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Hi David!

Im really excited to get mentored by you!


Ill first fill in the questions you pm'ed and then maybe add some more info under it.

Name:
Benjamin

Years playing:
One year and 3 months

How many minor pentatonic positions can you play?
I can play the first 4 boxes, ive mostly practiced G-minor, but also tryed a bit in A minor

Do you use a metronome?
I don't, i know i probably should, especially since timing is often a problem for me

Can you improvise?
I sortof can, when i try this i use G-minor Pentatonic and try to just play and try getting something sounding nice
I normally do that without backing track though, not sure if thats ok?
Ill add a link of my slow blues improv over backingtrack wich i did for the MTP with Vaialation ( i guess i could do alot better now though cause thats 7 months old..

If you could improve one thing with this program, what would it be?
Thats a very hard question..
There are alot of things i need to improve on, i'd love to be able to play a nice song (or lesson that sounds like a song)
cause at the moment im like Keilnoth in this gmc funny



A little more info about me and my playing:

At the moment im practicing 'Hand on heart', ive practiced the first 1min20s of it now, i hope ill be able to play the first 3 minutes of that sometime soon.. (after that it gets way to fast for me)
I will record a video of that later today so you can see how my skill is now, the vids i posted in the mtp thread are 6/7 months old (i didn't notice that before checking them today, time flyes.. )

I can also play 'sweet child o' mine' intro and first solo, but not to a backing yet.
And i tryed to learn 'Always with you,always with me' but got stuck quickly after the main melody line with tab.. (i saw there is a gmc lesson for it now )
Other then those i can only play some bits and pieces of known songs and some gmc lessons.
All videos i recorded for mtp with Vaialation are in my youtube channel

My favorite things to play is like Steve Vai and Satch (instrumental metal?)
but i'd also like to play rock and blues


Things i can('t) do:
Alternate picking ( i use this all the time, hopefully correct)
Hammer-ons, pull-offs
Bends, i think i get them in tune most of the time now
Vibrato
Tapping i tryed only a little so i cant really do that yet
My timing is something that really needs to improve

Thats all i can think of for now
Ill add the improv video mentioned above, down here, and later add my playing hand on heart vid.

Oh and here is a picture of me:

Me on the left offcourse


Old slow blues improv:

Here is my new video
I started learning on this 2 weeks ago.
Im playing over the official Stev Vai "Naked track", so the first part you hear steve playing too (much lower volume)


I can play it a little better then that but camera always makes me make weird mistakes

Vid quality should be a bit better, i think i need to setup my cam options a bit different (logitech9000pro), but i guess for next videos ill use more closeup and hopefully more daylight, so it ll be better anyway:P

edit: maybe it would be usefull if i actually include the video

Great Benjamin!

Thanks for all this!
First off, let me congratulate you, after seeing you video, especially considering that this was done a while back, you are doing quite well for having played less than two years...

I think you are on the right track here.

My thoughts for you wold be to work on rhythm, control and gradually building a nice collection of usable licks to improve your musical vocabulary...

This will not only help your overall ability to play, but will also help you when memorizing a new song.

Let's start with a rhythm placement exercise...

1st ASSIGNMENT - Rhythm Placement

I'd like you to take a look at Joe's excellent funk lesson

Study it well, the importance of this is the rhythm figure that he explains... We will be using these figures to develop your placement..

The E9 chord Joe is using can be played with the following fingering. Let me know if you have trouble with that one!

Click to view attachment

Once you are comfortable with that exercise, record yourself playing that rhythm figure over the following backing track:

Click to view attachment

Post a video or recording of what you can do. Really concentrate on precise rhythm. I'd rather have a very tight rhythm than a pretty chord.

You don't need to record over the whole backing track, just enough to show me if you can be tight on that.

Don't hesitate to ask me if you have any trouble here!

Try to get me something posted within the next week. :-)

Great

Im starting on it now.
I havent played much chords yet though, only the open chords from Muris' beginner strumming lesson.

Ill first try getting this chord right today and to strum it down/up right.
Should i fret the highest 3 strings all with my ring finger?

Awesome!
You can play the chord using your middle finger for the top 3 strings..
I think this exercise will be a good starting point to develop a strong rhythm technique.

I think im getting the hang of it now

Is it right that the tempo i should play it is bit slower then Joe plays in part [2] of the lesson?

Great to hear!
Yeah, the backing I gave you is a bit slower..
Speed doesn't matter really in this exercise..
We're just trying to get comfortable with different rhythm motifs that we will use in our leads...
Keep up the great work!

I made a video just now
Its just with accents on 1st and 3rd beat in this and i didn't play everything in the right order like the lesson now.
this one is just to see if im doing it right..

Also i did this with my halfstepdown tuned guitar so it may not sound right.


Ill make a better one tomorrow, or wednesday (depending on how good or bad this take is.. )





Edit: reposted the video cause of syncing mistake.. did something weird with the timeline cause cam started recording later then sound

Good job Ben!
You are doing well on rhythm placement and that's the important thing here!
It doesn't matter that you didn't do it in the same order Joe did, I just want to see how well you have that tempo figure down and you have it well!
Now I would like you to record the same kind of thing on the same backing, but double your speed...
Could you give that a try?

That ll be alot harder but ill do my best
Will start on it tomorrow! (its late here now)

It wasn't as much harder as i thought it would be!

