Teach your children Well - They remember Well | Eastern North Carolina Now

   My first grandchild had his 2nd birthday recently and his parents gave him a ukulele. My son asked me to tune it for him. I told him he was too young to appreciate the tuning but it was better just to let him get used to making sounds. The music might come later. Here is an excerpt from my Grandpa's Diary "Music-July 18, 2017"




Teach your children Well; Because they remember Well


   I was raised in a musical family and learned the ukulele early on. I don't remember when I started playing the instrument but I do know that I did not develop a real interest until my early teen years. It may have had something to do with Girls, but I think it was more about the Arthur Godfrey show on TV where he played the Uke.


Arthur Godfrey Sings His Version of "For You" - 1953

   Both my children were raised in the same environment. I have written here about that before. See here.     Having said that, I did remember that my son never really developed an interest in learning a musical instrument. My daughter took piano lessons but did not pursue it. She preferred dance lessons. I understood that, my job was just to expose them to as much as possible and let them chose their passion and interest in life.

   The past weekend reminded me that kids remember the damndest things. A few months ago my son asked me to bring my guitar on the next visit and play for Sully, who seems to enjoy music. I practiced on the performance a few times. Puff the Magic Dragon and a few others children songs were all I played before young Sully lost focus. See below video of him at his first Rodeo. It is only 16 seconds long but I think he has promise.



    The short concert reminded me of my advice to my son when his first child (Sully) was born.

   One of the most difficult things for a parent is to regress mentally to your child's age and try to understand that they do not have your experiences in life. Everything to them is new. Your job is to keep them safe from danger that they do not yet understand, but it is not to chart their course in life. Expose them to your principals, passions, interest and beliefs, but always allow them the freedom to make choices on their own within your parameters. As they grow pick and choose the times when you impose your will on them carefully. Once they reach adulthood, hopefully your example will serve them well. Bobby Tony


   I was raised on the King James Version translation:

    Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 New King James Version (NKJV)

   Like all other things in life new interpretations reflect the changing times:

    Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6 New International Version (NIV)


   Granted, I swayed into the ditch a few times but I found that the scripture is true.

   Here is another way of saying just about the same thing.

Teach Your Children
Crosby, Stills & Nash

You who are on the road
Must have a code that you can live by
And so become yourself
Because the past is just a good-bye.
Teach your children well,
Their father's hell did slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picks, the one you'll know by.
Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you will cry,
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you.

And you, of tender years,
Can't know the fears that your elders grew by,
And so please help them with your youth,
They seek the truth before they can die.

Teach your parents well,
Their children's hell will slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picks, the one you'll know by.

Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you will cry,
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you.

Songwriters: Graham Nash




   Alas, like most parents, I learned that your children learn more from the example you set than from the sermons you deliver. I'll try to remember that as my grand kids grow up. Sometimes you need a few pictures to remind them and you that life is to be lived and enjoyed and music helps along the way.


Father, Son and Daughter 1980s

Grandfather and Grandson 2017

More Arthur Godfrey clips from Youtube.

   The first one has a delay before starting but it shows how laid back the TV shows were back in the day. Obviously there were cigarettes involved but there may have been some booze on the set as well. And it also shows what musicians can do when they are accomplished with their instruments.

Arthur Godfrey 1

   Here are a couple of more for the easily amused.

Arthur Godfrey 2

Arthur Godfrey 3
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Comments

( August 3rd, 2017 @ 5:41 am )
 
There is hope. When you finally retire to that Castle you will have all the time you need to get into the minutia like Bobby Tony. I truly understand the priorities of BCN.

For the record, I don't play the scales either. Not because of a lack of time but I too prefer to learn songs rather than learn music theory.

On the subject of minutia, here is a sample for the readers to ponder.

beaufortcountynow.com
( August 3rd, 2017 @ 12:57 am )
 
Thanks Bobby Tony for the information on proper fret construction.

I know that I need to learn how to play scales of individual notes, and I plan to, but I too am trying to turn all of this into money, and it has been one small stepping stone at a time.

