Maharzan - Mtp Assignment Thread, December 2009 Options

[Emir Hot]

Here is the thread for posting assignments. The first one is on Sunday - 6th December.

[maharzan]

Oh.. Looks like I am the first to submit ..

Anyway, here is my take on the 1st assignment.

[Emir Hot]

Awesome job. I am very happy to see your confidence when playing these patterns. We'll now go back to the other thread where I'll give you something more complex with these scales. It will be a mixture of different keys in all positions. Just remember where your root sits and you'll be fine

The next assignment is on the next Sunday - December 13th

[maharzan]

Thanks Emir. I will check the new assignment.

[maharzan]

Okay, This was pretty complex at least to remember the notes.. It was all confusing though the fingering pattern helped a bit. I practiced last 2 days (nearly whole day) and little bit here and there on the other days. I just got like 3 times correct without stopping or making any errors. Pretty hard..

It has a bit off timing here and there (which I suck at) and since its a long rundown my patience was breaking... I always get this feeling.. you know if I am getting things correctly, I become nervous / excited and I make mistakes within next 2-3 bars. So, if I make it perfect, its like a miracle.

Hope its okay on this take.

[Emir Hot]

Man this was perfect. I don't know what you're talking about but this was exactly what we need Well done man. No need to get stressed if you don't get it from the first couple of takes. You see, eventually you can get it. I am really pleased to see the take like this.

Let's move on.

1. Produce backing track with the following progression:
Am | Dm7 | E7 | Am |
Am | Dm7 | E7 | Am, C#7 |
F#m | E | D | A, C#7 |
F#m | E/G# | D | E7 |
A (major) |

One chord between the bar lines ( like |Am| ) presents one bar in 4/4. Two chords like | Am, C#7 | present each chord half a bar.

2. Play 16th notes like in your last video and move through the positions. As many positions as you can.

3. Tempo is your choice (try something similar like the last one).

4. The track doesnt need to be complex. Just one drum loop with root bass notes and chords on the keyboard or guitar.

5. Write down which modes you are playing over each chord. Each chord belongs to a different major scale mode. For example you will start with A aeolian over Am chord, then move to D dorian over D minor 7. The rest you work out. While it is obvious that you are in C major scale in the first section I want you to think of the modal root of that chord. If you start from the A Aeolian position 1 you will realize that you are actually playing 5th position of the C major scale. So over Am chord think of your A root, not C.
From F#m you are in A major scale scope so be careful.

6. Produce a video and post it on this thread

Little tip:

Over E7 and C#7 chords play only dom7 arpeggio, not the whole scale. Just 1, 3, 5 , b7. This is because these two are coming from phrygian dominant mode but if you only go for arpeggio notes you won't go wrong.

Cheers

This post has been edited by Emir Hot: Dec 15 2009, 05:33 AM

[maharzan]

Thanks Emir. That was worth 2 full days practice and a week before that. Now, I know the positions much better. I tried Eb major.. just to test, was much easier than earlier. I just had to remember which position I am at and the fingers move for themselves. I am also trying 2 strings / 3 strings combination just to understand it more.

I don't know much of modes, will have to read the manual now. I also lag quite a bit when it comes to terms. Some theory time I guess.

[Emir Hot]

I am also trying 2 strings / 3 strings combination just to understand it more.

That's a great exercise. Try going ascending in one key (only 2 strings) then go back in the other key. Awesome practical example

Modes are easy. We'll get there slowly. I am just using different approach to that. I could have given you 7 different charts for all 7 modes in 5 positions (the same like for the major scale). That's 35 things to learn. You can do that if you like but I think this way will be more effective when we use it in a real situation. Just a little patience and you'll soon start to figure out the whole new world in front of you.

Just to quickly make you happy:

Now that you know 5 positions of major scale, you actually know all 7 modes in all 5 positions. If you play A aeolioan in position 1 you are actually playing C major scale in position 5 and so on... It is all related to the major scale. You have it all there in brain and hands but we will now slowly keep extracting that information through our examples and assignments

[maharzan]

Just to quickly make you happy:

Now that you know 5 positions of major scale, you actually know all 7 modes in all 5 positions. If you play A aeolioan in position 1 you are actually playing C major scale in position 5 and so on... It is all related to the major scale. You have it all there in brain and hands but we will now slowly keep extracting that information through our examples and assignments

Great, but is this a good way to memorize or learn modes.. ? I don't want to take this approach if this harms in any way later as its pain when you learn something wrongly and want to correct it later.

[Emir Hot]

Great, but is this a good way to memorize or learn modes.. ? I don't want to take this approach if this harms in any way later as its pain when you learn something wrongly and want to correct it later.

Both ways are correct but I think this is quicker and maybe more effective as we will imediately use it in soloing.

If you want you can learn the other way as well. Play the same thing but think of a different root. It is also good to write charts yourself. You can do that for dorian and mixolydian for the start if you like. Similar assignment is coming but with arpeggios.

