No Problem John. Get me a video and I'll give you some feedback. You might get with Dan (Opeth.db) as well on this. The whole kaz-box thing is new to him as well and he has been working at it really hard for the last few weeks. I'ts really paid off as well!!

I think this is where your routine of practicing with the GP file is hurting you. Turning you into a parrot like I said before. It is OK to play along with the file if you need to get the feel of how the lick should be phrased, but when you play with the backing and your mind is waiting to hear the GP file to know when to play and it isn't there you get "lost" a little and aren't real confident exactly where that lick is supposed to be played. Learn to phrase the lick with just the Kaz box, especially on more technical licks. For those first few licks you could play along with Muris and his video. For the last part of the lesson though, you really need to work on it with the Kaz-box and then play it with the backing track.

Good job though. You just need to do a little detailing in your practice method to get it to where the licks sound really fluid.

Look ahead to the intermediate level of this lesson. If you think you are gonna learn to play that like Muris without knowing how to use the Kaz-box.......You are a better man than I.

IMO, not learning to use the Kaz-box will keep you from being the guitarist you want to be!!

I want to learn to use the box, and ill do what it takes to learn it and get over this barrier...

Ill get with dan and ask him how he is doing with it

thanks

It's nothing major John....Just a little detail that you can certainly get down. Dan really struggled with it for a week or so.....I did too when I was learning to use it. It is just like anything else.......Practice, persistency and consistency. Get with Dan and let me know if you guys need any additional help. Good job dude!!

Outlaw, Check out this picture. Notice above the bars you see some numbers and words. 1 and-ah 2 and etc.

I wrote out where you should actually play in the measure. Look at it and if it is greek to you then post back and I'll post a simple GP pic illustrating the different notes and note values and how to count them. Let me know and I'll do this for the whole lesson. Then when you try to play these licks with the Kaz-box, you can look at the tab and know EXACTLY how the measures should be counted.

Let me know. \m/\m/

This post has been edited by lcsdds: Mar 7 2009, 09:29 PM

Its still a little confusing... Im new to the kazbox... ive used it with the petrucci dvd playing 4 notes per beat, but i never counted i just hit every 4th note a little harder to tell where im at

I feel that it is easier to accent the note that is supposed to be played on the beat.. Is there a way to do that instead of counting or is counting something that needs to be done?

hey monte,

For me it is I can accent the note a little
and keep track of it is way easier than thinking 1 and a 2 and a 3 thing.




and this legato exercise is nice

Outlaw,
Here is a picture of the different notes values

quarter notes=1 note per beat
8th notes=2 notes per beat
8th note triplets=3 notes per beat
16th notes=4 notes per beat

If you think of every beat as a 16th notet you can get the other notes by just playing on the appropriate division of the 16th note.

If you can play the licks by feel you don't need to know how to count, but it looked to me from your video that you were kind of getting lost with where to come in etc. Post another take after you have practiced the lesson for ahwile and we'll see if the timing is any better.

What worked for me John was to just work on 2 strings for the moment. I used the Low E and A string. Work on subdividing the beat just on 2 strings first then when you get it down strt incorporating the rest of the box.

Im still working on this buts its getting a bit easier.

I use an online metronome.. http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/metronome.php cuz im too cheap to buy one

Set it to the lowest setting which would be 40.

Here what it should look like using the A Ionian Box.

Beat.......................................Beat = 1 Note per beat
A_________________________B

Beat................1......................Beat = 2 Notes Per Beat
A__________B______________C#

Beat.........1...............2.............Beat = 3 notes per beat.
A_______B________C#_______D

Beat.......1..........2.........3.........Beat = 4 notes per beat.
A_____B_____C#____D______E

Beat........1.........2.........3..........4.........Beat = 5 Notes per beat
A______B_____C#____D_____E______F#

Beat........1.........2.........3........4........5........Beat = 6 notes per beat.
A______B_____C#___D_____E____F#____G#


The ky is to correctly divide the beat evenly so yo et all those beats in before the next beat..

Hopefully this helps.


This post has been edited by opeth.db: Mar 8 2009, 04:27 PM

John....Here is where I think we are so far with you:


Scales and triads:
You know your boxes so you just need to associate the names with shapes. I will get you a tab for the triad fingerings today. Keep working on these as you have time. Good warm up excercises. Doesn't need to be more than a few minutes a day. Just consistency.

Counting and the Kaz-box:
This is my NUMBER ONE priority with you right now John. You will never be able to play the way you want to as far as technique unless you kick this one in the butt!!! I have a busy week this week so skype is not looking good for me. Dan says that he is on skype almost every night and you have him on your contacts list. I want you to get with him ASAP and have him show you what I have him doing. NO KAZ-BOX/COUNTING=NO SPEED OR RHYTHMIC COOLNESS. Dan will hook you up on this and I can work more with you on skype next week if needs be.

