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GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ Dinaga's Insane Lessons Hunt!

Posted by: Dinaga Feb 1 2012, 03:20 PM

Hi and welcome to my Insane Lessons Hunt! smile.gif

I've noticed that not many people post REC takes of Insane (Level 9 and Level 10) lessons, which is of course, reasonable because those lessons are so hard. It needs months, maybe even years for a regular guitarist to learn those lessons, and it's hard to stay motivated for so long!

That's why I started this topic: I want to learn some of the 'Insane' lessons - Because I'm nowhere near that level, it will take some time. smile.gif But to keep my motivation I am going to post my slow success by recording myself playing the lessons at lower speeds, starting at 50%. Whenever I feel some noticeable improvement (for example, nailing a specific lick I couldn't do before or being able to play the lesson 10% faster), I'll post a new video, so that progress can be seen.

And the final goal is of course, to finish the Insane lesson and then laugh at the previous lame attempts. biggrin.gif But until that, let's go slowly and precisely.

Some of the quotes that inspire me in my journey are:

"Anyone can be motivated to practice all day long, but few can find the motivation to practice every day." - Kristofer Dahl
"Speed is a byproduct of precision" - Todd Simpson
"The Only Opponent Is Within" - Ben Higgins
"That Floyd Rose guitar was a complete waste of money" - Father

Of course, it would be awesome if others joined this as well! smile.gif It doesn't have to be level 9 or 10 lesson, just pick a lesson that's currently too hard for you and you think you'll need more time to learn it, so you can make smaller, achievable goals and post your progress here. We can give feedback to each other and constantly improve!

For now, here's two beginner attempts at Muris Varajić's lessons:
*Oriental Shred at 50% speed (yeah, I know I messed that diminished run in the ending, will improve that! biggrin.gif ) and
*Mojo Oro - Part 1 at 60% speed.




Posted by: JaxN4 Feb 1 2012, 03:40 PM

Great Idea, I commend you on your attitude....

This will be a great thread.

Good Luck

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Feb 1 2012, 03:48 PM

hey Dinaga!! This idea is brilliant!! smile.gif

Having a thread like this will give us an extra motivation to continue working on those lessons that we find difficult and need weeks or months to master them. The quote that Steve Vai said in a video posted some days ago is also inspiring: "Don't stop, Keep going" smile.gif

When I'm working on difficult lessons I use different approaches to master them. One of them is to isolate the more difficult parts and work on them as a loop over metronome. Another thing that I do is obviously to use the slower tempo backing tracks. And the third thing that I do is to create exercises that could help me with something that is being difficult for me. I usually create variations of the licks that allow me to play them in a repetitive way.

As many of you know I'm working on this lesson....http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/solo-guitar/extreme-neo-classic/ so I will post a take using a slower backing. smile.gif

Once again, great initiative Dinaga! smile.gif

Posted by: Dinaga Feb 1 2012, 03:54 PM

Thanks guys! smile.gif I'm glad you like the idea biggrin.gif

QUOTE
When I'm working on difficult lessons I use different approaches to master them. One of them is to isolate the more difficult parts and work on them as a loop over metronome. Another thing that I do is obviously to use the slower tempo backing tracks. And the third thing that I do is to create exercises that could help me with something that is being difficult for me. I usually create variations of the licks that allow me to play them in a repetitive way.


That's great approach! I too do the isolation and loop smaller parts until I get them done. When I learn all the parts I usually play the whole track on slower tempo because it makes the routine much more interesting. But the variations trick you use is a very good idea, I didn't come up with that before!

Yes, I saw you were working on the Extreme Neoclassical lesson, and I think it's one of the very few lessons here which is actually level 10 ohmy.gif Good luck mate, I'm sure you'll master it well! I am really looking forward to see/hear your take on slower speed, no matter what it is, because this is such an awesome lesson! smile.gif

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Feb 1 2012, 04:08 PM

QUOTE (Dinaga @ Feb 1 2012, 11:54 AM) *
Thanks guys! smile.gif I'm glad you like the idea biggrin.gif



That's great approach! I too do the isolation and loop smaller parts until I get them done. When I learn all the parts I usually play the whole track on slower tempo because it makes the routine much more interesting. But the variations trick you use is a very good idea, I didn't come up with that before!

Yes, I saw you were working on the Extreme Neoclassical lesson, and I think it's one of the very few lessons here which is actually level 10 ohmy.gif Good luck mate, I'm sure you'll master it well! I am really looking forward to see/hear your take on slower speed, no matter what it is, because this is such an awesome lesson! smile.gif



Curiously the part that I find most difficult at fast tempo is a part that doesn't have fast notes but some string skipping. I'm talking about this type of ideas:

  F                                              
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
------------------------------------------------|
----13-12-13-10-13----13----13---13----13----13-|
-------------------12----10----9----------------|
------------------------------------12----10----|
--8---------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------|


G#dim
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S E
------------------------------------------------|
--------12-10-12-9-12----12---12----12----12----|
----------------------10----9-------------------|
--9------------------------------12----10----9--|
------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------|



The skip from strings 2 to 4, only playing 1 note on each is what is giving me troubles. It's weird because I can play the Gilbert style three notes per string skips..


Posted by: Dinaga Feb 1 2012, 04:53 PM

QUOTE (Gabriel Leopardi @ Feb 1 2012, 04:08 PM) *
Curiously the part that I find most difficult at fast tempo is a part that doesn't have fast notes but some string skipping. I'm talking about this type of ideas:

  F                                              
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
------------------------------------------------|
----13-12-13-10-13----13----13---13----13----13-|
-------------------12----10----9----------------|
------------------------------------12----10----|
--8---------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------|


G#dim
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S E
------------------------------------------------|
--------12-10-12-9-12----12---12----12----12----|
----------------------10----9-------------------|
--9------------------------------12----10----9--|
------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------------------------|



The skip from strings 2 to 4, only playing 1 note on each is what is giving me troubles. It's weird because I can play the Gilbert style three notes per string skips..


String skipping is a beast! I practiced his song "An Old Modern Time" and it's a string-skipping night mare! The fastest I could go is 120 bpm (the original lesson is 158 bpm). This is a bit older recording, and the quality is bad because I filmed it with phone camera and no DAW:



I should probably return to practicing this one again. It sounds really good, especially for neoclassical fans. smile.gif

Posted by: Alex Feather Feb 1 2012, 05:09 PM

Great idea!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!!!

Posted by: quadrium Feb 1 2012, 05:46 PM

Great thread man! I'm also working on some insane lessons smile.gif I will post my progress here also smile.gif

Cheers,
Dogukan.

Posted by: derper Feb 1 2012, 07:38 PM

I actually started a similar thread, though it was just my quest to learn a Muris vid as well as I possibly could. http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=42524

Muris' Original vid http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/solo-guitar/country-picking-advanced/


Well, it's only "technically" a level 8 lesson, but I certainly consider it to be INSANE!


I totally support you on your quest Dinaga!! And I can relate, somewhat. I personally find it more beneficial for myself to tackle something very difficult such as a Muris lesson, and work, and work, and work on it until I get just 5% faster!! As opposed to spending an afternoon mastering something that is "easier" for me, which becomes more of a practice in memorizing notes and patterns. But on a side note: I do, personally, need to also start busting out some REC vids of more mid-level skill to finally start racking up points!! I always end up working hard on something just a bit too difficult to get it totally 100%, so I drop vids to the Practice Room for help and suggestions. Both are helpful, but I need to "balance" and also work on "achievable" vids to perfection!!

Well....you have inspired me to see if I can get that Muris lesson a bit closer to speed! So far, I'm 110-120bpm at best, and Muris is at 155bpm!! ohmy.gif


Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Feb 1 2012, 07:47 PM

QUOTE (Dinaga @ Feb 1 2012, 12:53 PM) *
String skipping is a beast! I practiced his song "An Old Modern Time" and it's a string-skipping night mare! The fastest I could go is 120 bpm (the original lesson is 158 bpm). This is a bit older recording, and the quality is bad because I filmed it with phone camera and no DAW:



I should probably return to practicing this one again. It sounds really good, especially for neoclassical fans. smile.gif



that's a great tune!! Is is a lesson here?? because I can't find it...

