Bleez Guitar Mentoring Options

[Alex Feather]

Hi Scott! I am glad you have decided to join my program! I have a few questions before we can start!
-What are your goals?
-What is your weakness?
-What is your strongest point?
-Your favorite guitar players?
I am very excited to work with you!!!

[bleez]

Awesome, thanks Alex

Goals - Id like to write my own music, take a backing track or even some riffs which Ive came up with and be able to put some lead on top and have it be something that I would honestly listen to.
I'd like to be at a level where I could play some of the solos from bands that I listen to as well but ultimately being able to create my own stuff is the main goal for me.

Strengths - Rhythm playing. I have played in bands as a rhythm guitarist.
I think my hands are reasonably well coordinated.
things like palm muting, riffing, alternate picking are techniques I can do..... to some extent.
Im super keen!

Weakness - limited musical knowledge. I would need to be told which scales to use over a backing track, not that I would be able to use the scales to play anything very impressive of course!
I cant play lead very fast and usually when I do have a lick I can actually play fast I struggle with the timing of it.
when I do try improvising I tend to play the same things over and over.
I dont think I practice properly or efficiently enough to improve.

Favourite Players - Tony Iommi, David Gilmour, Slash, Tom Morrello.



Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and thanks for setting this up for me.

This post has been edited by bleez: Apr 15 2012, 10:53 PM

[Alex Feather]

Cool! I am very excited to start!
So for your first assignment I have a very nice exercise! It will help you with your timing and will develop your technique!
The trick is to practice it very very slow using a metronome, you playing one note per click! For example set it to 80 BPM I wouldn't suggest to go over 100 BPM! You will see a huge progress in a few weeks!
Here is the tab

E ||---------------------------|----------------------------------------|
B ||---------------------------|----------------------------------------|
G ||o5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5----|--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5----|
D ||o--------------------------|----------------------------------------|
A ||---------------------------|----------------------------------------|
E ||---------------------------|----------------------------------------|


----------------------------|---------------------------------------|||
----------------------------|---------------------------------------|||
--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5----|--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--o|||
----------------------------|--------------------------------------o|||
----------------------------|---------------------------------------|||
----------------------------|---------------------------------------|||


-------------3--3----------|--------------3--3----------|
-------4--4--------4--4----|--------4--4--------4--4----|
o5--5----------------------|--5--5----------------------|
o--------------------------|----------------------------|
---------------------------|----------------------------|
---------------------------|----------------------------|


--------------3--3----------|--------------3--3---------|||
--------4--4--------4--4----|--------4--4--------4--4---|||
--5--5----------------------|--5--5--------------------o|||
----------------------------|--------------------------o|||
----------------------------|---------------------------|||
----------------------------|---------------------------|||


-6--3----------------------|--6--3----------------------|
----------4--6--3----------|-----------4--6--3----------|
o------5-----------5--3----|--------5-----------5--3----|
o--------------------------|----------------------------|
---------------------------|----------------------------|
---------------------------|----------------------------|


--6--3----------------------|--6--3---------------------|||
-----------4--6--3----------|-----------4--6--3---------|||
--------5-----------5--3----|--------5-----------5--3--o|||
----------------------------|--------------------------o|||
----------------------------|---------------------------|||
----------------------------|---------------------------|||


-6--3--------------------6--3----------------------|
----------4--6--3-----------------4--6--3----------|
o------5-----------5--3--------5-----------5--3----|
o--------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------|


--6--3--------------6--3----------------|
--------4-----------------4-------------|
-----------5--4--3-----------5--4--3----|
----------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------|


--6--3--------------------6--3----------------------|
-----------4--6--3-----------------4--6--3----------|
--------5-----------5--3--------5-----------5--3----|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|


--6--3--------------6--3---------------|||
--------4-----------------4------------|||
-----------5--4--3-----------5--4--3--o|||
--------------------------------------o|||
---------------------------------------|||
---------------------------------------|||


-6--4--3-------------------------------------------|
-------------------6--4--3-------------------------|
o---------7--5--3--------------------7--5--3-------|
o---------------------------6--5--3----------------|
----------------------------------------------6----|
---------------------------------------------------|


----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
--------6--5--3-----------------------------3--5----|
--5--3-----------------------------3--5--6----------|
-----------------6--4--3--3--4--6-------------------|


