Theory of Gliding

So, CSMA has been replaced by Glider Theory. I’ve moved from synths to
guitars – neither of which I’m especially good at playing if I’m
really honest.

CSMA and GT (as I’ll refer to Glider Theory from now on) were both
initiated by Stuart and he mostly ‘runs’ those projects – I’m really
just along for the ride.

GT started around lockdown when Stuart started going back to guitar
playing, having fairly recently bought a new Gibson Les Paul
gold-top. I think this re-kindled something in him as he’s now also back
in his 90s band playing guitar there.

For me I was never really a guitarist – even though I’ve always owned
guitars – even before I owned a violin I had a basic acoustic guitar
that my parents must have got for me. I did have some lessons at
primary school so could play the basic movable chords and had a
modicum of technique.

In my teens I had a Hondo Les Paul copy that I used to play with a
friend of mine. I have no recollection of what we played. It would
definitely have been terrible.

The first major thing I bought when I started my first job was a 70s
CBS-era Fender Stratocaster which I played in a sort-of folk-rock band, but as we never got any gigs I’m not sure that even counts.

CSMA was never good for a long-term project, at least as it stood. Playing
lots of large synths in my room was fine of course, but gigging that
was HARD work, and as we get older is now actually impossible. A guitar
and a few pedals, especially if one is a ‘guitar synth’ now that’s
much more portable.

So, Glider Theory seemed to fall out of that, the impossibility of
CSMA and Stuart’s rekindled love of guitar playing. For me, I was just
pulled along from one instrument I could barely play to another!

When we started CSMA I embarked on piano lessons to improve my playing – those stopped when my teacher retired and I never found another one I
liked. Maybe I should get some guitar lessons (probably online tbh)
this time.

Being a violinist (ish) I’ve always liked string instruments anyway so
that helped I suppose (and guitars are SO MUCH PRETTIER THAN SYNTHS)
and I have been using effect pedals with violin since I bought my
first electric in 2009, so that was a skill that was easily
transferrable. But also, being a violinist meant I was more
used to playing single-line leads or counterpoint, I’m not really good
at chords if I’m really honest.

So, it was Stuart who got me into synths, and Stuart that got me
(back) into guitars. I’m such a pushover; but it’s fun.

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