Maharzan - Mentored By Muris, UNUSED |
GMC Forum > Discussion Boards > VINTAGE GMC > Community Activities and Tutorials > Ask an Instructor > More instructors > Muris Varajic > MTP (Muris)|
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Sep 4 2009, 03:45 PM
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Hey Muris,
So, after a long wait, finally I have been able to be guided by you although you have been so helpful all these days. Thank you.  I will try to brief a few things about me and my playing here. BACKGROUND My name is Chandra Maharzan and am from Nepal as you may have already known by now. I am 31 years old (wow growing old now). I learnt the basic chords when I was 15 years through friends and since then just practicing on my own. I never owned a guitar until I was like 26. Gears are pretty expensive and I had to wait until I earned for myself. Yet I didn't have an amp so I had to wait for another 2 years. So, virtually, I was able to play on a gear for the last 3 years or so ON and OFF. Playing guitar has mostly become a hobby and I haven't been able to practice every day not until I joined GMC anyway. Work / Priorities always set playing guitars aside. I do have an ON/OFF band (NISSIM - http://nissim.com.np), mainly a vocalist and we have been together since school days. We also have an album on our heads (mostly my composition) which was released free online. I did all the arrangements as well and mixing/vocals/bass was done in the studio. I have another 8-9 songs ready to be recorded. These are songs not instrumentals though. I had bought a few videos by Kris at GMC few years back and I think GMC didn't exist. I never got time to go back to those videos though, only watched a few times and then that was it. I later somehow found about GMC (probably Google Search) and then I looked over few videos, especially yours and was determined to start doing 'something' with my guitar skills and thus instantly became a member. What was in my mind was to improve playing at speed so I can run some fast riffs on my compositions at times. I have given myself a year and then to at least come up with one good single instrumental track with some or all techniques like tapping, sweep, fast riffs, melody, etc. I know I am not being realistic though. INFLUENCES I like most compositions by Joe Satriani. Absolutely love this guy. I have tried to listed to Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert, Eric Johnson but I never listened to them twice mainly because either they are too fast or too technical. I do like For the Love of God by Vai though (to be frank I don't listen to music much, didn't have access to it as a child) But somehow have been managed to follow Joe Satriani a lot. Lately, I am trying to catch up with Andy Timmons after I found this name at a thread in GMC. Sounds pretty cool. I am not much into classic rock or blues. I do like ROCK mainly, some hard rock, alternative and grunge (not very heavy ones though). CURRENT STATUS Since I have joined GMC, I have noticed I have improved quite a bit. Mainly on vibrato and alternate picking. I have been practicing or done few RECs which mainly involves alternate picking. Interesting thing is when I was learning guitar (until 18 - for 3 damn years) I didn't know anything about alternate picking, isn't that funny? I always used to use down stroke and always found it hard to get some fast leads. I feel so stupid.  You might have already seen my RECs, those mainly define where I am right now. Since past 2 months or so I have been practicing your Mixolydian Soloing (Intermediate level) and Pinky Excercise by Piotr Kaczor but still finding it hard to get to the tempo. Main problem: Sync. I have been getting there. With the pinky excercise, my pinky used to hurt a lot but now it has overcome that (only hurts a little) and I think I can do a REC on that pretty soon. While doing my REC, I have noticed myself that the fast riffs are out of timing. So since past few days I have also been practicing your Timing Excercise lesson. And as expected that last part is pretty fast. PROBLEMS Hand Sync at speed - AP Vibrato (I think I resolved that about 90%) Definitely Stamina, even though if I get it in sync for few bars, if the fast riff is pretty long, I am gone. My fingers just cannot hold the pick at the same position. WHAT I NEED TO IMPROVE ON All I know is AP. I have practised a lot when I was doing few Satch licks and they mainly involved legato, so I guess I am good at it (although you probably haven't seen anything on that). I definitely need to work on Timing. Never practised on a metronome so that probably reflects it. (Almost) Never done Tapping, Sweep picking. I think I will call my strength as composition, AP, Legato. WHAT I NEED TO ACHIEVE As I mentioned before too, I need to become a good player that can play great slow melodies and sometimes run some fast licks as well, overall a better composer. I do understand I need to practice all the techniques that is there on the guitar, not necessary style (should come by itself as we practice). I do not want to touch tapping or sweeping at the moment. I want to master one thing. Playing in sync at speed using alternate picking confidently and definitely improve the timing too. I want to be confident at listening to a backing track and fill it with faster (longer than just a bar) licks while improvising as well. Enough of just thinking and playing slow 2s and 4s. Time for triplets, 16s and 32s!!! Am I asking too much?  VIDEOS Here are the collabs I have done: Latest (D Mixolydian) : https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...st&id=17524 NeoClassical for beginners: https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...st&id=17248 This post has been edited by Muris Varajic: Oct 23 2009, 04:32 PM |
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Sep 4 2009, 07:55 PM
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Welcome Chandra.
