Rejoined new guitar classes

Two months back, IISc Gymkhana restarted their guitar classes with a new tutor, Sanjay Kumar. I joined the same to get back into the flow of playing guitar regularly with fellow guitarists, and learn new techniques. Although the classes are held once a week, its quite good and helped me pick up the chord progession comfortably.

Upgrading Guitar and some more references

The gb&a acoustic guitar I had was around 3 years old, it was not sounding good, so I thought of upgrading it. I wondered about the reasons why the guitar was not sounding good, I thought of buying a new guitar but one friend of mine suggested to replace strings with new ones. I replaced my guitar strings and now the guitar is sounding quite good. I am also taking online course on Coursera which includes a series a video lectures and quizzes.

Guitar revisit

The first time when I learnt guitar was in the 90's, but stopped learning after few months. Then after a long time, as I was always interested in learning guitar, I decided to take guitar classes in IISc. I bought gb&a, AG-100 CBK acoustic black  guitar in 2010 whose specifications are:

Imported Guitar Top : Spruce Sides and Back : Agathis Fingerboard & Bridge : Rosewood Machine heads : Covered metal Neck : Nato/Bounded Frets : Nickle Neck and Body join on the 14th fret Finish : High Gloss, Natural/Black

gb&a AG-100 CBK                                    String layout

Parts of a acoustic guitar

I have taken guitar classes for 6 months, which was good for starters. Thereafter, I was practicing on my own after getting the basics of playing guitar, taking help from internet and downloading guitar notes for songs.  Guitar needs a lot of practice. The fingers hurt in the beginning, especially when you hold multiple string on the different frets, but after sometime it is normal. Even regular practice daily for 15 minutes is very helpful. Guitar notes for a song can of two types :

• Tabs:

  e --------2-----------------
  B ------3---3---------------
  G ----2-------2-------------
  D --0-----------------------
  A --------------------------
  E --------------------------

• Chords:  Each line in a song or tune is represented by a sequence of chords with a strumming pattern i.e. the way and no. of times each chord is played

Guitar is one instrument which can play any kind of music, almost any tune or song. We can play soft, soothing music to hard rock according to ours mood. Pink Floyd music has very fine guitar music, its mix of soothing, sweet and soft rock, some tunes are quite challenging to play.

Pink Floyd notes:

• Wake Me Up When September Ends: Greenday
  
  
  Intro:
  
  E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
  B|-------3-------3-|-------3-------3-|-------3-------3-|-------3-------3-|
  G|----0-----0------|----0-----0------|----0-----0------|----0-----0------|
  D|--5----------5---|--5----------5---|--5----------5---|--5----------5---|
  A|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
  E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
  
  (This pattern can be played all the way through if you want).
  
  
  G          D/F#
  Summer has come and passed
  Em7              G
  The innocent can never last
  Cadd9       Cm            G      
  Wake me up when September ends
  
  G                D/F#
  Like my father's come to pass
  Em7             G
  Seven years has gone so fast  
  Cadd9       Cm               G     G  
  Wake me up when September ends
  
  Em             Bm
  Here comes the rain again
  C                G  G/f#
  Falling from the stars  
  Em           Bm  
  Drenched in my pain again
  C               D
  Becoming who we are
  
  G         D/F#
  As my memory rests
  Em7               G
  But never forgets what I lost  
  Cadd9       Cm            G      
  Wake me up when September ends
  
  G          D/F#
  Summer has come and passed
  Em7               G
  The innocent can never last
  Cadd9       Cm            G          
  Wake me up when September ends
  
  G            D/F#
  Ring out the bells again
  Em7              G
  Like we did when spring began  
  Cadd9       Cm               G      
  Wake me up when September ends
  
  Em             Bm
  Here comes the rain again
  C                G  G/f#
  Falling from the stars  
  Em           Bm  
  Drenched in my pain again
  C               D
  Becoming who we are
  
  G         D/F#
  As my memory rests
  Em7               G
  But never forgets what I lost  
  Cadd9       Cm               G      
  Wake me up when September ends
  
  G          D/F#
  Summer has come and passed
  Em7              G
  The innocent can never last
  Cadd9       Cm               G          
  Wake me up when September ends
  
  G                D/F#
  Like my father's come to pass
  Em7               G
  Twenty years has gone so fast
  Cadd9       Cm               G          
  Wake me up when September ends

I like playing the following songs which are very simple and nice to play:

• Chahun main ya na from Aashiqui 2
  
  guitar chords strumming and intro.
  
  Strumming where girl comes in: dd ud ud u du
  tu hi ye mujko bata de..
  