Posted by: Dinaga Feb 1 2012, 07:52 PM

Wow, this has huge potential! I can't wait to check out your takes, mates! Together we will own those hard lessons! biggrin.gif

QUOTE
I personally find it more beneficial for myself to tackle something very difficult such as a Muris lesson, and work, and work, and work on it until I get just 5% faster!! As opposed to spending an afternoon mastering something that is "easier" for me, which becomes more of a practice in memorizing notes and patterns.


This is so true mate! I find the least interesting part of learning the lesson memorizing the notes, patterns and left hand fingers! It's the speed bust what makes you go nuts and overwhelmed with joy biggrin.gif

QUOTE
Well....you have inspired me to see if I can get that Muris lesson a bit closer to speed! So far, I'm 110-120bpm at best, and Muris is at 155bpm!!


All I can say is GO FOR IT! biggrin.gif Just don't overdo it, last night I wanted to play those Insane lessons faster and I wanted to record one more - Mojo Oro Part 2 at 70% speed, but I failed and I injured my left wrist. sad.gif Now I can hardly play because it hurts and I have to recover, which sucks because I want to learn the Guitar Bushido lesson in deadline. Don't do the same mistake as me. smile.gif

QUOTE
that's a great tune!! Is is a lesson here?? because I can't find it...


Nope, it isn't here, but just look it up on Google and you'll quickly find it. smile.gif

Posted by: DeGroot Feb 1 2012, 07:53 PM

I had been thinking about how I'm going to eventually approach some of the more lengthy solos and advanced lessons. It is helpful to see how others are going about breaking them down. Not to mention these lessons sound interesting and challenging even at half speed! smile.gif

Posted by: derper Feb 2 2012, 12:57 AM

Sorry to hear you injured the wrist! That's horrible. Do you incorporate a warmup routine before practicing, especially fast and difficult runs? If not, I would highly suggest it. I actually did a thread with a video showing 2 of my current favorite warmup runs (http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=42583). I change them up frequently, but as of this last year, I finally see the vast importance of warming up.

1. You reduce risk of injury
2. You really can't just pickup a guitar and rip like Muris. By warming up first, you really give yourself the ability to play faster, smoother, and with better timing and accuracy. Well, for most of us. Maybe Muris can pick it up and do the "Muris", but I'd be willing to bet he warms up every time!

@DeGroot: Don't be too intimidated by a killer lesson vid!! With patience, they can really be broken down and achieved, even if only at lower speeds (such as my vid). My main suggestions are....
-Break it down into parts, as opposed to learning the ENTIRE thing first.
-Play the parts to a metronome, at a slow enough speed that you can potentially play it PERFECTLY!! Of course it won't be perfect at first, but slow it down enough that you CAN achieve that. THEN speed it up a bit.
-Once you've finally learned ALL of the parts that make up the whole lesson (it can take days or weeks for tough vids, be patient and work on different things as well, so you don't get bored and overwhelmed) THEN you can work on putting them all together. Usually, you will need to slow down just a bit, from the speed you play the individual parts at, when you put it all together.
-Focus on how the parts "glue" together! Playing the parts individually is the first step, but now making the position changes and getting proper feel and timing is part of the practice!!

Keep running at slower speeds until your fingers know the notes inside and out, to eliminate any "micro-pauses" (thanks for that tip Ivan, and the other instructors as well!).

Hope that helps.

Posted by: DeGroot Feb 2 2012, 08:04 AM


Thanks for the suggestions derper! That sounds like a real solid way of going about it.

Posted by: Ben Higgins Feb 2 2012, 10:51 AM

Hey Dinaga.. I love this thread - great idea ! cool.gif

I too have often looked at these level 9 & 10 lessons and think 'is anybody actually trying these ?'

I'm currently working on a level 8 lesson. Since I've been here at GMC I've never learnt a whole lesson (I did learn Extreme Neoclassic and could play it slower but never stuck with it..). However the other day inspiration came out of nowhere and I decided I was going to learn this lesson (you'll find out what it is when I post it !) smile.gif

It feels really good to be a student of guitar again !

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Feb 2 2012, 12:24 PM

QUOTE (Ben Higgins @ Feb 2 2012, 09:51 AM) *
Hey Dinaga.. I love this thread - great idea ! cool.gif

I too have often looked at these level 9 & 10 lessons and think 'is anybody actually trying these ?'

I'm currently working on a level 8 lesson. Since I've been here at GMC I've never learnt a whole lesson (I did learn Extreme Neoclassic and could play it slower but never stuck with it..). However the other day inspiration came out of nowhere and I decided I was going to learn this lesson (you'll find out what it is when I post it !) smile.gif

It feels really good to be a student of guitar again !


I think I should try this idea too tongue.gif it sounds like a challenging thing and it can't bring anything but good to me,right? biggrin.gif I'll pick one and let you guys know how I'm faring with it!

Posted by: Dinaga Feb 2 2012, 03:03 PM

@Ben & Cosmin: AWESOME! Yayyy, this thread is going to be full of crazy lesson takes biggrin.gif I'm so excited smile.gif

QUOTE (derper @ Feb 2 2012, 12:57 AM) *
Sorry to hear you injured the wrist! That's horrible. Do you incorporate a warmup routine before practicing, especially fast and difficult runs?


Hehe, yeah I always do my warm-ups. The problem is when you get too excited and just can't stop playing even when you know you should take a rest. biggrin.gif

Posted by: gregc1 Feb 3 2012, 09:04 PM

Love the idea Dinaga. I'm definitely in to try it.

Right now I've been working on Marcus Lavendell's Evening Blues (among Ben's guitar bushido tasks and a couple others) which is only at level 5 but has sections that are over my head, mainly the tapping stuff. Maybe I'll finish that one then pick a level 7-8 lesson that I will have to grind it out with for a while.

Look forward to seeing what everybody is doing and watching everybody's progress.

Posted by: El Fortinero Feb 3 2012, 09:06 PM

Maybe i am a bit crazy but i liked much more the oriental shreds at the speed you did it. You can notice much better the phrases....you are a brave man Dinaga, keep them coming!

Posted by: HungryForHeaven Feb 4 2012, 12:23 PM

Dinaga, this is an excellent project! I have been thinking for a long time of starting a "practice vlog", but as with many other things I think of it has stayed only a thought.

It will be very interesting to follow your hunt for insane lessons. I would also like to add a quote for you to bring on your quest of becoming a Guitar God:

"I've got to keep running the course
I've got to keep running and win at all costs
I've got to keep going, be strong
Must be so determined and push myself on"

Best of luck!

H4H

Posted by: Dinaga Feb 5 2012, 11:14 AM

QUOTE
Love the idea Dinaga. I'm definitely in to try it.

Right now I've been working on Marcus Lavendell's Evening Blues (among Ben's guitar bushido tasks and a couple others) which is only at level 5 but has sections that are over my head, mainly the tapping stuff. Maybe I'll finish that one then pick a level 7-8 lesson that I will have to grind it out with for a while.

Look forward to seeing what everybody is doing and watching everybody's progress.


Great mate smile.gif Well believe me, I found many lessons here which are level 5-6 but I couldn't do them! On the other hand, I found some level 7 lessons which were easier for me. I guess it's all about which lessons suit you better and which techniques you know better than others. So numbers don't really matter at all wink.gif

QUOTE
Maybe i am a bit crazy but i liked much more the oriental shreds at the speed you did it. You can notice much better the phrases....you are a brave man Dinaga, keep them coming!


Thanks man, and it is really true that less can be more! When playing something at high-speed you can't notice all the tiny details! smile.gif And sometimes it is even harder to play something slower! Like sweep picking for example, it's easier to do them ultra-fast than at medium speed, at least for me.

QUOTE
Dinaga, this is an excellent project! I have been thinking for a long time of starting a "practice vlog", but as with many other things I think of it has stayed only a thought.

It will be very interesting to follow your hunt for insane lessons. I would also like to add a quote for you to bring on your quest of becoming a Guitar God:

"I've got to keep running the course
I've got to keep running and win at all costs
I've got to keep going, be strong
Must be so determined and push myself on"

Best of luck!

