# I Have A New Musical Hobby



## CatPat (Sep 17, 2013)

DA loves guitars and guitar music! I did not know of this! She and I do love to sing songs to the radio, to CDs, and also to piano, but I did not know of the guitar.

I fussed with her for she did not tell me of this. I could have been learning to play the guitar all this time also for her! She will be 95 the next month. We do not have very much time for this!

I put her in the car and we drove to a music store. A nice salesman was very patient with us. DA wanted to hear the tones of the guitars and so he played and played so very many. It was finally decided. DA thinks electric guitars are exciting! I never thought of this! I know she likes the old American and British rock music, but not as this!

I now have a nice Ibanez Performance acoustic guitar. This is used but DA liked the sound of it. It surely does have a beautiful tone of it. I also have a Fender Stratocaster, also used. It is pink! I had to get a chord book and learning books for both of these. The Stratocaster is electric, with the solid body of it. I found a nice Crate Stereo Chorus amplifier for it. It is also used.

Now I must learn these! I have learned four chords and two rhythm strums on the Ibanez, but not so much for the Stratocaster. 

I can play these by listening, I think, if I know of the chords. "Nights In White Satin" by the Moody Blues has only 6 chords of it: Em, D, C, G, A. and F. I think I may be able to play this in maybe three days if I work hard. These are basic chords of it. 

I plugged the Straocaster to the amplifier and it squealed! The volume selector was up too high on the Stratocaster. It scared Azia and the cats ran away!

I have so very much to learn. I would rather that DA has said of this sooner!

Your friend,
~Cat

PS. My fingers are hurting!


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## Dawgluver (Sep 17, 2013)

That's wonderful, Cat!  What a lovely gift for DA!  

Hope your fingers don't stay sore.  Ouch!


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## Addie (Sep 17, 2013)

Don't be surprised if you develop some pads of thick skin at the tip of your fingers. It is very common for guitar players. First your fingers will be a bit sore. But they will toughen up.

Sounds to me like DA loves you very much. You are so fortunate to have her in your life. Would she like to adopt me? I think your parents can live with a peaceful mind knowing you are loved and well looked after with DA.


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## CatPat (Sep 17, 2013)

Thank you, Dawgluver! They do hurt!

I think DA would like to adopt you, Addie. I would! Oh she does love me and I love her. I just did not know of this. On the journey home, I said to her, "Aunty, I love you very much, but for Heavens sake would you please tell me anything else you would like for me to do? Now would be a good time."

She said she had no more surprises. Then she said, "Oh, yes. You need to get your own kitchen things for your lair. And you should decorate it to your tastes. I can help you."

We named the basement my lair. I have a family room, a kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom there. There is the beautiful furniture I do not want to change, except maybe the coverings of some. I have been using DA's things.

Rrrrrrrrrr! One thing at a time! Life is too fast!

Your friend,
~Cat


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## Addie (Sep 17, 2013)

CatPat said:


> Thank you, Dawgluver! They do hurt!
> 
> I think DA would like to adopt you, Addie. I would! Oh she does love me and I love her. I just did not know of this. On the journey home, I said to her, "Aunty, I love you very much, but for Heavens sake would you please tell me anything else you would like for me to do? Now would be a good time."
> 
> ...



Cat you are such a delightful addition to this forum. I love having you here. You never fail to brighten my day. Thank you for becoming such a happy part of my life. And today I really needed someone like you.

This past week we lost my favorite resident here. We have more than 50 residents in this building and this man was the kindest person you could ever want to know. He was a WWII veteran and fought at Iwo Jima. I always made sure our flag flying out on the front long was always in pristine condition in honor of him. He was on the go all the time right up until his death. I am going to miss him sitting out on the patio with me while I sew. I went to school with his sister. His father used to deliver ice and oil to my mother, and then his brother. So his family has been long a part of my life. He always had his door wide open and his TV as loud as he could get it. He was going blind and deaf. I would often run down to his apartment on my scooter (these halls are really long) just to say hello.


