Discuss your ideas and thoughts in here guys. Good luck and can't wait to hear what comes out of this one.

Thank you so much, Steve!

Hey there mentors!
Welcome to the advanced virtual band.

At first, we have to discuss what we are going to play. So, I suggest that everyone posts his interests/favourite music styles, ok?

Mine are: experimental music, rock, jazz&blues (here I am pretty weak, so I have to develop my skills for this topic).

Thanks Steve, and well done Tolek for getting this organised. Think it's an excellent idea and a great way to get to know each other better

I'm very open to giving new styles/ideas/covers a go so am happy to tag along with the groups ideas or produce some myself.

My style? oh dear. Well I spend most of my time putting Pink Floyd backing tracks on, and just doing my thing

I'm not the fastest player, and there's area's that need work but I'll give ANYTHING a go. So lets be creative!

I like everything from delta blues to death metal. haha so we can play acoustic Robert Johnson or we can do ear pummeling Cannibal Corpse - either way I'd be happy.

On a more serious note, since this is an 'advanced' band - I was thinking we could do a band in the style of 'advanced' players. I'm thinking we could utilize unorthodox modal progressions, create simple but resonating melodies, and perhaps do some really cool memorable 3rd or 5th degree harmonies...Or maybe something weird like 4ths I dunno.

I can create drum tracks, play bass, and guitar - so which ever I'm needed for I can do.

Awesome to have you on board, guys.

fatb0t, your idea of advanced style is good. I sometimes come up with extremely weird stuff, so finally it could be used wisely.

First thing we should get organised is getting a band leader, my vote would be for tolek (if he wants to, as you organised this mate).

I didn't get what steve meant fully by being a band leader, I got the impression it meant that the leader shouldn't play?

If thats the case, I'd say it would be better if in our case we have the band leader just as involved in writing and producing material .

We just need to allocate someone to get things organised and within time dates and things, but still playing in the song(s) obviously.


Lets wait for everyone who's on board to get in touch I guess before deciding. But keep the suggestions flooding in for what we could do!:D

I am probably the least versatile player here as I have basically been a musical loner my whole life. I love 80's rock and instrumentals in the style of Vai, Satch etc. I am open to do whatever. Originals, covers anything really. I am just so excited to have a REAL reason to keep practicing my guitar and now actually do something with it. Thanks for organizing this Tolek and I look forward to working with all my new virtual band mates.

Tolek as a Band Leader? I know him for some time now and I know that he doesn´t have much experience with mixing etc. But if nobody else wants to take this position, he would agree and learn to mix.

No, seriously. Let´s do a voting for a band leader, ok?

lcsdds: you play great, please don´t have any doubts, ok?

Experience in mixing might be a good thing for us to say if we have actually, although i think it if anyone with less experience wants to give it a go, they should be able to

Tolek still gets my vote

I have some mixing experience, but not huge amounts. I don't know anything compex but I do have Audition and Premier.

Well I'm okay at that kinda stuff...I make full songs from time to time. I'm not exactly good at organizing people though..

Tolek you seem to be the organizational type! I can help you mix the tune though.

Anyways, I think we should do an original...Should it be an all instrumental?

You guys know how Muris does his Junk Melody, where he mixes like 6 different influences in one song? If the song were to be instrumental this would be a very good way to keep the song fresh and interesting..

Start off maybe very slow, clean arpeggios, go into an 80s ballad of sorts with some cool harmonies, then maybe like a rockin' mixolydian based riff, then I dunno haha

Ok, two votes for me. I don´t know yet who I should give mine, so I´ll just wait until everybody posted here a bit.
I see what you mean with Junk Medley. I am for this, too.
We can do vocals, too, but without me. It sounds so horrible when I sing.


By the way, you can add me in MSN if you like, guys: chilxl_xtolek at hotmail com (without x´s)

Nah, the least versatile player has to be me . I am up for all kinds of music, from slow blues until progressive rock. Metal is nowadays not really my cup of tea anymore (since I loose hair too rapidly, my interest for metal went with the hairs down the drain ). I am always up for some advanced chord progressions and such.

