ideal age. As for adults, I’ve taught people as old as 70. While learning is slower the older you get, it’s not impossible if they practice and have a good attitude.

How much to charge?

What’s the going rate? See what music stores charge. Look on Craig’s List and Kijiji. Check out other teacher’s websites. Don’t price yourself too low. If you’re only charging $10 to teach them in their home, they’ll wonder how experienced you really are (and if you’re just casing the joint to steal their TV later).

Promote!

I post flyers around my neighborhood on a regular basis. I also have a Kijiji ad that runs all the time. Make sure your website can be found easily in a web search. Try several different search terms like “you city, guitar lessons.”

Want more information?

Some of my other blogs might help you:

When is a good age to start lessons?

Finding a guitar teacher

Evaulating a guitar teacher

Also, Rob at Heartwood Guitar has a great handbook for teachers

 

Now go learn “Stairway to Heaven” and put up some fliers.

Thirteen lucky steps to writing a great musician’s bio

In my capacity as a CD reviewer I get way too many bios that are nothing more than a weak collection of bland superlatives. If your bio is just laying there stinking up the place use the guidelines below and write a new one. If you’d rather play music then write about yourself, contact me. I’ll write you a bio that won’t require readers to mainline Red Bull.

 Grab them with the first paragraph

It should creatively and concisely give the reader an idea of your style. Don’t start with “She’s played the piano since she was 3.” The most interesting information should be first. Here’s how I started one bio:

Debra Cowan was once asked what kind of songs she writes. Her reply? “Bad ones.” Her captivating warm alto carries each traditional and contemporary folk song she chooses with such emotion that you’ll forget that they were written by others.

 Who do you sound like?

We all hate answering this question but it gives the reader a place to start. Ask your friends and fans for suggestions. Be creative and don’t be afraid to combine styles. Do you sound like Maroon 5 fronted by Cyndi Lauper? Old school R&B mixed with metal?

 Who are your influences?

A laundry list of favorite artists is coma inducing. Take a different approach. Did you listen to your grandmother’s Pat Boone collection? Your cousin’s Nirvana albums? Did you see Dolly Parton on TV when you were five and decide that’s what you wanted to do?

 What is something quirky about you?

Journalists and fans love a good story. It doesn’t have to be music related. I once wrote a bio for an Americana artist who was a distant relative of Jesse James so of course, I used that. Do you have any famous relations? Can you juggle chainsaws? Do you raise exotic lizards? You get the idea.

 Do you have any great quotes?

They could be from someone well known or a club that loves you and books you every time you come to town. Has a high profile publication mentioned you? A quote from a lesser known publication is good also if it’s exceptionally descriptive and creative.

 What are some of the most important gigs you’ve had?

Consider prominent venues (even if it was just a showcase), big audiences, wide TV exposure, or Elvis in the audience. (And did you get a quote from him?)

 Have you recorded?

If so, mention titles and year released. Include more detail for your most recent release. Be sure to mention if your producer or session musicians are connected to someone famous.

 Has your music been licensed for TV, movies or games?

A clip on Grey’s Anatomy not only boosts your bank account but in the eyes of some, your talent.

 What are your goals?

New album coming out soon? New tour? Are you pursuing a label deal? Proud of being independent?

 Numbers can sometimes be important

What are your download numbers? How many dates do you do in a year? Have you charted anywhere?

 Who have you shared the stage with?

This isn’t as important but it’ll let people know your general sound. Be honest. If you and Adele played at the same festival, that doesn’t count.

 If you’re a band, include short bios for each member

Include instrument played, experience, and band history. These are usually best at the end or in a separate section.

 Rein in the word count

Sure, you’ve got unlimited space on your website but why use it all if no one is going to get to the end of that novel length tome? Back in the day when we dealt with just paper it was best to keep a bio to around 500 words since that fit nicely on one page. I still try to do that, especially if the artist is sending paper promo.

 

Danny DeVito, princess outfits and interesting traveling companions

Since I’m currently sitting in the Newark airport it seems fitting that I talk about flying. Every touring musician has their favorite road stories and some of mine are about the people I see on flights and in airports.

(A pigeon just strutted by, pecking at stray crumbs. Inside the airport. I love Newark.)

On my flight a few days ago I sat next to a pleasant guy with a warm Kentucky drawl. He didn’t blink when I said something about my wife. (Yes, we’re legally married. How civilized of Canada. Eh?) We chatted about our jobs and our trips; I was headed to Florida gigs and he was going to Las Vegas to gamble. He stumbled when it came time to refer to my partner. He grinned and said “Partner, er, wife, friend, um …” I can’t blame the guy. We don’t know what to call each other either. It was kind of him to try to find the right word. So much for that stereotype about Southerners being bigoted jerks.

(There’s that pigeon again. Guess he came back for dessert.)

A few years ago I sat next to a Danny DeVito look alike. He sported a bright print shirt unbuttoned a few inches down, revealing  several gold chains across a chest matted with thick black hair. After a brief introduction he launched into a monologue about his life as a professional bridge player and his beautiful statuesque blonde girlfriend. Nothing I did could dissuade the chatter about his exciting job and his gorgeous babe. I rummaged through my bag, pulled out my book and opened it in my lap. I stared at my book. I frowned and pointedly looked away.  I did everything short of shouting, “Dude, I don’t care!” Fortunately, it was a short trip. At the gate an impeccably dressed leggy blonde rushed forward, wrapped her arms around him and murmured something into his neck.

