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Posted by: Alex Feather May 11 2012, 06:02 AM

I am very glad that you have decided to join my mentoring program!!!
Before we will start I would like to get a better idea about what are you looking for in mentoring so I have a few questions:
-What are your goals?
-What is your weakness?
-What is your strongest point?
-Your favorite guitar players?
I am looking forward to start working with you!

Posted by: Sparrow May 11 2012, 06:55 AM

Alright, here we go!

I want to be good at lead guitar, sure. But I also want to write good songs. I want to play solos with my own style, and be able to play anything I can hear in my head. I don't want to be limited by my technique. I am working my way through Troy Stetina's Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar and I guess I will be playing things from this book for the next 4-6 years I really want to get faster and I am putting in the hours. I also have a list of songs (rhythm parts) and solos I want to learn that would stretch out to the horizon. So I want to stick with each song I am learning until I can play what I want from it, then move on to the next one. Have to have some discipline!

My weakness right now I feel like is my speed. Specifically Altrenate picking speed. I know it will take me years to get as fast as Muris but that's fine as long as I get there.

I guess my strongest point is all the music I listen to. I can combine things from these bands I like to make my own sound (for both songwriting and lead)...after all, that's what all guitarists do anyways.

I have guitar players that are my favorite because they are great songwriters like:

Billy Joe Armstrong (Green Day)
Stone Gossard/Bruce Fairweather (Mother Love Bone)
Tim Armstrong (Rancid)
Johnny Ramone
Jade Puget (AFI)
Chuck Berry
Kim Thayil (Soundgarden)
Eugene Hutz (Gogol Bordello)
Curtis Mayfield
Muddy Waters and Jimmy Rogers
Joan Jett
Mike Ness (Social Distortion)

and guitar players I like because of their great lead style like:
Eddie Hazel (Funkadelic)
Gary Moore
Craig Ross (Lenny Kravitz)
Slash
David Gilmour
Alvin Lee

and people who are good at both:
Jimmy Page
Bradley Nowell (Sublime)
Hendrix

There's more I want to say I just can't think of it all right now...

Posted by: Alex Feather May 12 2012, 05:39 AM

Awesome! Let's start!!!
Here is the backing track I would like you to use to practice!
http://soundcloud.com/alex-feather-akimov/withguitar


http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/scalegenerator

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/scalegenerator

You can use any notes from those positions !Try to combine them together and turn them into short licks!
I would like to hear what you can come up with before I will give you examples!
Let me know if you need help or have any questions!
P.S. In a few days I will give you a very col warm up exercise to build your alternative picking! !

Posted by: Sparrow May 13 2012, 02:18 AM

I tried not to make any funny faces, but I failed...

Posted by: Alex Feather May 13 2012, 02:57 PM

I like your faces!!!!
You did a good job a few thing I can suggest!
1) Keep it less busy! Try to build it up!
2) Work on dynamic! Start slow and quite and develop it as you go along!

Posted by: Alex Feather May 21 2012, 06:11 AM

Hello! Just wanted to check if you are ready for a new assignment?! Let me know!

Posted by: Sparrow May 21 2012, 08:22 PM

I'm all set to practice some alternate picking. I wanna get good at the small, repeating runs, and also the ones that go up and down the scales. Gotta see how fast I can get by the end of the year

Posted by: Alex Feather May 22 2012, 06:50 AM

I have a few very good exercises that will help you to develop alternative picking much faster!
Let's start with this one! Make sure to practice it at a very slow tempo! Slower you do it better results you will get!!!
Here is the tab:

E ||---------------------------|----------------------------------------|
B ||---------------------------|----------------------------------------|
G ||o5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5----|--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5----|
D ||o--------------------------|----------------------------------------|
A ||---------------------------|----------------------------------------|
E ||---------------------------|----------------------------------------|


----------------------------|---------------------------------------|||
----------------------------|---------------------------------------|||
--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5----|--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--o|||
----------------------------|--------------------------------------o|||
----------------------------|---------------------------------------|||
----------------------------|---------------------------------------|||


