Acoustic Pond Christmas Videos

Christmas Videos of people from Acoustic Pond for 2010. 
Enjoy

Acoustic Pond Christmas Special 2010




Acoustic Pond Gals 2010





Acoustic Pond Guys 2010

Thinking about Guitars and a Trip Down Memory Lane

It's time to take a trip down memory lane. Guitar memory lane that is. 

I was in a mood for thought and started to think of the kinds of guitars that I have owned. Which one's were my favorite to play and which have sadly gone on to the great guitar heaven in the sky or ended up at no longer being in my possession.

When I first started to play I started with a Yamaha nylon 6 string. I wasn't sure at that stage whether I would be any good at it or that it would become one of my passions. 

All I knew was that I loved to sing and if I had my own instrument (apart from my own voice) I would be able to sing anything. I didn't like being restricted in the choice of songs I could sing by the recorded music I had available. I was and still am a huge Jewel fan and after reading that she had also taught herself to play I was ready for the challenge.

I asked around people that I knew online and offline that played guitar, as to what was the best to get. I was all set in my head to turn in to a heavy metal electric guitar hair whipping rocker chick! I listened to the advice I was given and started to look for an acoustic. I was told if you can play an acoustic you can play anything. That seemed solid advice to me. I never did turn in to that heavy metal hair whipping rocker chick. Instead I fell in love with the sound of the acoustics.  I headed off to the local pawn shop as I didn't want to spend much money until I knew what I was going to be doing with it. I really didn't know anything about guitars and upon the advice of the store clerk decided on the yamaha. It came with new strings and although he did show me how to tune it I think I had forgotten by the time that I left the shop.

I struggled but persisted with teaching myself how to play. I had help from online musicians from all over the world from what was to be come known as the "Acoustic Pond". Feel free to visit my links if you wish to know more about "Acoustic Pond". 

If I got stuck I asked for help and if it meant over a web cam to show me what to do or from a book.  One of my dear friends who was actually a great musician would also time after time come over and very patiently restring my guitar. Show me how to do it numerous times. Then get called back yet again to do it all over again. There wasn't the options there is today of lessons online and videos. It would have been a lot easier if I had the sites online there is today that you can find on searches or on youtube.

I eventually wanted to switch to a steel string guitar and did actually put steel strings on my poor yamaha and it gave the most awesome sound I liked it better that way. This is not suggested or advised as its bad for a guitar that's designed for nylon strings. I liked the sound though and as it was mine I really didn't care and that's how it stayed until it ended up being given to a friend.

My next purchase was a black Takamine. I loved this guitar. This was my first big purchase from a guitar shop and even though it was second hand it still cost me some money but it was well worth it. I would have no hesitation buying one of these again. I have so many great memories of this guitar. Just mentioning it sends my thoughts down memory lane and all the great times I had with it. This beautiful specimen of melodic joy had an very untimely and distressing ending. I had her resting on her guitar stand and she lost the fight with my vacuum cord and ended up crashing down on to a marble floor causing the head to completely snap from the neck! If anyone else had been involved in her untimely passing I would probably still not be speaking to them. 

After poor Takamine finding her way up to guitar heaven I then fell in love with a Cort electric/acoustic steel string cutaway. 

She has brought me many years of joy and I'm hoping to have her out of storage soon and back in to my hands. I fell in love with her the instant I played her and it was one of those "just must have it" purchases.  She can be seen in many of my older videos on youtube. Being an electric acoustic I have the option of plugging her in so I did get part way to my original rocker chick image.

I would also recommend this guitar particularly for females as the neck is great for small hands. Something a female player has to be aware of is the size of the neck of the guitar and the ease of playing on it. I like that it can be simply plugged in on the side to an amp and then you can play with the sound with the switches. 

That brings me to another favorite of mine. He is currently keeping my Cort company until its back in my hands again. I do refer to all of my guitars usually as "she". This one though by the size of the neck and by the deeper sound of the guitar than the others I have mentioned, to me is a "he".

callouses that are harder on the skin than a 6 string guitar. Double the strings also means more wear and tear on the fingers.

 I love the sound of a 12 string guitar and this has a unique sound of its own. I tend to use this for very simple songs to make them sound more intricate than they actually are. It does tend to shred the fingers with the 12 fingers but its well worth the callouses.

My current choice of musical pleasure is an Aria. She has fit very well in to my collection of lovable music makers and I would again recommend her to anyone wanting a simplistic sound and easy neck to handle. She can be seen in my more recent videos on youtube. Although she hasn't seen as much use as my other guitars we are still getting acquainted.

