Hey Scott! Welcome to your very own personal mentoring thread please tell me a bit about your goals and musical knowledge so far and we can rock!
Cosmin
thanks Cosmin, didnt expect to have my own thread, kinda scary
I used to play rhythm guitar in a band, in the style of metallica. Basically I just chugged away with power chords. My lead playing is quite basic.
Ive recently began working on the positions of the minor pentatonic, but Im not quite sure what I will do with it once I have got them all learned. So my knowledge of scales is quite poor.
Ive never followed any type of structured practice routine and I usually try to play things to advanced which has caused me to get disheartened and stop in the past.
I think I need a solid practice schedule which allows me to maybe hit some small golas.
I thought I might post up a take of me playing the last half of Alive by Pearl Jam because I know a few of the licks in the final solo ( although I dont play them spot on ) and I'll just improvise over the bits I dont know so you will see exactly where I suck
in terms of goals, I would like to be able to play solos from the likes of Gilmour, slash, Iommi. Those are the main guys for me I'd also like to be able to write my own solos over backing tracks and not have them suck.
Ive also been working on one of Ivans lessons which Ive almost got to a reasonable level which I could post here if it would help give you an idea of my level.
Hey again Scott well, you might help us a lot into figuring out what's best for ya, if you would post that vid it will allow us to work together on a level based program so you can reach your goals. What do you think man?
Cosmin
no problem
Im working on some way of recording at the moment. Ive not done it before but I'll figure out something!
I'll get some type of a recording posted tomorrow.
Im looking forward to getting started.
Well..... my recording efforts didnt go exactly to plan! I couldnt get my guitar into the PC so I had to settle for using a laptop with a built in webcam
I will get a proper device for my next recordings, hopefully I will have a better system of recording by the weekend.
I think the crappy webcam recordings are enough to give you an idea of my limited abilities though Cosmin.
This is one of Ivan's lessons ( original - http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Classic_Ballad_Bending_Techniques/ ) - ( Ive had about 2 weeks at this lesson. ) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBLu3XI8eiI&feature=youtu.be
My backing track for Alive which I was going to post sounded really poor so I just took a random backing track from youtube and improvised. you probably only need to listen to 60 seconds of it as I get a bit lost after that!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VcOsxRhbik
Apologies for the audio and video being out of sync...... I have no idea why that happened but I will get better recordings next time.... promise!
Hey Scott! I'd suggest these two for the rest of this month:
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/solo-guitar/rock-solo-beginner/
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Phrase-Book-Pre-Bends/
they are articulation oriented and they should give you a pretty good start in what regards bending and vibrato
what do you think man?
Cosmin
hey dude, Ive learned Ben's pre bend lesson and just need to keep playing it to get it sounding better but my plan is to record it at the weekend to let you have a listen.
I just wanted to ask how you think I should spend this weeks practice time?
should I devote each session this week playing / improving Ben's lesson or should I start learning the other lesson as well?
or should I work on Ben's lesson and continue with the minor pentatonic positions and begin the other lesson next week?
as you can probably tell I get worried that I practice wrong!
hey bro
I have that recording of Ben's pre bend lesson. Its not perfect but I didnt want to do too many recordings today incase I started playing it worse!
Keen to hear what you think.
http://soundcloud.com/bleez666/pre-bend-ex1
thanks dude
I would be up for doing a REC take. I need to get a better web cam at the end of the month so that will also give me time to improve on the lesson. The skin on my fingertips is kinda shredded after a week of practising those bends!
I also had a go at recording a http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/solo-guitar/david-gilmour-style-lesson/. It was just to give me something else to play as my fingers recovered for Ben's lesson again, its not perfect but I think Im already bending better than I was a few weeks ago.
Id love to hear your thoughts on this recording if you get a chance. also..... how the hell do I WRITE this kinda solo
http://soundcloud.com/bleez666/gilmour-style
thanks cosmin. I'll keep working on those bends.
I spend some time playing the note I want to bend to and then I try bending the note and trying to match the tone. hopefully it will become more natural soon.
I'll record the Gilmore lesson again in a week or two and hopefully it will be more 'awesome'
ok dude, Ive had quite a frustrating week. On the plus side Ive managed to increase my practice time quite a bit and have got between 1 - 1.5 hours each night last week. On the negative side this second lesson is giving me major problems.
The main problem is............. I just cant seem to play it! I am still only halfway through it and even the opening bends are giving me problems.
I want to play those bends with my middle finger but the instructor plays it with his pointing finger and mine just doesnt seem to know how to bend a string!
anyway, I thought I would record it tonight after a whole week of working on it to let you hear it in all its epic fail-ness it is only halfway through so the good thing is that it doesnt last long
http://soundcloud.com/bleez666/solo-fail by Gabe.
I only had 2 days on this but at least I managed to play it all the way through
http://soundcloud.com/bleez666/sat-style-rock
Hey C-dog, has my latest recordings blew your mind ? LOL! The next ones will be better.... promise
Hey mate sorry for being a little late, but now I have to take care of 40 of you and it takes sometime till I get to write to everyone
Alrightie, I'd suggest a bit more patience on these - the Satriani one was DEFINITELY better! YOu have to improve the timing and articulation, so bending is mainly a concern, but, give it time man - articulation doesn't build up that fast (I know it's a bit frustrating) Will you try and record over slower backing tracks? It would do you a whole lotta good!
Let's see the takes and discuss!
Cosmin
wassup c-maestro
Ive had another go at the pre-bend lesson. Hopefully its a bit closer. TBH Ive played it so much over the last couple of days that it is starting to sound weird to me now!
http://soundcloud.com/bleez666/pre-bend-take2
Taken your advice about playing a bit slower, I figured out how to slow down backing tracks in Reaper so Ive been doing the rock solo lesson a little slower and it is coming on much better, I should have a recording of that quite soon.
I could probably handle another lesson to work on if there is anything you suggest?
cheers bro
Hey mate! The pre-bend lesson sounds very good! There are some little mistakes here and there, but pretty much not notice-able due to the fact that the whole ensemble is good
Let's try this one now:
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/bending-control/
I want to take your bends to the next level what say you?
Cosmin
hi Cosmin,
the last week or so of my practising has not been the best Ive been learning / playing the bending control lesson and not much else unfortunately. I usually work on a lesson plus alt picking and scales but it has been just the lesson this week. Although I have been messing about with a couple of my own riffs but that doesnt really improve my lead playing ( sadly! ) I need to re-focus and organise my practice time a bit better for next week.
anyhoo.... Here is an attempt at the bending control lesson. The bend at about 34 seconds has been a bit of a problem most times I tried recording it but on the plus side it was worse this time last week
http://soundcloud.com/bleez666/bending-control
Cheers C-Maestro
Hey bleez I can hear progress there no worries mate. As I said, give it time as it's not going to sound uber awesome over night. BUT it sounds better than last time which means you are improving!
Now, how about moving a bit further into lead territory, with a lesson which involves a bit more phrasing? Just to keep your ears fresh and your hands working
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Pop-Rock-Solo-Beginner/
I chose this one, because it's going to help you focus on cleaner playing and more attention to articulation no distortion here to hide mistakes
Cosmin
Always a pleasure mate
Cosmin
hi mate
been practising hard this last 2 weeks working on some alt picking exercises and some timing exercises. Ive also spent some time trying to come up with some big fat 'spiritual beggar' type riffs
I have a take of the lesson you set. Not quite getting the best tone but I recorded 4 takes tonight and I think this was maybe the best out of them.
http://soundcloud.com/bleez666/pr1
I might not be getting the bends perfect but I think Im getting a little better in that area.
cheers bro.
Hey man, this sounds technically good there are a few notes who could be more 'sure' - when I say that, I am referring to reaching the correct tone, but in general you are getting there. Now, the next step would be the interpretation. Try to focus on telling a story with each bend, use the dynamics your hands are offering.
Try and see what you can come up with think of Eric Clapton on this one - to me at least, it feels like he could play such a track.
Cosmin
Hey man! I'd like you to focus on dynamics and interpretation try and tell a story with each note convince me with your story do we have a deal?
Cosmin
It does and it doesn't interpretation doesn't necessarily mean taking out or putting notes in, but it means you can stray a bit here and there with the timing, play a note louder or another one softer, vibrate more or less this sort of stuff. Now, go crazy man do whatever it feels good to do and we'll see where the tides of creativity will take you, k?
hehehe, you need to push it mate It'll get ya out of the comfort zone
well c-dawg I dont know if Im telling much of a story with this attempt...... but Im trying
http://soundcloud.com/bleez666/pop-rock
0.15 - total heart melt! Bravo! Well done man there are a few more bends which could be smoothed up, but you are on the yellow brick road man! Very good!
