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Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Jul 26 2007, 03:29 PM

Ok, this is where you will find the completed GMC collaborations to date!

Collaboration leaders only, please post the final mix of the collaboration here along with an explanation of the initial brief and any other comments you want to make!


Edit by Maria:

Please make sure to specify the name of the collaboration and number of participants on the top of each new completed collab post. Thank you!

Edit by Kris:

Please include a direct link to the mp3 first, then the comments, finally a link to the original comment thread as well (so that people who want to see the member comments easily can find them).

Posted by: Wallimann Jul 31 2007, 03:27 AM

[attachment=1128:attachment]


Ionian (Nick325)
You stayed in the right key for the most part, but a few notes seem a little off... I like some of your ideas but I would try to organize them a little better. My advice would be to play the backing track without your guitar and sing a melody over it. It doden't have to be very complicated but if you do that next time you work on creating a lead you will come up with realy good melodic ideas. Great first collab though! Good job!


Dorian (Ezravdb)

I really like the way you constructed your lead. You started with a nice melodic arpeggio and slowly moved towards more technical licks. Overall your lead has a beggining, middle technical section, and closing. I would continue developing your technique by taking all the licks you played very slow to focus on a clean picking. Doing that will bring you to a much higher level fast. Great job!


Phrygian (Stratman58)

Good job on following the notes of the scale! You picked a mode that isn't very easy to play over, but you managed to capture the "colour" of that mode very well. My suggestion for next time would be to put the guitar down for a minute and just sing over the backing track.. Then reproduce what you sang on your guitar. I think you'll come up with very cool ideas that way. Good job!


Lydian (Andrew)

Excellent job on the lydian part. Your lead is very melodic and is well focused on the important augmented 4th from the Lydian mode...
Great job!


Mixolydian (Tank)

Very good construction of your lead. I think your strength is in expression, I hear a very pleasant and controled vibrato on the longer notes. The faster parts are cool too. I would work on the flahy parts. Break them down to smaller parts and practice and analyze all the movements and eliminate all unnecessary noises... Very good job!


Aeolian (Jeff)

Very nice melodic lead. I love your ideas and how you mixed nice melodies with interesting technical ideas like the sweep you did... I think you need mostly to work on improving your rythm. It's good, but you will gain a lot by working on sequences with metronome.. I am taking that advice for myself as well.. :-) Good job!


Locrian (MickeyM)

You did a really great job with the locrian! That mode is not very comfortable to play with because of all the tension it has.. But you did great! Only thing is that I would focus moire on resolvinbg all your ideas by going back and staying a little longer on the root of the scale. Good job!

Posted by: Wallimann Aug 22 2007, 05:38 AM

I finally finished going through your leads! I am very pleased with the result! You guys did a great job.
This second collab on GMC is particulary interesting as it brought players from many different levels together.

I hope the comments will be insightful to you. Keep in mind that as I am commenting your leads, I am humbled by all the hard work you did. These comments are meant to be encouraging to you and give you ideas as to how to plan your next practice session.

Concerning the final mix, don't expect something beautiful. My purpose was only to give all the oportunity to hear what everyone did and read the comments as you hear it.
Thanks again for your participation and I'm sure I'll see you soon on GMC!

A Lydian: MickeyM

Nice melodic touch! I really like the ideas you exposed in this one. The choice of notes is good. Here is one suggestion that came to mind when I listened to your lead. On the longer notes that you play, I think if you add some vibrato those notes will ring a lot more and take a whole new meaning. I'
m talking about hand vibrato, not whammy bar vibrato... Work on those lomg notes and I think you will gain a lot from that. Listen to Steve Vai's vibrato style. He's doing more of a circular movement on each notes. Excellent job though!

B Lydian: Exorcyze

I love the first arpeggio type idea you started your lead with. It accentuates really well the Lydian key. I think your lead is well constructed and seems that you planed ahead what you were going to play. That's good! One think that I would recommend to improve your leads is to work on your bends. They could be a little more in tune. It's a boring and fastiduous thing to work on, but it will do wonders for your leads. Just play a note anywhere on the neck, them go a whole step lower (2 frets) and bend that note until you reach the original starting note. Then do that with a half-step. Play a note and bend the note that is a half-step lower until you reach the original note. Practice that constistantly all over the neck. I'm sure you'll improve in no time. Good job!

C# Lydian: Muris

Muris, you really need to work on your leads. First of all your technique needs major improvement. What I would recommend is going back to the basics. Start by hitting the first fret on the first string until you get a nice clean sound. Once you hear a nice sound, do the same thing with the second fret on the first string. Your fingers might hurt at first, but after a while you will gain strength and your fingers won't hurt anymore... Don't get discouraged!
Haha! I'm sorry, couldn't resist to the temptation of joking. The truth is that your lead blew me away. Muris, you totally nailed this one. I absolutely love it and only have good things to say about what you did. Awesome melody, great technique. You're an inspiration to me. :-)

D# Lydian: SDMF75

SDMF, I enjoyed your melodic sense here. Simple melody but nicely done. I like the rythm repetition feel you gave to your lead. Repetition is always good. My suggestion for you in this type of lead would be to add some fluidity to your technique. I think working on some legato would be beneficial to you. When I listen to your lead, especially the beggining, I hear it in legato. It will give a smoother sound to your leads when playing melodic like you are on this one. Great job on the melody and respecting the notes of the scale!

F Lydian: Atomix1337

Nice technical lead! I like the way you constructed this one. You focused more on the technical part but it's well done and your different ideas link to each other pretty well. My recomendation to yuou would be to start smoothing all your technique. It's a step that all guitar players need to do at some point and I think you reached that point. From what I can hear you have a good technique, now take all that and start working on the small details and nuances. These things are not major, they are small details. But going through the process of eliminating those tiny things will make you a great player. Steve Vai is a good example of someone who spent time on these little details. John Pettrucci is another one.
There are some guitarists who would be so much better if they took the time to do that process. Kirk Hammet for example is a good player, but still has some tiny details to work on... I hope I'm not offending anyone with these examples, just want to make you understand what I mean. :-) You did a great job though, keep it up!

G Lydian: Chast

Chast, I'm so glad you participated in this collab! You did an excellent job following the scale and using it to create interesting melodic ideas. I'm not worried about your technique at all as the technical part of the instrument is something anyone can develop with time. But your sense of melody is what stroke me. Keep practicing and developing your technique without losing your sense of melody and you'll do very good on the instrument I'm sure! I think you should work a little more on being more precise in your rythm. Just work with a metronome on small rythm patterns. Concentrate on precision and you'll do great!

A Lydian: Ezravdb

Ezravdb, you did a great job! Very nice mix of melodic ideas and technical interesting stuff. My favourite part is the sweeped arpeggio. Great way to give your lead a new direction. The opening lick is slightly behind the time. Just needs a bit more precision I think. Nothing major and you should be able to fix that in no time. Just like for Atomix, I think thatif you focus on the little details such as rythm, remove all unwanted sounds, you'll become even more of a great guitarist. Keep it up, you're doing really good!

B Lydian: Alimo

Good job on using the important notes of that scale. Some ideas are cool, but I think you should vary a little bit your ideas.. Your lead is somewhat linear and could gain from more developement. It doesn't have to be more technical. Maybe explore some arpeggio ideas. A good way to do that is to play the Lydian scale skipping a note each time. In other words you would play the 1st note, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and so forth of the scale. That will help you I think to hear the mode differently and will help you expand your ideas. Good job!

C# Lydian: Leadbreak

I love the melody you developped here. The opening of your lead is refreshing with that little repetitive motif. It brings the listener in right away... I also love the fact that you didn't use much technical stuff and kept the little shred stuff at the very end. You developed a nice melody and then later on gave it a little boost at the end. My advice to you would be to work a bit more on rythm placement. Nothing major, but fixing your precision will definitally make a big difference, from very good to excellent. :-) Great job!

D# Lydian: Nick325

You have some very interesting melodic ideas. I love the one you started to develop on the 5th bar. By listening to what you did I feel that you have a lot of things to say on the instruments, lots of ideas. My advice will be on a technical aspect, since you are already on the good track musically. I think that you should work on vibratos and details on how to "dress" a note. There are several ways to dress a note. There are many actually and there are many to be discovered I think. Bends, tril;ls, vibrato are the most comon. These are the techniques that I would focus on along with rythm placement.

F Lydian: Andrew

Very cool melodic rock lead! I really like what you developped there. Just as for Leadbreak, you focused on creating an interesting melody first and then went into the technical stuff. My advice will be technical. Your technique is already very good and solid, but needs little clean ups. The sweep part (is that sweep you did?) is a little "confusing" to the ear but can be easily fixed buy working slowly and retraining your fingures to play it without the unwanted sounds.Same for the last part of the alternate picking lick. But oince again, these are minor tweaks. The final impression I had when listening was "wow, this guy knows what he's doing!". :-)

G Lydian: Owen

Owen, I think you have a very cool rythm thing going on. It's not fast, neither flashy, but if considering the rythm alone, I think it works great here. A few things to fix, the first couple bars are out of the key... I'm not sure what key it is though.. But then you picked up the right notes and right away it started to sound better. :-) My advice would be to work on the same backing track (you can pick a different key if you want) and try to create small musical sentences with just a few notes based on the Lydian mode. Then try to find the notes that work well bended and bend one note of the scale making sure that it's in pitch with the next note of the scale. It's a good begining though! Keep it up!

Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Aug 27 2007, 08:45 AM

After a delay I have finally mixed this - and let me say, everyone has made an excellent contribution, the end result speaks for itself !

I wasn't entirely truthful when I told you what was going on on this backing track - in fact it wasn't just me at the Frank Lapola band rehearsal, our very own MickeM was going through JFK on business, and was able to make the rehearsal too - he recorded his lead live along with the band - thats him tuning up at the beginning

As is customary I will give you all my feedback on your efforts, feel free to argue or ignore. To make it a little different I'll also give you all mixing notes and my observations on your tone and recording technique so we can all learn something extra.

So, the brief was a pentatonic rock solo - but we were free and easy about that.

So, kicking us off was:

MickeM

Very competent solo - nothing too flashy, but some great articulation tone and vibrato, it was well worth dusting off the Les Paul. Bang on in terms of the brief, a powerful well but together solo, played well within your abilities.

Tone was excellent - did you mic up an amp for this? To mix this I just threw it in, no eq or other adjustments necessary. The tone cuts very well through the mix and didn't need any help, apart from a little reverb to widen it a little and sit it in the mix better.


Auden

A very different style of solo here. Definate shred elements going on, the speed picking runs fit well, and I particularly liked the wailing bends - outside the pentatonic but extremely effective. The last 4 bars seemed to be a little off the scale, and the ending note definately was, making the ending a little weak, but overall an great effort.

Your tone had a little high end fizz to it - I cut that out with a steep high ciut filter above 3khz, which tidied it up nicely and brought out more of the character of the guitar. Finally I added some reverb.

You seem to have a lot of hum on your setup which I couldn't filter out - not sure why that is but its definately worth fixing that if you want to do more recording.

Owen

A very solid pentatonic solo, all notes on scale with the exception of the last note. Like MickeM you did a good job of playing within your abilities which I prefer to see over someone pushing the limits and sounding strained (we've all done it - me included!)

Your guitar seems to have a heavy chorus effect on it or similar. This has the effect of making it sound like the tuning is drifting in and out. I know it isn't your pitching but it still sounds like you aren't hitting the notes right. I would suggest for future lead you dispense with this (its fine for work though).

Youe solo need some fairly mild EQ to make it sit in the mix and to tame the pitch shift a little. I added a 4.5db boost at 400hz to give it a little more body, 6db cuts centered around 1400 and 7000 to tame some of the pitch shifting, and take some of the top end off, since it allready was cutting through well. Finally a little reverb helped sit it into the mix.

Exorcyze

Another great performance, a nice rythmic pentatonic riff that really grooved along with the backing. A couple of triplet passages really added to the variety - well played , with a nice harmonic at the end

Your tone was extremely fizzy and didn't sit well in the mix until I drastically cut the high end above 4500hz. When I did this I discovered a pretty pleasant tone. After the cut it sounded a little lacking in brightness, but it was better than the fizzing. Some reverb added as well.

Jeff

An extremely good performance Jeff - a very classic rock/blues kind of vibe to your solo. Well played, extremely expressive, with an interesting climax, excellent job!

Your tone as I have noticed before is really excellent - I am guessing you miked up an amp to get this - if it is effects I want to know what they are! The only slight criticism I have is that assuming you did mig up an amp, there is a lot of the room coming through which makes it a little harder to mix. In this case, not a problem but something to bear in mind. I made some very minor tweaks to tame a little of the rooms boxiness, but barely touched it, and added a little reverb.

And finally Muris ...

Muris

I'm glad to see that you took Daves advice from the last collaboration and went back to basics. Its clear to see that you have made a lot of progress playing individual notes, you now need to concentrate on stringing them together to make a coherent solo, rather than playing random notes. I suggest you learn the minor pentatonic scale as a first step, starting woth the first box, and using a metronome to help you with your timing at about 30bpm.

Who am I kidding ? Muris aced it again That was amazing man - quirky, expressive, perfectly timed, technically impressive, about as far from Pentatonic rock as you can get, yet every note was bang on and perfect.

I wish I could give you some advice with your tone, but annoyingly, your tone was perfect too. Undefinable, it sounds almost like a synth in part because the playing is so amazingly clean. In addition, the delay you have on there sufficiently widened the sound so no reverb was necessary, avoiding addition of muddiness.

Not only can you play, you can also record too

Thats it, I hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I did

Regards,

Andrew

Posted by: muris Sep 8 2007, 07:41 PM

Andrew Cockburn

First thing I noticed here is awesome vibrato!!
Tone fits great as well,a bit overdriven and still smells like sort of clean.
Great phrasing around minor pentatonic which is more than enough to get smooth blues feel.
Thumbs up Andrew!!

Leedbreak

What we have here...really interesting playing over blues track.
Still,music has no boundaries and Jason did it in his own way!
My only advice is to listen to blues a bit more,
just to get right impression from it.
Add few bends,do more about pentatonic and you'll have it for sure!!
Well done and I'm glad you did it Jason!!


Slammer

This was almost a surprise for me!!
I said almost cause I knew Slammer prefers blues a lot.
Total hit,phrasing,coolness,feel,tone!
Correct me if I'm wrong but Slam nailed this.


MickeM

First pattern with thrill is way too great!
Smart playing indeed plus pointing at Cmin when C 7 is in backing track.
That Eb note gives a totally new dimension to whole track!!
Good job MickeM!


JVM

Yeah,you REALLY had troubles with recording gear...
But you still played it as a real blueser!!!
What I like here the most is pure comfort,no rush at all...
I see and old man with cigar and Gibson in his hands.
You got me here JVM!


Nick325

This is a wild rhythmic ride here!
Some very cool lick inside with lovely staccato notes!
I would just add more measure and playing on beat,
rest of it is fully cool and bluesy.
Good one Nick


SDMF

Awesome tone and feel,phrasing is on the spot.
Maybe a bit of lacking in groove,that's all I was able to find here.
Well done SDMF!!


Shredmandan

No TV this time.
Dan,you got this one way too great,
I have no idea why you keep saying that you're into metal that much!!
Great tone,moving,chops...
Bluesmandan!

Posted by: Kristofer Dahl Nov 13 2007, 05:16 AM

"You Ready?" http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=2063 led by Marcus Lavendell.

Original topic http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=6292.


"You Ready?" http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/you-ready-song-collaboration.htm led by Kristofer Dahl

Original topic http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=7553.

Posted by: leedbreak Nov 13 2007, 08:39 AM

Since I did not have quite enough for a complete song, here is what I did. I used my solos from the song posted in the members’ only page to fill in some areas. This might have made it a tad long but it needed some bridges. I do thank everyone for your efforts and want to hear your comments as well.



(AudunESP - 0:07 – 0:27) Not a bad intro at all, brings us right into the song. Bends just needed a little more to get them more in tune. I used the end of your solo twice. You did a great job.

(leedbreak 0:28 – 0:48)

(Jeff - 0:48. – 1:47) Your solo was just fun. It worked on top of 3 different rhythms. It had a great feel and really fit into the song in every way it could. Very ironic how you played as if you wanted 3 different backings, so I gave them to you. Great job

(Andrew – 1:50 – 2.48) You have already been accused of have a unique sound so we all know that. But you did a wonderful job using your sound and your feel. I enjoyed yours very much with it’s comfortably numb sound. Might have needed a tad more notes. Excellent work!

(Chast 2.48 – 3:07) Sounds a tad off key but in a way the gives it lots of character and style. I would have liked to hear more from your style. Nice work

(Exorcyze –3:07 - 4:04 ) This one stood out most to me. A whole song in itself. The notes take the listener on a short journey. Also taking the feel to different moods several times. Very Nice Exorcyze.

(Hemloc – 4:04 – 5.02 ) Great sound and I really liked the effects. Might should have held out a little on the quiet spots. But as I listen again it is suspenseful as to what may come next. That in itself makes for a very nice solo.

Leedbreak – (5:02 – end)


GMC Collaboration Entitled "About time"

Thanks everyone [attachment=1826:attachment]

Posted by: Smells Nov 26 2007, 07:58 PM

GMC METAL COLLABORATION

Well, this has been great fun really enjoyed putting this together, so to everyone, a great big thanks for taking part.

Ok, first off a huge excellent bloomin great big NICE ONE M8! (anyone tell I`m from Kent?? ) goes to Alex for providing us with an fantastic backing track to jam over, kinda from there I`ve hijacked the whole project sorry m8!

I had quite a few ideas for this one, a few unfortunatly just didnt really work so I ditched them and ended up with this, I added a few bits just to break it up from a huge long solo Hope this is all ok for everyone.

I see from previous collabs that it is the norm to make comments on everyones performances, I will of course do that individually on each solo but first off want to say that it was really interesting hearing everyones different takes on one backing, so many different ideas, was great and of course, I think that everyone that took part played to the best of their abilities (with the exception of Muris of course only joking m8 )

(I will add also that I`ll not comment on individuals tone/recorded sound, tone is a personal thing and what one may like others may not etc and the recordings on all of them was pretty good so no grumbles there )

ok here goes:

Leedbreak (21sec - 49sec)

Liked your idea for this m8, especially liked the little fiddly bit right in the middle, fitted really nice with the backing, the last part sounded a little rushed imo and I think you should "relax" a little more, to me your playing sounds a little tense and lacks a bit of expression, but I think you spent some time working out a set solo for this and for that I admire you, nice one!

Smells (57sec - 1m25sec)

I could make a huge long list to critisise myself on this , I`ll let you lot decide
(Fluffed a tapped note in the tapping part )

Alex Lewis (1m33sec - 2m02sec)

Really liked this alot m8! loved the twin part at the end, it was your backing in the first place so it was bound to fit in nice my only comment was the timing at the start of the solo was a little out, other that that, real nice m8

Muris (2m03sec - 2m36sec)

Well .... where to begin???? apart from starting in a different place to everyone else (let you off ) I think we can safely say that this was pretty much gob smacking stuff!! It put a smile on my face from ear to ear and still does everytime I listen to it Thank you m8 for taking part, you are truly an awesome (and for me a very inspiring) guitarist.

KRmachine (2m44secs - 3min12sec)

Sorry m8, someone had to come after Muris, it wasnt planned I just did them as they where posted
Honestly tho m8, I thought this was probably the most melodic out of the lot Speed aint everything, I think what you did here was really nice, the little sweeps at the end where a nice finishing touch, very nice, just more practice m8 and your there, well done!

Vision (3min20sec - 3min - 48sec)

Very nice indeed m8, you`ve got great technique and nice expression on the notes, my only comment for you would be the commitment at the start of each part, its almost as if you build yourself up to play the licks before you break right into them, when you do tho m8, man they sound nice I hope that made sense nice job tho m8, very good indeed!

Owen (3min55sec - 4min23sec)

Ok, finally Owen nice start into your solo m8, from there it seemed you got a little lost bringing it back in from time to time tho, I think you had an idea where you wanted to go with it but didn t seem to quite make it work for you, I dont know how long you`ve been playing but soloing comes from jamming with others and working in things you`ve learned and picked up, keep practising m8, you`ll get there


ok, so thats it, its all over

Hopefully I havent offended anyone, just tried to be constuctive to the way my ears heard it
Again I want to thank everyone for their efforts, I`ve really enjoyed doing this a lot, thank you

Enjoy, all the best & keep rockin!!
Chris

GMC METAL COLLABORATION

 Metal_Collab_Final.mp3 ( 4.57MB ) : 971

Posted by: Wallimann Dec 1 2007, 03:46 PM

It's now time to give you my thoughts on your takes. First of all I'd like to thank all of you for your participation. Many people signed up and the results were beyond my expectations! I love the fact that you all put in your recordings your own originality.
Each ones of the following leads are different and all are interesting. I think we can all learn from each other in here, so sit back, listen to the finished version and read the following comments.
I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did! Excellent job everyone!


Andrew Cockburn
Andrew, I love how you made your lead breathe. The melodic feel to it makes the whole lead very smooth to the ear and build up very nicely, saving the mopre technical stuff to the end. You gave us a great lesson in building a lead, exposing the mood first and adding an interesting technical touch at the end.

Muris
Muris, your lead is extremely touching! Your sense of melodic ideas is superb here and is very inspiring! I love the nuances you are putting in your leads, your left hand vibrato is what makes this sound so great! All your licks are very useable in many contexts and it's wonderful to be able to use your ideas in our own improvs. Great job!

coffeeman
Coffeeman, I love the rythm aspect of your lead. It's very well played and your melodic ideas are nicely built. It has some kind of melancolic, nonchalent mood that works extremely well here! You did great!

Alex Lewis
Alex, I was surprised by the quality of your take. The choice of sound works really well here. I particularaly love the way tyou started this one. Your entry to the lead makes your take so good! I think we can all learn that from your lead, the first few notes are so important in a lead, these are usually the notes that the listener will remember once the solo is over. Very nicely done!

Jean-Mi
Very nicely done on this! I like the use of double stops you used in the first section. The second part is great, I absolutely love your first lick when you switch to distortion. It totally sets the mood for something great. You put a lot of feeling in that second part, very well done my friend. :-)

Leadbreak
Leadbreack, I really like the use of effects here. Very interesting ideas here. You are not playing a very conventional lead as it's more built on effects and rythm tricks, but it works extremely well! Your different touch is inspiring and I'm sure you will give us a lot of cool ideas to develop. Good job!

JVM
JVM, your lead breathes and that's great! Your development is great and I love your melodic ideas. They sound somewhat different thamn what the others sound like, but in a good way! It seems to me that you focused more on the melodies exposed, I like that! Very nice second part too, still melodic but the bends you use give your lead a feel that works very well. Keep it up!

Smells
Smells, your technique is getting better and better! I love the articulations of some of your licks. You have a nice rythm feel that suits your style very well. I also want to congratulate you on the precision of your bends in the second part. Your pitch is very good, excellent take!

Exorcyze
Exorcyze, your use and development on the pentatonic scales is very well thought. I like the use of sequences mixed with more melodic ideas. I really enjoy the very last part of your lead, very interesting to me. One bend is a little flat on the second part, but maybe that was something you wanted to doi on purpose? Great job though, I enjoyed your lead a lot!

Chast
Chast, you are improving so much! Your effort are really paying off. I liked your trill idea at the end of the first part. Very good! A few bends are a little out of place, but overall your lead is well constructed. You are really doing a great job and once again, I can hear that you are improving a lot! Keep it up my friend!

Slammer
Slammer, the licks you used are very bluesy and technical at the same time. You did a good job using the important notes of the pentatonic. One little thiong that I can think of would be to add more silences between your ideas, that way each time you play, your licks will sound even more powerful to the ears of the listener. Great job though! Keep up the great work!

VisiOn
VisiOn, I am highly impressed by your bends. They are very expressive and superbly in tune! Your melodic sense is evident and well exposed here. Your lead is a nice lesson for all of us, everything is there. Technique, feeling, precision, very well done!

Eddiecat
Eddiecat, some of your ideas totally stick out! Some of the lick you are playing are totally new to me and I get excited hearing them! I love the fact that you developped some of the ideas exposed. In other words, you didn't just play a lick and leave it as is, you repeated it and developped it. I'm thinking about the first lick of the second part for example. Your lead is worth studying! Great job!

Bodo
Bodo, you did a fantastic job and your lead is totally in the mood here. Your bluesy licks are inspiring to me. You are full of feeling and have a good capacity to blend melodic ideas with bluesy licks. When I listen to your lead, it seams that you have a gift of taking licks that have been heard a thousand times and making them sound new. Excellent!

Tjchep
Tjchep, I am impressed! The way you "dig" into every notes is impressive! Your left hand vibrato is remarquable and is worth studying. Your vibrato has a Malmsteen feel to it. You did an amazing job on this track!

Posted by: Muris Jan 12 2008, 02:22 PM

Ouch,this took lot more than I expected but anyhow,
here it is,lots of great takes and playing!!


Must say that colorful of this piece actually shows how many ranges we have here,
despite of "main" shred occupation worldwide here are some cool and chill takes,
and that really makes me proud,being both instructor and part of GMC community!!

So here we go


http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=2974


Owen:
High Gain approach,which I didn't expect from our Owen,must say!
Perhaps use of more bending will expand your vocabulary,
steady playing generally,good job Owen!!


Visi0n:
Great start,missing first beat,very smooth!!
Well coordinated neo-classical style
with lots of cool licks,shredding etc,
thumbs up!!


Exorcyze:
First of all,thanks for putting riff guitars here,it gives totally new sound to collab!
Nice and mellow melody,heavy and mainstream at the same time.
Think I heard few odd power chords in last section
which isn't of great matter at all,
great take!!


Hemlok:
Very strange and cool atmosphere here,
lots of great bends,funny and awesome!!
Totally individual and unique way of phrasing,
Hemlok,you've passed highly rated!


Smells:
Rocking take,I didn't expect nothing less here!!
Fine technique and phrasing,
nice tap at the last few bars,well done mate!!


Tony:
What to say here...
Sorry for the bad recording quality,as you said,
current equipment you had at the moment wasn't the greatest
but still you came up with something that brakes our borders here.
Simply said...Tony


Robin:
Blues-rock grooving !!
Great tone tho,power playing Robin,
+ A from me!!


Juan M. Valero:
No need to talk too much,
my fellow instructor nailed it perfectly,
love it Juan!!


Bodo:
Great slides at the starts,
lots of major picking,legato,
melting pot of cool licks,
bravo majstore!!


Eddiecat:
Looks like Mixolydian lessons have made fine impact of you Eddie,
phrasing here is way too great!!!
Glad you joined collab,this is best example of
how great GMC is,
cause Eddie will say "I'm a beginner".
Way to go,top notch!!


JVM:
Nice moves in 6th intervals AND GREAT tremolo part,
you really made me laugh with it,
how cool that was!!!
Thanks for your efforts JVM,fine Job!


Kristofer Dahl:
Seems like you enjoyed this baking a lot Kris!
Great use of #4,master piece technique wise,
phrasing on high level,
founder of GMC,Kristofer Dahl!!


Slammer:
It's time for another unexpected high-gain take,
this time it's our mate Slammer.
Bunch of cool rhythmic part playing in 3ths and 4ths,
some shredding as well,
great take from a bluesman!!


Leedbreak:
Ode to Metal!!
Jason put a simple riffing stuff at the beginning,
blasting whole backing track!!
And then powerful double bends and riffing,
absolutely well planed!!


David C. Bond:
David shows us great way of using "interventions"
between main chops,whammy tricks,tapping,great idea!
Plus he follows bass guitar in some sections,
adds few sweeps,well done David!!


Illuha:
Great main pattern here,groovy and well balanced.
Also cool shift from Minor to Phrygian Dominant world.
Good take Illuha!!


Coffeeman:
This is take with no rush.
And that "few secs pause" really got me unready,cool idea man!!
Nice tone btw,good one.
Shredding is not the point here,
and I liked it a lot,must say!


Andrew Cockburn:
Andrew combines nice jamming and nasty whammy tricks,
looks like my fellow instructor really enjoy his Jem.
Cool tone tho,not sure if that's auto-wah or some sort of phaser
but it fits to your playing so great Andrew,top score!!


Fretdancer69:
Another "wahy" tone,nice pentatonic run!!
Maybe a bit out of key in last section but no big deal,
appreciated efforts,thumbs up!!


Botoxfox:
Cool phrasing,bends,taps,mix of many things in small time period indeed.
Great tone too,nice pick for this kind of playing,
lots of drive but clean and easy to follow!!
Good take,glad you've participated!!


Once more thanks to everybody,
this was a great experience for me and hope for you as well!


Muris




http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=2974

Posted by: Wallimann Jan 23 2008, 05:08 PM

A few weeks ago, I invited ten of you to participate in a modulation improvisation session. Here is the result!
I am very pleased with all the takes, they are all very different and unique, but all contain something wonderful. You guys rock, thanks so much for your participation and keep up the excellent work!

Here is the final mix, listen to it and read the comments. Enjoy!

 Modulation_finished.mp3 ( 12.09MB ) : 717



Andrew
Great job and awesome tone man! Your amp sounds fantastic! Your ideas were melodic and worked very well on the track. I really like how you started each new key, very well done! One suggestion to work on would be maybe to try to start an idea in one key and finish it in the other. Keep up the excellent work!

Bodo
You really set up a unique mood in this one. Crazy shred there man. I really love the different ideas exposed. I would recommend working a bit on rythm placement, but that's just to be very picky. Overall you did a fantastic job. I particulary like what you did on the 3rd key. it gives your lead a second breath. Very good!

Coffeeman
Man, you are getting better and better through these collabs. You did a great job following all the chabges and developed some very cool improvisation ideas. I love what you did between the 3rd and 4th key, starting an idea in obne key and continuing it in the next one. You totally got the idea! Awesome job!

Ezravdb
Very bluesy take there my friend. At first I was a little thrown off with the major 3rd you used on the opening key, but then got used to it and like it a lot. I love how you built your lead from soft to high gain. One of my favourite parts is on the 3rd key change. At the end you started a very very cool rythm motif well worth exploring. Great job!

FatbOt
Very good job here, great demonstration of good technique and musicianship. I really appreciate your bends, you have something unique when you play them that is very interesting. I can't quite put my hand on it (or my eas for the matter), but whatever it is you're doing, keep doing it! Your sequence playing over pentatonics is very interesting too, keep it up!

Leadbreak
Brother, you have something exceptionally unique. I knew this was you playing without having to read your name. I love your rythm repetition motis. You have a great sense of lead building that will set you apart as a guitar player. Keep up the excellent work!

Muris
Muris, your lead is a whole lesson on itself! I don't understand how you do it... But I love it! Were no picks involved here? This is excellent on a technical point of view and very interesting harmonically. Next time you do something like that, please give us tabs!

PlayAllDay
PlayAllDay, your lead is really good! The choice of notes and rythm section is very pleasing to the ear. There's something very satisfying to me when I hear your take. I like how you went from one key to the other without giving the listener a feel of confusion. Keep up the great work!


Sb81
Your lead was remarkable in the way you followed the instructions. Your choice of notes followed the tack very well and that's what I wanted! You have proven here that you understand all the concepts and I applaud you. Keep working hard, you're doing great!

Smells
What a great lead you have here Smells. I love your how you built everything. Great tne, great chops and great creativity. You have a very intersting smart shred style that I love. Great work!

Posted by: Pavel Jan 23 2008, 07:38 PM

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=10915



Main players:

1. preownedguitar
2. Juan M. Valero
3. Andrew Cockburn
4. David Wallimann
5. botoxfox
6. Iluha
7. coffeeman
8. nikolai
9. fatb0t



Surprise-Guest Appearances:


10. Muris
11. Ivan Milenkovic



Comments


1. preownedguitar
Yours was the first solo uploaded and i really liked your sound - actually TYPE of sound. I like the spacey distortion lead with some delay/reverb on it - it hits the collab mood very well. However, i would suggest you try adding some "meat" to your sound - make it a bit thicker, try adding some more middle and bass frequencies. The first part of the solo was good, but in the second part i could feel a bit of a: "I'm not sure what to do here!" feeling. The last note hits the solo perfectly i really liked that ending smile.gif Good job!

2. Juan M. Valero
Love the screaming sound of your guitar man! You got some really cool ideas and i can feel a lot of Steve Vai influence in your tapping licks smile.gif There are some missing notes in that alternate picking part wink.gif and you can also try playing those AP licks with neck pickup - it really makes them sound smoother and more "in the spot". Thanks for taking part m8 - loved it all in all! smile.gif

3. Andrew Cockburn
I can hear a lot of practicing in your playing! Really clean playing man. However, you sound like you are afraid to go around the fretboard - relax man! It's like driving your first car - you just hit the gas and you don't care where you go - you just enjoy driving - same goes here smile.gif

Ok, now about those sweeps - i listened a lot to your solo and noticed that you use a lot of repeating notes. You play it really clean and you're on a good way with sweeping but if you play sweeps at that speed you want to avoid repeating notes and i included the GP5 file with your sweeping part and 2 possible variations you can try just to see that you have a choice smile.gif

Attached File For_Andrew.gp5 ( 2.32K ) Number of downloads: 7


And those repeating notes are not only in your sweeps but also regular AP phrases - it sounds all fine until you hit a repeating note for no reason - it destroys the phrase and is like: "Should i stop or continue driving?" and sounds really unsure so try avoiding those repeating notes unless they are REALLY needed for the rhythm - but the way you play them here they don't sound rhythmically important.

Thanks for your solo! smile.gif

4. David Wallimann
David totally blew me away with this solo! The harmony part is amazing! I keep listening to it again and again smile.gif Thanks for your contribution smile.gif

5. botoxfox
You hit the first bend straight away and overdid it a bit wink.gif Also you missed 1 note from the scale in the first descending part in your solo but it's no big deal - the main thing is to make sure you know all the scale boxes and it will not happen to you again wink.gif The rest after that is all cool! I like your sound in this solo.
Practice a bit more of tapping and correct bending pitch and you'll be on a good way my friend smile.gif

6. Iluha
By the start of the solo i was expecting something really cool and screamy but you stayed at the same part of the neck for too long and did not develop your idea. Also instead of repeating the beginning of the solo later in the solo you could replace it with some cool AP run and develop it into a much better and cooler solo. These are just suggestions - don't kill me for that biggrin.gif biggrin.gif I appreciate your contribution man smile.gif

7. coffeeman
You got a cool sound there but your only problem is your timing - you lose the track of timing pretty often so i suggest you practice soloing with metronome. The tapping mistakes are also due to the timing instability smile.gif You'll get it with a bit of metronome practice every day smile.gif Nice solo overall - the idea of it is great, you only need to fix your timing and you're on the road to good soloing smile.gif

8. nikolai
I added a bit of reverb to your sound so it sounds more "in the feel" with the backing track and the whole piece. I have to say you have a correct approach to the construction of the solo but you lack some "performance" - i mean you need to make your ideas sound more confident, if it's a long note than hit it with some vibrato and it will sound really like: "Hey, i'm standing here and i know what i'm doing!" - than you'll really grow in your soloing. I would also suggest you working on your sound a bit - you got too much treble and not enough "meat". Middle and bass are also important parts of the sound so experiment with it a bit smile.gif
I encourage you to take part in our future collabs - don't be afraid - you're on a good way smile.gif

9. fatb0t
I also added a bit of reverb to your solo - sounds a lot better IMO. You got some decent bends - they are pretty precise (the first one in the end is out of pitch but immediately after it you hit a perfect bend so i guess it was accidently). But you do need to work on your AP so when you are playing a phrase or a run you're sure that THOSE are the notes you need to play and not some unsure dribbling 'cause it sounds like: "Ouch, uff, ouch this hurts...ouch, uff, oh..." like you're walking on the broken glass biggrin.gif

Good job all-in-all! smile.gif Thanks for jumping in and helping us out with the number of playing members smile.gif

10. Muris
Do i need to comment this? wink.gif Listening to a solo like this you can easily say that you're listening to a really experienced player smile.gif The melodies in the second part of the solo are particularly good - amazing! And i must say that your start in the middle of the bar gave me some troubles aligning it with the backing track biggrin.gif biggrin.gif But than i decided that i will align it easier if i use the last bar of the solo for that biggrin.gif biggrin.gif biggrin.gif

11. Ivan Milenkovic
Thanks for gust-appearance man! Some cool licks in there and i am sure GMC-ers will benefit from listening to instructor's solos smile.gif I got nothing to say there - thanks smile.gif


Final word:

This turned out better than i expected and all of you perfectly matched the style of solo i expected for this backing track. Some people need to improve some of their skills, and i am glad we have something to improve on because otherwise we wouldn't need GMC smile.gif Read the comments and feel free to ask questions.

Special thanks to newcomers who stepped out and tried their skills in this collab! smile.gif

Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Jan 23 2008, 11:27 PM

NEW BLUES COLLAB:

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=10771&st=0



Well, after a while of listening to this final mix I must say that diversity is a funny thing
with humans, it really is.. So many different styles here, and a lot of good sounding melodies in
general very very good! I must apologize ti you all because the disposition of the solos has
changed in the process of transferring them in Nuendo, so the solos are not in the order you've
posted them in the final mix.

I will be not too harsh when commenting this collab because there is too much players, but will
focus on the main things, and maybe mention sometimes if I hear something that I dislike too
much. Please guys, bare in mind that all this comments represent my subjective opinion and I
would like to hear yours too, so we can all see how we passed from different points of views. I'm
sure there are different opinions here at least as much as there is different styles! So lets
begin:


1. bodo
nice man, some heavy blues licks, packed in a logical sense solo, nice start, little run on the
fifth chord and then some nice repetitive movements on the end. I would suggest that you find
some better distortion settings, this sounds too harsh. So playing is I repeat good, but I would
recommend better sounding drive. Must practice a bit with your presets and maybe turn down drive
pot a bit. Other than that its great!

2. Alex Lewis
OK Alex, here we have some nice pentatonic licks and bendings, little repetitive, but very very
nice. The color of distortion is nice too, not too harsh, and pleasing to hear.All in all nice
solo, some interesting lick going on there. Nice sound, notes are clear, it need some refinement
but all in all good.

3. Fran
Nice man, interesting use of wah pedal in the blues, and nice soloing. I would recommend using
effects in modern blues, and if it had some more reverb it would definitely remind me of Ed
Stalmann! Again I must comment about the distortion - I really didn't like it. But that is a
small problem, it is just a matter of going to different preset or turning down the drive pot so
it doesn't sounds too muddy.

4. HKM67
Some nice licks going on there man, very hard rock sounding blues, some nice sharp bending licks.
The drive is little too much if you ask me, but that all relative. I would like it even more if
you started from that clean setting right away, not in the middle of the solo, and then evolve to
something with more hi gain towards the end. But nice dynamic showdown.

5. Muris
Some interesting and original sounding licks there Muris, I'm trying to figure out what it is but
I really can't do it. My guess it is a whammy bar or something. Well, whatever it is it adds the
flavor! Solo is great, as always, drive is little synthetic but very smooth and pleasing to ear,
and nice stereo delay touch. Keeping a standard as always.

6. JWBauer
And some low drive settings at last. Like it man. The sound is good and pleasing, no harsness at
all, very gentle bassy clean sound. Some nice phrasing licks there, nice use of a blues scale,
and little clumsy in the end but all in all great effort, and a nice bluesy solo.

7. fatb0t
Nice stuff man, you did this in a nice heavy blues style, with lots of distortion. Thats good.
The drive setting isn't too good though, very harsh sounding. I liked those repetitive licks,
they really tell me that you got into the blues feeling for a moment there.

8. smells
Nice, nice, good. Those are the words for this one m8! Drive setting is great, very smooth, and
some delay too adds to the space, solo is great, really like the blues lick at start with hammer
on, and all in all good. In the end a little tiny bit carried away, but thats a blues feeling, I
think you just got into the groove.

9. JVM
Nice clean style JVM. good phrasing and nice warm and gentle blues solo. I like it. It is what
the blues is all about, simplicity and feeling.

10. Twidbeard
Nice effort man, good sounding blues, raw simple solos and some crunch settings makes this solo
very good in my book. Work on those interval using. Very good use, but execution little on the
clumsy side. Other than that great.

11. TJchep
Interesting, very beefed up sound, and a solo as well. Some nice licks there and a little run in
the end makes this solo very good. I would really turn down reverb a bit, because it sounds
little muddy. Solo is good, little heavy, but climbing to the end, and a a little clumsy finish.
All in all a nice distorted solo.

12. Crazyfret
Nice sound, very strat like, some clapton licks here, and nice interval using. Again simple and
gentle, you really thinked about what you played and I respect that. Although the solo has some
standard licks, it is good from beginning to the end and that is great.

13. Iluha
Interesting effect there Iluha, some nice space echo delay use in the blues. First time to hear
that actually and it sounds good. I think it is good because it is simple and the sound is good
too. nice idea.

14. Preownedguitar
What do we have here, some old school heavy blues licks, nice and solid sound, not too distorted,
just on the edge really. Solo is good, work a little on those bends and you'll be fine, the solo
has a decent structure.

15. muntahunta
Nice and smooth melody, no too many runs, but for that intervals I recommend some other drive
preset. This one is too harsh for any solo, and particularly for the blues. Off course this type
of solo can be played in the blues and it sounds great, but the drive isn't a good quality one.
My guess is if you played this one with some low or medium drive settings it would sounded much
better.

16. machogriz
Nice, little out of tune on the guitar, but the solo is good, good color, but wooow, whats that
in the middle, some glued on boost that doesn't sound too good if you ask me man.. You must turn
that volume a bit, and equalize it with the beginning. It sounds TOO harsh like this. Other than
that nice effort.

17. robin
some nice slide "crossroads" licks i hear here. Here we have a first slide use, and a good one
man, but I would think it would be MUCH MUCH better if you turned down the drive pot a bit. It
sounds too muddy and dark like this.

18. Pavel
Nice Pavel, execution is great, and some original licks, but not too bluesy as you said. The use
of the major scale is great, but some blue notes would sounded great here. You got the chops,
you're just not into blues that much thats all. All in all great sounding.

19. Andrew Cockburn
Well, well, well, some nice vibrato I hear! Among the best thats for sure. The color is great
too, very warm and spacey, not too muddy on the reverb side, and good sounding solo. Great effort and very bluesy sounding.

20. Scoob
Now this one I like man. I really like that raw sound in the blues, and I think you nailed the
preset. Solo is great too, very old school sounding, raw but gentle, with feeling but simple.
Great.

21. USAMAN
Nice wah use and a good color after the wah. Solo is great too, I rally like the way you used
your wah. Nice effort on wah note accenting, and simple blues solo. You kept it that way all the
way and it sounds great.

- My Solo (Ivan Milenkovic)
Well, here's mu modest effort to the collab so you can comment if you want. I used my fingers for
a change on this one.




Milenkovic Ivan, Over and Out

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jan 27 2008, 04:03 PM

Final mix & comments

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=3937 http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=3937 ( 4.62MB ) Number of downloads: 82


Hello guys!! I'm very proud to present our first collaboration finished! I'm very impressed of the final mix. Congrats to all the guitar players that participated in this song. As one of the participants couldn't record his solo I recorded the last chorus solo of the song.

I work hard in the mix to get a professional song. I tried to make the guitars sound similar but without losing the original sound of each player.

Congrats again to all of you and I hope that all the GMCers enjoy this song!

Lead players in order of appearance: The Uncreator, Smells, Tjchep, Freatdancer, Slammer, Preowned, Gilmore and Gabriel Leopardi (me ).

Here I'll do some comments and appreciations of the participants in this song:



Uncreator:

You began the song in an excellent way. I really enjoy how you started with that interesting tapping solo, then some pentatonic bends and finally a short melody. You worked it very good! The final harmony is also very good.

I liked the sound too so keep on the great job.



Smells:

You melody and harmony is awesome. I have to say that it remembers to Metallica and this is so good for me. The solo has been played with a perfect timing and technique.

The only thing that I think you should work is the sound. Ï think that if try to get a warmer sound you'll record killer solos. One recording tip: When you do the mixdown try to set the guitar channel with a louder volume because I receive a very low gain wav.

But all those thins are technical thing that can be solved very easily. You have composed and excellent melody and solo. Good work!

Tjchep:

I find your playing and melodies very original and that's very good. I really enjoyed the sustain of your distortion and the sound of your guitar. Originally you had to record a solo over the chorus but you record it over a verse but that wasn't a problem for me. As one of the participants couldn't record his part I used you solo there and I recorded the last chorus solo. Your playing is very good and I would suggest you to try to compose the melodies in your mind. Then sing them and finally transpose it to the guitar. I think that you'll find more clear melodies but it's just a suggestion. Keep on practicing!


