Me and my Guitar

Chris Fullmer · 6 May 2009, 00:39

So out of boredom and my incredible ability to procrastinate HUGE school projects, I just recorded myself singing and playing a few songs on my guitar and put them on youtube. Its my first putting myself on Youtube - weird! So I thought I'd share.

Feel free to hijack the thread with your own if you have any. I know there's lots of musical talent amongst us

[flash=445,364:3abhv7i0]http://www.youtube.com/v/gcreuTB1cIM&hl=en&fs[/flash:3abhv7i0]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v_egK49TQk - 1min 37seconds

[flash=445,364:3abhv7i0]http://www.youtube.com/v/GacUjnQbFlY&hl[/flash:3abhv7i0]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GacUjnQbFlY - 3min 43seconds

Go easy on me, I RARELY share my guitar playing outside my family....but I hope you like it (minus the poor audio quality, and the big ugly Oger you have to look at )

Chris

jeff hammond · 6 May 2009, 00:57

the only version i've heard of 'such great heights' is by the postal service and i gotta say i like your laid back approach much better..

good stuff man
thanks for sharing.

tirapop · 6 May 2009, 04:48

Great song. Sam Bush (Iron&Wine) recorded a slow cover of the song, like Chris' version. Ben Gibbard (Postal Service) was so taken with Sam's version that he gave him a shout out and covered Sam's version of the song in this live solo concert:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9935188

Chris Fullmer · 6 May 2009, 05:24

Thanks Jeff, and yes, look up the Iron and Wine (I think its Sam Beam though) version of the song on Youtube , its amazing! That is who I was copying.

But I was unaware that the Postal service Lead guy was the same guy from from Deathcab. That is very intersting. I never knew he covered the Iron & Wine version of his own song. Quite a remarkable little network there. Thanks for the info and the link Tirapop,

Chris

david_h · 6 May 2009, 19:29

Very nice. I didn't recognize the songs, but that shouldn't surprise anyone. I'm not excatly what one would call "hip".

I usually spend an hour a night strumming my guitar as well. I love it. Great therapy. I'm an old folkie. .. james Taylor, Don McLean, Paul Simon, etc etc.

Chris Fullmer · 6 May 2009, 19:37

Yup, those are all good ones to play too. I'm not good enough for a lot James Taylor, but I still pretend. Don McLean is great! I don't know too much solo Paul Simon work. More of the Simon and Garfunkel era in my playlist. I also like to play Nick Drake a lot, though he tunes his guitar so weird, I break too many strings trying to tune like him, so I don't play his stuff too much.

The songs I played in the videos are :

Jack Johnson - Belle
Iron and Wine - Such Great Heights (Originally by The Postal Service, as discussed above)

I think both of these bands would be considered contemporary folksy guitar singer songwriter bands, much like the stuff you listed. You would probably like them both a lot David. But watch out, Iron and Wine just had a hit song in the movie Twilight, so lots of people think that all new fans to Iron and Wine are wimps who only found them because of the Twilight movie

Chris

david_h · 6 May 2009, 20:22

I like Jack Johnson. (My son introduced me to him.)

I'm not that outta date tho' . .. my new favorite group "Fountains of Wayne"

I wouldnt know about that Other group cuz I wouldn't see the Twilight movie even at gunpoint. I think they should show THAT at Gitmo!

Chris Fullmer · 6 May 2009, 20:29

Oh David. I'm sure there's a sappy chick flick vampire movie lover inside of you somewhere.....

Well, the movie and the band Iron and Wine have little to nothing in common. Except that he sings incredibly beautiful songs and the movie stole one to put on their soundtrack. Two of his albums are pretty much just him and his guitar. The recent album got a little more involved and out there, but there are some good moments in it for sure! Seriously, I'll PM you some youtube links to it, I think you'll like it (though its not rockin'!. Its really mellow).

Chris

EarthMover · 7 May 2009, 01:06

Awesome Iron and Wine cover Chris. I'm a fan of Sam Beam and you did the song some justice. I've been toying with Cinder and Smoke lately, but haven't put it all together quite yet.

