I've Got Blisters on Me Fingers!

As The Spouse announced yesterday, we now own "Guitar Hero". And last night he brought home a second guitar so we can have bands.

Hi. My name is Lorraine and I'm addicted to digital crack.

I used to play guitar for real. I was only ever tolerable. I had a small repertoire of songs and could hold my own in jamming sessions around assorted campfires or what-have-you, provided the songs were your basic C-G-D sorts of tunes. (Which thankfully, most rock and folk songs are). I always had trouble with F and I never, ever figured out bar chords. Also, I pretty much had one strum, which either sped up or slowed down depending on the tune. Finger picking? Are you kidding.

I was a hack.

But I enjoyed it.

The thing about playing the guitar, though, is that it takes some time to build up callouses on your fingertips. Whenever I'd first start out (I gave it up, then took it up again a couple of times) there was a unique pain that accompanied me in the first weeks of playing, a kind of tingling bruised feeling that reminded me constantly that I was playing guitar. Over time it would subside until I could play for hours without discomfort. It was just part of the deal; you have to press your soft, delicate flesh pretty hard against a steel string in order for it to sound right. It was part of the pain and sacrifice of being a musician. (Which is a way loftier word for what I was but you get the point).

Now, again, the tips of my fingers hurt. It's silly, because in "Guitar Hero" you don't have strings. You just push buttons. And you don't have to push them hard to accomplish the task and hit the "notes". But some things are just instinctive. When I've got my axe slung on and am rocking my tentative way through "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" I push down on those buttons like they are steel strings and consequently, my fingertips hurt. (Ouch, she said as she typed. Ouch).

The Spouse is probably expecting today's video to be Foghat's "Slow Ride" (at which I'm pretty good. On the easy level). But no. I'm playing another one of those songs that you totally know because snippets of it have been used to sell stuff. Which could make it over used and annoying but I happen to find it very fresh and fun.

It is, according to the band, a song about just being silly and crazy and letting loose. I felt compelled to mention that. Because I know how some of you think.



Caesars "Jerk It Out"