Free by the Martini’s is the third and final song I’ve been learning off the Empire Records soundtrack for my GrrrlBands performance.
I recorded just my guitar part because the actual song tuning is flat, so it sounds terrible when I play on top of it. We as a band decided to keep in standard tuning.
I like the song a lot. There’s a ton of parts I had to learn. There’s lots of arpeggios and different pick patterns to learn. I also play the chords in different inversions up the neck, which adds further levels to keep track of. All in all, a challenging song.
It’s also occurred to me that maybe I should invest in a new electric guitar. My acoustic is a pretty solid Yamaha. My electric is a Fender Squier Stratocaster that my dad got for $100 bucks including the amp when I was 8. What a steal!
I bought myself a Deering banjo when I got a new job in the fall to celebrate. Unfortunately, I can very clearly hear and feel the improvement in quality between my entry level Ibanez banjo and my Deering banjo. After playing my nice banjo, it’s very difficult to play my cheap ‘ole guitar. I can hear how thin it sounds. I never noticed how janky it was before. And this swiftly I introduced myself to lifestyle creep. Taste inflation.
Anyway, I will start shopping soon. I’m thinking a pink Stratocaster or blue Jazzmaster or purple Jaguar or cherry sunburst Les Paul. Only time will tell which is for me.
