Hello All,
This week, by request, we’re starting a new tune, “Butter and Eggs.” Julian Lage and Margaret Glaspy wrote this one and it appears on Julian’s and my record, Avalon. It’s a simple and beautiful song that employs many of the techniques and ideas we’ve worked on here. For this first week I’ll be showing you the interlude figure and the chords.
Enjoy!
Chris
Topics and/or subjects covered in this lesson:
standards
Print Chords & Tab
Loop 0:00 Run-Through of Butter and Eggs
Loop 1:56 Breakdown of Butter and Eggs
Loop 12:34 Closing Thoughts and Outro
Comments
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Hey Chris,
So last time I looked at this song and lesson series there was a part I just literally couldn't reach. Now...coincidentally I happened upon a guitar that was a smaller scale length (24.75”) and fell completely in love and ended up buying it after convincing myself it was worth the price tag (it was). And magically.....I could physically play this whole song. And everything just felt more comfortable for me.
So.....that's an expensive solution to reaching more notes and having certain hand positions work -- but I was wondering if you had some good exercises that you know of or like to do that help with stretching, strenghthening, and all that sort of stuff. So -- this includes exercises on the guitar -- and also things you might do away from your instrument that can help improve your playing and comfort in the long run. Primarily hands, fingers, and wrists -- but if you have any other things you find have been helpful (shoulders, neck, anything else that needs care when you're playing a lot -- or even posture tips to help avoid pain) -- I'd love to hear any suggestions you have -- things that you do on a regular basis or know you should probably remember to do more.
Thanks so much -- again I appreciate it!
Hi Sarah, congrats on your new guitar! It's such an exciting feeling to find an instrument that unlocks things and makes you want to play!
To answer your question, I don't have specific exercises and stretches that I do consistently. But I do think that it's important to warm up by playing things that are relatively "low stress" for the first 15 or 20 minutes after you pick up the instrument. I've gotten into trouble by diving into technical things immediately, and then I have to take a day or two off to let my hands recover. That said, there are lots of "guitar stretching" videos on youtube. I think that a lot of them go a bit overboard, but you may find that they help.
I think the most important thing in this discussion though is hand and thumb position. You can drastically increase your reach and your strength by simply having your thumb on the middle of the back of the neck. Would you mind making a video of the spot in Butter and Eggs where you were having trouble? It's possible that a tweak of hand position could allow you to play it on any guitar.
Cheers,
Chris
Hi Dan!
I'm not very good at questions about guitar repair. So I can only qoute what has been Said to me. If anybody has the knowledge, please correct me! And excuse my english.
1) My guitar is all made of wood (cheaper guitars often have parts which is not). Wood is alive material and will move alot, especially the first years. The wood is not used to being guitar shaped, and needs some time to stabilaze. The action (string height) on my guitar got waay higher after a year or so.
2) norway has got cold winters, which means the air inside our houses will become dry because we heat it up. The difference between summer and winter is huge. I use humidifier from october till may and exhange between summer and winter saddle (I think that's the name). Had to make a right saddle for my guitar based on how it reacts on summer vs winter air.
Correct if that doesn't make sense at all. Based on what I have been told I Hope it Will be more stabile when the wood it's used to the climate and to actually be a guitar. Interesting topic, please let me know if you know anything else!
Torgeir
Hi Dan and Torgeir,
Yes, depending on the design of the guitar there may be some slight intentional rotation of the top that will occur in the first couple of years. Meaning that the area of the top behind the bridge and under the bridge might pull up and rotate very slightly due to the tension of the strings. It will then stabilize. You will see this rotation to some degree on every old Martin (although I doubt that it was intentional in those old guitars!).
In areas where the temperature changes a bunch over the course of the year, and especially in areas where winters get particularly cold and dry, the action on a guitar can change drastically as the wood either contracts (with dryness) or expands (with humidity). If I’m touring with a guitar with a removable saddle, I’ll generally have a ”winter” saddle and a “summer” saddle.
I actually had to change out the saddle on the Collings that I was playing on this just-finished Punch Brothers European tour one week in. The action got too high and I was really struggling. I put the lower saddle in. By the end of the tour last night the guitar was starting to buzz. If we’d had another gig I would have put the original saddle back in!
Can't wait to hear! My guitar is really starting to open up now after two years, so you have a lot to look forward too :) takes some adjustments at guitar repair the first years though, but I guess that is the price for quality pieces of wood.
Trondheim here!
Hi Torgeir. I'm curious - what was the reasons for the adjustment on your Strand? Seems weird to me that you need an adjustment on a brand new guitar
Hello, Chris. I decided to post a video with different parts from Butter and eggs. I know I should revisit the different instructional videos because it's a while since I've watched them. But I thought maybe you could give me some practice tips or something. I'm struggling a bit with rhythm, because some of the parts is really hard to count while I'm playing.
I've been playing guitar for many years but mostly by myself and often with many months break from playing. This year I've really loved hanging out on your site. Great songs and teaching from a master.
I love both Punch brothers and your duo with Lage. Keep bringing us great music!
Thank you
Enslah (Asbjørn from Norway)
Really good crosspicking and solo!
Welcome, good to see that we are two Norwegians on this site!
Thank you, Torgeir! Yes, where in Norway are you from? Bergen-ish here.
I've just ordered myself a Strand guitar, so that's why I recognised your guitar. :D
Hey Enslah,
Beautiful! You’ve captured the essence of the feel in your approach. It’s very warm and relaxed - bravo!
You are right that the rhythm is the aspect that is presenting some issues. I would try playing along with either:
1) my and Julian’s recording from Avalon
2) a metronome
3) make your own rhythm guitar track. (This is probably the best option)
Record yourself playing the rhythm guitar all the way through the form 3 or 4 times. It should be easy to keep the form and the rhythm intact. Once you’ve got a solid rhythm guitar track to play along with, the areas where the timing/phrase lengths are getting off should become clear. If you’re still having problems after that, come back and let me know and we’ll take it from there!
Hey Chris,
I love working on this song! In the same vein of things -- the song "Gardens" that Julian does on "World's Fair" is incredible -- is that something we could potentially work on?
Thanks!
~Sarah~
Hello Chris, one more time a beautiful tune to learn, this one interestingly different, a melancholic folk ballad. Frankly Chris, I’m amazed at the quality of what you do for us. When I see the pedagogical way you conduct this course, from the fundamentals with so many pieces of advice : playing what we can sing, no tension, your clear explanation of the Jimmy martin strumming, … I am so glad I know this site. I don’t want to torture your modesty but I wonder if there is something as good in any official conservatory, and actually I don’t think so. Also the dedication and will you have to transmit what you know, the beauty of your music,(everything you do in Tennessee waltz is stunning, any solo sounds like a musical meditation to me), Madre mia, que belleza ! Thank you for that and in everybody’s interest, and especially mine, please take care of yourself, dear Chris, and be well. From France, with warm friendship and respect, Jack.
Hi french buddy ;)
Where are you from ?
I'm from Lyon. Do you know the city ?
Ok. Never'been in Lyon. I live in Tours.
Cheers :)
Jack, thank you so much for these kind words. It’s a wonderful community that we have here and I feel lucky to be a part of it!
cheers,
Chris
beautiful ... what a treat to not only see you play it but to teach it ... unbelievable man.
Yeeees, the good news of the day ! Was hoping this !
Thank you for this week-end gift :)
Chris thanks for this Butter and Eggs request, and Jeruseleum Ridge, Roy Cotton