It's bin a while since my last guitar post, but heres an update - if only for myself (and rock-god historians of the future).

I've been playing alot, I have 5 days free a week to do completely what I like. So I am playing most days. I've honed in on learning travis picking style - this is my aim. To be like Merle Travis. I'll probably swap the good willed showmanship for a poetic Facade though I reckon.

I met a straggler the other night who ofted some advice on me. He said, the best guitarist he ever saw, was his brother. And his brother, the best guitarist he ever saw, ofted some information on him. If he ever could start it all over again, er, guitar, not life - he'd learn to finger pick from the start. This was music to my ears because this is exactly what i'd set out to do and was my new found plan as of earlier that week.

So anywho, here's a few of the new things i've learnt. I've been writing alot too. Just checking back to my last guitar post, i've actually improved alot. That's cool to see.

- Coffee & TV by Blur
- It's only rock & roll (But I like it) by the Stones
- Blowin in the wind by Bob Dylan
- Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks
- Pipedown by Babyshambles
- Oxygen by Willy Mason
- Wrong way by Sublime
- Up the Bracket by the Libertines
- Time for Heroes by The Libertines
- Fell in Love with a Girl by The White Stripes
- Sunny Afternoon by The Kinks
- Tangled up in Blue by Bob Dylan
- Feelin' Groovyby Simon & Garfunkel
- Positively 4th Street by Bob Dylan
- I'm so Free by Lou Reed
- The Importance of Being Idle by Oasis

Im at the stage now, where it's not so much a case of having to learn the likes of 'Wrong way' by Sublime, or 'Up the bracket' by the Libertines, its just a case of looking at the chords - memorizing them, and picking up the strumming pattern. It's cool.

I've been lookin at alot of Dylan songs and jamming them out and singing along. He's a cool guy to look at when you're learning - especially for his chord use. D, G, A.... G, A, D ... simple.

Travis picking is good because I can then take one of these simple to learn songs and give it a breath of (er, well, american west) freshness. Infact one of my reasons for learning Travis Picking is because i'd like to be able to play 'Don't think Twice' by Dylan.

I just learnt this a minute ago after watching Badlands tonight. Great film by the way. Martin Sheen is great.

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My plan right now, for myself - is to get off travelling in Australia. I think I will begin in Adelaide and possibly work up towards Sydney. If anybody has any advice or info about Aus, or travelling that you think i'd like to know please PM me, ta.