H4H


Ahh Maiden! biggrin.gif Love that song! biggrin.gif Thanks mate smile.gif

I have two more Insane lessons in my pocket, so I'll post my starting slow takes these days. After that has been done, no more new Insane lessons until I get those "big four" on their knees! laugh.gif

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Feb 5 2012, 01:34 PM

That is awesome man, I just checked out this thread and I think you are doing an amazing job here smile.gif Keep rocking, I have lots of respect for you. "Speed is a bi-product of precision" is Guthrie Govan's quote! smile.gif

Posted by: Dinaga Feb 5 2012, 07:38 PM

QUOTE (Ivan Milenkovic @ Feb 5 2012, 01:34 PM) *
That is awesome man, I just checked out this thread and I think you are doing an amazing job here smile.gif Keep rocking, I have lots of respect for you. "Speed is a bi-product of precision" is Guthrie Govan's quote! smile.gif


Thanks a lot for the very kind words, my friend smile.gif I am really honoured to have respect of such a guitar virtuoso! mellow.gif

Hehe, I didn't know it was Guthrie's quote, I just saw it in Todd's Practice journal over and over so that was my reference biggrin.gif And it is a very wise quote too! smile.gif



And... Here's another lesson: Mojo Oro part 2 at 60% speed. It feels and sounds really unnatural to play it at this speed! The staccato notes sound weird and I swear, this is easier to play faster than slower! Technically it's not really complicated, but the main problem is that if played over and over, there's a chance of wrist injury because it's played near the neck so the hand is stretched a lot. This lesson is the reason why I injured my wrist a few days ago. I guess this take could be better (especially the ending) but this is just a starting point. Next checkpoint is probably a clean 70%.



Posted by: derper Feb 5 2012, 09:10 PM

Great take Dinaga!! I had never heard that Muris lesson before, and it's killer!! I noticed how the 3rd and 4th fingers are all curled up tightly in his picking hand in that vid....interesting.

Best of luck to you on this journey!! I think you can get it there. I'm betting you can get it up to speed before I can get Muris' "Country Picking Advanced" up to full speed!! But I'll keep trying at that one anyway. Although, now I'm interested in giving these Mojo Oro vids a shot in the upcoming weeks also!!


Keep it up, and NO MORE INJURIES!!

Posted by: Dinaga Feb 6 2012, 11:45 PM

QUOTE (derper @ Feb 5 2012, 09:10 PM) *
Great take Dinaga!! I had never heard that Muris lesson before, and it's killer!! I noticed how the 3rd and 4th fingers are all curled up tightly in his picking hand in that vid....interesting.

Best of luck to you on this journey!! I think you can get it there. I'm betting you can get it up to speed before I can get Muris' "Country Picking Advanced" up to full speed!! But I'll keep trying at that one anyway. Although, now I'm interested in giving these Mojo Oro vids a shot in the upcoming weeks also!!


Keep it up, and NO MORE INJURIES!!


You are too kind. smile.gif Thanks so much man. I don't think I can get it up to speed that fast. biggrin.gif Transitions from 50% to 60%, and maybe 60% to 70% will be easier but it is a whole world of distance between 80% and 90%, or 90% to100% biggrin.gif I remember practicing Ben's Defining Armageddon solo for weeks on 80% and it still eats up all of my endurance and stamina at 100% biggrin.gif

Can't wait for your Mojo Oro takes, mate! It will be great to hear it. And as for injuries, now I stop playing whenever I see veins popping out on my left hand tongue.gif

Oh, and here's a new video: Oriental Shred at 60%! It was not so hard to speed up to 60% once I learned 50%, but now I feel a lot more confident while playing this piece. The worst part about this lesson (besides memorizing all the notes tongue.gif) were the grace notes, but once learned, it's really no biggie. I also improved the last diminished picked arpeggio. All in all, there's still a LONG road to go, but improvements are made, and my motivation is high!



Stay tuned for more. wink.gif

Posted by: derper Feb 6 2012, 11:58 PM

Great new take on the Oriental Shred.... at first it doesn't seem too difficult, but then it hits you!! There are certainly some subtleties that really make that piece difficult I would imagine. But it looks pretty solid at that speed!

It may take me a week or two to post a Mojo Oro vid. I've got some other musical commitments this week, BUT I'm gonna try to also dig back into that country advanced pickin' and post a vid here, since I can do that faster than learning a new piece. I ran it a bit yesterday, to refresh my memory since I haven't worked on it REALLY hard for a few weeks, and was surprised at how far back I fell by not staying on it! ohmy.gif BUT, if I run it at 90bpms to get it SOLID, I should be able to crank it back to 110bpm in no time, and hopefully to 120 shortly thereafter. I'll try and post a 110 take by the end of my shift, but that depends on my customer traffic.

Though it's not "insane", I've been focusing on Stephane's "John Scofield Lesson" recently and am almost ready to submit my first official REC vid on that!!

Keep up the good work, and hopefully I'll be able to submit a vid of my "progress" shortly!!

Posted by: Ben Higgins Feb 7 2012, 10:54 AM

Really enjoying this thread Dinaga ! cool.gif

And yes, I remember your take of Defining Armageddon very well.. I was highly impressed !! smile.gif

Posted by: derper Feb 7 2012, 10:23 PM

Finally.....I had the time, and the means to submit a video of my "progress", or lack thereof. More specifically, I am now "re-working" on this run, meaning it has been a few weeks since I've worked on this riff. Today, I spent about 10-15 minutes (after warmups! tongue.gif ) at only 90bpm, to ensure I could actually get through every not cleanly. I really hate working at 90 bpms for this riff, as is feels "sluggish" and silly to work that slow. 100 is my "bare-minimum", but I have to EARN IT!! So, after a little bit of annoying practice at 90, it was time to crank it back to 100. Still, 110 starts to actually feel better, but then I get sloppy on a few key parts, so I'm stuck at 100bpm-land for a while until I can EARN my spot at 110!! I think I was at 110 before, but probably not clean enough.

Thankfully, my phone (at work....mattress sales!!) didn't ring until the very end of this take!!



I've got a LONG way to go, to get to 155. But I smile thinking of how much I'll improve by the time I reach even 130!!

**Side note: I wish I knew of one other person working on, or that has worked on, this same lesson. I SWEAR it's the most difficult "level 8" video out there!! I would love to see how far others have gotten. Perhaps I should search the "REC" forum and see... dry.gif

Posted by: Dinaga Feb 7 2012, 11:40 PM

QUOTE (derper @ Feb 7 2012, 10:23 PM) *
Finally.....I had the time, and the means to submit a video of my "progress", or lack thereof. More specifically, I am now "re-working" on this run, meaning it has been a few weeks since I've worked on this riff. Today, I spent about 10-15 minutes (after warmups! tongue.gif ) at only 90bpm, to ensure I could actually get through every not cleanly. I really hate working at 90 bpms for this riff, as is feels "sluggish" and silly to work that slow. 100 is my "bare-minimum", but I have to EARN IT!! So, after a little bit of annoying practice at 90, it was time to crank it back to 100. Still, 110 starts to actually feel better, but then I get sloppy on a few key parts, so I'm stuck at 100bpm-land for a while until I can EARN my spot at 110!! I think I was at 110 before, but probably not clean enough.

Thankfully, my phone (at work....mattress sales!!) didn't ring until the very end of this take!!



I've got a LONG way to go, to get to 155. But I smile thinking of how much I'll improve by the time I reach even 130!!

**Side note: I wish I knew of one other person working on, or that has worked on, this same lesson. I SWEAR it's the most difficult "level 8" video out there!! I would love to see how far others have gotten. Perhaps I should search the "REC" forum and see... dry.gif


Hey man congrats! That's a great take and you're doing awesome! smile.gif No reason to be annoyed, the most important thing is that you have control, and speed will come! I enjoyed this, and as you said, you'll drastically improve even at 130 bpm! No pain no gain cool.gif

And I totally agree that speed has to be earned, every time I sit to practice, even if I could do the lesson really fast, I have to warm up a lot and play at lower speeds before I crank it up smile.gif That's why I usually suck when I play these lessons in front of other people, because I'm not warmed up and they expect me to play at original speed right away.

And it's hilarious that you've got all your equipment at work... that's the spirit! biggrin.gif You're allowed to do the recording there? laugh.gif

And here's a Rocky montage clip for everyone willing to participate here - nothing is as motivating as this!
When we achieve our goal we can all yell with great satisfaction: YO ADRIAN, I DID IT! wink.gif


Posted by: derper Feb 7 2012, 11:50 PM

Thanks!!