-----------------------4--6--8--3--4--6-------------|
--------------4--6--8--------------------3--4--6----|
-----3--5--7----------------------------------------|
--6-------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|


--6--4--3-------------------------------------------|
--------------------6--4--3-------------------------|
-----------7--5--3--------------------7--5--3-------|
-----------------------------6--5--3----------------|
-----------------------------------------------6----|
----------------------------------------------------|


----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
--------6--5--3-----------------------------3--5----|
--5--3-----------------------------3--5--6----------|
-----------------6--4--3--3--4--6-------------------|


-----------------------4--6--8--3--4--6------------|||
--------------4--6--8--------------------3--4--6---|||
-----3--5--7--------------------------------------o|||
--6-----------------------------------------------o|||
---------------------------------------------------|||
---------------------------------------------------|||

Guitar Pro
 Hands_workout.gp5 ( 4.5K ) Number of downloads: 29

Let me know if you have any questions!

[bleez]

Cool, Alex thanks for taking the time to put together this exercise. I'll make a start on it tonight.
Im guessing that I break it down to 5 separate sections rather than one continuous piece?


also, slightly off topic... the 'tuner bending' lesson you recorded is so cool sounding The first time I listened to it I went and ordered a slide from amazon! It is top of my list for learning. Its like a ska/blues/rock blend....... very very nice.

[Alex Feather]

Cool, Alex thanks for taking the time to put together this exercise. I'll make a start on it tonight.
Im guessing that I break it down to 5 separate sections rather than one continuous piece?


also, slightly off topic... the 'tuner bending' lesson you recorded is so cool sounding The first time I listened to it I went and ordered a slide from amazon! It is top of my list for learning. Its like a ska/blues/rock blend....... very very nice.

You can break it into different sections but I would suggest you playing the whole take through you can use it as a warm up routine!
Thank you very much for kind words I am glad that you like my lesson!
Let me know if you have any questions!

[bleez]

You can break it into different sections but I would suggest you playing the whole take through you can use it as a warm up routine!
Thank you very much for kind words I am glad that you like my lesson!
Let me know if you have any questions!

understood, thanks

I'll work on that and get a recording posted when Ive got it down

[Alex Feather]

understood, thanks

I'll work on that and get a recording posted when Ive got it down

Awesome! I am looking forward to it!

[bleez]

Just wanted to give you a quick update: still working through this exercise. I think I am about 90% there with it and Im just working on that last section. I'd just like to bring that last section up to the tempo Im playing rest of it at which I think with a few more sessions I should be able to do. Im hoping to get a first recoding of it at 80bpm in a few days ( hopefully) )

I must say though that it is a really cool exercise to play. When I first looked at it I thought it would be tough to remember all the parts but as I began learning it I realised how the whole thing just flows together very nice!

[Alex Feather]

Just wanted to give you a quick update: still working through this exercise. I think I am about 90% there with it and Im just working on that last section. I'd just like to bring that last section up to the tempo Im playing rest of it at which I think with a few more sessions I should be able to do. Im hoping to get a first recoding of it at 80bpm in a few days ( hopefully) )

I must say though that it is a really cool exercise to play. When I first looked at it I thought it would be tough to remember all the parts but as I began learning it I realised how the whole thing just flows together very nice!

That is very good! I am glad you like this exercise! This is something that you can add to your daily warm up routine!!!
I am looking forward to hear your take!

[bleez]

well that was really quite difficult to record! I can play it a lot better in sections but when I try to play the whole exercise in one take I definitely struggle to keep in time.
Ive also found that every time I hit that record button whatever I am playing gets a little more difficult LOL!

but here's my take of the exercise at 80bpm :
http://soundcloud.com/bleez666/exercise1-80

[Alex Feather]

well that was really quite difficult to record! I can play it a lot better in sections but when I try to play the whole exercise in one take I definitely struggle to keep in time.
Ive also found that every time I hit that record button whatever I am playing gets a little more difficult LOL!

but here's my take of the exercise at 80bpm :
http://soundcloud.com/bleez666/exercise1-80

Very nice!!! You started to rush a little bit towards the end, but more you will practice it better it will get! Just do this exercise as a warm up routine every day and you will have a great progress!
I have a new assignment for you!
This one is for your left hand only so everything is legato with no right hand involved!

