Finger Style Guitar from Bruce Keener

This evening it occurred to me that I haven’t updated this blog in several months. I’ve been uploading all of my music to my personal blog: Keener’s Music.

I had been in the practice of uploading it there first and then uploading it here, too. But, keeping up two blogs that have similar content doesn’t make sense. Hence, for my newer stuff, please check my personal blog at the link provided in the previous paragraph.

Take care

I was just setting around piddling with a couple of tunes, and, since both are short pieces, I decided to combine them into one. The first part of the tune is mood music, slow and relaxing, while the second part is good old-fashioned Jerry Reed style funk. I hope you enjoy both parts: Mood and Funk

Not having my played my Gallagher (serial #777) in months, I decided it was about time:

• Real Short Ditty

This is a tune that had been rolling around in my head for a few days. Not sure if I wrote it, or if it was previously written. It’s such a simple tune (at least the chords are), that it has probably been written a hundred times before by others. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it.

Below are a couple of tunes I put together recently. I hope you enjoy them

• D Minor Ditty, a Keener Original, played in an Open D tuning. I really enjoy tunes in a minor key, perhaps because they are not the norm.
• D Major Ditty, and another Keener Original (as far as I know). This one is also in Open D.

I’ve recorded a few more tunes over the past few months, and am only now getting around to uploading them here. I hope you enjoy them.

• Rhythm Guitar, a bit of funk played on an Alvarez with way-dead strings. As a buddy pointed out to me, the dead strings do kinda add to the funk, though.
• Lady Madonna, I enjoy the heck out of this tune. It was fun to play, but it is challenging to say the least. In the latter part of the tune, I use a second track to harmonize with myself on it.
• Name That Tune, beats me what this tune is. It was in my head, so I played it.
• Windy and Warm, the first tune I ever learned. Years and years ago. Back before the Earth cooled. (Well, not that long ago, but it has been a long time.)
• Short Stuff, just more piddling.
• Jayree, a medley of Jerry Reed’s Funky Junk and Papa’s Knee. Some decent picking, but I play both pieces a bit too fast, causing me to flub the tail end of Papa’s Knee. Someday I’ll get off my tightwad ass and buy a Multiac or a good amplified classical guitar, and re-record this one … it really should be played on that sort of guitar instead of a flat-top. I hope you enjoy it anyhoo.

Recently I was chatting with my brother on the phone, and after ending the call a “new tune” was in my head. So I decided to record it and name it in his honor.

I hope you enjoy it: David

I’ve uploaded a new one of my recordings, mostly to test out my higher speed internet connection:

• An Everyday Tune, so named because the chording is like that of so many tunes. But, I do rolling chimes on the first of the tune, which hopefully gives it some distinction. When I recorded it, there was a pause between my chiming and my playing of regular style. So, I added a second track to fill the gap between the chimes and the “regular” playing. I decided to go ahead and harmonize with my self on the second “stanza” of chimes while I was at it. You’ll be able to tell when the second track starts and ends. The second track is actually pretty short-lived.
• Winter Walkin, written by Jerry Reed and recorded by Chet Atkins many years ago. I use a second track to harmonize with myself during parts of this tune.
• God Is God, based on a song written by the late Truman Mulkey (if memory serves) and recorded by my Mom and Dad on one of their Country Gospel Albums years and years ago. I recorded with Mom and Dad during many such sessions during those long ago years, and had the pleasure of also getting to know Truman. He was one of the greatest gospel song writers I have ever met. Note that I accompany myself via a second track on the third verse.
• Summertime, just a guy (me) having fun. I accompany myself on a second track for the second verse. Plenty of mistakes to be found in this one, but I enjoyed it. It’s a fun tune. I’ll record it again someday, as it is really meant to be played on an electric classical and I don’t have one at present (sold my Gibson STS years ago when I needed the money more than the guitar — I miss that thing — it was The Best).
• Old Fashioned Jeremiah, a medley of Old Fashioned Love Song and Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog. Although I had already recorded Old Fashioned Love Song, I thought a different rendition of it might suit some of you better than my first rendition.
• Lethal Weapon and House of Gold, I know: what an odd combination of tunes for a medley. The connection is complicated, but for those who are interested: the Theme Song for Lethal Weapon is played in the original movie as they are showing Riggs’ wife’s headstone, which reads “Victoria Lynn Riggs.” Victoria Lynn was my late wife’s formal name, and I always thought of this tune as the Victoria Lynn tune, because the tune (and the scene) sent cold chills up my spine when Vickie and I saw the movie years ago. As for the Hank Williams’ House of Gold, it was one of Vickie’s favorite songs (and mine).
• Medley: How High The Moon plus Will The Circle Be Unbroken, and odd medley, but a couple of tunes I really liked rolled together.

I thought it was about time I got my late Dad’s Gretsch out of the case and played it some. Here are some of my recordings from it:

• Just A Closer Walk With Thee, one of my brother David’s favorite tunes … I like it pretty well myself.
• Farther Along, my first attempt at a two-track recording (beginning on the second verse, I accompany myself)
• Solitaire, my rendition of Jane Oliver’s lovely song. (Actually I think Neil Sadaka wrote it.) In the third verse, I use a second track to accompany myself in a few spots.
• Georgia on My Mind, I tried to record this without making an error, but it has been a few years since I played my Gretsch and this tune is a bit complicated. So it has an error or two. But hopefully you will like it.
• Chester, I know: how dare I name a tune after the great Chet Atkins? Well, no pretense of being his equal: in my mind he was the greatest guitar player to ever walk the earth. This is just a simple tribute to him via a simple tune. He, my Dad, Jerry Reed, and Merle Travis influenced my playing more than any guitarists. In more recent years, I have been influenced by the tunes of Thom Bresh and Buster B. Jones. I admire and am grateful to them all.

I hope you enjoy. As usual, these are in mp3 format so can be played on a lot of devices.

Setting around bored, I decided to record and upload a couple of tunes:

• Old Fashioned Love Song, the classic Three Dog Night song.
• Practice, so named because, even though it’s one of mine, the more I practiced it today the harder it got to play … so, I said to heck with it and uploaded it anyway.

Enjoy.

Since I am taking the weekend off, I decided to upload a few tunes for your entertainment:

• Nine Pound Hammer, written and originally recorded by the great Merle Travis. I hope he and Chet Atkins do not turn in their graves with my rendition of it: I stole a couple of licks from one of Chet’s recordings of it and added a twist or two of my own. This was one of my Dad’s favorite tunes, and I believe he would have liked this rendition.
• Mr Reed, a little ditty I put together as a tribute to the creative genius of Jerry Reed.
• Medley: Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory and Precious Memories (one verse of each), a medley my Dad would have liked.
• Who Knows, possibly an original of mine, possibly a variation on a tune someone else made up. I do not know which. A lot of music runs through my mind. Some of it is original and some of it is not and some of it fits the category of “I just don’t know,” like this one does.

Enjoy.