Having two young children that tend to like to mute my strings or climb all over me every time I attempt to play has been hindering my abilities. I do have to laugh at the antics though and hope they too will be avid guitar enthusiasts and inherit the passion for acoustic guitars. 

My now 5 year old has a few of his own videos and has appeared in many of mine since he was a baby. Some videos that I have taken of him when he is just enjoying playing and singing. His most memorable video being his "cheese" song where all the lyrics are "cheese, cheese and cheese". Other memorable ones where where he basically takes over my own video. One that particularly comes to mind is when we were both outside while I recorded a video of me doing a cover of Jewel song called "I do". 

Jewel Cover song "I do" by AussieGuitarPrincess 

He definitely makes his presence known and I put that particular video up mainly as it made me laugh so much. I played it back watching him kick and run through the entire thing.

He and his younger brother both have guitars of their own. I am putting my foot down at getting them a drum kit as I really don't think I would ever get them to stop.

There is also a cover of Arms of Angel where my youngest makes his own special appearance too. Both these videos feature my Aria.

Arms of Angel & Son cover song - Aussieguitarprincess

On a lasting note I have my wish list. My wish list of guitars would have to be a Maton. These guitars are only made in Australia and have a truly unique sound of their own.  I hope to own one day. My wish list maton is a mini maton!!! Perfect in size for someone such as myself. There is a link to the maton site below if you wish to see what the other maton guitars look like and its full of information about Maton guitars.

 Maton Guitars Australia

Thank you to all that have been taking the time to read my blogs. That has been my trip down guitar memory lane. I intend to do more guitar blogs and in particular on the people from Acoustic Pond.

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An Aussie Christmas

An Aussie Christmas... Oprah said her final farewells and left Sydney to return back to States on her private plane or as reports have it maybe to stop over in Fiji before returning home. I am sure my BFF Dolly will be missing her already and I enjoyed her updates as to where she was and what was happening. I am sure Dolly will probably be emailing her asking her to come back and visit her from now on. With all the talk about O and her guests seeing all these amazing destinations Australia has to offer it got me thinking how would I describe an Aussie Christmas. It certainly is nothing like an American White Christmas. 

Christmas in Australia is set in Summer. Temperatures on average being 30 plus Celsius or 86 plus in Fahrenheit. It's usually very hot no matter where you are.  Christmas Dinner is usually held at midday and can be anywhere from family home to hotels or restaurants or outdoors at beach or parks. Christmas trees and decorations and lights all seem to be celebrated the same whether in Australia or in the States. 

The weather seems to set the tone and I usually have an image in my mind of a hot summer day. Lots of food usually indoors with air conditioning. Playing outside with paper Christmas hats on with the ink dripping off a sweaty face.  Eating till you basically feel you have to have a nap. Then doing it all again that night with the leftovers. 

Traditional Christmas Dinner includes ham, pork, turkey and fresh seafood. Either served cold or hot with some roasted vegetables but usually with salads. Traditional desserts or sweets would include trifle, pavlova, fruit salad. Christmas plum pudding is a desert that is served enflamed. During the Australian gold rushes these puddings often had a gold nugget baked inside them but are now usually replaced with other treats. Anyone who finds them in their plate is believed to have good luck throught the coming year. Fruit mince pies are also popular which are similar to christmas pudding made with fruit. Christmas dinner is usually a smorgasbord of that takes up at least one whole table and at least a day to eat it.

Aussie Jingle Bells lyrics...

Dashing through the bush, in a rusty Holden Ute, 
Kicking up the dust, esky in the boot,

Kelpie by my side, singing Christmas songs, 
It's Summer time and I am in my singlet, 
shorts and thongs

 Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,  
Christmas in Australia on a scorching summers day, Hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut !,
Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute.

Engine's getting hot; we dodge the kangaroos, The swaggie climbs aboard, he is welcome too. All the family's there, sitting by the pool, Christmas Day the Aussie way, by the barbecue.

Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Christmas in Australia on a scorching summers day, Hey! 
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut!,
Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute.

Come the afternoon, Grandpa has a doze, The kids and Uncle Bruce, are swimming in their clothes.

The time comes 'round to go, we take the family snap,
Pack the car and all shoot through, before the washing up.
 
Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Christmas in Australia on a scorching summers day, Hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut!,
Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden Ute

Aussie Jingle Bells