-------------3--3----------|--------------3--3----------|
-------4--4--------4--4----|--------4--4--------4--4----|
o5--5----------------------|--5--5----------------------|
o--------------------------|----------------------------|
---------------------------|----------------------------|
---------------------------|----------------------------|


--------------3--3----------|--------------3--3---------|||
--------4--4--------4--4----|--------4--4--------4--4---|||
--5--5----------------------|--5--5--------------------o|||
----------------------------|--------------------------o|||
----------------------------|---------------------------|||
----------------------------|---------------------------|||


-6--3----------------------|--6--3----------------------|
----------4--6--3----------|-----------4--6--3----------|
o------5-----------5--3----|--------5-----------5--3----|
o--------------------------|----------------------------|
---------------------------|----------------------------|
---------------------------|----------------------------|


--6--3----------------------|--6--3---------------------|||
-----------4--6--3----------|-----------4--6--3---------|||
--------5-----------5--3----|--------5-----------5--3--o|||
----------------------------|--------------------------o|||
----------------------------|---------------------------|||
----------------------------|---------------------------|||


-6--3--------------------6--3----------------------|
----------4--6--3-----------------4--6--3----------|
o------5-----------5--3--------5-----------5--3----|
o--------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------|


--6--3--------------6--3----------------|
--------4-----------------4-------------|
-----------5--4--3-----------5--4--3----|
----------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------|


--6--3--------------------6--3----------------------|
-----------4--6--3-----------------4--6--3----------|
--------5-----------5--3--------5-----------5--3----|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|


--6--3--------------6--3---------------|||
--------4-----------------4------------|||
-----------5--4--3-----------5--4--3--o|||
--------------------------------------o|||
---------------------------------------|||
---------------------------------------|||


-6--4--3-------------------------------------------|
-------------------6--4--3-------------------------|
o---------7--5--3--------------------7--5--3-------|
o---------------------------6--5--3----------------|
----------------------------------------------6----|
---------------------------------------------------|


----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
--------6--5--3-----------------------------3--5----|
--5--3-----------------------------3--5--6----------|
-----------------6--4--3--3--4--6-------------------|


-----------------------4--6--8--3--4--6-------------|
--------------4--6--8--------------------3--4--6----|
-----3--5--7----------------------------------------|
--6-------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|


--6--4--3-------------------------------------------|
--------------------6--4--3-------------------------|
-----------7--5--3--------------------7--5--3-------|
-----------------------------6--5--3----------------|
-----------------------------------------------6----|
----------------------------------------------------|


----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
--------6--5--3-----------------------------3--5----|
--5--3-----------------------------3--5--6----------|
-----------------6--4--3--3--4--6-------------------|


-----------------------4--6--8--3--4--6------------|||
--------------4--6--8--------------------3--4--6---|||
-----3--5--7--------------------------------------o|||
--6-----------------------------------------------o|||
---------------------------------------------------|||
---------------------------------------------------|||

 Hands_workout.gp5 ( 4.5K ) : 116


This exercise did miracles for me! And helped me to get my technique to the next level! You will see results very fast! Also I will give you two more exercise a little later!
Let me know how it goes and if you have any questions!

Posted by: Sparrow May 24 2012, 04:11 PM

Thanks Alex, I'll practice it and make a video after a week or so

Posted by: Alex Feather May 25 2012, 08:43 AM

Awesome! Next week I will start a new mentoring approach! So please check back!
Looking forward to hear your take!

Posted by: Sparrow Jun 3 2012, 02:10 AM

I slacked off last week and didn't practice nearly enough

I'll practice those licks you gave me and have them ready by next weekend Alex!

Posted by: Alex Feather Jun 3 2012, 02:21 AM

Awesome! Let me know! I am ready to start a new program with you! Just let me know!

Posted by: Alex Feather Jun 8 2012, 06:09 AM

Just wanted to follow up and see if you are ready for a new assignment! Let me know !

