Hi Chris, this is your MTP thread for March.
we start working on rhythmic guitar. I've chosen this old but cool lesson to start, I think you can play it without big problems because it's lower than your current level, but I want to be sure about your palm muting and timing.
about timing: this is the most important thing in music man, no matter style, instrument, or if you are just singing alone on the road back home...
one thing I always said to my students, or even to my band's mates, is: "use the whole duration of every note before to play the next one"
so, pay attention on that while you're playing and don't run after the next notes.

no more to add here, let the Mtp begins!
feel free to ask for anything you need!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Assignment 1:
Epic Metal Rhythm

Hi Lian,
that's a great lesson! It's been in my bookmarks for a couple of weeks, but I never really started it. Wanna know why? I'm one of these poor guys who can't make a pinch harmonic!!
I have some free time this afternoon and will record this lesson. Which reminds me, can you send me the backing track please?
!Hasta luego!

Hi Lian,
I've been practicing the lesson this afternoon, so when you send me the backing track I'll record it tomorrow. It gave me a few minoir problems plus the big problem that I still am unable to do pinch hamronics...but you'll see tomorrow.
Still, as I wanted to try my new webcam I decided to re-record the Slayer and the Rammstein lesson. I hope that at least the Slayer lesson is good enough for the REC program. What do you think?
See ya!
Christian

awesome man, sorry for delay, my computer died yesterday so I had to format it.
I've added to the first post the BT for the assignment 1. don't worry about P.H. if you don't get it, you can just play the note without that P.H.
I'll watch these vids you uploaded and then I will comment what I think of them.

bye for now!

well man, both lessons are far better! about the Slayer one, I'd give an 8 or 9, no big problems in there, just some unwanted noises. about the Rammstein one, I'm still felling some notes out of tune, specially on the low E string. timing is much better, but from 00.37 to 00.51, that part needs a little bit more of work.

both are good enough for the Rec, I'd upload them.

Lian!

Hi Lian,
I'm glad you liked the two re-recorded lessons. I'll upload the slayer lesson to the REC forum but will make another try at the Rammstein lesson. I think I'm pushing the strings to hard so they sound out of tune.
I recorded the Epic Metal lesson a few minutes ago and left the pinch harmonics, though I was finally able to produce one after some tries. But it distracted me too much so I messed up the follwing part
I realised while watching the video that I mute with my left and right hand at the same time...hope that's not too bad.
So, here's the video, hope to hear from you soon!

well man, you did a great job on this one.
timing is great, and passages between powerchords sound really tight and powerful.
I'm still hearing some notes out of tune, specially while you are playing Bb5 or over the 1st fret. definitively, must be the fact you are pressing the strings so much in that place. pay attention on that.
also, I think your sound needs more drive/gain, for example: it's very difficult to get cool pinched harmonics without a heavy sound.
if you cannot get a better sound for recording, we can still focusing on your technique, timing, etc.
this first assignment is completed, beside this tiny details I've mentioned, you did I great job on this one and it let me see some of the things you need to work on.

so, I will start your second assignment.

Lian!

Hi Lian,
great to hear from you. I'm really glad you liked my take! Is it good enough for the REC-section?? I'm a bit frustrated right now because the new Slayer-take I submitted didn't pass either (maybe you've seen that).
As I use a V-amp 3 (should be quite similar to a POD) I have lots of options to get more gain, I'll look into that. I will also use another guitar (Ibanez) for the next assignment, as I have the feeling that it stays in tune much better, especially with a lower tuning. I also think the sound is a bit more powerful.
I'm really looking forward to the next assignment!
Christian

well man, are you ready for the second assignment? I hope so!

this time we still continue in the line of the previous assignment, and we will still focusing of rhythm and timing mainly. In this one, we also got some interesting palm muting combination that I think will be very useful for your playing right now.

I'll upload the BT asap

Assignment 2:
Folkish Rhapsody

That's a very cool assignment, I never listened to folk metal before, but it sounds really amazing!
I think I'm gonna record this one on wednesday, this is usually my guitar day where I have a couple of hours time to not just practice but to record and mix stuff as well.
See ya!

cool man, nice to hear you like it! have fun practising!

I'm checking out the most recent records of Ensiferum and Eluveitie right now, I'm gonna buy one of these for sure now! I think "Everything remains..." by Eluveitie is going to be the winner. Thanks for introducing me to this style!

yeah, both are good albums, also, if you got some time, check Turisas albums out.

Hey Lian,
I'd love to record this lesson today, would be cool if you could uplaod the BT!
Thanks!

well man, BT's up now. sorry for delay, I was so busy yesterday. hope to watch your take soon.

Lian!