As long as I get up and do my job when a customer walks in, I'm free to play guitar on the clock!! Which is the main reason I keep this job! If I ever end up in a GMC funny, I can already guess it'll be a scene of my customers coming in to shop for a mattress, right while I'm nailing a vid at full speed!!


I'll keep it up on the Muris vid. I searched the REC forum, and no one has submitted a REC of that lesson yet. I may someday become the first. If there are any instructors out there open to the challenge, I would love to see/hear from one of you while getting it up to speed!! Anyone? Anyone willing to put those shreddy chops to the country test? tongue.gif

Posted by: Ben Higgins Feb 8 2012, 11:52 AM

Loved the video Gabe ! I love it how you just play guitar at work laugh.gif


Posted by: Dinaga Feb 15 2012, 01:39 AM

You didn't think I'd give up on this quest, did you? laugh.gif

I'm back with the Oriental shred lesson, this time at 70% speed!
Now it's getting serious. While I was comfortable with the 50% and 60% takes, this one was trickier.
Each next 10% take will be a huge achievement, but it will also take longer to master.
But we're getting somewhere and that's important! smile.gif



I hope there will be more of your entries here so we can conquer insane lessons together smile.gif

Posted by: derper Feb 15 2012, 01:45 AM

Let's keep this thread alive!! I actually intended to work on my "Country picking advanced" lesson for a while today, and attempt to send a take at 120 bpm, but the day got pretty busy, and the owner AND boss both came in and dropped ohmy.gif ACTUAL WORK on to my plate!! What the?!! I'm used to chillin', playing guitar and helping a very occasional customer. This WORK thing isn't for me!!! tongue.gif


Posted by: Dinaga Feb 15 2012, 01:53 AM

QUOTE (derper @ Feb 15 2012, 01:45 AM) *
Let's keep this thread alive!! I actually intended to work on my "Country picking advanced" lesson for a while today, and attempt to send a take at 120 bpm, but the day got pretty busy, and the owner AND boss both came in and dropped ohmy.gif ACTUAL WORK on to my plate!! What the?!! I'm used to chillin', playing guitar and helping a very occasional customer. This WORK thing isn't for me!!! tongue.gif


Haha well what can you do! Another day, another chance!
Looking forward to your next take mate, shoot it when you're ready, on "occasional" days smile.gif

So... LET'S DO THIS!
The boss can take away your day... BUT HE WILL NEVER TAKE AWAY YOUR FREEDOM!




Posted by: maharzan Feb 15 2012, 02:54 AM

Wow, how did I miss this thread? Awesome job Dinaga and all who are trying this. When I was "mastering" lessons last year, I also took very similar approach, just trying to push myself to next difficult lesson here and I eventually tried a level 10 lesson as well. I also wanted to do Neoclassic but couldn't go past 140bpm (not clean). I thought I was spending too much time on "speed" (which was the major reason I left guitar for about 12 years as I couldn't do a simple song) and instead tried focusing more on accuracy, melodic stuff. I have less time to practice but since Bushido's tasks, I am back to speed which feels a little hard and energy consuming. But it feels good. I will try to get back. I can hardly play guitar for 15 mins now (with my baby taking most of my time). smile.gif

Good work all. Loving the progress.

Posted by: Ben Higgins Feb 15 2012, 09:49 AM

QUOTE (Dinaga @ Feb 15 2012, 12:39 AM) *
You didn't think I'd give up on this quest, did you? laugh.gif

I'm back with the Oriental shred lesson, this time at 70% speed!
Now it's getting serious. While I was comfortable with the 50% and 60% takes, this one was trickier.
Each next 10% take will be a huge achievement, but it will also take longer to master.
But we're getting somewhere and that's important! smile.gif



I hope there will be more of your entries here so we can conquer insane lessons together smile.gif


Sounding good D-Master ! I love that T shirt ! biggrin.gif

QUOTE (derper @ Feb 15 2012, 12:45 AM) *
Let's keep this thread alive!! I actually intended to work on my "Country picking advanced" lesson for a while today, and attempt to send a take at 120 bpm, but the day got pretty busy, and the owner AND boss both came in and dropped ohmy.gif ACTUAL WORK on to my plate!! What the?!! I'm used to chillin', playing guitar and helping a very occasional customer. This WORK thing isn't for me!!! tongue.gif


How dare he ? That's outrageous. Everybody knows that nothing is allowed to hinder guitar practice. mad.gif

QUOTE (maharzan @ Feb 15 2012, 01:54 AM) *
Wow, how did I miss this thread? Awesome job Dinaga and all who are trying this. When I was "mastering" lessons last year, I also took very similar approach, just trying to push myself to next difficult lesson here and I eventually tried a level 10 lesson as well. I also wanted to do Neoclassic but couldn't go past 140bpm (not clean). I thought I was spending too much time on "speed" (which was the major reason I left guitar for about 12 years as I couldn't do a simple song) and instead tried focusing more on accuracy, melodic stuff. I have less time to practice but since Bushido's tasks, I am back to speed which feels a little hard and energy consuming. But it feels good. I will try to get back. I can hardly play guitar for 15 mins now (with my baby taking most of my time). smile.gif

Good work all. Loving the progress.



Yeah it's a bit like getting fit isn't it ? I know the feeling, I'm going through it now but it feels good ! smile.gif

Posted by: Dinaga Feb 15 2012, 01:18 PM

QUOTE
Sounding good D-Master ! I love that T shirt !


Thanks a lot, Shredmeister Sensei Ben! Haha, I love that T-shirt too, when I saw it I knew I HAD to buy it biggrin.gif

QUOTE
Wow, how did I miss this thread? Awesome job Dinaga and all who are trying this. When I was "mastering" lessons last year, I also took very similar approach, just trying to push myself to next difficult lesson here and I eventually tried a level 10 lesson as well. I also wanted to do Neoclassic but couldn't go past 140bpm (not clean). I thought I was spending too much time on "speed" (which was the major reason I left guitar for about 12 years as I couldn't do a simple song) and instead tried focusing more on accuracy, melodic stuff. I have less time to practice but since Bushido's tasks, I am back to speed which feels a little hard and energy consuming. But it feels good. I will try to get back. I can hardly play guitar for 15 mins now (with my baby taking most of my time).

Good work all. Loving the progress.


Thanks man! smile.gif I'm glad you like this idea! Well, the baby is the first priority of course, when I have one I'll surely devote most of my time to him/her too smile.gif

But it's interesting, when you are not allowed to do something, or when you have limited time to do it, you find it even more compelling! For example, I like playing guitar but it's the exam time when I find it most enjoyable, because I should be studying for my exams biggrin.gif

And I agree, it's a lot frustrating when you hit the "speed brick wall" and feel like you can't progress no more, but then I realize that every take which is played properly from start to end is in fact perfect take! It's a lot better to hear something nice at 70 bpm than the exact same melody played dirty at 120 bpm.

Posted by: maharzan Mar 2 2012, 10:50 AM

Hows your hand Dinaga?

Posted by: Dinaga Mar 19 2012, 04:41 PM

QUOTE (maharzan @ Mar 2 2012, 10:50 AM) *
Hows your hand Dinaga?


Hey mate, sorry for not replying earlier! I just saw this post. smile.gif My hand is getting better, thanks for asking my friend! smile.gif

Well, as you most know, last month I was recovering from my hand injury and I didn't play guitar at all. Now I started playing and I think it's getting better! smile.gif My hand still hurts but I'm taking pauses between my playing and I try to plan my schedule more wisely. biggrin.gif I learned a lot from this experience and I'll talk about this in more detail later smile.gif

Now for the fun part - the next video! biggrin.gif Here's Oriental Shred at 80% speed. Please ignore the dumb faces and head movements I make, it's because this lesson is so damn groovy laugh.gif I always mess up the ending, but I will learn it separately for the final 100% speed video, I promise wink.gif


Posted by: FrontlineGuitar Mar 19 2012, 06:08 PM

Awesome job on this whole concept, Dinaga smile.gif

Just like to say, I've been stalking this thread for a while wink.gif so I might as well have a go myself..

A couple days ago I decided to get to work on a level 9 lesson that had always interested me.. it's the Yngwie Malmsteen Style Solo by Emir Hot. This will obviously take some serious time and practice, but I hope to one day be able to get it down cleanly at full speed.