Cosmin
Hehehe! With experience growth, you will be able to fully express yourself EACH time! Anyway, you are on the right track work will only bring progress!
Hi Cosmin hope everything is good with you, mate.
I have a couple of recordings which I was hoping you could have a listen to and give me some feedback on?
Im still trying to improve on that pop-rock solo, what do you think..... getting closer?
I just ordered up a web cam and Im going to try and get a rec take done this month..... Im thinking that this lesson might be the best for me to use.
http://soundcloud.com/bleez666/pop-rock-2-0
cheers
Ahoy there man
1) For the pop rock solo, I think it's technically correct, although it could still be improved in what regards flow and interpretation - now that you nailed the bends, you should focus on the dynamic of the lesson - which gives it the right feeling.
2) I like your take man - the fact that there's no shredding doesn't mean it's not ok - it's got power and melody man! And I think it's nicely articulated too the only points where it lacks a bit of flow, would be the descended runs, such as the one at about 0.36
So, tell me man, how's life? What do you feel like you would enjoy tackling next? I'll make some recommendation based on what you tell me
Cosmin
Hey man! That lesson is a good standard so I agree with trying to get it right Now regarding bending in the correct pitch - I recommend working out with the following exercise:
1) Play any note on the neck on any string
2) Go back a whole step and bend it till it sounds just like the one you played before
3) Execute the same drill going back a half step and then a minor third
4) Do these drills on as many notes and places on the neck as possible
5) When confident enough, try the following: go from point 1) to point 4) WITHOUT hitting the string when starting to bend - bend and then hit the string when you FEEL you have reached the correct pitch without actually hearing the note on it's way to the desired tone.
what do you think man?
Cosmin
C-Maestro.... do you think this is a possible rec take?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Icc4NwZmuY
what up C-Dawg!
I decided to play through the pop rock lesson some more and recorded another attempt today. I think I am at the stage you mentioned where any improvements which can be made are getting difficult for me to see but I think I've made some improvements with it from the first couple of recordings.
So it's been submitted for a rec take.
Ive also been working on my nemisis of a lesson ( Rock Solo - Beginner ) I have to report that Im getting on with it much better this time.
I was listening to your lesson - 'The Voice of your guitar'. I got it completely stuck in my head, its such a brilliant melody so I had to start working on that as well. Im almost able to play it through, some of the bends in the higher up parts are tough for me to nail at the moment but I'll keep at them. Its a great lesson dude, really cool to play.
Howdy bro! Let me take a look at the REC aye? Thanks for the nice thoughts on 'The voice of your guitar lesson' That melody has been with me at least 7 years so, I'm glad i could put it to good use
Let's see other recordings
Cosmin
hey dude, thanks for the rec grading and thanks for all the tips you gave me when I began learning it!
The pleasure is all mine
Sure, please do and I will see what we can do from that point, ok?
Cosmin
Hey mate! I love the Stoner Rock lesson - you got good balance! You know, I have to congratulate you for gaining this sort of balance you worked hard I see
The Satch one is also good, although the bends could be a bit smoother to achieve perfection! Nonetheless, I notice a serious dose of progress in this direction as well
If you like we can start talking about 'The voice of your guitar' lesson - it's gonna push you though, towards your articulation limits and hopefully surpass them
Cosmin
Thanks for your kind thoughts my friend! It's all about interpretation with those bends and vibrato! Technically you can bend, but I want to get you to the next level! Aye?
Stoner Rock -> REC = YES! You got the 10 from me already
As for the bending one work on it till you feel you like it and let's see it - it doesn't have to be perfect, eh?
Cosmin
Looking forward to that, signore
hi mate
I took a recording of the voice..... I hope the bending doesn't make you cringe too much Some of the bends are more problematic than others. The ones around 0.33 in particular ( 8th fret B string and 9th fret G string) man, those are really difficult to get sounding right!
I'll just keep working at it though, its has to get awesome sooner or later
http://soundcloud.com/bleez666/voice4
Howdy there man
the first part was almost perfect - those quirky bends around 0.7 were not there at all. After that, I have spotted various pitch and fluidity problems which, most certainly will be resolved in your next take
I think you're on the right path!
Cosmin
That's a good idea just try to understand all the bends and phrases before playing and then tackle them
hey dude
okay, so Ive been playing the ass off this all week but Im still not hitting those bends!
Ive been using that exercise you suggested of just going around the fretboard playing the note and then bending to it and I get on really well with that but when Im playing along with the backing track it gets messed up a little. I dunno if Im over or under bending.... after about an hour it all sounds weird LOL!
here's a recording from today -
http://soundcloud.com/bleez666/voice-0807
As well as playing with the backing Ive been playing along with your video to try and get where to stop when I bend, maybe I should do that a lot more.
Ive also been working on a blues lesson which as a couple of fast ( fast for me! ) bits in it. I'll give you a listen once I tighten it up a bit more
cheers bro.
Oy
mate, it's not bad, but there are still some notes which you are not hitting. And at the beginning, the quirky bends I am doing at about sec 0:7 for instance. You need to become more accurate on this one mate - try to record against me playing separate the tracks and see the differences in nuances and details. Don't get frustrated, this lesson is not easy it's not easy for me either (it took me about 10-15 takes to get it straight for publishing)
Let's see what you can come up with
Cosmin
Hey Cosmin thought I'd check in and let you know how things are going.
I found that with 'the voice' lesson I had started playing the same bends almost everytime.... unfortunately they weren't the correct bends. I think I overplayed it a bit so decided to play a some other things for a few weeks and come back at it a bit fresher.
so in the meantime Ive been trying to write a few of my own riffs which has been fun, and began a few lessons that sounded cool. So here is my progress with them so far-
Ive been trying the 'http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Classic-Black-Sabbath-Rhythm-Lead/. here's where Im at with it so far ( Ive just recorded the solo part as I think Im ok with the rhythm) :
I also had a go at some fast ( for me )http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/solo-guitar/blues-licks3/. Im at 120bpm with this but the lesson is at 130 but Im just needing to consolidate at the slower speed, hopefully I should be able to speed it up soon.
Another one Ive been trying is this 'http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Poor_Man_Blues_Solo/'. The description in the lesson makes a point of leaving a bit of room for interpretation so Ive tried to do that as well..... also there's a couple of licks in the original which are a bit too fast
Bit of a long post dude, sorry about that but I didn't want you to think that Ive not been practising! Im going to start back on the voice lesson and see if I can nail it this time.
cheers mate.
Whoa! Hey man!! Nice! I like what I see and hear
Your bends could be a little but just A LITTLE bit more precise - otherwise, I think you are doing a great job! Good timing and tightness.
About the blues licks lesson, I think it sounds just great! Be patient and it will get to 130
I can't wait to see the 'voice'
Cosmin
Alright brother! Glad to know and also SEE that you are making progress
I will be around to see the result and then...maybe, The Voice 2?
I thought so too mate
Yo C-Maestro I recorded a take of the voice to let you have a listen. Still needs some work but I'll get there
cheers dude.
Hey there mate! The take is NOT that far from being great
Two important aspects:
- take care of the pitch when bending - there are many spots in which you didn't reach it
- in the first part there are some little bends which you have omitted Check the original recording at min 0.7, for instance. In your recording, that moment occurs at about min 0:13.
Fix these and the take is yours!
Cosmin
Just watched the lesson again, I dont know why I missed the bends at 0.7. I totally see them now though
when I listen to my recording I can hear the bends which are out but when Im actually playing the lesson I dont seem to recognise the correct pitch as easily. is this a common problem for a lot of people learning?
it seems like a really basic thing to do ..... who the hell cant bend a sting LOL!
You'll be amazed how difficult it really is Making it sound great will take some practice and transforming it into a skill will take some years Take your time mate! Let's see the next one
hey Boss
just checkin in with a quick update. Been working on a bunch of stuff but mainly trying to improve those 3 lessons I posted last month - The voice, that sabbath one and the blues licks.
I will post up some vids of them in a few days to get some feedback because I 'think' Ive made some progress with them..... although the voice is still giving me nightmares but Im trying dude!
I also found out that I need most of my frets re-done from about the 13th up to maybe the 20th, I'd like to think that is the whole reason I miss the 'occasional' bend Im getting it refretted at the end of the month so everything should be cool.