Fretdancer:

I can hear a lovely Maiden influence in your melodies! You record a nice melody for the chorus of the song. I really enjoyed the warm sound of your guitar! I would have recorded some maiden style harmonies in this great solo. I added a small delay in the end of your solo… Did you notice it?



Slammer:

Your playing is good and I really like the licks that you play in your solo. I really enjoy your classic rock style! (maybe influenced by Slash, Jimmy Page?) I only find a problem with the rhythm in the end of the solo but the rest of the solo is nice. Keep on practicing man!!



Preowned:

You did a very good use of the wah wah. I love the rocker begin of the solo. I think that if you add a stronger vibrato in your playing, your solos will sound better. The second guitar harmonized sound cool. Talking about the sound…. I would say of the same that I said to Smells (Check his comment).



Gilmore:

I can hear that you practice very hard different lick and you make it sound very good and professional. You have a great technique. Now I think that you have to let your should speak. This is one of the most difficult things. Your solos could maybe sound as a combination of exercises in the future. You are doing a great work and you are becoming a great guitar player so now it's time to add more feeling to your playing.

However your solo sound amazing! It's just a suggestion.

Keep on the hard work!


See you in our next collaboration!


gabriel.-


http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=11073

Posted by: Bogdan Feb 7 2008, 06:21 PM

Hello GMC!!
We started this one last month and now its finally over !! I made a rock n roll backing track for you to record your killer solos over it as well as rhythm parts.We got some pretty different solos and styles here and its so great to hear you all jamming together! I want to thank you all for participating in my first collab and helping to build something unique..Thanks guys, keep up the great work !!! I'll write my comments here , remember that they are just subjective evaluation of what you did..

Here is the final mix of it :

 RNR_collab_FINAL_MIX.mp3 ( 6.11MB ) : 632


Comments (this is the actual line up in the mix as well) :

1.Iluha

You chose to play over just drum and bass track and I really liked how it went..You got a good raw tone that fits that role of guitar.Idea is well developing over the track so its a good concept behind it and doesn't get boring at all.I would only work a little on precision when the higher up the neck part starts..Also you could in the first part of the solo use bending to play some notes that you fingered instead.That would just be the cream on the cake there.Good job man , thanks for playing this one.

2.JVM

Another well developed solo.Starting slowly and then going for some nice melodies..I liked your tone too reminds me a little to les paul type of tone..Good choice of notes, I liked that fast run you did in the middle it sounded spot on.I think that you may have stayed too long in the middle of the neck and would like to hear more bendy high notes here..That would really well sum it up..Good take man ! Thanks

3.Gilmore

Very good guitar tone here..I liked your rhythm part and thanks for doing it you are the only one who did it! This solo has a very good feeling and energy over it..Good mix of different techniques makes it more interesting too.You played some notes that didn't fit very well on climbing up for the harmony part and some didn't come out great - they sounded like you played a little too fast there..Harmony part came out excellent and I really liked the second guitar that you recorded there..That was an excellent finish for this solo , well chosen !! Really great take man ! Thanks

4.Chast

Here we have a nice take too.Your tone lacked just a little brightness , it was a little muddy..I liked "johny be good" style bends you did on the second chord.I liked most of melodies here , but I really would like if after you went up the neck to prepare us for the high notes you stayed there and played similar melodies (that you played down the neck).Instead you chose a path to go back and you trapped your self on lower notes and didn't have the opportunity to finish the solo right..I'm sure if you stayed up after you brought your lead up that it would be a very good solo..Thanks man for this take!!

5.Vision

Wow , here I must notice the great strat guitar tone ! I liked the idea of playing jazzy in the first half..All the notes sounded very nice , and cool phrases too.Than comes the "skank" play strat tone part..Really nice change there! Its got a lot of feeling and good sound came out.You could be a little more precise when playing the faster runs though..This was a very interesting solo with a great overall feeling..Thanks man !

6.Crazyfret

Interesting choice of notes in the start here , on the first chord change to D comes a very good lick.I wish you played a little more around it and tried to develop it because its a very good one..Tapping part was interesting but you could play it a little cleaner and smother and I think it would fit in nicely..This was a monster 40 sec collab and like you said you got out of licks in the other half.Effect you did on second part is cool but didn't quite fit for the end of solo.I would recommend playing some repetitive octaves licks there , or maybe some rnr rhythm guitar with few notes on top..That would make a good finish Thanks for playing in this collab man !!

7.Usaman

This solo has a great start to it..I really dig the screamy tremolo intro you did.Guitar sound is very well too.Fast , bendy energetic solo!! I really liked every part of it.Its well developing over time with great licks and melodies.You captured great feeling and energy of the moment in it..I can imagine you playing it live and throwing yourself around the stage
I would not change here anything and great finish you did in the manner of the start..Very good solo man , thanks for participiating!

8.Preownedguitar

Another great energetic start of the solo.I really liked how you threw in some harmonics there..They fitted very well..Great melodies up the neck..And first part you played very good! Tapping part could be done with more precision and would work well that way..I can imagine you playing some more high up the neck melodies instead of it - it would work too..All notes sounded in place..Very good energy here too..Thanks man for recording this one!

9.Ivan Milenkovic

I won't comment , just thanks for appearing here!

10.Nick325

Last but not least.This take came in a nick of time(while I was writing this comments) I liked the old school strat bright tone there..Some nice ideas here...Bends were a good idea , but you played it a little slower.I like the vibrato you threw in and you could do it even more because it sounds cool! Very nice solo to end this collab! Thanks man for recording it!

Thank you guys again for recording this collab, you gave your personal signature to it and I enjoyed listening every one of you soloing here! I hope to see you in my future collabs too!

Cheers!

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=11641

Posted by: Smells Feb 9 2008, 11:27 PM

I`d like to thank everyone for taking part in this Rock Ballad collaboration, I `ve really enjoyed putting it all together.

Quite a long collab, just over 11 mins

Here we go straight in with the comments, please remember that these are just my opinions and are not designed to offend in any way but to try and help improve on certain areas

so.. here we go.

Twibeard
A great effort from you here mate, this was more of an "effect style" solo, that I have to say, really grew on me the more and more I heard it, I know you`ve not been playing long, and I think you did a good job of staying within the boundaries, my only comment to you here was to change it up a little more, especially on the second half of the backing, nothing wrong with some repetition in a solo but a little too much I think this time, great effort

Preownedguitar
Really nice start into this one, nice little tapping part early on too, nicely carried all the way through, build up to the end was great, the only thing I`d comment on here was the actual tone of the guitar, your tone actually reminds me of how mine used to be, on slower, lighter pieces it still gives a harsh attack, a slightly warmer more rounded tone would have really been the icing on the cake for this solo mate, great job!

Stevie Ray Vaughn
I like the way you started here, building up the melody to the backing leading to the climatic part of the backing and saving the little shred part right till the end, great work I wont comment on your tone coz I know its something that you are not happy with yourself, and you and me are working on that already As a tip maybe dedicate some of your practice to some vibrato technique to give your slower solo parts more feel, nice solo mate, well done!

Tjchep
Where did you get that tone from?? Was totally undecided as to what take to use for you mate, both had excellent qualities, but I agreed with you in the end, your second attempt had more structure to it, so I used that one, the intro in to your solo I thought was fantastic, and throughout your solo I felt flashes of brilliance too, you have great tone and a nice "feel" to your playing, my only comment for you is indeed the actual structure of the solo, I think if you work on that part of your playing more and hook up those great licks, your gunna be playing some truly excellent solo`s, great work mate!

Coffeeman
Now this is the truth when I say that I`ve hummed the start of your solo to myself all week, really enjoyed your take, so not much to say here, I know you work very hard and its really paying off mate, if theres anything to work on more it may be your vibrato but I know you are working hard on everything so just keep it up, excellent!

sb81
A nice take this, again the intro in was nice and you began to build up your melody, pointers for you would be to work on your bends, try to keep yourself in key when your bending and bend to the next note in the scale, try to make the notes flow a little more into each other, I`m not sure if you know what I mean and its kinda hard to explain, but your on the right track mate, just keep practicing, excellent effort well done!

Andrew Cockburn
This was just awful ......... not! lovely take mate, I loved the tone of your guitar, really warm, theres two bits that stand out for me in this take 1. your very first note in, played with great feel and set the mood 2. theres a little slide off not long after the start, I dont know if it was an incidental or deliberate and its strange how the smallest thing can make a solo sound truly great, at a guess I would say this is a preferred style for you, slow, mellow, melodic, others that I`ve mentioned vibrato to should really listen to Andrews take here, I know its something he has worked extremly hard on and boy was it worth it mate! excellent!

Botoxfox
Another excellent take, well thought out and nicely structured, executed brilliantly, love the harmonised run at the end, the only thing maybe was a tadge too much reverb in there for my taste, it made it quite hard to mix in, but apart from that I really liked your take, great job!

Fredancer69
A nice lead here, nice little melody, you left a rather strange gap before the last part of the backing, nothing wrong with gaps but this seemed slightly out of place? again to work on your bends a little more and include vibrato as part of your practice routine and your well on your way mate, overall it was a nice take, great effort!

Fsgdjv
Well I thought this was just great I added a little bit of delay to your tone as I thought it was a little "dry" excellent start in to your solo and an equally excellent ending run on your take! I think theres a few little things to work on, not much, just to tighten up a little on timing maybe and again to sustain some of your notes just a tadge longer sometimes to make it flow nicely. excellent job mate, well done!

Kaznie_NL
A ha, my pm buddy Kaz

I was really pleased you did a second take here, it showed you`d listened to your previous take and realised a few things that where not right, I think youve got some great ideas throughout this take mate, a tip for you is phrasing, we`ve spoke about it before but I thought of a way to put it accross to you, imagine singing a line from a song, and the words are sung and flow with the music, now imagine them just saying them short and sharp, which sounds the best ??? the sung, flowing with the backing version of course try and introduce this into your playing, its just practice mate and since you already have good ideas its just a question of executing them correctly listen back to this collab in a few weeks and you`ll notice the difference I guarantee ya your doing brilliantly and the introduction of your new Korg effects is great, brilliant effort mate thanks

Leedbreak
I think David Walliman mentioned this in his last collab and he`s spot on, you have a very unique sound/style that is instantly recognisable as "Jason" very rythmic style to your playing, your intro was real nice, personally I felt you could have developed that a little more before moving into the more rythmic part of your playing, but I think thats part of what makes your solo`s unique, great work as always mate, well done

Organisedconfusion
well, this actually totally threw me if I`m honest, I dont know why but I wasnt expecting a clean take from you mate so I`m pleased you did, I added a tadge of chorus, a bit of delay and some EQ to your guitar, really nice take this, I thought a couple of your bends where slightly off, but then you`d already mentioned that so no need to point you in that direction I really liked it, you almost seemed nervous about the outcome in the forum, it was mellow, smooth and laid back, I especially liked the second half of your solo, great job mate!

Chast
So finally we have Chast A great effort here again, great build up for the second half of the backing, and you tried to give the piece some feel too a little work on timing maybe but apart from that another great take, excellent job mate!

So thats it, its all over, I really enjoyed listening to your solo`s, each was individual and great in its own way, thank you for taking part, I hope you enjoyed it too.
Please remember again that the comments are just my opinions and trying to help you out.

all the best till next time

 .GMC_Rock_ballad_collab_final_mix.mp3 ( 10.35MB ) : 655

Posted by: Wallimann Feb 26 2008, 04:56 PM

It's finally there! I finally mixed your leads on the 80's metal collab.
You guys rock. I was really impressed with all of your efforts. Each one of you brought to this a unique touch. Here are some thoughts on what I heard.
I recommend that you listen to these and pick from each one of the leads an element that is appealing to you and work on that in your own music.
Thanks again guys!
You rock!

 Finished.mp3 ( 8.74MB ) : 725



USAMAN
I love the way you built your lead there. Great mix of technical challenging parts and nice melodic feels. I love your left hand vibrato. It's not too exagerated and very controled. Great chops!

Botox
I was quite impressed with your take there! Very Van Halen-esque and totally appropriate for this collab. You have a very strong entry here. Excellent job!

Coffeeman
Your lead is quite unique here, I love your choice of notes. It works great! Nice bend control in there. Some cool bluesy ideas make this very heartfelt. Great collab!

FatbOt
I like the beggining of your lead. Nice arpeggio ideas that give this a cool melodic touch. The second part is well played and the development your exposed is cleverly built.

Iluha
Your lead on this is pretty emotional. The beggining has a great feeling with its bends. I think the last lick is brilliant.
Very well constructed!

Preowneguitar
The choice of notes you used is pertinant and well thought. I like the rhythm flow you gave to this. I like your use of bends
at the end of your lead. It closes up your take nicely.

SB81
I love the first few notes of your lead. Your entrance in this is memorable. What I mean here is that you exposed an opening that the listeners remembers. That's something to remember when building a lead a lead. Great job!

Smells
Wow, what a great lead we have here! A perfect mix of melodic control and technical challenging parts. You managed to build something very special here. Congrats! I love the last sweep, very appropriate.

StevieRayVaughan
Strong melodies here my friend! That's th type of lead that people remember. Great builing, your lead tells a story. Your
lead here fits your nickname perfectly Mister Vaughan. Keep it up!

Tjchep
Nice vibrato control in here! Your vibrato tecnique is quite unique and gives each note a very heartfelt feel. Is that left
hand vibrato? Great lead and great phrasing!

Twibeard
I love what I heard here! I really dig the question/response kind of thing you did at the beggining. The choice of sound is
also interesting. Memorable lead there! Great job!

Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Feb 28 2008, 11:33 AM

Well guys, after a while mixing , finally another MONSTER COLLAB! smile.gif Let me take this oportunity and thank you all for being patient for the final mix to arrive, I know it took some time but here it is. You all did a tremendous work, and my comments are subjective. If you have comments please leave them too. Thanks for participating! smile.gif

SUMMARY:

PARTICIPANTS - 20
LENGTH - 18.30 blink.gif


I'll be a little tough this time smile.gif Let's begin......



1. at_lights_end:

Very nice playing, smooth and relaxed, I like it. On the half you seemed a little stuck, but the backing is too long for a proper solo. I like the playing, but work on bends and the sound. Too buzzy distortion is not a good thing, also a lot of noise in the background from distortion. So keep that in mind. ALso reverberation is good in certain limits, but too much can cause a muddy sound, so be carefull with the reverb. All in all great solo, you need to work on the sound more. smile.gif

2. Fran:

Ahh, that clean intro melody reminds me to old cowboy movies smile.gif Very nice, to much reverb again, but very smooth sound and a nice phrasing. I like the idea that you kept it simple all the way, sometimes the best solos are the simplest ones, and this time you were spot on. Again Fran, reminding you to finish of your phrases in a little more effective way, not just lets-get-back-to-the-root-in-eight-notes way, if you know what I mean. DOn't worry it is not big deal, couple of blues licks, and you will rock I'm sure smile.gif

3. Tjchep:

Nice intro, like those prebends, you hold the sound nicely, and those pinched harmonics are cool, bends are little shaky, but nothing to serious. Space is nice on the track, not too much, just how much it needs, but the drive is too buzzy. Try decreasing the gain when you hear too much buzzing and noise. It is always better to work with less drive and quality sound that plenty drive and lousy sound. wink.gif

4. Sami

Interesting playing Sami, intro is not too great, because you play mostly scales up down, but later on you did some nice melodies, and I liked that. Sound is too buzzy and there is no dynamics, but that can be fixed with some different presets, and some dynamic licks. All in all very good.

5. ballistic31

wow, too much gain again, I understand that you want a hi gain sound but this is not the way to get it. Too much highs, too little lows, buzzing all the way, next time decrease the gain in order to get a quality tone, because that is the most important thing. On the other hand playing is very nice and relaxed, some mistaken notes here and there but nothing too serious.

6. Crazyfret

Great effort Crazyfret, very nice playing, and some solid licks, and interval use. I can definitely see some improvements and lotta new licks in your vocabulary. Keep up the good work. THe sound is also very decent too.

7. Gus

And some cool smooth single clean sounds. Very nice. Like the feeling you put here, those repetative licks are very effective, and solo is nice. You have clipping tho, and need to turn the volume down next time you record. Other than that it's great. Space is excellent too. Very subtle and audible in the same time.

8. Organized Confusion

Nice take Organized, that is really some nice soloing and melody making. The buzzing sound is not that great, work more on your presets. You lack dynamic also in the preset. Bends need to be more effective and solid, but those nice melody question and answer licks are pretty good idea and I really like it. Keep up the good work! smile.gif

9. Iluha

Nice clean sound Iluha, and a good heavy delay, maybe too much heavy, but it can pass as a style thing. Interesting phrasing, very subtle and unique, couple of notes here and there and the solo turned up great in the end. Nice work smile.gif

10. IzzyCom

Well, that preset won't go for sure... lots of gain, buzz and noise. On the other hand soloing is great! I really like your bends, I can tell that you practiced the bends but not too much vibrato right? Some more vibrato would be nice to hear on such a lovely emotional solo indeed!

11. JWBauer

Interesting intro, like the melody and developing is decent too. You kept the structure of the solo solid, and the main theme always present which is great. On the other hand too much buzzing cannot be a good thing, so I suggest decreasing gain to some normal value where the full potential of your playing can be more audible (dynamics, phrases etc)

12. machogriz

Wow, who killed the cat smile.gif Kidding nice solo, and intro, but the preset uhmm...didn't sound too good. I like the idea tho, but the quality is not so good, so I suggest using the preset in smaller degree so it doesn't "eat up" the sound too much. Your playing is great, some nice syncopation and melodies so nice shot! smile.gif

13. Mario

nice solo Mario, like those runs palm muting and those long emotional notes, but must work on bends a little in order to be more effective. Simple but effective. Preset is not that great, too strong and buzzed,lacks heavily with dynamics, it practicaly eat your sound away. Try decreasing the drive. SPace is great, little but effective.

14. eddiecat

Interesting intro with those arpeggios, and developing is nice, but those up and down the scale in the middel won't pass. You kinda get away later with some nice soloing, and finished it of with nice and emotional bends, I like those a lot! and.... I don't know did you noticed but you finished on a off-note - that is not a good thing! Preset is weak, and buzzing, again remind you on the quality and not the quantity of gain.

15. preownedguitar

Nice clean sound, shakey intro, but you've managed to develop it nicely later with those bends, looks like glued on recordings, some good emotional single style sound, like it, reminds on Clapton a little. The solo is a little short and in the end instead of going up, you came down pretty quickly. Next time I suggest you develop the solo from down to up, and do something effective and rememorable in the end.

16. Superize

Lots of buzzing here too, liek those long notes, but the buzzing is terrible man. Must roll of the drive in order to get some dynamics and effective solo. THe choise of notes is great, you pulled it off very nicely in a simple style. Great effort! smile.gif

17. Thilo

Nice clean sound, gentle and interesting, bends are great and licks excellent. I really like the clean sound and the way you lead the melody to the end. Very good solo, you're all over the fretboard I like the way you connect positions with fingerstyle technique, but be carefull about muting the strings, and nto to play too many notes, sometimes less is more with such an interesting style you have. Keep rockin smile.gif

18. Twibeard

I dig the idea with the heavy delay, but too much space in my opinion there, roll off the delay a littel and reverb too. Notes are cool, and I like the minimalistic idea that you've come up with, sounds very effective. Clean sound is also great.

19. wrk

Nice sound man, and a good licks and arpeggios. Phrasing is also good, but your solo lacks a general structure. Lot's of good licks, but little developing and construction. Also the drive is smooth, but I can tell it's a littel buzzy (not too much). Stereo delay is a nice touch on the whole thing. More work on the bends too.

20. soulstone

Interesting phrasing, and a great sence of melody, very nice melody leading and structure. You are great at impro, and the feeling you put is excellent too, but check the preset, I can see that it is not good, too quiet and buzzed.


21. My Take

Well, as for me, my solo is good, but really made in speed, and lacks a real structure, I started slowly and then blew it off with those very unprecise and poor sounding runs in the end, in relative to the nice phrasing on start. The sound is decent enough for the occasion - warm dirty clean just how I like it, but need to work on those vibrato bends more, and need to sound more convinsing and with more feeling, on this track I didn't show any feeling except for something little in the start, and then I finished the solo in a let's hurry up a rap it up way.

Thanks for participating!


http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=5027

Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Feb 28 2008, 09:42 PM

Hey guys, it's been a while, but we finally managed to make the song. I wanna thank everybody who participated and hope we will do some more of this. This was a little unortodox collaboration and we needed every piece of the song to put it together. Everybody put something his and we did it! It was very fun! smile.gif


SUMMARY:

PARTICIPANTS - 8
LENGTH - 3.42

Comments:

1. LeedBreak (INTRO)

Wow Leedbreak this is one very nice intro theme, I like it a lot! Repetative and melodic with roots everdubbed, very effective way to begin a song! The sound is little muddy on those roots tho, I can hear the buzzing, but all in all a great effort!

2. Iluha (MAIN THEME)

Very nice soloing here Iluha, the sound is little buzzy, and maybe too much reverb is on but in general nice little solo. One thing to suggest maybe - main theme riff is suppose to be simple, catchy, and loop-able, so for the next time I suggest doing a simpler riff. It's just my subjective opinion tho.

3. Nick_325 (SOLO 1)

Interesting solo man, I like the clean sound and all, but the solo is in more of a blues manire. You should do some bends, maybe even some drive in order to be a rock song solo. But simplicity is always nice if you know how to use it. Some notes were a little off beat, so check on those with a metronome.

4. Chuchulain (BRIDGE)

Nice idea for the bridge I like it a lot! But execution is poor, you should record everything in a beat and with slightly less overdrive. But it is a great riff for a bridge, nice thinkin!

5. Stevie_Ray_Vaughan (SOLO 2)

Very good solo, real rock stuff, maybe some stable bends and runs would make it even better, but all in all very nice.

6. Nemanja (VOCALS)

These vocals are great in one word! Nice singing and phrasing, and a true rock sounding stuff here. I especially like what you did with those unison singing on the chorus it really brings up the chorus from the verse. Nice effort!

7. Bogdan (BASS)

Nice bassline there Bogdan, you played it quite nicely, little off beat, but all in all very good. The sound is great, I can really hear the all around sound, the zings and the bumps. I especially like the phrasing on those muted notes on the verse and slap&pop on the verse really opens up the sound. You know you songwriting skills.

8. AudunESP (LYRICS)

Well, these lyrics that you wrote man are like made for this song. Very nice and positive lyrics, in the spirit of an old rock&roll. You can go wrong with this lyrics when making a good songs, and thank you for giving us such a great material to work on! You lyrics writing is very good!

As for me, I played the outro solo on the song and main riff theme! smile.gif

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=5037

Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Mar 27 2008, 12:04 PM

Ahoy there GMC`ers it seems that we have another great collab on our hand! You all made it great, and this one really shows all the hard work you've put into your playing!

I must note that, knowing from previous collabs that we've done you made a very good progress and I can see how your overall tone and soloing concepts are developing and sounding great here!


SO without further adue... smile.gif




COLLABORATION SUMMARY:

Participants: 13
Duration: 8m 09s




1. USAMAN

You started your solo great with that bassy lick, and then going to some fast stuff right away, first few bend licks were great, and then that coming down was a little shaky, then again coming to those bends, quite nice, I like when you go into frenzy with those nice legato repeating lick. After that it seemed to me like you wanted to finish the solo earlier, so the end is not to effective it seems added, but you made it to the end. I suggest practicing bends more, and the distortion is maybe too compressed for my taste.

2. TJCHEP

Nice first melody line and intro to solo, then you kinda lost yourself with lots of licks unconnected, up until the end when you pull out those nice bending phrasing. I really liked those. The sound isn't too bad, too much mids but smooth and ok. What I would do when improvising is find a melody line that I like, for example the one from the beginnign of your solo, and build your solo on that, maybe make some variations instead of playing very different licks.

3. KAZNIE

Hey nice effort man, Interesting pentatonic scale use, and rhytmic patterns. Just don't forget to insert a few bends here and there so it doesn't sound similar throughout the solo. The sound is ok, maybe little thin, but Not too harsh sounding.

4. DEEPROOTS

Nice intro to solo Deep, and nice fills too, you really worked out the theme, and those bends later are very smooth and going well in the solo, you kept it then simple to the end and done nice little run down the scale to finish off. The concept of soloing is going well for you, just need to refine allaround execution a little and it would be great. Sound is decent.

5. SIGGUM

WOw, nice jazzy licks, I like it a lot. ALso nice twangy clean sound is very decent indeed. Those chords are very good and fit in quite nicely over the vamp. The little solo lick remind of Joe's a little, maybe you got inspiration there. Nice work man!

6. PREOWNEDGUITAR

Nice intro, and some interesting developing, those hamerons need to be just little more precise if you ask me. Also the muting of the strings must be tighter. I like the idea in the end of making soem themes based on combination of the same notes. It came out pretty well. The sound is too compressed, need to work on your preset just a little more. Other than that it's great.

7. JVM

wow, those are some nice funky chords. I like it a lot! You really captured the essence of funk man, especially with those repeating intervals in the middle of the solo. THe solo part seems little shaky after this chordal work, but you made it quite nicely with chords in the end. Good job!

8. GUS

And first wah wah participant. Nicely done man! I like those bending licks and the fact you wanted to do some syncopating in the solo, but for my taste too much repeating of the same lick. Maybe throw in some nice long bends or long notes in solo and it will sound even better for sure. SOund is nice!

9. SMELLS

Great solo smells, you're really progressing, I can sense that, also this nice theme at the beginning of the solo is a very interesting one. It reminds me on something but who know what.. Nice lick tho, and legato afterwards is also very good. The concept of the solo is good, but one suggestion, there are many great exercises here, and just make it a little bit smoother transition between them when playing the solo will sound even better. SOund is liiitle compressed for my taste but smooth and not harsh sounding.

10. ORGANIZED CONFUSION

Nice little crunchy playing there confusion, I like the idea how you played with the rhythm to make some nice soloing. You throwed in some exerices that are not built for funk so the speak, but made them sound very funky, and that is smart thinking man. More security while playing is maybe something to note, and try to relax while playing, it sounds a little tensed.

11. ANGELICA

And our brave singer Angelica smile.gif Thanks for chipping in with you voice. I really like the lyrics, very funky and catchy. ALso those backings are a nice touch. About the singing, it is very good, but more security in your voice could not hurt you. Those octave higher singing in the end is a great idea, and with a bit of practice it could sound even more better. In the end you kinda lost the tempo a bit, but it's nothing serious. Great job!

12. SOULSTONE

Nice starting lick, maybe a little messy because of the high gain but I like it. Need to sound a little more concrete and defined and by rolling of the drive it could sound great. In the end you made some interesting repetative lick and a small melody line. What I like about your solo is you made it all sound in one theme so the concept is interesting.

13. JOE CATALDO

Nice take Joe, good solid concept and great starting theme. You practiced that one, and it sounds very nice. In the second part of the solo it's a liiitle shaky but your holding to the click to the end which is great, maybe dropping few notes here and there but nothing too serious. The sound is also very good and well defined, with some nice space effects, little but effective.

MINE TAKE:

I've made some interesting twangy effects in the first part, but later going berseerk, and even loosing tempo and note count in one moment which is not good at all. Also notes didn't came out properly and must work more on my accuracy along side with speed while doing improvisations. In generall good, but messy.






So I woudl like to thank to all the participants! I'll see you in the next collab real soon, and have fun! smile.gif

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=6067

Posted by: Wallimann Mar 30 2008, 02:37 AM

In the style of Brian May collab

The final mix is finally there!

You guys did an amazing job as usual and I am very pleased with your leads!
I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as I did.
Thanks again!

 BrianMay.mp3 ( 16.44MB ) : 562



Deeproots
I like the way you "prepared" the listener to the notes you chose. What I mean by that is that the first notes of the new chords are well brought. Besides the sound which is a little metallic, your lead is well constructed. That's exactly what I wanted. I can tell that you prepared your lead not leaving too much place to improvisation which is a good thing here since I wanted something melodic.

Jean-Mi
Good job on the harmonies my friend! The delay make it a little hard to "understand" what's going on tough. I would set it a little lower in the mix. But other than that you did good following the track. You built a nice melodic feel very appropriate here.

Iluha
The opening of your lead exposed a very nice iea that I haven't thought about before. It works extremely well and catches the listener's ear right away. Your sound works well here too. I like how your ideas are well placed in the rhyth. Good phrasing. Good job!

Coffeeman
I like your choice of notes here. My favorite is at the very end of measure 6. you used the 9th which sounds great! I would actually use that note more and stay on it a bit to add more drama to your lead. Also, adding a little more sustained notes and silence would be beneficial here. Good job overall though! :-)

SilentKap
Good melodies here and good ideas too! A few things to be fixed here, while descending the scales on a few spots there are notes that are not in the scale. Try using a B Mixolydian mode in those spots and it should fix all your problems. Other than that, your lead is well constructed. Good job!

Leadbreak
Great job as always. You did a good job following the scale. I like your opening and some of the sequence ideas you used. One little thing I would experiment with is silence. Maybe place a few longer notes in there to give the listener some time to "digest" what you played. Good job though!

Chast
Good job following the chord changes and staying in the right key. I like the way you built different ideas for each movement. Your sound is a little muffled, but I'm sure you know that. It's too bad because it doesn't serve the melody you created. Besides the sound issue, you did good there.

Matt23
Nice licks Matt. The reverb/delay is a little too high in the mix though. Too bad. It makes all your notes a little hard to "understand". However, I can tell that your technique is quite solid and that you spent time working on this. Your lead is well built and uses good ideas. There is one little note that sounds a little out on your bend on the second movement on the 6th measure. Other than that, good job!

UncleSkillet
Nice tone and cool melodic lead! You did a great job on your first collab. I really like the rhythm placement you used, your licks breathe a lot man. At first, I was a bit thrown off with your lick on the 6th measure, but after a few listens I like it more and ore. Great lead, nice ideas. Very nice job!

StevieRayVaughan
Did you record 2 times the same thing with different sounds? It sounds quite interesting and is proof that you thought your lead before playing it. I like the ideas exposed here. Your theme follows the chord changes well and serve the song great! Good alternate picking technique at the end too.

Bodo
Yeah man, great job harmonizing this. Brian does harmonize his parts a lot. Great job! I really like the way you used some scale runs to emphasize the landing notes you chose. Your lead is melodic and technical, very well balanced. Great job!

Tjchep
Good choice of notes TJ. What touched me the most in your lead are the bends and vibrato you used. There's a great control in the notes you play, that is one of your strong points in my opinion. It's a great thing to have because it gives each note you play much more meaning than without any vibrato. Good construction in the lead too.

USAMan
Another great take here, nice harmonies. Some of the runs you used are very well thought and sound like you knew in advance what you were going to play. I really like the repetitive motif you used on the second lick. Your tone is very Brian May-esque. Excellent job!

Muris
It's always a pleasure to hear your stuff Muris. Your lead is a lesson of melodic structure in itself. Great tone and great left hand control too. I love what you did here. Awesome job! My favorite lick is the second one at the end of the 3rd chord. I'm gonna steal that lead if you don't mind... :-)

Slammer
Man, I love your intro! Very melodic! I really enjoy the constant flow of notes here. There are almost no rests in there, but because of your choice of notes, it works great. Just be aware that usually silence between melodic ideas is preferable. But once again, it works great here. :-)

Smells
What a melodic lead you wrote! This lead is absolutely amazing. It's the kind of lead that the listener remembers after hearing it. It's the kind of lead that makes you want to skip the verse and chorus to get directly to the guitar solo. Perfect!

Preownedguitar
Good construction here served by a good technique. I like the precision in your bends man. One thing you can try to make this even better is to add a little more silent spots so that he listener can "digest" what your instrument just said. Other than that, you did a fine job. I like your vibrato as well, it gives each note more character.

Soulstone
Your lead is very different than what I expected, but it sounds very good! I love the sound you used, nicely compressed. Your phrasing is quite interesting and melodic. Your focus on the melody is always present and your faster runs support the theme you exposed very well. Great job!

Axelsson
I know you're frustrated with your sound, but still you managed to build something pretty cool with what you have. I like the construction in your lead. The ideas are well linked together and make sense to the ear. The last part on the last 2 measures need a little rhythm placement work, but that's nothing you can't fix. You are doing great, keep it up! I know that with the right gear you'll gain more confidence in your playing. Keep up the good work!

Eddiecat
Nice melody and good technical interventions. Your guitar is a little out of tune though, but your take is still enjoyable! I like the opening of your solo, I also love the second part on the 5th measure. It gives the theme a second boost very pleasant to the ear. Nice work my friend.

Posted by: Bogdan Mar 31 2008, 12:12 PM

Hello GMC!

Another collab came to end! We had a blue ballad track on our hands..It required a lot of feeling and you guys did great ! You all gave your personal emotion to it..I'm glad some of you (who could) recorded acoustic solos too, It added nice diversity.I want to thank you all for participation in this one and helping to make an unique piece of music..I tried to give constructive comments on your takes about the solos and your recored tone..They are based on my subjective taste (and I may more focus on stuff that I think needs looking into than on the good parts)..

Here is the final mix of it:

 Blue_Heaven_FINAL_MIX.mp3 ( 6.96MB ) : 455


Participants: 20

I arranged takes in order which you recorded and sent them to me.

Comments :

1. JVM

I liked your tone.Its got a good space in it.Maybe you could record it a little cleaner (maybe roll of some gain).You
developed a nice melody throughout and it feels very rounded..Thrill parts could be a little more precise and tight in time
though and end a little more effective.Great take man , thanks for participation and opening this one !

2. Preownedguitar

You made a good strong spacey guitar tone that suits this collab well.I liked the melody you did in this one.You combined
effectively different techniques and it wasn't overwhelming for this type of track too..Maybe you ended your solo a little earlier and didn't develop it to the very end which didn't sound so confident as the rest of the solo.Speed runs turned great.Thanks for this take man!

3. Superize

You chose a guitar sound with a nice space (reverb ,delay to it) which worked very nicely over this track.It sounded maybe a little too thin, maybe rolling of some treble would do the trick.I can hear the melody you wanted to develop and its a good idea..Some parts (notes) of the solo sounded better than others.Be careful when constructing the solos to hit the strong notes on chord changes (the root, 3rd and 5th) that way to audience the solo will sound more connected and less like a scale.I would suggest also to play with different note lengths and added expression effects like vibrato,bends to the story..This was a great effort and it needed just a little tweaking to be a very cool solo for this track! Thanks for participating man..


4. Smells

You got a very healthy tone.Really well suited for this ballad song..Its got a sad "crying" vibe to it which is awesome.Solo
development is awesome and I wouldn't change anything here..The long (sustained) note in the middle was great idea! Vibrato was great , you really know your solo writing skills! Awesome take , thanks for participating!

5. Muntahunta

Time for a change in sound! We got a acoustic one here.You recorded guitar pretty well though it was a little muddy so next time try to open up a sound a little by adding treble.(i did that for you in the mix).All notes were in place.I liked the
feel to it.Though I got a impression that in the half of solo you stayed in the same emotion for the rest of it (and place on
fretboard) instead of developing it even more (diffrent note values) and going for some higher notes too..Great take man
overall and thanks for doing the acoustic one!

6. USAMAN

You got a great "nerve" for solos man! This one is very energetic even though the backing is "blue"..You did it very good
though and choose the right notes and techniques for executing it.I can hear its improvised directly only because you got stuck a little in the middle of the solo and in the end when backing is playing E major..Great solo , good tone ..Thanks for playing this one!

7. Somecrazyguy

This was your first collab and you did great! Color of guitar tone is very good though I would recommend rolling off that
gain a little to make it clear.Very cool start to the solo, heavy! You really took the time available (20 sec) and used it to
max..You combined a lot of ideas in there and it all sounded very good all fitted together.Great energy in this take! Thanks for participating and hope to see you in the next ones too!

8. Fatb0t

Pretty good guitar sound here.With a good dose of space to it.I liked the development of solo and melody was very good.You played just few "weak" notes somewhere in the middle to it.Your vibrato was a little to fast and nervous but it did hit the bullseye on the artificial harmonic one..Great take overall man, thanks for jumping in!

9. Izzycom

Sound of guitar was pretty well.And it was a pretty solo, melody wise.I can notice that you were loosing sustain on notes
from time to time.I would recommend adding a little more sustain and vibrato to notes that stay ringing a little longer.Development was very cool it was just a little disconnected because of loosing sustain on notes that connect
phrases.Great solo man , thanks for playing !

10. Tjchep

You got a good guitar sound and it needed just a little more opening to it , middle , treble up..Great idea for solo and
almost perfectly executed, was a little shaky in time but good..Fast runs were very cool.Vibrato was good also.You need a little more effective ending to a solo where backing culminates..Thanks for jamming in this one man!

11. Deep Roots

You got a strong guitar sound.A little raw too.I like shreddy ideas you threw in there.Intro to it could be played a little
more precise.I like the rest of it and ending was very effective.Cool solo mate, thanks for participating!

12. Chast

I little jazzy tone in this one.I liked the easy , relaxing melody you developed in the first half.It was discrete and
effective.But I think you ran out of lick ideas a little in the second part of solo especially when going up the scale.This
was a very relaxing solo to listen.Thanks man for recording , very nice!

13. Slammer

Another acoustic take we got here.Sound was pretty good but I would like it more if it had less delay (this one seemed just too much).Also guitar sounded a little thin, like its missing in other frequencies (bass, middle)..I really liked this
solo.Reminds me of "Mediterranean sound" I liked the bend you did in the intro, and speed run in the end was very cool(you could play it a little more precise though)..Also overall melody is nicely developed and relaxing.Thanks for doing the acoustic one ! Great take man ! See you in the next one..

14. Mat23

This guitar tone had a huge space to it..This solo sounded me like a feedback/special effects one to me.Most of the notes
worked well and solo is cool.Though somewhere going towards end you chose some wrong ones which didn't work so well..This was a very interesting solo man and thanks for participating!

15. Siggum

You got a cool vintage vibe to your guitar tone.I really liked how you combined different phrases and runs.You told a
interesting "story" through this one..Phrases were cool.Maybe not all notes came out (sounded) strongly as others - in some fast runs you played.Very cool solo and tone overall, thanks man!

16. Kaznie NL

Hmm your tone was a little muddy and had maybe with too much distortion,try to open up the sound and roll of gain.You made a cool line for the most part of the solo but I would like to see more development to it and expression.Main problem here was the sustain on notes..You were loosing it from time to time.Add a little vibrato to longer sounding notes and it will sound much better! Thanks for playing here , it was a cool take overall!

17. Ivan Milenkovic

I love acoustic solos..You are instructor here and you know your solo playing skills..I like octave licks and overall finger
style playing.Tone was very clear and I could hear even string noise which gave a cool character.The "never ending" fast run turned out to be very effective for the end..Great take thanks for jumping in!

18. Soulstone

Very nice guitar tone..You played long notes which were in the right place most of the time..I would like if you changed the style earlier and not leaving shreddy stuff for bare end.Because after middle it sounded a little too repetitive because of same note lengths and style of playing..Cool take man thanks for participating!

19. JWbauer

Another easy jazzy guitar sound.Could be a little more opened up though (less muddy),but it was close to it..I like the licks you threw in there but I got a feeling that you relied too much on the starting lick (and played around it) instead of
developing new ones..A really cool take man overall , I enjoyed it..Thanks for participating!

20. Enucleation

We are closing this one with a screamy Enucleation's take..Guitar tone was very good , though rolling off some treble (and maybe gain) would be cool indeed..I really liked the "screamy" intro of it (though you could be more confident in playing it)..After that solo goes for a main lick which was great (and overdubbed ? )..I think that lick could be a very very good one if you played few notes differently (in the end phrase of it).You played it more complicated than it need to be.Rest of solo is cool.You'll notice I killed the drum track at your solos start, sounded interesting to me that way..Thanks for closing this one and for your participation!


Thank you all once again!!

Cheers!

Posted by: Nemanja Filipovic Apr 13 2008, 04:28 PM

Ok....first of all..I want to thaK YOU all for helping me make my first collab...
thanks every body...smile.gif
It was truly a great pleasure to mix this song...Yeah I could not resist...My feelings had guide me to make a bit of a song out of it...so I did not put the solos by the order who recorded it first,but by some subjective feeling where should one melody go...my choices where made only by atmosphere that solo is caring it with the melody...every body plaid very good...so my choices was not made up in that order(who plaid better...)

I had never comment a guitar player in this matter before...so I hope this comments could help you a little...smile.gif



 Final_Mix.mp3 ( 6.26MB ) : 442




Number of participants : 8

in the natural order,who recorded first:

1.Tjchep
2.Siggum
3.fatb0t
4.GeneT95
5.Kaznie NL
6.Bluesrock
7.Ivan Milenkovic
8.OrganisedConfusion

In the order that is in the collab:

1.Bluesrock
2.GeneT95
3.fatb0t
4.siggum
5.Kaznie NL
6.Ivan Milenkovic
7.TJchep
8.OrganisedConfusion

My comments will bi in order that is in the collab:


1.Bluesrock
Nice melody men...only thing I need to add is the endings of a phrase,I think you should bend it a bit...give it a little vibrato...smile.gif

2.GeneT95
great solo...and a beautiful tone,nice color...I like the little reverb on it to,you did good when it comes to a dynamics of a solo...nice beginning,little more in the middle,and great finale ...so for me it blend truly great in the melody.....smile.gif

3.fatb0t
great,you solo come right after a vocal,and blend rely nice...color is good,melody to,I think you had only one or two notes out of key in the end of your solo...
but, even then it sounds cool....:)and your dynamics is great too...smile.gif

4.siggum
I liked your take very much...it was very melodic and modern(wich is great)...nothing to add..very good...smile.gif

5.Kaznie NL

Your take was very come and slow,but not in the bad way,it was great melody,and I use it for a some kind of bridge part,and it came great..you had a lot of noise in your recording,so I did a bit of EQ to remove it.....smile.gif

6.Ivan Milenkovic

thanks man...very nice...like the melody very much....you playd it great....smile.gif

7.TJchep

like the beginning of it very much,you have a great control of you instrument...like it that you started with a one note dynamic variation...
end was great to..you had a nice tone...job well done...smile.gif


8.OganisedConfusion

great take man...I did a little time move on your take...but it blend great....good playd,and great ending....thanks..smile.gif



Thanks every body for making this song together....smile.gif

Posted by: Juan M. Valero Apr 16 2008, 12:05 PM

It was a really endless pain colab ...

Well, that's the end of this collab. I'm so sad because after 45 days working in this collab I only have 7 tracks (well, actually 6 and half)... and there was 15 persons that there were in !!! less than the half part
I don't know what's the problem, the time is more than enough so I don't know if it's because the collab is too hard, too boring or just too bad...

It was specially difficult to mix because all collaborators had a different tune and I needed to change some pitches, because as you can remember the progression Em>Fm>Gbm>Gm>Abm etc. so as there was lot of people that didn't send me his part I needed to reorder tracks to make a logical progresion...


Well, let's go to the comments:

00:05 Cm - DeepRoots
00:40 Dbm - kaznie_NL
01:15 Dm - muntahunta
01:50 Ebm - leedbreak
02:25 Em - Gus
03:00 Fm - coffeeman
03:35 Gbm - superize


COMMENTS:

00:05 Cm - DeepRoots:
Well done my friend !!! really interesting first part with good melodic and rythmic ideas, in perfect harmony with the backing track. The second part is more rocker, and also pretty good. I see some pentatonic ideas her. Ah, and I love the harmonic that you play in this part


00:40 Dbm - kaznie_NL:
well, I must say that you need to practice hard !!! work on the rhythic ideas and try to play as relaxed as you can. Then
learn the basic patterns and try to feel confortable with them, and don't be afraid to do long notes !!

01:15 Dm - muntahunta
Another great idea for the first time. It's the most difficult 'cos there are some rhytmic patterns in the backing track and we need to keep them in mind if we want to nail it
Second part is missing
I thought in recorded my take here but I prefer not doing this...


01:50 Ebm - leedbreak:
yeah mate, I love your part, it's really interesting, just say be carefull with your picking. There are some wrong notes but in general is an excellent take


02:25 Em - Gus:
I can see a great work here with great licks, be carefull with the note after the pinch harmonic, hehe, but don't worry you did a good take


03:00 Fm - coffeeman:
excellent, great ruthmic ideas in the first part and in the second part excelent melodies !! I love specially the 4 compass and the last 2 notes, really well chosen my friend !!


