New Acdc Collaboration!, FINAL MIX & COMMENTS! :) Options

[Ivan Milenkovic]

Hey everybody, welcome to the final mix and comments topic for the new acdc collaboration!

collab type: audio with text comments
backing: acdc type R&R backing
tempo: 120 bpm
key: A
participants: 9

Marek Rojewski:

RHYTHM: As far as rhythm goes, I think you are using several note durations very well in your playing. Transfers from longer notes to shorter ones, and using even quarter triplets is what I really loved in your playing. The solo sounds very balanced with this diversity. However, I must point out that you should focus a lot more on the faster bits. Although you seem to be aware on what notes and groups of notes you use, and where you have to land them, the execution is rather poor on some of the faster bits. But this is not a big problem. I believe that with some few weeks practice, you can tighten up this to a whole new level - just have to sit and do all the runs really really slow. For rhythm I give you a bit lower grade 9, and sloppy parts will be graded through technique.
PHRASING: Phrasing is very good as well, and you are using minor pentatonic and minor scale very well. I like the way you are jumping all over the neck - this is a clear sign of knowing the whole pattern all over the neck. Very important for a player to know this. Your call & response phrasing is very good, and you are using pairs of phrases very good. I think using blues scale here, and using more of the minor scale notes can help. I also believe that now (as you are familiar with all these patterns), you can try to mix some modes as well and introduce modal playing here (for example instead of using A minor, you can try to use A dorian or A phrygian notes). As you know, these three modes have all the same notes, only one note is different from mode to mode. Try to use those notes in order to make it more interesting. For phrasing I will give you 8.
TECHNIQUE: Technique is good, but needs some polishing. Bending and vibrato are good, and you are on the right track there. Making it stronger is a must. They are precise tho. Also, as I mentioned, those faster bits need more practicing, and you have to do it ultra slow in order to be precise. Then, the notes will naturally fall into place on faster tempos as well. For technique (primarily the sloppy bits), I will give you 6, so more work on that.
SOUND: Sound is great, nice and smooth and all you have to work on is a bit of tone control. This is also being achieved through practicing. Make sure every note is being played the same as the one before (with the pick), and make sure all notes sound even. Every note you pick has to have proper weight. You have a good instrument and you can make your high E string have thick tone, just have to practice it until you can pull out that tone from the pick and fingers. For sound, I give you 9.

Jitty

RHYTHM: Great use of long notes within the solo. I like the long bends, and they give a good balance. I would like to hear some longer bends in the second part of the solo as well to break down the repetitive patterns that you used there. Timing on those could be more tighter as well. Nevertheless, I believe the rhythmical balance was quite good, and it sounded very nice. If you watch about these things that I suggested, I believe it will be even better. For rhythm, I give a grade 7.5, because of the lack of tightness and longer notes in the second part.
PHRASING: Very good phrases used throughout the solo. I think your scale usage is pretty good, although you seem to keep yourself a bit locked in the boxes. I advise that you practice slides and connecting the boxes more. Your call & response phrasing is very good, I think you have a good feel for that, and one reason why this is true is because you have a good ear. Using the same phrases and landing on different notes at the ends of them is very good first step. I think you are heading in the right direction with these, and you should definitely spend more time in developing this skill that you have even further. It will definitely pay out. For phrasing I give you 8, because I would like to hear more scales involved, like blues scale, or some modal playing. But for what you used, it was great.
TECHNIQUE: Very good bends, very precise and good tone control on them. Muting is also good, but I would say you need to rehearse the faster bits just a bit more to make them tighter. Using vibrato a bit more couldn't hurt either, and judging by your bends, I believe you are quite capable of doing this, just don't overdo with the speed of vibrato. For techniques used here, I will give you 8.
SOUND: Sound was OK, and I believe you managed to make it better with your fingers. Try adding more mids, and make it sound a bit less buzzy. I think it can sound very good. For the actual sound that you made, I will give a bit lower grade because of the buzziness, 6.5

Marc_Maiden

RHYTHM: As far as rhythm goes, I believe you used a lot of different notes here, going from longer notes, to some extreme runs. This is great, and it shows that you are capable of using all kinds of note durations. I like the way you played around the beat, and showed good syncopation abilities as well. One thing that is lacking is fluidness in those rhythmical phrases. I believe that they are a bit too scattered. There are some problems with timing on some licks as well, so I would suggest simplifying them a bit just to get them nicely synced with the tempo. For rhythm I give a grade 7.
PHRASING: There is evidently some very cool licks and passages in your vocabulary, and scale usage is good as well. I would say phrasing is your weakest point at the moment, because there is evident lack of structured phrases in this take. I would spend more time on practicing arpeggios and chords. SInce your scalar knowledge is very good, there should be a balance between scales and chords. Learning more chords and strong notes will help you organize those licks and runs nicely throughout the solo. For phrasing I give 6, because you need to let that knowledge settle down a bit, and use it in correlation with the harmony.
TECHNIQUE: Here is where you shine, and I can definitely here some big improvements in your playing. There are some great fast runs, cool pinched harmonic usage, bending is good, and vibrato as well. So, as far as pure technical ability goes, I think you are well skilled, and now it's time to put those skills in proper usage by developing ear for harmony and strong notes. For technique skill I give grade of 9.3
SOUND: Sound is very good, although the guitar sound is a bit louder than the backing. It doesn't mind me, but when recording a solo, it would be proper to mix it with the music as if you are playing within the band, not in front of it. The distortion amount and mids are just right, and you are keeping the tone fairly nicely. I would suggest more work on precision and muting to make it even better. For sound I give 8.7

