Beginner: Guitar Bushido Options

[Ben Higgins]

GUITAR BUSHIDO: BEGINNER

Congratulations warrior for taking your first step on the path..

TASK 1 : Picking Hand Basics http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Picking-Hand-Basics/

Before we start adding more to your plates I'd like you to gain some control and confidence with the picking hand. Rather than give you something with lots of fretting hand shifting, this concentrates exactly on the task at hand. Of course, you will nail this with ease which will get you ready for the next step

Your task is to record and upload a version of this lesson by Wednesday 1st Feb. You can upload takes before that date for feedback and help because this is intended to help you, not just be about completing tasks so use and abuse the thread as much as you need !

P.S. For every deadline that is missed, 1 finger will be broken. Enjoy !

[Praetorian]

Excellent Shihan Higgins! Shall we upload into this thread or start our own?

[Ben Higgins]

Excellent Shihan Higgins! Shall we upload into this thread or start our own?

Hehe, I'm amazed at all the martial arts terminology all you guys know... unless you've been looking them up !

Yes please, upload takes into this thread. If you also want to enter any vids into REC as well, go for it and you'll benefit from other instructors feedback too

[Nihilist1]

Can I listen to the video, a metronome, or the GuitarPro tablature while I record it? Or do I have to do it based on memory? Also, is there a preferred BPM that you have in mind? Thanks Sensei!

[Ben Higgins]

Can I listen to the video, a metronome, or the GuitarPro tablature while I record it? Or do I have to do it based on memory? Also, is there a preferred BPM that you have in mind? Thanks Sensei!

Ah, sorry I should have specified

What we would normally do is choose the backing track that you can play comfortably. Ideally, use the week to try and work up to playing at the same full speed backing as I do in the lesson but this isn't mandatory. I was saying in the other threads that I don't mind if people record their take at a slower tempo than the lesson, as long as they're benefitting from it with good technique.

To record your take, I would get the video up in the background, pause the main lesson so it's not interrupting and play along to one of the backing tracks which you can find on the right hand side. You can just use the sound captured on the camera as well, unless you prefer to record audio into software and edit the vid later. That's the 2 main ways of doing it, which people use in REC. Hope that helps

[Nihilist1]

Ah, sorry I should have specified

What we would normally do is choose the backing track that you can play comfortably. Ideally, use the week to try and work up to playing at the same full speed backing as I do in the lesson but this isn't mandatory. I was saying in the other threads that I don't mind if people record their take at a slower tempo than the lesson, as long as they're benefitting from it with good technique.

To record your take, I would get the video up in the background, pause the main lesson so it's not interrupting and play along to one of the backing tracks which you can find on the right hand side. You can just use the sound captured on the camera as well, unless you prefer to record audio into software and edit the vid later. That's the 2 main ways of doing it, which people use in REC. Hope that helps

Absolutely. Thanks!

[mad]

Sensei Ben,
may I enter your temple and demonstrate my take on your first task, so hopefully I can keep my fingers..

[Sean_1234]

hey Ben, can anyone just jump in? Seems like fun!

[Ben Higgins]

Sensei Ben,
may I enter your temple and demonstrate my take on your first task, so hopefully I can keep my fingers..

The first take from an apprentice ! May I say that the icy winds and snow have not taken their toll on you for your performance is triumphant indeed

Good, relaxed picking technique.. good timing. This is exactly the kind of thing I like to see. This track is a good way to start introducing yourself to slightly faster picking without going over the top. Perhaps spend the rest of the week trying to loop together longer sections of 16th notes to test your stamina

hey Ben, can anyone just jump in? Seems like fun!

Yes Sean, go ahead !

[Ben Higgins]

Hi Guys, how are you all getting along with the lesson ? Are you managing it ok ? If you need any help, just ask

[Praetorian]

Ben - do you use the same tuning on all your lessons? I tend to be 1/2 step down 99% of the time.

[Ben Higgins]

Ben - do you use the same tuning on all your lessons? I tend to be 1/2 step down 99% of the time.

Yes, I'm annoyingly old school with my standard tuning ! If you're able to somehow transpose tracks down a semitone with software then by all means, feel free. I'm not sure what else to suggest apart from tune up another guitar especially for it and have it always ready. We won't always be using my lessons though so there may be times it's not standard tuning but I think it's going to be standard for the foreseeable future

[zoom]

May I approach Sensei Ben? I bring offering of Picking guitar strings. I hope this does not offend you Calibrated awesomeness of ears.

I leave this at your mat Sensei.

[Ben Higgins]

May I approach Sensei Ben? I bring offering of Picking guitar strings. I hope this does not offend you Calibrated awesomeness of ears.

I leave this at your mat Sensei.

Your offering is accepted and is appraised for its quality !

I noticed that you went straight to the 16th notes at 0:35 and skipped out the triplet part but it doesn't matter.. you decided to go for the hardcore speed approach !

All good.. you are ready to move forward. As your reward, you only have to do 50 push ups instead of the usual 100

[zoom]

Dup! I stuffed that up.

I've got a history of stuff up 3/4 6/8 time. One example which comes to mind I when I was leading music team from church in a couple of song's the first one was 4/4 and 2nd was 6/8 time needless to say I stuffed the intro on the 6/8 and had to stop and start again.
I was quite new in this team and with 60 muso's and singer in front of you it's a wee bit embarrassing.

Ok I'm off to do my push up now

see ya

[Praetorian]

Finally got my computer movie editor working again Ben!

[Ben Higgins]

Finally got my computer movie editor working again Ben!

Hey Man - fantastic ! Great to see a vid from you

Your picking hand looks very relaxed. In fact it looks just like John Petrucci's hand

You even ended up going faster than the track itself.. but you've definitely got alternate picking sorted

Ready for Task 2 now.. you can find it in my instructor board

[MossRoller]

Wow, it is freezing up here and the Temple Gates seem to be locked.
I'd like to try and catch up if it's fine with you.
I'm going to use this opportunity to attempt my first video upload in my first forum post.

Btw, I went ahead and broke 7 of my toes hoping you'll consider that an equitable sacrifice for 4 of my fingers and being late.

[Ben Higgins]

Wow, it is freezing up here and the Temple Gates seem to be locked.
I'd like to try and catch up if it's fine with you.
I'm going to use this opportunity to attempt my first video upload in my first forum post.

Btw, I went ahead and broke 7 of my toes hoping you'll consider that an equitable sacrifice for 4 of my fingers and being late.

Heeeeeeeeeey, welcome to the Temple of Guitar Bushido !

Let me congratulate you on a brilliant first contribution to not only the Bushido course but GMC in general.

Really good, relaxed picking technique there. That wrist movement is textbook stuff.

Watch out for slightly rushing ahead of the beat.. not massively but just enough to notice..

Apart from that, you had it nailed - I look forward to your next videos !

This post has been edited by Ben Higgins: Mar 1 2012, 10:35 AM

[Sunny]

Gusts of wind are blowing snow through the open gates of the old Guitar Temple. Set of footsteps leading into the darkness inside are being slowly covered by the snow. In the shadows on the doorstep lies a lonely offering, an orb, glowing faintly.

The orb feels warm to the touch and seems to transform surrounding silence into a merry tune.
http://soundcloud.com/sc01sunny/phb01

My first recording, far from perfect but I suppose it's a start.