E |--2h-5h-2h-3----------------|----------------------------|
B |--------------5h-3h-2-------|--------------------3h-2h---|
G |-----------------------4h---|--3h-2-----2h-3h-4----------|
D |----------------------------|--------4-------------------|
A |----------------------------|----------------------------|
E |----------------------------|----------------------------|


-----2h-3h-5h-7h-5h-3h-5----|----|----------------------------|
--5-------------------------|----|----------------------------|
----------------------------|----|-----7--------------5-------|
----------------------------|----|--------7h-6h-5--------5h---|
----------------------------|----|--5--------------7----------|
----------------------------|----|----------------------------|


----------------------------|----|----------------------------|
----------------------------|----|----------------------------|
----------------------------|----|----------------------------|
--6h-7----------------------|----|-----------2h-4h-5----------|
--------7h-5h-3-------------|----|--------------------2h-3h---|
-----------------3h-5h-7----|----|--2h-3h-5-------------------|


----------------------------|--------3h-5h-7h-5h-3h-5----|----|
-----------------------3h---|--5h-7----------------------|----|
-----2h-4h-5----------------|----------------------------|----|
--------------2h-4h-5-------|----------------------------|----|
--5-------------------------|----------------------------|----|
----------------------------|----------------------------|----|


--5h-2h-3h-4----------------|----||
--------------5h-3h-2h-4----|----||
----------------------------|----||
----------------------------|----||
----------------------------|----||
----------------------------|----||

 Exercises.gp5 ( 2.46K ) Number of downloads: 23


This is a hard exercise so don't over play it!
If you feel any pain stop practicing this and let me know!!!

[bleez]

thanks alex. I'll let you know how I get on with this one.

[Alex Feather]

thanks alex. I'll let you know how I get on with this one.

Awesome! Let me know if you have any questions!

[Alex Feather]

thanks alex. I'll let you know how I get on with this one.

Hey!!! How are you? I just wanted to check on you! How is everything? Are you ready for a new assignment or need help with anything?

[bleez]

hi alex, Im still working on that last exercise. Im about 90% with it, probably need a few more sessions practice before I can post a take.
Im hoping to be able to record it in a few days.

[Alex Feather]

hi alex, Im still working on that last exercise. Im about 90% with it, probably need a few more sessions practice before I can post a take.
Im hoping to be able to record it in a few days.

Awesome I am looking forward to hear your take!

[Alex Feather]

hi alex, Im still working on that last exercise. Im about 90% with it, probably need a few more sessions practice before I can post a take.
Im hoping to be able to record it in a few days.

Hi! I have a new melodic assignment for you! Let me know when you are ready!

[bleez]

Hi! I have a new melodic assignment for you! Let me know when you are ready!

that would be great, Alex, go for it dude
Im in a bit of a rut just now and struggling with a bit of low motivation. I think I could do with something new to focus on. thanks.

[Alex Feather]

that would be great, Alex, go for it dude
Im in a bit of a rut just now and struggling with a bit of low motivation. I think I could do with something new to focus on. thanks.

Why do you have a low motivation?? Can I help you with anything?
Here is the melodic assignment for you
Here is the track that we will be using
http://soundcloud.com/alex-feather-akimov/ii-v-i-jam
It's a standard II-V-I progression in E minor
So the chords are Emi7 - A7 -Dmaj7
To start I would like you to take three pentatonics in this shapes:

B minor


E minor


F# minor



For now just get use to the track and try to apply scales I gave you!
In a couple of days we will start a new approach! It will be like a collab but one on one!
We will be playing solos back and forth based on your assignments! It will be really fun and will skyrocket your improvisation!
Let me know if you have any questions!

[bleez]

Im on it
I know the b minor scale pattern really well and I'll get the other 2 shapes learned. Looking forward to this assignment, it sounds cool!

Why do you have a low motivation?? Can I help you with anything?

Just a bit of frustration. Ive been working a lot recently on a couple of exercises focusing on bending and speed.
Before I joined GMC I didnt even realise how poor my bending was but now Ive become so aware of each bend I get wrong that I cringe when I hear it!
I suppose recognising the out of tune bends is an improvement...... I'd just prefer to play the notes better so there are not any bad ones LOL!
Its the same with the speed exercises I've been doing, sometimes it seems like an impossible task.
I just need to keep going and stay focused.

This assignment will be a good change from what Ive been trying to do recently, thanks.