Dear Diary: Up for the challenge. The bucket list item this Calgarian is taking care of during COVID-19

CBCCalgarywants to knowhow you are living these days. What are you doing differently? What makes you laugh? Cry? Scream? Have you started a new hobby? Let us know.

In this instalment of our series, Dear Diary: In a Time of COVID-19,Warren Smistadis picking away at something he's wanted to learn for a long time. This submission has been edited for clarity and length.

I am an avid guitar player, I've been playing for almost 50 years.There is onesong that has always been in the back of my mind to learn; the old Doc Watson song Deep River Blues.

Some videos I have seen of someone picking this song have indicated that it isn't as easy to play as it would seem. So, with that in mind I was determined to learn the song and after several hours of practice I have it mastered.

The trick is coordinating your fingers to play the chords and pick the melody at the same time while maintaining the rhythm of the song.

I chose to follow the example of the (in my opinion) greatest acoustic flat top picker ever: Doc Watson. Likely the hardest song I have learned prior to this was Green Sleeves, or the lead guitar part to Canadian Railroad Trilogy by Gordon Lightfoot long hard battle with that one.

Thanks COVID-19 for opening up the time for me to learn something I've wanted to for some time.

Dear Diary: I play the guitar to stay sane

4 years ago

Duration 1:22

Warren plays Deep River for us in CBC Calgary's latest Dear Diary profile where we ask for a page from your journal on what life is like with COVID-19.

Do you have a story to tell us?Click hereto share a page from your diary.