http://fabricari.com/music/finger-picking-20080430.mp3

Just a 30 second recording of some practice finger picking on the guitar. Fingers are raw and confused now.

http://fabricari.com/music/we-both-go-down-together.mp3

Intent on renewing my interest in playing the guitar I traded up my old junker guitar for a new one. I thought I'd break it in with a song I was listening to today. Colin Meloy's new live album has renewed my interest in some of the older Decemberists songs. I'm sure I butchered it, but even in the recording I can here that the guitar is several times nicer than the one I had before.

I ended up getting the cheaper Martin DX-1 Dreadnought with my trade-in for $350. It's definitely not anything like their higher models, but it should suit me well enough until I can play decent enough to hear the difference.

http://fabricari.com/music/nothin-better-to-do-2.mp3

This is probably the only song I've ever written that I like. It might have something to do with the fact that it's honest despite the simple lyrics. I wrote this for my son Jeremy last summer on 4th of July. We stayed home instead of going out to see the fireworks. Instead we went for a walk and went hunting for fireflies. I finally got around to adding another verse.

Also, I'd like to give this song back to the folk community that has given me so much great music, so it's Creative-Commons or what-ever they're calling it these days. Hope you like. :)

Nothin' Better To Do

Intro:
(c)(f)(g)(c) x2

It's a (c)'nother July afternoon,
and (f)I got nothin' better to do
than (low-g)pick on my banjo and sing a song
(c)for you.

There's a whole lotta chores we gotta do,
but there's really nothin' I'd rather do
than grab a seat 'n' sit out-side
with you.

bridge:
(c)(f)(g)(f)(c) x2

'Nother year's gone by; you learned to ride your bike.
There's a lotta new things you've learned to like
There's a lotta new things that I can learn
from you.

Just take your time growing up
You're gettin so big, you're gettin' tough.
Won't be so long I'll be looking up
to you.

bridge:
(c)(f)(g)(f)(c) x2

There's fire-flies out tonight.
Gonna fly all around with their pretty lights
Ahm'onna take a walk and enjoy the sight
with you.

I don't got time for another verse.
Too lazy to figure out and reherse.
I'd rather go outside and spend my time
with you.

outro:
(c)(f)(g)(c) x2

It's Springtime, my spirits are lifted, and I thought I'd mesh a few uplifing songs together: Wildwood Flower, Red River Valley, and Cripple Creek. I guess I'm chuckling because I know those high notes are way out of my range, but you know that don't stop me. :D

I'm not quite in that place where I can take on a serious comic project, however, I'd like to experiment some with these Babel comics. I'm going to try to make a series of it. I think some very interesting story-telling can be accomplished.

I took a crack at playing "The Coo Coo."

Cross posted from my Live Journal.

I was practicing "The Coo Coo" in Sawmill tuning, then started tuning down to work on "Wildwood Flower." But the nut on my new banjo's pretty raw and I busted another string. Too lazy to tie up another string, I started messing around...