03:35 Gbm - superize:
hey mate, thanks for this good take, I don't like too much the first part but the second one is really good
great melody and well done




Well that's all, see you guys

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Apr 30 2008, 11:31 PM

THE ACDC COLLABORATION


Hey guys, I must say in advance again, sorry for the delay, I was little sick and on the road so I had to do the collab this late. Since there aren't too many participants I've decided to make some more detailed reviews for the people who did me the honor to participate. Here's is the summary

Type of collaboration: AC/DC rock style
Final Mix length: 3.23
Number of Participants: 6

ALEX:

Great intro Alex, I loved that intro syncopated lick followed by the slide. Then some hamerons&pulloffs working your way up that bend release-and-to-the-root should be more precise. i would suggest practicing only the bend and release slowly so you execute it very sharply and with precision. ALso a small vibrato on the root would be nice too. Those intervals later are excellent and pulloffs as great, nicely in the groove, slow but precise and I can hear every note - I like that. The last lick is little faster, and not too precise, but then again it sounds pretty cool so it can be an effective way to finish a solo for sure. All in all, I suggest practicing more on the construction of the solo as a whole. You have the technique and you use it with caution. Your solo construction is cool too, you know where to put certain passages, like in the end a faster one and start with the slower one, but try to make a whole solo like a whole, not as a combination of different passages. All in all I think you are heading in the right direction, the playing is great. The sound is good no comments there.

JAD:

Wow, lots of drive, mids scooped, interesting color, but be careful you're on the verge to make it sound muddy. Playing is like this, intro is great, those pinched are very cool and effective, and whammy use is excellent. You really made it part of the solo which is great. The melody further is developing nicely, but that mini run is little sloopy if you ask me. I suggest you practice a little those runs with a metronome, at least one of them and they will make your soloing on a much better level of quality. Bends after that mini run, on the half of the solo are perfect, very precise and in tempo. I suggest adding a vibrato there nevertheless it will can definitely sound pro with those quality bends. Second part of the solo is fine too, but seems to me you didn't have much ideas when you finished those nice bends. IMO those bends on the half would be a great way to finish the solo, not the ending you played. All in all construction of the solo is what you must work on, building a solo to a certain point is no problem for you, you are doing it great, but finishing off effectively is something you should focus more on.

GILMORE:

And do I smell some bluesy roots there? Nice use of pentatonic scale is a great way to start the solo. First lick is a very nice one, but little generic, tho I like how you've played it. That vibrato is not too precise, must be nice, sharp and fluid to sound good. In those situations it is better not play it then do it like that. I suggest a little practice and it will be great. When you go to major scale lick and apply those bends it is great, but when you go to those tremolo intervals and work your way up the fretboard that is excellent. I like that build up and this quality lick can really make the whole band get boosted up with energy believe me. I smell talent there. The rest of the solo is in "soul mode" and I really felt that. You really got into the groove and got carried away, and I like that. This shows you have natural feel for the blues based music and I suggest you practice a lot in that direction to be able to use it even better. So, more work on vibrato and bending vibrato to really boost up the feel in your soloing and you will sound excellent.

TJCHEP:

First the sound. It is good, but little scooped and too much space if you ask me. Definition in sound is very important, more important than lots of effects so try to find a balance in presets. You started the solo nicely, Some nice slow bends and vibratos. Vibrato use is excellent I must say. That pinched harmonic didn't turned out so good, so I suggest to practice more those PH in order to gain full control over it. Just after it is a great bending vibrato and I really like to hear when someone practiced those a little. They add a great quality to the overall soloing. Applying bends up through the solo ending is fine, but would like to hear just one small run or lick there so it doesn't sound the same. But all in all, you managed to work your way up to the end nicely and finished off with something I think is your specialty - cool bending licks. Nevertheless, I suggest practicing small runs here and there and work some more on those PH. Also find a good preset with less space and it will be a pro sounding solo for sure.

NEMANJA

Great rock style singing my friend. Since I don't know much about singing technique and all I will try to pint out the things I hear that maybe could be recorded a little better if you let me. Vibrato on "only dream" could be more steady, I think you tend to go down when breathing out, and when applying a vibrato it is hard to vibrate the note and low with it. So one of these must go off. It is maybe because of the tendency to vibrate every finishing note always. Try to make you vibrato more controlled on the places where is exactly needed. After that, it goes very smooth and nice and that low note is excellent. You have a great resonant bassy voice that's for sure. The second part of the singing is good but glued on, and I don't like that but that aside on "devil" the vibrato is again a little clumsy. More precise control is needed. Then when the backings get in it sounds really great. I like that idea very much and you sang it perfectly, what can I say. You voice is great for layering and note pitch control is perfect as expected. A small thing is maybe the end of the backing where the letters don't match entirely but that's a minor thing. Then repeating all is a good idea for vocal line, and in the end I expected again backing with maybe some highs but you did a good ol' copy&stereo so it sounds s little fetter but not too effective for the vocal ending.

ORGANIZED CONFUSION:

And last but not last important my faithfull companion in all collabs, organized! Let's see what we have here: Intro one word - excellent. The pure simpleness of those two notes ringing is brilliant and very effective. I have a felling I heard something similar before but hey - this is classic rock everything is played along before we were born. The lick after where you go to the root from that bend release is good but I suggest more practice on the bend. Must bend sharply to the pitch and go down precisely on the fret pitch so every note is heard precisely and clearly. That that little bending lick, first time on the root, second time up there on the octave root is very nice but sliding on the octave root and applying that vibrato was little clumsy. I know it's a difficult thing to do, there are different techniques involved, but even couple of hours of focused practice with that lick can make it pro sounding believe me. After that, those 16th note lick is effective, and great there, but then you went again to that root up there. Seems to me that after that 16th note lick you didn't know where to go and just get around in circles a couple of times. This can be fixed by finishing off on the other note except the root, some other strong note, third or fifth. Be aware during a solo always where you are heading - to what note. Second part of the solo is great, those repetitive licks really build up nicely, and melodic structure is simple but very effective. You have the talent for simplicity and quality, must work more on your expression. The ending is not too effective and this is again because you during those carried away moments you forget where you are heading. So more work on vibrato, and more work on the harmonic structure of the solo. First analyze from where to where you wanna go. Then, when you know that you have the talent to go through it nice and simple but effective.




OK people, thanks again a lot for participating to all, I hope to see you on future collabs too, playing variety of styles and together improving our soloing techniques! smile.gif

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=7034


JAZZY COLLABORATION


Hey guys, I must say in advance again, sorry for the delay, I was little sick and on the road so I had to do the collab this late. Since there aren't too many participants I've decided to make some more detailed reviews for the people who did me the honor to participate in this beautiful sounding collaboration which is my all time favorite for now. Here's is the summary

Type of collaboration: Jazz Soloing style
Final Mix length: 2.32
Number of Participants: 4 (5 takes)

SIGGUM:

Piano Take:
Excellent piano sound, very smooth and natural sounding. Intro is great, that melodic passage, slightly syncopated really adds to the atmosphere of the tune. Then small intervals to finish of the phrase in a good manner. That little chromatic passage is great and very jazz sounding but little bit more on the execution side needs to be worked out to sound more clearly. You have a nice talent for harmony and I can see how you are trying to follow the progression theme. in the second part you actually stopped for a moment and wondered where to go, and this proves that you listen to the harmony before playing over it which is very important. That following the 7th chords going down is and excellent way to give support to the top notes of the inverted 7th chords that are actually iii ii I vii vi but with the top notes G F E D C which then sound like were back on I rather then vi. Excellent.

Guitar Take:
Excellent melodic intro going closely with the harmonic and rhythmic structure of the backing guitar. Then a small bluesy lick very nice going with that, and again some little melodic variations that i think would benefit from nice slow vibrato there. That 1/4 bend is a nice touch too adding to the blues feel. Again like it piano take you stooped a little when the key center changes. I suggest to analyze the backing before you start the solo. remember impro in jazz require a solid scale and chords background knowledge. Must know exactly what you can use and where or else when we go out of Cmajor key you can feel trapped in Cmajor scale and not knowing where to go "out". The ending is a very nicely played, smooth and in the groove, little pulling back and making a track more easy sounding. Very nice.


TJCHEP:

Some nice popping notes in this solo. I like how you used po technique to accent some of the notes in the solo, but be careful to do it in some kind of rhythmic manner that can relate to the backing better. In the second part of the solo you moved to the bluesy feel and smoother playing lowering down the dynamic. I feels very cool, especially with that nice vibrato use. THe ending was nice, I recongized where you wanted to go, but simply didn't have enough beats to go for it. Must think in advance when doing these kind of soloing stuff. So use of techniques is not a problem for you , your vibrato and popping are great style for this kind of track. But what I would suggest doing is to listen to backing more careful and really analyze the harmonic structure of the rhythm guitar part. Also while playing you must feel the groove and have the ability to know in advance what kind of a harmonic pattern to expect in advance. It is a hard technique and skill to develop but once you get used to changing different harmonic patterns other things will be a walk in the park.

ORGANIZED CONFUSION:

Great intro my friend, nice and smooth melodic passage x 2 , second run using some nice hammerons to make 2 ghost notes and sliding up. Then using legato to make small runs and coming back down again using the scale. In the second part you've got the feel, got into the groove and really build up the dynamic of the solo. Very nice, I could really fell that. Again the tricky part (for everyone) comes when the harmony becomes a bit unstable and you make a small pause to regroup. That is good also, better to make a small pause then bunch of notes without sense. In the end you finished nicely. So fro you I also recommend a little bit practice on those hammerons and pulloffs , so they sound rock solid with the tempo if you know what I mean. Also some harmonic structure analyzing would be of good use too.

NEMANJA:

Very nice melodic building and more important phrasing. Phrasing in this one is brilliant I must say and certainly it sounds good because you played quiet too. Now giving in respect that your sister was sleeping and you could not give your maximum which is much greater I know, I will not include any negative feedback this time - but watch out... smile.gif



AGAIN, thank you guys for participating in this excellent collaboration. Although the were not too many people in it I think it created a more private and quality sounding atmosphere and this is why this collab sounds favorite to me. Thanks again! smile.gif
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=7035

Posted by: Nemanja Filipovic May 8 2008, 10:27 PM

Hi,and thanks so much for participating in my Happy collab.Once again I am very sorry for late upload of this collab final mix and comments.

Number of participants: 6

In order by upload

siggum
botoxfox
Trond
Bluesrock
kaznie NL
Ivan Milenkovic

In order by me:

Bluesrock
botoxfox
Trond
Siggum
kaznie ML
Ivan Milenkovic (this order is just my "trip" that I arrange by some atmosphere vibe)


 Pop_Rock_Style__WBT.mp3 ( 947.75K ) : 410


Comments :


Bluesrock:
Nice blues theme,and nice playing,you haw a nice tone.Only thing that I have to add(as a singer smile.gif )is bending the string a little more,that is all.


botoxfox:
well,idea is great,I did not like the guitar effect that you put,guitar seams to be to far away from the face(sound picture),you should try to put just a little compressor on the guitar sound.I like the strange bending. All in all good take man.

Trond:
well,Trond you rock!!Take is so good and smart,have nothing to say.Great man.


Siggum:
Siggum,really good man,great frasing and idea is cool.Very nice tone.All i all good man.


Kaznie NL:
Kaznie,really like the start and that strange sound,only thing I have to say is that you need a bit better control,and that is all.
All in All very good solo.


Ivan Milenkovic:
Beautiful take man,tone is great and frasing to.Really great take man.


Thanks every body.

Posted by: Trond Vold May 9 2008, 10:42 PM

Number of participants: 13 (14 takes)
Lenght: 6 minutes.

First i just have to say thanks to everyone who joined in Was a blast listening through all your great takes!
I've arranged it in the order of whoever uploaded first.

 Metallica_collab_Final_.mp3 ( 8.26MB ) : 481


Here's the comments:

somecrazyguy09 00:01 - 00:26
I really like this one. It's well-structured and captures the Hammet spirit quite nicely.
The sound is a muffled and unclear at times perhaps. But all in all, a nice little solo

Siggum 00:27 - 00:52
The first half is good!
But after that little pause halfway in it sounds like your unsure of what to play next.
Maybe a little practice on bending would do good. They sound a tiny bit out of synch and tune at times.

Nemanja 00:52 - 01:17
This is just too cool Your voice fits well on practically everything.

Tjchep 01:18 - 01:43
I like it! It's got a good structure, and your vibrato is great!
But i'm not so sure about the sound. Sometimes these "clunking" noises are louder
than your notes, which takes away some of the coolness of the solo.
I suspect it's got more to do with your preset/sound than your playing though.

UncleSkillet 01:44 - 02:09
This was really cool Sounded very Hammetish.
There's one note i didnt agree with though, the note right before the key goes back E. Sounded a bit
strange to me There's some noise here and there though, but nothing major. Good stuff

leedbreak 02:09 - 02:34
Some great ideas in this solo! And i like the structure.
There is some timing problems though, and the fast picked notes sound a bit cluttered together.
Some precision and timing practices could help with that.
Maybe less echo on your sound would be good too, it added to the cluttered sound.

OorganisedConfusion 02:35 - 03:00
Good ideas to be found here aswell. I like the double-guitar effect
Your solos would be greatly enhanced by some more work on timing and vibrato.

USAMAN 03:01 - 03:26
Nice Wah-ing
I like the sound of this. You tried hard to get Hammet-style solo going on.
There's a few notes i would like to have heard better timed, but all in all.. good stuff

bladzerok 03:26 - 03:51
You got good ideas and you made a good layed out solo
But your playing sounds a little stiff.
Adding some vibrato and working on playing more freely could really spice your playing up a bit.

Enucleation 03:52 - 04:17
Good and fast solo! I like the double-guitars that come in on the 2nd half.
It does sound a little bit messy and uncontrolled at times though, and there's some background noise.
But by all means, keep it up! If you had nailed your solo ideas here perfectly, it would have sounded killer!
Just keep practicing precision and timing

Oh, and another thing: You should try to get higher bitrates on your recordings. Your take was 64kbits, which
wont sound very good recompressed to mp3 when i export the final mixdown. 128kbit should be minimum.
And the volume level started of low to high, which made it a bit tricky to get into the mix. The ending clips.

coffeeman 04:18 - 04:42
I like it! Nice construction
The section that starts at the keychange is good, but it sounds a bit messy. Some timing and hammeron/pulloffs
practice would be good to fix that.

Ivan 04:43 - 05:08
Your bluesy harddrock solos simply rock.... enough said

audiopaal 05:08 - 05:33
I like your melodic-approach, and i really like those little pinches you put in there
But you keep yourself in a safe zone by only sticking to 8th notes. Try to experiment a bit more.
I know you can do alot more with a solo!

Myself 05:34 - 06:00
I like the first half, but the last section sounds a bit unprecise and sloppy.
I need to work on that!


Once again, thanks to everyone who joined in You all did really well!

Posted by: David Wallimann May 25 2008, 11:47 PM

Thanks everyone for your participation. We have quite a large panel of talented folks in this one.
Hope you enjoy listening to this as much as I did!

 Mixo_Dorian_mix.mp3 ( 8.43MB ) : 357




Ballistic31
Very nice feel on this one. I love the intro of your lead and the way you built up everything with very tasteful bluesy licks. Your take is a good example of how important rhythm is while soloing. I like the choice of sound you used as well, very southern rock sounding. Great job!

Zizi Top
I love your choice of notes here. The way you blended the Mixolydian scale with the Dorian mode is tasteful and works well. I would recommend working a bit on rhythm placement on a few runs, they sound good, but would sound even better if well placed in rhythm. Actually, after listening I think your placement is good, but your sound makes your notes sound a bit sloppy. Maybe using a little bit less distortion will bring your notes where they should be. Other than that, I really enjoyed your take and look forward to hearing more of your music!

Alex Lewis
I love your intro man! Your lead is very well constructed from beginning to end. Nice build up and great choice of notes. I really like how you blended technique with melodic choice of notes in a way that is pleasing to both advanced players and non players at all. Great job!

Andrew Cockburn
Andrew, it’s always a pleasure to have you in the collabs. What I really admire in your playing here is your vibrato. It’s not too overdone, but just right to bring all the notes alive. Great blend of minor thirds and major thirds. Your lead fits the exercise very well. Good job!

Bali
Bali, I really enjoy your lead. What makes your lead interesting is the rhythm placement that you use while phrasing, and your choice of notes. I really like the second part of your lead starting on the fifth measure. The choice of notes almost gives your improve an eastern feel. Great job and nice construction!

Bluesrock
Some of the ideas you exposed here are quite interesting. I don’t know if they were done on purpose or not though. On the first part of your lead, I can hear the Major 7th of G, which is not in the Dorian or Mixolydian mode. However, they can work if you want to give your improve an off feel. Was that done in purpose? If so that’s great! If not, just be aware of it. The rest of your lead follows the track quite well. Keep up the good work!

Hammerin Hank
Wow, your lead is so full of great licks! You should post the tab of this as I’m sure some of our members would love to have these licks under their belt! Your lead follows the exercise extremely well and is a great example of how to blend the Dorian and Mixolydian mode. Great take my friend! Looking forward for more!

Illuha
Good choice of notes and good lead construction! I really love some of the ideas you developed in this take. Your rhythm placement is sometimes a bit off, but your choice of licks and your idea development compensate for that and make your lead quite enjoyable. Good job!

Matt23
I like your intro a lot! It exposes your theme quite well and sets the overall tone of your ideas. The lick you play on the 7th measure is brilliant. It has a wonderfully weird feel to it that I just love, thanks for sharing it with us! Some of your notes are a little displaced from the rhythm, but that can easily be fixed by continuing to work with a metronome. Great job my friend.

Nick325
Good lead Nick, great use of the minor pentatonic there. I wish I heard a bit more of the Major third though which would give this a more Mixolydian feel. You did use the Dorian quite well though and the color of it is well rendered. Keep up the good work!

Organised Confusion
I like the melodic feel to this man! It’s the kind of lead that people usually remember, good sense of melody is always more important than flashy licks, and you have both! Your mix of Dorian and Mixolydian is very evident and tasteful. Great work!

Siggum
I enjoyed your lead a lot, it’s very well constructed and has a great feel. You have a very special phrasing that is admirable. Your laid back rhythm placement and choice of notes is a pleasure to the ears. I also think the sound you are using fits your take perfectly, what did you use?You’re doing a wonderful job my friend, keep up the excellent work!

Smells
Smells like Steve Vai. Wow! What a great take here! Your licks sound a lot like Satriani’s most famous student and it sounds great! Very nice harmonies and melodies. I love how you blended melodic ideas with high technical interest. You’ll go far my friend, keep it up!

Coffeeman
I like how you decided to play the first part of your lead in Dorian to finish it with the Mixolydian mode. Your licks are tastefully played and follow the directions very well. Your ideas are well developed with a great use of repetition and help your take to develop nicely. Great job!

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi May 27 2008, 03:53 AM

Hi!! Here we have the final mix and the comments. This is my second collaboration and I’m very happy with the results. Thank you all for the participation and for the awesome solos.

I hope that all the GMC’ers like our composition!



See you in the next one!




 La_mansonesca_final_mix.mp3 ( 5.14MB ) : 344




Here you have some comments that I did. I hope that you find it helpful.



Organized confusion:

You didn’t trust in your ideas this time but I think that you did a very interesting solo in the intro of the song. The first part alla Maiden in Wasted years but harmonized is brilliant and very effective for a beginning. Then I like the idea but I would like you to do more strong bends. The licks are great so it’s just practice. I also like your sound.

What did you use? Good job man!



Avodiez:

You did very nice phrases in the first verse. The beginning with an artificial harmonic sounds very good. I like the structure of your solo… I mean te way that it begins with a melody and then becomes faster. You sound is very warm and your picking technique is precise. Well done!



Enucleation:

Hey! The first part of your solo sounds perfect with the song. In the last part you show us that you are very good playing sweeps. It sounds awesome!! However it sounds a bit out of scale. I think that you used arpeggios that aren’t in the tonality of the song. If you use E minor arpeggios it will sound very good. So just a bit of improvisation theory here and we will have a new awesome player!



Superize:

I really enjoyed you take man! It sounds very good and works excellent as a chorus! The notes and arpeggios used are perfect and I just can say that I find a bit of timing problems in the second par of the arpeggios. Good job!



Ztevie

When I heard you first bend I said… wou! This is going to be great! It sounds very rocker! I really like te way you use the pentatonic scale. The licks you do are very of my taste. You are a bluesy and precise rock player. Good take!



Tjchep

You take sound very stoner! And that is very good for me… it’s rocker and dark… You playing is like mysterious in this take. I ca say that your vibrato is very good and sounds perfect with the “sustain” of your guitar. The solo has been played very good and sounds like the verse of the song so I think that you did a great job.



Smells

Yeah!! Excellent guitar solo man! And that’s what I wanted to hear in that part of the song. I can sing you solo after hearing it twice and that’s the idea of a solo for me. Every part is perfect so I just can say keep on the great job! You have to be in a rock band now (If you aren’t yet… ).



Coffeeman:

Hola amigo! A vos te puedo escribir en castellano…. Pero vamos a poner en ingles para que todos entiendan. You worked perfect the last part of the song. I can say that you solo sounds like the end and that means that you did what you have to. You used very cool licks. I can here some Zakk Wylde style and also some Satriani licks there.

Good job!

Posted by: David Wallimann May 30 2008, 10:17 PM

It’s finally here! The Smooth Jazz collab is mixed and comments are here! I had great pleasure listening to your entries and you all did a wonderful job. All your leads are unique and everyone brought something interesting. I think you all have something very important to offer here and I tried to expose what I liked about them
For those who missed my take on this, check out the http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/solo-guitar/smooth-jazz-licks/.
Enjoy!

 Smooth_Jazz_mix.mp3 ( 8.43MB ) : 412


Ballistic 31
Good chops my friend. I like your alternate picking in this one. Your lead is well developed and prepared. Some tempo problems occur on the fast alternate picking run which could be easily fixed with patient metronome repetitive workout. Start on a very comfortable tempo and increase very gradually. If you work with your metronome on a steady basis, you’ll correct that problem in no time. Good job!

Chast
I like the intro to your lead. It builds up quite nicely and really gives the color of the Dorian mode. My suggestion to you would be to take that theme and add some more phrasing tools. Take one of the small licks you used and add to it more expression. It could be done by approaching a note with a bend, or maybe a few chromatic notes every once in a while. That will help your sense of melody shine.

Eddiecat
I enjoyed this take for its great rhythm phrasing. Your lead is very rich in that sense. Things are kept interesting with the use of repetition. That is something to remember, the human ear is always “attracted” to something when it recognizes it. You managed to create that with some recurring rhythm motifs. Good swing and great use of the Dorian scale. Nicely done!

Hammerin Hank
Your sound is very appropriate for this style of music. I admire your phrasing my friend. It’s indeed very smooth. Some of the licks you used are very interesting and have a swing to them that draws the listener in. Your sense of rhythm and swing are present through the whole track and keep the audience fascinated. Great job!

Illuha
I like the way your lead builds up and renews itself on the beginning of each measure. A little suggestion, or idea to work on, would be to try focusing landing on alternative notes not found in the main C minor 7 chord. Try landing on the 9th or the Major 6th to open things up a bit. To do that, locate these notes within the scale box you decide to use and simply build your idea thinking about approaching that chosen note. That will expand your ideas a lot I think and make a good lead even better. Good work!

ItsMe
There are some great ideas in here. I love the way your licks breathe and keep the improvisation interesting. You’re kind of playing a bit after the time which is wonderfully appropriate here. It gives your lead a laid back feel. You have a good technique and nice bluesy phrasing. Great job!

Leedbreak
You have a recognizable touch my friend. Your rhythm motifs are distinctive and I would develop that. You went a bit off scale on the last measure using a minor 6th instead of the major 6th of the Dorian mode. That’s something to watch while phrasing in Dorian as these two notes will clash together. My suggestion here would be to try approaching not so common notes and rest on them to open up your lead. The 9th is always a nice way to start opening things up. Add a bit more silences in your lead between your rhythm motifs will help a lot too. Keep exploring these things my friend, good work!

Organised Confusion
I hear some good ideas in this one! Good use of the Dorian color and nice rhythm approach too. I like the chord approach you have on the 6th measure. Very jazzy! As I suggested to previous leads, I think you would gain from trying to focus on the 9th and Major 6th to open up your ideas a bit. Adding a bit of expression with bends and other guitar tricks would help too. Other than that you did a good job. Keep up the hard work!

Siggum
Man, you phrase really well! There is a great swing to you improve that is very interesting and captivating. I think we can all learn from your rhythm use. Your licks are all tied together and well in place. It gives your lead a real liveliness that reminds me of the way a sax player would improvise. Great work!

Skennington
You did good use of the scales suggested, great job! I think you have things to say in you lead. One thing I would watch is your silences. I noticed that your lead doesn’t have any silences and that would help all your musical idea have a much bigger impact to the listener. Try to imagine your guitar being an extension of your mouth. That will force you to breathe more and will make your playing more expressive. Keep up the good work!

Smells
Some of your ideas are very interesting here. I love your use of chromatic notes to emphasize your licks. Your use of silence between the licks is very well thought. The lick you used at the end of the second measure is very interesting and worth learning. One thing that I noticed in your lead that we should all learn from is the way you play some notes louder than others. It makes your lead alive. Very tasteful work!

Tjchep
I like the laid back feel you gave to this lead. Good choice of notes and nice use of the Dorian scale. You managed here to focus on the important notes and bring all the color of that mode to the listener. I like the control and vibrato you gave to your notes. Your approach to certain notes is very tasteful, especially when you use little slides to “dig” into the notes. The fast lick on measure 7 is a bit out of place in rhythm, a little extra work with Mr metronome should help you there. Good work!

Zizi Top
You have some great phrasing ideas here. I love your use of chords in the 3rd measure. Very jazzy my friend! Your rhythm is a bit laid back which is wonderfully appropriate. Great feel! I like the way all your licks lead to one another. It’s as if one as preparing the next. They seem to respond to each other in a very pleasant way. Great job and thanks for participating!

Coffeeman
Nice use of the chromatic scale! This is a great example of how to accentuate on certain notes by approaching them with chromatic ascending or descending notes. I like your choice of notes here, it sounds very Dorian. Your lead could benefit from a little extra work on your rhythm. This is nothing that you can’t fix though. I like your use of silence here, it makes al your ideas have more impact on the listener, good job!

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jun 29 2008, 10:11 PM

Guys, it started like a regular thing, a minor
spring breeze and then it turned into a
monster summer storm!
We have another mosnter collaboration on our
hands, this time a RECORD BREAKER! biggrin.gif
I think Summary tells it all :

THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING smile.gif


SUMMARY:

Type: Blues Improvising Collaboration
Participants: 23
Full Length: 20min (!)

So as I don't have to much time, let's start
with comments right away, because this is
going to be a long night smile.gif

First let me just say that comments are my opinion on the matter, and they should not be taken for granted. If you think I told you something bad or incorrect please tell me so we can disscus it. I gave my best to give as much as constructive comments I could.


Little note - The participants are placed in a
different order then on the UPLOAD topic
because of DAW's way of importing audio clips



1. Siggum

Very nice creamy sound, starting of with some
nice bends, and developing theme in the major
pentatonic like a true master of blues, very
mature playing. I really like the phrasing,
and muting to accent the rhythm as well. Very
good. Also notes follow the main progression
nicely. There are room for improvements, sound
has some buzzing, and sometimes melody sounds
like you didn't know where to go next. But
this tells that you tried to play by ear adn
with feel, and that is appreciated. Well done

2. Bondy

Nice nice, very good to see that someone is
usign vibe effects in the style of a true
bluesman. Also Fender emulation if I'm not
mistaken adds to that blues vintage feel. This
is an exaple how less is more in the blues.
Very good choice of notes, specially in the
first part. Where there are room for
improvements is with notes and rhythm both.
Too many notes can sometimes get you out of
the groove, specially in the second part. The
ending could be better too, the trick is to
land on the V chord strong note to really nail
it. Work on lead turnarounds, suggest
listening to intros of Freddy Kind, he could
start and finish a song like a true master.

3. fatB0t

And some great heavy modern blues. Like the
preset, lots of mids and suitable for heavy
blues in the style of Gary Moore. Reverb level
is little high, but it can pass. I like the
first lick and bend, little shaky there, but
nicely advancing to that speedy lick, and
finishing off like a true heavy bluesman. Tone
is good, but with that amount of drive, there
is some noise specially with faster passages.
Notes are very important, better to play every
one very clear, and it will sound excellent.
Nevertheless you really tried to play
everything with the right amount of phrasing
and muting, and the energy is great as well,
so a good solo here.

4. bluesrock

Nice raw sound from the guy who likes the
minimalistic apporach on this one. First part
is nice with a try to bend but probably quit
from that idea. Notes are nicely syncopated,
and couldn't help the feeling that an old
bluesman is playing this heavily syncopated.
Even the drive has some degree of originality
and similarity with old school elecric blues
What could be better is melody building and
adding some vibrato or bends to the melody so
it sounds more interesting. Other than that is
very good.

5. Caelumamittendum

Nice licks, starting fast right away, and on
the minor scale, but wiht some nice phrasings.
Also those bends were spot on, very nice, and
the ending lick very precise and very
effective. You seemed liek seeking seeking and
in the secodn part finally find a soul-mode
where you unleash the energy nicely. What I
didn't liek too much is the preset, too harsh
and full of ear piercing presence. THat could
be better, other than that, great playing and
dynamics.

6. cofeeman

And a nice bend vibrato on the start, another
one, and another bend. and some more! wow I
really like the bend+vibrato effects, I can
see someone has been practicing and playing
those. Great double stop licks too, on the V
some great bends too, and finishing of with a
very effective twangy lick + mini tremolo. I
must say this is a great style for blues, but
couple of things could be even better, like
rhythm syncopation and even more steadier
vibrato on all bends, tho it's one of the most
precise here, I can see that you can go even
further if you practice some more. The solo
really gets a whole another dimension with
those nice bends and vibratos. The preset is
mediocre with some buzzing, little harsh but
no big deal, it can be fixed with some
tweaking.

7. Dexxter

WOw what a start, you really get in the zone
fast. I like that free approach where you play
whatever you feel and I can feel you my
friend. Also vibrato is very good although you
don't show it too much. Those 4th intervals
are a good material. On the V there are some
cool bends, then some "lost" notes, and a cool
lick to finish off the solo. What could be
better, well, not much, you pretty played
everything nicely and freely, some notes just
before the last lick seemed that you got lost
a bit, and didn't know what to do for a
moment, but maybe you jsut got outa vibe fora
second. Good feel for the blues tho, adn
preset is very nice.

8. Fran

Very nice celan smooth sound man, and master
solo building/climbing to the IV using those
4th's. The some double stops to spice up, and
ear piercing bends, some bassy lost notes, but
then glued-on a nice lick for an ending. I
really liek the way you started a solo, and
the way you guide it ti the IV, but later
after that piercing bend you seemd kinda lost,
so you recorded a nice lick ot finish it off
effectively. Not a bad thing, very nice, some
more work on maintainig that great feel for
the blues and you'll be fine. Preset a little
harsh on tha tpiercing bend but cool other
than that.

9. Gus

Nice minimalistic intro, with some interesting
bends on the IV change. On the V some nice
climbing on the scale and goind again down on
the V root. Very nice, melodic solo, but a
couple of suggestions. Should wor on dynamics
more, and on bends. They must be strong and
precise. Also preset is too spacey, it makes
your solo floating down bellow the backing
instead being up there to hear it. But
nevertheless, some nice licks, and use of
double stops makes this solo very nice.

10. Henry Dietzel

Starting with a ear piercing bending lick
there, and repeating it to accent it. Nice
development after that, some great
bend/release licks. Very good solo structure,
no speeding and really being carefull about
the tone, muting and bending precision. Also a
nice turnaround lick at the end using A A# B.
I really like that style. Also grace notes
used shows that you liek to play the blues and
knwo classic blues licks very well. Where I
see improvements is vibrato. It can be even
more stable, and wider. Other thing is the
preset, little harsh on the highs but not a
big deal. All in all great and very balanced
solo.

11. jdriver

Another clean minimalistic approach. Very good
and smooth sounding. On the IV little weak but
bringing it down on the I again with elegance.
Also a couple of ntos for V IV I and for the
end little stronger dynamics to finish off
little effectively. What can be better, well
maybe just maybe slihglty less delay, and a
better dynamic could really make this solo
sound pro. Also some vibrato could add a great
vibe too. Other than that the philosophy where
less is more really makes wonders in your
solo, and use of notes is almost perfect.


12. Kaznie

Nice bending lick to start off, and goind to
major scale like a master of blues. I like
mixing major and minot pentatonic very much.
Then that repeat of the lick on the V and
calming things down for the last V turnaround.
Also there are some nice bend release there
in the middle. You really dig the blues major
vibe and I appreaciate that, but more dynamics
and a precise vibrato can make this solo
really shine. My suggestion - practice those
more and you'll sound like a pro. Preset is
great, but spacey, and solo is barely in front
of the backing. It backing soaked it uyp a
little too much.

13. kjutte

Nice intervals, and bends in the start, also
excellent bend release vibrato lick on the IV.
THe followed by some great bending licks too,
adding some grace notes and slow runs along
the scale. On the V IV I some nice melody
building using minor scale licks, even some
modern type in the end using a whammy for a
moment which is very good. Accenting,
phrasing, bending, feeling, you got it man.
Also minor scale use is almost second nature
to you. Add a bit of precision, be carefull
about the tone more, and be carefull not to
play too many unnecessary notes, and you'll
sound like a true pro bluesman and a player.
Preset could benefit with less space imo.

14. matt23

Very nice and smooth, clean sound with some
nice bending vibratos there and a mature
minimalistic approach. Later those bends are
also very nice, and finsihing lick is a great
combo of a blues classics. Now, some more
precise bendings in the middle, better
dynamics, and tone control can make you sound
even better man. By tone control I mean
precise muting and carefull picking so that
notes sound roughly very similar in character.
(Of course not if you don't want them too).
Some analyzing of turnaround licks can enable
you to finish off the solo in a much more
effectvie manner. THe preset is nice and
smooth, I like it for this type of playing.

15. mattacuk

Nice vibrato mate, starting off very nicely
and with feeling. I like how you used that
main theme from the intro in the whole solo. I
can feel that you got in the zone with the
blues. Later some great vibratos again, all in
all very effective and the outro lick is
excellent too. Improvements can be achieved in
the field of vibrato. It is very good, but a
more stable, wider, and slower one would sound
even more fluid. Also preset could be smoother
by a fraction of an inch imo, because clipping
is little too harsh. Other than that it is
great, decently structured and with feel.

16. Nemanja

Very nice man. The woman/man theme/story is a
great idea, shows that you have a creativity
and humor. Also the singing is very good mate,
but little behind the main humoristic idea.
Very nice all in all, and quality of the
recording is also excellent.

17. Pizzoaro

Some pannign exeperimentint here, very nice
sounding, and nice effect "where is that
player" achieved. Also the choice of notes is
very nice, and staccato playing adds to the
style. Tone is very nice, not too harsh, but
the spacing is a little bit too much in
relatioonshop to the backing. It seemed like
the band is playing and you are running up and
down on the 100m stage in the style of Angus
Young. Other than that melody and strucutre of
the solo are great.

18. skennington

Nice intro lick, but... I think you played in
G minor pentatonic instead of E minor. I must
say it does sound good and minimalistic but
seems like you went out of the key on this
one. Other than that it sounds very good, and
I really liek that raw preset too. In the
future I recommend practicing on the minor
pentatonic in the key that the backing is. If
you're not sure how, check out my lessons
about blues, I gave some nice explanations.

19. Slammer

Very nice start with that blues lick involving
bend, following by an awesome bend+vibrato,
and muted bend. Then going to to frenzy mode
unelashing some raw note sequences, followed
by those souldful bends, that really tells me
that you got the feeling for the blue. The
last lick is good, but not great, it can be
better and more effeective, try practicing
some turnarounds. WIth those bends and feeling
I think you can easily manage it. Preset is
also nice and not too harsh, very bluesy.

20. sticky fingers

Starting off with nice licks bend+release, and
adding some grace notes, and following the
progression very nicely. The last lick is very
good and effective. 2 things can be even
better and those are vibrato and rhythhm.
Interesting preset, modern hi gain blues,
little harsh at moments because of the
clipping but all in all very very good. I like
that modern style and wiht some wider vibrato
it can really shine.

21. TJchep

Very smooth start, with some nice twangy
licks, followed by >whole step bends that I
really like, and very good vibrato. On hte V
there is a change, my guess you played with
pikc there and with more gain. I liked teh
first part better but the second is very good
too with some great licks. What can be better
is soloing structure, lots of good licks, but
you must connect them together in a good way
so that they sound like a whole. Presets are
great specially hte first one.

22. USAMAN

Nice twangy licks right away followed by a
good efective tremolo. THen some electric
blues licks in E major pentatonic that sound
very nice, On the V a good minimalistic
apporach and the outro lick is great, I can
see that you have played turnarounds before.
What can be better is possibly muting the
strings, and developing tone even further TO
really play the notes cleanly and not to pick
the notes that are not played. Presets (both
of them) are cool and acoustic/electri mix
sounds very nice. Add a more stable vibrato
and it will sound top notch.

23. ZiZi Top

Very nice, guitar and a good voice. Yo have
the color in your voice and it sounds nice,
but more practicing can really shine. Also
those effects at the end is very good. About
the guitar, it very nice, I really lie that
heavy rhtyhm blues style. SPecially slide
effects. SLighlty less gain, little more
middle and more tone control will make your
playing sound even better. Great job.

24. My Take

my modest contribution

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=8200

Posted by: Nemanja Filipovic Jun 30 2008, 12:10 AM

Hi guys.Thanks for participating in this collab,it turn out great.And I had so much fun working on it.


Number of participants : 8

 Final_Mix_And_Comments.mp3 ( 6.47MB ) : 402



Comments:

Bluesrock:

Well man,you did capture that twist energy,but my general advice would be to work on you tone controle,that comes with practice,and patient as you know,but it would help you a lot when it comes to make your good ideas sounds even better.
Of course you are getting better with every collab you do.So that is a great thing when progress is noticable.All in all good job.

Gus:

Good take very much in the style of this collab.The first part you did great(Battman style ) like an very nice intro in to second part of your take witch is musical,and like idea great.Your tone is nice and groove is there for shore.

Henry:

well this is great Henry,melodies are so in the same hand simple and intelligent.Great take man.I felt that you chose the best color possible tone this collab.Great take once again.

Ivan.:

Well what to say...you are my personal guitar idol.:)Beautiful,fast,clean and every note is on the place.Great!!

Kaznie:

Very good melody Kaz,in few places I think you needed to add more vibrato on longer notes.I really like how you came in to a second part of the coollb,very cache melody.All in all,very good Kaz.

Matt23:
Melodies are good,there is to much of drive for this kind of music(IMO).But you did control it well and come trough with good concept for this solo.Really like the ending.

OC.
Very nice my friend,nice tone and concept.like the octaves at the end,they give it a great touch to the whole take.The ending is very melodic,and the whole second part too.Very Good OC.

Siggum:
Very good thinking there,and your dynamic is great too.Really haw nothing to add from technical point of view.I like it very much.Great job.

Posted by: David Wallimann Aug 4 2008, 04:22 PM

A few weeks ago, I posted a funky backing track for you to create an interesting lead. You have all worked hard and the results paid off. What we have here is eight very different approaches that prove once again that hard work and dedication are key to success.

I hope you enjoy this final collaboration as much as I did!

 Funky_collab_mixed.mp3 ( 6.23MB ) : 312



Caelmamittendum

There are some really good ideas in here. Some of your licks are original and prove a good mastery of your instrument. I like the rhythm placement of each ones of your ideas. One little thing I would suggest to improve even more is to tie all these ideas together with a stronger melodic feel. Try to find a theme that the listener could sing without a guitar in his hands. Then add some guitar tricks like some of the licks you used. The second part however is great and doesn't need anything other than what you did. Great use of open strings and great feel.Good job!


Fatbot

I love the sound you chose here. Fat and tasty, great job! Your lead is well constructed and you show a good understanding of how to deal with the modulation. One thing you could work on is precision in the fast parts. The opening section of the second part has a great start, but gets a little bit sloppy at the end of your alternate picking sequence. Nothing you can't overcome though. Great job overall!


Smells

You did a great job preparing the second part. You are a good technician and everyone can tell that. But you are also a good musician using some nice melodic ideas. I would encourage you to develop that side of your musicianship. Create themes in your head before reproducing them on the guitar. There is nothing like a strong heartfelt melodic lead mixed with strong guitar technique. Great work, keep it up!


Organizedconfusion

I love your crunch tone, it works very well here. You did a good job building up your lead to the second part. I like the rhythm placement of your ideas. You could work a bit on a stronger melodic feel. Prepare your lead without the guitar will help you free yourself from sounding too much like a guitar player (that's an odd statement...) What I mean by that is that doing so will create stronger themes that will touch the audience in a deeper way whether your audience has an understanding of your instrument or not.


TJchep

I love your tone man. What did you use to get that sound! Your vibrato is remarkable and so pleasing to the ear. Your lead is quite melodic, but not conventional. I like it! You have somewhat of a Satriani feel without completely copying him. Excellent work!

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Aug 6 2008, 12:39 PM

Here it is guys, a collab is finally finished, it took me 3 hours to complete the comments so this means we had another monster collab on our hands smile.gif


SUMMARY:

TYPE: GARY MOORE STYLE
PARTICIPANTS: 22
LENGTH: 12m 31s

Here are the comments. Again, like every time I must say that I'm just a human with subjective opinions and not a machine. I really tried to write the best possible comments, and please forgive me for all the typos, and potential misleads and mistakes.

I would like to thank each and everyone of you and compliment everyone, because now, after a few collab under my belt I'm quite familiar with your playing and can really tell what kind of progress you have made (and me along with you!). It is phenomenal to hear the final mix, and hear so much great and quality made solos. Thank you all again.

The participants are in a,b,c order:


Alex Lewis
Nice bending starting and staccato mini lick. After that
a cool legato mini run. All the time you are applying
some nice vibratos, which is great. You kinda little
loose the sustain on that bend - it would sound even
better if that bend remained up, such a feeling in there!
In the end we have a nice staccato licks again, great
phrasing, and a cool lick to finish off. The tone is
really nice and smooth, just right amount of drive, and
blends in nicely with the track. I have a couple of
suggestions, first, a more controlled vibrato would sound
even better, then that strong bend, it sounded great, and
it would really benefit from longer sustain. Also, the
structure of the solo was great in the first part, but
later, you seemed kinda what to do next. This is also a
good thing because I can see that you were improvising.
Great job.

Andrew Cockburn
Great intro bend and vibrato, and beautiful melodic
building, climbing more and more using wide precise bends
all the time and in the end a stunning "moore-ish" kind
of lick expressing burst of emotions. Great solo indeed,
tone is excellent to, smooth, and recognizable which is
always a great thing. If we really wanna go into
details, I would really wanted a little more clarity on
those runs, and faster executing of bends at some points
- that would make this solo perfect and even gary moore
would say that I suppose! smile.gif excellent!

bluesrock
nice minimalistic approach, really adds certain laid back
vibe to the track, nice and gentle, with a good choice of
notes. It is really hard to play this kind of way, to be
able to play little notes and say a lot, and I think you
got it mate. Tone is cool too, if it were little smoother
it would be excellent, but that is a matter of personal
preference. One thing to add - although you have the
talent for that minimalistic approach, more practice is
desireable for achieving more smoother tone/feel and
phrasing. For example, you did great with those ghost
notes, why not throwing in some vibrato on some notes?
That would make this solo pro-sounding believe me. All in
all great job.