So i guess I'll join you on this one.. will post a take at some point of it at a slower speed smile.gif

Posted by: derper Mar 19 2012, 06:30 PM

Great job Dinaga!! So awesome to have you back in action here at GMC as well. I went through a pretty serious (skateboarding) hand injury myself last year, so I have nothing buy sympathy for anyone going through that. Especially while working on a killer lesson like this!!

I think you encouraged me to practice my "Insane Lesson" and post a vid from work today! I don't have my interface here, which is the only drawback of my KB37....a bit too "big" to bring to work. It's already cool that they let me rock guitar and mini-amp in between mattress customers, but setting up a midi keyboard interface at work might be pushing it a bit too far!! tongue.gif Eventually I'd like to get a smaller interface (UX1/2 or, doesn't a guitar POD work as an interface too?) so I can get good recordings at work.



Also, for any others out there "stalking" this great topic.... I would encourage EVERYONE to hit a lesson that is "insane" to them!! Heck, I've seen level 5 and 6 videos that are "INSANE" to me!! And GMC is all about pushing yourself, at all levels. So although this started out with more advanced "Insane" lessons, I certainly wouldn't mind seeing players hitting a tough lesson at any skill level....whatever you consider to be an "insane" lesson!! The spirit remains the same.....practice, and push yourself to to continue on a difficult lesson. It's a different experience, as Dinaga has mentioned, working hard to go from 80% to 90%, than tackling a "challenging" lesson that you KNOW you can get down! Focusing on an "Insane" lesson pushes you to focus on the very minor aspects of that piece, in order to improve even in the slightest. It's the difference between winning a sprint, or a triathlon! Both require skill, but just being "fast" won't win a triathlon!! biggrin.gif

Posted by: Dinaga Mar 19 2012, 07:29 PM

QUOTE (FrontlineGuitar @ Mar 19 2012, 06:08 PM) *
Awesome job on this whole concept, Dinaga smile.gif

Just like to say, I've been stalking this thread for a while wink.gif so I might as well have a go myself..

A couple days ago I decided to get to work on a level 9 lesson that had always interested me.. it's the Yngwie Malmsteen Style Solo by Emir Hot. This will obviously take some serious time and practice, but I hope to one day be able to get it down cleanly at full speed.

So i guess I'll join you on this one.. will post a take at some point of it at a slower speed smile.gif


Thanks a lot for the support mate smile.gif I'm glad that you like this idea and please do post your videos here! I'd most certainly like to see and hear your own lesson hunts wink.gif It doesn't matter at which speed you start, what matters is the progress!

QUOTE (derper @ Mar 19 2012, 06:30 PM) *
Great job Dinaga!! So awesome to have you back in action here at GMC as well. I went through a pretty serious (skateboarding) hand injury myself last year, so I have nothing buy sympathy for anyone going through that. Especially while working on a killer lesson like this!!

I think you encouraged me to practice my "Insane Lesson" and post a vid from work today! I don't have my interface here, which is the only drawback of my KB37....a bit too "big" to bring to work. It's already cool that they let me rock guitar and mini-amp in between mattress customers, but setting up a midi keyboard interface at work might be pushing it a bit too far!! tongue.gif Eventually I'd like to get a smaller interface (UX1/2 or, doesn't a guitar POD work as an interface too?) so I can get good recordings at work.

Also, for any others out there "stalking" this great topic.... I would encourage EVERYONE to hit a lesson that is "insane" to them!! Heck, I've seen level 5 and 6 videos that are "INSANE" to me!! And GMC is all about pushing yourself, at all levels. So although this started out with more advanced "Insane" lessons, I certainly wouldn't mind seeing players hitting a tough lesson at any skill level....whatever you consider to be an "insane" lesson!! The spirit remains the same.....practice, and push yourself to to continue on a difficult lesson. It's a different experience, as Dinaga has mentioned, working hard to go from 80% to 90%, than tackling a "challenging" lesson that you KNOW you can get down! Focusing on an "Insane" lesson pushes you to focus on the very minor aspects of that piece, in order to improve even in the slightest. It's the difference between winning a sprint, or a triathlon! Both require skill, but just being "fast" won't win a triathlon!! biggrin.gif


Thanks a lot Gabe! smile.gif Your constant support really means a lot to me and that's what this thread is really about, encouraging ourselves to become able to play lessons which were too hard for us in the beginning. Everything you said is true - numbers don't matter, a lesson can have higher difficulty ranking but be easier than some other lesson. I didn't know you had that injury man... I'm glad you're all OK and rockin' today - can't wait for your next video! smile.gif

I am glad that you guys find this idea interesting and I will post a detailed summary when I finish a particular lesson. I will write there the reasons why I took the lesson, how I practiced it, what aspects of the lesson were the hardest to master and everything else I find helpful wink.gif I also plan to take up a next Insane lesson when I finish these ones - but not before I complete these three! I won't tell much about it now, but I'll just say that it's even harder than these lessons and will be quite a challenge! laugh.gif

Cheers my friends and rock on \m/

Posted by: derper Mar 19 2012, 07:46 PM

Also, I didn't post it here (I made a separate thread), but I've been working on Cosmin's "Vivaldi Arpeggios" lesson, so I'm only working on 2 right now. Life always seems to interfere, but I'm at least practicing enough to "stand still" as opposed to fall back! I have a feeling I'll get plenty of time today, so I'll post a current vid of both here if I get a chance!!

And the hand has "recovered", but will never be the same.... Oh well, we keep rockin' like Django and Iomi!!

Posted by: derper Mar 19 2012, 10:41 PM

ARGH!! I left my stereo cable (usually in my Parker case) at home, plugged into my interface!! No vids today, but I'll practice quietly to an online metronome (forgot that too!).

Posted by: Ben Higgins Mar 20 2012, 02:26 PM

Heeeeeeeeeeeey, Diniga is back !! biggrin.gif

Welcome back my friend, it's good to see you ! cool.gif

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Mar 20 2012, 04:19 PM

D-man biggrin.gif welcome back wink.gif we missed you!

Posted by: Dinaga Mar 20 2012, 06:19 PM

Thanks a lot my friends. smile.gif I missed you too!

Posted by: jstcrsn Mar 20 2012, 10:31 PM

QUOTE (FrontlineGuitar @ Mar 19 2012, 06:08 PM) *
Awesome job on this whole concept, Dinaga smile.gif

Just like to say, I've been stalking this thread for a while wink.gif so I might as well have a go myself..

A couple days ago I decided to get to work on a level 9 lesson that had always interested me.. it's the Yngwie Malmsteen Style Solo by Emir Hot. This will obviously take some serious time and practice, but I hope to one day be able to get it down cleanly at full speed.

So i guess I'll join you on this one.. will post a take at some point of it at a slower speed smile.gif

been stalking as well,and Emir recorded this slow for me, thought if you ARe learning it , this might help http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=32559&st=0&gopid=450274&#entry450274
the link is in post 6

Posted by: Dinaga Mar 22 2012, 07:24 PM

Well I can safely say that this period is probably the hardest period for me, guitar-wise.

My hand injury still hasn't gone away, so I have to be careful with my playing and schedule. It's really on-and-off situation - sometimes my hand hurts, then it gets better and then I play too much again and the pain returns.

When I don't play at all it doesn't get better, when I play moderately it gets better, and when I play too much it gets worse. It's hard to find the border between "to little playing" and "too much playing"!

I guess these last few months have been a big transition for me - from regular to more advanced stuff and human body doesn't cope with it so well. Anyway, I can't live without playing so I'm trying to reduce my playing but still enjoy my passion. If anyone has some good warm-up advice I'd really appreciate it. smile.gif

Meanwhile, here's Mojo Oro at 70% speed. This lesson isn't really about the speed, it's about ENDURANCE. I can play the main riff a lot faster than this, but the problem is to play the whole thing without losing strength in the process. So I can already assume that getting this one at 80% speed will be a very hard task. But if I manage to do it without losing any limbs, I think I'll level up greatly when I'm done with it biggrin.gif

Cheers my friends!


Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Mar 22 2012, 09:29 PM

QUOTE (Dinaga @ Mar 22 2012, 06:24 PM) *
Well I can safely say that this period is probably the hardest period for me, guitar-wise.

My hand injury still hasn't gone away, so I have to be careful with my playing and schedule. It's really on-and-off situation - sometimes my hand hurts, then it gets better and then I play too much again and the pain returns.