Hi Lian, thanks for the BT.
I'm at my girlfriends place now for the weekend and I don't have a chance to make a decent record here...I'll try to record the sound and video with a digital camera, if this doesn't work I'll submit the take on monday.
By the way, I bought the latest albums of Eluveitie, Ensiferum and Turisas via iTunes. They are so great, thanks a lot for introducing me to this style!
I've also been practicing your Kamelot lesson this week, don't know if you have planned it for one of the next assignments, but I'd sure love to have the BT for this one. I'm going to see Kamelot live in two weeks, I'm so excited!
Another thing (since your my mentor ): Do you have any suggestions on how I should practice? e.g. right now I start with some warm-up exercises from Marcus' lesson, then I play some lessons I already mastered, and then I work on one or two lessons I haven't masteres yet. Is this the right way to go?
Christian

So, here is my take now, the guitar sounds out of tune in some parts, I'm gonna buy new strings tomorrow. By the wy, shall I take thicker ones (I've got 10 - 46 now)?
Here we go:

well, great to hear you bought these albums, and yes, they are great

about practice:
Marcus' lesson for warming up is a very good choice. and all the way you go looks fine for me.
may you can add some specific etudes for an special day. that's what I do. for example:

Monday: I do some warming up, some lessons, and I focus meself on Legato.
Tuesday: the same but focusing on alternate picking stuff
and so on...
so, on this way you are letting your muscles rest, since each technique requires different muscles. so, like when you are at the gym (not my case I give u my word XD)




I can't see it, is it deleted?

sorry, now it works! I am watching it right now.

well, man, nice take! there are some things to put an eye on:
beside things you mentioned, timing on part from 00.33 can be better.
also, pay attention on your alternate picking. while you're playing downstrokes they sound very cool, but when you have to change to the A.P. part, you miss timing, and it doesn't sound good.
a new take tomorrow would be awesome.

about strings:
try if you want 0.11, but I use 0.10 from ernie ball and they are great.

Hi Lian,
thanks for your feedback! Here is a new take:

well man!!! much much much better!!! congrats. still some missing notes at the A.P. part, so we will be paying attention on this technique from now on. but let me tell you that you've improved a lot in this second try. less noise, more power, MORE METAL! so, congrats.

as you said before you were playing the Kamelot lesson, I think that lesson could be the 3º assignment and after that, we could start out with some etudes more focused on techniques. then, we can go back to the lessons based on bands or songs.

so, in the Kamelot lesson, we got some A.P. among powerchords, and a melodic solo line, that will help me to see how you are in that area. and then we got a riff or verse part a little bit complex than previous assignments.
so, if you are agree, this will be our next step.

Thanks for the feedback! Do you think I can submit this take for the rec-program? I'd like to put soem more videos up there :-)
The Kamelot lesson would be really great as I've been practicing it a few times already. So, just upload the backing track and I'll give it a shot.
Sounds like a great idea to focus on technique in april and then going back to band stuff in may, as you remember I'd love to be able to play along some Kamelot, Arch Enemy, Blind Guardian or Hammerfall stuff in the future.
I'm really glad that you're my mentor!

well man, thanks a lot for kind words, you know it means a lot for me.
about REC prog. yes, I would upload your take. remember that, some feedback you got there, is not based in your learning process, so, some grades from another instructor could be lower than mines, since they are not seeing your improves, just they see what you are playing right now.
I mean, for example: you could get a lower grade for that A.P. part in the Folkish lesson, while I see a great improvement comparing it with your first try.
but, I think every feedback, and more which is helping us to improve, is very welcome.

I'll upload the BT in 2 hours, (I'm travelling now XD)

Assignment 3:
Kamelot Style

I'll upload it to the rec section and see what some other instructors will say. The main part is taht you see some improvement in my playing!
I'll record the Kamelot lesson tomorrow, actually tuesdays and wednesdays are my usual recording days.
See ya!

cool man, BT added. have fun practising

Hi Lian, this is my take...I missed the first note on the solo part, but I think the rest should be okay!

Hi Lian, did you already see my take? I'm gonna see Kamelot live in concert tonight and was wondering if I'm good enough to go on stage and jam along with them
By the way, I got a pass in the rec-section for the Folkish Rhapsody take!
Hope to hear from you soon.
Christian

well man, sorry for delay, I was so busy these days.

I watched your last take and it was pretty good! beside the note missed at the beginning, it was very good.
there are some problems tho.
from 00.50, when the verse part starts, you are playing it a little bit slower than the BT tempo, giving a confusing sound as result. may you are not able to play this part at its tempo yet, your R hand looks so tensed too. or may it was only in this take.
anyway, as I said previously, we need to work on your picking, and on your alternate picking.
the other problem is on the last E5, your attitude was very cool, but as result, you got a strong root note out of tune.

it was a good take anyway, I'm just saying what we need to improve
since I know the question will come, the answer is: yes, I'd upload the take to the REC program.

here's your next assignment.
I found this lesson from Marcus, very useful. since it has in its first 30 secs. what we need to improve.