Wouldn't consider myself advanced at all (since a little while I can live with the fact that I am actually an intermediate player instead of beginner ), but am certainly willing to do my best to make something nice out of this!

First thing to decide seems to me whether we would do a cover or write some new material?

My vote goes to Tolek as band leader! Great initiative you put in there Tolek

Wait, what? what the hell man? I think it's only fair you let the only 3 of us that actualy showed intrest in being in an advanced VB, to be in an advanced VB.

I´d say we could do a cover at the beginning to get warm. Maybe these? "While my guitar gently weeps", "Fly me to the moon"?


Is this group of mentors be only for this month or longer or what?

Yeah, I'm definitely not advanced like Muris or Emir either, not even remotely close - but we can try to tackle some of the concepts they have in their songs. Basically lets not do a I IV V progression or something boring, lets try something experimental - out of our comfort zones and see what we end up with.

I see, sorry about that! Please contact Skennington who is the organizer/manager of all bands. Good luck!


1+

Sure thing, more than happy to do this.

Hey Iluha - not exactly sure - but I think this is only for mentors in the MTP. Tolek came up with the idea of us creating an advanced virtual band. I think it's a separate entity to the regular advanced virtual band. Skenny can clarify.

I know this is only for mentors, but it came instead of the advanced VB because there simply wasn't enough sign ups..
I sent Skennington a pm giving my thoughts on all the VB's, I have a good, yet preety obvious idea which I hope he will embrace =p

Correction: it was Skenny´s idea. My idea was this: I wanted to sign up as an advanced member to make possible the start of an advanced band.

First upload!

Click to view attachment

I vote for Tolek as band leader. I think it would be cool to do a cover where there is alot of room for guitar fills etc. Van Halen's version of "One way to rock" or White Lion's version of "Radar Love" would be fun. I like fatb0t's idea as well.

Monte

It's up to you guys - I was just throwing out suggestions.

Looks good guys

May I suggest we keep the plan relatively simple for a first take from this virtual band? If we pick a backing track from somewhere, all assign certain time lengths to play over - like a mini collaboration. That way we can find out where each others strengths lye and who is comfortable doing the mixing.

Also be a fun introduction to this band

Then we can start collaborating on some complicated shizzle!

(bare in mind with complicated theory stuff, I will require my hand to be held!)

Guys this is going to rock hard I can feel it. I look forward to your uploads.

Congratulations on getting in the band

Thanks Pedja

These guys know their theory, so I might be poking you for help very soon!!

I think this is a good idea. Why don't we come up with say a 24 bar backing like Emir is doing with the student collaboration and everybody have a go at it. Then, like AJ said, we can all get a feel of each other's style. I am sure we could get a backing track from somewhere or one of you guys has a chord progression that you have been dying to use for something. I think simple to start is a good idea.

Monte

Hey guys, glad to be here, Tolek will be a wonderful Band leader imo!

For the first song, I think we could do something like G3's Smoke on the Water cover I dont suggest we shall play Smoke on the water, but some classic like that and improvise a lot.

What do you say about it?

That sounds great to me! I love improvising on that track. I'd actually say it would be a good one to do! But we could always come up with something similar

I made a little backing track, so everybody can jam to it. It´s in C minor and the chords are: Cmin9, Fmin9, Dmin7b5. (Thanks to chast who showed me this awesome progression!).

Let the jam begin!

Click to view attachment

Personally, I'll need some help knowing what scales I can use over that backing. I warned you my theory wasn't up to par with you guys!