When I don't play at all it doesn't get better, when I play moderately it gets better, and when I play too much it gets worse. It's hard to find the border between "to little playing" and "too much playing"!

I guess these last few months have been a big transition for me - from regular to more advanced stuff and human body doesn't cope with it so well. Anyway, I can't live without playing so I'm trying to reduce my playing but still enjoy my passion. If anyone has some good warm-up advice I'd really appreciate it. smile.gif

Meanwhile, here's Mojo Oro at 70% speed. This lesson isn't really about the speed, it's about ENDURANCE. I can play the main riff a lot faster than this, but the problem is to play the whole thing without losing strength in the process. So I can already assume that getting this one at 80% speed will be a very hard task. But if I manage to do it without losing any limbs, I think I'll level up greatly when I'm done with it biggrin.gif

Cheers my friends!



Mate, this sounds solid! I can't wait to see the next level!

Posted by: FrontlineGuitar Mar 24 2012, 01:17 PM

QUOTE (jstcrsn @ Mar 20 2012, 09:31 PM) *
been stalking as well,and Emir recorded this slow for me, thought if you ARe learning it , this might help http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=32559&st=0&gopid=450274&#entry450274
the link is in post 6


Ah thanks this helps smile.gif

i was having trouble with the timing on the run down from the 20th fret near the start.. still sounds a little weird when he's playing it, but this helps biggrin.gif

Posted by: Dinaga Mar 24 2012, 11:10 PM

QUOTE (Cosmin Lupu @ Mar 22 2012, 09:29 PM) *
Mate, this sounds solid! I can't wait to see the next level!


Your wish is my command biggrin.gif
I saw Muris live last night so that added a motivation boost to finish these lessons!
This is getting serious!



Oh, and here's a short clip of some Asturias from last night's show wink.gif Bad video quality, I know (recorded with my cell phone). But you can hear it wink.gif


Posted by: Ben Higgins Mar 25 2012, 09:58 AM

QUOTE (Dinaga @ Mar 24 2012, 10:10 PM) *
Your wish is my command biggrin.gif
I saw Muris live last night so that added a motivation boost to finish these lessons!
This is getting serious!



Oh, and here's a short clip of some Asturias from last night's show wink.gif Bad video quality, I know (recorded with my cell phone). But you can hear it wink.gif



Very cool playing, Diniga ! cool.gif

I'm a little confused a the track is different to the one you were playing before ?

Great clip from that gig.. did you get ay playing tips from Muris ? smile.gif

Posted by: Dinaga Mar 25 2012, 11:21 AM

QUOTE (Ben Higgins @ Mar 25 2012, 09:58 AM) *
Very cool playing, Diniga ! cool.gif

I'm a little confused a the track is different to the one you were playing before ?

Great clip from that gig.. did you get ay playing tips from Muris ? smile.gif


Thanks a lot sensei! biggrin.gif It's DinAga BTW biggrin.gif (or was that a vinegar reference in some way? biggrin.gif)

Haha yes the track is different because I'm practicing both of them biggrin.gif (there is actualy also the third one - Mojo Oro Part 2 but I'm not practicing that one at the moment because it's quite dangerous for the wrists) When I get bored of one lesson, I switch to the other one wink.gif

It might sound dumb, but I haven't actually spoken to Muris in person yet biggrin.gif I didn't want to sound like an obsessive fanboy biggrin.gif I already posted a lot of "fanboy comments" all over his YouTube videos smile.gif

Yes, it is probably quite dumb, I know. But when I finish these lessons, I might post a video response or something wink.gif

Posted by: derper Mar 26 2012, 06:53 PM

That's right.....Muris is also from Sarajevo as well, isn't he? Does he play gigs near you at all? That dude is a serious bad as....um, he's really good.


QUOTE (Dinaga @ Mar 25 2012, 03:21 AM) *
Thanks a lot sensei! biggrin.gif It's DinAga BTW biggrin.gif (or was that a vinegar reference in some way? biggrin.gif)

Haha yes the track is different because I'm practicing both of them biggrin.gif (there is actualy also the third one - Mojo Oro Part 2 but I'm not practicing that one at the moment because it's quite dangerous for the wrists) When I get bored of one lesson, I switch to the other one wink.gif

It might sound dumb, but I haven't actually spoken to Muris in person yet biggrin.gif I didn't want to sound like an obsessive fanboy biggrin.gif I already posted a lot of "fanboy comments" all over his YouTube videos smile.gif

Yes, it is probably quite dumb, I know. But when I finish these lessons, I might post a video response or something wink.gif


Posted by: derper Mar 26 2012, 09:24 PM

Also....here's a vid from my "warmup"/"insane lesson hunt" session.... I tend to use this great run as a post-warmup, at about 90bpm. Then I bump it up to around 100-110.





Here's the "story".... Though I've kept this under my fingers, I haven't focused very seriously on it much lately, so I haven't progressed very far. But I also haven't back-slid much either. Right now, I'm thinking that to go FORWARD, I have to go BACK!! Meaning, I believe I need to get it even more perfect at the uber-slow 90bpm, instead of hitting it "ok-like" at the 100-110 I've been pushing myself at.

Glad to be back on it!! Here's my progress on a not-quite "insane" lesson as well:


Posted by: Dinaga Mar 26 2012, 10:08 PM

Man, that sounds sweet! I love the light-show you made, hahaha biggrin.gif

Your country solo sounds really clean and I really like your attitude - if you get it perfect at slower speeds, building up the speed will be a piece of cake biggrin.gif When I practice solos, I play them so much at slow speeds that I get surprised how easy it becomes to play when I speed it up! That country lesson is crazy - no doubt about it, but it also sounds really cool at this speed! Bet it's very fun to play too! smile.gif

You're doing great on the Vivaldi lesson man! I LOVE this lesson - it's so baroque, so melodic, and I really can't wait for you to crank it up! It is gonna be AWESOME biggrin.gif

As for your progress, I would recommend that you practice these every day - at least for half an hour or an hour. Better than making a pause of a few days, then playing 3-4 hours straight smile.gif Congrats mate, you're doing an awesome job here wink.gif

Posted by: derper Mar 29 2012, 07:02 AM


I've taken your advice, in the days after this take....thanks for the encouragement!! Though I have been BUSY getting new material down for 2 projects, I've made certain to practice each for about 20-30 mins apiece, before hitting that material. I'll try and post takes tomorrow if I get time, but perhaps should not....gotta get down Mike Tyson's Punch Out, Bubble Bobble and new Mario 3 material for EMULATOR show 4/12 and rehearsal this sun, plus about 5 new songs for our Planet Jackers show this sat! biggrin.gif


QUOTE (Dinaga @ Mar 26 2012, 02:08 PM) *
Man, that sounds sweet! I love the light-show you made, hahaha biggrin.gif

Your country solo sounds really clean and I really like your attitude - if you get it perfect at slower speeds, building up the speed will be a piece of cake biggrin.gif When I practice solos, I play them so much at slow speeds that I get surprised how easy it becomes to play when I speed it up! That country lesson is crazy - no doubt about it, but it also sounds really cool at this speed! Bet it's very fun to play too! smile.gif

You're doing great on the Vivaldi lesson man! I LOVE this lesson - it's so baroque, so melodic, and I really can't wait for you to crank it up! It is gonna be AWESOME biggrin.gif

As for your progress, I would recommend that you practice these every day - at least for half an hour or an hour. Better than making a pause of a few days, then playing 3-4 hours straight smile.gif Congrats mate, you're doing an awesome job here wink.gif


Posted by: Dinaga Mar 29 2012, 11:02 AM

Wow man, that's quite a lot of work! ohmy.gif Good luck with that, remember - don't overdo it!

Posted by: derper Mar 29 2012, 06:14 PM

Keep in mind, I have the advantage of working 10am-8pm at a mattress store, throughout which most of the day I won't have customers. PLENTY of time to rock on the clock!!

QUOTE (Dinaga @ Mar 29 2012, 03:02 AM) *
Wow man, that's quite a lot of work! ohmy.gif Good luck with that, remember - don't overdo it!


Posted by: derper Apr 21 2012, 03:50 AM

Because of gigs (EMULATOR footage will be posted as soon as I get it!!) I've been away from GMC for a few weeks, yet practicing hard as ever!!