Also been working on a couple of my own songs which Gabe has been giving me a few tips with. Just got the intro finished to a bit of a groovy stoner type track.
Heeeey! Well, let's see the vids then and I would be very curious to hear your songs man!
Man! I love it! It's uber grungy! Can you record the vocals too? If you are shy, use the guitar to record the vocal lines
Lemme know when you are ready
yo c-dawg
I recorded a couple of those lessons, Ive managed to get the blues licks up to the proper speed, which I thought was kinda cool because this time last month I couldn't make it past 5 seconds at this BPM
Heres the Sabbath solo as well. I know its not perfect but I think the bends are getting better than they were this time last month
cheers dude.
Hey man!!
The blues lesson is SMOKIIIIN!! Indeed, regarding the Black Sabbath one, there would be some more detailed work for the bends but, otherwise it's pretty darn good as well!
What do you think about posting the blues take in the REC zone?
Cosmin
Close, very very close, but still distinguishably shaky It's a matter of a weee of pinch
Mate! This is already taking good shape! The first part was good aside from those little tricky bends Well, those little bastards are the nemesis of everyone around here, it seems! The first one was almost great, but the second one had a bit of a faulty timing. Let's focus on this first part, what say you? We get it perfect and then move on to the next!
Most definitely! Focus on it and watch out for EVERY detail I'll be waiting
hey Boss, it's 2 voices for the price of 1
I thought it would be cool to work on both lessons simultaneously and try to get both stage by stage.
So here's a take of both, I have a little catching up to do with voice2 as I only began learning it but Im confident I'll get those bends sooner rather than later. The voice 2 is such a cool-ass thing to play Im digging those weird bends a lot, even though I dont nail them, they are still cool to play.
Hehehe
Well, mate, for the Voice 1 - those bends are a bit quicker pfff, these things are pretty difficult to reproduce, I know, but the only way you can really get them into your system, is to listen to the piece until you can sing it, literally
And also, don't get rigid on the playing bro, in the second part it looks pretty stiffie, just because it's new But try to be as fluid as possible in the Voice 1.
It's tough, I know, but once you get these under you thumb, you'll have them FOR LIFE!
Cosmin
Thanks man! Well, you need to learn a thing or two about modes and HOW to use them We could talk about that if ya'd like to
Alright! Well, let's begin with a simple question What do you think that modes really are?
Mate, a mode is simply a permutation of the notes in a mother scale
The most important thing you must know and understand, is that everything regarding modes is based on three things:
1) Learning to hear the differences between them - this involves ear training and knowing what scale degree is characteristic for each mode
2) Knowing where those notes are on the neck
3) Knowing how to combine notes which chords - that all goes down to understanding what is the actual effect of playing a certain note/ group of notes against a particular chord
You must know that the modes can be classified like this:
Major (the contain a major 3rd) - Ionian, Lydian, Mixolydian
Minor (the contain a minor third) - Dorian, Phrygian, Aeolian, Locrian
If we look at the major scale - the Ionian mode, as it is also called, we will notice the following structure:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 -> these are the scale degrees of the Ionian/ Natural major scale
From this point we tweak this formula to obtain the other modes wink.gif
Lydian -> 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7
Mixolydian -> 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7
Dorian -> 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7
Phrigyan -> 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Aeolian -> 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Locrian -> 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7
By 'b' (flat) we understand that we raise that degree to which the 'b' is attached and by '#' we understand that we raise that degree to which the '#' is attached.
Are we good so far?
Cosmin
Its a bit complicated and I need to assimilate the info but I think we are good so far
Well, please tell me what seems to be most difficult so that we can break it down if needed : )
actually dude, I think Im okay so far Ive re-read it a few times.... Im good!
Alright! Now, tell me can we try the next little drill?
Suppose we have E major - the scale Can you tell me what modes you can form from its 4th and 5th step and their notes? And can you tell me the notes of E Dorian and it's parent scale?
Cosmin
Hehe Check this out:
You know that the Dorian mode belongs to the 2nd step of its parent scale, right? Whose major scale does E Dorian belong if we consider it to be the 2nd step? D major of course -> D E F# G A B C# D
Got it mate?
Cosmin
Yess!!
Well, let's try another little exercise and then I'll ask you to take a look over the lesson notes I have done in the first part of this year for the v-chat series on modes!
Please write the structures of the seven modes for C (C Ionian, C Dorian, C Phrygian ....)
Hey man! Good work! On The Voice 1 - the bends are there, just a little bit more polishing and it's yours I think that you may be out of tune a bit? On the Voice 2, you need more sustain on those bends and I've noticed that you are not using more fingers when you bend, to acquire this. How about taking a look over here:
Looking forward to your progress and the little drill with the modes so that we may move on
Cosmin
cool, thanks for the vid.
dude, with those bends - what are you doing with your index finger?
you're bending the note with your middle finger and you have the ring finger on the same string behind it, but Im not sure what your index finger does, are you muting stuff?
K.O.rect!
Great going mate! How about trying the same exercise for B major let's say?
Goodie!! Now, I want you to take a look over the lesson notes for Ionian and try the exercises provided there. After that, let me know what your impressions are and I'll shoot some more Ionian drills your way
Check it out here: http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=39243&st=80&p=564197&#entry564197
Please do and let me know if ya understood everything, ok?
Cosmin
hey duder
quick update been working on the modes, looking through your stuff as well as just playing around with them. I was experimenting with different modes over that song Im trying to write and came up with a real dark sounding chorus purely from messing about with the locrian mode, which I thought was pretty cool
Ive been working on the collab, I had hoped to maybe play over a couple of sections but so far Ive just got the first part done using the dorian. I'll keep working on the next section incase I manage to get something cool sounding but I thought you could take a look at it so far because Im going for a few big bends here and, well, y'know.....
Hey mate! Locrian riff? I have to hear that
Those bends are nasty and wide! The take is building up quite nicely, but, I'd suggest you to bend a bit more in pitch and vibrate wider. Let's see this take a bit improved, because I like the ideas but I'm sure you can play them better!
Mate! The song sounds good as an ensemble, but Ive noticed one thing - the atmosphere changes are not underlined in the song as a whole - by that, I mean that the drums are too linear and thus, they drag the guitars after them. Try to think in more dynamic terms
Thanks for the nice thoughts about the backing Well, the harmonic basis is inspired from that darn song But check the dynamics out for some inspiration - and also, check out my latest Deftones lesson - I think I managed to build quite an atmosphere there
thanks dude yeah the drums are something I'd look to re-do if the song turns out okay. I dont really have drum program as such but Im looking to get something like EZ Drummer soon.
your deftones lesson is very cool, it sounds much bigger than 2 guitars, great atmosphere.
I really like the lower tuned stuff, I tried playing with a C tuning but its a bit awkward with just the 1 guitar and switching between such a low tuning and then back up to standard. I really need another guitar when I get a little better as a player Im gonna reward myself with a new axe!
Alright! Well, it's never enough to have one I need a standard tuned PRS right now
Well anyway, how's the Voice 1 and 2 going and when can I see a second take for the collab?
Cosmin
Hey man! A lot improved Better flow and correct pitches - also, how about trying to vibrate with the neck when playing that harmonic at 0.47? Don't forget to send the takes 'till Tuesday
cheers dude, its been a really enjoyable collab so far. Ive been trying stuff I usually wouldnt really think about.
They are more like pre-bends somehow Pff, mate it's a bit hard to describe all this in words as I've done this with my voice not my guitar - I transposed everything on guitar trying to imitate my voice as best I could and what you are learning now came up
You are making good progress mate - you need to relax though. This whole line started from a song about sand in a woman's toes on the seaside ...Let your imagination go crazy and see if it helps
hey boss
Just wanted to check in as Ive not updated this thread for a bit. Ive really just had my head down and been practising loads tbh!
Still working on my bending but Ive been putting in extra practise on alt picking lately to try and increase speed. Its a slow process but Ive just been going through a bunch of picking exercises.
I also thought it would be cool to start learning some full songs so Ive been working through Ironman, its really only the solo which I need to concentrate on as I can play the riffs. I can play through the solo now at a slow tempo, Im quite a bit off the full speed so Im just playing it everyday and trying to speed it up. Its not that difficult to play as such but I lose the phrasing when I go too fast.
I wanted to play 'the spirit of radio' by rush but that intro..... damn its just too fast!
Ive also spent a little too much time on writing my own songs! Ive spent entire evenings recording and arranging a couple of songs when I probably should have been practising technique playing the bass on them as well which is fun!
