Eric’s Playtime Series # 17 – Playing in Open D

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This song is played on my “work guitar” in Open D tuning. I keep this guitar at work.
This video was shot in 2019 but I was just playing a tune just like this one yesterday (2024). Some tunes stick in your head and keep re-appearing! I just love going from the One chord to the two.

So powerful. Oh. And I also love harmonized sixths.

I remember the day I discovered harmonizing double stops. Suddenly what they were doing in Brown Eyed Girl made sense. I started hearing this technique is so many songs. It changed me as a writer and as a player.

I apply this technique at about 1:20 in the video as well as in the chords being played throughout. I hope you enjoy the video.

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I have a Facebook page for my music as well as a YouTube Channel. I have released 8 songs to virtually all streaming services under the band name Wise Inspirations. And of course I have this website.

Eric’s Playtime Series # 16 – A Swampy Song

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This song is played on my Breedlove Phoenix in standard tuning. I love this guitar! I grew up in standard tuning. I also love what I call “swampy blues”. Feels to me like how I felt when I heard …

Black Water by the Doobie Brothers. I’m not sure if Swampy describes it very well but to me it does. How would you describe this feel?

Please “like” and Subscribe to see all of my videos. I have posted Playtime videos, Performance videos as well as lyric videos. Please leave a comment to share your thoughts!

I have a Facebook page for my music as well as a YouTube Channel. I have released 8 songs to virtually all streaming services under the band name Wise Inspirations. And of course I have this website.

Eric’s Playtime Series # 15 – Beautiful and Relaxing Simple song May 10, 2022

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My Baritone guitar adds a low end to the music. Such a great tone with great projection.
This song is just playing around in Open B (tuned like Open D on a normal guitar).

Several people have liked this video so far. Maybe I’ll add some lyrics.

Please “like” this video and Subscribe to see all my videos. I have posted Playtime videos, Performance videos as well as lyric videos. Please leave a comment to share your thoughts!

I have a Facebook page for my music as well as a YouTube Channel. I have released 8 songs to virtually all streaming services under the band name Wise Inspirations. And of course I have this website.

Eric’s Playtime Series # 14 – Beautiful and Relaxing Simple song May 10, 2022

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This song is played on my Breedlove Phoenix 30Th anniversary guitar. This guitar is made with “sinker Redwood”. This is wood from the Amazon that was under water, soaking, for as long as a

century or more. We might think that the wood would rot but it does not. It actually becomes even better for guitar making.

Playtime # 14 is again played in Open D Tuning. I have spent a lot of time in Open D. I find it a really beautiful tuning with tons of possibilities.

Please “like” and Subscribe to see all of my videos. I have posted Playtime videos, Performance videos as well as lyric videos. Please leave a comment to share your thoughts!

Eric’s Playtime Series # 13 – Nice Drop D Rock Song

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Playtime # 13 is in Drop D tuning. The lowest note on the guitar is tuned down to a D and all the other strings stay the same.

This is a simple rock song. Often, the simpler the better. Leave a comment to let me know if you like this one.

The guitar is my “at work” guitar. A generic Fender with a cut-away. Cut-aways are nice for reaching way up the neck.

I have released 8 songs to virtually all streaming services under the band name Wise Inspirations. Please take a listen when you get a chance. Just ask for music by Wise Inspirations.

I have a Facebook page for my music as well as a YouTube Channel. I also have this website.

Please “like” and Subscribe to see all of my videos. I have posted Playtime videos, Performance videos as well as lyric videos. Please leave a comment to share your thoughts!

Eric’s Playtime Series # 12 – Open D Fun

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When I need a guitar, I always have one. I even have a carbon fiber guitar that lives in my car trunk. A Carbon Fiber guitar is not affected by the temperature. It is also impervious to water and

is made from materials that are not damaged by impacts. So it is safe to “live” in the trunk. I always have a guitar close by. I hate to wait for anything without a guitar.

Playtime # 12 is played in Open D Tuning on my “at work” guitar. Back in those days I spent a lot of time in Open D. Earlier it was open E but on the 12-string the high G string kept breaking trying to go up to a G#, so I chose to instead go down to F# and Open D tuning. I do know the neck quite well in Open D but I still find new and beautiful things to do.

Please “like” and Subscribe to see all of my videos. I have posted Playtime videos, Performance videos as well as lyric videos. Please leave a comment to share your thoughts!

I have a Facebook page for my music as well as a YouTube Channel. I have released 8 songs to virtually all streaming services under the band name Wise Inspirations. And of course I have this website.

Eric’s Playtime Series # 11 – In the Groove

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Playtime # 11 is played in Drop D Tuning on my classical guitar. It is amazing how, even an inexpensive, nylon string guitar can have such tone.

Start with a groove, add a riff or two – Voila – song. Played in drop D this song is well liked! Played immediately after composing. A matter of minutes.

Eric’s Playtime is all about an authentic presentation of real time creativity. One-Take ensures all the mistakes are there too!

I used to play during lunches and to take a break at the place I worked back then. In this video I explain this to a passerby. A minute later my boss walks by and leers at me. LOL. It was my lunch break!

Please “like” and Subscribe to see all of my videos. I have posted Playtime videos, Performance videos as well as lyric videos. Please leave a comment to share your thoughts!

Eric’s Playtime Series # 10 – Practical Man

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A fun blues piece. Originally written to accompany some lyrics I wrote as a funny song about a guy who treated woman with no respect. Later I decided that the lyrics are too rude and so now

the song is waiting for the right lyrics to match the feel.

I used to play this in public at places like Newburyport Harbor and people walking by almost always moved to the groove. More than others of my songs.

Please “like” and Subscribe to see all of my videos. I have posted Playtime videos, Performance videos as well as lyric videos. Please leave a comment to share your thoughts!

I have a Facebook page for my music as well as a YouTube Channel. I have released 8 songs to virtually all streaming services under the band name Wise Inspirations. And of course I have this website.

Playtime # 10 is played in Standard Tuning on my “at work ” guitar. Yes I kept this guitar at work in my cubicle.

Eric’s Playtime Series # 9 – Open G for the first time

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Playtime # 9 is played in Open G. This is where the notes on the guitar are the notes of a G chord. I have used open tunings for quite a long time now but this was the first time I played in Open G.

This is a really sloppy piece. However, the whole idea of Eric’s Playtime is to have one-take, unedited playing. Everything is raw and real. Even to this day, I believe I am a good, not great, guitar player. But I do believe that my songwriting is my strength. This is an energetic upbeat piece. I played those two chords from above the fretboard to get the open strings to ring well. Hard to do with a standard playing style.

The guitar is my 1977 Penco of course tuned to Open G (D G D G B D).

Please “like” and Subscribe to see all of my videos. I have posted Playtime videos, Performance videos as well as lyric videos. Please leave a comment to share your thoughts!

I have a Facebook page for my music as well as a YouTube Channel. I have released 8 songs to virtually all streaming services under the band name Wise Inspirations. And of course I have this website.

Eric’s Playtime Series # 8 – Playing in Drop D

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Playtime # 8 is played in Drop D. This is where the lowest note on the guitar is tuned down to a D and all the other strings stay the same. This allows the D chord to be really full, 6 strings instead of 4.

I do not love this piece but parts of it can be used in other songs. Back in those days, 2017, I was still learning “the neighborhood” in some of the tunings. That is my term for finding chords and ways to put things together that sound good. As guitar players we “know the neighborhood” of standard tuning quite well. But once you change how the guitar is tuned we have to learn again.

The guitar is my first guitar, “Penny”, my 1977 Penco.