Here is a video with double speed, hope i did it right

Well done!
Now that we worked on rhythm we'll work on a piece using some rhythm elements.
The whole solo uses only the first two positions of an A minor pentatonic...

Assignment 2 - Rhythm and melody

We'll work on my Lick Construction class lesson.
Before you start, make sure you are comfortable with the following positions:

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Focus on rhythm placement and on a clean technique.
Let me know if you have any trouble!

Once you are done, record yourself over the backing track...
Click to view attachment

Let me know how that goes!

Great that sounds cool.

I'm practicing the first part now (video [2]) and it seems to be going well sofar.
I know those two positions very well and its helping me alot learning this

I hope i get everything learned before the weekend and then use the weekend to get it all put together right

Hi David

Im having alot of trouble getting that second part (video [3]) up to speed, i can play it decently at the same speed you play it after the first time in the video but when i try at full speed i can't keep up at all..

Yeah, it is a tricky part!
Don't worry about getting the original speed.

Here is a slower backing at 60bpm, just focus on rhythm placement...
If that's still too fast, no problem. Just let me know and I'll get you a slower one. Thing is, when you play over a very slow backing track it's something harder to get things in place...

Click to view attachment

Let me know if that helps!

Thanks

I can play it over the gp file at 75% so i guess thats 60 bpm so that backing should work

Its just taking me alot of time learning the whole piece so it will take some more days before i can make a
good recording, maybe ill make a recording in the weekend to show how im doing sofar.

That sounds great!
Take you time, this lesson is great for rhythm placement and to learn new licks...
Feel free to upload some of your progress and to ask if you need any help!

Just made a quick recording playing the first 3 parts over the guitarpro file at 75% speed

I still have some trouble with the 2nd part as you can see but i atleast at this speed i think i can make it better:P
I didn't find out how to play this over the backing yet so i first practice over gp for now to get used to playing the licks and the timing.

I tryed alot to play the part i learned sofar over the backingtrack (60bpm)
but i really can't find out how it works..
I don't find out which notes i play connect where in the backing

If i listen only to the backing i can count to 4 with it but then when i play i can't concentrate on that and even if i could i wouldnt know what to play on what count


I made a take in Reaper of backingtrack+GPfile sounds so i can play over that.. after doing that a few times i can sortof play over the backing alone in time, but i still dont hear if its right, so i guess that's not the right way to learn it?

Edit: added a video of how it goes now.
This is over just the backingtrack:

Not bad man, I think this lesson is going to help you!
The first lick is pretty good!
The problem you have is starting that second lick. You start is too late. It should start between the 3rd and 4th beat.

For now, I'd like you to only focus on those 2 licks.
You can play them, it's just a matter of rhythm placement.

Start by looping those 2 licks in Guitar Pro and count out loud as the file is playing. That will help you hear where the licks start in the measure. You don't need your guitar for this, just get used to where the licks start.

Once you got that, play the backing track and sing those licks. As you are doing so, use your fingers to keep the count (1,2,3,4). Tat will help your placement.

Finally practice that with your instrument.

Try to record these 2 licks over the backing for me. Let me know if you have any trouble!

Thanks

That sounds like a great way to learn it, ill start with that right now

Cool that helped alot
I think i know now when the second lick starts, i hope i did it right when playing too..

Yeah that's it!!!
You got it man!
It lacks a little bit of tightness, but this is a HUGE improvement!

I noticed the same kind of problems in the Vai cover you recorded , this can fix your trouble there too!
I'm excited for you!

Now that you know how to work, keep adding to this and see how far you can go.
I think you'll do great!

It's a lot of work, but this will help you for sure.

Let me know if you get stuck on anything!

Hi David

Sorry for the lack of posts last week, i didn't get alot of practice time then so not much progress either..


Now i finally made a new video today!
I hope its ok, and ill start learning the last two parts now

Ben, you are doing great!
You really are improving with this.
There still is a tiny bit of rhythm placement flaws, but really nothing that sounds bad...
Keep doing what you are doing and take your time learning the rest of the song.
Once you are done, we'll move forward.
Let me know if you need any help!
Great job!!!

Hi David

I made a new video today.. recording went a bit bad so i can do a bit better then this but i thought i should post it anyway..
Im learning the last part and will make a better video of the full lesson before the weekend.

You're getting very close my friend!
The last section sounds pretty good!

One thing though, the second lick you played started too early.. Make sure you check the tempo of the original again.
You're on the edge of getting it perfectly! I'm amazed at the progress you made this month!

Also, here is an important topic with new MTP requirements for you to read...
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...showtopic=31054

I'll take care of the new specs later today! :-)

Thanks David

I can do the last lick too now, just working a bit more on the timing for that one.. will try to record today or else tomorrow.
Also i tried to play the whole thing full speed, this seemed impossible last month but now i think i could actually do it
just need more practice for that 'cause now i start making extra mistakes at the higher tempo.

I read the new rules, i hope ill do ok for that.. I guess the weekly assignments push me to work faster but thats a good thing!
Hopefully i can do the lickconstruction lesson right at fullspeed when the first rec video is needed

I made one, i think i did the 2nd lick better but a little hasted still, and the very last lick went a bit wrong somehow..
I seem to learn alot during recording so i recorded this one and guessed i might aswell post it.
Will make a final one tomorrow!
I hope i'm not posting too many takes...

I'm glad you are posing a lot of videos, this is great!
Here's a little video response I just recorded for you...