I may be pestering you for tips on vocals as well soon
Hey there man
I listened to the tunes and here are my observations:
- you have a very good tone
- all the riffs are catchy! This is a crucial aspect and I congratulate you
- you could use more dynamics in each song - somehow they are too linear
- the solos - if you don't feel like a solo is needed in someplace, don't do a solo just for the sake of having a solo When you will get used to experimenting with rhythm and dynamics in your song writing, you will observe that suddenly you have so many ideas to put into a sung, that sometimes, solos won't even be on the list anymore - it's not a must, but it can happen
Let's see what your friend can come up with and take it from there - anyway, I like the general 90's Slash/ Grungy rock flavor that these tunes are having, so it would be a pity not to try and take them to the greatest achievable height of creation
What would your thoughts be, my friend?
Cosmin
Hehe, well, for starters, how about thinking of how to variate the groove elements in the songs - a stop here, a different formula there, breaking down the rhythm at half time in another part - this sort of stuff
Don't hurry though - take the one which is the least worked on and see what you can do to alter it in the suggested direction
y'know I had kinda noticed that most of the stuff Ive come up with has followed a similar formula, with the slight exception of that tempo change in the first track I posted, which is my favorite riff out of all of them so Im definitely up for trying to do something different.
I have a a couple of riffs which I really like but as yet have not done anything with so I think I'll use those and try turn them into a more dynamic song.
Let's see what happens
Good idea mate! You see, once you have listened to a piece for a long period of time and you know thee way it sounds - you are very inclined to think and feel that that's the way it should sound and in no other way. Starting fresh is good, so let's see what you have in mind Post it here and let's discuss!
hey dude, I have these riffs which Ive been working on. Ive put in a section ( which sound like a chorus to me ) in half time. Ive also tried to layer the intro a bit to make it more interesting.
I thought that after the half time section is played for a second time, basically where the song ends at the moment, it might be a good place to change it with a slower acoustic kinda thing a bit like the slow bit on 'sabbath bloody sabbath' or even like the quiet parts you have done in your new system of a down lesson ( which sounds excellent btw). dunno.... im open to suggestions
https://soundcloud.com/bleez666/multiverse
Hey man
I think it is very good like this in terms of lengthiness - what I'd do is, shorten some of the passages and implement that slow/ maybe acoustic middle part. Another thing which came to me in the first few tens of seconds while listening, was the fact that I'd begin the song at halftime rather than the way you did it - but that's a matter of taste
On the other hand - great tone, great drumming and tight playing! I think this has the potential to turn into a great song
What do you say?
Cosmin
PS: Thank you for your kind thoughts on the SOAD lesson
thanks duder
Im totally trying the beginning in half time, that's a really cool idea, I wouldn't have thought of that but I can almost hear it in my head now and it sounds like a monster intro!
I'll shorten the length of the main riff, probably is a bit long even with vocals in mind. I could also shorten the time taken to get to the first half time section.
cool, thanks for the suggestions matey, I'll let you know how they turn out
Please do - and come over at the v-chat tomorrow, we'll be talking song writing and orchestration again
Well, this week I have a special treat!
An interactive lick trade off/ ear training/ vocal emulation session
If you'd join, it would be awesome!
hey boss
Over the next couple of nights Im going to record a few of the things Ive been practising just to let you check over and maybe get your thoughts on them. Maybe get your opinion on how I should progress.
Also dude, are D.O.C on twitter? I couldnt find you guys on there but I was just wondering because there is a new rock radio station about to start over here in the UK next month and they were talking about new and unsigned bands.... I told them they should be playing you guys and I tweeted them a link to the meta vid on youtube
it might be worth thinking about a twitter account for DOC, if you dont have one, its not a bad platform for picking up a new following.
Wow Hey man, thanks a lot!!!
Tell me if you need a presskit or something regarding us and I will deliver faster than the speed of light
Post everything you need advice on and we'll get to it without any problem! A little movie perhaps, because it's easier to talk and play a bit rather than type
hey duder,
Ive recorded pretty much everything Im currently doing for my 'practice' routine and Ive tried to highlight some of the parts which I can see are not so good but you may notice other dodgy bits as well
basically this is what Ive been working on for the last few months, maybe you can see if I need to change how Im practising, maybe I should be working on different areas.
I hope you can understand my accent..... its very Scottish you may need some subtitles.
At the end of the vid I mention 'sweep picking', although it kinda sounds like I say speed picking so I thought I point that out incase it confused things!
I didnt realise it would be such a long video, 9 minutes of my guitar playing and crazy ramblings.... hope you dont mind.
Also, regarding that new radio station, I got forwarded to the dude who is making up the initial playlists so I sent him a link to some D.O.C vids and told him to let me know if he needs anything else. Im going to be listening to the station anyway when it starts next month so hopefully I can get you guys some airplay on it.
cheers cap'n
Maaaaaaaaaaaaaan, I uber enjoyed watching this! I think this is definitely a very good way for us to work I will also make up a video for you today, in which I will point out all the observation I have, regarding what I've seen and heard! And BTW, I think your accent is most awesome! I look forward to visiting Scotland one fine day! It's actually a wish I had since I was a little kid Stay tuned mate and thanks for the DOC support once again!
And here we go:
great video Cosmin, LOL! you're correct, I do tell my mates about the bearded Romanian wolfman who's death stare burns my fretboard every time I bend out of pitch..... but its never a negative way Its all positive and I totally appreciate it.
yeah.... those 3 main points you mentioned are spot on. Ive never really thought too much about how I do vibrato or economy of movement but after watching your video a few times and then picking up my guitar..... yeah, I totally see it
Im going to really focus on those points and try to get them better for the next video
I played around with the vibrato tonight and I think I understand how to use my wrist, but I'll work on that some more and maybe record a quick vid to make sure Im doing it correctly.
I'll definitely get some more of my riffs down for your thoughts. I have a couple of new songs, One of them is 'complete' but obviously not finalised.... it may suck and need altered! and I have a few riffs of a second song which Im a bit stuck with, Im not too sure where to go with it. I'll get a video of them and see what you think.
also dude, it will definitely be most awesome if you were to visit Scotland, I would make sure to catch up with you at some point. Im sure you'd love it here. especially around the highlands, some amazing places there.
thanks duder, we'll talk soon.
I am very glad that I managed to help out, mate!
Please do make a new video and also, execute some vibrato for me, so that I may see how the mechanics are looking, aye?
Hell man, I'd be thrilled to travel there and we could take pics for the dudes here at GMC
hey dude, that radio station I mentioned are starting to get things together. They are having a slot dedicated to new bands and are currently on the lookout for stuff to play. I have some contact details if you want to send stuff to them.
they are looking for band info and tracks either by email - [email protected] or by post :
Breaking Bands,
TeamRock Radio - B2,
Blue Fin Building,
110 Southwark Street,
London,
SE1 0SU.
the DJ presenting this show is called Sophie, but I think if you got a track loaded into their playlist there's a good chance of airplay during different programmes as well.
Thank you sooooooo much mate!! I will definitely send her a CD and a letter of intention!
How's playing and when will I get to see another awesome video from you?
Oh oh, looks like you are indeed busy, my friend! I'd be curious to hear the XYZ tune in your interpretation - some of my friends played it at a guitar festival back in 2007 and that's where I first heard this tune
Doesn't matter mate - if slow is played good, it will get fast in time so, let's see it
Alrightie
hey dude, one of the DJ's at http://www.planetrock.com/ has just been on twitter looking for CD's and press packs of new bands for his show on saturday nights. His contact details are -
WYATT V WENDELS
Mappin House,
4 Winsley Street
London
W1W 8HF
They are a big radio station, that's the first time Ive seen them actively search for new bands like that.
Wow thank you man! We have sent a presskit to the other radio last week, hope we'll get on air or something
Thanks a bunch!!
Awesomeness! Thank you again and just to let you know, we will be sending the press kit through mail, today How are those videos coming along?
Awesome! Thank you so much man! It would be great to let me know if they have received the stuff and if the songs are being played - we've sent press kits to each of the radios you gave me contacts for.
It looks like your guitar schedule looks busy, so I'm really looking forward to see a new presentation video from you. Just be patient with yourself and focus on the vibrato and articulation in general, ok?
hey boss have a vid for ya!
Hopefully there wont be any problems viewing it because youtube just hassled me about a copyright claim! I think I played Comfortably numb soooo good that they thought it was Gilmour LOL!
it should be okay but if there are any blank sections, it's youtube being fascists and I might have to edit it.