Caelumamittendum
starting of fast right away with some whammy licks that
sound really cool, then moving on to some more whammy
licks with a pinched that sound even cooler. Then seems
to me you glued on a second part, that starts with some
nice fast licks, applying some bends, and finishing of
nicely with pinched. regarding tone, it's a bit fuzzy but
ok, I noticed that you like this tone, so why not - if
it's ok to you than no problem. The solo itself is great,
whammy use is really cool, and adds to your style, it is
recognizable. Also executing it with taste and control is
something that you succeeded, but on the verge. Structure
of the solo is not too great, this includes the glued on
part too, but you did managed to make it cool and
complete. so, although you rule the whammy - more
practice on bends, vibrato, and precision whit the pick
in those fast runs.

chast
very interesting sounding minimalistic clean solo, with
some nice phrasings. bend release very nice, and those 2
similar licks, the second one by the octave higher really
sounded cool and expressive. The tone is a little ruff
and bassy, but very smooth and warm so I forgive. smile.gif Also
in the end a nice expressive lick would lie down very
nicely intead of lets-get-back-to-the-root kinda way
sequence. Upgrading a little your lick library is what I
recommend, and also more use of bending/vibrato.

fatb0t
Nice nice intro from arppegio, very melodic build after
that, bend and vibrato cool, and climbing to the strong
note very nicely, then a great bending lick and a strong
expressive bend, followed by a cool run and several
successive bends that are very expressive too. WHat can I
say, this sounds great indeed. Everything is in it's
place, well thought, and very nicely structured, you have
a talent for melody and solo structuring, and also have
the technique to back it up. This is not the fastest solo
around, but it is one of the best, because of the
precision, and the clever choice of techniques and
phrases involved. I do have some thoughts of course, but
nothing concrete, just some fine tuning of all techniques
involved. As most people would say: it is good but it can
always be better, so more practicing on bends, vibrato,
and rhythm playing (to really lock on to that click) will
really really improve your playing, and take it to the
next level. great solo

Fran
nice bending start, and a lot of fast vibrato use. THen
some volume playing, and classic bending licks, followed
by a nice&expressive bend in the end to finish off. Tone
is nice, but a little harsh and buzzy, some playing with
drive pot can change that in a second. Melody building is
great, specially in the first part. Also that bending
lick in the end is very effective. WHat I suggest is
practicing bending more, to really execute those bends
not only precisely but fast too.this will really enhance
you playing imo. other than that it's great stuff.

Gilmore
great intro licks, two successive bending jewels with
awesome phrasing, very expressive. And them some nice
picking sequence, followed by nice bend/vibrato and some
more picking. Then some great fast and clear pentatonic
legato licks, some more, melodic building and in the end
a monster fast pentatonic run that really sounded just
like Moore's! Regarding tone it is really great, among
the best, I like that warm sound of the pick, and the
space is great too. I can see that you've practiced some
bending and vibrato, but bend+vibrato requers some more
work to really sound great an precise. If you played that
bend+vibrato (and you played them a lot) more precisely
and wider - it would sound like the great gary moore
itself. SOme minor mistakes besides that not worth
mentioning, and all in all a great solo.

Iluha
Nice start using legato and sustain, really gentle and
melodic. THen a sharp bend, and some sharp expressive
picking, a little pinched bend that lose a little
sustain, another one little shorter, and a good ending in
legato style again. TOne is cool, little buzzy, but it
can pass. Phrasing is great, and the feel is great too,
but again, those bend are a little problem that a couple
of hours hanging out with a click can sort out. Structure
is cool, and you have a feeling for rhythm, throwing in
notes on various places in the beat, and staying with th
click. Really cool soloing mate.


ItsME
And here we have some solo based on moore's sig licks,
very nicely executed, I can see that you used his solo
for inspiration, and it must have been inspiring because
it sounds great. Phrasing and tone are excellent, and
because you haven't used a lot of drive, it sounds even
more defined and mix-cutting. Reverb is little dull and
shallow, but it can pass. Bends are great, but
bend+vibrato can not be heard, and that is also one of
the trademarks of Gary Moore, and one of the very
important techniques to learn. So a metronome in hands a
to practice some vibrato technique.

jdriver
Nice clean start, great singlecoil sound, and gentle
melodic soloing. Minimal choice of notes, but maximal
effect because of the correct tone use. Also rhythmically
it is not dull at all, very nicely executed and carefully
chosen the place of the notes in the bars too. THose few
hammer-ons really add to the atmosphere nicely. Tone is
nice, little muddy, I would like it to be more sparkly,
but it's just a matter of preference really. If you were
trying to achieve that jazzy type of sound you were very
close indeed. I could only add maybe one bend and a
couple of vibratos to this solo and then for em it would
be even better. All in all good job man.

kaznie_NL
Nicely started with few notes, and panned guitars with
the left one on the 3rds. That is a very cool idea, and I
like the fact you made the part just like two guitars
were talking, and the left one just accents right's notes
here and there. Again clean and minimalistic approach
with a very very light crunch, so the tone is great. I
would like some more expressivness tho, like some nice
vibrated notes, to go along with those ghost slides.

Matt23
Starting fast with some bending licks, and taking of with
a whammy bar, then some nice staccato and bendings, and a
run in the end. THe sound is very muffled and scooped, it
really lacks a definition. Adding a little more mid
will solve this problem easily. regarding the playing it
is great, some nicely composed licks, and a decent
structure. In the middle part, there are some notes that
didn't quite fit in nicely, but hey, improvisation is
hard of course, only the masters play every note right.
So more practicing on bends, and more precise execution
of that run in the end will make it soudn even better
mate. Good job.

MickeM
again some nice melodic licks similar to gary moore's but
then but with nice personal seal too. THose bends are
very nice, and that one in the middle is not quite on
pitch but OK, the second part seems a bit different and
really like you you came back to bass notes. Those
melodic passages really have the gary moore vibe. Playing
is cool, the tone is very nice, not to bright and harsh.
Everything is in it's place as far as the structure goes
too, the only thing I can comment is that unprecise bend,
and a couple of notes that were not on click, besides
that it is a great solo indeed.

Organized_Confusion
Nice start, very interesting and melodic, with great
accentuation of strong notes. Then we have some natural
harmonics nicely blended in, followed by some beautifull
melodic passages, and in the end a couple of notes to
finish off. All in all a very nice little solo, small
choice of notes, but effective and the phrasing was good
too. I would prefer some bends and vibrato too, to really
add to expressivness of the solo, but it can pass of
course. Tone is also very nice and gentle.

Siggum
Very nice tone, and great start with some excellent notes
and (little unsecure) bends, Great phrasing, and melodic
building. In the second part a nice climbing, and some
great finish bends. tone is great, little punchy and
trebly, but not harsh and ear-piercing, it sounds pretty
good, and it cuts through the mix nicely. Regarding the
playing, it is great, and the structure of the solo is
good as well, but what the solo would really benefit even
more is from longer and more secure bends. You seem to
hold them too short, not holding them in pitch correctly
and vibrate the string which adds to the incorrectness of
the pitch. But no worries there, with a littel practice,
and more stable bends, this solo is one of the best
around.

silentkap
Nice legato intro, and melodic seqeunce. The you change a
key a go into a different pentatonic scale, but it sounds
cool nevertheless, very fresh. Tone is really cool, lots
of space there, and smooth sounding. I prefer less space,
but this is OK if you like it that way, the guitar seems
to far in the distance somehow. The choice of notes is
very good, but it can be even better, with a good
effective ending. What you would benefit from the most is
practicing some licks, and scale theory. ALso a small run
would sound great in there.

skennigton
starting off nicely with a couple of notes, and carrying on in a
great melodic manner, using a couple of slides along the way.
then a cool bend in the middle, and a little climbing up, then
another bending lick, and another climbing for the end of the
solo. Tone is great, very mellow and gentle, but also with just
right amount of drive. Space is cool too, perhaps little long, but
if you like it it's cool to me as well. regarding playing, it's all there
in a nice decent structure, and nicely balanced. The only thing I
would suggest is add a couple of bends here and there. This will
really give the solo another dimension, and make it even better.
Great job man.

Slammer
Nice bending start, and some bending licks with some nice
phrasing, followed by some crazy and fast pentatonic
legato runs in the style of gary moore. smile.gif the running
continues to the end where you finish off with - guess
what a pentatonic run! tone is cool, little harsh and
scooped but OK. The structure of the solo is not too
cool, because you seemed ok at starts, moved to
pentatonic runs, but stayed on them almost exclusively
till the end. If you only stopped for a moment for some
nice expressive slow licks it would be even better, but
this way is nice too. Pentatonic runs are ok, more or
less, needs more precision and clarity, but fast and
furious indeed! Great playing.

Smells
And smells plays it cool and melodic! nice melody right
from the start, simple but very very expressive and
effective. I really liked the part where your guitar
becomes louder and adds more drive. Those bends are
really moving, and I can really feel them, that's how
good they are. Also vibrato is very good too, but not too
precise on bends. Must work on that a bit mate, and it
will be phenomenal. The run in the end is a like and
icing on the cake, cutting through a mix like a sharp
knife and penetrating right through the hearth. Tone is
great, and other than some fine tuning of your technique
i have no complaints. Great playing.

TJchep
Great start with those bend+releases, and vibratos. Also
some whammy played once in a while and with taste really
adds to the mood. THat little run in the end is also nice
one, within the limits and played good and clear. tone is
smooth and nice man, i can recognize it always, as so
your style. Keep rockin TJ, you have the talent for
expression, and if you work hard, I think you can really
sound great in some time. Work more on bend+vibrato, and
try to incorporate some sliding techniques that will go
along nicely with those legato passages you are found
off.

UncleSkillet
Great intro bends, a small run and some great expressive
bendings with a vibrato on top too. in the second part,
some nice passages, and two string intervals descending.
a small ascend again and a great emotional bend to finish
up nicely. tone is really great, trebly, but not harsh at
all, really smooth and mix-cutting. The structure of the
solo is great too, improvised great and keeping a steady
balance until the end in a little bit of this-little bit
of that manner. You play vibrato nicely, but some more
work on bend+vibrato is gonna make your playing even
greater and even more expressive mate. Great job.

wrk
And for last, but far away from worse (more to say like
the best imo), comes wrk, and plays it very smooth and
relaxed, with some great bends and melodic sequences. The
color is great, very warm and smooth, and phrasing
excellent, with a lot of taste and feeling for both the
rhythm and harmony. I got nothing to complain here, maybe
only to throw in a suggestion about those bends+vibratos.
THey are good, but not great. Your playing is great.


MINE TAKE:

OK for the end you can hear my take from my next lesson: Gary Moore Style Intermediate/Advanced that will be live soon. Stay tuned. smile.gif


http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=8942

Posted by: Smells Aug 20 2008, 12:28 AM

14 takes in all and the track is 5m 40s

First off apologies to Alex & Kjutte who both posted solo`s with backing only so I`ve mixed them in as best I could.

I wont comment too much just a couple of lines on each & remember the comments are only an opinion

 Shreddies_Final_mix.mp3 ( 7.78MB ) : 432




MURIS

First up is Muris, awesome take as always, blistering speed with total precision ... I hate you not really ya know that aint true, thanks for taking part mate, an honour AWESOME!!!!!

Enucleation

A real toughy for me to mix in this one, your levels where all over the place throughout and I had to make a bit of a compromise in the end so apologies if some of your take is a little quiet. Some good ideas in there, I could hear that, but I think just some work on your tone and mixing of the other guitar parts and we`ll be able to hear them all a lot better, good job on the whole though

Mario

A nice start to your take, and some decent ideas developing afterwards as well, timing a little off in the middle but thats just practice and you finished strongly as well, nice one, well done

Tjchep

I think you struggled with this one a little, not a lot of time to really express yourself like you do so well with your strong vibrato, I really liked your opening, a little more attack on it and it would have sounded even better, I`m glad you gave it a shot, some practice on longer flowing runs with alternate picking and you`ll be flying through these like you do the others , great effort mate

Suprize

A solid take throughout mate, kept well within the limits, some vibrato work to get a little more life into the notes would improve your take, well done!

Vasilis

Nice nice nice, very nice! really strong from start to finish, liked your take a lot, lost your way slightly with timing slap bang in the middle but pulled it back and finished strongly, great job

Alex Lewis

well you gave me two takes with the backing but never mind, I mixed it in best I could, Nice take throughout I thought mate right after the tapping part you seemed to lose your way a little and then did a little egyptian style thing that seemed to come out of no where but on the whole you did a good job, thanks for joining in

Botoxfox

I always think you put in a strong take on the collabs you enter mate, personally I think your takes would sound totally outstanding if you work on your tone a little more, for me its a very harsh & thin sound, do you have lots of reverb on as well?? just my opinion, excellent job

Stickyfingers

Nice opening arpegios and great finish to your solo, the middle seemed a little lost if you know what I mean with no real direction and didnt match the start and end, apart from that a great effort, well done

Dexxter

The start of your solo was a little like Stickyfingers middle, seemed a little lost in comparison with the rest of your take which on the whole was very good, I thought the ending was brilliant! nice one

Siggum

thanks for joining in mate, I know metal/shred isnt really your bag, just gotta get your head down and go for it thanks mate, great effort & well done!

Leedbreak

Good to see you back around Jason! unmistakable style that you have, your kind of thing this lots of fast AP runs, I wasnt sure at first about the part towards the end that you did but when I was mixing it in it made more sense to me of what you where trying to do and I liked the idea, the timing of it was a little off but hey! thats one great thing you always seem to try and do, add a twist of Leedbreak in there which I think is great! thanks for joining mate,

Kjutte

Again apologies to you, you only gave me a solo with the backing only so I could only mix it in best I could, excellent start flying straight in tailed off slightly towards the end as if you`d ran out of ideas a little, but on the whole a nice job, thanks

Kaznie_NL

And finally my old chum Kaz never afraid to just go for it! I like that for effort you get full marks mate, still cutting those notes off a little short but a definate improvement from the last collab so a big well done! adding a touch of vibrato now too? great, just keep working the way you are and improvising as much as you can, it takes time which you have on your side, just keep working as hard as you do, great stuff!

Posted by: Siggum Aug 27 2008, 12:40 PM

First of all i wanna thank everyone who participated in my first collab, it was a pleasure listening to all of your takes, and i certainly didnt expect this many entries

Because of the ammount of takes the comments will be relatively short. Also keep in mind that i am no master or expert on guitar, theese are just my personal view on your takes and i might not know how long everyone of you has been playing.

Due to the length of the track, ive written the time of your solo, just in case your too lazy to liste to the whole track to get to your take

Sorry for the massive file size, its worth downloading though

number of participants : 24

Here is the final mix : http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=18916&pid=248844&st=0&#entry248844


Smells
0.0-0.43

Your tone and phrasing is great and i love the arpeggiatted run near the end. I also think its great the way you build the solo slow in the beginning and add more power and notes later to make it rise with the track.

Tjchep

0.43-1.23

Nice take man, The start of solo is not as dedicated as the end where you really seem to know what to play. I've always said that you have a great vibrato, and i like the way you used it here, not too much but you spiced it up in the end wich sounds great.

Muris

1.23-2.06

Beautifull take Muris, i love the phrasing and the melodic runs,they fit the track perfectly. The "whale" like sound is a great touch as well and adds diversity to the solo, just brilliant

Wrk

2.06-2.46

I love the first riff you make, very strong and dedicated, also you played one of the most beautifull runs in this collab, with the bend just before the second part of the track. Overall a great solo, with nice phrasing and note choice.

Andrew C.

2.46-3.26

Great solo as well, i love the long note in the beginning, and the way you attack the string to make it more powerfull is great. Great arpeggiated run in the middle as well, adds diversity. I love the way you end the solo as well, very convincing.

USAMAN

3.26-4.08

Very interresting take here, the run you make in the beginning sounds very original and is easy recognizable, something happens with your sound after that, im not sure if its on purpose or not but somehow it still sounds good, overall a great solo.

Caelumamittendum

4.08-4.50

Nice take Cael, i like licks in the beginning, your phrasing is great as well, perhabs your not 100% sure what to play in the second part of the solo but nothing wrong with that, its still a great take. PS. thanks for uploading a video take as well, was fun

Iluha

4.50-5.25

Great solo Iluha, you seemed to have many nice ideas here, excellent note choice as well, and the whole solo is well connected from A to B, also you phrased very melodically, wich s great offcourse.

Skennington

5.25-6.08

Smooth tone you used here, works pretty good for this track. I would say you shouldnt be afraid to try and use some vibration here and there, but considering how long you have played i think its a very nice solo, you bend alittle as well, and you make some nice melodic runs.

Bali

6.08-6.50.

Crazy introduction riff, very powerfull but original at the same time. Perhabs your tone is a little sharp, but somehow it fits the way you play. Very interrestering phrasing as well, good job.

Kyldee

6.50-7.31

Very mellow introduction, wich sounds great also your tone is alot more fitting now than in your first takes, i would work alittle but on trying to bend and vibrate to connect your ideas, you hit a wrong note in the end, but its no big deal good job overall.

Nemanja

7.31-8.13

It's always a pleasure to listen to your ideas and takes Nemanja, this is great as well i especially like the part where you sing " in this world" it has a very strong effect, perhabs a different melody to line up to the finish could have been used, but thats just a preference, great take mate

Bubbalicious

8.13-8.52

Fun little riff in the intro here, however your tone is a little thin, i think it could benefit from a bit of distortion and delay. Your phrasing is pretty good though and i think it would sound even better if you let some of the notes ring out more, to make them breathe.

Henry Dietzel

8.52-9.33

Great take Henry, i love your original ideas, and your excellent rhythmic phrasing. Also your note choice is becoming a trademark of yours by now i think , i really like the way you build up the solo near the end with the fast runs, sounds awsome.

Vasilis

9.33-10.14

Really odd intro you make here, but its very catchy at the same time, going a bit out of tune on purpose, very original. Great rhythmic phrasing and note choice as well, i like the build up to the end is very nice as well, but the ending riff itself is a little weak, overall a great take though.

Coffeeman

10.14-10.57

Beautifull take man, your note choice is very good and fits this track perfectly.I like your tone too, your arpeggio run wasnt too strong, but this was overall a great solo with loads of "feel" in it.

Velvet Roger

10.57-11.35

Very soft and mellow introduction, perhabs your tone could use alittle more middle and treble. Some more vibrato at the end of the notes would probably do you good here. Nice melodic runs though, especially in the beginning of the second part of the track you came up with a nice riff, good job.

Dexxter

11.35-12.16

Great solo Dexxter, i like the way you slowly build it up, and then add more in the second part. Some nice rhythmic phrasings ideas here as well, perhabs you could work alittle on

your tone to make it smoother, either by some chorus, or some delay. Great job overall.

Kjutte

12.16-12.55

Awsome solo Kjutte, loads of feeling here very nice. Also i love the way you make the guitar scream, its a bit sad that the last part faded too quick, but untill then you've played a brilliant solo, great job.

Wollace

12.55-13.39

Very smooth intro you played here, i like that idea very much, great use of effect, you bend a bit too high on one of thoose notes, however its no big deal.The rest of the solo is pretty solid, good job overall.

Scorpiotic.

13.39-14.19

I think you got some good ideas, but are still a bit unsure on how to excecute them. First i think you should try and hold the notes a bit longer, to tie them together more smoothly, secondly your tone itself could some delay, distortion or even reverb to make it come more alive. The note choice however is pretty good, and like i mentioned in the beginning, its a matter of time because you can express your ideas better.

Kaznie

14.19-15.00

Your progressing alot Kaznie, you came along way since your first collab takes. I like your tone here, and you hit some pretty nice melodies as well, in the second part you seemed to be more focused on what to play and it sounded more dedicated than the first part. Good job overall.

Superize

15.00-15.41

Great introduction, you seem to be very confident in your playing here, and your making some nice little melodic riffs here and there, you were abit more unsecure in the second part of the track, but thats allright i think you did a great job, i know its not the kind of genre you would normally play too.

Patrik Jezierski

15.41- end of track.

What a way to end this collab, this was one of the most powerfull takes. Outstanding phrasing here Patrick,and great control over the instrument. You made some brilliant melodic runs during the last part, awsome tone as well fits this track perfectly. Got Nothing to critize here

Posted by: David Wallimann Aug 28 2008, 03:53 PM

 Funk_Rock_finished.mp3 ( 10.97MB ) : 515



A few weeks ago, I opened a new collab where you had to record your leads over a funk-rock backing track. The results are here and I must admit that you all really impressed me with your takes. They are all unique and awesome, each one bringing their unique taste to the mix. Excellent job everyone, I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as I did!


Henry Dietzel

You have some very tasteful licks there my friend! All of your ideas are excellent and deserve to be studied. The laid back feel that you play with is so fitting to the track, really amazing demonstration of style and taste. Wonderful job! I really like the control that you have over the notes you play. You add some character to each note and that's just too good to listen to only once...


Smells

I love your precision bro, your notes are very precise and cut in the mix very well. Nice demonstration that technique should always serve a great melody. I like the use of harmonies, very good way to add a touch of coolness to specific musical parts. Very nice job, very recognizable guitar playing as well.


Xuestor
I like the dryness of your sound, it gives your lead a lot of character. I admire your lead even more because effects often help hide mistakes. With your take, what you hear is what you get and it sounds good! I can tell that you have a lot to say on your instrument and you are using simple tools to express yourself which is proof of great musicianship. You have great potential man!


Siggum
Interesting lead there. You used a keyboard, so I will only comment on your phrasing. Your technique is good to my ear but keyboard is not my specialty. Your phrasing is what counts here and you did a great job! Your ideas are very well linked together by a great use of rhythm placement. You bring the listener to that special place and it works. You also prove a good understanding of how well placed silences have an important role in a well constructed lead. Now take your guitar and reproduce what you played. :-)


TJchep
Your tone is so creamy! I absolutely love it man! Your lead is wonderful and very smooth. Not many notes, but you used great ones. Your lead makes me think of a painter in front of a painting with no colours. You added color to the picture and really gave the track a unique feel that is very convincing. Wonderful job, I can't get enough of it. :-)


Skillet
Your lead is very well constructed, starting slowly with a very simple them and getting into more challenging ideas. I love your use of repetition, that is a principle that should always be aplied. Humans usually find much pleasure in hearing, or popularity of remixes). Applied to music, that concept can bring your lead to new heights. You understand that and applied it very well. Excellent lead!


kjutte
You have some nice ideas and good chops! I love your vibrato technique. It's not exaggerated, but enough to bring alive any note you play. Good construction of your lead as well. That alternate picking lick is well thought and helps the lead take a new breath. One little thing I would try on the next one is to tie everything together with some kind of theme or common idea in all your licks. It sounds a little bit like a collection of licks but that can be fixed easily! :-)


fatbOt
Great take, very rocking lead. I like your ideas and how you managed to blend a bunch of cool licks together without getting repetitive. One thing comes to mind when I listen though that could help you sound even better is to play a bit more with silences and longer notes. That will give the listener time to "digest" what he just heard and help him stay focused on the rest of your lead. Other than that, good tone and good playing!


ballistic31
Good work on building up a lead. You started with slow ideas, exposing the color of the scale and added to it bringing some more technical ideas into the mix. A few notes sound a bit off at times, that's because you went with the Aeolian scale instead of the Dorian scale. Both of these scales are very close. Only one note changes between them and that is the note that sometimes clashes in your lead. Not a big deal though... The backing track can be played Dorian, because the rhythm guitar plays a Major 6th in one of the chords instead of the minor 6th. You used the minor Aeolian scale which has a minor 6th, hence the friction between these two notes.
Good job though!

Posted by: Nemanja Filipovic Aug 31 2008, 06:59 PM

Thanks every body for participating in this collab.This was a record for me when it comes to number of participants.
Ok here we go with comments.


 Fine_Rock_Melodies_Final_Mix.mp3 ( 10.03MB ) : 285




Order of upload.

No.of participants:18

Superize
Smells
Vasilis
Tjcep
audiopal
kyldeee
siggum
Alex Lewis
Col Roberts
Bali
Bluesrock
leadbrake
Velvet Roger
Oxac
Lian
melodius
coffeman
Kaznie


And mine plus comments:


Vasilis:
Nice ideas here,expecialy liked the slide intro.I can see some good technique here,also I think you should haw a bit better tone control on faster and higher notes.All in all very good take man.

Smells:
Wow,perfect take Smells,good tone(witch is to me the most important thing)speed,and excellent frazing.Your solo ideas are great,and you can hear experience for shore.All in all,great take Smells.

Superize:
Well first part is good when it comes to idea,but I think that you need to practice a bit more frazes like that,so gain a bit more tone quality,also I missed the vibrato on the longer notes here.Vibrato is some thing to practice and it means a lot.Second part,where you come in with deeper notes,just before the end I like.It is a good take,am I shore that the more collabs you do you will become better,because I can hear that talent is there.

Tjchep:
Very nice take man,I like the effect you put on your guitar,blends very nice.Frsing is great,and the you really made a nice difference between the first and the second part,thaty kind of dynamic crescendo is very smart move on this backing track.All in all great take man.

Audiopal:
Oh,I really enjoy this take,nothing to add accept..Beautiful.Emotional,very smart solo and very well played,like the clean sound too.Thanks man,great take.

Kyldeee:
Very nice and simple take,you made a melody out of it,witch I like very much,expetialy the part just before the end..Good take man.

Siggum:
Great take man,really enjoy it.Melodies are great and the tone too.Scales are well played,and with scents.Thanks man,once again great take.

Alex Lewis:
Good take man,I like the long notes,maybe you should control them a bit better on the ends of the frazes.Nice tone in general,and I like the amount of drive you put for this take.

Col Roberts:
I like the second part with the intervals,first part needed to be with a bit more control,and with less drive in my opinion.Idea is great,very original all in all.

Bali:
Nice take man,once again I think that notes that need vibrato don't haw a much of him.Arpeggios are well played,and Idea for solo is good.Like the jump on the beginning too .Thanks man,good Take.

Bluesrock:
I really like the beginning,and I think you should made a bit more of the second part,not in the way you played,but in melodic way.You did the melodic crescendo,but IMO,you should go to octave higher.I certainly feel progress in you playing.
Thanks man.

Leadbrake:
Very original take man,I wish you uploaded one with backing and one without,bout are with,but I manage some thing,and every thing works out great.Very good idea,and I really like your tone,frazing is great,control too.Great take man.Thanks.

Velvet Roger:
Nice and original take man,especially the second part.You should maby work on your tone and drive amount.But except that take is very good.
Thanks man.

Lain:
Amazing man.Just showes how good guitarist you are,if you can play some thing out of the music you love and it steal sound great and innovate.Thanks man,great take.

Oxac:
On,this sounds so great man.
Melodies are great and the way you played too.Tone is a killer one.All in all great take man.

Melodius:
Great warm take man,second part is a killer one.Very smart.I really liked the take man,nothing to add.Thanks.

Coffeman:
Nice take man,I would go with less drive here,but steal sounds very good.Idea is good and frazing too.Very well played.Thanks.

KAznie:
You are improving my friend.Very good take,and you played it ok.I dont like your tone,but frazing is ok.
Good take Kaznie.Thanks.


The order is random,and it does not haw any special meaning.I rally did my best to help with comments as much that I know and I can.
I think that you all played great,and whats more important you improved from the last one,and from all of the collabs you did here at GMC.
Thanks guys.

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Aug 31 2008, 07:45 PM

LITTLE ROCK COLLAB

Ok guys this was a very interesting collab , I want to thank you all for participating.We got a lot of different feelings in solos in this one and diversity of styles!! I tried hard to accent my comments mostly on how to improve playing and being constructive (rather than on good parts).Please keep in mind that these are my subjective opinions/taste.I am very pleased to have an honor to collaborate with all of you all over the world Have fun listening to final product !!

HERE IS THE FINAL MIX :

 Little_Rock_Collab_Final_Mix.mp3 ( 7.02MB ) : 280


Participiants : 16

I arranged takes in order which you recorded and sent them to me:

Comments :

Tjchep

Ok we are opening this collab with Tj's take.Your tone is pretty good , especially in dynamics.Maybe its a little too raw , lowering gain a bit would help.Overall it captures your fingers and guitar character nicely.Melody idea is very nice , though I get an impression that this is done in one take "jamming style", so It has good and not so good phrases.You could have played it few times more to get an clearer idea for your solo and refine melodies..One more thing , you played it pretty dirty , its cool to have "finger noise" when preparing for cool bendy phrases , but somehow you overdid it.Try muting a little more here and there.This is overall very energetic and emotional take , I really liked it a lot! Those are just minor things you could pay attention to.I heard a lot of your recordings , you really got a nerve for improv, just keep it up!

Bluesrock

Thanks for participating man.Your tone was a little bit unbalanced and raw.Guitar didn't get the whole frequency space , try lowering mids a bit and playing with bass and treble frequencies.If you were going for old school tone this can somewhat pass for that.Overall solo idea is interesting , here are some suggestions how to improve it : pay attention to notes transitions , you want to make them smooth not much noticeable.When constructing phrases try playing different fingerings, ones that you are not used to.That way you will be able to construct more musical phrases..Try avoiding playing exercise patterns etc..Also you are lacking a little sustain on your notes (whether its the instrument, gate), pay attention to it.And last thing , try adding vibrato , hammer ons, bends to your phrases to make them more expressible.These are just suggestion, you played an interesting take anyway! Thanks for participating!

Vasilis

Hey idea with harmonies is a very good!! Just they could have been a little more complex , these long notes didn't quite make up for lack of solo over it.And pay attention to having harmonies in perfect tune.Try the same approach with a little faster licks (Iron Maiden style) and you will nail it...I really liked the fast solos inside..First one really started well , you played it very good technically and clean.Its was a really great lick , good note choice..You just seemed a little lost in the end , if you played it few times more to find something better it would be perfect and confident till the end! Second small solo was perfect throughout !!! Really good job and I really liked the country lick ! Really interesting approach and solo idea , and well execution overall ! Thanks for playing in this one!

Siggum

Very nice tone you captured! You played interesting rhythmic concept..Start of the solo (through first chord) could have been a little more convincing though.Part when you are just going up the scale could have been a little different (less straight) but you finished it with a really nice phrase that gave meaning to it.Now we have a really cool tapping part which is really well thought of and perfectly finished with a huge bend and vibrato.Tapping part could have been played a little cleaner though.Overall this was very good take, all notes are in place, you mixed different techniques well, played interesting and not so common phrases (especially rhythmically) which gave a very nice overall feeling to the track..Good job Siggum , I'm really glad you participated in this one!

Superize

Very good tone quality..A little too "metalish" with high gain.For the tone itself it works and its cool , but I think it didn't match the backing perfectly, could have been a little softer.Note choice was spot on.But try incorporating small phrases like conversations..Questions and answer type..Also experiment with different note values to make them more interesting, this is very important in order not to sound so straight.And its pretty easy to incorporate.Also this take seems to lack more expression tools like bends and vibrato...Those really mean a difference.Overall it was nice and precise.Last note in the solo was a little out of tune..Interesting solo idea , good quality recording ! Thanks man for participating in this collab!

Nemanja

What can I say man! I really didn't expect this take..I expected singing or similar and I ended up with a percussive combo of sound fx and guitar solo!! It was mind blowing , I really liked how you combined all those sounds , mumbling, clapping , cigarette lighter and of course guitar solo !! Really amazing what you can do with a good condenser mic.Regarding guitar solo it was really well constructed , simple yet effective ! I like the Spanish vibe in it!
Really amazing and refreshing take man! Thanks for participating!

Kyldee

I liked the space you did on your guitar sound..I would just suggest lowering gain a bit , it sounds a little fuzzy and "digital", though overall its a nice guitar sound.I like the overall idea , tapping part was effective..You just need to refine the phrases to make them a little more interesting..Also try incorporating bends and vibrato, rather just straight notes.It really adds a lot to the solos general impression.Generally I liked your take, just need a little refinement! Thanks for participating in this collab man!

Henry

Your an instructor so I'm really glad you appeared in this one.Your tone sounded a little bit muddy at start, but as I listen to it a lot I'm starting to like it..It awakes some underwater atmosphere feeling Phrasing is interesting and original.Thanks for spicing up this one man!!!

Audiopaal

I included both of your takes..You are very skilled in composing so I got really good takes..First one with harmonies is excellent , I like its Christmas feeling..Wouldn't change much to it!
Now we have an ukulele solo!! Amazing , really liked it !! You played a beautiful Melodie on that instrument !! Really refreshes and adds to a diversity to this collab..Thanks for participating, twice!

Bali

Jazzy take !! You got a pretty cool clean tone..I liked the strong attack, but would recommend lowering space a little bit it seems to much..Also dynamically its not so tight, you got really quiet and loud parts (doesn't seem intentionally).You need all the notes to sound out as you wanted them.Anyway really interesting note choice , especially those little chords you did.Its pretty convincing take..Thanks for you participation man !!

Oxac

You got a pretty nice tone , but It had too much gain .Try lowering it.Try not to mix up too much effects.Also regarding pickup noise you encountered , try moving away from CRT monitor and similar equipment (maybe using TFT monitors? )...I liked your phrasing, it seems that everything is in place..Those fast runs were executed really well and worked out in making an interesting solo!!! Very nice take overall man , thanks for playing in this collab!

Leedbreak

I liked your guitar tone very much! It captured the instrument character nicely...Regarding the solo , try starting phrases on strong notes (root, 3rd, 5th ,7th of the chord played) in order to get convincing melodies.You seem a little out of scale to me too..Also try mixing different note lengths , phrases consist of both notes and their durations..You don't want to sell the same trick too many times in one solo (regarding nigher phrase or groove).You seem to have the technique down (fast picking etc) so just refine the note choices a little (and theory study) and you'll be there.It was a nice take overall , I enjoyed your presence in this collab!! Thanks.

Ctodd

I'm so glad that you decided to do your first collab here! Guitar tone is pretty raw and can pass as an old school type of tone (Beatles etc).Pay attention to dynamics when playing..You need to be able to control your expression by playing some notes quieter and some louder in different places intentionally.In this take you were a little too much all over the place..Practice slowly with a metronome playing a single not from quiet to loudest and back..You will learn how to control it.Dynamics are very important in improvisation and solos..All notes seemed in place (expect one in the end).Now regarding phrases, I'm guessing you are new to this..You don't want them to sound like the exercise you did (for scale).Try thinking of phrases as small conversation between two people.You have questions and answers..Have pauses in between them.Try forcing your self to play fingering that you are not used with in order to escape "scale like" sound in phrases.Its all about experimenting so with a little practice you'll be there..Anyway I enjoyed your take , hope to see you in my future collabs ! Cheers

Lian

Thanks for you participation in this one..You are the instructor so you know your stuff.That shred part was awesome , you really mixed a lot of techniques in this one!! Thanks a lot !

Kaznie_NL

Really nice tone you got mate.I liked your solo, here is how to improve it : you came up with 2 good phrases in beginning , question answer type ones.They are good..You just lacked a little more development in the solo..You don't want to repeat similar phrases (in notes or groove) too much.Or experiment with playing same notes in different rhythmic manner and vise versa.Overall it was a really nice and melodic take and I enjoyed it! I liked the technique and slides you incorporated.I'm sure with just a little more time on this one that you would make the completely good solo. Thanks for participating in collab!

Caelumamittendum

I liked your guitar tone , no remarks there! You played a really nice solo , well executed ! Phrases are nice, you mixed techniques well and played it safely and clean.In order to make it better you could work a little on your vibrato to make it stronger and precise.Also try bending notes here and there.It really adds a lot of expression to a solo performance..The tapping lick was cool!! Thanks for the bonus video , I wish all could post their takes like that ! Cheers mate!



Thank you all once again !!

Cheers

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Sep 30 2008, 07:53 PM

HEAVY ROCK COLLAB

We got another collab finished , I want to thank you all for participating in recording this unique piece of music!! We got a energetic up tempo track and you did well to get different emotions out of it with your cool solos! I tried to give you my constructive opinion on your takes.Please keep in mind that its a subjective one and that opinions may differ, collabs are all for fun and to learn something. It was a pleasure collaborating with all of you people around the world!!!

HERE IS THE FINAL MIX :  Heavy_Rock_Collab_FINAL_MIX.mp3 ( 3.53MB ) : 232



Participants : 11

I arranged takes in which order you sent them to me.

Comments :

Skennington :

We are opening this collab with Skennington's rhythm take...I like how you built tension in this take so I made a quite large fade in on it..Really interesting choice of harmonies and overdubbed guitars..I like the overall atmosphere it made to the track.Reminds me of some tracks to put as James Bond movies intro music.Very nice job overall to get this collab track warmed up! Thanks for participating!

Tjchep:

Your take jumps in very nicely as a first solo in this collab.I really like your nerve for solos and you did a very good job in this one.You learned how to record a very healthy guitar signal that cuts thought the mix well.You got great energy in this one , liked the fast runs very much! String raking you do as your signature worked awesome in this type of solo.You got only one or two spots in which you were thinking what to do next , but you managed to get out of them very fast and compose good phrases.Very good take TJ , thanks for doing this one!

Alex Lenis:

Here we have another very energetic solo! First slow part was a little less effective but the fast runs did leave a very good impression.Your tone was pretty good too, I would suggest maybe rolling off a little gain though..Also the bends in the first (slow) part of the solo were a little out of tune, but were a really good compositional idea!! You captured the right emotion of the track and did a very cool solo overall.Thanks for joining this collab mate !!

USAMAN:

This take hits off with a fast tapping part (and a long one) which was very effective! I really liked that idea.I would just suggest paying a little more attention to dynamics when tapping, some notes were noticeably louder than others (going towards bass strings)..Fast licks were awesome, also you slowed down the track nicely with high bends - that was very effective.Repetitive fast licks really work well over this backing.Great job USAMAN , thanks for participating!

Skalde:

You are starting with a riffing idea , I liked how you switched to solo..I liked the first part of your solo and would just suggest you to pay more attention to bends (for them being in tune) and to add more vibrato to longer notes.Second part of solo lacks good phrasing , I think you lost inspiration there and went for similar patterns you know when exercising scales..I would suggest thinking of small phrases and incorporating hammer ons,pull offs and bends,also vibrato to make them more musical.Just take few notes and tie them together in a phrase, playing odd fingerings (which your are not used from exercising) will help you come up with more interesting ideas! Also think of phrases as questions and answers to make them flow better.I like your tone , you recorded it very well!! Very nice take overall , thanks for participating in this collab!

Minz80:

I'm really glad this was your first collab upon joining GMC smile.gif Here are my comments : first part of the take was rhythm type , palm muting etc..But that part didn't get recorded well at all..Playing with microphone positioning in relation to speaker cone of your amp will help you get a clean tone..Lets talk about the solo part.I liked the sound of your guitar, you made a cool space with that delay.I liked your question and answer type phrases you did.Maybe the double stops you played (two notes at same time) didn't sounds so well, you could have played only the first one in some cool rhythm patter - could be more effective that way.Overall this was well thought off solo and I would suggest working a little on those bends to make them more precise and adding a stronger vibrato (which I missed in this solo).Thanks for recording this solo !!!

Kyldee:

Nice harmonizing in the intro part of the take.I liked the repeating phrase you did in the first part of the solo..Those harmonics were nice touch.In the second part of the solo you lost a little bit inspiration..Those long notes you played really need a stronger vibrato to them in order to be effective..Nice ending with a whammy smile.gif Thanks for recording in this collab mate !!

Toroso :

You recorded a pretty good guitar tone (especially for your first collab!!).I liked your general idea of the solo..In order to enhance it I would suggest incorporating more hammer ons and pull offs as well as bends and vibrato..Those are expression tools and they really make even one note sing and are very important...Also try playing with notes durations..That is as important as phrasing.Try playing small short phrases (maybe in a repetitive way with small changes in one note), incorporating fingering that you are not so used of playing - to get more inspirational and original take.Very nice job overall , I'm really glad you started doing collabs!! Thanks for participating mate !! smile.gif

Superize :

I liked the energetic climbing up the fretboard! Your tone was pretty good, maybe a little too much gain this time.Solo idea is interesting and only suggestion will be to add more vibrato to those long notes in order for them to sound effective..Also the last run in the very end of the solo could be a little more rhythmically effective.Very nice solo overall mate , thanks for doing this collab !!

Sami :

I enjoyed your take.Regarding sound , I would suggest adding a little treble in order to cut through the mix better (this one was a little muddy).I liked phrases inside.Starting ones are very effective! Also the fast run and those arpeggios were a nice touch! I would only suggest paying a little more attention to timing and vibrato.Thanks for your take man!!

Mat23 :

We are ending this collab with Mats awesome take..I really liked how you composed it..It was interesting from start to finish.Harmonies were a very good idea!! I would suggest working a little on vibrato.Also you played this take a little shaky from time to time but I guess you didn't have much time to practice this take (if you did you would play it better certainly)...Also I swear I can hear a mysterious telephone sound in the second harmonies bend. (but I think its my imagination) smile.gif hehe So all in all , very good take Matt , I'm glad your closing this collab..Thanks for participating!

Cheers !!

Posted by: Gerardo Siere Oct 2 2008, 03:28 PM

PIINK FLOYD STYLE COLLAB

Hi everyone, sorry for the long wait, first off all let me tell you you all have done great, mixing was very easy and just added some eq fot some particular solos. The track has 2 chorus of the bt alone as a formal thing, then you will hear your solos in alphabetical order (I will use this and other random orders in future collabs).
Some history: this song is probably the first think I ever made with my first band in addition to playing covers of Sumo and Redondos de Ricota, so the song was the bass line repeating the melody all the time as a looping verse, then the keys where doing some relaxing and bluesy licks, and then my solo which I composed note by note ( I still do that), I will try to get some of that 1994 garage recordings (hope the keyboardist still have that record) but basically I started with a clean sound similar to the original song (Shine on you Crazy diamond) using some Gminor pentatonic in Position III (Em shape from Caged system), then i aproched the D minor emphasathing the Eb, and staying pretty much on Gm pentatonic. For chorus 2 I use the distortion channel (didn´t even have a switch pedal for my Peavey Rage 158), The first phrase started in the C of the thir string with some bend and release and raise going to the same position an entire octave, then some high bends and some fast drill with the recent discovered (for me) pick tapping.
There are 2 identical files, one is for low bandwidt conections

Now the comments.

01-Andrew Cockburn (0.44'')
You chose to let the track ring befor starting to play, and also you have a great sense of form in your playing with a simetric number of phrases (4+4)+(4+4). Your sound and playing is great and very solid, every nota and articulations is heared clearly, also you have varietty of articulations and color. As a nice detail for all of us to notice, Andrew started the second chorus using a similar phrase to the first one in the first chorus. I didn´t have to touch anithing to mix it and I wouldn´t dare, good to have you as instructor here.

02-Bali (1.28'')
The first chorus have some hesitant rythm values, like in some part you go off beat and come back again, this is very slightly. It is my personal tast but I think you should breath a little more between phrases, they are just too atached, also I would try to avoid very long single fading out notes, the amps is so compressed so the noto just stays ringing and it makes such an unnatural feeling, try this, turn on the amp and play an open E in the clean channel and let it ring, after 3 seconds you´ll hear a very unnatural very very very low releasse, we have to avoid using that in our solos unless you porpously want that efect.
Your second chorus is amazing, specially the the chordal thing making all that climax, and using also e very singable amd dramatic melody. Great playing, try to take a view on your breathing and in the long unnatural note.

03-Coffeman (2.12'')
In the first chorus you get a nice guitar and you have a nice diccion and playing. The second chorus have the same tesiture and stays pretty much in the same place, you could get more amazing results. Try this: use a wider tesiture range (using lower and higher notes), using more articulations like double stops, piece of chords, don´t stress so much the first beat, almost all your phrases start on the first beat and this is kina unusal in blues which is more fonding of pickups to the beat or just silence on the first beat, and also the little phrases seems kinda isolated, try stressing on a motive based on articulations, intervalic note etc. Yu played so nice but usually rock songs may have little space for the solo, so it is a good idea to concentrate in beind as killer as possible with solo. One time I played with a band and go to rehearshals and always improvised the solos, there were like 20 songs and the keys, forms and style where similar, so one day they called me to record, of course, the solos werent to nice, I was fired and someone else rerecorded that solos, don´t be like me in the future.

04-Gilmore (2.56'')

Great pickup for starting dude, also I like your violind like sound of the guitar, great phrases on the last beat of each chord (it is a very important and tension charged place in the harmonic time), also you use very well bluesy and hendrix-little-wing-like double stops and chords, I love those you can look at the lead sheed comping chord chard and you have at hand a lot of double stops and minichords to play and make climaxs. Also very original the violin like finel scales, congratulations.

05-Hendy Dietzel. (3.41'')
This is so amazing, two dialoging guitars, a whole arsenal of timbre resources and panning techniques, you are Jeff Beck!!!. Also nice citation to the original song in 3.51-3.56. The same singla and fantastique note to finish chorus one and to start choris 2, there is a singing bassy guitar and a high guitar making fills, for chorus 3 you add some phonograph picks sounds,, you really have taste!!!. Also 3 chorus, and odd number, in the last one you use a single guitar line full of picks articulations, so original and so nice, I am not worthy of commenting this solo.

06-Kaznie. (4.48) Nice phrasing, you have a nice sense of rythm, should check how you are plugging into the computer, the sound is kinda thin and the volume go down at the end. You may be pluging the guitar to the PC directy or your amp line out just sound like that. Let me know that detail so we can further discuss it. Well
done, when I was your age I did not know how to play guitar. Keep practacing, participaiong and having fun.

07-Kjutte (5.32")
There is a high anoying noice riding in your signal, had to aply a little noise gate and taking some of the 4kh in the eq but I¨m afraid I buried the solo in the mix a little. Liked the chordal entrance idea but I suggest a different rythm placement for it, check out Nihil solo. Nice dorian run in some parts. For the scale rush at the end of the chorus 1 I think it is a great idea, it builds a lot of tension, for some change try resolving that scale directly into the beggining of chorus 2, your solo will gain much force that way. Great solo, thank you for uploading.