I am having to draw the blue prints to success each day as I struggle on. Kind of explains how long it takes for me to respond to this comment.

I don't get to play the guitar much and it is slow learning, but I am learning a bunch of chords, and I never thought that would ever happen, like E flat. It was the one chord that I had never played when I learned "Unchained Melody".
( July 27th, 2017 @ 9:24 am )
 
Stan, My learning process has been slow and often interrupted by the need to make a living, but I finally gained a modicum of knowledge if not the talent to play or make a guitar.

Classical guitars are not designed for bar chords but individual notes and finger picking styles. I always thought it was just Nylon vs Steel Strings. I did not realize this until I attempted to make my own guitar years ago and found that the fretboard radius differed between many different manufacturers and styles. I found that design and construction is much more than a body and neck and strings. I never got out of the batter's box but I did learn to appreciate a luthier's talent. As one whose skill set was basically anchored in "BS," I have always admired the craftsman who could create something from an image in his mind.

"A radius is better for chords and flat is better for single note runs. A compound radius neck is a popular upgrade. Radius down at the nut gradually lessens toward the bridge."
Here is a link on the life of a luthier guitar maker.

www.artofmanliness.com
( July 26th, 2017 @ 12:55 pm )
 
You are right about the bar chording; however, I think I am close to mastering it, in fact, I play bar chords whenever I can, because:

1) I don't have long, elegant fingers, so, I can get more strings easier, faster with the bar chords;

2) Now that I have that muscle memory down (far better than a year ago), I can move from bar chord to bar chord easier faster than not using a bar chord.

But you are right B.T., you do have to manhandle those bar chords, especially if you want to get decent sound out out of the base E string.
( July 26th, 2017 @ 12:06 pm )
 
I suggest a Fender Telecaster style knock off (pawn shop). It will play well and give you a chance to practice without investing a bunch. I think we have the same Yamaha Classical which I find difficult to fret using bar chords now.

Don't pick up a Martin to play unless you want to go into debt immediately.
( July 26th, 2017 @ 11:51 am )
 
You know, I have a simple Yamaha, nylon string guitar, and I like its tone; however, as I am learning far faster than a year ago, even though I spend less time at it, I want more guitars.

I played my first electric guitar the other day, and I was shocked much easier it is to work the fretboard's far easy action.

Don't get me wrong here, I will always love the sound of a well played acoustic guitar far more than an electric, but, I want an electric guitar ... and then I will probably want a 12 string. I damn sure have the calluses to handle that big boy.
( July 26th, 2017 @ 10:11 am )
 
The local Flea Market in Braselton has a Music room with various Guitars and Ukes. I visit there often to browse. He has both a Taylor and Martin Baby Guitar. I told "Bob The Music" man I was to old to still be collecting but not too old to look. He said "Are we still talking about Guitars?"

The Baby Martin is second one from left and the Taylor is forth from left.

( July 26th, 2017 @ 9:59 am )
 
You are right. They have been called Guitalele to differentiate the six from the four strings. I use ukulele in the generic sense. This one is nylon strings. I could not tune it because of the party noise and some residual problem with "bombs bursting in midair." I have already in my Inventory a few real Ukes for them. I also have my eye on a Baby Taylor or Martin six string guitar.

If interest grows I will tune it in open G. so they can play with only bar chords to start. Maybe we will have another Mark Knopfler in the family.

en.wikipedia.org
( July 26th, 2017 @ 9:41 am )
 
Bobby Tony, that little guitar is not a ukulele, it looks to be a small guitar (I see 6 tuning knobs for 6 strings) with skinky steel strings. I have a history here too with my granddaughter.

Se got a little guitar like that one at Christmas from the other side of the family, and I was charge with tuning the guitar.

The short story here: I broke the B string; restrung the guitar in nylon strings, tuned it as best I could with that incredibly short fretboard, and my 4 year old grandaughter has no interest as of yet.

Lord knows that I can not play it with the strings so close together.

My advice: Let them get older, buy them a real, but small guitar, and start by teaching them "House of the Rising Sun".



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