I’ve been meaning to write about this for several weeks now.
If you’ve looked closely at my profile on MySpace, you may have noticed John Matsel listed among my influences. Although there is a group of folks out there that knows exactly who John Matsel is, I suspect there are many who don’t know him from Adam’s house cat. From what I know of John, I suspect he prefers it that way. I’m blessed to know him.
John is a retired Disciples pastor. I get the chance to meet up with him about once a year. It’s always a time to remember. John learned a lot about playing guitar when Merle Travis’s brother John was a member of his church. He’s a premier thumb-style player. He’s sat with players like Merle and Chet.
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to sit with John. We were at a men’s retreat together, relaxing on the porch and talking about how we play when he said, “Let me show you a couple of chords if you don’t mind.” If I don’t mind. Shoot!
He showed me how he played My Old Kentucky Home. He showed me a couple of handy six-string chord shapes that I hadn’t used before. We played When You and I Were Young (Maggie), even though I kept landing on Great Speckled Bird. I showed him how I play Precious Memories. We agreed that the first position E is one of the prettiest chords on a guitar. He offered suggestions and complimented what I did well. He emphasized, “You have to play it like you feel it.” It was like having a master class with your next door neighbor.
John is one of my influences, but not just for how he plays. John’s an influence for how he relates to other people. John’s an influence for how he wants to share what he has with somebody else. Yes, John’s one of my influences, because that’s how I want to play, relate and share.
You write very well.