08-Nihil (6.38)
Nice chordal starting, great bluesy and swinging feel and great the articulations of the last phhrase of chorus 1. Great sound like a lightly valve overdrive (you play soft, you sound clean, you play loud you sound harsher) beautiful detail at the end letting open the road for the next guitar pal.

09-Outlaw 2112 (7.21)
Nice idea the high gain sound with the autowah filter, but too much gate, your going in and out of the mix, we nedd the color of your huming amp for the silents, this gat thing also provoque that all your phrases starts the same way you like it or not. I added some eq to add a little more precence to the take which didnt cut so well trought the mix, try some more treblies and mediums (specialy mediums) in your eq for this kinf of setting.

10-Tj chep (8.07)
Love the long C note over G minor , very singed and very nice articulations, great using of the 9th in the Cm7 form chorus 2, you use greatly the harmonic tensions.
Great articulations tahnks a very wise use of the pick, even we may using compressed distortion using diferent angles, presing directions and force give us different sounds. Fabulous solo, congratulations.

11-Uncle skillet (8.52)
Nice guitar dialog, try to test some structure using range, dinamics, articulations and motives, a great solo like your could turn into amazing all time killer solo.

12-Xuestor (9.32)
Nice doble stop and the "I am here pluging the guitar noise. Solid solo, only remember that long 5 seonds compressed notes are no so good idea in blues (10.02, 10.13). Great solo anyway.

Thats all hope to make some new collab with all of you soon


THIS ARE THE FILES LINKS
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=10313

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=10318

Posted by: Muris Varajic Oct 7 2008, 12:41 AM

BLUE NOTE IN A COLLAB


I really enjoyed listening to your takes guys,
comments are mostly neutral cause you had all freedom
to do whatever you want,and you did it damn nice!

 Blue_Note_in_A__Collab_Final_Mix.mp3 ( 8.01MB ) : 368



Here we go:

Andrew Cockburn

Steady tone with delay,
healthy playing,great use of bends,
well done Andrew.


Jeff

Jeff's take was actually the lesson with some
improvised parts at the end.
Just try to do more tweaking with reverb you're using,
maybe longer but less wet,tone will cut better through the mix.
Among that,fine playing Jeff,thanks for taking a part!


Coffeeman

Beautiful melody at the beginning,I liked it a lot.
In the middle of section you kind a lost your direction,
you should follow the line you started with and make it grow.
Fine take tho.

Usaman

Great tone!
Playing was great nonetheless,
both phrasing and technique wise,well done!


Barenaked Ninja

Brilliant idea to start with power chords!
Rest of it was great too,perhaps I missed few more aggressive bands
but no big deal,tastes are different.

Ramiro Delforte

Ultra distorted sound to make this collab even more interesting!
Great picking part near the end,thanks Ramiro!


Tjchep

TJ is making a major gaps,way to go!!
I can see you're having great progress TJ,
intelligent playing indeed,liked it a lot.



Smells

Metal buddy enters the scene. cool.gif
Powerful playing,tone that cuts your nerves,
Smells deploys bluesy/shredy take,thanks mate!!


OrganisedConfusion

Perhaps my favorite take here.
I know you've had some troubles regarding to your playing recently.
I must say that you surprised me A LOT.
Lovely tone with a little bit overdrive,
catchy licks,keep working like this,no need to be confused at all.

 Blue_Note_in_A__Collab_Final_Mix.mp3 ( 8.01MB ) : 368



Thanks once more for participation guys,great job!

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Nov 3 2008, 12:08 PM

Hey guys, it's been a while so sorry for the delay and here are the comments of this very fine collab. smile.gif

SUMMARY:

Collab type: John Mayer Style, pop
Participants: 5
Total Length: 3m 07s

Comments:

1. Audiopaal:
Starting off with a beautiful picking, very atmospheric and goes along great with the track. Timing is great with these lines. All that in the same time with some harmonics really adds up to the vibe and putted just in right spots. In the second part you go into small solo/theme, simple but very melodic and thematic. I like the minimalistic approach on this one.
Regarding tone it is great, I really like that shimmering stereo effect you got using delay. Clean sound in general is nice as well, and in the second part the stereo is tempo synced. Cool touch.
Speaking of the structure of the take, you really did a cool job, by doing first part as more of a backing track style, and in the second part you go into that small solo. Sounds really relaxed and cool. Everything simple, and with a great timing, it turned out great.

2. TJCheep:

Nice raking bend with vibrato in the start, and followed by another vibrated note, everything very solid, a small pause, and keep using some nice phrasing elements, keeping the dynamics down, very nice. I like those melodic lines, and occasional prebended notes. THen in the second part first one nice long bend, and then going to a faster part, using a good bend, and some great blues licks, very nice and clean. After that a small pentatonic sequence downwards, again using good raking notes, vibratos, and finishing of nicely on the major key root.
SOund is very good TJ, as always you continue to use that recognizable preset, smooth, saturated, and warm. Good stuff, enables dynamics to be heard as well.
Structure of the solo is good, you tend to improvise a lot, using licks and sequences you have learned through practice. This is IMO the harder way to improve, because it takes time to really connect all the things in a natural way, but the good side of the whole thing is that it will start to sound very original as you progress. Good thing is that everything is clean, and full of emotion, spiced up with some fresh unorthodox sequences. More work is needed on the structure part, but I fear not, because it will definitely come in time, and with every recording you are improving. Good job man.

3. Kaznie:

Starting of with a nice bend, bluesy lick, then going up to high E and doing another nice bend. THen a small sequence downwards with a major scale pentatonic character, good timing there, and a couple of great bends that have very interesting timing. In the second part you go to a more of a minor vibe, and using a minimalistic approach with some bends, and bit bigger pause, and then a nice ending, using bends.
Sound is good and crunchy. It could be a bit fatter if you know what I mean, but I can definitely hear improvement in sound from previous collabs.
About the structure, I think you have a talent for melody and rhythm, just need to work on your theory a bit. From your playing I can hear that you are carefuly listening to the track and chord and rhythm changes, and really try to play according to that. This turned out pretty good, although in the end you made a bit bigger pause, but pause itself is not a mistake, it is always better to pause a bit than to do something you don't want to. Vibratos are good, a bit unprecise, and some more work on bends to make it even more tighter and faster will turn this solo to a pro sounding one. Continue to use your melody and rhythm ideas I like them, and in time it can only improve. I definitely feel how much you improved from some last collabs you did. Rock on mate.

4. Velvet Roger:

Intro is great and melodic, using some nice slide passages, and bends, then another passage similar to the first one, really adds to the great vibe, and your note sustain is excellent, I like the fact every note is just next to the other. After the second passage you even make a small prelude to the second part and going to the minor 6th of the key root, using some nce triplet hammeron/pulloffs before it. THen a nice sequence, and again some slides and melodic lines, another mini sequence, and great connecting with the outro line, with that bend that finishes of on the root. Very good.
Sound wise, everything is nice and smooth, the sound is a bit closed up, like strings are a bit older or something, or lacking a bit of presence. But that is just IMO, if you like the sound, no problem, it is very good and smooth.
Structure of the solo is very good, I like the fact you repeated two passages in your soloing. This really really adds to the quality, vibratos can be a bit wider, and that bend in the end can be a bit more effective and stronger, but all in all you really followed the melody, connected everything in a nice fluid way and it sounds great.


5. Toroso:

starting off with a bend, then a prebend, a dominant note, and a small line finishing of again with a bend and prebend, coming in nicely into the second part, on the minor chord. In there you're playing some nice lines, using bends, then a small pause, and again going up on the pentatonic scale, couple of lines more and finishing of nicely somewhere around the root.
SOund is good, clean is a bit on the thin side, but solid all in all, delay is a great touch, that really feel in a void, so a good choice for preset.
Regarding playing, it is a bit unusual but cool, in the first part we have some big pauses, but if you in that mood it is perfectly normal to play it like that. Those couple of notes can really mean a lot, when used nicely, and you did try to do that, so it is cool. I would say work a bit on your timing, it is not off, it's a bit unsctructured, almost like you searched the notes on the spot, with not enough knowledge where they are. This is normal of course, improvisation is a cool thing, and I always suggest in situations where you see you are not really sure where to exactly to go next, it is better to make a small pause, then play on note, then build on top of that ntoe and so on. If you played the whole part with that minimalistic vibe it would be ok as well. So a great effort, and continue to practice some scales, and runs in a steady tempo to improve your soling abilities, and make this solo even better. Good job.

6. My modest contribution to the collab:
I have played a solo that is basically the same as I did in my lesson on John Mayer recently, it is not the same, but very similar.


http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=10557

Well after a long long waiting (sorry again, for the last time smile.gif ) I give you our first video collab on this board.

COLLAB BACKING: Blues Ballad
COLLAB TYPE: Video
PARTICIPANTS: 14
TOTAL LENGTH: 10m 20s


I have a couple of words to say before you move on to the comments:

I really enjoyed in this collab much more than in any collab I did on GMC before. This is largely due to the fact that I could at last see you all guys in person on this videos. When I listened to your takes on previous collabs, and I listened to most of you for some time now, I couldn't see how you played your takes. This hasn't bothered me much, but when video takes from this collab started to arrive, and later in the mix, and today while writing comments I though: "wow! This is the real thing!"
Although this collab took some time to finish, because I had to download all video and audio material, and double sync everything in Vegas, insert transitions and fades etc, it was a big advantage to later watch you play and see exactly what you do. This made it much easier to comment some stuff I couldn't to before!
So for this collab (I hope you won't mind smile.gif ) I wrote even larger comments then before. I took me roughly 5 straight hours to watch and rewatch every video 5-6 times and write this stuff.
As always I must write a disclaimer that all that I wrote is my subjective opinion, so you shouldn't take anything in negative connotation. I tried as much as I could to keep things positive, but I'm just a human, and we all can make mistakes sometimes. If you find anything at all that you think it is not correct or I somehow told you something and you feel it is not fair or something, please write it down and I'll be sure to check it out and discuss it.

And, without further ado:

here are the brave participants that went into this video adventure: biggrin.gif


(in alphabet order)

Andrew Cockburn

PLAYING: starting great with a nice raked note, and a good solid bend, then a sharp release, and vibrato, another good bend, and going down to bass strings. then a bit more bending, a small pause, and going down to do a small ending lick, with a V note in the end, all nicely vibrated.
SOUND: very good sound as always Andrew, you seem to tend to use that smooth overdriven sound that is slowly becoming your signature tone. also, stereo delay is very nice and smooth as well, and brings a good quality sound depth to the tone.
TECHNIQUE: very good, I like the minimalistic approach, raking notes are very cool, vibrato is also great, I would prefer to be a bit wider and longer on notes, but I think it is solid and nicely executed. Notes ring clearly, and your subtle details and phrasing are also very very good, like those sharp releases, and slow bends. You seem to follow the beat very good, and use the phrasing very well in rhytmical sense.
VIDEO: chroma key is very good, and your lightning is awesome, everything is seen clearly and sharply. A bit more experimenting with chroma clipping mask and chroma blur perhaps because sometimes some edges go in, and eat away the inner sides of your figure. That custom made 3D background is a great touch indeed, nice detail with guitar and treble clef mirroring in it, gives the background a good dimension that is needed when using the chroma. Smart thinking.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: You are the men of details, everything, sound, video, technique, everything is made very neat, smooth, and with an outstanding sense for details, those small details that give the overall impression, but a bit hard to notice on the first go. Well done.



audiopaal:

PLAYING: two consecutive power chords, and moving slowly from basss trings, building your melody upwards, very good. Using more of a minors scale melody lines, rather then blues licks adds a good character to the solo. Using vibratos on all important notes, and playing nicely in beat, in the end a small sliding melody line on one string, and going up to the V. very good.
SOUND: nice and smooth, a bit fuzzy, but it doesn't sound harsh at all, it sounds very soft and warm. I haven't noticed to much reverb, so that is a good thing. If you did put any, that blended in nicely with the track, if not, the sound alone blended in nicely so it sounds great in general.
TECHNIQUE: Everything is executed with a nice feel, I liked the way you picked hard those power chord, shows some character. Vibrato is good and you execute it correctly from the wrist, but I prefer to be a bit more wider and slower. It would sound even better when wider I'm sure of it. I like the way you incorporated slides into that solo, they are really nice, steady and fast and go with the beat. this adds those subtle phrasing details that mean a lot with this kind of tunes. good job.
VIDEO: video is good, a bit dark and redish, since you used only one 100W light source, maybe another 60W I'm not sure. Nevertheless, I think video has a good definition, just lacks a bit of sharpness and has some minor noise due to lights, but that can be fixed easily by putting one 500W halogen anywhere in the room.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: you have a good honest character, I like the hat, and moving while playing in standing position reveals a good looks for playing live. You would look good on stage definitely. Keep rocking mate.



coffeman:

PLAYING: nice first blues lick with vibrato bend, followed by a good interval lick, then a nice vibrato bend, and again on the root. Then we have a nice minor line down there on the low E string V, a nice long slide, then a solid clean alternate picking pattern followed by a vibrato, and going up to to some nice repetitive lick, vibrato bend, and again nice bends to finish off.
SOUND: Sound is good, a bit ruff drive, but it's a strat sound, smooth single, just a bit compressed. Nevertheless it sounds very smooth.
TECHNIQUE: Your technique is pretty good man, very nice phrasing with those bends and vibratos, you do them nicely, but need more stability with bends and vibratos, so they can be in tempo with the track and a bit secure. I think they would sound even better like that. You did that unsecure slide, but a great vibrato after it with index finger. Also that alternate pattern is pretty good and clean and that repetitive lick in the end is also awesome. To achieve even better clarity, I suggest playing only note at a time, some notes blend with other, so watch for that. Great tone is often about hitting one note, and after it hitting the other, not allowing the notes to bleed into one another. Of course there is no major bleeding here, but with a better clarity it would sound very professional.
VIDEO: great one, very clear and sharp, colors are great, and this is mainly because of the daylight, which is really best if you can use it. Another light could be used from the (cameras view) left side to kill that shadow from daylight, but overall I think the video is great.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: good feel for the blues, nice bluesy licks, and played with a feel, but little stiffed at moments, you need a bit more security when recording these videos which is normal. Great thing that you recorded standing, and I like the fact that you listen what you play rather then just fretting away - the ability of a good soloist. Well done.



deeproots:

PLAYING: Nice first repetitive intro lick with slide down and the that slide with a vibrato, then a nice small lick on the root followed by similar bass lick but in different position down there on the bass strings which adds to the fullness of the tone. then a couple of hammered ghost notes, vibrato, slide down, couple of more ghosts, then a great bend with a nice feel to it with that repetitive picking good job there, specially in the end when bending over whole step. Then a small mistake on the C note B string, but great recovery to the B and doing that smooth slide down again. in the end we have a small basic position lick, with a nice D string bend to create that minor vibe to it, very good.
SOUND: sound is very good, tone is nice and clean, smooth and warm. really nothing to add here, I think you nailed your tone mate.
TECHNIQUE: doing a lot of slides down, and that is a good thing in general, adds a good vibe to the soloing, also picking is very clean, and I like the sound of the pick hitting the strings. Vibratos are executed correctly, but can be a bit more stable and wider. I think you vibrate nicely with the tempo, but need more security when doing vibrato so it sounds even more natural than this. Bends are on the other hand very good, on spot and in pitch, very good.
VIDEO: Video is good, a slightly better angle to yourself could be achieved, and the light source behind you is string, just need another light to the right, that part of the shot is a bit darker.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: not showing off just playing your thing, and playing it very well. Feel is great, and I think you really felt this tune and your notes, they are in place and played from your soul. good job.



Gus:

PLAYING: A couple of pulloffs there, and and big bend, then picking your way through release, then another bending lick, vibrato, and going to the root. Next we have a bending repetitive lick, that sounds pretty good, again finishing on vibrating root, and again repetiative pulloffs followed by a root. then a slide to the position, where picking a bit, and bending, then finishing on the root again. In the end we have similar lick as on the start.
SOUND: Sounds is pretty good, a bit trebly, but it is not harsh, more smooth and compressed a bit. Delay is a nice touch, and although I know you like to use this lighter preset, it is very good for leads, I think it just need a bit of low end fullness but that's just MO.
TECHNIQUE: Technique is very good, I like how you play, nice and clean, every note is heard cleanly, and in tune. the first bend was little higher that pitch, but OK, and vibratos need a bit of work to be wider. that nice arpeggio was good, but some notes bleed to one another, so try to think of that. Also I noticed that you mainly anchor your right hand heavily and rely on moving the thumb and index when picking. I think this is OK, but you should slowly get yourself used to pick from a wrist and not anchor your hand that much, I think it will sound more natural, and you will not get any strain on thumb and index in the long run.
VIDEO: Video is very good, a bit yellowish, but it turned out quite well, because you had 2 lights sources, one in front and on in the back. Add one lamp more to the right to get rid of that shadow and it will look pro.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: good playing and a bit unsecure with improvisation, you have some nice licks, and a sense for bending and repetitive licks, but need a more structured solo build up, and it will sound even better. All in all, good work.


kaznie_NL:

PLAYING:starting with a nice double bend, then picking away a bit around the basic position doing a small vibrato, and another sequence followed by a slide upwards. then involving a bit of a minor vibe and sliding to the second position, where doing a nice bending lick with a feel a finishing of on the root. then sliding away again up to the neck and doing another bend, and going again down slowly, then a small alternate pattern and picking away the interval which sounds really nice. In the end we have a bend and vibrato.
SOUND: Sound is good, a bit boxy, but clear, and on moments nice and edgy.
TECHNIQUE: very good, you improved a lot, bends are nice, and vibratos aren't that nice, but you'll get the hang of it, the most important thing is that you are doing them correctly. Picking with your right hand should be without anchoring te right hand, and more from the wrist, so focus on that while practicing, don't let the hand anchor itself during practice and you'll be fine.
VIDEO: video is good, you are nicely in the shoot, but there is a bit of noise in the video, mainly due to one 100W light source. Another light to the right and a bit closer to you would really make picture even better so consider it next time when recording.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Regarding the fact that you are still a bit young you play great. I played a lot worse back then so you are advancing pretty good mate. I've listened to old collabs and can only tell you that you improved a lot, you do bends now, and beginning to vibrate the strings nicely. anchoring the right hand needs some time adjusting, but with this pace of progressing you are keeping I'm sure it will be pretty soon. Keep rockin.



leedbreak:

PLAYING: a couple of nice notes that are repeated, and then a small climbing following the rhythm of the track nicely, and going to IV with a small vibrato. Then a small sequence on the pentatonic scale, followed by a good long whole step bend, and alternate picking down to another bend. Then we have some more alternate sequencing, using some slides downwards. Right to the end we have some nice alternate picking sequences that goes along interesting with the beat.
SOUND: Sounds is very good, smooth and warm. It is a bit buzzy and compressed for my taste, because it lacks dynamics because of that. Other than that, I think it sounds great.
TECHNIQUE: Technique is good, need more working on vibrato technique, and bending in general, feeling a bit unsecure there. Other than that it is nice and smooth, alternate is good so are the slides.
VIDEO: I think you used here either soft daylight, or some kind of neon light, maybe I'm mistaken. Whatever it is, it is a bit dark on the video, and whole tone is kinda bluish-greenish, but all in all, the picture is very clear and I can see everything nicely.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Good sense for rhythmic figures and building, but need more work on melodic stuff in order to sound more fluid, rather then up-down the scale. Try practicing some arpeggios, bends, and vibrato, and it will sound even better. The feel is very good and playing nicely, while listening to what you play is a good thing. Good job.



organizedconfusion:

PLAYING: starting nicely around the root, vibrating, sliding down, and then bend to the root again. On the IV we have again nicely going to the root, and then a couple of great hammered on ghost notes, followed by a bend release, pull off and root again, but on the B string now, and a nice fast slide upwards. then a couple of sliding licks, down on the neck, and vibrating with the index nicely. After that it is climbing again to the basic B position to execute some good bends, double stop and to finish off nicely in tune.
SOUND: Sounds is pretty good, lots of drive, but nice and solid, not too buzzy.
TECHNIQUE: playing is very good, nice structural building and melodic passages within hte solo. You need more security with bends and vibratos, bends are a bit slow, and vibrato as well, but you do them correctly. Right hand is pretty good. ALso more muting needs to take place, some notes were bleeding here and there so watch for that.
VIDEO: video is dark, but suprizingly, I could see your moves very nicely, largely due to the fact that it was as close up. Only daylight source was behind you right, so you needed at least one more light to the left, other than that the shot is cool and not too much noise.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Great solo, and melodic building, needs a bit more security with bendings and vibrato to sound even better. Understanding for rhythm and where to put notes is one of your stronger sides as well. Great job.



skennington

PLAYING: nice first bend to the vibrated root, then another one, this time on vibrated V, again on the root via bend but on the same string, and some alternate sequence, a slide, then another sequence but with palm mute, and again doing some bends several times, and moving up the neck again using palm muting finishing off nicely with a vibrated bend.
SOUND: is very good, filled with delay, I would personally like slighlty less of it, but it sounds unique this way, so there's no need changing it, nice tone in general, very full and rich.
TECHNIQUE: everything sounds very good and solid, bends are pretty good and fast.As for vibrato, you vibrate the string with fingers instead of using wrist, so you should probably pay more attention to vibrato exercise to avoid creating a bad habit. Also I noticed that you pick mostly downwards and avoid alternate picking so you should probably practice more alternate runs in order to give your technique more space. My guess is that you practice a lot of downstroke powerchord songs (like Metallica, but this is just a guess!), since you use palm muting and downstrokes often. Anyway this is a good technique in general, you just need a bit more wider range.
VIDEO: Video is good, needs more light in front definitely. COntrast is pretty ruff between you and the background because there is the window and you are casting shadow on yourself practically. Also at some point I couldn't see exactly what you were playing, the hand went out of shot. Other than that it is good, there is no noise, so it is a quality shot.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Nice rich sound, good sense for rhythm and melody as well, and nice to see that you look what you play and think about it. I think after doing some alternate runs your playing will literally explode and be even better than now. Great job.



Smells

PLAYING: vibrated root at start, and then G and B string simultaneously vibrated, very nice, then everything repeated in similar fashion, followed by a nice sharp raked bend with a feel and vibrated slightly as well, then released and down to the V nicely applying vibrato and inserting ghost notes here and there as well. Then we have a long slide, moving to position 3, and doing another some awesome bends with a great feeling, and vibrating the IV in the end, followed by 2 consecutive bends and moving to root on the string bellow. then a solid sharp raked bend and release, and slide downwards, and finishing off with great sounding bluesy lick on the pentatonics.
SOUND: sound is great, smooth and very dense and rich. Tone is accurate, so is fretting, and delay is a nice touch.
TECHNIQUE: technique is very accurate, bendings are fast and sharp, and vibrato is really good one, even without support of other finger. I would like to be even wider - this would definitely make is sound very very professional indeed. All in all everything is rock solid, and no up-down kind of stuff, nicely built solo from start to end.
VIDEO: picture is nice and sharp, you used nice amount of light form above. I would suggest another more brighter and more diffused light in front for even clearer picture.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: simply to put it - great. Everything is in balance, technique, tone and structural layout of the solo. Good improvising skills in general, nothing particularly going wrong, all you can do is fine tune that vibrato and it will sound even more killer than now. Very well done mate.



superize

PLAYING: starting from a root on the high I string in the 1 position, and sliding downwards. then again the similar lick, but this time starting to build a nice minor melody on one string. then a couple of staccato picks, followed by slide down, and again the same lick as from beginning but this time to finish off going up the string and doing a couple of slides left and right.
SOUND: sound is nice and smooth, a bit buzzy, there's a good amount of drive and compression, but it doesn't sound harsh, it is good.
TECHNIQUE: interesting approach in playing on one string and using minimalistic lines. I would like to see some vibratos on those notes using index finger, but it is good all in all. Tone in nice and clean, no bleeding, good muting with the right and left hand.
VIDEO: video is kinda bad, but that's due to webcam, not you. Better cam would be needed if you wanna achieve better framerate and have the clearest picture possible. Also lightning could be stronger, the good thing is that there are no shadows, and everything is even as far as brightness is concerned, but just need more stronger light in general.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: as I said, very good approach playing on one string, and good sense for rhythmic licks. More phrasing effects, like bending, vibrato is needed, but you make it up with nice slides. In general, very nice soloing.



Tolek

PLAYING: starting with a couple of notes, and then using harmonics a bit, then a slide from downwards and building a nice passage up, and legato run downards to the root. then a tapping lick, and using slide in it as well, very nice, followed by a whole step long bend with a feel, and another one, releasing, and vibrating with index finger on both of them. For the finish a nice couple of bends, and pickig away a small passage of notes, and sliding down, all the time vibrating the strings, and in the end doing another bend and a fast tapping outro lick.
SOUND: sound is good, a bit edgy and harsh, also the sound was from the room, so it's got a bit of a boxy sound as flutter echo with it, but it is good in general. Smooth and compressed.
TECHNIQUE: You displayed a nice array of techniques , which is very good, bends are great, but vibrating the strings, specially with that index needs work as you tend to do it up and down, from an elbow, not from a wrist. All vibrato is from the wrist, so pay more attention when practicing vibratos on that. In general every technique you did is great, love the tappings and legato run, but all that needs to be more clearer and precise, so some fine tuning is necessary.
VIDEO: video is very good, angle of shooting very professional looking, and the background is nice as well. Picture is clear, but you lack lightning. There is one light down and to the right of you, but you need one strong light in front to really bring up the picture alive.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Very good all around solo, full of different licks and techniques, needs more fine tuning on them all. Tone has to be more clearer. All in all you have a nice sense for soloing and minor passages.



Toroso

PLAYING: starting from the root, and going up slowly to the root one octave higher. then after some thought, a nice sequence downwards involving a pinky bend on the low E and the again going up to the D string root, watching in the same time to vibrate it in tempo. On the V chord you start to build tension, by going up the neck on the treble strings, and vibrating the root on the B string, a nice sequence, bend and moving down again to the root on D string. To finish off nicely, you go again up the B minor pentatonic from 1st to 2nd position up there, and bending your way out of the solo effectively.
SOUND: sound is good, I like the slightly crunchy preset, but some space, like reverb or delay wouldn't hurt as well. The good thing is that you kept your dynamic using this preset so it sounds nice and natural.
TECHNIQUE: minimalistic approach is a good way to go here. I like the fact that you think about your moves, not just picking and fretting away. Good thing that you do vibratos in tempo, but they can be even more securely executed. Also at some points there are mistakes here and there with picking the notes, but all in all everything is executed very carefully and with a good taste.
VIDEO: Video is excellent, very professional looking. Background is awesome and lightning as well. everything is very clear. Nothing to add really, you seem to know very well how to make a video.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: good thoughtful soloing, executing with a lot of taste, and from the heart as well. A bit suspended at moments and maybe too careful for my taste, but I think that is a good thing, cause I think you are aware where you can go and where you can't and playing withing those limits nicely, with absolutely no show off or anything. This shows a character.



Velvet Roger

PLAYING: starting with a nice vibrated bend, and doing a small pentatonic sequence to the VII B minor note, vibrating it in the same time. then a small half step bend, and to the root, repeated twice nicely, followed by a nice bluesy clapton style bending lick. then we have a beautiful minor sequence on the 12th fret, a couple of octaves, and playing notes from B minor scale using triplets, and to finish of, a nice shifting pentatonic pattern, starting from VII on low E in position 5 and moving up from 1 to position 2 and doing a finishing bend at the end - bending to V of course. very good.
SOUND: Sound is good, but since it is from camera mic, it can be better of course. Clean is very good I can tell, but there's no way to escape that boxy tone and reverberation that a room produces. So although you know it already, I say it nevertheless - direct sound is always better, even from a miced amp in a room.
TECHNIQUE: playing is very good, nice bluesy licks, all executed nicely. You seem to have a bit of trouble with bendings and vibrato. Your left hand is stiffened up a bit because you leave the inners side of the hand touching the back side of the neck to much. This way you slow yourself down and practically anchoring that hand. Of course, you should keep it there while playing certain stuff, but try to keep it as less as possible so you don't create a bad habit one day.
VIDEO: picture is pretty good and clear, you have only one light source, but a daylight one and strong enough. Another light to the left would be nice to make things a bit sharper on the guitar.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: a good player you are, with a great feel for the blues, you know some excellent blues licks, just need to connect them all in a bit more natural way, which will come in time, so no worries there. Your sense for rhythm is also very natural. In general very well done.


Thank you all very much for participating and see you in the next collab! smile.gif




Hi res video cannot be uploaded here at the moment, but I will try other solutions as soon as possible.


http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=10887

Posted by: Nemanja Filipovic Nov 3 2008, 07:51 PM

Hi guys.Another one is finished,and it came out great.Every take has his own value and story.All I can say that every one did great.Great does not mean just fas playing and good control.It also means that you tried,give your best,and you are redy to learn more every day.

 Dark_Light_Final_Mix.mp3 ( 7.03MB ) : 342



Number of participants:10

Order of the takes is in order of upload.So heres the final list:

OrganisedConfusion
skennington
Oxac
enforcer
Toroso
Fatbot
Caelumamittendum
SonofDestiny
Kaznie
kjute



OrganisedConfusion:


Well OC,I think this is great take.Melody is very smart and mature.I like that you followed the melody to some point,and then just did some little bounce of of that round and id sound great and original.
Only thing is maybe to much drive for this one.But every thing else rocks.
Thanks mate.


skennington:

Great take mate,I really like that the whole take is in kind of legato mode,and that you made it like a one word story.Very good control there and nice tone.
Second part of the solo is nice too,I like that you decided to go up the range,and give the whole thing more soul.
All in all great take.



Oxac:

Very interesting take mate.There is so much that I can hear here.From metal to blues solo,witch is great.I think that you haw a great control of your tone.
But once a gain I love the dynamics of melody progression.God job mate.


enforcer:


Wow,I like this one in ever way.Tone is amazing,and melody too.I really like the additional guitar backing sounds,intervals that comes with the main solo melody.
Nothing to add,just great take mate.
Job well done!!!


Toroso:


Well,you chose to go with melody solo,witch is ok.But you haw to work on your vibrato more and tone control.And you haw some notes in the second part that are not in the scale.
Idea is good at the end,just needs a little more work on the technical side of it
I really think that this is great experience for you,and with hard work you will be better on the next collab mate.


FatbOt:


Very good take mate.i like the amount of drive you haw here and the second part of the solo,where you use arpeggios that follow the melody.
Nothing else to add here,great take.


Caelumamittendum:


Amazing technique mate.Tone is great too.
Whole melody drives up nicely and has a "soul" of its own.Nothing else to add.Rally good job mate.


SonofDestiny:


One of the best played takes in this collab IMO.But the sound quality was very bad.You need to pay attention on your Input and output signal.That is why I needed to brake volume down a bit.
But playing and phrasing is great here.I can hear that you haw a great control and technical side is great too.
Great take man.


Kaznie:


As always mate one of the most original takes,but this time technique and control are a lot better.You haw improved a lot mate.Every thing is great.From Melody to control,and dynamic of the whole thing all together.


kjute:


Great speed mate,and great tone as well.I really like this take.Nothing to add on this one.Great ending too.



Just a few words.I am amazed by progress of collaboration takes in general.Moust of you participate in my collabs from before,and I just listen to the old ones.Improvement is amazing.Not just in technical way,but more important in composing the solos and there whole presentation.
Great job every body.

Posted by: Pedja Simovic Nov 28 2008, 08:36 PM

Hi guys. Welcome to final mix. Before getting to your notes I would like to thank everybody for participating in my first collaboration. I am pretty surprised by various levels of players at GMC. Some of you composed while others improvised but still there are things that sounded great! However, this doesn't mean that you won't get some critique from me smile.gif I would like you to take each critique as a good thing and as means to improve and work on your musical voice even more in future. By any means I have no intention to discourage any of you – after all we all have different levels and great thing about music is that learning process never stops!
One thing worth mentioning is please let me know if your take sounds good with Final mix. You can send me private message about that. I didn't mean to raise or lower any one of you guys nor to synch you bad with backing so sincere apologies in advance if that happened with your take.
Having said all of this, I would like to get to the notes. I have organized takes in alphabetical order so feel free to read about everything or just scroll down and find your notes wink.gif



First up is Alex Levis ( 0:00 – 0:34)



Sound – Very nice distortion. It brings out the notes without too much gain.
Intro – I like slide along with fast rhythmic part. It worked very effectively. One thing I didn't like is when you bended the note it sounded out of pitch(0:04 -0:05) - other than that great intro.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Very good time feel and nice connected phrases. I like it !
Development/melodic shapes – Definitely very good work with this one. It sounds like you were telling a story which I like a lot about solos.
Technique- Bending needs work Alex. Other than bending your legato is strong along with hammer on and pull offs. Good job with doing multiple guitar parts even though I felt that wasn't really needed in your solo!
Outro/ending- Great job slowing down and doing opposite from the intro. Good job ending on the root of the chord.

If you would like more detailed comments regarding specific parts send me PM.
Overall this is very good solo , it has some nice development, good strong phrases just needs work on Bending and fast shredding part.
Thank you Alex. smile.gif


botoxfox (0:34 - 1:06)


Sound – The distortion has a lot of gain hence the notes don't come out clearly as they should. I would definitely try to work on the sound and "clean" it up with some different distortion perhaps.
Intro – Cool intro, I like the bend in the very beginning as well as long notes you rest on.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Overall good work with this area however in the intro part phrasing sounds a bit off. As the solo went on phrasing got stronger which is great.
Development/melodic shapes – You did great job with this one! Your melodic shapes sound great together. Its like question answer type of thing and you did it very well. Doing low melody and responding with high one and things like that. Sounds like the solo has sense and meaning to it. Great work.
Technique- Your bending is in tune which is great; I liked a lot tapping along with tremolo picking. Very nice mixture of techniques!
Outro/ending- I think personally ending could have been a bit stronger! Melodically you hit the right note at the end but before it phrasing sounded a bit weak and the note choice could have been better as well.
I feel that you need to work on phrasing just a little bit more and your playing will come out even stronger. Also practice ending your solos strong!
Again this applies to all of you guys - for more detailed comments write me on PM regarding specific parts.
Thank you botoxfox


Caelumamittendum (1:06-1:38)

Intro – Totally unexpected! If that's what you were going for - great job! If that was not for you were going for I think you need to build the intro differently with different phrasing/rhythm. Or perhaps start with one guitar and later add more etc.
Sound – Sounds like too many things going on at once. Overall guitar sound is good however if 2 or more melodies are going in the background you need to be careful how you incorporate them. I like the energy the courage you took and experimenting in this one was awesome. Sounded like you were doing poly tonal playing (two different tonalities going on at the same time etc)
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- All the guitar parts sound in time which is great. You need to work on mixing them and not overloading them wink.gif
Development/melodic shapes – Again at certain parts it lacked development but in some it was great work! Like when you repeated the same rhythmic and melodic shape higher on your guitar - that was great work!
Technique- Legato is strong here, there is some bending, and harmonics are also refreshing here. For this solo these techniques work great.
Outro/ending- It has a nice climaxed ending with fast passages in one guitar part while the other one is going slow and ending on Root.
Thank you Ben (Caelumamittendum )


Canis (1:38- 2:10)

Intro – I like the opening riff a lot especially the repetition after. Good job!
Sound – Good work the notes come out with distortion.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- It feels like you need to work in this area. The phrases are behind the beat and there is tendency like you are coming in late couple of times.
Development/melodic shapes – Nice work here I like the way melodies communicate in this one.
Technique- From technical stand point not crazy stuff going on here but you sacrificed technique for melodic approach and repetition which is cool! Work on your bending just a little bit and it will be perfect!
Outro/ending- I feel you could have done something different instead of main repetitive riff on here. However I love the ending note (G over D perfect 4th) the notes before that could have been different.
Overall good work with repetition and melodic shapes, phrasing needs work as well as bends. If your goal is to incorporate in future solos some tapping and other techniques I would advise focusing on them and trying to improvise just with them.

Thanks Canis



Coffeeman (2:10 – 2:42)


Intro – Good job with ascending run and then rhythmically slowing things down and creating great build up.
Sound – Could perhaps raise it up a little bit with EQ's other than that great.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Great job overall. One spot that needed work was when you were doing faster economy picking towards the end of solo. It sounds like you were falling behind the beat there. So some work with time feel is recommended.
Development/melodic shapes – I like it a lot the way you approached the solo. Great work, melodies interact very well and development is there from intro to ending.
Technique- Bending legato alternate and economy picking good job with these. For what you were trying to get across with your solos these techniques worked perfectly.
Outro/ending- Long bended notes worked great. Perhaps slide out or lowering volume on the last bend would have worked even better.
Overall very good solo that needed time feel work on certain spots but other than that approach was great.
Keep up the good work Coffeeman and thank you for the take!



Enforcer (2:42 – 3:14)[b]

Intro – Awesome intro! Loved what you did here with one riff then repeated it and developed it with 2nd ending.
Sound – Very good work with the sound, very pleasing and spot on with the style.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Intro is great along with all the other parts. One thing that sounded a bit off was after tapping part that short brake you took there. Overall very strong.
Development/melodic shapes – One of the best developments I have heard in this collaboration. Different repetitions, different phrases and rhythm - keep up the good work.
Technique- A lot of cool techniques in this solo. One small thing I have to say is that first bend you did didn't sound 100% exact so I would just point you to work on that a little bit more. Tapping , tremolo picking , tremolo vibrato , regular vibrato all great !
Outro/ending- Very effective , Van Halen like ending beautiful ! (think Beat it solo wink.gif

I love this take; it has all the things necessary that make up great solo. Your understanding of melodic approach repetition is very strong and I love how you used that with some of the rock techniques and created this solo.
Amazing job, thank you for your take Enforcer!




ItsMe (3:14 – 3:46)

Intro – Pinched harmonic sounded great however phrasing was a bit off and made the intro sound weaker than it should.
Sound – It's a bit dark but the notes still come out clear. I would try to work on some highs and middles with that patch.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- This sounds like it needs work the most in this whole solo. There were great melodic ideas, patterns and sequences but the phrasing was not on the beat. You need to work more with backing tracks and metronome. Write up your favorite rhythmic patterns, create your licks over them, and practice them with backing track and or metronome at various tempos. This will lock down your phrasing and it will sound much stronger.
Development/melodic shapes – Very nice development however later during the climax part of the solo there was far too many technical things going on (sounded like exercise almost). So just a little more work on development you will make it sound awesome.
Technique- Good mixture of legato tapping bending even some pinched harmonics.
Outro/ending- Sounded like you ended sooner than you expected and then you waited and hit the D note up an octave smile.gif You should start working on ending your solos stronger.
Overall since you improvised I would say this is very normal to have mistakes. However, the more you improvise and focus on correcting your weak points, your playing will sound even more mature and professional.
I only wrote this much info for you because I know how you play and this was definitely not your best so I am trying to motivate you and push you to try harder next time.
Thank you ItsMe !


kjutte (3:46 – 4:18)
Intro – Great intro with added development with repetition, ending everything on the root at the end.
Sound – I am not huge fan of your sound and I feel you need to look for other types of distortion. This one sounds like its in the background and not "in your face" type of sound which would really work with your aggressive style of playing.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- First half of the solo is spot on. Second half has more wondering around searching for some notes which caused phrasing to drop and rush or be behind the beat. You need to work on it more by practicing various rhythmic patterns and applying your own lines to it.
Development/melodic shapes – Very good job with development and melodic shapes. Solo has low high and middle points so that's what we really needed to look for in there. There were couple wrong notes in the solo that you should pay attention to and some bending was not 100% accurate, other than that great job!
Technique- Your picking is very strong and powerful. I think with techniques you applied in this solo attitude really came out (aggressive) so I feel that you have achieved your purpose.
Outro/ending- This part really needs work more than anything. Sounded like you finished couple of seconds before the actual backing ended and then you repeated your ending to fit it in the end. I feel it would have been better if you left it without adding the last thing to the ending because it just made it worse like it didn't belong there. So again, you need to work on soloing and creating characteristic endings that will fit your style of playing. Listen to your favorite artists, transcribe their endings (phrasing especially) and then apply your melodic choices over that same rhythm see what you can come up with. When you have done that and learned from it, start creating your own rhythm for endings and practice lines with it.
Overall this was strong and good solo. There were couple wrong notes in the solo that you should pay attention to and some bending was not 100% accurate. Taking in consideration that this was improvised solo - great job!
Thanks kjutte!


Matt23 (4:18- 4:50)
Intro – Very interesting note choice in the intro. I like the first phrase a lot but then second one doesn't really respond well to the first one. So in that sense I feel the intro could have been stronger (you started strong then ended it weak).
Sound – Very good sound! It fits the backing track 100% - great job!
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- This area needs work. With faster passages you seem to be playing behind the beat when in this style of music things should be spot on beat. Work with metronome and backing tracks slowly and build up vocabulary of your original lines/licks/motifs that you will use in the solo. Also work on rhythmic coherence and connecting phrases better.
Development/melodic shapes – Some very nice development happening here. Repetition is there as well as sequence I like that , but I also feel you could have added on some spots different ending and not just do exact repetition for couple of seconds. So that would be great to work on in future coming up with different endings for your lines!
Technique- Again techniques you used served very well in this solo and it definitely described the style. Good job!
Outro/ending- I love the idea that you had for the ending , however the phrasing was a bit weak so the ending didn't sound as strong as it would have if you played all the notes in time! Note choice was perfect.
Overall I like the energy in this solo, sound was great along with repetition and sequence but there needs to be more work in phrasing area to make all the future solos sound more mature and like from records !
Thank you for your take Matt23 !

OrganizedConfusion(4:50-5:22)
Intro – One of the best entrances in the solo! Great guitar harmony , very characteristic for the style. I loved how waited on starting your phrase didn't start on beat one ! Excellent work OC.
Sound – Great guitar sounds, fits the backing, notes are clear – nothing to add or take from it.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- One of the best time feels in this solo. Great mixture of both fast and slow rhythms. Just by doing that you created some sort of question answer or development. Great job.
Development/melodic shapes – Very good work with development and melodic shapes.
Technique- Techniques work great with this solo.
Outro/ending- Good ending with repetitive phrases and different endings. I feel you could have worked even more on it but it does the job in the context of the solo.
Overall there was one quick section where it sounded like you didn't pick the note. Also after very intro that ghost note picking didn't sounds as strong as it should have. With right phrasing and melodic choice it would have been incredible addition to the whole solo!
I really like this solo as it has strong rhythm good melodic choice and interesting development.
OC make sure you work on things I mentioned.
Thank you for your take OC !

Roythebattousai (5:22-5:54)
Intro – Very nice intervallic intro with some sequence happening. Good job!
Sound – Good sound however I think if you took a bit gain of it it would be even better (or boosted some highs and mid EQs).
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- At some points phrasing is really good at some it sounds rushed. You need to slow down your rhythms and put melodies to them before speeding them up. Otherwise it sounds like its rushed or muffled and melodies don't really breathe.
Development/melodic shapes – Great development and melodic shapes in this solo. It has beginning end repetition sequence different endings – very good work!
Technique- Slide in/out was great here! Very unexpected and it work perfectly. Your vibrato sounds a bit out of pitch so this is something that you need the most work on along with phrasing. Picking and everything else was very good!
Outro/ending- Again like couple of guys it sounded like you wanted to end it before the actual ending. The rhythm you used for last two notes in ending made it very obvious it was ending (I like that a lot). But sequence you used before would suit better if it was done in the middle (development) rather than ending. So I feel you could have done better ending on this one.
Overall good solo with great development and melodic shapes, interesting mix of techniques but needs work on Vibrato and Phrasing.
Thank you Roythebattousai!


Sami (5:54-6:26)
Intro – Nice bending idea at the very beginning ! However phrasing is a bit of in the second phrase that responds to the very first one. Good idea , could sound stronger with better phrasing or rhythmic idea there.
Sound – This sound needs work. I felt like it came from some old video game  No seriously it sounds 100% digital and robotic. You need to give it some soul. For starters less gain better work with EQs and you will be half way there. The rest will be choosing right pre amp, setting up noise gate and things like that.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Sounds both good and bad. Besides the intro part with the small mistake I mentioned, during the rest of the solo sounds fairly strong. So overall this is good work but there is space for improvement definitely. Work on songs, riffs solos and apply those rhythms in your improvising. Record yourself and critique your progress daily.
Development/melodic shapes – Great development. I felt at times two guitars were playing here. One asking question other responding with good answer. Half way in the solo you did this great arpeggio and then responded with harmony descending run. That was awesome!
Technique- For the approach you took in this solo techniques work great.
Outro/ending- This is a good example how long note can work well. Good job , however I feel you could have ended it earlier as its not necessary to have one note ring out for hours wink.gif
Overall I am happy with development , some interesting melodic approaches and intro, but I feel work needs to be done in general Sound as well as Ending and some phrasing.
Thank you Sami!

