Maharzan Guitar Mentoring Options

[Alex Feather]

Hi! Welcome aboard!!! I am happy to see you here and very excited to start working with you!
I know you want to learn composition and improvisation and I definitely can help you with that!
I have a few questions before we start! It will give me a better idea about what assignments to give you!
-What are your goals?
-What is your weakness?
-What is your strongest point?
-Your favorite guitar players?
Glad to see you here and very excited to start working with you!!!!

[maharzan]

Hi Alex,

My long term goals are to compose instrumental songs/guitar solos and possible come out with one album in this lifetime. I do want to dive into short music pieces, royalty free music that filmmakers or any others can use. I want to sell them and start making little bit of money. But short term goal is definitely learning how to play guitar properly, master a scale and be able to come up with melody.

Weaknesses are a lot. I can't even play a 1 min lesson. Every time I try, it gets worse. It takes hours to record a decent take even after practicing it for a week or a month or even more than that. I can't play fast stuff.

Strongest point has been vibrato I think. Lot of people are commenting on that on my latest vids. I used to be able to compose a melody line before but since I decided to master techniques, I haven't had a chance to explore more on that. Nowadays, I can't come up with a decent melody.

Fav players are Joe Satriani, Andy Timmons, Guthrie Govan.

If you need any more info, let me know.

Thanks, I am excited to begin.

Chandra

[Alex Feather]

Hi Alex,

My long term goals are to compose instrumental songs/guitar solos and possible come out with one album in this lifetime. I do want to dive into short music pieces, royalty free music that filmmakers or any others can use. I want to sell them and start making little bit of money. But short term goal is definitely learning how to play guitar properly, master a scale and be able to come up with melody.

Weaknesses are a lot. I can't even play a 1 min lesson. Every time I try, it gets worse. It takes hours to record a decent take even after practicing it for a week or a month or even more than that. I can't play fast stuff.

Strongest point has been vibrato I think. Lot of people are commenting on that on my latest vids. I used to be able to compose a melody line before but since I decided to master techniques, I haven't had a chance to explore more on that. Nowadays, I can't come up with a decent melody.

Fav players are Joe Satriani, Andy Timmons, Guthrie Govan.

If you need any more info, let me know.

Thanks, I am excited to begin.

Chandra

Perfect! So I have a first assignment for you! It's a very good exercise that will help you to connect your hands together and will improve your timing and technique!
The trick is to play it at a very slow tempo and always use a metronome! You can use it as a warm up exercise and you will see results very fast!!!
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|||
---------------------------------------------------|||
---------------------------------------------------|||

Let me know if you have any questions!

Attached File(s)

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

 

[maharzan]

Do you want me to submit this or is it just a warm up exercise that I can do anytime?

[Alex Feather]

Do you want me to submit this or is it just a warm up exercise that I can do anytime?

It will be really nice to hear your progress! So if you can please post your take!

[maharzan]

Hi Alex,

So, I got around and tried this assignment. The last bit is really confusing and I always wanted to learn something like that. I have encountered in 2-3 lessons here at GMC which I have tried and this one is helpful too. 3 nps but 4notes per beat really drives me crazy until I remember that melody in my head. Stilling missing notes here and there but hope I got most right.

http://soundcloud.com/nazraham/timing-practice

Waiting for your feedback.

Thanks,
Chandra

[Alex Feather]

You did a very good job! A few notes towards the end were off and a couple of timing issues, but nothing major!
I would suggest to practice this lesson with a click because you can hear more details! When you are practicing with drums you can hide behind the reverb and room mics, but when you have a click only it's all out and you can hear every single mistake!
I think a little more practice and it will be perfect!!! You can also start using it as a warm up exercise do it everyday and results will impress you!

[maharzan]

Thanks Alex. I tried to insert a metronome track in Logic but don't know how. So, I just dragged a loop. I will try with a click next.

[Alex Feather]

Thanks Alex. I tried to insert a metronome track in Logic but don't know how. So, I just dragged a loop. I will try with a click next.

Sounds good!!! You will notice that when you are practicing with a click you will get better result! I'm looking forward to hear your take!!!!!

[maharzan]

I have been practicing with click. Just had to use drums as I couldn't get a click track during recording. The most difficult part is the last section and I have been practicing it quite a bit. Will try recording one tomorrow.

[maharzan]

I finally came to know how to add a click track. I have recorded with click but there are few parts where I see there is slight timing issues. I have always struggled with these small timings, hope I will get better with this exercise daily.

http://soundcloud.com/nazraham/timing-practice-2

[Alex Feather]

Sounds very good!!!! A few timing issues but it's getting there!!! Do it every day as a warm up exercise!
I will post a new assignment for you tomorrow!!!

[maharzan]

Thanks Alex. Timing has been my issue all these years. When I joined GMC, I was struggling with triplets or 16th triplets or even changing between quarter and triplets. I wish I had this exercise back then. It has improved a lot but still can be better. If I am composing a song, I still struggle with this though. I will practice this every day multiple times.

Looking forward to the next assignment.

[Alex Feather]

Perfect! I am glad this exercise works for you! Just keep practicing it and result will surprise you!
I have a new assignment for you! This exercise will help you make your right hand stronger and will improve your technique by a lot!!!
If you feel pain stop practicing this exercise for a while and let me know! You can injure yourself if you will over do it!
It's all legato and left hand only! Practice it very slow using a metronome! It's left hand only!!! No right hand should be 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: 28


Let me know if you have any questions!

[maharzan]

Great.

I just tried it and here is a problem. When I am going from say 5 (2nd string-pinky) to 2 (1st string-index), the pinky leaves the string and makes noise. The index hammeron is weak and doesn't sound loud. How to solve this issue ?

[Alex Feather]

Great.

I just tried it and here is a problem. When I am going from say 5 (2nd string-pinky) to 2 (1st string-index), the pinky leaves the string and makes noise. The index hammeron is weak and doesn't sound loud. How to solve this issue ?

It's a very common problem! If yu can't get it to sound right slow down the click! Even if it's way to slow doesn't matter you need to get every note to sound right! It will take some time!!

[maharzan]

I remember I saw a Guthrie video that said something about tapping each note with your left fingers (no right hand involved). That is different than regular legato stuff we do (mostly tapping). I am trying that in this noisy part and getting it more or less noiseless.



Its around 4:50.

[Alex Feather]

It's a very good video to get ideas from! Guthrie is a great player!!! I am glad you found it!

[maharzan]

Hi Alex,

Finally got sometime to record this. There are timing issues.



Thanks,
Chandra

The pinky and the index tapping is pretty hard.

[Alex Feather]

You did a good job! But I can suggest to do it even slower the reason is you need to work your left hand and make it stronger so slower you will do it better results you will get!
Also try to play this exercise every day and do a run through maybe twice or more if you can!