Assignment 4:
Basic Metal
link to the BT:
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...showtopic=28445

so, this assignment is focused only on the first 30 seconds of the Marcus' lesson. so, all I need is your take on this section. if you are able to learn the whole lesson is an extra and it will be very useful to you.
see you soon

Hi Lian,
good to see that you're back and thanks for the feedback. It was the best take I recorded, but I'm not completely happy with it. Especially the rhythm section has been better when I practised without recording...So I'll keep practising this lesson before I'll upload it. But you're right, I always want to know if my takes are good enough for the rec-program
I have already been playing Marcus lesson in the past, so I think I can submit a decent video this weekend.
See ya!

cool man, nice to hear it. have fun practicing

Hi Lian,
I am really having trouble putting the video and the sound together at my girlfriends new PC. At first it is in sync, but after 10 seconds the video is much slower than the sound...I just don't get, I'm using the same software as at home. So I'm just uploading the soundfile for now and try to figure the rest out...
See ya!

Edit:
Now I've got it working!
So here is the video:

Hey Lian,
I just realised that today is my birthday and your two year anniversary here at GMC. So we both have a reason to celebrate!
Have a nice day
Christian

well man, thank you so much for remember my anniversary, and I wish you a happy birthday!!!

about the take:
it was really good man. in this lesson you have improved a lot on your alternate picking in those 16th notes. congrats for that.
I see you change the way you hold the pick while you're playing the 16th notes. per ex at: 00.26.
are you feeling comfortable with this change?
I see it's not perfect yet, and I can see you still play it a little bit tense. but, the sound you get with that way of holding the pick, is far better than the way you're holding while downstrokes.
I think, in this way you're controlling much better your palm muting position. what, in metal, is really necessary.

so, your 4 assignments are Done and Passed.
now, to finish this first month MTP, you'll work on this lesson and prepare it for the final month REC program.

REC PROGRAM Assignment.
Manowar Lesson

this lesson has nothing over your current level, so I think you will make a great job working on it.


Lian!

Hi Lian, thanks for the feedback!
I've been experimenting a lot with different ways of holding the pick, especially when it comes to playing 16th notes. With this change I made in the take I just felt like I had much more control. I'll try to hold the pick this way everytime from now on.
I think I'll just have to practise more often, that's what Marcus suggested in the last REC so I don't tense up anymore.
By the way, I was thinkign about creating a practice agenda, so I would warm up, play some songs I already know and then do some GMC lessons. One day I'd focus on AP and PM (mostly with the lessons of this MTP), the next day I'd do legato and tapping (really wanna get better at it) and the third day I'd try sweeping (this would be completely new to me). Then I'd start over again. Do you think this is a wise choice, or should I focus on other techniques first?

Christian

Hey Lian,
my take will be up in 10 minutes!

well man, that practice agenda is a great way to go. The great secret of all this is just practice.
no matter which techniques you focus on, it's all practice. in time, you'll find some techniques easier for you and other more complex for you. so, then, you will be paying more attention on those more difficult and the easy ones will be part of your basic skills.
I always suggest some reading while practising, so, if you have a few minutes this text may like you.
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...st&id=18057

have you seen the last assignment I left you above?

cya!
Lian!

Sorry for the delay, here is the take now! By the way, thanks a lot for this article, really interesting!



I'll wait for you feedback before I'll upload it to the rec section.

Christian

well done man, it was a great take.
Palm muting is quite better, but still we have some problems in there. still we have some unwanted noise between powerchords.

look at the following pics:


while you are playing, those three finger you are not using to hold the pick are over the 1st, 2nd and 3rd string. so, while you are playing, your hand moves inevitably and then those fingers touch all the strings making some unwanted noise. this will disappear gradually with practice, but I think it would be very useful for u some tips about it.
this technique is called palm muting, so it means we have to use our palm to block the strings. so, try to find another place for those fingers. this will be hard at the beginning, but results worth it. once you get it, you'll see it's easier to control your hand's movements, since you only have to focus on two fingers (the ones are holding the pick) and the rest of them will move effortless.



here is where you have to palm, so after find a place for your fingers, pay attention on where you have to palm.

here's a Gilbert's pic. It's always good to take a look what another guitar player does, and take it as a reference or goal.
I used to see every vid from this guitar player, 'cause I was fascinated by his R-hand. beside his virtuosity, I always though that hi has one of the best R-hand of all times XD, so I took him as my fav. think about the riffs you can create with that hand!


well, the take was very good, and we got our first month complete. upload your take to the rec program, and I will close this thread to create the new one for April.

Lian!

Hi Lian,
thank you so much for the feedback! I also realised in the last weeks that my right hand is my weak spot (or the weakest among many... ), I'm still not quite sure how to change it...I can't really play making a fist of my right hand (like David Wallimann does), they will always just pop out again. Anyway, I'll figure it out sooner or later, with your help
I just uploaded the take to the REC, I'm looking forward to the next assignment!

well man, thank you so much for take this MTP so seriously. we will continue on a new thread for the second part of our MTP.

REC TAKE
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...showtopic=34828