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Welcome to Stinky’s Woodshed! |
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Saturday, 29 December 2007 |
Why This Site Exists
While I have taken guitar lessons for some time, I find myself forgetting some of the key points and useful exercises taught to me by my instructors. So I decided I need a place to store this information where I can find it when I want it. What better place then online? This way if I want to share information with friends I can just point them to this site.
While I have no expectations for this site maybe it will turn into a great online resource for all looking to improve their guitar playing skills. And then may it will just fizzle out and never become anything. Only time will tell.
Why a Woodshed?
I first heard the term woodshedding from one of my guitar instructors. The term is often defined as ‘to practice a musical instrument’. One definition referred to woodshedding as ‘hard practice’. Another says, ‘to practice or hone skills, particularly musical skills. The origin is from the fact that for purposes of privacy people would go to their woodshed to practice without being overheard’.
I am not sure how accurate any of those definitions are or even if I agree with them entirely. I tend to think that ‘woodshedding’ means to practice with a purpose and with a specific focus. To me that doesn’t mean it has to be hard or even done in private. I guess the term can mean different things to different a person…which is a reason I like the sound of it.
As far as I can tell from researching online this term originated when early vocal quartets would improvise the harmonies they sang. This practice was referred to as “Woodshedding”. These early vocal quartets eventually evolved into the well known Barbershop Quartets most of us have heard at some point in our life.
As with most slang terms the definition of woodshedding took on new meanings when used in the realm of music. While this term now generally means practicing any type of instrument it seems it is most commonly used in relationship to practicing the guitar.
I think Paul Klemperer’s article about the meaning and history of the term “Woodshedding” summed it up best when it says, “Any musician…has to pay his or her dues. You still have to take your axe in hand, go to the woodshed, and chop that wood before you can light the fire”.
So it is safe to say you have to have a woodshed if you are going to go woodshedding. For me, my woodshed is my guitar room and this site is just an extension of that. Welcome to my virtual woodshed! |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 29 December 2007 )
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