Phil Rader AIA · 7 May 2009, 02:35

Chris this is great to see and hear. Obviously Music has enhanced your joy of life, and it shows in your generosity to the SU community. Here is a little story to preface why you won't be seeing or hearing any of my "musical" abilities. My son takes piano lessons. the Suzuki Method. One of the parents..."Me" acts as the home teacher in the triangle formed by teacher, Home teacher, and student. In order for the teacher to start teaching the student the "home teacher" has to first learn how to play "twinkle twinkle little star" on the students instrument...the piano in this case...well after almost two months my son's teacher finally said to me "I've never met anyone who is tone def before" in reference to me....I was sweating bullets to be able to learn twinkle twinkle little star well enough to get my son into his lessons. I'm the guy that can make an entire room full of people stop dead in their tracks and simultaneously turn their heads and gaze in amazement in my direction when I sing. It's that same look you get when you pass gas in a crowded room...like did that just happen...

SO I'm really happy that there are people like you in the world that I can show to my son as an example of where hard work and practice can take you musically.

Regards

Phil

AKA "Tone Def"

Chris Fullmer · 7 May 2009, 03:52

Oh Phil, sorry to hear it! Well, I would be more sorry if I actually dide hear it, but you know what I mean. Too bad ya can't sing. Its a huge part of my life.

Adam, thanks for the compliment. I'm a big fan of his too.

I don't know how technical you get with your playing. I am pretty laid back about how I play songs, because I'm not really good enough to get every note perfect. So I don't ever figure out my own tabs, its too slow a process for me. So if you are looking for a good Iron and Wine tab site, this guy has almost all of of my favorite songs (just missing Love and Some Verses, which I get from Ultimate Guitar.com ). Anyhow, this guys site is by far my favorite place for Iron and wine, because It always sounds like he really trys to find the right chords, and he puts up some picking hints too if you want them.

301 Moved Permanently

(www.lifesci.ucsb.edu)

Hope that helps with Cinder and Smoke, its one of my favorites to play! Its just beautiful,

Chris

mitcorb · 7 May 2009, 13:34

Hi Chris:
Good work on the guitar! Not to mention good work in sketchup and ruby!!!
Is that a Takamine in the videos? Looks great.
mitcorb

pilou · 7 May 2009, 14:49

Your guitar gently sleeps

Ps It's me or there are some French words inside the first song?
I know that you sing the "original text" from A cover of Belle, by Jack Johnson for the rhythm but right French text should be
"Je ne comprends pas le français"

Phil Rader AIA · 7 May 2009, 16:39

@chris fullmer said:

Well, I would be more sorry if I actually dide hear it, but you know what I mean.
Chris

Oh I still do sing...but the pain/pleasure is reserved for my family to hear....I actually wrote the lyrics to a song and my son composed the piano portion. We performed it at one of his piano composition recitals. It's called "Way up Yonder"

It starts out like this:

Way up yonder
in the Blue Blue Sky
We all wonder
We Wonder why
why oh why
can't penguins fly
way up yonder
in the blue blue sky.

Then it repeats:

Way up yonder
in the Blue Blue Sky
We all wonder
We Wonder why
why oh why
does time go by
way up yonder
in the blue blue sky.

I forget the rest of the lyrics now but it was quite fun to perform with my son wh is 7 years old.

Chris Fullmer · 7 May 2009, 16:50

@unknownuser said:

Post the video...there must be one somewhere. You know how parents are with video cameras at these events.

+1 Agreed!

jeff hammond · 7 May 2009, 19:13

from an impromptu jam session with Michael Franti (Spearhead) and Bob Burnquist (skateboarder)... that's me playing the other guitar (solos and accents)..
[no reefers were used throughout the evening ]

[flash=600,450:1siqftls]http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4532126&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1[/flash:1siqftls]

Chris Fullmer · 7 May 2009, 19:51

Wow, thats awesome Jeff!

I sit here wondering how does one find himself in an "impromptu jam seession" with Michael Franti and Bob Burnquist???

Very cool.

And solo and accent guitar - that is the thing I am worst at when it comes to guitar playing. I have not figured that stuff out. Good for you, well done and thanks for posting it!

Chris

jeff hammond · 7 May 2009, 20:17

Bob has a bunch of ramps at his house that i've built over the years (designed with SU ).. he's friends with all sorts of interesting people and we usually ending up doing something musical in the evenings when i'm out there..

EarthMover · 9 May 2009, 01:07

That's awesome Jeff. I can't believe you got to jam with Michael Franti. I have his "Songs from the Front Porch" CD in my truck right now. I also tell everyone to check out the documentary he made - http://www.iknowimnotalone.com/

pilou · 11 May 2009, 09:03

Very cool Michael Franti jam concert! (&Jeff )