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## Aunt Bea (Sep 17, 2013)

I think it is nice that you and DA get to spend so much time together and that DA has some new things happening each day, it will keep her young at heart!

Good luck with the guitar, it sound like a much nicer hobby than playing fart ringtones on your Smartphone!


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## Dawgluver (Sep 17, 2013)

Aunt Bea said:


> Good luck with the guitar, it sound like a much nicer hobby than playing fart ringtones on your Smartphone!



Guess that would depend on the guitar


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## Hoot (Sep 17, 2013)

I have been playing guitar and banjo since I was 11 years old. It has been an endless source of enjoyment. Practice is the key and you will do well.


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## CatPat (Sep 17, 2013)

Addie said:


> Cat you are such a delightful addition to this forum. I love having you here. You never fail to brighten my day. Thank you for becoming such a happy part of my life. And today I really needed someone like you.
> 
> This past week we lost my favorite resident here. We have more than 50 residents in this building and this man was the kindest person you could ever want to know. He was a WWII veteran and fought at Iwo Jima. I always made sure our flag flying out on the front long was always in pristine condition in honor of him. He was on the go all the time right up until his death. I am going to miss him sitting out on the patio with me while I sew. I went to school with his sister. His father used to deliver ice and oil to my mother, and then his brother. So his family has been long a part of my life. He always had his door wide open and his TV as loud as he could get it. He was going blind and deaf. I would often run down to his apartment on my scooter (these halls are really long) just to say hello.



Oh I am so very sorry, Addie. This is a very large part of your life. I thank you for taking care of our flag for him. I am very certain that he was very grateful to have you in his life as I am to see you on this website.

I am sorry of his passing. I shall pray for you and his family. I am so sorry, my friend. I wish I were there for you.

Is it possible to take to his family a message of me? If it is not, I shall understand. If it is so, please would you tell his family I am grateful of his sacrifices for my new country? Tell them I am an immigrant, and so very grateful to him and to all those who did serve my new country to make it become this land of our dreams. And, if this is so, please tell them I am sorry for his passing and I shall be praying in this difficult time for the family and you. Please tell them my name if you desire.

It is uneasy to speak of these losses, and I am sorry. God bless you, Addie, and God bless his family.

Your friend,
~Cat


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## Addie (Sep 17, 2013)

Yes Cat. I will be attending his wake and will pass on your message to them. His family is very proud of his service to his country and they will be happy to know that our newest citizen is thanking him also. And I thank you also.


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## CatPat (Sep 17, 2013)

Aunt Bea said:


> I think it is nice that you and DA get to spend so much time together and that DA has some new things happening each day, it will keep her young at heart!
> 
> Good luck with the guitar, it sound like a much nicer hobby than playing fart ringtones on your Smartphone!



That was funny! Yes, this is nicer. I still do play the farts. I did it to Gwen as walking behind her and I pretended that she did it and not I. DA can not tell.
Mamma fussed at me for this but I said to Mamma, "I was bored. And YOU did make the funny fart sounds in your mouth in the public restrooms to me!" She laughed! She did this to me when I was quite young.

It seems all the time now there is the surprise. Life goes too fast for me. I do enjoy here! I have too much now. The chords on the guitar are not hard. 

I have only three classes per week. It shall take a long time for me to receive my degree but it is necesary to advance slowly for DA. I do love being with her so very much! 

Your friend,
~Cat


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## CatPat (Sep 17, 2013)

Dawgluver said:


> Guess that would depend on the guitar



You would have hated that awful squeal! Fart ringtones do not make you shudder.

Yet, I think.

Your friend,
~Cat


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## CatPat (Sep 17, 2013)

Hoot said:


> I have been playing guitar and banjo since I was 11 years old. It has been an endless source of enjoyment. Practice is the key and you will do well.



Thank you! I practiced very long today. I shall try to do well for DA.

I have understood the banjo is very hard to play. I admire that you play the banjo!

