A little something

On my Fender DG5 after a re-string with D'addario Extra Lights

New strings for Tilly

I've had a pack of strings in my guitar bag for a while now, and today I decided it was time my Fender acoustic got a re-string.
They are D'addario Phosphor Bronze Extra Lights (.010 to .047) and what a difference they made!
Warmer sound and lighter on the fingers. Being a big, long scale Dreadnought the guitar has a high tension, so putting lights on seemed to be an ideal solution. Now it plays as easily as my Tanglewood!

My two acoustics

Fender and Tanglewood go head to head. Its quite hard to choose between them-the blonde Fender DG5 (2004) has a bigger, deeper sound due to it being a Dreadnought style guitar but it's a bit too big to handle comfortably, and always hurts my fingers. The blue Tanglewood Discovery (2011) however is smaller, easier to handle but has a narrower neck less suited to fingerstyle I suppose. Both sound fabulous though and the Tanglewood played straight out of the box, whereas the Fender needed a set up, having a very high action from the outset.

Greensleeves, 2 ways

I thought I'd have a go at the alternative version of Greensleeves on my tin whistle. But after playing clarinet I find I'm now blowing too hard!

Amazing Grace

Now I'm not religious at all but I like this music and here's my version of it on clarinet.

A Bit of Beiderbecke

Bix Beiderbecke was an early jazz player. His weapon of choice was the cornet and he paved his own way in the 1920s. Sadly he died in 1931 aged just 28, killed by drinking bad liquor.
I was practising clarinet today and one of his songs - used in an 80s TV show, popped into my head, and I went for it.

Jazz improv, clarinet

Feels like I'm getting to grips with this instrument, but I do need to work on my embouchure. I'm blowing with my cheeks like I'm playing a trumpet, that's bad! I also need so 2 reeds.

No idea what notes I'm playing, I just went for it. That's improv!