Its a bit long so I hope you are not too busy! thanks dude.
Hey mate! Thanks for the vid I got everything and I'm coming up with a video answer for you today
Here ya go mate:
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Hand-Synch-II/
thanks dude, much appreciated
That hand sync lesson looks great, Im going to get started on that one just now. It really gets fast towards the end, that would be a mega achievement if I managed to get this lesson nailed.
I'll get the neoclassical one tidied up as well, might get a wee rec take out of it! not done one in ages. I'll run it by you again when Ive improved on it some more.
cheers cosmin, for such good feedback. Im definitely taking all your comments on-board
Mate, good feedback is a result of a thoroughly presented video such as the ones you show me So, keep them like that and you will only move up the ladder! Anyway, yes, please prepare a REC take! And start working on Ben's Hand Sync, it's really good stuff.
Keep me updated mate
PS: Have you by any chance heard anything about the songs at those radio stations? We have sent presskits in the mail for some time now
Cosmin
Thanks again man!! Please let me know if you find something out!
Hey man, thanks a lot again!! Let me know if you hear something
How's playing?
You're right I will probably start tinkering with mine today - for me it is important to hear it in my head and then lay it down on the track - it is just a matter of practicing it, afterwards I've noticed you and Ville uploaded takes so, I will go check'em out right away.
yo cap'n
Ive been trying to tidy up that neo lesson....
here's the actual lesson - http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/neoclassical_solo_for_beginners/ for reference.
cheers
Hey amigo!!
Looks cool to me! Now I will be a nag and point out two details
0:19 - you bent that with your fingers
0:46 you haven't actually reached the correct pitch
These are just details but they are important once you aim for the supreme level of interpretation! I think that if you put a little attitude into it it can score 11 in the REC
Sounds like a good plan, Sir!
Now, remember, isolate that little thing that causes trouble, whatever it may be - a bend, a lick, a riff, get it up to speed and interpretation, get it into the context and THEN record
hey dude, that http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Hand-Synch-II/. Im playing it ( at a slower speed ) reasonably welll in terms of timing but the last section..... the really fast part, Im not 100% sure of the timing.
in the lesson its parts 6 and 7. They are 16th note triplets. Im trying to play this section real slow with a metronome.
Do I play 6 notes between each click?
note 1 played on the start of click 1
note 7 played on the start of click 2
note 13 played on the start of click 3
Im not too sure on the best way to attempt this part, I just thought it might be better to single out this last section and get it with the metronome before trying it with the backing because it's so fast.
Your assumption is correct in both ways - this is a tad more difficult and yes, you should play 6 notes between each click but not with a triplet feel - as they are 16th note triplets - try it slow with the metronome first and shoot a lil movie so that I may see and hear, ok?
so this was based on my assumption that I had to play 6 notes between each click. I also added highhats inbetween the clicks where I thought I should be picking each note.
I recorded it at 40bpm and then slower at 30bpm
even now Im still not sure if this is right
Sounds right to me man - 6 notes between each click and no triplet feel Now, it's time to bring it up to speed! Keep me updated with the speeding progress, ok?
cool I was totally all over the place with it until I added in the hihats!
I can play up to this part at 70 - 80 bpm but at the moment I cant imagine being able to play the 16th note bit at full speed. Its SO fast! it feels like pure light speed
Can I see a video at 70% please? In this way, recording will make you bring out good results
Mate, let me tell you about a little golden rule:
You can't really play a song unless you can play all the parts at the original speed - the best performance is a done at the speed at which you can play ALL the parts together. So, focus on playing everything at the same speed - ok? If you can play at 55 when doing that difficult part in a good session than, this is the whole speed limit that you have on this piece, so let's see a 55 BPM recording.
First things first, let's see a full vid at the max speed at which you can play in good timing and articulation - deal? When practicing the parts, it is normal to go as far as possible with each on its own, but when putting them together, well that's where you need to be consistent with the tempo
well, I tried it tonight but it didn't turn out too good Im still getting a bit lost when playing the fast part over the backing track. maybe tomorrows session will be worth recording
hey dude, I got a recording tonight at 60bpm of the hand sync. Its..... not the easiest there are only 3 points of reference that I hear in the backing track during the fast run at the end.
1. the start of the run
2. theres a chord change in the backing and I should be hitting the 14th fret G string when it changes.
3. the last note
also, Last weekend I got a bit bored with my usual practise stuff so I spent a day learning a new lesson, Ive included it in the vid. Its not technically difficult but it's all bends and vibrato. Ive not got all the bends to pitch but I think Ive got a few of them sounding reasonable.
Hey matey! I will make a movie for ya regarding Ben's lesson - I want to talk to you about an idea which will spark some thoughts into your mind The recording is not bad, but you cling on to some things which should not be hindering you
Regarding the bending lesson - GREAT CHOICE! It still sounds a bit rigid and some bends are not there yet, but it will work the hell out of your interpretation skills! Try to get the best out of each note and listen carefully for the dynamics in the interpretation, found in the original recording - try to emulate them!
Here we go mate:
thanks mate. I'll try that approach, I can see how it would be beneficial
hey dude, I was watching your vid reply about legato and was wondering how you come up with patterns to play?
Basically Ive been trying to include some fast runs using legato in the unmasked collab ( and also Todd's collab ). I always seem to play the same pattern!
Ive been trying to come up with this type of thing :
The descending run especially that Todd plays at the start is the type of run I think I could play and use in collabs etc. Is it just a trial and error thing or do you learn patterns and then adapt them into your own solos?
Hey mate - the one thing that you can do - the one thing I did as well, in order to figure out various runs, is learn runs from wherever you can and adapt them to your style. As a great starting point, I would totally suggest you to listen to all the legato based lessons here at GMC which you particularly enjoy LISTENING to and learn the licks in there. Once you learn run/ lick, change a note, a rest or develop it into something more personal.
How about starting with this one?
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Bens-Land-Of-Legato-5/
It's not necessary to play it at the original speed, but, it's important to 'steal' the lick
Show me, which would be your favorite runs and we can work on makin' them yours
cool, thanks dude I started last night, checking out some runs and trying them. Definitely much better than what I had been doing ( trying to come up with my own runs from scratch ).
Some of them sounded cool just played to a metronome.
Hehe Nothing wrong with stealing licks and making them your own, by using the method I described earlier Can you record some after you master them and maybe even use them over some backing tracks?
hey dude, Ive been working on a few of those fast legato licks and also trying to get a couple of them worked into runs, just been playing them with the metronome for now. I'll be recoding my collab take maybe monday or tuesday so I'll try to get some of these legato licks recorded as well for you to hear.
but.... as Ive been researching legato Im wondering if I should be trying to play more in the classical position rather than the 'guitar on right leg / thumb over neck' style. In understand the benefits of the classical position and Ive been switching to it now and then without fully committing to it. Some things are quite cool to play in classical but some techniques I think I would need to almost re-learn.
You know pretty much where my level of ability is, do you think I should play more in this position?
my plan of attack was to play in my usual position for the stuff doesn't require anything too 'stretchy' and then set aside specific practice time to play in the classical position when working on legato runs and fast picking. does that sound right?
I tried playing comfortably numb in the classical position..... didnt like it! but all of the legato runs Ive been working on felt a lot better and a bit more natural in classical. Bends feel a weird, that may take a bit of getting used to.
hi mate, Ive been working on the collab that Patrik posted a backing for and I think I have what Im going to play but I was wondering if there is anything I could do to get a better mix. Im not sure if the guitar has too much gain or middle or maybe its just too loud, I dunno...... im not sure what to tweak!
I only have reaper and the ux1 tone port with pod farm but is there anything I can do to get my collabs sounding a bit more in the mix?
also, what do you think about the actual guitar part? I think I missed the bend on the high e string near the end, but I have until the end of the month to get that right!
Hey mate - I like the tone and the phrasing from the middle onwards - it sounds very Zakk Wylde ballad oriented
In the beginning, I think you should go for a more melodic choice of notes and I can't seem to spot that wrong bend
About the mix - tell me, how does your recording process occur?
hey duder, this is what Ive got so far for the league collab. Im just using the second part of the backing. Thought it would be best to get your verdict on it so far:
https://soundcloud.com/bleez666/loeam-idea
cheers
Hey mate! This is nice At this point - I don't seem to find anything I'd like to change! I think you managed both epic and melodic, so good work and in the end, that more technical lick hit the sweet spot! Go for it I think, let's see if the other guys have something to add, deal?