  
  Strumming 2: dd ud ud du du 
  itna batadun tukjhko..
  
  intro:
       am
  e........0.    e..........
  b..........     b........3.
  g......2...    g..........
  d....2.....    d.....2....
  a..0.......    a...0......
  e..........     e..........
  
  e....................
  b.......1..0.........
  g.............2..0..2
  d....2...............
  a..0.................
  e....................
  
       F             G
  e...........   e.............
  b..........1   b.............
  g........2..   g..4..5..7..4.
  d......3....   d..5..5..5..5.
  a....3......   a.............
  e..1........   e.............
  
  Chords:
  
  Intro-(Am)..(F)..(G)..(Am)..(G)..(Am)..(Dm)..(Am)..(F)..(G)..(Am)..
  (Dm)..(Am)..(F)..(G)..(Am)..(C)..(D)..(F)..(G)
  
  Verse:
  {(Am)Tu yeh mujhko (G)bata de
  (F)chahoon main ya na..(G)
  (Am)apne tu dil ka (G)pata de
  (F)chahoon main ya na..(G)}-[2 times]
  
  (Am)itna bata doon tujhko
  (G)chahat pe apni mujhko
  (F)yun toh nahin ikhti(G)yaar..(E)
  
  (Am)phir bhi ye socha dil ne
  (G)Ab jo laga hoon milne
  (F)poochhun tujhe ek (G)baar..(E)Oho..
  Tu hi mujhko part repeat
  jimihndrx
  Interlude-(Am)..(G)..(F)..(G)
  
  Bridge:
  (C)Aisi kabhi (Am)pehle..
  ..huyi (F)na theen khawahi(G)shein
  jimihndrx
  (Am)kisi se bhi (F)milne..
  ..ki na (C)ki theen koshi(G)shein
  
  Guitar Solo(Rhythm Part)-(Am)..(C)..(Gm)..(E)..(Am)..(F)..(G)..(E)..(C)
  
  (C)Mere chhote chhote (Csus4)khwaab (C)hain
  (C)khaabon mein (Em)geet hain
  (Em)geeton main (F)zindagi hain
  (G)chahat hai, (C)preet hai
  
  (C)abhi main na dekhoon (Csus4)khwaab (C)wo
  (C)jin mey tu (Em)na mile
  (Em)le khole (F)honth maine
  (G)ab tak they, (C)jo sile
  rest of the song is same
  
   

For those who do not understand the lyrics the English translation is given as:

Tu hi ye mujh ko bataa de
Chaahoon main yaa naa
Apne tu dil ka pataa de
Chaahoon main yaa naa

You only tell me,
should I love or not,
Tell me about your heart,
Should I love or not..

Itna bata doon tujh ko
Chaahat pe apni mujh ko
Yoon to nahi ikhtiyaar
Phir bhi yeh sochaa dil ne
Ab jo lagaa hoon milne
Poochhoon tujhe ek baar

I'll tell you so much,
On my love,
I don't have so much control,
Still the heart thought once,
Now that I've begun to meet,
I should ask you once..

Tu hi ye mujh ko bataa de
Chaahoon main yaa naa
Apne tu dil ka pataa de
Chaahoon main yaa naa

Aisee kabhee pehle hui naa thi khwaahishein
O.. kisee se bhi milne ki
Naa ki thi koshishein
Uljhan meri suljhaa de
Chaahoon main yaa naa
Aankhon aankhon mein jataa dey
Chaahoon main yaa naa

There were never such wishes before,
Never had I tried to meet
someone like that..
Disentangle my problems,
Should I love or not..
say to me within eyes,
Should I love or not..

Mere chhote chhote khwaab hain
Khwaabon mein geet hain
Geeton mein zindagi hai
Chaahat hai, preet hai
Abhi main na dekhoon khwaab wo
Jin mein na tu mile
Le kholey honth maine
Ab tak the jo sile

I have some small dreams,
In those dreams there are songs,
In songs, there is life,
love, and longing..
Now I don't dream those dreams,
in which you aren't there..
See, I open these lips (to agree)
that I had kept closed till now..

Mujh ko na jitna mujh pe
Utna is dil ko tujh pe
Hone laga aetbaar
Tanhaa lamhon mein apne
Bunti hoon tere sapne
Tujh se hua mujh ko pyaar..

My heart believes you so much
as I don't believe even myself..
In my lone moments,
I dream about you,
I have fallen in love with you..

Poochungi tujh ko kabhi naa
Chaahoon main yaa naa..
Tere khwaabon mein ab jeena
Chaahoon main kyun naa..

I'll never ask you
Should I love or not..
Now I have to live in your dreams
Should I love or not..