SonofDestiny (6:26-6:58)
Intro – Excellent intro I like it a lot. Great phrasing applied and excellent note choice, great job here!
Sound – Works well with this backing however it might be even better with just a touch of less gain. Good work.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- To most extent good job however after you repeated the intro riff the second ending was not strong enough (with melodic leaps). So you need to work on that in future.
Development/melodic shapes – Nice choice of melodic shapes, and I like the development in the most parts except in the very ending. Good job.
Technique – Vibrato and Bending need work. Vibrato is not really bad but I feel you can contribute to your style more if you had a little more aggressive vibrato. Bending is not 100% on pitch so you need to work on it (direct and pre bends as well). Everything else technique wise sounds like it suited the solo well.
Outro/ending- This was your weakest part in the whole solo I believe. The rhythm you chose did not match with your whole solo and things you played before hand. You could have chosen different rhythm and melodic sequence here. So I would say you need to work on creating different endings in future. Again it helps a lot to transcribe favorite players and analyze their playing. It helps even more to record yourself always and listen to your endings and correct them (edit them to perfection).
Overall this solo had awesome intro, good sound and development but needs work on some phrasing , vibrato bending and endings !
Thank you SonofDestiny!

Superize(6:58 – 7:30)

Intro – Good note choice but with stronger phrasing this would have been awesome intro!
Sound – All the notes are clear which is awesome and distortion is there however your guitar sounds out of tune compared to backing track. Your guitar on recording is a bit sharp that is. You should pay attention to these small details in future as they mean a lot when doing studio projects or recording for somebody's record or song.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- I like the simplicity you picked and at certain points phrasing sounds very strong. So you did good job with that but there were also places where it sounded a bit sloppy like you were unsure whether or not you should start on or off beat your phrase. So I would say practicing with metronome and backing tracks, writing down favorite rhythms and applied licks to them is a must do if you want to sound even more professional in future solos. And this goes for majority of guys here not just you wink.gif
Development/melodic shapes – Since this solo was laid back rhythmically, you did a great job developing it. I think this was far the strongest point in your solo. Great job!
Technique- Very nice use of techniques that blend very well with the approach you took for this solo. I feel you needed to add some stronger Vibrato to your melodies (ending notes especially). That would give them lot more life and meaning. So I recommend you practice ending your phrases (long notes) with different types of vibrato!
Outro/ending- Note choice was great for the ending. The phrasing also worked but I do have advice to give you here! Always try to use different type of time feel/rhythm in your endings then you did trough out the solo. So you used half notes, whole notes, doted quarters etc- why not use Triplet type of rhythm in the ending or constant eight notes or even sixteen notes? That will give definite sense to listener that you finished because variation will be there !
Overall this solo had great note choice, great example how to use longer rhythmic values in solos and melodic shapes. For future you need work on stronger phrasing (playing on and of the beat it time) , stronger vibrato and more distinguished ending !

Thank you Superize!



Tjchep(7:30-8:02)
Intro – Interesting intervallic leaps and phrasing. I didn't however like the connection between first two phrases and feel you could have done even better job with that! Overall this is good but it can be better.
Sound – This was probably your weakest point in the whole solo. The sound was full of lows and it sounded like you covered your amp with blanket or something  Seriously with the melodic choices you make when soloing your sound would bring that even more up , so I would spend some time experimenting with pre amp settings as well as EQ's and distortions.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Very interesting phrasing. Sounds very advanced fusion type to same extent (thing Guthrie Govan for example). Good job however you need to have some sort of variation in it so I suggest working out more rhythmic combinations and implying them in your playing!
Development/melodic shapes – Melodic shapes were excellent but I am not happy with development! Sounded like you just wanted to play over the backing track and "make the changes". What you should have done rather is approached it like you were telling story with your solo. The story I got from your solo is like you could talk for hours like that and there was no end to it. In other words, your solo doesn't have sections (beginning middle end, climax high and low points) worked out. So my sincere advice is that you need to think about this more – especially when improvising !
Technique- Flawless technique – this was your strongest point no doubt. Great tremolo usage along with legato technique.
Outro/ending- You faded out your ending so I didn't really hear what your intention was there. Either way you could have ended it earlier or extended it but made interesting rhythmic phrase to correspond with your melodic idea. Ending could be much better.
I have heard your playing on forum TJ and I know you are talented and gifted player. However this doesn't mean that there is no place to improve – on contrary , I expect you with talent and age that you posses to work double hard than anybody here because trust me I know – this will bring great results for you in future. I hope you take all these critiques and advices from heart and I don't mean to discourage your or anybody else from improving – it should have immediate effect on you to sit down grab your guitar and get to practicing.
Overall this solo had great technique beautiful phrasing but sound of the guitar along with ending and development needs work.
Thank you Tjchep!


Tolek (8:02 – 8:34)

Intro – Very good intro. Features regular and syncopated rhythm. I like question and answer in it. Great job.
Sound – It is very difficult to judge the sound since its recorded with camcorder but I would say it has a touch of extra gain that I would take off. Perhaps boosting highs and mids on EQ would have worked as well.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Some parts have great phrasing some your rushing or slowing down. In general the faster the lick is you tend to play out of time. So my recommendation is to practice all the fast passages with metronome and backing tracks slow before trying to use them in real solo. Overall you have nice combination of straight and syncopated rhythms!
Development/melodic shapes – This solo develops great. One of the best developments along with other guys mentioned. Story has story behind it and melodic shapes do the great job telling that story along with phrasing. This is your strongest point with technique.
Technique- Very cool usage of techniques in this solo. You really made me believe you were leaning in intermediate zone of a player from the tapping sliding and legato. However out of time phrasing gave you away easily there wink.gif Good job with techniques!
Outro/ending- One of the "flashiest" endings in the whole collaboration. Really shows that you sat down and worked the ending out especially for this occasion and I appreciate that a lot! Very good job.
Overall Tolek this solo was one of the best ones structure wise. Melodic shapes and development was great. Usage of techniques was very well placed. This solo needed work on phrasing/rhythm to be spot on in certain places. Other than that everything was done with great taste.
I believe if you did couple of extra takes that the phrasing would have been better as well , but that's something you have to work on in future collaborations !
Thank you Tolek !


Toroso (8:34 – 9:06)
Intro – Good ideas with repetitive melodies however the phrasing should be stronger to make it sound spot on! Good effort.
Sound – Very interesting guitar sound (effect wise). Sounds like there is some auto wah or filter going on there I really like how you used that. On the other side, your guitar sounds like its slightly out of tune (sharp). It might not be the tuning but rather your fingers- you might be pressing strings too hard into frets and this causes intonation to vary and sound sharp. So I would definitely check that out!
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Your phrasing is 99% behind the beat. In this style of music you have to be on top sometimes even over the top to play with energy and lead the bend. You sound like band is playing and you are trying to reach them somehow. I think it might have to do with usage of syncopated rhythm. I am sure if you choose simpler and longer rhythm like Superize you would have cruised through the solo! So my suggestion is to practice rhythms and phrasing – that was your weakest point in this solo.
Development/melodic shapes – There is some nice melodic shapes and developing is definitely happening. I feel that if you applied different rhythm to some of the notes it would be even stronger but overall good job with this one!
Technique- Your bending needs work. You need to practice to bend in and to bend out of the note (pre bend), and this you need to practice with different rhythms and tempos. Other than that techniques used were great!
Outro/ending- This part along with phrasing was the weakest in the solo. Perhaps, again, if you used different rhythm for the notes it would have sounded stronger.
I think this take is perfect example for future references for you my friend. You will very soon see how all the things I advised you on will be gone if you get to practice. I am personally very much looking forward to your future collaborations and takes as I feel you among all the players will have very obvious improvements!
Thank you for your take Toroso!


UncleSkilet(9:06 – 9:38)
Intro – Excellent! Great phrasing and the long bend with gradual decreasing to original pitch is just brilliant. I love it!
Sound – It fits nicely the backing track. Good job.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Phrasing is almost perfect! You have firm understanding of rhythm and your time feel usage is great however sometimes you rush a phrase and that happens usually when you TIE a note or hold it trough the bar lines (one note for two different chords for example). This requires some "digging" in your phrasing and practicing very specific rhythmic patterns that will help you overcome that difficulty.
Development/melodic shapes – Development is definitely there. Your solo tells me a story , I like that a lot. Melodic shapes are also there. From predictable ones (intervallic runs) to unpredictable ones (question and answers with high and low phrases). Very good job.
Technique- Nice combination of techniques here. I would say that you like Satriani – correct me if I am wrong  I hear his rhythm in your legato phrases! One thing I noticed is that you tend to overuse the slide out technique when you finish your phrase. Try to restrict yourself from doing it so often. It should be used as special effect not as part of solo  Your vibrato is very shaky compared to everybody else in this collaboration. I would love to hear you in future collaborations with less aggressive vibrato!
Outro/ending- Its very good , it would have been amazing if you hit all the notes and used tremolo picking in my opinion.
Overall this is very good solo. It tells a story , uses nice techniques and good development and melodic shapes. Phrasing needs some "polishing" but other than that I am happy with this take.
Thank you UncleSkillet!


Velvet Roger (9:38 – 10:10)
Intro – Great idea for the intro I loved it. I didn't like that you extended the intro very long when you had chance to end the phrase much sooner. Great melodic choice!
Sound – Very interesting sound! I like it, its different and notes come out. It doesn't however have a lot of gain , in fact its more of a bluesy type of sound . I would add a touch of gain to it perhaps.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- This area needs some work. You have very nice syncopated ideas. I think that you need to use more rests in your solos and make them breathe. Also start working on some "on beat" type rhythms. When you overuse syncopated phrases then they don't mean as much as if they were balanced with on beat phrasing. This is something you need to work on.
Development/melodic shapes – I loved how you had repetition and different endings here. Excellent job developing from one idea. I think in future you would be very good jazz player as this is something that jazz players do a lot. Melodic shapes are also well incorporated with the fact that you used a lot of repetition.
Technique- Your bending needs work (double bends in particular). Other than that techniques you choose for your solo worked well with the intensity level in it! Good job.
Outro/ending- Double stops didn't sound strong (accented) as they should. Since the phrasing was similar to the whole solo, you had two options to do in your ending : 1) totally change phrasing or 2) do something different melodically or technically that will determine that passage to sound like ending.
Overall I like the ideas in this solo a lot along with that sound. I think your phrasing needs work (on beat phrasing in particular) and also bending. I see you improving a lot just by adjusting your phrasing.
I look forward to your future solos on collaborations.

Ok guys , this was it.
I hope that you enjoyed your comments and that you found them useful and meaningful to each one of you.
I would like to take this opportunity and thank you all for participating in my first collaboration at GMC. It was my honor to have you in, listen to your takes and give you my opinion on them.
Sorry about the final mix – I did the grading based on your takes you sent me with backing tracks .

Thank you for reading all this and if you have any extra questions shoot me a private message if you don't want it answered here.

Keep up the good work everybody and I hope to see you in my next collaboration.

Pedja

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Nov 30 2008, 09:41 PM

Old School Rock Collab!!

Hello!

I'm back with a final mix of this collab!! I want to than you guys for playing in this collab and being part of this unique piece of music we all created together! Backing was rock ballad from 60s type and you managed to make some cool and expressive solos to go with it! I tried to give some constructive feedback on your takes.Please keep in mind that its a subjective one and that opinions may differ, collabs are all for fun and to learn something.It was really a pleasure to work with you guys!!

HERE IS THE FINAL MIX :  Old_School_Rock_Collab_Final_Mix.mp3 ( 9.6MB ) : 352


Participants : 16

I arranged tracks in no particular order (I think it should be similar in what order you sent your takes in) :

Comments :

Enforcer:

We are opening this collab with your solo.I liked the guitar sound , maybe there could be less gain and treble but its very healthy sounding and cuts well through the mix.I liked the solo development and note choice..Your phrasing was really good and arpeggios were nice touch.Also the second part of the solo was spot on , the melody you developed was perfect for this style (repetitive licks) and it was very memorable..I couldn't stop hearing it in my head for few days after I first heard your take.Maybe you could work on your vibrato a little more , to make those long notes even more expressive..Thanks for participating in this collab!

Fatb0t:

First thing I notice in your take is your guitar sound..I think you overdid it with gain a lot, so the guitar sound its loosing its integrity and you can't distinguish notes well..But its easy to fix , just roll it off down..Solo idea was interesting, starting with double stops and everything.Also tapping was a good idea , could be a little more tightly played but it was nice.I really liked the ending part of the solo with high bends overlapping notes on different strings.There was a cool melody played.Very nice solo overall , I would just suggest incorporating even more bends , hammer-on , pull-offs and most importantly vibrato in order to make solos like sing! Also its a good idea to record video of your performance too, its very good tool for self evaluation too... Thanks for joining this one.

Strat:

I liked your guitar sound.I suppose its a strat guitar ? You can hear its character.But I would suggest make the sound a little more clear , by adding treble and make it more bright..It was kind muffled a bit...Solo idea was nice, intro could have been a little more convincing melody vise..Incorporating double stops was a nice touch.Main theme was nice , but I would have loved to hear more development like jumping on higher positions to make small screamy melodies or something.Generally its was a cool take , I would suggest paying a little more attention to timing and also to bending (some bends were slightly out of tune)..Fun take mate, thanks for joining this one!

Kaznie_NL:

Very nice clean guitar sound Kaznie.That type of sound really suits this track well.I liked your solo idea..Though it was lacking a little more development as second part of the track was pretty much the same as the first.Melody you were going for was nice and interesting.In the second part you should have moved to higher position to make things more interesting.I would suggest also paying more attention to bending (a the beginning of the solo note was out of tune) and also to muting (there were some unwanted noises while bending the strings).And I missed a lot vibrato on those long notes.But I know you had troubles with your wrist so this take is very good considering that! Thanks for joining this collab!!

Toroso:

Your guitar tone was very clean and I liked it!Regarding the solo development your vere lacking the phrasing to make it more interesting..Also you stayed in the same position throughout the solo..I would suggest using the C major scale (and its modes) to solo over this backing utilizing notes on the whole neck.Also this type of backing really goes well with simple vocal like melody licks...They can be repetative too and that's cool.Also incorporating hammer-ons and pull-offs and vibrato really helps a solo to be more expressive..You can play 3 notes and utilizing those expressive tools make it sing! Just take your time when jamming/composing these solos and keep in mind that good simple melodies (good executed) are always leaving good impression on the listener..It doesn't need to be technically advanced to be interesting.I would suggest exploring your fingerings and trying to play ones you are not used to from exercising scales.That way you can come up with really cool licks.Thanks for playing in this one Toroso!

Kjutte:

I liked the character of your tone..I would only suggest lowering a little gain , and also some effects you used (guitar was sound a little too much "chorus like").All notes were in place and I liked how you developed the solo and melodies and at the same time blend different techniques.I would suggest paying a little more attention to bending and vibrato control to make it more precise.Great take overall , thank for joining this collab!

Organized :

Very good guitar sound choice..Clean is a good way for this type of backing and style.I liked the melodic approach you went for.You could have used in the second part of the solo a little more different phrases to make it stand apart from the previous solo ideas.Ending on high notes was cool! I would advise paying just a little more attention to the timing though and getting into the groove of the track.Very good solo overall , thanks for participating mate!

Mat23:

Nice guitar sound, maybe adding a slightly more treble to make it bright could work too.Also lowering gain a little could be nice.I liked the octaves usage idea in the intro part.After that you went for some nice licks, though I think you didn't have to use double stops to make it more clean sounding.Second part of the solo with all the harmonies was really cool! Though in some places i didn't fit what bass was playing but it was fun to listen! More vibrato in longer notes would work great in your solo.Thanks for playing in this collab!

Tj:

Great healthy sound..I can really recognize your style.Solo was interesting , though I kinda missed small slower melodies in higher registers.But I can hear this was probably the first take.All notes were in place and you know your way on expressive tools (bends , vibrato etc).Very cool solo TJ (nothing less expected from You ).Thank for participating!

Gilmore:

Ok you guitar tone was absolutely perfect ! Regarding the solo , well it was perfect too! You really captured the vibe of this track and made a clean solo in the style of 60s with utilizing all the little tricks heard in such solos (double stops etc).This was an excellent take !! Thanks for rocking this collab!

Superize:

Nice guitar tone..You got hang of using that toneport..Maybe a little less gain would be better though..Its a healthy recorded take.Though generally this is pretty heavy sounding color of guitar and backing is about 60s ballad but Its in your style so its cool.I can hear huge improvement in your playing in relation to some previous collabs we did together.You are playing the right notes and following the progression well.Solo idea was good , maybe in the second part you could have developed it even more to make it more interesting and different from what you played in the first part (for example changing both notes and rhythmically - how you played parts).Also I missed more hammer-ons and pull-offs in your solo and also stronger vibrato on long sounding notes..That would really make it more expressive..Very good playing my friend, thanks for joining this collab!

Leedbreak:

Nice guitar tone..To make it better I would suggest lowering gain pretty much.Nice intro utilizing arpeggios.You developed some cool phrases in your solo..To make it more interesting I would suggest making pauses between phrases to make your solo breath a little more.Last part of the solo was a little flat sounding because of using same note lengths..experiment with that a little more..Thanks for participating mate..Cool take overall!

Skennington:

Nice guitar tone mate.You could maybe make it more bright , it was a little muddy sounding.Solo idea is nice, starting slowly and than going for small melodies.I would suggest paying a little more attention to scale notes and also bending because they can be out of tune and need more control.Also its good to think about dynamics (how hard you hit the strings) to make a more smooth sounding solos...Thanks for jumping in this collab mate!

Col Roberts:

Excellent clean guitar sound..It was really good! I liked the ambiance on that too (delay) and the intro melodie was interesting.Also second part of the solo is sounding good and you didn't much experiment rather just go with proven type of solo (repetitive licks of the time and intervals usage)..Also octaves were nice! Its good to keep it simple yet effective!! Cool solo overall , thank Col for joining this joining this collab!

Velvet Roger:

Ok you forgot to send me the guitar only take, the one that should be that was one with just the backing solo , so I used your mix with the backing..Interesting guitar sound..A little muffled though (like your playing underwater).Intro melodies was good, in the second part you could have made it more interesting by going for something new rather using the same idea from the intro(and playing around)..Third and 4th parts of the solo were pretty good! Though be careful what notes you play (some were out of scale).Very nice take overall , thanks for playing in this one!

Son Of Desteny:

Ok we got a pleasure to end this collab with your take! Guitar sound was nice and it cuts through mix well.I liked the solo and phrases you went for..Though I feel you were having troubles with your technique to get all the notes out so I would suggest simplifying part in order to execute them well..That will always sound much more convincing than "sloppy" parts..Though you were not heaving that much troubles, I'm sure if you playing this solo one more time you would nail it.As I said note choice was nice, maybe a little more expressive tools like bend and vibrato and it would be perfect..Thanks for playing in this collab and also closing it !!

Cheers

Posted by: Nemanja Filipovic Dec 16 2008, 11:13 PM

Hi guys,I mixed this collab with great plessure.All the takes are great in there own way,and I am very happy with how much original material this collab haw.

 Crazy_Blues_Collaboration_FINAL_MIX.mp3 ( 7.2MB ) : 282




Noumber of participants :7

Order of participants in the final mix is the same as the order of uploads.

enforcer:

Amazing take mate.I can hear so much original inspiration here.Every thing is crazy enough to make prefect scence.The finishing shredding is mind-blowing fast and clean.
Beginning is very melodic and at the end of the first phrase arpeggios sound great,as in the end.
Thanks for the take,really great one it is.


Toroso:

Beautiful take.You manage to make from this strange backing an amazing melodic solo.
This melody is some thing that people would sing in there spare time,this is the melody that sticks in your head for a while.
You have nice tone,and the color goes perfect with the syle of your take.
Once again,great take mate.

GuitarsANDtattoo...:

Idea is great,and execution is good.The take has that soul blues tuch.
First part is great as a melody.And you kept the vibe to the end.
I think you can improve a lot,you have the talent for sure.Not saying this is bad played take.But there are some finess and little things that can make your guitar sound great.like tone control and techique.
All in all,good take mate.

leedbreak:

Very nice take,every thing is floating and every thing is kinda connected.
I thik you had a few off scale notes, but nothing this backing could not make it right.smile.gif
I like your tone buy the way,nice amount of drive.
Good take all in all.

Kjutte:

I did my best to equalize the sounds between your take and the main backing that I use in Nuendo.Next time send me the guitar solo take alone(with out backing) and one with backing.
Now,this is one of my favorite takes.Exellent playing,phrasing,and techique.You have great melody places,you have great shread places where we can hear great speed.
All in all great take mate.

Oxac:

This is the craziest take(in a good way that is).
I can hear so many tecnicuqes here well played.This sounds like real crazy blues take.
Nothing to add mate,great one.

Alex Lewis:

Perfect playing.I like the effects that you add in some parts of the take.
Control is great,tone is amazing and playing too.
Really nothing to add mate.Great job here.

And mine little contribution for this collab.I did a first take organ solo.

Hope the comments are good enough.There are some areas that I cant go as a singer.But I really like all the takes.
Great job every one.

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Dec 31 2008, 10:55 AM

Hey Guys here's the final mix finally! I've included Sami in the mix yesterday, and rendered again, this time we will have only one resolution, and with Kris's permission and yours of course, I will put this one on YouTube. I wanna ask you do not put this mix on YouTube yourself, I will put it if we get all the green lights. Thank you!



I must say you were all great in the collab, there are some major improvements, and no set backs. It seems that everybody are progressing at a great rate! Thank you all for participating, and hopefully you will understand the comments in a positive light. After all this time, you know it is my only intention to help everybody the best way I can. As always, if somebody have difficulties understanding the comments, have a complain, advice, suggestion of anything at all, feel free to post here, or PM me so we can discuss it in detail. Thanks again guys!



STATS:

Music Genre: Rockabilly
Type: Video
Participants: 12
Duration: 7m09s
File: .AVI (XviD)



FINAL MIX AND COMMENTS:


chast
PLAYING: Starting off with some nice slide licks, followed by a vibrated note, and then moving on to some nice tapping lick, and great picking hand slide harmonics lick. Then some great 6 bends with vibrato on top, going up the neck the sound really cool, and again some tapping this time going down. After that moving to some nice pentatonic lick, followed by a long vibrated G, and going to the C in the end
TECHNIQUE: Lets start from slides, they are good and really add to the vibe of the tune, but they could be a bit more faster. They do sound OK, but if you play them even more precise, and really come fast to the fret that you are sliding into, the sliding licks will sound even more secure. Vibrato is pretty good, you do it properly, and IMO it needs just some fine tuning that's all. I'm glad to see that you play vibrato on bended notes as well, and you use nice and wide vibrato. So a bit more even vibrating will do the trick there. When practicing the vibrato, go up the pitch and stay there, and repeat that as many times as you can. In the end it will be pro sounding, considering current vibrato technique. I love the occasional tapping licks as well, they are cool sounding, and you play them in rhythm as well. Also that sliding with your pick hand is a great touch indeed.
SOUND: You sound is pretty cool, nice and thick. It is not buzzy at all, it is smooth, so no complaints there. A bit more precision in playing will make your tone shine, so be more careful about notes bleeding one into another. This is what makes a great tone.
VIDEO: Video shot is a bit to the left, but I think the video itself is pretty clear, and I can see everything that you play. Other than that light behind you from the ceiling, you could use another one to the right and in front to remove any shadows there and really shine your guitar and hands.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: You have a good sense for rhythm and know where to apply the licks to make them sound good, but a bit more work needs to be done on the solo structure. You must be aware of the key you are in and the scales on the fretboard all the time, and this will really make it easier to play and express yourself even more. No worries there, cause judging on the way you play, you're on the right track mate, just keep it up like this. The most useful things to use in this video are C major pentatonic and C minor pentatonic scales, and these 2 scales are in the same time easy to learn on the whole fretboard. They have the same patterns, only they are on different positions. So the first thing that you should do is to learn them, specially the major pentatonic one. Try to jam this track using that scale and you will know what I mean. It has a root on the C, but it is the second pentatonic box, and the root is on 8 fret (or in your case 9 since you're in Eb tuning).

skennington
PLAYING:Great first bend, and release as well, then some nice and fast legato lick, followed by a tapped D#, then a small sequence on the pentatonic scale, and another solid bend. After that we have some nice sliding repetitive lick that goes along great with the rhythm of the track and another bend. After that you go up the neck, first doing one bend in the major scale, than one in the minor scale, that sounds nice, and finishing off using a pentatonic pattern.
TECHNIQUE: You technique is cool mate, I like the way you do your bends, they are sharp, fast and precise. Vibrato technique is on the other hand a bit on the weak side, but it is good that you don't use it despite that. There are room for improvements, and I think with some focused practice on the vibrato, you will have no problems executing it, just need to practice it a bit more. I can hear that sometimes you are trying to vibrate the string but it is not working that great as other stuff, and it is good not to overuse it in that case, so smart thinking. Those legato and tapping parts are pretty good, and they go along with the rhythm nicely. One thing that you really need to work on is your picking technique. You pick mostly downstroke, and alternate pick rarely, and when you do, it sounds a bit unprecise. Try practicing some plain runs up and down, this should really give even more confident to you when playing, and with such a great technique that you already have, really add a lot to your playing. So alternate picking and vibrato are IMO the things you should focus on more.
SOUND: The sound is pretty cool, very piercing in a good way, and cuts trough the mixs great, despite having a lot of gain. I think good pickups are the key there, well defined sound. Sometimes you aren't too precise with some notes, so you get a small amount of note bleed, but that is acceptable, in general sound is smooth and very useful for leads.
VIDEO: Video is good, a true YT video, with the hat and the bedroom shot Angle is pretty good, I can see everything clearly, and visibility is solid, but can be better of course. More stronger light in front would really make everything look nice, I think 200W light would do the trick. Other than thats a cool shot right there.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Although this kind of track is possibly not in your style you seem to get along well with it. You don't fight it, but god with the flow, and using the licks you know to create a cool vibe. I like how you wait and choose the right moment for picking or tapping the notes, this creates a lot of positive feeling to the listener. In the end you kinda go offbeat a little, but this is a minor issue. Structure of the solo is OK, but needs some work in order to sound just right, solo must have proper beginning and end just like a story. The intro and main part you did well, and I think the end could be a bit more effective. Even if you did only one of those great bends in the end in the proper time it will sound great, so try focusing more on finishing off the improvisations in a more effective way. I like the way you changed scales here and there, and in general you have a good understanding about the notes on the fretboard, just need to work on that picking hand technique in order to accomplish everything you wanna play. This should really add up to your playing mate. All in all great job on the solo.

Toroso
PLAYING: Starting off from good ol' minor pentatonic box, following teh rhythm in a great fashion and budiling a nice melody, vibrating strings as you go along. Then we have 3 bending licks followed by the vibrated root. After that you do to the box 5 and do some nice sequences, making sure that you're in time with those bends, and then going up the neck doing some bending licks in the box 2, and going down to finish off in box one C root on the D.
TECHNIQUE: I like your technique mate, it reminds me on BB King a bit, lots of minimalistic phrases on the treble strings. The good thing about your playing is that you play the stuff you really mean to play. I think you are aware of how the notes sound and that you use them in just the right order. This is why this solo has some logical progression in it. Vibrato and bands are again one thing you should be focused on, since you vibrate the string with your ring finger instead from the wrist. The movement should always go from the wrist, no matter what, this keeps the vibrato more natural. You picking technique is nice and clean.
SOUND: Sound is nice and clean, as I said your clean technique adds a lot to the tone, and it sounds very neat.
VIDEO: Video is perfect, just like the last time. I like the fact that you use this pattern as the background, adds to the quality of the shot. Also lightning is strong, and I can see everything super clear. In addition to that the light is dispersed so there are no strong shadow. Excellent mate.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Your technique is minimalistic but neat and precise. You are thinking about your playing, and the solo structure sounds intelligent. From the previous collab you seem to mastered a bit of the boxes, so now you transfer them more seamlessly. Vibrato needs a bit more work, but in general you use it in good places, it just needs to be more secure that's all. What I would recommend is to expand your lick vocabulary, so you can insert some licks here and there. Because you are really watching what you play and where, I think you would put them in the right places, and it will really bring up the quality of your playing a lot. Even 1-2 effective but simple licks in the main part and in the end can make a world difference.

OrganizedConfusion
PLAYING: Starting with some nice and cool muted lines on the major scale pentatonic. Then we have a couple of slides down the fret, and using a root on the A string which adds to the vibe nicely. After that one lick but repeated first time in the minor and second time in the major pentatonic scale, very clever thing to do. Also the next lick with G string bended and playing on top of it a nice little line is extra cool. Then you do to C major pentatonic again, for some very cool lines, and finishing off in the minor pentatonic on the root nicely.indeed.
TECHNIQUE: Your technique is quite good OC, I think you know well where minor and major pentatonic scales are, know the theory, and apply it in a good way. Playing is nice and clean, and picking is cool. Bending and vibrato should be the things you should spend more time while practicing. bending is a bit unprecise, and vibrato is bit unsecure, but this is just some fine tuning to really get it nice and perfect. So other than those 2 things that you should focus on, everything else is pretty good, you managed to play the solo in a great fashion. Well done.
SOUND: I really like the sound, it's a bit buzzy, barely noticeable, but it can be a matter of personal preference as well the way you made the preset, so no complaints there. I like that the sound has some dynamics, and that it sounds a bi twangy - it adds to the vibe of the track, really nice.
VIDEO: Picture is good, a bit strange angle, but I can see the fretboard well. More straight angle would enable a good view on the picking hand as well. Lightning is OK, needs one more light in front of you, and the contrast is a bit low.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: You are a very solid player with a good knowledge of the scales and good idea how to use them. Also lick vocabulary is very good, and nice to see that you can apply same licks on different scales, this is very useful when improvising. Well played solo, needs some fine tuning, like more precise playing, more dynamics and feel, and better bendings and vibrato, but in general I think you really did great mate, and that you're a quality player. More work on bends and vibrato and your playing will shine even more. Great job.

Alex Lewis
PLAYING: Starting off with a great bluesy lick on the minor pentatonic scale, cool twangy picking. Then a nice legato sequence using hybrid picking, a bend, slide, going to box 2, and then some more cool hybrid picking on the intervals. Again some great fast hybrid legato lines, and another bendy line, and then followed by a great index finger bending lick that really adds to the country vibe. After that we have some ultra fast run down the minor pentatonic, and a nice minor pentatonic lick to finish off the piece effectively.
TECHNIQUE: Technique is really great, I live the dynamic you achieve both with the pick and with fingers, you really get that nice twangy tone. With pick you dig in the string nicely so you accent it properly. Fretting hand technique is just as good, but bendings and vibrato need more work. You bend and vibrate properly, but not very wide, bends and vibratos needs to be more wider and more secure. I recommend focusing more on whole step bends, and vibrato will also come after you master that.
SOUND: Cause you sent me the sound from a camera mic, it is not that good. It is muffled, and frequencies are way off, but nevertheless I think the tone you get from your guitar is great, I like the twangy vibe, and with a bit more work around recording methods it will sound great. Next time just try to record directly somehow and it will sound great. If you can't record directly into computer, try to play with the headphones and at least give the solo of your playing separately. This would raise the audio quality very much.
VIDEO: Video is good, There is a light above you, and again, one in front of you would kill those shadows that one from above is making. Also the video is with a bit too much contrast, and some parts of the video are overexposed. This means that the video information is lost, and all that is seen is white (like on the bed). Next time try to cut down the exposure of the cam so you have all the contures displayed nicely. Additional light will help that it doesn't look to dark if you cut down the exposure.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Great playing, and good sense for rhythm. Also great lick vocabulary, and you put it in the right places. I like the hybrid picking technique a lot, and you really nailed the style of the backing - it sounds rockabilly to me. If you spend more time on those whole step bends, and if you try to make audio a bit better it will really make a world difference - it will look and sound pro. Great job mate.

Superize
PLAYING: Starting from the major pentatonic using alternate picking, doing one bend, and another one. After that we have the same lick but in different positions - it sounds great, and then 5 bends that sound pretty good. Then we have another lick that is repeating, but you play it with staccato next time, and you change the rhythm nicely, so it really sounds cool. In the end a couple of more nice lines, and finishing off effectively with a cool lick again using staccato a bit and legato lick in the end.
TECHNIQUE: You playing is nice, clean and precise. Alternate picking is neat, and the the picking is even. Bendings and vibratos need to be stronger tho, you focus on making them even more faster and precise. This should really add to the quality of your playing. I like the way you do the raking notes, and you do them a lot! This is a very cool technique and you do it very clean. This shows how much a small detail can mean a world difference in one player phrasing abilities. Focusing a bit on the vibrato is gonna make it even greater difference.
SOUND: Sound is solid, well defined, there's a distortion, and it feels a bit edgy while picking, but I think you play very cleanly, and your tone is nice and neat. This kind of preset really cuts nicely through the mix, but my personal preference would be to have a bit more dynamics. Although the preset is on the verge to sound a bit buzzy, it doesn't because the way you play - precise.
VIDEO: This was the only video I had to apply the brightness filter mate, because I couldn't see what you were playing! Sorry for changing the your clip only, but I think this way it is much better - you practically sent me a very dark clip, so you should definitely consider getting one more light for these recordings, and try to increase the brightness through some filter like I did. I presume that you recorded with a webcam, and these babies require a lot of light, so I recommend at least 100W (200W would be better) in front of you. The light from above is just to weak for the webcam.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: I think you are a well balanced player, you don't rush things and play what you do best. From the previous collab you seem to be advancing a bit with positions, because now you move through them better, and do your bends and raking nicely. In other words - your phrasing is great. What you need to work more is to expand your lick vocabulary. 1 - 2 catchy licks can make a real difference in your playing, it doesn't have to be hard, or fast, just effective. In general you managed to stay with the vibe of the tune using major pentatonic and this shows you got taste for music. Well done.

coffeeman
PLAYING: Starting with some sliding licks and a bend, and again a couple of more lines in a similar fashion. Then a cool minor pentatonic sequence down that sound nice and bluesy, and another one this time in major pentatonic, very nice. After that and awesome tapping lick down the pentatonic scale that really sound effective, and going up the frets to do some cool bending work and to finish off the solo nicely in that fashion.
TECHNIQUE: Your technique is pretty solid, nice picking all around, little unsecure, but good sounding nevertheless. Tapping technique judging by the execution of that tap lick is excellent, very nice and clean. Vibratos are done properly, but they need to be even more stable and even. With bendings it's a similar story - they are good and properly executed, but (specially those in the end) need to be a bit more precise. Other than that it's a good display or techniques all around.
SOUND: Sound is very cool, I love the neck single sound, it sounds nice and smooth. Distortion is a bit buzzy, but it can be a subjective matter. Personally I would prefer more dynamics and less drive, but this sounds pretty smooth to me nevertheless. Your playing is nice and neat, and so is the tone because of that.
VIDEO: Video is cool, I like the hat mate, it really gives the shot a cool vibe The video itself is with a bit more contrast that it should be, and mainly because you had one light on the right, and no lights on the left. One more light in the font of you and to the left would make this part of the shot look nice, and the whole shot will look more even in lighting. Try to focus in making the shot more even as far as brightness concers. Other than that it is OK.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: You have the ability to make a solo sound good and make a good structure, and execute the licks in the right time. What needs more work is your scale knowledge. You seem to go to minor pentatonic box 1 often, and used the Major pentatonic box 1 as well. I think you would really benefit in covering all the boxes evenly, so you can transfer into one another seamlessly. This is not hard to practice and it can mean a world difference. Despite that I can say that your techniques cover nicely the boxes you use, and if you learn to apply them evenly across the neck they will sound much better. When learning the boxes, never be limited by one position, always look at the boxes as one pattern throughout the neck - this helps a lot.

leedbreak
PLAYING: Starting with some nice and jumpy lines on the minor pentatonic scale, building up the melody nicely, and then going to a major scale a bit. Then a small bend, one note a bit off the scale, followed by a lick that complements that bending melody nicely. After that we have a lick that is repeating in a cool way 2-3 times, and staying in that vibe for some time, doing cool variations, then transferring to one string cool sequence, and in the end a nice effective major style run to the root - very cool.
TECHNIQUE: Technique is nice and even. Alternate picking is used nicely, but more work is needed with the picking hand in order to really go through more combinations of upstroke-downstroke when changing strings. Right now you use a lot of downstrokes, and although it sounds pretty cool and evenly played, I think spending more time with picking unfamiliar patterns will raise the quality of the playing even more. Fretting hand is great, great position on the neck, properly placed, and fingers are fretting the notes perfectly and evenly, although there's some minor note bleeds. One thing that needs more work is a vibrato, it is a bit on the weak side, when comparing to other techniques you display. A more wider bend exercises, like whole step ones are IMO a quick fix to this.
SOUND: Tone is very good, there's some crackling in the solo guitar track yo gave me, so be sure to check out what could cause this problem. My guess it's a cable or clipping of hte signal, or something, so minor issue there. The sound of the guitar is smooth and even, a bit more dynamics could make it even better, but it cuts through the mix nicely, so no troubles there.
VIDEO: Video is pretty good, a bit on the dark side, but it is super sharp, and I think all you need is a stronger light. That one from above is a bit weak. Also I think you could move to the right a bit, and move the camera up so we could see the whole guitar, but it is a minor suggestion, cause I can see clearly everything you play. So again, I like that the video is very clear and even in brightness, but you just need to increase the overall brightness a bit. The best way for this is with more stronger light, but you can also experiment with brightness filter, this can help a bit, specially with such a healthy video you have.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Great sense for rhythm, and good way of placing those sequences. I also like your interesting way of repeating some licks - they really give the flow to the soloing. One thing that needs a bit more work are bends, and phrasing in general. Add a couple of details here and there, like a big slow slide, wide vibrato or long bend, and it really gives a whole another dimension to the solo. Your scale knowledge is quite good, you transfer the scales and positions up there seamlessly, and my suggestion to you mate is to use that advantage and start practicing some unusual picking and fretting patterns (or even a couple of licks with some phrasing) in those scales. When combining these components - you can increase powerful soloing ability even more. Great job.

kaznie_NL
PLAYING: Making you start with some cool bluesy licks, then doing a nice line on the bass strings in minor pentatonics, and then continuing up the on the treble ones and finishing on the root. Nice. Then a cool sliding lick to connect box 1 and 2, in box two you do some very cool bluesy lines, and then go to over box 3, and to box 4 to finish off nicely again in a cool bluesy type of a way.
TECHNIQUE: Your technique has greatly improved in these couple of months Kaz, and you are continuing to improve. This sounds very good! All the fretting an picking is more secure, and sounds well structured. You seem to improve the picking techniques since we talked about that hand anchoring, looks much smoother now. What needs some work are bends and vibratos. You do them right, but again they need to be more wider. I suggest focusing on a whole step bend exercises more, and this should help you to improve on that field a lot. There are some note bleeding as well here and there, nothing serious, so in general more work on bendings and vibrato is all you need ATM IMO. If you have difficulties bending and vibrating a lot, try moving to thinner strings for a month or two, and this should help.
SOUND: You seem to like to use clean setting, and this is very cool to this kind of tune. The dynamics is well preserved when not using a lot of distortion and this opens up the way for more phrasing possibilities. Very nice.
VIDEO: Brightness of the video is pretty good, you are well in the spot, but contrast is a bit high, specially on the dark side. Try to disperse this light a bit so you gon't get such high shadows. You can point it to a wall, and add another soft light from behind you - this should create a more even picture. I like that you did a close up footage, but I suggest you try to adjust the angle of you playing so that we can see both hands equally well, this is very important.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: My impression about your playing is getting better every day mate. You seem to really follow the advices, and getting better in soloing as each day passes by. This is very good. You seem to master those minor pentatonic boxes 1 2 3 and 4, and now it's time for a box 5, and major pentatonic boxes. They are the same basically, only in different positions, so this shouldn't be too much of a problem. Your solo is now well structured, notes are more in right places. My advice to you - keep practicing the way you do cause it works, the results are clearly visible.

audiopaal
PLAYING: Making a cool introduction with some major pentatonic lines, soft and smooth, and going to the root on the B string with a slide - very nice. Then another solid major type line downwards, and sort of a response to it, this time going to the root on the G string. After that you transfer to a bluesy vibe using some minor pentatonic notes combined with major third, and this sure sounds cool. A couple of variations of that and you're off again to the major pentatonic IV-V with a hammer on and a root to finish off nicely.
TECHNIQUE: Techniques you use are pretty solid and well balanced. Picking is good, could be a bit more faster, and with more dynamics but very even and precise. Also vibrato is very good, nicely executed and even, but needs to be a bit more secure and faster in execution. I think you can do all the techniques well, it's just a matter of fine tuning them, and add a bit of phrasing techniques here and there, mainly with your picking hand. Some strings could be picked harder, some softer, and some could be raked for example to create a cool accents on some important notes in the solo.
SOUND: Sound is really cool and twangy - ideal for this kind of a tune. The dynamics is good because of the clean, there isn't too much compression going on, and it sounds like a true country tone! Well done.
VIDEO: Video is just like before good, this time you did a close up sitting which is much better, we can see the guitar and hands clearly now. The hat is great you're a real cowboy mate! You could move a bit to the right so the that the whole fretboard is in the shot, other than that it is quite cool. Right side of the shot is dark, so the overall contrast is too high. Try pointing the left light into a wall, and getting another light pointing into wall to the right and reflect to you - this should create even more balanced and defined picture.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Great improvising, you seem to be getting along great with major style tunes like this. Major pentatonic is well played, and so are the licks form minor. I like the way you change positions and slide into them seamlessly, so the next step would be to practice some runs to spice up your playing. In general I think your awareness about what to play next is great, and you know how to build a cool and not-boring melody. This is a major advantage, so when combined with a better pick phrasing and more secure bendings and vibrato it should sound awesome.

Gus
PLAYING: And here we have some cool fingerstyle licks, doing a small intervalic melody on top of the minor pentatonic scale as an intro that sounds really nice and effective. After that some cool pull off licks, and keeping it that way on the minor pentatonic box 1, pulling out some great fingerstyle twangy-picked notes. After that you move to box 2, and again you display some awesome fingerstyle licks there, then again you go to box 1 do a few more lines, and go to box 5 down on the bass strings and climb up to the root on the box 1 to finish off nicely.
TECHNIQUE: Fingerstyle that you used is great, nice use of all the fingers, not just thumb and index. ALso I like the way you played those pull off licks, they are a bit off beat because they are fast, but I think they sound great nevertheless. Also there's some note bleed there, and this is the job for both hands. More focus on muting while playing fingerstyle is needed to make it sound even more precise. There weren't a lot of bends here, but I think those that you did could use a bit more strength and speed to them. Also vibrato could be wider.
SOUND: Sound is really cool, nice and smooth, and great tone color as well, specially in the intro, very creative. Twangy vibe is achieved through playing technique, and this shows just how much your playing affects your tone. Good playing = good tone. The sound was a bit quiet tho, so I had some troubles of making it too loud in the Vegas, so try to adjust the input so it is more louder next time, and it will sound great.
VIDEO: Video is great, much better than the last one. Looks pro, and you can really see what a clear background can do to a shot. It makes it look much neater and better. Lightning is also better, more brightness this time, and angle is good as well. IMO, one more light to kill the shadows, a touch of brightness filter, and a clear background and it will be perfect.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Fingerstyle technique that you chose for this part shows that you are a versatile player that has no troubles using techniques for different types of music. What you could really benefit from is scale knowledge. If you did some of those twangy licks but in the C major (A minor) pentatonic scale, that would really bring the quality of this solo to greater hights. IMO you should spend some time checking out how minor and major pentatonic scales relate to one another and how to combine them effectively. Other than that it's a well thought solo, and licks are great all around. Structure is good, and ending could be a bit more effective, so more focusing on outro licks should solve this problem quite easily. In general great job mate.