I'm not gonna waste our time here writing long line so lets get down to business right away! Here's one of my fav lesson on GMC, in style of Lukather. This piece is very melodic and powerful, includes tons of vibrato, bending, bit of AP and 2 taps or som, I hope you wouldn't mind those.  https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/solo-guit...r-style-lesson/ And here's backing track as well. 
In_Style_Of_Luke___BT_65_bpm.mp3 ( 1.12MB )
Number of downloads: 6As I ask every student in MTP I'm gonna ask you the same, I would like one regular take on this lesson and also one or few improvised ones, to see your ideas and everything, ok? Are there some other lessons of me that you've been working atm? Talk soon, welcome once again.
-------------------- Youtube
MySpace Website Album "Let It Out" on iTunes and CD Baby Check out my video lessons and instructor board! The Pianist tune is progress,check it out! "ok.. it is great.. :P have you myspace? Can i to personalize this for you guy?" |
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Sep 5 2009, 02:45 PM
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That sounds just great,
so we have 3 lessons to starts with right now! I know, it can be pain to improvise if you're not comfortable with it but we just must get over that and become better at improvising, improvising successfully unlocks the fretboard, theory issues etc. -------------------- Youtube
MySpace Website Album "Let It Out" on iTunes and CD Baby Check out my video lessons and instructor board! The Pianist tune is progress,check it out! "ok.. it is great.. :P have you myspace? Can i to personalize this for you guy?" |
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Sep 5 2009, 05:54 PM
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QUOTE (maharzan @ Sep 5 2009, 05:24 PM)  I went one round with Lukather lesson today. still get to grab the rhythm but I think I got the notes and finger positions. Whammys are pretty tricky. will see where I am tomorrow.Very good! Looking forward to your take, let me know if you need any help tho, both theory and playing wise.
-------------------- Youtube
MySpace Website Album "Let It Out" on iTunes and CD Baby Check out my video lessons and instructor board! The Pianist tune is progress,check it out! "ok.. it is great.. :P have you myspace? Can i to personalize this for you guy?" |
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Sep 5 2009, 09:03 PM
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Hi Chandra
Very nice of you to welcome me aboard, my friend. I am sure this is going be be a great journey. Have fun and go for it.... Cheers Robert -------------------- Gear:
Guitars Music Man Luke BFR , Music Man JP LTD 2008, Paul Reed Smith Santana III, Gibson Les Paul, Ovation Adamas, Ovation Ultra Amps Hughes & Kettner Switchblade 50 combo Effects Korg Pandora PX5D, Line 6 Pod XT Live Recording Guitar Rig 5, Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000, Magix MusicMaker2008 Visit My Website  |
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Sep 6 2009, 01:34 PM
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Glad you're having fun with the lesson!
However I didn't quite understand your observation about whammy. What do you mean by stuck at one place, not loosing intonation maybe? And those chromatic lines are nice indeed, Like does them very often as some other players too. But if you want to throw some chromatic into your playing or improvising you need to know when and how to add it. Most often we do that as we connect notes of the scale or chord using all semi tones in between. So it has to be done on purpose and with knowledge in order to sound smooth! Let me know if you need any extra explanation tho. -------------------- Youtube
MySpace Website Album "Let It Out" on iTunes and CD Baby Check out my video lessons and instructor board! The Pianist tune is progress,check it out! "ok.. it is great.. :P have you myspace? Can i to personalize this for you guy?" |
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Sep 6 2009, 01:43 PM
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QUOTE (maharzan @ Sep 6 2009, 02:38 PM) So, I practiced this today and its 90% done (I think).. just few fast notes I miss but with some practice it should be good. About whammy, I meant, when I pull the whammy up, it goes down again when I set it loose. Yours is still at the same position. I am not meaning tones or sound here.. just the mechanical portion. Ahh I see, well my whammy cannot go up at all and in this very lesson you don't have to pull at up as well. So your whammy acts just as it should, everything is normal. My whammy can go only down but it also comes back in neutral position after I set it loose. Well done with 90%!!