Professional bridge players must make a lot more money than I thought.

(Okay, I’ve gotta interject some more – right next to me is a little girl and her dad. She is dressed completely in bright pink. Her sparkly top has a picture of a Disney princess, her little pink carryon features Snow White and on top of her father’s luggage is a pink pillow with another Disney princess. Completing the ensemble are matching pink pants and a petite pink flowered hat. What, no tiara? She just opened her suitcase and it’s filled with cartoon DVDs and junk food. Her clean princess clothing must be in Dad’s suitcase.)

Another time I flew from Salt Lake City to Boise.  Sitting next to me was a young woman in a prim flowered dress. With a friendly smile she said hello. I said hi back and busied myself with a book. She said she was heading home after visiting relatives and asked why I was going to Boise. I just wanted to relax and read but my mama raised me to be polite so I gave a short answer – “I’m a musician and I’m performing there” – then went back to my book. “That’s nice,” she said pleasantly, “Where?”  I thought, okay, babe, you want to talk with me so I’ll be honest and maybe you’ll leave me alone.

“At the gay pride rally downtown,” I responded. Beat one … two … “Oh how interesting” she warmly replied. In the end, we had an enjoyable conversation about LGBT pride. Her questions were respectful and a far cry from the rude “Which one is the man?” kind of inquiries we sometimes get. I told her about Stonewall and about some of my own experiences.

As the plane was touching down, she said she could understand the struggles of my people because she was Mormon and her people have faced discrimination too. I opened my mouth to argue but heck, she got it right on some level.  I pictured her at the next church potluck, telling them about the really nice lesbian she met on a plane.

Let’s pretend we’re booking agents! My first tour.

My first time on stage at the Michigan Women's Music Festival, 2004.

My first tour wasn’t part of a grand plan; I just wanted to get to the Michigan Women’s Music Festival. I had a small problem – money from a part-time clerical job in Tucson, Arizona wasn’t going to buy enough gas to get to Phoenix. My friend Martie and I decided we’d gig our way to the festival. No one told us we couldn’t do it.

We had booked local performances for ourselves but we didn’t have the faintest idea how to book a tour that spanned hundreds of miles. We found a woman who offered to get us gigs. Martie and I set about working out harmonies and lead guitar parts on each other’s songs. I think I even played banjo on one or two numbers. I hope someone got a picture of that ‘cause I haven’t been seen in public with one since. (Next thing ya know, I’ll be taking up the accordion and offending an even greater part of the population … you know I’m kidding right? I love both instruments, I just happen to be a lousy banjo player. I’d have to go to a gym for a year to even pick up an accordion. Besides, injured animal sounds aren’t in high demand at concerts.)

I managed to save enough money for a festival ticket; it had already arrived in my mailbox. I’d also tucked away a few bucks for gas and food but not enough for both. With the money from gigs we should be all right … if only we had some gigs.  Just a few weeks before we were to leave, our esteemed booking agent called us and said she couldn’t get anything for us. What did she do? Call her cousin in Cat Litter, Wyoming, then give up?

Martie, ever the positive one, happily exclaimed, “Let’s pretend we’re booking agents!” Act as an authority and people will treat you as one, right? We started making phone calls to friends, friends of friends and strangers we randomly dialed. This was before email, before cell phones and before many people had answering machines. A lot of times the phone rang and rang … and rang. Sometimes I’d get voice mail. If I was really lucky, I’d get a five year old telling me that Mommy was in the bathroom. I’m great with five year olds and sometimes, I managed to get the little guy to give Mommy the phone.

If they didn’t answer or get back to me in a week, I called again. And again. I called until I got a yes or a no. Even a no was good because that meant I could cross them off my list. (Another musician once told me that “no” was his second favorite answer. I concur.)

We booked a half dozen gigs, all to people who’d never heard us in concert. It helped that we were making use of the fabulous women’s music circuit. Only in existence a few years, there was still a lot of enthusiasm for any women performers, whether you’d just learned how to change from G to C without stopping or had recorded a few LPs. (Back before DIY recordings, albums were very expensive so not many had them.)

We set off in Martie’s van. A few years old and a little battered around the edges, you had to stand on the brake pedal with both feet. As long as no one pulled out in front of us, we were good.

We had some wonderful shows, from a small theatre in Albuquerque to a YMCA basement in Kansas City. We had some interesting* gigs too including one at a small bar near St Louis where, indeed, the van did break down. A tow truck driver helped us by shoving a small twig in a hole in the carburetor, enabling us to continue on our way. There’s much more to that story including a night’s stay in a kid’s bed with sandy sheets, a dog that peed on my foot and a drunk bar owner who didn’t want to pay us but that’s a much longer tale for another blog.

The festival was amazing. After hearing all those strong women who could most definitely change chords without stopping, we felt like freakin’ amazons.  We played at open mike and at the jam tent. I dreamed of playing on stage there and finally did, in 2004.

With no gigs the drive home took a lot less time. The brakes kept working and the twig stayed in place. Plus, I had great new calf muscles and a dream of touring, something I ended up doing for twenty plus years. And still do.

 **************************

*Interesting = sucks the family dog out loud

Thanks to my friend Mary Ellen for turning me on to that phrase. I’ve used it so many times I must owe her a royalty. It ranks right up there with “butter my butt and call me a biscuit.” My buddy Elaine swears she found that on a website of commonly used southern phrases.