Now, I'm a long, long way from being Woody Guthrie. In fact, I'm a long, long way from being able to tie Woody Guthrie's shoelaces. But I am proud to say I've "turned the corner" in my guitar playing. I have "Roll on, Columbia", and "So Long It's Been Good ta Know Ya" (both by Woody Guthrie) down cold (same chord progression, slightly different tempo), and can work my way through 4 or 5 hymns (I've started playing a fifth, "Angel Band", a favorite of mine, on the autoharp so I can learn it because I still haven't mastered that danged ol' F chord).

But last night I was just plain proud of myself. I found the arrangements for another favorite of mine, "Long Black Veil", and the old standby "The Yellow Rose of Texas". I played the latter through with very few mistakes the first time I read it (it's a pretty easy chord progression, but you still have to know what you're doing to play it), and did a passable job with "Long Black Veil", which is a little more difficult, but still a relatively easy arrangement. I also worked a little with "Red River Valley", in part because there's a Guthrie song using that tune, and I'm the only feller that knows the words to the Guthrie lyrics.

I may get a chance to play "Roll on Columbia", and "So Long, it's Been Good ta Know Ya" at this year's Chatauqua, and may drop back into rhythm on a couple of others. It's nice to HAVE a repertoire, even if it IS severely limited.