[maharzan]

Lets see if got the right

Am - A Aeolian
Dm7 - D Dorian
E7 - Phrygian Dominant (but we are playing only arpeggio here?)
Am - A Aeolian
Am - A Aeolian
Dm7 - D Dorian
E7 - Phrygian Dominant (but we are playing only arpeggio here?)
Am - A Aeolian
C#7 - C#dom7 arpeggio

F#m - F# Aeolian
E - E Mixolydian
D - D Lydian
A - A Ionian
C#7 - C#dom7 arpeggio
F#m - F# Aeolian
E/G# - E Mixolydian
D - D Lydian
E7 - E7 arpeggio
A (major) - A Ionian

Looking at the charts and your suggestions. Correct me if I went wrong somewhere.

This post has been edited by maharzan: Dec 16 2009, 01:08 PM

[Emir Hot]

Lets see if got the right

Am - A Aeolian
Dm7 - D Dorian
E7 - Phrygian Dominant (but we are playing only arpeggio here?)
Am - A Aeolian
Am - A Aeolian
Dm7 - D Dorian
E7 - Phrygian Dominant
Am - A Aeolian (but we are playing only arpeggio here?)
C#7 - C#dom7 arpeggio

F#m - F# Aeolian
E - E Mixolydian
D - D Lydian
A - A Ionian
C#7 - C#dom7 arpeggio
F#m - F# Aeolian
E/G# - E Mixolydian
D - D Lydian
E7 - E7 arpeggio
A (major) - A Ionian

Looking at the charts and your suggestions. Correct me if I went wrong somewhere.

BRAVO !!!

[maharzan]

Wooo!!!! Thanks Emir. Just wanted to know why you said to play arpeggio and not phrygian dominant. It has major 3rd so PD (scale) should work good nope?

This post has been edited by maharzan: Dec 16 2009, 03:56 AM

[Emir Hot]

Wooo!!!! Thanks Emir. Just wanted to know why you said to play arpeggio and not phrygian dominant. It has major 3rd so PD (scale) should work good nope?

Because I want you to focus on simple major scale modes only and think of those positions only until you become comfortable. PD is not a mode from that family so I didn't want to include it there. Just play arpeggio notes over dom 7 chords. I need to see that you're moving with major scale modes all over the neck. If you need to think of PD inside of all that you might get confused. We will play PD in later assignments but here we need major scale modes.

[maharzan]

Cool.. will do.

[maharzan]

Alrighty, I have been practicing this for some days now and finally I get the feel of sweeping. This is my first try recording it. I never got sweeping right before but looks like its taking shape. Thanks Emir for your awesome video. I think I didn't mute the strings that much. will work on that in next excercise if time permits.

I hope you don't mind me stealing other student's MTP lesson.



This post has been edited by maharzan: Dec 16 2009, 06:18 AM

[Emir Hot]

That was very good but your pickup doesn't really "catch" that 1st string. I almost don't hear notes on the 1st string even though it is obvious that you're playing it all with no mistake. Very strange but well done for this one. Other student's assignments are of course available for anybody.

[maharzan]

Thanks Emir. It feels so good and I am slowly discovering new things and CAN PLAY. GMC Journey has been the best!

I had this dent on the fret metal (not sure what they call it) mainly on the first string.. so I sanded it (being smartass). That might be one reason. I also noticed before that when bending on first string the note didn't sustain as in other strings (esp on higher frets)... and you tell me this.. So, definitely, something is wrong here.. too low first string?

This is the first guitar I bought back in 2003. I have modded it with D'Marzio Pickups. Paf Joe (coz I love Satch) one the neck.. the pickup used in Fenders for clean mid and forgot the bridge one but all from DMarzio. I wired it myself. I love this guitar because its very easy to play, thin neck, after all its JEM starting axe. I dropped it a couple of times and banged on walls and now the neck has a small crack on the back ... been there like 4 years I guess. I thought I couldn't play and it sat still all this time until 2008 when I finally unpacked it and been practicing. It even missed the free one year servicing.. LoL. I like it as I can play and practice a lot. I am thinking of getting a custom guitar or fix this so I can play and produce records after a year or so when I finish theories and improve my skills.. at least when I can improvise on a track.

Anyway, just wanted to share my story with this awesome / hated guitar of mine. I don't know if you even have time to read this. LoL.

This post has been edited by maharzan: Dec 16 2009, 08:59 AM

[Emir Hot]

I get your point. I also love my Hamer as that's the guitar that feels the best in my hands. I can't get really good clean sound as my pickups are designed for something else but I can compensate a little. In your case something else is going on. Either the string is too low or the pickup doesn't work that well on that spot. Maybe if you switch to a different position it would be different. I am sure you can hear in your video that your 1st string is not loud enough. Anyway that was a good take

[maharzan]

Okay. I will try to figure out the technicality behind this. I haven't really cared lately as I am concentrating practicing fully.

Cheers!