Sami
PLAYING: Starting off with some nice twangy lines on the major pentatonic box 5, and doing a slide on the box 1 root. After that you move up and do some lines on around 12th fret, using some out of scale notes as well, then coming back to major pentatonic box 1 and to hammer-on licks in box 5. You stay there doing some bends, and couple of more sharply fingered notes, and going up the fretboard again to do some again a couple of notes off the scale and finiss of in the root on the box 1 D string.
TECHNIQUE: You used fingerstyle for your solo which is quite nice, it brings that cool country vibe to the piece. You really picked hard some off the notes, but that's cool sounding, only I think if you use fingerpicking you should use a thumb as well. You haven't used the thumb at all, and it really plays an important role in fingerpicking techniques. You seem to have a good control of the other fingers tho. Use of ghost notes, wetter it is hammerons, pulloffs or slides is very good. Vibrato needs to be more steadier, and wider in order to really accent the note you want, so try focusing your exercise on wide and slow bends - this should help calm those vibratos down.
SOUND: Since you provided only the sound from your cam for this one, I would say the sound is not good. If you can't record directly into computer, there are two main ways to increase the quality of a video. First record so that the microphone is placed closly to the amp and cover it with a blanket or something. Also try to buffle the walls of a room with some kind of audio isolator. The other thing is to record with earphones/headphones and then you will have only your guitar solo playing. This will be a bit harder to sync, but in the end the overall quality will be much much better, and you can EQ and process the solo recording to make it better, while when it is with the backing you can't do that.
VIDEO: Video angle is great, almost perfect, I can see clearly everything. I would prefer that I don't see the keyboard, and if you put some kind of a background, like a sheet behind you this will look like a professional studio recording. Also you need another soft light in front of you to really increase brightness of the guitar nad hands. The window on the right is a bit clipped with white, but it's a minor issue.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Good sense for structure, and rhythm, but need more scale knowledge. You know major pentatonic boxes 5 and 1 well, but as soon as you go up the neck you are confused and don't really know where are the notes. This is a common issue and not very difficult to solve. Just focus more on that area of the neck, do some easy runs, learn a couple of licks, and it will sound cool. I like the way you used the fingerpicking, it sounds nice and cool, so the techniques themselves are not that big of a problem. The overall impression is spoiled a bit with the bad audio, so try focusing on solving those issues with advices that I gave you. I think with some improvements this can look and sound very professional. Well done mate.


THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING GUYS SEE YOU IN THE NEXT (ROCK) COLLAB!

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=11596

Posted by: Pedja Simovic Jan 4 2009, 03:06 PM

Funky Rock Collaboration Final Mix with Comments
Number of participants 19.



Hello everybody and welcome to Final mix!
Before getting to your comments I would like to thank everybody who recorded and submitted their take despite all the holiday restrictions. I really appreciate it guys a lot, thank you!
As in the first collaboration I would like you take you all the comments as means to encourage you to improve more. I have no intentions to make any of you feel bad or discouraged so I just hope you will take everything with clean head and open heart 
Having said all of this, now it is time to get to your notes. I have organized them in alphabetical order and added OC’s and Coffeeman’s take at the very end. Feel free to send me PM regarding your notes if you don’t feel discussing them trough forum!
I have also for the first time included Poll that will help me determine how to approach your future collaborations with comments.






First up is Berko (0:00 - 0:36)

Sound – Notes come out with this distortion although I would suggest using touch less of gain (personal taste really).
Intro – Great! First two phrases work really well together. I like the rhythmic pattern that kept it together. Excellent!
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Fairly strong phrasing, great choice of rhythms and time feel is there trough out the solo. There is couple of spots towards the end (where arpeggios sweep happens) where phrasing sounds a bit weaker but overall Very Good!
Development/melodic shapes – I like the development a lot in this one. It is probably one of the strongest points in your solo. You really used repetition in different aspects (rhythm and melody) and you also had variations to specific melodies. Solo sounded like it was telling a story which I really like , so this was great work.
Technique- I enjoyed techniques you used in this solo. I would just recommend to do lighter vibrato , just slightly lighter though. When I was listening to whole solo many times it was sticking out more and more and I didn’t feel it belonged in the context of solo. That’s a personal taste so you can skip this one as well if you don’t feel working on it 
Outro/ending- Interesting ending. Pinched harmonic combined with different (slower) rhythm and most importantly it fits the whole shape of the solo.
Overall I am very happy with this solo Berko. I would work more on different types of vibrato and just a slight touch on phrasing and everything should be spot on. Your technique is good but I am not aware what kind of style are you aiming to learn and play? If you like technical type music then you need to combine more runs in your solos with faster rhythms and techniques like legato, tapping etc (you get the idea 
Thank you for your take Berko!







Next up is Caelumamittendum ( 0:37 – 1:11)
Sound – The notes come out but I am not huge fan of this distortion. It sounds like it is in the background a bit. EQ’s would do much help here , perhaps different preamp or mic setup would have brightened it up a bit as well.
Intro – Nice Intro! I like the first phrase repeated (bends) followed by responding melody higher up (low + hi = question answer one of many types)
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Rhythm choice is good I liked that; Time feel was also there in the solo which is great ; Phrasing is the part that got me here – first part sounds strong then as you progress into the solo it starts to sound a bit weaker. It usually occurs when you play faster passages so you should pay attention to that in future more when practicing – Legato and Tapping especially wink.gif
Development/melodic shapes –Very nice development and good choice of melodic shapes.
Technique- Nice combination of techniques and they seem to blend really well in the solo!
Outro/ending- Both strong and weak ending . Tapping at times sounds in and out of time. It can be both good and bad thing. Think Van Halen most tapping and odd groupings were a bit out of time and sounded raw and original with his awesome sound and style, and then think Satriani where every single note tapped has its place and value. You make your choice ! Overall nice ending and beautiful idea to end it with tapping to introduce variety technically.

Overall I like the idea of the whole solo as it is telling me a story. I also enjoyed techniques applied in this solo. What I think needs work is phrasing on faster parts and perhaps overall Sound (a bit brighter if possible). Other than that good job !
Thank you Ben !








Next up is coloneldrew (1:12 – 1:46)

Sound – Your guitar sounds like a Violin ! I mean that in a positive way of course – if that’s what you were going for great, if not you need to brighten the sound a bit 
Intro – You choose to approach the solo with faster rhythm from very start. This is not something I particularly enjoy since you have a lot of time to develop the solo. Usually Intro should start with slower rhythm and have rhythmic connection between phrases (listen to very first solo in the mix for example).However , having said all this , in different style of music your approach , note choice is perfect and I have nothing against it. This is just a style preference nothing more nothing less.

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- This is one of your strongest if not the strongest point in playing! I like your double time feel combined with regular time feel and odd vs even groupings that you combined. Every note had its corresponding rhythm placed to it in a very well chosen way. Excellent.

Development/melodic shapes – Very strong development and melodic shapes in this solo. I liked how you approached it and big role plays the phrasing/time feel/rhythm you choose that made everything click even more.

Technique- Mostly legato style applied but I liked how it sounded with your guitar sound !

Outro/ending- Very specific ending and I liked how you approached it with longer lead in into the final resolution note. Excellent work.

Overall I really enjoyed listening to this solo , the only thing that was sticking out was intro (lacking development for this style) and the sound that was a bit in the background. Technique was smooth, phrasing strong, note choice was great, overall very good solo.
I am glad you joined my collaboration as it was your first here at GMC. Thank you for your take coloneldrew!








Next up is Enforcer (1:47 – 2:20)

Sound – Excellent sound, I loved it really. Worked really well with the backing track !
Intro – Great interesting riff with interval leaps that later turns into ongoing motive development. Excellent work with intro.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Very strong Phrasing/time feel/rhythm trough out the whole solo. The reason why it works is it has a lot of repetition in rhythm as well as melody , and variation is included which kept it interesting enough !
Technique- Very cool usage of techniques here. I enjoyed a lot when you played double stops and chords other than single melody solos , so that was wonderfully applied. Only weak point in your technique was arpeggios sweep picking that didn’t sound as smooth as it should (if you applied sweep picking that is 
Development/melodic shapes – Excellent work except the ending !
Outro/ending- I like the intervallic idea for the ending however I believe this to be your weakest side in whole solo (only because all the others were really strong and well applied!). I feel you could have done something different with intervals , however I love the lead in from B to C in synch with harmony/chords , but before that you could have used different rhythm and/or melody.

Overall wonderful solo that I enjoyed listening to. Great sound (fits backing really well), Repetition was used, motive development was there, various nice techniques, solo sounded organized and it was telling story.
Make sure you work on the ending and sweep picking Enforcer.
Thank you for your take Enforcer!








Next up howermike (2:21 - 2:56)
Sound – All the notes are clear and distortion does not have too much gain. I like it although I am sure you could have gotten even brighter sound with EQ tweaking.
Intro – Very good intro, there is question and answer between two phrases and coherence. Great work.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Interesting choice of rhythms and time feel I like it. One thing that bothered me the most was phrasing which at times sounded rushed. The whole solo had lots of cool ideas and techniques but didn’t end up sounding strong as it should because phrasing was a bit off in some sections. I would recommend practicing with metronome all your tapping licks as well as any faster passages that you use in your vocabulary of lines. This should help lock them in your hands better and it will sound smoother and spot on with backing tracks!
Development/melodic shapes – Your solo tells a story and development is there no doubt with some good question and answer type phrasing. Good work !
Technique- I loved your choice of techniques in this solo. Tapping, bending , legato, economy picking – very nice combination of techniques that blended well.
Outro/ending- Ending sounded very weak since it was rhythmically rushed. When you improve your phrasing, this ending would sound awesome since it has beautiful descending arpeggio runs with interesting melodic choice.
Overall I like technique choice and this solo as well as intro and development. The thing that needs most work is phrasing which will take your playing to whole other level once you lock it in.
I know this is your first collaboration and I really appreciate you giving it a go so I would like to thank you a lot and hopefully I will see you in next one as well!
Thank you howermike!








Next up is Jesse (2:57 – 3:30)

Sound – Beautiful sound, I love it, works perfectly with backing track!
Intro – Excellent work! Slow rhythm followed by fast rhythm and then same thing moved in sequence. I am thrilled, really well done and developed!
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Good combination and balance of rhythms as well as time feel difference is applied. Phrasing was strong in most part of the solo but there were couple of spots where it sounded weak (towards the ending part) and you should work on that more.
Development/melodic shapes – Great work with development , question and answer type phrasing was used and melodic shapes blended really well together.
Technique- For the purpose of repetition and melodic application, technique was compensated in this solo but I have nothing against that whatsoever!
Outro/ending- This is the weakest part of your solo since you played “wrong” note that was clashing with the chord in the crucial climax of the solo. If it was improvised I will overlook it but always keep in mind chord vs note choice that you use.
Overall this was great solo with lots of repetition and development but lacked strong ending and phrasing in some parts to make it excellent.
Thank you for your take Jesse !








Next up is kjutte (3:31 – 4:05)

Sound – I am getting used to your sound more and more, but in case of funky rock collaboration doesn’t really fit although I really appreciate and encourage styles to mix and blend like in this case shred with funky rock 
Intro – One single long note, very well done I like it. Perfect note choice as anything you played after it would sound surprising to the listener.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Much better work here than in my previous collaboration. More rhythms and time feel is evident in this one. Great job.
Development/melodic shapes – I like it a lot in the context of shred solo it tells me a story great job. The only thing that needs some polishing is part towards the ending as melodic choice and development could have been stronger!
Technique- Great technical control trough the whole tune. Your vibrato is aggressive but now notes sound more in tune when you bend them - good work !
Outro/ending- This is the weakest part of solo and I think you know that as well  There is definitely improvement since the previous collaboration but still note choice and rhythm you choose don’t click nor correspond to your style of playing and solo you did! That is why ending sounded weaker than anything else in the solo and this part needs most work then anything else.

Overall I am getting used to tone on your guitar and won’t comment on it as you seem to have attached yourself to it and don’t want to let it go  Technique was great in this one, you have improved your development since previous collaboration and melodic shapes have even more variety now. Only thing that needs practicing is phrasing and note choice (sequences, riffs, repetition etc) in the ending !
Thank you kjutte !









Next up is MarcMaiden (4:06 – 4:40)
Sound – I like the distortion, all the notes come out and it works nicely with backing.
Intro – Great approach, you waited and then your entrance sounded even more powerful with syncopated (off beat) rhythm. Excellent!
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Whole solo has a lot of syncopated rhythm in it, I would recommend including more down beat type rhythm to create even more interesting balance between phrases !
Development/melodic shapes –Beautiful approach and development, solo is definitely telling a story here and your climax of the solo was with guitar harmonies introduced with melody repeated. Great job.
Technique- For the purpose of solo, techniques you choose worked well.
Outro/ending- Nice ending, thanks to the harmony part leading into it! I would even like to hear it without repetitive B to C again but just to leave it first time as it is.
Overall this was great solo and approach, the only thing that was lacking was phrasing and rhythm as the most of the solo sounded syncopated and therefore dragging and pushing tempo around. Other than that great work.
Thank you for your take MarcMaiden!






Next up is Matich (4:41 – 5:15)
Sound – Sound blends really well with backing track, great job!
Intro – Excellent development and note choice in the intro. Repetition and variation applied. I am very impressed to say the least!
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- I like your phrasing as there is spacing between each melody and you give them time to breathe and sink in more. Time feel is lacking here as there is mostly limited type of rhythm but if you took it away this solo wouldn’t work the way it did!
Development/melodic shapes – Development is definitely there, you really took your time and used simple ideas to build more and more from them. Melodic shapes are also used and work well with spacing that you applied – Excellent work!
Technique- Nothing spectacular in technique department but for the play rest approach you applied and intent of the solo, simple playing really work and sounded interesting!
Outro/ending- The trills you tried to apply at the end didn’t really work so I would say ending is your weakest part in the whole solo. I feel you could have used tremolo picking (picked the same note) rather than messing the ending with trills.

Overall this is excellent solo because it has development, repetition, rests, melodic shapes and sound worked great with backing track. Things that need work here are different rhythmic combinations for future solos (it sounded predictable where and when phrase would start and end!) as well as ending part. I would try to work on these things if I was you and to slowly start using other techniques in future collaborations like legato, sweep picking, alternate etc.
Taking in consideration that this was your first collaboration and you just joined GMC, I am thrilled with your take.
Thank you Matich!






Next up is Oxac (5:16 – 5:50)
Sound – Great sound, works really well with backing track !
Intro – Excellent intro, slide in idea really worked well. I liked repetition and development part a lot there. Great job!
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Overall very good work with everything here simply because repetition glued all the elements together. In the second section there was some weak rhythmic ideas but you will be able to correct that soon I am sure.
Development/melodic shapes – Development is definitely there and applied really well. Melodic shapes are limited because of repetition but still nice choice of shapes!
Technique- For clean sound solos techniques you choose really worked well.
Outro/ending- Ending is ok and is exact same riff that you played no less than 3 times before. I would have liked different melody at the end but your ending did the job so I won’t be too picky about it 

Overall great sound, development, repetition , question and answer phrasing and intro. Ending could use some work with phrasing in some spots (2nd section specifically).
Thank you for your take Oxac !








Next up is Sami (5:51- 6:25)
Sound – Too distorted and digital. With less gain and some reverb and/or delay would sound really good!
Intro – Great idea (triad going up with added melody) but phrasing wasn’t strong enough so it made it sound weaker than it shouldn’t be.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- In the intro phrasing is a bit weak but as you go along it becomes much stronger. Nice balance of rhythmic ideas and time feel usage is there. One thing that needs work is more downbeat type rhythms; there are a lot of syncopated rhythms in this solo, other than that good job!
Development/melodic shapes – I like repetition with various endings you did with main riff and then later towards the end repeated it again, that made it sound organized. Melodic shapes were ok but I know they will flow more once you get your phrasing really strong.
Technique- Nothing to give or take here, techniques served the solo well.
Outro/ending- This ending made me smile, as you did 3 octave arpeggio from one of my latest lessons  Funny enough that blended well with the solo!
Overall this solo would have been even better if there was more downbeat type rhythm in it as well as stronger phrasing. Other than that your imagination and creativity is heading into right direction and I look forward hearing more from you in future collaborations.
Thank you Sami!









Next up is SonofDestiny (6:26-7:00)
Sound – Excellent sound , I really like it, not too distorted not to clean, bluesy and fits your playing style in this one extremely well.
Intro – Excellent intro! You started with simple 3 note idea then took it further and developed it with some double stops. Repetition and development used excellent work!
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- The way you were soloing in this one you really showed character and different styles. You were going from soft emotional touch into raw rock and blues style. You really nailed the rhythms and time feel. One thing you need to work on is phrasing – in second part of the solo it sounded weaker than the first one – otherwise solo would have been really awesome!
Development/melodic shapes – Excellent work in this area, solo was telling a story and you really had beginning development and conclusion in it.
Technique- I liked techniques you used and they worked really well for this solo. Your bending is great but on the other side your legato sounds a bit weaker and I think you need to work on it a bit!
Outro/ending-Fast rundown passage leading into ending is a bit weak and that is only real thing I would fix in that ending. Note choice was great and ending really fit the rest of the solo.
Overall excellent solo, beautiful touch, various styles presented, development was there, intro was really strong and sound was great. Things that need some fine tuning is legato and phrasing.
Thank you for your take SonofDestiny!







Next up is Tjchep (7:01-7:36)
Sound – As with kjutte I am getting used to your sound more and more, but I still think you can put it more up front with your style of playing. The latest recording I heard you on forums with your new BBpreamp was better than this one in my opinion, so try to use that as a guide for future solos.
Intro – Very nice intro, down beat rhythm used to establish the beat, and very good note choice. I like it, great work.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Your strongest point in solo always as you have great choice of down beat and upbeat rhythms, you apply double time feel, and question and answer is evident in your phrasing more and more. Great work!
Development/melodic shapes – Melodic shapes are great but development could be better. It is definitely better than in the last collaboration, so you have improved and I like that. It still sounds like you are just jamming trough the chords without thinking ahead when improvising – which is essential tool of every proper improviser, you must think ahead and connect your ideas regardless of what chord change strike you. So this is something that will come with time for you Tj but if you start thinking about it now, things will be clearer and click much easier when the time comes!
Technique- Great technique as in previous collaboration, you also included legato run which was nice 
Outro/ending- Do you want me to say it or … ?  Yes, the weakest part of your improvising and playing for sure is ending. You should really sit down and start working out some rhythms for ending and phrases that fit your style of playing. I recommend you before to even transcribe your favorite artists and see what they do when ending the solo. Jamming and doing fade out will only get you so much Tj, but doing proper ending is like putting Icing on the cake  So work on it man, it will make you even better player for sure.
Overall great technique and phrasing, intro was great as well. Development (or simply put planning in real time, composing in real time) along with endings needs most work.
Thank you for your take Tjchep!







Next up is Tolek(7:37-8:10)
Sound – A bit distorted for this backing track but its hard to judge since audio is taken from camcorder.
Intro – Excellent rhythm and note choice, phrases correspond really well.
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Rhythm and time feel is there but phrasing needs work. Sometimes you are rushing, other times slowing down. I feel once you get your phrasing down in time, you will go long way.
Development/melodic shapes – Good choice of melodic choices and solo is telling a story so there is development happening.
Technique- Great usage of techniques unfortunately some of them didn’t come out as strong as they should because of weak phrasing.
Outro/ending- I like the idea and how it was connected with repetitive lick you were doing, but phrasing was weak so it made the actual ending sound weak as well. Note choice was perfect though.
Overall this solo has great melodic choice, development and intro, but lacks strong phrasing to make this sound great!
I know you got your Pod now Tolek so I will look forward for proper recordings from you, and hopefully phrasing improvement for next collaboration!
Thank you for your take Tolek!







Next up is Velvet Roger(8:11- 8:45)
Sound – Works with backing track nicely however it sounds a bit dry, perhaps some reverb and/or delay would have spread it out more in the mix.
Intro – Interesting rhythmic choice and notes worked really well with it. I like it!
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Rhythm and time feel are there but phrasing is a bit weak in some parts. I would especially emphasize faster legato parts. Also try including more downbeat type rhythm in your playing as if you do constant up beat phrases they turn the beat around
Development/melodic shapes – Great work with this one, solo was telling me a story and great choice with melodic shapes as well.
Technique- Some very interesting techniques you choose. I think legato needs work and I wasn’t particularly happy the way you used octaves split, as phrasing didn’t match the ideas to make them even stronger! Overall great mixture of techniques used.
Outro/ending- Ending would have been spot on if you haven’t played C B C at the very end! That just made whole phrase before hands sound weaker when by itself it was really strong and powerful for ending. Think about it sometimes less is more wink.gif
Overall this solo has nice sound, interesting intro, great development and melodic shapes but needs work on specific techniques and phrasing (more downbeat type phrases).
Thank you for your take Velvet Roger!








Next up is wrk (8:45-9:20)
Sound – Excellent sound, blends really well with the backing track.
Intro – Excellent polyrhythm (quarter note triplets) combined with great note choice (arpeggios never fail 
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Great balance of everything, phrasing is strong, time feel is there and rhythm is mostly syncopated but it sounded great as it was your main theme of the solo (quarter note triplet syncopation) Excellent work.
Development/melodic shapes – Solo was telling me a story and it had meaning to it. Melodic shapes were applied in a great way since strong phrasing was used. I loved resting and pacing trough the solo as it was certainly your strongest point and showed that you can hold back and let melodies breathe more. Excellent work.
Technique- Bending is phenomenal here I really like it. The rest of techniques fit the style of the solo really well, when you wanted to play fast passage you did it with ease so that shows the control you have when improvising. Excellent work.
Outro/ending- Very beautiful ending in which I enjoyed two very cool things; one was the syncopated melody that had motive development from very intro, and second thing was you followed chord voicing in synch and ended B to C spot on. Excellent work.

Overall this is excellent solo and I have nothing to add or take from your solo.
I am very glad you joined us in this one and I look forward to your future takes.
Thank you wrk (I mean Andy 







Next up is zynex (9:21-9:55)
Sound – Excellent sound, blends really well with the backing track.
Intro – Excellent intro, double bend followed by great response melody and then another one with double stops. Excellent work!
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- You have everything here; I am really happy how your solo came out. One little part was when you were doing legato some notes come out week but that was more of technique issue than phrasing. Excellent work.
Development/melodic shapes – Solo has a story behind it, you knew exactly how to tell it to others. Excellent work!
Technique- Phenomenal work with bending (like with wrk), and all the other techniques used really fit the mood of your solo. One little spot that is worth mentioning for future practice routines is Legato. It sounds like not all notes are coming equally strong and like not all your fingers have developed the same strength for legato runs. I think once you have this down it will sound just great, excellent work overall.

Outro/ending- Almost perfect ending! One thing that was over the top was extra double stop you added at the very end of the track. If you left it without that it would be 100% what I was looking for.
Overall this is excellent solo with great sound, strong phrasing, excellent development and melodic shapes and great mixture of techniques.
Since this was your first collaboration Donny I have to say I am really impressed with your take and I hope to hear more from you in my collaborations in future!
Thank you for your take zynex (Donny)








Next up is OrganisedConfusion(9:56-10:30)
Sound – Really interesting sound OC, I like it as it has special depth to it.
Intro – Excellent idea that later developed both melodically and rhythmically, I like it, good work!
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm-Time feel and rhythm were great, even phrasing was awesome in most parts except in Legato sections but that technique issue not phrasing issue I am sure. Good work!
Development/melodic shapes – Your creativity never stops OC. You really did great job with development and melodic shapes. Repetition was there but just enough , and when you were changing to new melodies it always sounded connected and glued together. Excellent work!
Technique- Wonderful choice of techniques here, I really enjoyed it. From double stops, to open string melodies to legato, economy and/or alternate picking etc. There is two things that come to my mind that you need to work on; one is legato, and every note has to have exact value otherwise it sounds sloppy and second thing is bending as there were some out of pitch bends. Other than that your picking technique has improved since last collaboration and I am really happy to hear that!

Outro/ending- Nice idea and ending definitely works. I feel you could have done better one, but this one “pays the bills” for time being 

Overall this solo had really interesting sound, excellent intro, development was really awesome and wonderful choice of techniques. Things that need work are bending and legato playing.
Thank you for your take OC 








Last up is Coffeeman(10:31-11:05)
Sound – It works with backing track but I would use perhaps touch less of gain to make it bluesier.
Intro – Great note choice and entrance was really strong however you ended the phrase weak and it lost its full potential it has. I loved the idea but with stronger phrasing that would be one of the best intros no doubt!
Phrasing/time feel/rhythm- Time feel and rhythm are great but phrasing sounds weak in some parts. That is mostly the case when you are doing syncopated (off beat) rhythm. More work with metronome and it will do wonders to your solos!
Development/melodic shapes – Your solo is telling me a story but somehow I feel that climax is not there In the story. Intro and development get by but the last section is missing some more coherent melodies and shapes.
Technique- For this solo techniques you used were great. One thing I have to mention is I was having doubt whether your guitar was slightly out of tune or it was your shaky vibrato. If it was vibrato, I think you need to tone it down a notch, try more subtle one over longer rhythms and it will give more life to notes than current one you use. Bending also needs some work, but then again it might not because if guitar was out of tune those things don’t really stand 
Outro/ending- Interesting ending, I liked it but unfortunately it didn’t click with the whole solo – sounded like it was thrown in there randomly. It is only because you lost development in the last section of the solo and the ending had to be sacrificed as well.
Overall this solo has some interesting note choice and phrasing in some parts, but lacks development in the last section and needs some technique study perhaps.

I know you did this last minute Coffeeman and I really appreciate it. After all, we were all waiting for you and OC to submit your takes so things I told you two today don’t relate that hard as with other guys who had lot more time to record than you did while you were both away…








I would like to take this opportunity and thank everybody who participated in this collaboration. I really enjoyed listening, mixing and commenting your takes. I can just hope that you will take all advices from heart as I truly wish you to be successful in your guitar playing and progress every day if possible!

If you have any questions regarding your comments you can send me PM or we can talk in chat at GMC sometime soon. Either way I am very happy with all your progress and it seems to me like you guys will keep improving as I feel your driving passion to play and learn guitar trough your different takes.

Happy New Year and happy holidays everybody!

All the best,

Pedja



Link for the final mix could be downloaded http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=12242

Posted by: Joe Kataldo Jan 4 2009, 03:39 PM

PURE STEEL METAL COLLAB - JOE KATALDO - 16 PARTICIPANTS



Hi Guys Thanks For Join My First Collabs, you all made a great job

TrackList:

1] Matt23
2]Outlaw2112
3]berko
4]superize
5]Tolek
6]Caelumamittendum
7]Toroso
8]leedbreak
9]Tjchep
10]kaznie_NL
11]Marc_Maiden
12]Dexxter
13]ztevie
14]Oxac
15]kjutte
16]enforcer

In the end you will find my take at 05:09

Hi guys, sorry for the delay on comments but...even GMC Instructors are on holidays

I've tried to highlight what you have done good and maybe give you some suggestion/direction to improve, but bear in mind that to be more precise I should have know your age, how long do you played and stuff like that, so...in the ends they just represent my point of view based on recording wink.gif

 Joe_Kataldo___Pure_Steel___Metal_Collabs.mp3 ( 5.2MB ) : 327




Matt23

Really nothing to say here, great solo great intro and flawless playing...Good Job Matt!
Bending intonation it's good but you can improve it, same for the vibrato, spend some time with tuner for bending and a metronome for vibrato

Outlaw2112

Great intro but you get lost in the middle, ideas are good, but played, sometime, with wrong timing.
Try to tap your foot when play or record along with the baking track, and alway practice with a metronome.

berko

Same problem here good ideas, that could be great, with just a little more precise timing, picking lines are beautiful but in some parts loose their tightness because of timing.
one word...metronome biggrin.gif

superize

Great use of the phrigian mode in the begin, good modal solo in the complex maybe you over used that ascending/descending picking line too much, it's important to keep the listener interested

Tolek

Nice opening blues/rock lick and tapping, I like the open string part too, I have just one suggestion, try to use less distortion

Caelumamittendum

A dark tone as I like biggrin.gif really nothing to say here, a good mix of melody and shred with wide vibrato, and killing sweeps in the end...good job.


Toroso

Same problem as some other guys, you have very good melodic ideas, that not express their full potential because of wrong timing...try to work more with metronome and always tap your foot along with backing tracks or live bands

leedbreak

a very good structured solo, with repetitions and variation to keep the listener interested, the only suggestion I can give is try to work more on tone, specially when recording less distortion means more dynamics

Tjchep

Here it comes my favourite biggrin.gif I love the epic intro the dark tone and the opening vibrato gives me goose bumps, only suggestion is work more on bending intonation not 100% precise but nearly there
P.S.

I got inspired from you form my solo tongue.gif

kaznie_NL

A nice structured solo with call&answer phrases with surely an uncommon and unique tone, try to work more on timing wink.gif


Marc_Maiden

What could I say nice harmony, riffs, and some fusion rhythmic displacement too all played with a good tone and conviction...try to mix the guitar a little bit lower, to better fit in the mix

Dexxter

a nice solo, enough structured to give to the listener the impression that you know where are you going, good vibrato, picking technique and bending that sometime not 100% in tune but nearly there.
Unfortunately the audio quality was quite low and doesn't pay justice to you solo, maybe try to improve this wink.gif

ztevie

Nice solo here too, with a structure important to keep the listener interested, very good picking techniques cool.gif , I may suggest to experiment with more mids on your amp setting, but this is purely a matter of personal taste

Oxac

Interesting pickup intro very fluid, unfortunately got a little bit lost in the final mix because of preceding solo.
Ideas are good but lack of organization, and needs a more structured form, otherwise sometime may looks like you don't know what you are doing, work on blues soloing may help

kjutte

Majestic intro, great use of phrigian/phrigian dominat modes, good picking technique and vibrato, good control of harmonics too...probably you improvised it, but if you spend some time organizing better the ideas and give it a more structured form it could be a perfect solo for a metal song

enforcer

Impressive picking techniques and articulation, ideas are good and interesting specially the final harmony part...two things: try to work more on bending intonation and that second part at 00:13 comes in, too much disconnected from the first one, if you used overdubs, do not cut the tail of the first solo


Thanks For Joining

Joe Kataldo

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Jan 31 2009, 09:32 PM

ROCK LEAD COLLABORATION

Hello!!!

I'm back with the final mix of the collab! We had a smooth rock backing with a ballad feel to it on our hands..I want to thank you all for participating and making this full track unique with your awesome takes!!! You managed to record lots of different feelings in your leads , so its very interesting to listen to the whole track throughout even though its over 6 minutes long! I tried to give some constructive feedback on your takes.Please keep in mind that its a subjective one and that opinions may differ, collabs are all for fun and to learn something.It was really a pleasure working with you guys!!

HERE IS THE FINAL MIX :  Rock_Lead_Collab_Final_Mix.mp3 ( 5.95MB ) : 211


Participants : 12

I arranged tracks in the order by which you sent them to me.

Comments :

1.Superize

We are opening this collab with Superize's take.I want to say that I am really impressed with your progress over short period of time..This was a very very good solo improv!!! All notes were in place and you made good development of the solo to make it interesting..Your vibrato has improved a lot from my last collab I was commenting.Of course there are some weak ones so I recommend focusing on its practice.Bends and vibrato add a lot of feeling to the solo and you used them properly.I liked your tone , stereo thing you did has made it more full and strong.(Which usually isn't needed to be done for these collabs but in this case it worked).Maybe a little less space (reverb, delay) could be used to make it less "digital sounding" but the tone was pretty healthy.Also lowering some gain should make it better too , because this was pretty strong regarding the backing track style..
Thank for participating in this one mate!!

2.Boson

Here we have a mellow solo.Its great that you started recording collabs Boson!! This was a nice start.Your guitar tone was pretty good.Try lowering gain a little bit and adding some bass frequencies , you have cut through the mix well though thanks to mids and treble! Melody ideas were cool , here are some tips how to make it better : you have played phrases in "one phrase per chord" style..Try extending phrases over several chords..Don't put the pauses just before one chord ends and start the next phrase on beat 1 of the next chord , rather extend the first phrase over second chord without pause in between.You can connect these phrases well if you learn arpeggios - those are your strong notes so landing on perfect 5th or appropriate 3rd when chord change occurs will guarantee that your solo will sound strong and than you can go into playing scale notes.Also to make your phrasing more interesting , try to experiment a little with note values..You want them to be interesting , as with note choice.Don't play all the notes the same value rather combine different ones (8th notes, quarter notes , 8th note triplets etc).To make a slow solo expressive try incorporating vibrato on longer sounding notes and adding bends here and there..Sometimes its a good idea instead of fretting the "next note" is to bend the string in order to play that same note you wanted to play..Melody stays the same but if you bend you leave more expressive feeling.All in all this was interesting solo , with some rhythm experimenting and phrases extending/placing + expression tools (vibrato, bends) this would be a really really good solo! Keep up the good work and record as much collabs as you can! It will help you progress in your playing very fast!

3. Crazytfret

Your tone was pretty strong and it cut through the mix well.I would recommend lowering a little the amount of effects to make it more natural sound (less chorus like).Also lowering gain a little would help.I liked the solo idea.Development of solo was very nice , maybe you could have made something different in the second part of the solo instead of repeating the intro phrase..Second part of solo was a little less convincing because phrasing reminded the first part.This was a melodic solo and I liked it, some really cool licks in there !!! I would recommend paying more attention to chord transitions , to accompany them by landing on strong notes (chord tones) when changes occur..That will make the solo sound much stronger! You added expression tools (bends and vibrato) and that is very good for a solo..A little work on them (to make bends precise) and vibrato strong is needed but you are on the good path! Thanks for playing in this collab Crazyfret , I enjoyed your take!

4. Berko

Here we have a really energetic take!! Your tone was very strong and pretty natural sounding..Try lowering gain more though , amount of it didn't match well the double stops you played.I really liked the solo development and diversity in phrasing you displayed.You kept it interesting from start to end and mixed different techniques well (like tapping in the very end).Also I liked the trills you played, they really added nice flavor.Only the tapping in the end of the solo could have been more convincing and have more flow (in relation to the previous solo parts) in order for it to blend in better..Wild vibrato , cool bends (expression tools are there).Very good solo overall!! Thanks for joining this collab!

5. Velvet Roger

Here we have a mellow sounding solo..Your guitar tone was pretty good, though I would recommend adding more middle frequencies.You were having trouble cutting through the mix and adding those middles would allow you to do that well! I liked the long sounding note you opened the solo with.I liked the phrasing you continued with..Combining different techniques succeeds in making the solo interesting.One tip though : after the fast run in the second part of the solo towards very end you played two almost identical phrases going straight up the scale..It could have been differently combined in order not to sound like a straight scale (practice)..Convincing solo overall , I enjoyed listening to it! Thanks for recording in this collab Roger!

6. Torben

Hey , its great you started doing collabs!! This was a very cool solo you recorded for this one!! Your tone was pretty strong, though I have to recommend using less gain in the guitar patch (it didn't suit double stops well)..Solo development was pretty good! I liked the sad mellow vibe in it! All notes were in place , regarding phrasing I would recommend trying to play fingering that you are not so used to from scale practicing.That way you will be able to come up with more original licks that won't in any way resemble up and down scale practicing..Also playing a little more with note values would insure even more interesting licks..Try adding more vibrato to those long sounding notes to make them expressive , also adding bends here and there as well as hammer-ons pull-offs would be interesting addition you your improvisation pallet.This was a very cool solo overall and I really enjoyed its vibe and listening to it! Great to have you in collabs now!!

7. Col Roberts

Here we have an interesting solo idea!! Your tone was nice , though it lacks more definition and mass..Try playing with EQ settings (adding bass and middle frequencies) and lowering gain! Tapping intro idea was nice touch though it could have been executed more convincingly..Arpeggios are good choice when following chords , I would suggest not playing them straight as you would when you practice them , rather dividing small phrases out of their notes to make them sound more original.Also its a good idea when you have longer phrases to make them colorful by not playing all notes the same value rather combining different ones to make it more groovy.I liked the second part of the solo , it was very interesting phrasing vise..Only thing to look out is not repeating the same phrase twice in a row - except if you really feel strong about it being solo "trademark"...Ending phrase was appropriate for ending..Cool solo overall ,I liked it, thanks for joining this collab mate!!

8. Kaznie_NL

I remember your solos from past well and I can hear a great progress over short period of time (as with Superize's case!)..Your tone was pretty well, try adding more definition to it by adding middle frequencies...Also I feel gain was a little to strong (maybe I'm imagining it since I tell that to everyone so far)..I just imagined cleaner , healthier guitar colors for this type of backing..Your phrasing has improved a lot! You really started strong and keep it till the end..All notes were in place.I liked how you added expression tools..Some notes were weaker but its cool - this is an straight improv right ? I would suggest paying a little more attention to vibrato and hammer ons/pull offs.Also string muting to make the solo even cleaner.You really started getting hand on improvising..Good job Kaznie , great to have you in this collab!

9.Toroso

Here we have a really soft and mellow solo! Regarding your tone , I have to suggest lowering delay and effects.Really clean sound would work really well with this type of track.Other thing I noticed when mixing were dynamics.Some notes are too loud some are really quite..Try practicing dynamics to make your playing more even.You can do that by picking one note against a metronome starting from really quite to very loud picking..In time you will get more control and be able to play loud or quite intentionally inside phrases where you want to.I liked the idea to start by playing single notes slowly..It sounded pretty interesting..Maybe you could have developed the solo a little more in the second part of it to prepare it for culmination/ending..What I would suggest is muting strings you are not playing with your left and right hands to get a really clean sound.Interesting solo idea overall , I really missed a clean solo so far so I'm glad you recorded it!!! Good job Toroso!

10.Wabba

Another first collab recording!! Its really great you have started doing collabs because they offer you a valuable recording experience,..Also you have the proof when you make a progress (if you compare old takes to new ones).Let's start with comments.You have recorded guitar pretty well..Sound is strong, maybe a little too much gain in there..Try taming it..Also adding some bass frequencies would work interesting..You had interesting solo idea.Here are some tips how to make your phrasing more interesting.Try not to play one lick/phrase per chord rather extending phrases over chord changes..That will make your playing smooth..One more idea , try constructing questions and answer phrases..In this take you have pretty much played same phrases over different chords.Think of a solo as a conversation, you need to make pauses (to breath) and there are questions and answers in your speech.Also some sentences are longer then others..Try varying length of phrases (and pauses positioning).Playing with rhythm is also always welcome (use different note lengths in phrases) to make the solo groovy.On longer notes try applying vibrato.Adding bends , hammer-ons , pull-offs will really make a solo sound interesting..This was a nice effort and I'm sure if you apply any of this suggestions that the next solo will be much better !! Great to have you playing in this collab mate!

11. Caelumamittendum

This take had loads of energy in it!! Guitar tone was nice , though a little too much distorted and muddy (lower gain)..Try EQing to make it brighter (adding middles and treble would would great).I really liked how you combined lots of techniques (shreddy!) in this take..Phrasing was very interesting from start to the end..I really have no remarks there , its sounded great.I would recommend cleaning up a little your tone (and your playing by string muting techniques).Speed burst in the very end was great for culmination of the solo! Even though track is not like that , shredding really sounded cool against it! Great solo overall , thanks for playing in this one!!!

12. Enforcer

Its great you managed to record your take for this one! You are student instructor and you know your way around.Guitar tone was really healthy !!! Only delay sounded too much to me..You got a really natural tone good job one that..Also one thing I noticed is that your take didn't need any syncing at all, I guess you got a really good recording interface!! I liked the feeling you evoked in this solo..Phrasing was really good and expressive and that shreddy ghost in the end did its thing well!!! Really cool to have your take closing this collab , thanks for joining man!!!


Cheers and see you in my next collab!!

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Feb 1 2009, 09:32 PM

FINAL MIX AND COMMENTS OF CHRISTMAS ROCK COLLABORATION


Well guys, during these 3 days that took me to get this job done I learned every player and every solo almost by heart. Took me around 5 hours to write the comments alone, but I think it was well worth it. I got into some fine details providing everyone with comments that I hope you will find interesting and useful.

From collab to collab there were some major improvements, and we already now have a standard GMC VIDEO COLLAB CREW, that is doing all the collabs, so we can keep tracking their progress. I'm very proud of all of you guys, since you've been making a lot of progress from the last collab, and it really shows. Going almost in note-by-note analyze on this one really got me in-depth in your soloing skills.

Many thanks to all who participated, there will be a collab for January as well of course, and feel free to post anything you want about the way I commented your takes - good or bad. I'm open for suggestions, because I'm human as well and can make mistakes. I really tried to keep things objective and because I went into details, you may find a lot of suggestions and errors that I found. We are all good enough players to undestand that every error found in our playing by others is only a suggestion to make it better, so in that sense, all the comments are here for the best of intentions.

I made a small poll, cause I wanted to see what you think about the progress that all the members showed here. I won't vote, cause I think that they all made a terrific progress in one month, so I leave you to decide!

FINAL MIX (may not be processed yet, will be in a couple of mins! )



COMMENTS (BY THE ORDER OF UPLOAD)

OrganizedConfusion
PLAYING: Starting with a bend, and moving to the root in the B minor pentatonic box 1, then doing a couple of consecutive pinched bends on the same position, and to the root again. After that there's an interval, bended 1/4 step, and a nice sliding lick connecting the box 5 and box 1. Sounds very nice. In the second part of the solo, we have some cool lines in the box 4, followed by pinched and vibrated root, repeated onece again and then a small run again in the box 4. From that root, there's a very big nice slide, and another one, and a very cool bending lick up the neck. In the peak of the solo, we have some very cool legato licks, that go up the neck following the B minor scale, and then going to the root in the box 1 picking away every note 4 times as you go to the root. After that there are few bends in the box 1, one in the box 2 and a nice legato lick to finish off the solo effectively.
TECHNIQUE: All the techniques displayed are solid and played properly. Bending is generally good, and just need some work in order to really nail down the bended note. Usually all the bends are done a bit more than a half step, so in order to really keep them precise, more practice on them is needed. Bending technique is good in general, and so is vibrato, straight from the wrist, and bend-vibrato is done properly as well. Just need a bit more strenght in doing them, so they come out clean and precise. You legato technique is very good, and you use it often, it comes out nice, and there are some finger rolls as well, when you play the same fret on the adjacent string making sure that there is no bleed like in 0.28 Those little nuances are very cool. Picking is good, but you need a bit more practice with AP and EP runs. It doesn't matter if you don't like to play runs or not, I just think that these exercises would really improve your overall playing abilities, and you could play somethings with more ease, like those small runs and that 4 picked-notes in 0.49. You did play them with a small swing feel there, and that is cool, but I think you can achieve much better precision if you practiced more those runs. Also during those legato runs, you had some minor problems with muting, so that should be practiced in slow tempo a bit in order to really sound professional. All in all, techniques used are all in good balance, and you use them properly to make a good solo out of it, which is IMO the most important thing after all.
STRUCTURE: THe structure is usually the reflection of the players imaginaion and talent, and this structure is very good and nicely thought off. You are in the beat during the whole solo, no mistaked notes, and changing note values nicely so that there isn't any boring piece of the solo. The solo has some kind of a story, and it those slides at 0.36 are really sounding good and getting the solo to new heights in the right moment. No real mistakes in the structure, you know how to compose the solo and make it sound interesting.
ATTITUDE: Your attitude during the solo is a bit unsecure, it seemed that you really watched what you are playing and needed a bit more opened approach to the camera. That waving with your head on 0.50 tells me a bit on that, so in general I think you just need to play things without thinking what mistakes you made. Remember, sometimes good solo can have mistakes, but if it is done from the heart and really honestly throughout, the listener will appreciate that and forget about the mistakes.
VIDEO: Quality of the video is good. The shoot is generally perfect, I can see your whole figure, and this is the way it should be. If I could do something with the shot, I would:
1. move the camera more from the floor
2. tilted the cam a bit so the the horizontal line on the wall becomes horizontal
3. zoomed it just a fraction so that the guitar could be a bit more in the focus, exluding part of the legs and part of the headstock.
Lightning could be better, you need another 300W minimum from the left side (cam view) in order to really make a good brightness. That light from above is a bit weak on the camera, and it drops shadow on you and guitar body. Also the wall behind you is very good for recordings, but it would be even better if you somehow put the dryer behind you so it cannot be seen. With the dryer behind you, and another 300W halogen, you have a good quality backdrop wall for professional applications.
AUDIO: Sound is good, a bit compressed and on the verge to be buzy, but you keep it solid with your fingers and playing dynamics. I think this preset is not of good quality for someone who cannot control it, but for you it is good, since you managed to keep it in balance.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Structure alone is enough to claim this solo excellent. So remember all the things I've said about other important components of the take. It's those subtle nuances that make you a player that you are, and work on those small details. Often listener will not notice these details and analyze them like this, but he will definitely sum them up when he's trying to decide what kind of player you are. Work on every aspect of your playing, and slowly improve thise details that needs improving and it will turn out great. Videos are improving every time, and this is the best from you that I've seen so far. So keep up the great job, and it can only get better - the results are always visible, even if you don't notice them.