Frej10:

RHYTHM: Very nice rhythmical phrases. I enjoyed listening to it, because I think you managed to keep it interesting. One thing I must comment is timing. You should try to lock more on the drums, and make it tighter, it seems that you rushed here and there. But, I believe your rhythmic skills are quite good, and you have a skill of making it interesting while using some very similar note durations. It has a nice progression towards the end, with those shorter notes, and in general it is well balanced. On thing that you could use are some faster runs, but you handle well what you do. For rhythm, I will give an 8.
PHRASING: Some very interesting sliding phrases, and well used repetitive licks. You are again using well what you know, and it is mostly pentatonic scale. For this kind of solo that is enough, but I do feel some other diatonic notes could be implemented, or perhaps blues scale notes. They would add a nice touch. One thing that you should spend more time on are arpeggios and chords, to acquire a sense for strong notes, since they can guide you through the solo nicely and be your focal points relative to the harmony in the backing. This could tie your licks together, and tie them with the chords better. For phrasing work, I will give you 7.5, but with greater scalar knowledge, it can be a lot more, since you are using the licks you know well.
TECHNIQUE: Well used bendings and great slides. Vibratos need more work on, although this kind of fast vibrato you used here sound very nice, and reminds on Angus's playing. Well picked solo as well, and well controlled tone on such low overdrive settings. Nice fluid solo too, you connected everything nicely with those slides, this is a good trick to make your solo fluent. I would advise more work on faster runs, specially diatonic ones. For technique skills I give 8.2
SOUND: Great sound for ACDC collab. I would advise a bit more treble, but you certainly managed to pull out a great tone indeed. For tone I give 9.5

WeePee

RHYTHM: Very good sense for rhythm, and using repetitive rhythmical phrases to your advantage. The solo has more a rhythmic character (similar to riffs) then melodic, and I think you did a nice job. The thing I would like to hear is couple of longer notes (possibly bended ones) here and there, to break the other notes. Making these breaks within the solo is very important. Another important thing is to keep the timing precise For rhythm I give a grade 8.1
PHRASING: Very good riff-like phrases within the solo, following pentatonic scale and blues scale mostly. I would advise that you use a bit more dorian mode and modal approach in general. Some major based licks would also sound pretty good here, so I would advise learning well the major pentatonic scale pattern over the minor one, to combine them both. As I mentioned, the solo is not that melodic, but rhytmic, riff-like. It does have structure however, and if you incorporate the scales I mentioned here, I think it will get another dimension. For phrasing I give 7.5
TECHNIQUE: bending and vibrato skills are very good, and everything is nicely played. I would advise that you work a bit more on your bend-release skills. When releasing, you need to sound more convincing. As far as technique ability goes, perhaps it is time to work more on some faster easy scalar runs that you can incorporate into these kinds of solos. They can be simple, containing 5-6 notes that repeat, and it can definitely sound good if played a bit faster. For technique I give grade 8.
SOUND: Sound is pretty good, healthy amount of distortion, and good sound. It's a bit buzzy, and I would add some mids as well, but it sounds OK. For sound I give a grade 8.8

Guitarrero:

RHYTHM: Cool use of different note durations throughout the solo. I like the fact that you use riffing approach. The speeding up in the second part is also very good. What I would suggest is that you try to use a bit longer notes here and there. I also think the main rhythmic phrase you used in the first part of the solo is a bit to repetitive. If not in the second part, I believe you could use something different for the end of the solo. What I would suggest is that you practice some triplet notes more. The tapping part came as a bit of refreshment, but it represents big contrast, so something is needed to bind the tapping and the riffing lick together, in order to have more flow. I think triplets of even longer notes would do the trick here as well. For rhythm I give a grade 7.8
PHRASING: You are using mostly pentatonic scale here and going to the root often. Although pentatonic scale is sounding good here, I recommend that you insert some blues scale licks or modes. If you haven't practiced modes and blues scale (as a full pattern on the neck, in all positions), this may be the right time to start. For phrasing I give 7.6
TECHNIQUE: Good playing throughout the solo. Bends are OK, and often used, but i believe they need to be stronger and sound more convincing. Inserting some vibrato here and there wouldn't hurt either. For technique I give 8.2
SOUND: I like the sound, although I think little less distortion would make it sound more defined. It's just a bit buzzy, but it's cutting nicely through the mix. So, with a bit more crunch it would sound good. Your guitar is a bit out of tune as well, so watch for that when recording too. For sound I give 8.6