My friend - don't look in the neighbor's garden that much Stick to your guns and make the best you can - when I did this, I usually ended up with something good, regardless of how good other people were, simply because I didn't let the flow of creativity be hindered by doubt
hey dude. Ive been working on the day / night collab and wanted to get your thoughts on what Ive got, I was using Matt's harmonic minor thread which you suggested as a base which gave me some really cool sounding notes which, I think work but they could also be wildly out!!
obviously I went for the dark side
https://soundcloud.com/bleez666/night
hey dude thought Id check in here and give you a quick update on my practising. I read your post on the winter collab, thanks for the interest in my progression, its appreciated.
main focus recently has been alternate picking, trying to lay the groundwork for facemelting runs I spend about 40 mins per day on Todds shred lessons. Just working along with the metronome trying to increase the speed. I think Ive made some progress.... its slow going though.
Ive also added a few patterns I found on youtube so basically just run through all of that for about 40 mins.
I struggled with Bens hand sync II lesson so I began working on http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Alternate-Picking-Workout-2/ and http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/solo-guitar/iron-maiden-lesson/. Ive got Daruis' one up to full speed ( with the occasional mistake) Gabs' is maybe 10bpm off full speed ( it was a bit faster than I thought!).
I usually begin practice by running through the songs / solos Ive been learning. Paranoid, ironman and comfortably numb mainly ( finally managed to learn the whole 2nd solo for comfortably numb!).
I have a video lesson for 'shine on you crazy diamond' and was thinking about trying that next.... tons of bends!
Thats more or less my basic practice routine lately, I sometimes try to focus on legato but TBH a lot of the time I overrun on the other stuff so legato stuff has been a little sporadic.
My Les Paul is going into the shop tomorrow for a full refret and setup ( finally) but I have a Strat copy to use in the meantime so I can still play.
Hey mate Sounds like you are pretty busy! I would love to see some recordings of the more technical stuff you are working on, deal?
Cool
Let's see some bleez style guitar playing!
hey boss, I took a quick recording of the main practice stuff at the moment. I usually spend 30-40 minutes on these patterns and I just start off slow and gradually increase the speed until I get really sloppy. Ive recorded them at a reasonable fast speed ( for me ) I could probably go a little faster.
I got these patterns off youtube vids, Im sure they are quite common. Here's the alt picking ones and the legato ones. I get a bit messy with the legato but.... y'know, fatigue was beginning to set in!
I am still trying to be more economical with my fingers, I know Im still lifting them too far from the strings.
Here's a quick run through of the two picking lessons Im currently trying. The first is at full speed and the second ( the iron maiden style one ) is about 10 bpm off full speed.
I still go over the hand sync lesson you suggested but its quite a bit off being recorded at the moment.
as well as the above, I also follow todds shred lessons which is more alt picking with the metronome. I tend to do todds stuff one day and the youtube pattens the next day.
Its a slloooww process I constantly think I should be making faster progress but I suppose everyone feels that!
if you have any thoughts or suggestions ect they would be most welcome
Hey mate! This is very good!
Indeed, the process is slow but I am noticing very important improvements:
- your intention in playing is very strong and that makes you sound resolute and defined - this is crucial, as it's better to play slower and transmitting a message rather than playing fast and not transmitting anything.
- you sound tight when you play and as I said in the collab takes, you have a great tone and touch.
Now, the speed will come in time once you become conscious of two things:
- you have to move less especially with the left hand - the less distance between the fingertips and fretboard, the more efficient you will become!
- I noticed some tension in the right hand - relax and get the speed down if you feel tension, try to obtain the right balance between tension and relaxation. Ben and Todd have been talking about this - I bet Todd already told this in his video chat sessions
Now, our big fault - and I mean ALL of us - is the lack of patience that rules us sometimes Overcome it and you will prevail.
Post here more often - I like to see your progress!
thanks dude
youre right, I do tense up my hand a bit when doing these patterns, I'll be more conscious of it and ease it back.
I'll post up some stuff more often, I dont think Im too far away from getting that first alt picking lesson to a rec take level but I'll run it past you first.
Good choice Please focus on the things I mentioned and remember to post here more often and send me your takes so that I can help you to be more prepared for the REC Yes indeed, that one is close, close, close! Shall we focus on preparing that one?
Mate, the more tracks you finish with great results, the better you will really become - the good habits are being passed down from situation to situation and can be applied in many cases. Just have patience - what do you have to lose?
hi mate, still working on that alt picking lesson, I'll probably be able to get another recording this week for you to check over, Im starting to get through it without any obvious mistakes so hopefully Its a bit closer to the mark.
In the meantime I was hoping you would cast your ears over this soundcloud file. Basically I was just mucking around with a bass and came up with a riff similar to a really cool song by 'Unida', anyways I thought I'd just add to it and try to come up with something in their style, just for the hell of it
Its just a short riff, maybe an intro type of thing, but it posed a few questions for me.
I assumed the bass line is a D or D minor progression, so with the guitar which comes in at 0.36 I just played notes from a D chord, I wanted to be a bit more interesting but I dont know which chords or notes I can play over the progression. It turns out I dont really know any interesting chords at all!
How would you go about writing this type of piece, would you look at all the possible chords which go with the progression and then pick out notes or do you know straight away which notes you can play over any given progression?
should I be looking at triads or just basic chord theory
https://soundcloud.com/bleez666/unida-ish
ps, this is the Unida track which I was using as inspiration, if you fancy a listen - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRbAvWDugg4
Don't over think it mate I think you did a very good job here - it sounds like Tool or APC to me, which is pretty darn good
When I write something, I NEVER think in terms of theory - the process goes like this:
- play what you hear in your head
- record
- develop by using other already existing parts which you can adapt to the context or, by playing something else that you hear in your head
- polish, by using theory - what goes well with what you have? What can you use, change, add to spice things up?
That's pretty much what I do What do you hear in your head next, for this one?
Looking forward to hear your ideas - you can record them with the guitar if you feel uncomfy with your voice in the first instance But don't shy away from doing it - I am hereto assist
hey Cos
I done a little recording today, wondered if you'd check it out. here's where Im at with that http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Alternate-Picking-Workout-2/
Also, the Gary Moore collab, a bit simple maybe but the more complicated stuff I tried didn't pan out at all! what do you think?
Ive been working on a ton of stuff these last few months. Im trying a couple lessons which are probably a bit fast for me but even playing them slow sounds pretty cool! Im also re-visiting some older lessons which I either stopped playing or never quite nailed, usually because of bending issues
Also still working on learning some solos, I finally got comfortably numb learned and can play through it, you won't confuse it for Gilmour but that was never the immediate goal
A new solo Ive been working on is Alive. I tried a few years ago to play it but never managed so it was kinda cool to get through it now. I tried to keep as close to the album version as I could. The bit in the middle where the vocals come back in I found really difficult to make out the guitar and everyone on youtube seems to play something different in that bit, so I just done my own thing but the rest is as close as I can get.
here's the outcome so far -
cheers dude.
Dude!
You are awesome I mean, the progress is THERE and it's big! Good going! Articulated, clean, with good timing and with intention - I like all the recordings and if I were to say something, I think that in the AP you still move your left hand fingers a bit too much and the vibrato could be wider, otherwise, I really haven't got anything to complain about and ... Alive - I am a big grunge music fan and that tune alongside Jeremy, is one of my favorite Pearly Jam tunes I think you did a great job on the solo man! Kudos!
Here's a live recording with the grunge tribute band I occasionally play with - Redrum You can see me in the right corner I had long hair back then
thanks c-dog! that's proper awesome to hear! Ive been working loads recently trying to improve, its pretty much all I do now!
I dont know why I still move my fingers quite so much, its quite a tough habit to break. It even surprised me when I watched the vid back.
Pearl Jam's Ten album is one of my all time favourites, there's not a bad track on that album.... not even a bad section of a track
Didn't know you dabbled in a grungy tribute band, that must be great fun. Cool version of Jeremy, the singer seemed a bit lost at the start but picked it up well after the chorus, music was spot on though, sounded really good. Its a great song, I was going to learn Jeremy and Even flow after I got Alive down.
Hehe! Broheim, hard work always pays off! Keep it like that and keep me in the loop with the vids, eh? I am going over in the REC zone to grade your take right now!
About the recording - Alex is a true grunger As weird as his singing is sometimes, I think that his spirit is really there!
duder, I took a quick recording of a couple of the more difficult lessons Im working on, Ive recently been able to increase the speed of them and tbh actually surprised myself when I played them and didnt totally screw them up!