Posted by: Sparrow Jun 16 2012, 12:45 AM

I broke down the exercise you gave me and have been practicing it in bits. Once I get all the bits down I will play it all the way through.













That's as far as got. I will keep practicing.

Posted by: Sparrow Jun 17 2012, 03:36 AM

I am really not as good at improvising as I wish. Do you think we can focus on improvisation with bluesy licks for a while. I really like the styles of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Slash, Jimmy Page, and Gary Moore when he's playing blues.

Posted by: Alex Feather Jun 17 2012, 05:29 AM

Awesome! I have a perfect assignment for you! It is a minor blues in A minor
http://soundcloud.com/alex-feather-akimov/withguitar

E minor blues pentatonic over Emi7 chord
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/scalegenerator

Try to be as melodic as possible and have fun jamming over this track!
Let me know if you have any questions or need help!

Posted by: Alex Feather Jun 22 2012, 07:46 AM

You did very very good with those exercises! The second part was a little bit shaky but your timing is very good so I don't think it's gonna be an issue! I would like to add this exercise into your daily warm up routine!
I also have a new improvisation challenge for you! Let me know!

Posted by: Sparrow Jun 22 2012, 03:34 PM

I will put those exercises as my new warm up routine. I think since Gab is also my teacher I will focus on technique with him and here I can work on my improvisation. I have been jamming to the track you gave me all week and trying to come up with something good! I'll post a video tomorrow.

Posted by: Alex Feather Jun 24 2012, 07:38 AM

Awesome! Yeah you can continue working on your technique with Gab!
I will add my take tomorrow to give you ideas and will explain the next step!

Posted by: Alex Feather Jun 24 2012, 06:38 PM

So I added my solo to give you some ideas! I would like you to continue and add the next 12 bars!
http://soundcloud.com/alex-feather-akimov/sparrow
Please leave the rest of the track playing so I can add the next solo!
I used the same scales and shapes I gave you!
Looking forward to hear your take!
Let me know if you have any questions or need help!

Posted by: Sparrow Jun 25 2012, 12:12 AM

This is my take from this week. Even though I have learned some solos I have trouble thinking of cool licks to play on the spot. WHen I learn a lick that I like from a solo (Say "time" by Pink Floyd or something) I will practice it in every key that I can. Like the solo in that song is in A major (F#m pent scale) but I will practice all the licks I like in Ampent, Em, Bm, C#m, Gm...

But then I still forget the licks after a while and have to go back to the solo to relearn them!

I am thinking I should change my way of learning to just one lick at a time, instead of trying to learn complete solos...

Your take was really chilled out Alex! I should take it slower for a bit

Posted by: Alex Feather Jun 26 2012, 02:37 AM

It's a good idea to learn licks but what I would like to work with you on is creating your own licks! This is a perfect way to find your own sound and style!
The reason I recorded my solo is to give you ideas and when you will continue it you will be playing totally different things! Give it a try! Instead of playing someone else's licks play your own!

Posted by: Alex Feather Jul 1 2012, 02:28 AM

Hi! I just wanted to follow up and see how are you doing! Let me know if you have any questions!

Posted by: Alex Feather Jul 7 2012, 05:42 AM

Hi I just wanted to follow up and see how are you doing?
Let me know if you have any questions or need help!

Posted by: Sparrow Jul 15 2012, 11:13 PM

I just moved to a new place so things have been kind of crazy. I have been improvising over Rancid, Social D, and Joan Jett a lot. I'm trying to come up with cool melodies and make it less busy.

I will try to post a video this week.

Posted by: Alex Feather Jul 17 2012, 05:48 AM

Sounds good!!! Let me know if you have any questions or need help!
Looking forward to hear your take!

Posted by: Alex Feather Jul 21 2012, 06:06 AM

Hi! I just wanted to follow up and see how are you doing! Do you have any questions or need help with anything? Let me know!