You can select them yourself man if you wish, its quite easy actually:

Cmin9 C Eb G B Db

Fmin9 F Ab C Eb Gb

Dmin7b5 D F Ab C

C D Eb F G Ab B C are the on scale notes only Gb on Fmin9 is the intruder there
you might be able to play C Harmonic minor all around
only on Fmin9 you should change it to Hungarian minor

Hungarian Minor:

C D Eb F# G Ab B C

edit: F# doesnt exist in C minor and C Melodic is incompatible! It should be Hungarian Minor, I always make this mistake

Ok, no problem man!
You can use C Minor & C Minor Pentatonic. You can try and experiment a bit.

@enforcer:
Well explained. However, there´s a problem: "only on Fmin9 you should change it to C Melodic minor if I am not mistaken...". C Melodic Minor Scale: C D Eb F G A B C. And the Fmin9 chords is, as you said: F Ab C Eb Gb (actually you said F# which doesn´t exist in C minor ). So, you can´t play that scale over this chord because it would sound out of tune in view of the A and Ab.

Any of the scales that go with C minor/ Eb major. AJ, if you check out my MTP thread I gave Jesse some tabs of the different diatonic box shapes, pentatonic box shapes as well as sliding diatonic and pentatonic shapes. If you don't know these I would reccomend downloading them and learning them. I also gave him guitar pro file with all the triad shapes and explained to them where they come from. The triad shapes are very handy as well. Don't know where you theory knowledge is but if you spend a couple months and really get these shapes under your fingers it will open up a lot of doors for your playing and you will have TONS of options when playing over chord progression.

Monte

Hi guys. Tolek you sent me a PM about this yesterday I thinks. Did I mis-understand or am I a part of this VB as well? Seems like everyone has decided on something.

Hey there! You are included, too, if you want! Try to record a take to the backing that I posted above.

Great initiative Tolek!! Thanks for sending me a PM about it.
Sorry for joining a bit late, you guys are already in move

The progression is nice tolek. You don't think it might be good to have first a drum track together with this progression. It will not be easy to loop it otherwise.

I maybe can try to put something together tonight if you like ...

I like the idea of a drum track also. Chord progression sounds good but the drums will give it more life and it will be easier to mix once we create a loop.

I agree with you guys, a drum track would be important. This is supposed to be the advanced group - we should make it as professional as possible.

Hey man Yeah, don't worry we haven't done anything without you! Just tossing idea's around, and not writing anything in stone till all the mentors are here.

Oh and here's a take I just made - Just improvised for now, and have to upload the last take as have just had to turn off the DR Z, but thought I'd at least let you guys hear a take The end kinda came and suprised me, hence the lack of feel from my playing for an ending. Oh well!Click to view attachment

you see I am mistaken
I always make this mistake of mentioning Melodic Minor in place of good old hungarian minor. I made this mistake of F# because there is actually a F# in C Hungarian Minor

Ok, let´s do a drum track!
I just tried to make one with RiffWorks, but I am too stupid for it. Who takes over?

Enforcer, correct!

It's just straight up C Aeolian isn't it?

Yeah. You can use this scale or its pentatonic. (or sometimes the harmonic minor scale)

I can do a drum track but I am with my mobile solution so my vsti options is kinda limited because of the cpu needs. I will make a midi file of it if it works and you can make it more realistic on ez drums or something.

One other suggestion, lets make that chord progression "Cmin9 Fmin9 Bdim7 Cmin9" in place of "Cmin9 Fmin9 Bdim7" This diminished chord feels like it requires a Cmin9 before the end of the loop...

Ok! However, it´s not Bdim7. It´s Dmin7b5 (D F Ab Db). It sounds the same, but the notes aren´t the same.

I´m glad you can do a DT.

yeah man I meant that



We should pick a tempo shouldnt we?

What about a bass track? Any thoughts on this? If we had a midi file and someone has a VST it shouldn't be that big of a deal.

I can give it a try tomorrow. However, I never used VSts! Big time to start!

Maybe someone has a bass guitar?

I don´t, but I am currently making a midi file.

I just realized that I wrote something wrong in my previous posts:

Dmin7b5 is D F Ab C, but I play D F Ab B, so it´s just simply: D dim7.