Kaznie (i chose 2nd take, I think it is better and cleaner)

RHYTHM: Great use of all kinds of note durations in this solo, from longer notes to faster passages. I think you made a very good balance between these two, and your use of long notes is very good too. You have a good feeling for combining these, and the timing is also solid. I believe the ending could be a bit more convincing and in tempo, but all in all it is very good. For rhythm I give 9.
PHRASING: Very cool pentatonic licks with combined melodic passages. Good use of minor and minor pentatonic scale, but also blues scale too. The whole solo sounds good, and I would advise that you incorporate modal approach. If you haven't rehearsed several major modes in parallel by now, it's time to start. I also believe that ending could have more convincing finish note, perhaps octave lower. In general, I give 8.5 for phrasing.
TECHNIQUE: Good techniques displayed, good bending skill, well controlled and strong but a bit unprecise. Watch for that. Vibrato is ok. Legato is good, and you use those pull off triplets well to make things sound a bit faster. Muting is good, but on some faster licks it can become a bit messy. Those licks have probably learned the bad way, so it may be wise to go polish them the way you practice now. Upgrading technical skills on old licks is cool from time to time, and leaves the impression of more balanced player. For technique I give 9.2 since I hear constant progress from you as time goes by. Progress is good.
SOUND: Nice sound. You made progress here too, although you kept your hi-gain sound a bit. This time it's not so edgy, it's more smoother, and more natural, JCM800-like. In general I like it, but just watch for the buzzy character a bit more. Try to make it a bit more natural. For sound I give 8.9

krakou:

RHYTHM: Very good rhythmical phrases in the beginning of the solo, with a nice touch on the tremolo lick. You used mostly eight notes in this solo, so I presume this is what you practice the most. The last legato lick is a nice touch, but it needs to be tight. I would recommend for you that you start doing all kinds of note durations during practice: starting from quarter notes, to sixteen triplets. Doesn't have to be on fast tempo, contrary, you need to slow it down, so you give yourself time to adapt to all these notes. Try tapping the foot along with the click as well. You will see that in some time your rhythm phrases will become more diverse. I also recommend inserting some longer notes here and there. For rhythm I give a grade of 7.6
PHRASING: You used mostly pentatonic scale here, and some familiar blues licks, with the addition of minor scale in the last part of the solo. This is good, and I suggest working more on making pairs of similar licks with different endings, called call & response phrases. You did something similar here, but practicing these would make it sound even better. I also recommend using slides and connecting different boxes together, as you seem a bit locked inside those boxes with those licks. Try practicing minor scale boxes with slides and with some non-standard fingerings, so you go away from up&down kind of phrasing while playing. Take your time with these, and you are on the right track. For phrasing I give you 8.
TECHNIQUE: Good use of bends in the solo, but I would recommend making them more precise. I also think that you need to work on your vibrato skills in parallel. As I mentioned, legato needs to be tight and precise, so doing it slow with the metronome will help. In general, your muting technique and tone control is good, and it will polish up even more through more practice. For technical ability I give you 7.5
SOUND: Very nice sound, nice smooth lead sound with plenty amounts of distortion, but sounding pleasant. The solo cuts well too. I suggest a bit less delay and reverb, so it comes out even more defined. For sound I give 9.

leadbreak:

RHYTHM: Good use of various note durations in the solo. I general, I think you made it interesting for listening in terms of rhythm, and I would suggest that you spend some time polishing up those faster bits. In the second part of the solo, and in the faster bits in the first part too, your timing was not that great. It needs to be rock steady for this type of a track. Inserting faster licks is good, but with a function and dosed. Inserting some longer notes to break these faster bits would be a nice touch too, and not difficult. For rhythm I give 8.
PHRASING: The first part of the solo has a nice structure with some call & response phrasing. but I have the overall feeling of note displacement and non-structured phrasing. What I would recommend is that you slow down a bit, play slower melodies, and try to really accent specific notes within the solo so they have proper weight (like those on endings and beginnings of phrases). For phrasing I give 7
TECHNIQUE: Good techniques displayed, I like the slide outs, and the way you pick your notes. You can use those in your advantage. As mentioned, slowing your solo down, and using these advantages in a slow solo would sound even better. Bending is good, and vibrato could sound more pronounced and wider. For the faster bits, you need to take it slow with the metronome, and it will be OK. The important thing is you are on the right track and I can fell the progress, so now it may be time to turn to your improvising abilities instead of technical ones. For technical skills I grade 8.
SOUND: The sound was OK, but I feel your guitar is not being heard properly. You added too much space FX, and it sounds distant. Next to that, I feel there is too much bass and too little mids for this kind of lead. I also hear that backing track is also modified, so you may have used compression or EQ on your master channel. This is not that great idea, as backing is already processed and mastered, and guitar needs to cut through. Try these modifications, and it will turn out great. For sound I give 6.5


I want to thank all the participants of this collab, and hope to see you on the next one!

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