Although being able to play them at the proper speed seems a million miles away at the moment, Im closer than I was this time last week!
1. http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Southern_Metal_Solo/ - Im playing this at 110bpm, the target speed is 130.
2. http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/rhythm-guitar/alice-in-chains-style-lesson/ - Im playing this at 115bpm, target for this is, again, 130bpm. Ive only recorded the lead part as the first bit is the riff and Im fine at that section so just focusing on the solo part.
3. The last one needs no introduction Im still working on your bends! I was a bit sloppy with the slides in this recording but Im just 100% concentrating on those bends. Its nowhere near correct but I think Im getting a lot more of the bends closer to proper pitch than I used to.
Hey man!
As I said a few days ago - you have progressed immensely
I think that it's just a matter of time well spent practicing healthily until you nail these at top speed. Once again, as a general recommendation, try to move less - it will allow you to gain precious micro seconds that can be spent on playing with more fluidity and expression.
Try to perform the lessons at a very slow tempo and focus on moving less When you will push up the tempo, the good habit will have been formed and stay with you.
Regarding my lesson - you are almost there man! The only things - watch out for the quirky little bends in the beginning, as they are a bit rushed. Try to tie the notes better between themselves and be smoother in general. It's a matter of detail, but you are getting there!
keep me posted, by all means
hey duder, just a quick question. you know how one of my goals is to be able to play some really fast stuff ( its not the most inspired goal, I know! ).
You know pretty much my current level so in your opinion would it be worthwhile to start learning sweep picking?
My current practice time is roughly 1.5 hours per day,( at most I could possibly stretch it to 2 hours ). My thinking up until now has been that sweeping is such an advanced technique that my time might be better spent on general picking and hand sync, maybe leaving the sweep picking until Ive advanced a bit more...... on the other hand sweep picking sounds really awesome
what do you think?
I currently devote around 40 mins each session on just hand sync / alt picking. How much time realistically would you say should be devoted to sweep picking per practice session?
Mate, if you are into it and if you feel like you can use it in your playing, you could go for it, why not? In order to see some progress occur, I'd say about 30 minutes in the beginning and then, it all depends on how you progress Want me to recommend something you could start with?
Ah! Great, great Start with that, throw a recording my way and we'll take it from there Deal?
Perfect then! Let me know how it goes
Hey dude, just droppin in with an update. Still working on that sweeping exercise of yours, up and down the neck with the metronome. It really is as difficult as I thought it would be! Its quite frustrating at times but on occasion when I get a section smooth and consistent its awesome
I let it slip the last few days so I'll need to get back at it as of monday.
Im into the swing of having a practice session early before work, so that has been great. I get an extra hour of solid practice, its really good because now Im averaging over 2 hours of practice every day ( next goal will be 3 hours! )
As I focus a lot on fast picking exercises I had a look for a couple of different lessons last week to try, I started your 'Modes of the rising sun' , remember that one? That was such a cool collab dude, that is seriously some amazingly tasteful stuff you play in that lesson and those bends you hardly ever seem to do many 'normal' bends, you always seem to throw in these subtle quirky ones. they're really cool.
Im playing the lesson at 80 bpm (full speed is 100 ) not getting all the bends yet but its going quite well.
the other lesson was this http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/solo-guitar/john-frusciante-style-lesson-3/. It's not as difficult as the Rising sun lesson so I managed to get a recording of it tonight. What d'ya think?
Heeey!! I'd be curious to see some sweeps at work I know it's not the easiest thing, but hey, it takes time and once you nail it, it's gonna be pretty easy to apply the technique on other shapes as well and furthermore, to invent your own.
What tempo can you play at right now?
Practicing with a fresh set of ears and a mind which had rest is pretty much amazing, I know If we would all be able to wake up early, we would save time and do amazing things with the time won How does your practice regimen in the morning feel, in respect to ease of playing? Don't you feel a little rigid because of the fact that the body might not be fully awake yet?
Thank you for the kind words man I dunno, that's how I feel, that's how I play If it helps you out, the better Once you are ready, throw in a video with the 'Modes of the rising sun' and I'd be happy to help out!
Now for the Frusciante lesson, I'd put a little bit more meat in that tone as right now it's kind of dry in comparison to Gabriel's. Otherwise, maybe, JUST maybe a bit more wideness on the vibrato, but I can't really think of something else which I'd change, so why not take it to the REC to see what the other guys have to say as well?
Im playing the sweeps at only 110bpm sometimes 115. I'll make a recording at the end of the week to show you where Im at.
Aw man, the morning sessions are just great! I thought I'd be sluggish and tired, I only have about 5 and a half hours sleep but I get up grab a coffee and take a caffeine tablet , listen to some music for maybe 15 mins then fire up the guitar. I do 40 mins speed picking exercises which start slow at 130 bpm and finish at 175 bpm. Then I'll just play a lesson or 2 for the remaining time. Last few days Its been your 'rising sun' lesson. I managed to get your performance into my DAW so I can get your mix and my guitar through the headphones and really try to hit the bends ( also I dont wake anyone up! )
But I seem to be the most focused during the morning sessions, Its day 2 of my third week doing them and Ive gone from a tempo of 165 bpm on the speed exercises to 175 and I move the patterns all the way up the neck which I never used to.
I'll see if I can get a better tone for the Fruciante lesson, if not I'll fire the vid into REC. TBH tones are not my strong area. I tend to use the presets and adjust some stuff until it sounds okay, but I dont really know exactly what a sound needs, I just randomly turn dials!
Im still using the basic pod farm 1, its maybe not the best
Hey again mate
Morning practicing is indeed great! I couldn't get too much of a decent sleep tonight and I woke up very early so, playing the guitar at that hour seemed like the best idea And it really was a great idea
I see a Marshall head in the movie - if you have that one, why are you wasting your time with presets and all of that?
That amp should be enough to get great cleans and drives with a little knob tweaking - or am I missing something?
Sweet Jesus man... how can you keep that thing at home and not use it? Find a time of the day when you won't warp your neighbors on planet Mars And see what you can get - using the mic input of the UX is a good idea. What mic do you have available?
I am not too experienced with micing, but I'll tell ya a little story - 2 months ago when I started recording videos for PRS, I did two reviews for a PRS SE Santana and a PRS SE Custom Semihollow. The PRS dealer also gave me this superb VOX AC15 amp which I had to use to record the reviews. Well, all said and done, the shooting day came, but guess what... I realized that I had NO CLUE on how to mic the amp laugh.gif
I said.. what the hell... I had my dynamic vocal mic - a cheap Beyerdynamic and a mic stand smile.gif I placeed it on the edge of the speaker cone and I just had the Suhr Shiba Drive booster as a pedal to slightly distort the tone, as the VOX AC 15 has only one channel which is a clean channel. I experimented a bit with moving it around the cone, in order to get the sound I wanted and it turned out pretty awesome, to my big, big surprise. So, the key here is experimenting! Maybe you already know stuff about micing an amp?
LOL! man, I know less about micing stuff than you I do have a vocal mic though, I got it to record vocals on all the songs I write........ still working on that part. I think its quite a good mic though, cant remember they type offhand.
I actually fired up the marshall last night still sounded great, you just cant kill a marshall! I gotta say though, it was kinda loud. I'll try micing it up at the weekend.
Well, it's a huge dude! It's supposed to be loud
Anyway, I also have a vocal mic that I have used - a dynamic one - that means it picks sounds up best if you sing close to the bulb.
As I told ya, experimenting is the way to go and otherwise, threads such as this one: http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=21437 amassed some info from the experience of other folks who found themselves in a similar situation
Lemme know how it goes
hey duder
Im still working away hard at various things, been learning a couple of songs and solos of late as well as trying to write some more interesting proggy riffs anyway, I thought Id post up this recording of my alt picking progress because when I watched it back I kinda surprised myself. Even 6 months ago I was miles from playing these patters at this tempo.
Its not musical at all, just 2 patterns, one starts on a downstroke and the other pattern starts with an up, both patterns use 2 strings so you have that jump to the higher string to deal with. I play it slow first and then at my top speed, there was a gradual build up in-between but I didnt record that!
Hey mate!
I can see progress indeed! Congratulations and stick to doing what you are doing, because it looks like it is taking you on a good road
Now, in order to improve things, I'd focus on one thing - the left hand. You have solved the large movements of the right hand, but your left hand fingers are still moving around a bit too much.