Monthly solo:
Everybody is picking their own backing to solo over. If you want to make your own that is fine or if you want to do Muris's Phrygian backing that would work as well. Let me know what you want to do. I just want you to compose a solo using the theory and scales and triads we have been talking about. Use it or lose it.

Phrygian lesson:
I'd like a new take on this and let's see if we can't clean up the timing.

Keep working on sweeps as well and post a video of you doing this when you can so I can see how you are progressing.

Let me know if you have any questions. Good job so far John!!

I tried to record another take on the Phrygian solo tonight but i kept getting static like i did before for some reason..
Ill look into the problem and try to get it fixed..

youre right about the kazbox... its my #1 priority to get this thing down, im having difficulties with 3 notes per beat and with the whole thing in general... I have dan on my skype, but i never see him online.. man the kazbox and static on my recording are very frustrating.... very frustrating

Ill look into a phrygian backing

thanks for everything monte

John....What types of problems are you having with the Kaz-box? You joined our group a little late and I don't know if you saw this lesson but if not check it out:


https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/memberson...a-metronome.htm

Kris does a good job of explaining all the different types of groupings. Hope this helps.

My wife will be gone tomorrow night so I might have a few minutes tomorrow night if this doesn't help.

Ive seen that from kris before... good stuff there

I guess ill have to slow the metronome way down til i get it right...

Slow is the Key John. Trust me on this. put the metronome at 60 KU until you can evenly space the 3 notes. Once you get the feel of it it will be simple to speed up. It sounds like you are just trying to play it too fast.

yeah, its annoying when i can play it probably around 120 bpm with my fingers but i cant get it right in time at 80 bpm on the metronome...

Ill slow it way down and start from there and then build it back up in time... i hope

It won't take long John. The problem isn't your fingers...It's your brain. I have to do this all the time when I lear a new lick. I know for a fact that I have the technique to play a lick but it isn't in my muscle memory yet. Say the lick is at 120 KU. I'll slow it down to like 50 or 60 play it or a few minutes and then crank up the metronome. I doesn't take long.

We aren't training your fingers here. We are training your brain.


John....You never answered my question about your screen name. What is the story behind it?

I used to game alot and play cod 1 in a clan.. we were in twl and cal matches all the time and used to stay up late
into the early morning going over strategies and scrimmaging other clans...
I tore my ACL and MCL in my left knee and was off from work for 11 months, and at the same time i was going through
a divorce, so I played cod about 12 to 15 hours a day while i was recovering... After i tore my knee i had blood clots so they couldnt operate til they were gone... plus i was on blood thinners... so i couldnt walk or work for a long time
Anyway my screen name in cod was Outlaw and my clans name was mach... http://www.machclan.net/

since i was called outlaw for a couple of years online already, i decided to keep it going on here...

ohh yeah and i added 2112 after rush

Damn dude.....If I had 12-15 hours a day to do whatever....I MIGHT be able to play Muris's neoclassical extreme.....MAYBE!!!

Glad you are doing better. Could have learned to use the Kaz-box too!!!

yeah i wish i had picked the guitar back up then... but i wasnt into it then, i took soo long off i had
kinda forgotten about my first love... now she is back in my life

I was going to make a sweeps video but i was messin with this song tonight, and it has sweeps in it..

I was playing it perfect til i started making the video then all i was thinking was i hope i dont mess up,
and i did... here it is

John....have you been working on the sweeps I gave you at all? Would you like a little video demonstrating them? John I think most of your problems are just timing related and once you get feel for the metronome I think you will improve by leaps and bounds. Playing by feel will work for alot of stuff. Rhytmn playing, slower leads etc....But if you have any aspirations of playing anything at "MURIS TEMPO" you have got to learn to use a metronome.


Let me know if you want me to demonstrate how to phrase anything with the Kaz-box from the phrygian lesson. I can demnonstrate anything you would like really. Just let me know.


EDIT: It's not looking good for a video tonight. Youtube is taking FOOOORRREEEVVVEEERR!!!

This post has been edited by lcsdds: Mar 12 2009, 05:17 AM

yeah ive been working on the sweeps you gave me about 20 minutes a night... Some nights when i work late i dont get as much practice in as i would like but i have been working on everything you asked me to.. I have it all saved in a gmc mtp file on my computer... the only thing i havent been working on that much is theory stuff, tonight i worked with the metronome alot... youre right it is frustrating, very frustrating but ill work through it

I was wanting to record the sweeps with the metronome but i get lost when i do that.. I can record them without it if you would like me to..

ill make a video tomorrow, its 12:30 here and i gotta get some sleep...

And anything you demonstrate will be a great help, but at the moment playing sweeps with the metronome and explaining it would be a huge help

thanks, monte

This post has been edited by Outlaw2112: Mar 12 2009, 05:39 AM