-------------------- Youtube
MySpace Website Album "Let It Out" on iTunes and CD Baby Check out my video lessons and instructor board! The Pianist tune is progress,check it out! "ok.. it is great.. :P have you myspace? Can i to personalize this for you guy?" |
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Sep 6 2009, 01:48 PM
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Perhaps you can see that when I post the video.
I will try the recording tomorrow. My finger tips hurt today. Too much bends I guess..
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Sep 6 2009, 01:51 PM
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QUOTE (maharzan @ Sep 6 2009, 02:48 PM) Perhaps you can see that when I post the video. I will try the recording tomorrow. My finger tips hurt today. Too much bends I guess..Tomorrow is just fine, have a break from bends, it can really hurts sometimes.
-------------------- Youtube
MySpace Website Album "Let It Out" on iTunes and CD Baby Check out my video lessons and instructor board! The Pianist tune is progress,check it out! "ok.. it is great.. :P have you myspace? Can i to personalize this for you guy?" |
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Sep 7 2009, 12:32 PM
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Oh yeah, Any Timmons is nothing but amazing tone wise
and you noticed is nicely, as people grow own they go to more warm tones which is quite natural after all. And that was one fine take you made!! This lesson IS pretty though one timing wise and you still did it pretty decent after not soo much time practicing. Ofc course it could be better and here are few things that I would try to fix. One this I noticed it that you pick notes very light with the pick. Light picking is good but it actually doesn't help a lot when you're struggling with timing on certain piece of music, you need to pick harder in order to really FEEL every note that you play and so the timing. Those chromatic lines kind a confuse you, as you can see they are kind a "blended" time wise and after that you have straight 32th runs, both in Bb major pentatonic 2nps lick (which includes one grace note on A string tho) and the lick after played mostly on high E string, there is also small "blended" chromatic and then straight 32ths. I suggest you to break those 2 lines, play then very slowly and try to fully realize when those straight 32ths are starting. Also add more power into your picking, it should help. There are also few more spots where timing wasn't 100% correct but those were mostly longer notes so I guess you just need to listen to main video more, to capture those timings fully. Well done so far, looking forward to better take!
-------------------- Youtube
MySpace Website Album "Let It Out" on iTunes and CD Baby Check out my video lessons and instructor board! The Pianist tune is progress,check it out! "ok.. it is great.. :P have you myspace? Can i to personalize this for you guy?" |
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Sep 7 2009, 03:23 PM
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Thanks Muris.. I will listen to it more carefully and try another take.
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Sep 7 2009, 05:24 PM
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You're very welcome, looking forward to it.
-------------------- Youtube
MySpace Website Album "Let It Out" on iTunes and CD Baby Check out my video lessons and instructor board! The Pianist tune is progress,check it out! "ok.. it is great.. :P have you myspace? Can i to personalize this for you guy?" |
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Sep 8 2009, 01:58 AM
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Chords were ALMOST perfect!
I'll give you a hint tho, there is also Fm chord in the progression, and D as well, try to locate them. This Gm chord at the end confuses you cause guitar plays A note which is 9th, A note is also included in F chord. As for notes, I think you got them all. Lpb, L is tied note, has nothing to do with technique whatsoever, just an extension of a note, prolonged duration, it appears when a note played in one bar sounds in next bar as well. pb should be prebend but in this case you have probably played that prebend in bar before.
-------------------- Youtube
MySpace Website Album "Let It Out" on iTunes and CD Baby Check out my video lessons and instructor board! The Pianist tune is progress,check it out! "ok.. it is great.. :P have you myspace? Can i to personalize this for you guy?" |
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