Your friend,
~Cat


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## CatPat (Sep 17, 2013)

I was wrong of the Stratocaster. It is not Fender. It is made by Fender but the name is Squier by Fender. It is the cheapest one.

My head is too full of all the guitars! There may have been too many and too much today!

I did see an odd one. It was a used electric guitar with the solid body and it was named the Parker Fly. 

Your friend,
~Cat


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## Cooking Goddess (Sep 17, 2013)

CatPat said:


> ...PS. My fingers are hurting!


What fun!  Good luck and enjoy learning your new skill.  Your guitar will become your new best friend.

However Cat I'm sorry to warn you, but they will hurt even more tomorrow.  It would take me about two weeks until I'd gotten the fingertips tough enough that it isn't a real problem.  After a month it will seem like you have been playing forever.  Beware, though, that it will probably hurt even more when you put your hands in hot water.  The first week for me I hate washing my hair - hot water AND massaging with the fingertips?  Yikes!

I have new strings for my old guitar but keep stalling.  Haven't played for a dozen years and I know what waits for me...


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## CatPat (Sep 17, 2013)

Cooking Goddess said:


> What fun!  Good luck and enjoy learning your new skill.  Your guitar will become your new best friend.
> 
> However Cat I'm sorry to warn you, but they will hurt even more tomorrow.  It would take me about two weeks until I'd gotten the fingertips tough enough that it isn't a real problem.  After a month it will seem like you have been playing forever.  Beware, though, that it will probably hurt even more when you put your hands in hot water.  The first week for me I hate washing my hair - hot water AND massaging with the fingertips?  Yikes!
> 
> I have new strings for my old guitar but keep stalling.  Haven't played for a dozen years and I know what waits for me...



The fingertips hurt. I was playing the chords but they are of those blisters. I have chosen to stop for the night. These feel of burning. I believe you are correct, and I must take a shower and clean myself tomorrow. This will be perhaps very uncomfortable. 

Thank you for your kind words and your warning of this. I shall awaken earlier to accommate this.

Please do not stall. If you have the musical instrument please keep the respect of it to play it. You may hurt with me, and we shall go together with this!

Your friend,
~Cat


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## CatPat (Sep 18, 2013)

My fingers do hurt, but not so much as to share these photos of my new guitars! I tried to make the photo of the amplifier but Kali and Misty were to keep inspecting of it. It looks like a dark box with many dials on the top and the dark screen over the speakers on the lower section.

I bought the wall hanger of the electric guitar and the floor stand of the acoustic guitar. I am using the acoustic more often and I can move it easily from place to place.

I am very excited of these!












Your friend,
~Cat


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## roadfix (Feb 13, 2018)

I just purchased a new, inexpensive Native American flute to learn with.    I've always wanted one.    I already play a little acoustic and classical guitar but wanted to learn to play another instrument.


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## Addie (Feb 14, 2018)

roadfix said:


> I just purchased a new, inexpensive Native American flute to learn with. I've always wanted one. I already play a little acoustic and classical guitar but wanted to learn to play another instrument.



Sounds like fun. What does the flute look like? Made of wood? Any idea what tribe made your flute? For years I have been saying that I want to get in touch with my tribe in Maine. Today may just be the day. 

I learned to play the piano as a child. Once I got married I never touched one again. I am regretting that today. But I have one child who learned to play several different instruments. Fortunately he had a music teacher in school that recognized his interest. Today he listens to Gregorian music to today's latest hit. When the Gregorian music is playing, don't bother him. He is reading or studying.


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## roadfix (Feb 14, 2018)

Addie said:


> Sounds like fun. What does the flute look like? Made of wood? Any idea what tribe made your flute? For years I have been saying that I want to get in touch with my tribe in Maine. Today may just be the day.



It is an inexpensive starter Navajo flute, made of pine and stained, in the key of A minor.


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## Souschef (Feb 14, 2018)

The man was funny. He told how they used a worm to bore out the flute, but he said Black & Decker also worked


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