When I left, I had started mentoring with Cosmin, and was also working on his Vivaldi lesson (and as always, Muris' Country Advanced) before taking some time off. One thing I started to realize at that time: I need to improve my right hand picking efficiency, in order to EVER get those pieces up to speed.

So today at work (internet problems, or I would have posted video!!) I dug into both of those pieces for a while. When I was away from them, I put so much attention into my picking hand. I studied my grip(s) and tried to decrease my average pick stroke length.


That said, today.... I was able to get both pieces (after a bit of practice to "remember" them!! wink.gif ) up to a FASTER speed, than ever before!! I was able to pick through Country Picking Advanced at up to 130 bpm (155 is full speed!) with approx 80% accuracy. I'd have to REALLY work on 2 parts, to get it 100% (and I will!), but I just wanted to test (after warmup!!) my maximum picking speed on the main part. Before, I'd fall apart at 130. This time, it was SOLID!! I fall apart at about 140bpm now.

So, I have improved on my entire technique, even though I was away from these pieces.


Also, what got me inspired to focus on picking, was a month ago when I attempted the Vivaldi piece at full speed (130bpm) and realized that I would NEVER get it to 100% the way I was picking. I was using sloppy, jerky, inefficient movements that I couldn't seem to get away from. But now, I can technically play it that fast....but I need to practice a ton, before I can do it clean. Again, I am happy to know that I improved and have lifted the ceiling to my playing abilities overall!!

Thank you GMC, Dinaga, Cosmin, ALL of the instructors (past and present) and ALL of the students!! Only 5 months into GMC, and I'm so happy with the results!

Posted by: maharzan Apr 21 2012, 07:30 AM

Congratulations derper. smile.gif

Posted by: Dinaga Apr 21 2012, 10:12 AM

I'm glad to hear that, Gabe! smile.gif I'm very happy for you and yes, it's amazing how one can improve his/her guitar skills on GMC with some will and dedication. Your attitude and commitment will bring your guitar playing to higher and higher levels, I do not doubt that at all! And I'm sure you'll master that advanced country picking lesson at 100%, just keep doing what you do so well wink.gif

I'm still practicing Mojo Oro but the transition from 80% to 90% is a LOT harder than any transition before. Right now I'm pushing my limits and the next video will be the biggest step so far! Stay tuned. smile.gif

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Apr 21 2012, 11:54 AM

Congrats Gabe! biggrin.gif you know, I think you just offered your body a time off in which it could settle information and solidify the technique while you were working on other things but focusing on picking really tight and accurate smile.gif

I am glad I can be of assistance and I am looking forward to continue working with you man! You know, you are a real inspiration for me as well, because your results are only a confirmation that the things I am suggesting are good tongue.gif If I may say so biggrin.gif

Cosmin

Posted by: derper Apr 21 2012, 10:11 PM

Thanks Dinaga!! Always great to see where you're at as well.... and despite your hand injury, you're coming back strong and playing clean (as always, from what I've seen!) and fast!

I used to think that I could NEVER get that lesson to 100%.....I mean, it's freakin' INSANE to see Muris do it so clean at full-speed!! And any prior attempts to even fumble through at near 155bpms made me feel like I could never physically achieve that. Which is why I am currently so HAPPY to see the progress I've made in the last 2 months, regarding picking efficiency!! It's giving me the feeling that SOMEDAY I can improve and take a full speed run.....

QUOTE (Dinaga @ Apr 21 2012, 02:12 AM) *
I'm glad to hear that, Gabe! smile.gif I'm very happy for you and yes, it's amazing how one can improve his/her guitar skills on GMC with some will and dedication. Your attitude and commitment will bring your guitar playing to higher and higher levels, I do not doubt that at all! And I'm sure you'll master that advanced country picking lesson at 100%, just keep doing what you do so well wink.gif

I'm still practicing Mojo Oro but the transition from 80% to 90% is a LOT harder than any transition before. Right now I'm pushing my limits and the next video will be the biggest step so far! Stay tuned. smile.gif


Absolutely right!! Though I took time off from my specific lessons, I was practicing hard as ever on my EMULATOR runs, so it gave me a chance to observe my habits in many different "scenarios" (onstage, at home, this riff/that riff, etc) and on totally different material.

So....big thanks for all the suggestions, and advice on my picking! I've still got a long way to go, and need to start submitting more vids (in the next week!) to keep getting feedback. Also, I'll make that video showcasing my picking from various angles, and I'll explain my "thumb defect" a bit more.

QUOTE (Cosmin Lupu @ Apr 21 2012, 03:54 AM) *
Congrats Gabe! biggrin.gif you know, I think you just offered your body a time off in which it could settle information and solidify the technique while you were working on other things but focusing on picking really tight and accurate smile.gif

I am glad I can be of assistance and I am looking forward to continue working with you man! You know, you are a real inspiration for me as well, because your results are only a confirmation that the things I am suggesting are good tongue.gif If I may say so biggrin.gif

Cosmin


Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Apr 22 2012, 03:00 PM

Alrighty Gabe! Let's try and work out to reduce the problem as close to non-existence as possible smile.gif

Posted by: derper Apr 22 2012, 05:41 PM

QUOTE (Cosmin Lupu @ Apr 22 2012, 07:00 AM) *
Alrighty Gabe! Let's try and work out to reduce the problem as close to non-existence as possible smile.gif



For the way I hold my pick (thumb injury!!), I imagine that the most efficient I'll ever be able to pick, is that of Stephane Lucarelli!!

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Creative-Arpeggios-Phrasing/

I'm always amazed at his touch, tone, vibrato, bends, and overall feel.....all while barely moving his picking hand!! It's so efficient, I'd swear he is sweep picking, even when he's not!!

Posted by: Dinaga Apr 22 2012, 07:14 PM

ARGH! My hand hates my guts so much right now. I tried to record a 90% take of Mojo Oro and I am able to play it... somewhat... but it sounds pretty sloppy. And it hurts.

This is a real barrier. I also had to change the angle of my pick to be able to pick faster. I always held it completely parallel to the strings, but now I make an angle so it is "sharper", allowing me faster picking. But it feels a bit strange and often confuses me. I guess I'll get used to it.

Also, I noticed that at this stage it is very important what pick I use. Not only the thickness but also the material! Much interesting stuff happening in this journey... smile.gif

Posted by: derper Apr 23 2012, 01:15 AM

The V-Picks turned me onto the "not only thickness, but material" difference in tone. Lucky for me, the V-picks work great. Some, don't seem to....

I also tried a Pickboy Handmade Bone pick (I call it human-bone....more brutal!!) which is great, but not "the one". The bone tone is better than tortex, but not near as good as v-pick, and the bone is "slow". I can feel the resistance. Imagine rubbing bone on anything. Scratchy. Resistance.

Good luck on the journey!!

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Apr 23 2012, 07:13 AM

Holding the pick parallel to the strings will provide cleaner tone indeed, man this is turning out to be a real struggle for success! I'm with you guys!

Posted by: maharzan May 14 2012, 09:26 AM

Hey Dinaga,

Just wanted to know where you are at with this one. I see you progressed till 80% so I guess 90% is now on. smile.gif I also thought i would try this lesson. Its been long time I tried any AP lesson this fast. Just grabbed the notes and trying to play it at 50% to grasp the melody.

This thread is definitely inspiring. Do post recent developments. I don't see you over Bushido tasks so I wonder if studies are keeping you busy.

Cheers,
Chandra

Posted by: Ben Higgins May 14 2012, 09:37 AM

QUOTE (maharzan @ May 14 2012, 09:26 AM) *
Hey Dinaga,

Just wanted to know where you are at with this one. I see you progressed till 80% so I guess 90% is now on. smile.gif I also thought i would try this lesson. Its been long time I tried any AP lesson this fast. Just grabbed the notes and trying to play it at 50% to grasp the melody.

This thread is definitely inspiring. Do post recent developments. I don't see you over Bushido tasks so I wonder if studies are keeping you busy.

Cheers,
Chandra


I think the D-master is taking some time off to help his wrist get back to normal as it just kept hurting. smile.gif

Posted by: maharzan May 14 2012, 09:58 AM

Oh I thought he said, he recovered and would get back to Bushido tasks too but never heard anything from him after that.

Posted by: Ben Higgins May 14 2012, 10:04 AM

QUOTE (maharzan @ May 14 2012, 09:58 AM) *
Oh I thought he said, he recovered and would get back to Bushido tasks too but never heard anything from him after that.