Please focus on practicing these patterns at a slow tempo and stick to keeping your left hand fingers as close to the neck as possible and then, while gradually raising speed, try to keep them close to the neck as well.
In that way, you will form a good habit - it'll take some time tho, so please be patient with yourself, deal?
Let me know how it goes and why not, make a video with these patterns and the left hand drill - see how far you can get with the speed, while keeping the fingers close to the fretboard
thanks dude
When Im playing those patterns I start of at 130 bpm, probably takes about 25 minutes of slowly increasing the speed before I get to the tempo in the vid which was 170. I just like to finish the session off by pushing the tempo as much as I can for a quick blast.
Its a real battle to try and reduce the amount of movement from my fingers. I can even see it as Im playing and Im like 'dude, what the hell.... just stop it!' especially my pinkie, that just seems to be independent of all brain function!
you would think it would be a natural thing for your fingers to move less as you increased speed..... mine seem to want to do the opposite
That's exactly why I want you to focus on this idea mate
So - let's do it like this:
- a warm up
- 50% speed
- 75% speed
- 100% speed
- outbound speed
Please record a movie having the same pattern taken through all these stages and then, let's look at what's happening with your fingers - deal?
Hehe, maybe it's not the right expression I was referring to the speed which you get to immediately after passing your maximum speed at which you can play relaxed - if you can play at 130 BPM 16th notes while being relaxed, when you get to 135 BPM and you can still play - that's the speed at which you find yourself when you go over your personal threshold - am I making any sense?
Let me know how it feels and let's see a vid featuring all of these
okay duder, I recorded stuff from this mornings session. In hindsight I could have played less of the patterns as the vid turned out to be 5 minutes worth, sorry. Im sure you will be able to skip through the patterns though.
I included another pattern I usually play which goes over all the strings, its a short one and I cant play it at the same tempo as the other two but I think its quite a good one for me to practice.
Ive played each pattern at 50%, 75%, 100% and then a bit faster. I never play them 50%, it was really difficult!
Hey matey,
It's a good thing I had a lot of space and time in the movie to analyze things
You need to play more at 50% and start focusing on moving less from that point forward. Please take some time to watch the vid and see the largeness of the left hand movement at each and every speed.
The thing is, you need to pay attention on moving lesser and lesser from the neck - I think this will be a drill that will definitely improve your speed in everything you do in respect to playing.
So, if you are to ask me, at this point, this should be the main focus in order to elevate your technique - the patterns sounded good, but it's clear that you are struggling and we don't want that? Do you feel tension when you get close to higher speeds, or is it just me?
Hey Scott!
Your theory is very correct, so revising:
- playing very slow and being able to observe your body's reactions and working on fixing what you need to fix: hand synch combined with as little movement as possible. You can only do this at very low speeds because otherwise you have no control over the thing and you can't notice yourself.
- raising the tempo up to superior speeds, while being AWARE of your body and focusing on keeping the same relaxation and control over the aspects above at a high speed.
Working on the patterns CORRECTLY will get you where you want to arrive at, but working on them without noticing the things above, will only keep you where you are That's my theory and I will be arriving in Scotland for the first time, on September 22nd
thanks dude, I'll keep on working at reducing the movement.
man, that's not long at all before you'll be in Scotland, I hope it lives up to your expectations I still find it a bit surreal that you're going to be over here! Let me know if you will have some time on this trip to hang out, Im sure you'll have a million things to do though.
Hey mate Please do keep working on it and focus on the things above - keep them close in your mind and don't stray if you wish to achieve good results quicker
I have no expectations It's INCREDIBLY hard, but I'm trying not to - come whatever may and I will be there to meet it. There will be plenty of time to meet up there, so it is not that surreal
yo Cosmin, Ive been playing around with some riffs and wondered if you'd take a quick listen. I was trying to get a little bit of a proggy vibe and this would either be just the intro or maybe the intro + verse (beginning at 0.57).
Id be curious to hear your thoughts on it so far. also, Im not too sure where to go next, any suggestions? even if the suggestion is 'play something much better!'
https://soundcloud.com/bleez666/proggish
Hey Scott! This is a very good start and I think you captured a nice direction here - the verse part takes my mind to Mostodon - which is good!
Anyway, as a first impression, I would shorten every part up so that things won't become repetitive and then I would think of a structure - since you haven't experimented that much with writing yet, I'd go for a classic A B A B C B structure. A = verse, B = chorus, C = middle/solo.
Now, for the details:
- up to 0:22 things are ok, but I'd make the final drumbreak a bit more explosive - see some of Danny Carrey from Tool's work - he has the sort of stuff you need here
- I'd shorten up the part from 0:22 - 0:57 and make a prechorus out of it
So, changing the order a bit, I'd go from Intro into the part beginning at 0:57 and then into the part beginning at 0:22 which should continue into a chorus The last part - I think you can place that one on the side for the time being, as you need a chorus right now - at least that's what I think!
Keep me updated about this and as inspiration, I'd totally go for some Mastodon or Tool stuff in order to get the creative juices flowing.
dude, firstly... the Mastodon reference is awesome, that made me smile. That is totally the vibe I was trying to get Ive recently picked up on these guys, never been a fan before but I got their latest album 'once more round the sun' and it blew me away. Ive listening to that album every day for the last month!
Thanks for breaking the song down and giving it a listen. The section you propose as a pre-chorus, I would never have thought about trying that. Its a cool idea, I can totally hear it in my head now that you've mentioned it.
I'll rearrange it with your suggestions, try to add in a chorus and see how it goes Thanks dude, Im really fired up to work some more on this now.
I usually play around with riffs which I record then file away. I have a bunch of half finished 'almost something' songs. The last thing I completed was a straight up stoner rock song, really fuzzy I dont know if its your sort of thing but if you are bored and have a few minutes, have a wee listen - I thought I done okay with the lead guitar. When I get better I can probably go back and play something else but as a current snapshot, I thought it wasn't too bad.
https://soundcloud.com/bleez666/stoner2
Hey Scott!
Glad to hear I nailed it with my thoughts and the fact that the song took my mind to Mastodon I am looking forward to hearing the next evolutionary step in your composition and about the stoner tune - man, you nailed this one really nicely! I mean, it's clear that you like this style a lot, because you have the right sound and approach - I like it a lot! It's indeed, not my actual favorite style But I have a few friends practicing it - they have a band called Roadkillsoda and they are pretty much our only known stoner band.
I've been to their guitarist's wedding last Saturday and he had a huge pool party to celebrate, while inviting a greek stoner band to perform Hah! That's all I can say
If I'd change something, but then again, that's my opinion - I'd shorten things up with the beginning riff - the one lasting till 01:22 Because of the fact that there are no vocals recorded, to me it seems that some of the parts are spanning over a time interval which is too long.. The leads are the thing - I wouldn't change those at all, as they fit the scenery just fine Is it meant to be instrumental or will you have someone record vocals?
Roadkillsoda! I know those guys well.... Ive heard them. theres a youtube channel I subscribe to who post up a lot of doom / stoner bands. I remember a track of theirs that was posted. They are really good. I saw a pic of the guitarist and he had a shaved head, big ass beard and a les paul..... so I immediately knew the guitars would be cool I'll need to check out more of their stuff.
Sounds like a cool wedding though, the only greek stoner bands I know are 'planet of zeus' and 'nightstalker' it wasn't either of those was it?
As for my stoner song attempt, I actually do envisage vocals in it. That might be why some of the sections sound too long because when I hear it Im imagining the vocal. So if the verse is maybe 6 times around the riff, Im hearing 2 without vocal and 4 with vocal.
Thanks for listening to it dude, I appreciate hearing your opinion.
Hah! Guess what, last evening when I was returning from the fencing training, I went by in front of the bar in which he is working and he spotted me, so we stopped to chit chat a bit and I told him about you He was very, very happy to hear that someone from Scotland knows about his and his mates' music! Planet of Zeus came here 2 weeks ago and Roadkillsoda opened the gig But, yeah it was neither of the two bands you mentioned, it was a banf called Tuber:
Anyway, I think that this stoner/Mastodon inspired music you are doing is definitely a direction that suits you stylistically, so keep pushing man! Also, keep me updated when you write more music - I enjoyed listening to it
Tuber is purely instrumental and they have very long songs - I mean, I kinda got bored at some point because there was this same riff going over and over again - but that's their things, so, who am I to judge?
Anyway, I am looking forward to see more recordings from you and by the way, what are you currently working on aside the songs?
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