Weekend Musicking: Seven-String Goodness | Sojourners

Weekend Musicking: Seven-String Goodness

The author and the object of his affection: the seven-string guitar.
The author and the object of his affection: the seven-string guitar. Image courtesy of Tripp Hudgins.

It's been a very musical weekend.

Pictured at left is a Foster 7-string guitar. It's just like a traditional 6-string acoustic, but with the added rumble of a low-b string. It's an interesting beast to play. Lovely, really. I like that extra resonance in the low end, plus, if truth be told, I like singing with it. Here is a little recording from Soundcloud. I recorded the file below on my phone. Any tinnyness is purely because of the phone. 

Saturday I wandered about and played at Blue Note. Sunday things took a very musical turn. I'm contemplating writing more hymns again. I used to do that somewhat regularly, but I fell out of the habit. I'm not particularly sophisticated sonically and that frustrates me. Alas. I'm pondering it again nonetheless. It would be a good practice to have and to offer my congregation in Palo Alto. 

Sunday was mandolin-heavy. I played in Palo Alto with the kids and then went to St. Augustine Catholic Parish for their monthly evening service. It's a little praise and worship meets blues and jazz meets Wierd Al. Don't ask, but it's brilliant and I really enjoy playing with these people. 

Now, the next trick is figuring out how to convince my wife that I need that 7-string guitar. This won't be easy.

 

Tripp Hudgins is a doctoral student in liturgical studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif., and associate pastor of First Baptist Church of Palo Alto, Calif. You can read more of his writings on his longtime blog, "Conjectural Navel Gazing; Jesus in Lint Form" at AngloBaptist.orgFollow Tripp on Twitter @AngloBaptist.