When he started playing again the pain came back, which sucks. He'll be back though, just like Schwarzenegger !! cool.gif

Posted by: Dinaga May 14 2012, 12:54 PM

Hey Chandra, thanks for bumping this topic! smile.gif

What Ben said is true. My wrist (and the whole left hand)'s been killing me recently. Resting/ not playing at all doesn't help a lot, as the pain comes back. So I still play the guitar but not as insane as before. On a good day I try to play the Mojo Oro lesson but I can't get past 80%. The transition between 80% to 90% is HUGE, and it will need more practice to get it clean. The other lesson (Oriental Shred) I can play at 90%, but there are two fast AP runs at the end which I can't get clean so that's why I'm not posting a video yet.

That's also the reason I can't participate in Bushido as it's too risky for my current situation, as the deadlines would force me to injure myself again.

On a side note, I also "renewed" my old left shoulder dislocation (I had an accident and dislocated my left shoulder again! Fool), so that doesn't help either. I'm going to have an MRI soon and my doctor said I'll probably have to operate it again but I'm not sure whether I'll do it. The whole thing is really frustrating and I hope I'll get back in real action soon .

When I get mad, I sometimes throw a "shred session" but it usually results in severe pain and then I need to heal.

It's great you started practicing this lesson, and I wish you best of luck! However I do NOT wish you to end up like me, so please practice it smart, and don't force yourself!! Please post your progress here wink.gif

Posted by: maharzan May 14 2012, 01:03 PM

Oh SUCKS! Hope you recover soon. I have been hospitalized with my right hand thumb cut for 6 weeks and I know how it feels like. I had a bike accident while in US and my left pinky still hurts when you press on it but I can play guitar fine. I haven't checked with a doctor since it doesn't hurt normally. I hate visiting doctors. sad.gif

Yep, I will do it carefully. I have really pushed myself before and I know the pain but I haven't overdone it so hopefully, I can get somewhere near original tempo otherwise like the neoclassical lesson, I will just leave it. Theres only sometime you can try. Can't really spend my life onto it.. Lots of things to do in one life. smile.gif

Posted by: Dinaga May 14 2012, 01:07 PM

That's right, mate. smile.gif

I'm not giving up on these nasty lessons, but in the meanwhile I'm learning theory, practicing modes, and vibrato/bends by playing some Gary Moore. smile.gif The world of music is a wide one, you can always find something new to learn. smile.gif

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu May 14 2012, 01:09 PM

QUOTE (Dinaga @ May 14 2012, 12:07 PM) *
That's right, mate. smile.gif

I'm not giving up on these nasty lessons, but in the meanwhile I'm learning theory, practicing modes, and vibrato/bends by playing some Gary Moore. smile.gif The world of music is a wide one, you can always find something new to learn. smile.gif


I will update our little mode mission today mate tongue.gif hope you'll like the new chords biggrin.gif

Posted by: Dinaga May 14 2012, 01:11 PM

QUOTE (Cosmin Lupu @ May 14 2012, 12:09 PM) *
I will update our little mode mission today mate tongue.gif hope you'll like the new chords biggrin.gif


Yess! Can't wait! biggrin.gif laugh.gif

Posted by: derper May 14 2012, 08:25 PM

QUOTE (Dinaga @ May 14 2012, 05:07 AM) *
That's right, mate. smile.gif

I'm not giving up on these nasty lessons, but in the meanwhile I'm learning theory, practicing modes, and vibrato/bends by playing some Gary Moore. smile.gif The world of music is a wide one, you can always find something new to learn. smile.gif


That's an excellent attitude to have Dinaga, and also a great way to keep progressing and keep busy while healing up. It still bums me out knowing that you're going through this, especially right when you were getting close to full speed on those vids!

Posted by: Dinaga May 26 2012, 02:49 PM

I'm back!

Here's Oriental Shred at 90% speed. Cheers! smile.gif


Posted by: vonhotch May 26 2012, 03:14 PM

That sounds great. But you're making it look to easy biggrin.gif

Posted by: Opetholic May 26 2012, 03:19 PM

Awesome form, very good picking hand. Waiting to see it up to tempo!

Posted by: Dinaga May 26 2012, 03:33 PM

Thanks a bunch guys! smile.gif

Posted by: maharzan May 26 2012, 04:27 PM

Great take Dinaga. I wanted to ask a question, how do you change that backing tempo? I tried with Logic pro (time stretch/flex) but it doesn't sound smooth. I am working on mojo oro and I can play it at 150bpm. smile.gif

Posted by: Dinaga May 26 2012, 04:50 PM

Thanks Chandra! smile.gif

You got it at 150 already! Awesome, man!
I use Guitar Rig and it has a "tempo" knob in the main tapedeck, so that's what I use. smile.gif

Posted by: maharzan May 26 2012, 05:11 PM

Guitar Rig can change backing track too? Hmmm...

Yep, I even tried 170. This is doable but need more practice. smile.gif I am amazed how my AP has improved in last year. smile.gif

Posted by: Ben Higgins May 26 2012, 06:23 PM

Awesome take Dinaga !!

That last diminished run is the best I've ever heard it ! biggrin.gif

Posted by: Dinaga May 26 2012, 08:22 PM

Thanks a lot Sensei! smile.gif A bit more practicing and this one shall be done smile.gif

Posted by: derper May 29 2012, 10:58 PM

Great job, and it's also awesome to see you back in action!!

That lesson looks so difficult. The timing is so strange, and these RIPPIN' lines come out of nowhere. I don't think I could get it to that speed. Congrats. I bet you'll hit 100% before you know it!!

Posted by: Dinaga May 30 2012, 12:17 AM

QUOTE (derper @ May 29 2012, 09:58 PM) *
Great job, and it's also awesome to see you back in action!!

That lesson looks so difficult. The timing is so strange, and these RIPPIN' lines come out of nowhere. I don't think I could get it to that speed. Congrats. I bet you'll hit 100% before you know it!!


Thanks Gabe my friend! smile.gif Yeah, it's those little pieces that make it a level 9 lesson. How's your playing doing mate?

Posted by: derper May 30 2012, 04:43 AM

QUOTE (Dinaga @ May 29 2012, 04:17 PM) *
Thanks Gabe my friend! smile.gif Yeah, it's those little pieces that make it a level 9 lesson. How's your playing doing mate?



Excellent!! I've been practicing and learning more than ever! Finally moving into the metal stuff I never learned, like legato and 3 note per string runs/forms. Also, THANKS for the tip/critique on my "fast" vibrato on my live performance.... I changed that up, and my last EMULATOR show was the best ever! I keep improving small things, and the "big picture" at the same time, so I played the most solid, and confident show yet!

But my hand is changing. It's more "stiff" so I try to stretch and certainly warm up to avoid injury. It's just new for now, because I'm pushing harder and more consistent. But it's worth it, and I love it.

Posted by: maharzan Jun 19 2012, 04:18 AM

Hey Dinaga,

As mentioned earlier, I have been practicing mojo oro as well. Thanks for motivating this lazy one. I haven't tried this kind of harder lesson in ages. I wanted to post the progress but I couldn't get the backing to be slower so after having practiced quite a bit (almost a month now?), I thought I would give it a try today. Ben's tasks has been challenging lately so that helped a lot I guess. Since I promised to post it here, this is my take.



How is yours coming along?

Thanks,
Chandra

Posted by: Ben Higgins Jun 19 2012, 11:24 AM

QUOTE (maharzan @ Jun 19 2012, 04:18 AM) *
Hey Dinaga,

As mentioned earlier, I have been practicing mojo oro as well. Thanks for motivating this lazy one. I haven't tried this kind of harder lesson in ages. I wanted to post the progress but I couldn't get the backing to be slower so after having practiced quite a bit (almost a month now?), I thought I would give it a try today. Ben's tasks has been challenging lately so that helped a lot I guess. Since I promised to post it here, this is my take.



How is yours coming along?

Thanks,
Chandra


Awesome take ! That looks hard as hell smile.gif

Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Jun 19 2012, 11:26 AM

Oh man smile.gif Congrats! This piece has a lot of balcanic phrasing included, which is never easy laugh.gif

Posted by: maharzan Jun 19 2012, 01:46 PM

Thanks Ben and Cosmin. :-)

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