Velvet Roger
PLAYING: Starting off with a slide in the box 1, goind to box 2 with a slide, and another one, then again slide in the box 1, and a small lick leading you from box 1 to box 2, where you execute the whole step bend with pinky finger, nice touch. After that in the second part of the solo, there are couple of pulloffs up theneck and some sequences using the box 1 shape. Then a tapping part involing 2 different licks on the minor pentatonic. After that some cool box 1 licks, involving bends and sliding intervals at 1.30. Then there are some consecutive bends in the box 1, one of them is pinched and then in the finish you kind slide off to B Phrygian a bit and use the C on the G string which sounds a bit strange but turned out interesting.
TECHNIQUE: Interesting array of displayed techniques in the solo. I'll start with the general problem - the bends and vibrato. We all know that these two things always need some work, and here as well I wanna recommend focusing more on them. Practicing bends and vibrato will IMHO raise your playing level more than anything else and keep your other playing techniques in balance. Slides are nicely executed and fast. Tapping is good, the first lick was played very good, but in the other one there I could hear every 3rd note. Some fune tuning on that could be in order. Although that second lick didn't come out quite as nice as teh first one, I think the tapping part gave a good dimension to the solo. You picking hand needs more work, and I recommend some AP runs in order to get used to play up-down a bit. In the second part of the solo, the picking was mostly downstroked, which is good for maintaining the sound, but upstrokes should be used as well, and some practice is in order in that sense.
STRUCTURE: the structure of the solo is generally OK. I think your structural abilities are fine but you lack patterns knowledge to really support your ideas properly. I can see that you listen to the track, and play with the beat, go into the groove, and really try to play all the things you imagine, but you really need to learn the scale patterns throughout the neck. This should IMO be your number one task, and it should drastically improve your improvising abilities. There are some missed notes here and there, and you played box 1 pattern on several places on the fretboard, which tells me you are not really sure where are the notes. Just take it easy and learn the B minor pentatonic scale boxes equally well. Start with box 2, 3, 4 and 5, since you already know box 1 nicely. Player should play equally well any box he goes to, and then playing because much more enjoyable.
ATTITUDE: you have a good feel during the solo, but as I said above the thing that makes you constrained a bit is lack of scale fretboard knowledge. If you had that I think you would play with a lot more attitude. Nevertheless, you did kept it good with the things you played, just need remove that stiffness that will go away with learning the scale positions.
VIDEO: Video is good, lightning is great. Shot is good, but I would move the camera a bit to the right, so that the fretboard is more in the front. The room behind you has some clipping in the bright areas, and in general this is not a healthy recording quality, cause in all places where the white is the color information is lost, so you can't make it better in video editing. The light/reflection in front keeps a balance, but I would recommend using stronger light in front and making that wall nice and visible instad of clipped. It would look more balanced.
AUDIO: Nice and warm tone, and the preset is on the verge to be buzzy, but it's not - it turned out smooth and compressed. As always, your sound is connected to your fingers, so IMO it is better to have a simple solo where every note comes out, than to go to some difficult patterns where not all notes come out. This is in general important because of your tapping part, so try to really make every tone in the solo comes out clean and audible. This is what makes the Good Tone in the end, not the number of notes.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: You know what I think about your playing, more work on scales and on bends, and it will raise your level quite a bit. I like the way you play, good style, and some very interesting ideas, so put yourself a strong task about the things mentioned and it will definitely be a monster progress. I already see some great progress from the previous collab, involving tapping, and some cool slides, and to keep it all together, now focus on scales.

enforcer
PLAYING: Starting off with 3 very cool and effective arpeggio patterns and finishing off very interesting on G# which is in B dorian, then a couple of hammered on lines going down the neck, and again those cool sounging arpeggios, but this time finishing on the root. As a prelude to second part we have a cool tremolo lick, and a nice bend with a feel, followed by some more cool bends in the box 1. Staying in the box 1 and doing a couple of more cool runs and bends, and then a small B minor arpeggio lick. After that it's the B dorian line again and then a cool AP up the scale at 2.08. At the finishing part of the solo, there are a couple of more bends and going down horizontaly on the neck using legato.
TECHNIQUE: Displayed techniques are are good and in balance. The only thing that could be up the notch a bit are bends and particularly vibratos. They are done properly, but just need some fine tuning. Bending needs some precision and strength, and vibratos need do be more wider,and more even. AP technique is solid, I can see that you have practice some scale sequences, and not just regular up and down. This definitely gives a cool dimension to the solo. Also there isn't too much too-fast-to-be-true runs, everything is in balance, and you keep the sound clean and even. In some areas of the solo, the sound could be more clean tho, as there are some note bleeds, specially when you go horizontaly with that legato in the end.
STRUCTURE: Nicely played solo, with a good structure. The beginning is very effective and so is transition to the part two of the solo, sounds awesome. The concept of your soloing where you take one sequence and repeat it with minor alterations is working great, and it gives the solo a meaning. The good thing is that you choose cool notes to finish off those small parts, and scale knowledge is something that helps a lot there. Great to see that you are mixing dorian mode there, which makes me feel that you have the patterns nicely layed out in your mind while playing. The horizontal movements are good sign of this. All I can recommend is to keep practicing the way you do, and to be able to connect different solo components in even more natural way, so the solo flows even more fluidly. Some slide exercises can help there.
ATTITUDE: this is the solo played with some feel, no doubt. Aside that you make funny faces which is cool and it shows that you're having no restrains, I can feel that there is no tension in the way you play as well. Some parts are really coming out great, and your attitude is responsible for that.
VIDEO: Video is good, nice backing you have, it shows a musicians evironment, which always looks cool on guitar videos. The lightning of the video can be better tho, So I recommend another 300Watter in front of you to really light you up a bit. The light from above is OK, but that's about it. One light = lots of shadows, and second light serves to kill those shadows. Also the shot could be at a more straigh angle (in front of you), but I can see you and the guitar reasonably good, so it's a small detail.
AUDIO: very nice sound, smooth and it can be heard in the mix, and there is some dynamics preserved. As I said before, there are some note bleeds, so be aware of that, with lots of distortion, player must make sure that all the notes go out clean, or if there is bleed the notes get lost in the mix quite easily. In general, preset is a good lead preset, and I like the sound of the guitar.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: when summed up, you leave the impression of a great player. This is mainly because of your approach and attitude to playing. Playing sincerely, without too many restrains, and with a smile will always leave good impression, even if you miss a note here or there. For teh audience, this is what matters, and so even this solo is not among the fastet ones it is definitely among the most effective and memberable ones.

chast
PLAYING: starting off with a nice slow slide from bellow, and vibrating the F#. After that there is a small AP sequence in the box 1, and the some cool strumming while muting with the left hand. In the second part there's the tapped arpeggio,followed by some cool vibrated bends, and then 3 sweep licks. After that there is a slide on the root, bend, and then a nice legato sequence on the box 1. After that sequence there are two cool bends, and powerchords in the end of the piece.
TECHNIQUE: you displayed several cool techniques, but some of them need a bit of work. Let's start with bends and vibratos. They need more work and practice, since on some parts you created a bad habit of vibrating with fingers instead of wrist. The vibrato and bend goes always from the wrist, so a bit more practice on that should really make the soloing even better. Tapping lick is good, but goes out of beat in the second part, and sweeps are OK, all the notes are there, but they are off beat as well, so you gotta play them with the track. IMO, you could play some simpler tap and sweep licks and still make it sound better than this, cause the off beat notes are not sounding good in the solo, no matter what the situation is. However this is not a big problem since you already play these techniques very good, a couple of days of focused practice will make it sound perfect.
STRUCTURE: Structure of the solo is reasonably good and nicely made, but those off beat notes spoil the structure a bit. Solo has a nice flow and various techniques applied ensure that it is interesting from beginning to end. With some more practicing your solo can become more fluid and in beat and this will really make it sound good. I recommend practicing how to connect different sweep and tap licks in a more natural way so that they don't sound in a lick-by-lick kind of way. Some slides or sequences to connect the licks would make wonders here.
ATTITUDE: played with some degree of feel, but my impression is that you really watched out what you are gonna play next in some areas, so this makes you stiffed up a bit. Try relaxing as much as you can while playing, and don't think about too much about fancy licks, just play whatever is natural to you. As always it's not the number of notes, it's the way you play them. If they are clean - it will sound great, it always does.
VIDEO: two light sources helped this video a lot, and it could be better perhaps if you put the light from bellow a bit to the front (cam view) of you, cause the light from the left is creating a shadow on the body of the guitar area. One thing is not clear to me - why is the image mirrored verticaly? I don't see any particular reason why this should be, it seems like you're a lefty here, so next time try to adjust the video se that it looks right. Also, putting the camera a bit more in front of you cause this could make a more natural shot on the fretboard.
AUDIO: Nice smooth lead tone, a bit lacking in presence and mids, but good overall sound, sounds modern.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: You have the good array of techniques at your disposal, you just need to work a bit on controlling them in the right way. Making a fluid solo that is in beat is a crusial task that you should be focused on IMO. Some colo composing, and practicing a bit with a metronome to get those difficult taps and sweeps down will make your soloing even better.

Toroso
PLAYING: starting with solid vibrated root, and then another cool bending lick in the box 1, this time vibrating the D. Again the similar lick but this time with alternet second part. The a prelude to second part involving some hammeron/pulloff lines. In the second part we have quarter note picks across the scale, and then some eight note triplets again across the scale in different position and a vibrated note in the end. After that, there are some cool hammered on licks, and using that technique while going horizontaly, and staying in box 2 for some more hammeron/pulloffs. For the end, we have some more hammeron/pullofs up the neck, again using horizontal movements, and in the end coming back to the root nicely.
TECHNIQUE: definitely a noticeable progress here on several fields of playing. First of all, vibratos are more natural, specially downward movement with the ring finger, which now doesn't almost require the support of the thumb - which is a good sign. Definitely an approach and direction that other fingers should follow in the future. Second good thing are more fluid neck movements, this time covering longer distances horizontaly, which is always a sign that a player has been practicing scale patterns a bit. Those AP eight triplets are also a new thing, and keep them practicing - they certainly add a new dimension to the solo, and make it more fun. There are a lot of hammered on/pulled off patterns that are repeating in different positions which is good, but I suggest making some small variations of that pattern. WIth 3 notes there are several patterns that can be played, and if you combine 2 of them it would sound even better than 1. Again, these small hammeron/pullof lines are also a new thing and I consider them a good progress, in relation to previous collabs. I'm very pleased to see that you are advancing in such a fast pace, keep it up man.
STRUCTURE: Structure is very good, good concept with paired sequences but with small alterations on the second one.
ATTITUDE: the degree of confidence has jumped a bit from the previous collabs due to practice. Again, there is a bit of stiffness while playing, but you kinda relaxed in the second part, specially with that (now already a signature ) head movement while bending. all in all, good, but could use a bit more expression IMHO. It's a matter of personal preference, of course.
VIDEO: Video is, as always - excellent. Great brightness balance, contrast, and professional looking backdrop. If there is one thing that I would change it would be to zoom up the shot to remove those empty backdrop areas to the right and above. I love the Santa hat, looks awesome, very cool idea!
AUDIO: Sound is good, but a bit buzzy. I think with a bit less distortion it could sound better. Some preset tweaking couldn't hurt. Nevertheless all the notes come out nice and clean with ocassional bleeds.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: I'm very pleased to see that you are really focusing on things that you need to work on, and the results are slowly but firmly starting to show. Well balanced solo, with a lot of new stuff incorporated is sounding pretty solid, so just continue to improve and it can only sound better and better.

kaznie_NL
PLAYING: starting with box 1 and going to root, slightly vibrating it, then doing a small bending lick, followed by a couple of notes and big slide down and up. Then we have another lick, similar to the one in the beginning, and preparing to the second part of the solo, doing a small slide upwards, and then a cool run in the box 2. coming up again in the box to, to do some more nice bending licks. After that, it's the box 3, then box 4 and in the end box 5, where you picked AP between A and B nicely on the high E string, and got into the zone. After that there are some cool bends up there as well, and finishing off the solo in a good manner, going down the scale in the box 5.
TECHNIQUE: Techniques are very good, lots of improvement as before, this time you really know your positions much better, you transfer then nicely. Bends and vibratos need some more work, if you check out those last couple of bends you will notice that they are not even. Every bend should be precisely in pitch and equal in speed with adjacent one. Also when you bend one, it is good to return to the main note, and then bend again and so on. This can sound like a minor detail but it would make a worlds difference I'm sure. Vibrato is done nicely, just needs to be a bit more wider. AP technique is much better, and I can see some cool runs up and down already. This sure is a major improvement and I can see that you practiced pentatonic patterns.
STRUCTURE: There is a good structural balance in your solo. It starts slow, and down in the box 1, and you climb it to box 5, where you finish off in the end. In the middle there are those cool runs and all in all I think you made pretty balanced structure. In the first part I would like to see more fluidness, but later you connected the notes nicely, and it sounded good.
ATTITUDE: Every time with more and more confidence, that is very good. When you play, you leave impression that you know exactly what you're doing, so this is good. You got into the zone up there on the box 5 with those bends so this is a good sign. It's always good to see someone enjoy his playing, so keep rockin.
VIDEO: Video quality is not bad, but there are couple of things that could be better:
1. try to put camera in front of you, so that the whole guitar is visible
2. get additional light from the right side (cam view)
AUDIO: Your sound is a bit raw, but it sure pierce through the mix. I personally don't like this kind of crunchy preset but if you like it I think you should definitely stick with it. It's slowly becoming your trademark, so I can only recommend to you to tweak the preset a bit and try to make a bit more softer and smoother tone. I don't mean to change it a whole lot, but just a fraction, so it sounds a bit smoother in the mix.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Great progress in this collab as well Kaz, and you are slowly starting to grasp that pentatonic pattern in your head. It is all starting to make sense now, and I can only say that you did some great steps, when I listen to your takes 3-4 collabs before. So keep rockin and learn well all those pentatonic boxes, specially the bass note areas, and keep doign those pentatonic runs, they sure sound good.

Smells
PLAYING: Starting great, with a cool bluesy lick, and some great double half step bends, vibratin the root, and going to box 5, followed by a cool whammy lick. After that, the same theme from the beginning, but this time going to a cool fast AP lick. In the second part, there is again AP circular lick in the box 2 and finishing off on the root. After that, there is a small sweep, followed by a bend, and going down and up the scale at a fast pace using AP. In the end, there is a cool finishing run following the box 1 pattern, but up the neck in a blues manner, very effective.
TECHNIQUE: Vibrato and bendings are two thing you don't need to be concerned about at all - they are great. Nicely executed, wide, and played with ease. AP technique needs some fine tuning, specially the right hand, in order to really pick the notes evenly and that every note comes out nicely. The sweep you did in the solo is good, better than AP runs IMO, I could hear all the notes nicely. Also whammy lick from the beginning was very nicely controlled. As I said, the only thing that I would like to see is better AP control on the notes, so that each and every one rings out nicely on all the runs.
STRUCTURE: Intro is very good, has a very cool structure, same theme repeating twice, with a modification in the second one, in the second part there are many fast runs, and they are all in tempo and following tune, but need some work in order to sound just right, and that every note is in proper place. Doing more simple licks and bends between the runs made it sound more interesting, so here I have only one suggestion and that is to make the runs a bit simpler and effective so that they are balanced with one another.
ATTITUDE: You are confident in your playing, and it shows, everything is played with a great feel, and good dynamics. this is the kind of attitude the solo should have, nice and fast, with a lot of interesting techniques. This makes the solo flashy and cool to listen.
VIDEO: This is the only video that is done in wide format so I compliment this. Because of the rest of the videos were 4:3, I had to shrink it, but IMO it would be best if all made wide videos cause they are suitable for guitar display. Angle is right, and shot could be a bit wider so that the whole fretboard is displayed, but it's a minor detail, and not needed in general because I can see all that you play very clearly. Lightning is on the verge of being great, it just needs a bit of more light, but it is definitely well balanced brightness and it's a healthy image. Background is almost clear, so it looks pretty proffessional. If you somehow remove the bed at the back or mask it, I think this video would be really excellent and ready for professional application.
AUDIO: Great lead tone, lots of drive, but sounds smooth and nice. The only thing that spoils the sound a bit are the notes that are not coming out during very fast runs, or coming out unevenly because of the picking.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: All in all, solo is excellent, fast and furious, with a lot of different techniques displayed. You're progressing more and more every time and this time it is safe to say that you are great player, but need to make a balance when playing. Less notes - more clarity, or more practice - bigger clarity. I would focus more on the AP runs and picking techniqe, and really make those runs even. With some practice on the runs this would be a real professional material.

superize
PLAYING: Starting using some cool horizontal lines to create melodies which already is your signature style. COuple of these cool melodic lines, followed by a small AP run down the scale at 5.14. After that a second part where we have some more very cool melodic lines, a small run, bending lick, and another AP run at 5.34. holding on just a moment in box 1, and then doing a cool sweeped arpeggion to finish off the solo nicely.
TECHNIQUE: I can see some drastic improvements in this one. First of all you AP technique has come a long way since previous collabs. Now you do these runs very precisely, and I can see that you practiced them. Even when you play your signature horizontal lines, I can still see that you use a lot more AP moves than before, which is a good sign. Bends are also a lot better, and now are very much in pitch, just need some fine tuning to make them a bit faster. There are couple of things that I noticed could be better, and those are vibrato, and sweeps. Since now you advanced great with AP runs, it would be very very cool to make a fine balance with some vibrato technique and a bit of fine tuning that sweep arpeggios. This would increase the expressivnes of the solo a lot.
STRUCTURE: Structure is very good during the whole solo, I would say relatively simple one, but very effective and memorable. You have the ability of making great melodic horizontal passages, and after listening the solo couple of times I already remembered the melody. A bit more work on connecting different components of the solo would make it sound better IMO, so when you go from melodic passages to AP runs for example, try to connect them in a more natural way, so they blend into one another. This would make the soloing even better.
ATTITUDE: You attitude has improved because of the practice and new techniques you use - it is clearly visible. The only thing that kinda spoils the impression is the way you play those AP runs, it seems that you're struggling a bit, but I have no doubts that in some time you will play them more natuarally, and that they will become second nature, like those melodic lines.
VIDEO: With the new light added, it's already a big improvement from the last video. Now I can see you clearly, and the guitar as well. Possibly you could modify the shot so that the whole fretboard is visible. I would say this first light is a big first step, and woudl recommend even more lights to really add brightness to the whole shot. This light throws a round spot on you, and the siluethe is blurred a bit on the edges, but since there is no backdrop in the back it's a smart move. If you have another lamp, possibly try to experiment with putting one lamp behind you on the floor pointing up, so that it marks your figure sharply.
AUDIO: Sound is very good, not a lot of drive, but enough if you ask me, and you control it well because you pick the strings very precise and even. It cuts great through the mix as well.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Very memorable solo, with a lot of new elements added gives a great impression of a player who has been practicing. AP runs, bends. great horizontal passages that are becoming better and better, cool lightning are all the things you managed to implement naturally in your playing over the period of one month! It's a great progress. Only things that I would advise to practice are those vibratos, and sweeping arpeggios in all positions.

leebreak
PLAYING: starting off up the neck in the box 4 with a nice melodic line involving bend, and then doing some nice AP sequences staying in the same position, all the way through the second part of the solo. In the second part there are some cool structured melodic lines again using AP in the box 4, and then moving down to box 1 at 6.07. After that, there are couple of picks on the root in box 1, and moving up to box 3 to do some more cool AP lines, all the way through the end, where you transfer to box 1 again and go down to the root nicely for the end.
TECHNIQUE: AP technique used durign the solo is very good, it shows that you practiced AP exercises a lot and in different positions. I like the way you transfer to several positions during the solo while playing which tells me you know your scales. There are few bends in the solo, maybe because of the style you do, but I would sure like to see them more to spice up the playing a bit. Bends and vibratos needs some more work, so I would focus on that, since AP is generally good. Rhtyhmicaly, you did play it nicely, and I can see that you know how certain notes sound on the fretboard, so you play those small call/response licks trying to develop a melody, which is a good sign of knowing the scales. About note durations, there are a lot of eight note triplets in the solo, so I recommend using quarter or eight note sequences here and there to make it more interesting.
STRUCTURE: There is certain amount of structural playing in this solo that is expressed in those cool call/response licks that you do when you build small melodic runs. This is clearly audible in the second part of the solo. Nevertheless, I think the solo needs a bit more components in order to make it even more interesting. Going for bend here and there, slowing up in the start of the solo, and then speeding up for the end are some general ideas from me. Even the simple sustained note could mean a lot from time to time, for example between those cool mini themes.
ATTITUDE: Although there are some notes that are not perfect here and there you leave the impression that you enjoy your playing and know exactly what you're doing. I like the fast that you play, listen to the track, and listen to what YOU play which is very important.
VIDEO: Video is good, nice angle on the guitar, perhaps a bit wider shot could be even better. Also additional light in front could make wonders.
AUDIO: your sound is very nice, good lead tone, not buzzy, nice and smooth. The sound could be even better with slightly less distortion IMO, every note would come out very defined. There are some note bleeds here and there that spoil the overall sound impression, but nothing big.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Good scale knowledge, and good AP technique. These are the things that you should not be concerned about. Bending and vibrato techniques would give your playing a lot more expressivnes so I would recommend focusing on that for a few weeks. This is generaly the time that is needed to balance all the techniques down.

Caelumamittendum
PLAYING: Starting from a ghost slide from above, vibrating the root on the B string, and then another slide from bellow and another vibrated note, followed by a cool whammy lick. After that another alterned whammy lick and going into the second part with fast legato lick and vibrated bend. Staying a bit in box 1 and then moving up the neck to execute a fast and furious tapping/legato lick all the way down to the root on the second fret. After that climbing your way up to the box 1 again, and doing another cool long tapping legato lick all the way to the end.
TECHNIQUE: You show various techniques displayed here, and most of them are in a good balance with one another. Vibrato and bends are very good, and could use just little bit more exercise to make them sound even more secure. Tapping and legato are very good as well, nice and fast, and need a bit more practice to achieve better precision and really play all the notes in the beat. Taking the time to exercise with metronome those tapping and legato runs, and analyze what note goes where would make them sound awesome indeed. There isn't much AP, I think you like legato technique more, but IMO you should focus a bit on AP sequences. You don't have to use AP runs in your playing, but it will give you a better overall playing ability and good flexibility when changing strings.
STRUCTURE: Structure is pretty good - nice slow expressive start, there are couple of notes that are off the key a bit, but nothing big, then moving to the second part to do those 2 cool tap/legato runs, and in between then some nice pentatonic licks that keep the structure together. I would say it's a good concept for a solo but just need to get those note values down and analyze them, so every note is in it's proper place in tempo.
ATTITUDE: A bit uncertain in beginning, but in the second part you kinda let yourself go, and played out. With that first tap/legato you got your confidence back, and it showed so you continued that path till the end.
VIDEO: The shot angle and size is very good, I can see your whole figure and the guitar properly. The back of the shot is nice as well, showing the musicians environment which can always be a good thing if you don't use a backdrop. Picture is a bit blured, and it lacks lightning. The one light from above is casting a lot of shadows, and giving the image a yellowish look. You need one more string light in front of you, and that would make a world difference.
AUDIO: nice and smooth tone is good for your legato playing. Although there is a lot of drive it doesn't sound buzzy at all, so I'd say it's a nice lead tone. Watch out for those note bleeds tho, cause they can spoil the sound pretty fast if note controlled, specially on legato.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Very nice array of techniques, and cool legato style. You seemed to play a lot of these stuff in you freetime, not just during practice. If you want to be able to have full control with those legato parts, break them down into smaller pieces and play with metronome. I think this exercise will make your playing sound very professional.

Gus
PLAYING: Starting off with some cool bendings in the box 1, and staying in that position for some more pentatonic lines. Going down, for a second in box 5 and again going up in box 1, using AP. In the second part you play a couple of lines in the box 2, and then going to box 3 for that cool repetitive lick at 7.26. followed by a small sequence downwards in the same position. For a second you went left to box 2, then a small slide, and finishing off the solo in box 1, where you did some cool repetitive licks, and nice bends at 7.38. and then going downwards to the root on the low E string.
TECHNIQUE: AP techniques is something you use a lot, and I think you are controlling it pretty well. At 7.26 you kinda went out of beat, and this is the only AP mistake I could hear in the solo. The problem was with the picking hand when changing strings, you kinda skipped a movement and got confused for a second, but made a fast recovery. Bends and vibratos need more workouts, bends in the beginning are pretty good, just need to be a bit stronger, and precisely in pitch. With vibratos it's the same story - very good, and properly done, but just need some more fine tuning to make them sound even and precise.
STRUCTURE: Structure of the solo is OK, and you follow the track nicely. I would recommend working more on connecting different AP components that you did to make the solo more fluid, but the overall concept is fine. Inserting slides here and there, and arpeggiated lines to connect those AP sequences would make a big difference, so this is my suggestion for future practice.
ATTITUDE: it seems to me that you need to be a bit more secure when playing. Try to relax a bit and don't think what you're gonna play next, even if you play some wrong notes. It's OK to make a sincere mistake, and go with it if you got into the groove like with that 7.26 line, than to be careful so much that you miss the fun of it.
VIDEO: I can see some drastic improvements in the video from previous times here! Looks more like a professional shooting place now. The light is good, and the shot as well. You could zoom in a bit so that there is not blank space on the left and above you. The Video itself is a bit blurred, but the main problem I see in this shot is exposure. It's too big. Try adjusting the cam exposure to smaller value so that there are no clipped white areas. For example, I can't see the edges of your guitar properly - because of the exposure that information is lost and everything is clipped to white. With these minor adjustments that I recommend it will look pro.
AUDIO: Overall good sound, nice and clean picking, and muting as well. THere are some note bleeds here and there so watch out for muting when exercising. I think reverb is a bit too much for the track, but if you like it and it is the part of your sound it's OK then.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: You are trying to make it look professional which is very good. Slowly but firmly you leave the impression of a good player ready to record himself in a proper way. A bit more practice on slides, bendings, and arpeggios would move your playing level by a notch, so as I said I recommend putting some of these exercises in your daily routines and see how it works.

Tolek
PLAYING: Starting sharply in the box 1, vibrating the root, then doing a sharp cool bend, and again on the root. After that there is a small half step bend on Dorian note, and doing a small eight note triplet bluesy line down the box 1. In the second part you start heavily with a cool long tapping lick, bend the B string to the root on the 12th fret, and tap the string while bended. Nice touch. After that there is a small legato sequence, and going down again to the box on to do a cool double bend, strumming in fast with your picking hand, and going down to the root in box 1 position. For the end we have a fast AP run until the end of the solo, to finish off effectively.
TECHNIQUE: wide array of techniques are displayed, and they all need some work. Bending is sharp and good in general, but vibrato is not always done from the wrist, which is a bad habit that needs more work. A couple of weeks and you will play it perfectly IMO. As far as tapping and AP runs goes, you are running way to fast to be able to control that much notes, so not all of them ring out clearly or evenly, and there's a lot of noise aside. In order to really control them, practice these runs and be patient and careful when you play them. sometimes the same run, played in quarter notes in this kind of (140bpm) track will sound more effective IF clean, than quarter triplets played unclean.
STRUCTURE: Structure of the solo is very good, you started great and with expressive melodic lines, I specially liked the dorina flavor. Later on the concept remained great, as you stacked components nicely up to the end to make it sound effective.
ATTITUDE: You play with a lot of attitude here, and I think you are pretty convinced in the stuff you play. I would only suggest better control of your playing in order to really sound right, cause real attitude comes from there.
VIDEO: Video shoot is very good, but I would prefer to be a bit wider in general. The light from the right is good, but I think another one from the left would be perfect. Backdrop is pretty interesting as well, but try to remove those black edges to make it look professional.
AUDIO: This sound is something that you should really work with more and experiment with presets. The preset sounded too quiet and compressed, there were no dynamics. Too much distortion in the preset made it sound like this. When you record something be aware of the fact that it will always sound more distorted and compressed in the mix, so try to make a preset with less drive and use that one to cut through the mix, and maybe later compress it if you like to. Dynamics in the signal must be preserved a bit or you loose a lot of signal information. Also mids are scooped and all that is left is a bit of presence at 7000-8000Hz which is not enough to cut through all the time and will only leave sharp piercing sounds on the high notes.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: I think you have a good technical ability in overal, but just trying to much to play too fast at the moment. I suggest take some time really nailing down those fast runs to play them exactly in tempo. Slow them down, and break them into pieces, and they will sound much more effective. There's no need to rush things if you can't hear every note - that is always the general rule in playing.

kjutte
PLAYING: Starting off heavily with a nice vi-I-ii powerchord progression, palm muting a bit, and then another powerchord line, same as before, but this time coming to the box 1 and doing some cool&fast melodic lines. After that there is a cool tapping lick, and a AP run downwards in box 1. After that there's another fast run, this time upwards, and ultra fast sweeps up the neck, followed by a vibrated bend, and in the end a cool arpeggio sequence, finishing on the root nicely.
TECHNIQUE: You show a lot of different techniques in this solo, which is very good and gives the impression of a well rounded player. However, these techniques need some more work because not all notes go out clearly. I undestant that is the part of your style and influences to play fast, and this is cool, but playing fast with not too many control can possibly lead you in the wrong direction. Precision comes before speed, so be weary of that when practicing these fast runs. Tappings turned out very good, and almost all the notes popped out, but those AP runs and sweeps lack definition, and there's a lot of noise. Approach with those exercises with more focus on muting and gradually increase speed. Let it come to yuo naturally and don't push it. Bends are good, but need to be precisely in pitch, and vibratos are strong and wide, but need to be more even.
STRUCTURE: There are several components stacked together in this solo in a good way, but you need to work on creating a nice fluid solo, so it doesn't sound lick-by-lick. Try to connect several fast runs or tapping licks with slower melodic passages and it will sound much better.
ATTITUDE: You played all the stuff with a lot of confidence, and rushed a lot, even when you didn't have control throughout the solo. The thing that is positive is that you wanna play fast, and just letting your self go no matter the mistakes. It's you and part of your style so nice to see that you are on that path, just need to work a bit on those techniques.
VIDEO: Video angle is good, but it would be good to see a more straight angle on the fretboard. Also I suggest getting another light in there so that the fretboard is even in brightness.
AUDIO: The sound is not great, it could be better IMO. It was a bit quiet when I got it, so I had to amplify it quite a bit in order to be heard on the track. Try adjusting the input on your sound card so that the signal that comes in is nice and strong. This will preserve the sound as well. Another thing that could be better is dynamics - the sound is too compressed so a lot of information is lost. Good thing is the preset is smoooth and not buzzy even with this much drive.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Good playing, fast playing, but little control on the fast parts. Need to work on them cause I can see a lot of potential in all those licks. Those are all great ideas, and just need some practice with metronome in order to achieve better precision. ALl in all good array of different techniques, and if it were slower and more defined I would definitely say it was better - even if it had less notes.

Happy New Year!

Posted by: Pedja Simovic Feb 2 2009, 12:04 PM

Hello everybody and welcome to Fusion collaboration final mix.
Before getting to your comments I would like to thank you all for participating and submitting your takes on time. I think it is safe to say that most of you had a go at soloing over fusion type harmony for very first time! I took that into consideration before making final comments but in general there is a lot areas we need to work on in future and explore if you want to take your playing to next level. Having said that, from next collaboration things will change a bit as we will focus on very specific things when improvising or composing a solo. I will explain all this when time is right , for time being enjoy the final mix and comments !

Pedja


Number of participants 25


First up is Ajmurrell (0:00 - 0:30)


Sound - Very good sound, fits the backing as well as your style of playing. All the notes come out clean which is very important as well.

Intro - Excellent work! Nice double bend with descending phrase responding. Question answer phrasing applied + rest after it - perfect!


Phrasing/time feel/rhythm - Your phrasing sounds fairly strong trough out the solo. The reason why this works is because you applied a lot of rests as well as short vs long rhythms (double vs regular time feel). I would like to hear solo from you with constant type playing , with fever rests as comparison for your trough composed playing.


Development/melodic shapes - Great job with developing the solo using Question answer phrasing + rests. Melodic shapes are mostly straight and predictable - melody goes up , melody comes down , scale motion . Practice with different melodic shapes soloing and see what that can do to your soloing and composing skills.


Technique - Everything you needed in this solo you covered technically. Good job.


Outro/ending - Very good ending . Sounds like intro a bit and you managed to pull it off with that rest you used just before playing the phrase.


Overall I am very happy with your solo Adam. Question and Answer phrasing with Rests was applied trough out solo which made everything click together. I would advise you to work on your melodic shapes more in future as well as bending to some extent. In future I would like to hear trough composed playing from you as you seem to have solid control over applying rests in solos.

Thank you for your take Adam!


audiopaal (0:30 - 0:57)


Sound - Very good sound just like Adam's take. Great job !

Intro - I love it. You took one motive and created different endings for it. You also took your time and developed your ideas. It shows the professional approach in your playing. Excellent work.

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm - Very good job. Your phrasing was strong and solid as you were using Repetition and various endings to your motives. Time feel was also there as you had both slow and fast rhythms combined along with straight vs syncopated rhythm. Excellent work.


Development/melodic shapes - Excellent work. Repetition + various endings of motives = very strong development. Melodic shapes were also good but I suggest you practice mixed melodic shapes when soloing (just like in Adam's case).

Technique - Good job with technique. Nothing to technical but it served the purpose of your solo as it was meant to be melodic with hooks in it.


Overall this was excellent solo Paal. I really liked repetition and development you had trough out the solo. Your phrasing was also very strong trough out the solo. There is one thing however that made solo not so perfect smile.gif In couple of different sections you used some out of scale and avoid notes. Avoid note being note thats not strong chord tone (like playing 4th over Major chord etc). So thats one area I would advise you to pay more attention in future. Another thing is working on melodic shapes , but I will go over that in future collaborations as most people have this problem.

Thank you for your take Paal !




Berko (0:58 - 1:25)



Sound - Nice distorted sound with maybe a touch too much gain. But I like it how it fits the backing good job !



Intro - I really liked the ideas you had in the intro. One problem I had with it is very first note was flat bend (a bit out of tune). I think that messed up a bit great phrase you had going there - wonderful note choice by the way !

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm - Very strong phrasing trough out the solo. Good job. Time feel is also there along with good choice of strong rhythm figures.


Development/melodic shapes - Development is definitely happening. It sounds like you composed this solo to me as there are couple of different guitar takes in it wink.gif Melodic shapes same as for everybody mentioned - we will work on it soon.

Technique - I like what you applied in the solo from technical point of view. I have only one problem and thats unwanted string noise when shifting strings. Listen to your take without backing track and you will see what I mean there wink.gif


Outro/ending - Two things about ending. It sounds strong and fits the backing , but another thing is it sounds a bit unrelated to previous phrase (not connected). It does however sound strong as section by itself so good job with that!


Overall I really liked some melodic ideas you displayed in this solo Berko. Phrasing was also connecting your semi aggressive solo approach, technique worked well (except unwanted string noise) and there is couple of out notes that you used that ended sounding strong because of phrasing. Work on more rests in solos and more chromatic approaches to your playing.

Thank you for your take Berko !


big harry (1:25 – 1:53)

Sound – The notes come out clean but It sounds like it has lots of distortion there. I would take it down a bit, to give more sustain and clarity for notes to ring out.

Intro - I like your intro as it has repetition and different endings. However some notes don’t come out as strong as they should , so you should work on that in future .

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – Good job with all of these. There were couple places where you were falling behind the beat , but overall it was fairly strong playing.

Development/melodic shapes – Definitely happening, I am very pleased with this area.

Technique – Trough most of the solo sound good , however in couple of sections it sounds like you are missing some notes. I suggest you work on alternate and economy picking a bit more – that should do the work!

Outro/ending – Good note choice but lack of technique made you slow down in phrasing hence it didn’t come out 100% strong.

Overall since this is your first ever collaboration and recording, I must say I am very pleased with your effort. You have been member at GMC for short period of time and managed to show me that you are real hard worker. All the lessons you posted and other videos show your improvement on immediate basis, and I must say I am very happy because of that.
Keep up the improvement and work on things I mentioned if possible !
Thank you for your take Harry!




Caelumamittendum (1:53 – 2:21)

Sound – This is your signature sounds , I hear it everywhere so I won’t take it away from you smile.gif

Intro – I like how you used development and 2nd ending of motive you started with. Great work .

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – This was both great and not so good and here is why… Unlike most other guys, you actually used some OFF BEAT rhythms and syncopated phrases trough out the solo. You did something that’s called playing behind the beat. You were hardly on click but always behind with syncopated rhythms. That was all great stuff man I enjoyed it , but here is the problem part… If you do it a lot (like you over used it), it starts to sound like you have lack of compass in other words where the click is, so your phrasing and melodies start to sound very odd whatever you play. Solution is simple – keep what you were doing but next time combine more strong down beat type (straight) rhythms and you will have great arsenal of phrasing ideas you can use !


Development/melodic shapes – Melodic shapes are good , development could be even better , but that has to do with phrasing I mentioned earlier. More question and answer type of phrasing recommended !


Technique – Overall good work.


Outro/ending – You ended of root which is always good but I would have preferred stronger rhythmic phrase for the ending .

Overall this solo was great example of how you are exploring and discovering new things In your playing. I am very happy with how you took syncopated rhythm trough whole solo but for next time try to balance it out more and work on question and answer phrasing a bit more.

Thank you for your take Ben !




Coffeeman ( 2:22- 2:49)

Sound – Excellent distortion, I really like how all notes come out clear with it!
Intro – I love this intro. Excellent development with 2nd ending happening one octave higher than first one. Excellent work.

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – Very good job with all of these. Your phrasing was strong, choice of rhythms was mostly downbeat but there syncopated rhythms as well. Time feel was not 100% obvious but it did happen from first phrase all the way to the last.

Development/melodic shapes – Very strong development and solid melodic shapes. Great job.

Technique – I loved what you did over G#dim7 part, really creative work!
Outro/ending – Excellent job with ending. Sounds like very first melodic idea in the intro. Very strong finish to a very good solo.

Overall this solo has a very solid structure and content in it. Phrasing is strong, sound really sticks out and ideas with it, and everything seems to be in perfect order.
One question, did you compose or improvise solo ? Just curios that’s all wink.gif
Work more on syncopated phrasing and obvious time feel change , other than that you did awesome man.

Thank you for your take coffeeman (Andru) !


David Wallimann (2:49 – 3:17)
Sound – Excellent sound, fits backing track really well.

Intro – Very strong intro even though I said you should record after click you started on pre bar. smile.gif

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – Its evident that your solos sound strong because you have developed strong question and answer type of phrasing. Most of the times you are using simple melodic shapes as call and response (high vs low or low vs high). Time feel change happens over G# dim7 chord where you do double time feel which is good (but I will talk about note choice latter as well as other advices).

Development/melodic shapes – As mentioned above, development happens as you are using Q & A type of phrasing. Melodic shapes could be expanded to broken shapes or interrupted.

Technique – For 27 second long solo very good use of techniques. Legato was your strongest point in the solo.

Outro/ending – Strong ending again thanks to Q & A type phrasing wink.gif

Overall David this was very well executed solo. Your strongest point in playing is question and answer type phrasing that gets you by to play pretty much anything (which is great). There is couple of things I do suggest you use as you are Instructor and I have to be even more direct and exact with advices in this style of music!
One area is melodic shapes. I think you should take 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 note melodic shapes and isolate them and practice improvising with them. I will talk about examples of these shapes in next collaboration but I think you know where I am going with this …
Second thing is your melodic choice. In this solo you did use some chromatic approach, but for Fusion style to really work you have to apply Superimposing. So that being said, I would like to hear more E minor, G major, D major, B minor etc type of arpeggios over A minor instead of just regular A minor sound. Having said that I think you need to isolate specific arpeggios and practice improvising with them over basic one chord to get that outside sound. Once you have A minor sound from all different mode options (dorian, Phrygian , aeolion and all harmonic and melodic minor type modes) then its time to add some Tension to those arpeggios with dominant type chord resolutions. I will talk about all this in future collaborations also.
Third and last thing I would mention is phrasing… I don’t know what your intent is when you play solos but I hear a lot of similar lessons and solos from you phrasing wise. My advice for Fusion type of music is to listen to as much as possible PIANO and SAX players in that genre. They are the ones that really have complete control with over the bar phrasing etc. So my advice is basically if you want to be really good at this style, lay off some guitar music for a while and spend more time on Chick Correa, Weather Report, Steps Ahead, Brandford Marsalis, Joe Calderazo etc and transcribe Q & A rhythms they use and create your own melodic ideas with it.
I hope you take all this with open heart and ears man.
Thank you for your take David and for participating. I hope to see you in future Fusion collabs again!



Deleted (3:17 – 3:45)

Sound – Clean sound but it’s a bit dry for my taste. You could have added some lower EQ to it to boost it and make it warmer.

Intro – Excellent, very strong slow bend and Q & A phrasing following it.

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – All elements are fairly strong. I think you need to work on off beat (syncopated) rhythms in order to use them more in your solos.

Development/melodic shapes – Excellent work, Q &A type phrasing kept it all together.

Techniques – No faults as it was fairly slow and build up type solo. Good job.

Outro/ending – I like how you used Bb as A Phrygian mode for ending the piece. Great !

Overall I am very pleased with Q&A type phrasing in this solo. Sound could be a bit warmer , perhaps even a different pickup would have worked. Time feel need some work if you plan to use different types of climax in your solos. Off beat phrasing needs work if you plan to have more rhythmic variety in your solos. Everything was well constructed and played , keep these advices as means to improve more like with everybody !

Thank you for your take Deleted !




Dexxter (3:45 – 4:13)

Sound – Excellent Rock Fusion type sound.

Intro – Excellent job with intro. Q & A type phrasing used, very good choice of rhythms and strong melodic ideas!

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – Excellent , I have nothing to add here.

Development/melodic shapes – Excellent, sound like you are telling a story – great stuff !

Techniques – Very balanced use of techniques here. I was surprised with diminished sweeps towards the end : )

Outro/ending – Excellent , you used A minor arpeggio chord tones over 2 octaves with solid phrasing.

Overall I am really surprised with your take Dexxter as I never heard you play before and this is your first recording in my collaboration. You definitely nailed the backing track and it didn’t show like you had any difficulty with it. Your phrasing was spot on along with melodic choice , Q&A phrasing was there… Basically you made music with all the devices you had at your disposal.
My only recommendation is to practice superimposing and chromatic approaches if you are looking to improve your overall playing in Fusion genre.

Thank you for your take Dexxter !



enforcer (4:13 – 4:40)

Sound – I picked your 2nd take as the sound of this one fits great with backing track , and your ideas are awesome in this one.

Intro – Strong intro with Q & A type phrasing. I like how you used different endings – you did that in previous collaborations as well!

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – Trough most part of solo this is working excellent. I noticed you seem to have trouble with faster runs where you always “swallow “ a note here and there. The assignment for you is more regular vs double time feel solo. So you basically play a bar of regular time feel (half notes for example) and then next bar (or next two bars) you do double time rhythm (constant 16th notes, triplets or anything that sounds totally opposite and like answer to your regular time feel !).


Development/melodic shapes – Development is definitely there, I like how you are approaching your solos they definitely tell a story. Unlike 99% of participants, your melodic shapes actually have a lot of variety, that’s awesome and keep up good work and imagination happening.

Techniques – You use lots of different techniques but I have to emphasize that your notes don’t always ring out or as I like to say sing out. The reason for this is you lift your left hand finger from fret millisecond before you need to hence the cut off sound. This is especially noticeable in low region and bottom strings. Work on regular vs double time feel soloing with metronome and/or backing track and you will nail this man !

Outro/ending – Interesting ending, I like it to some extent although I think you could have went with some slower rhythm to bring it down – but this ending works just as good. Great job.
Can, I know have firm understanding of what your playing strengths and flaws are about hence all the specific advices I gave you. Your phrasing and melodic shapes along with development are just great man. Your sense for melody is also very strong. My only concern is technical side of your playing, staccato and cut off that you do to notes. Work on that with metronome and/or backing track with as many as different rhythms and exercises possible. Record it (audio and/or video) post it somewhere on forum , I will be more than happy to check it out and tell you how you are doing with that.
Overall this was very melodic solo had great structure and development but lacked some technical aspect in it.

Thank you for your take enforcer (Can) !



Howermike (4:42 – 5:09)

Sound – Good distortion, all notes come out . Good job !

Intro – Very strong and specific melodic phrase. I like it, great work.

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – Trough most of solo its fairly strong phrasing except when you are playing faster passages (legato , 16th note runs, broken rhythms etc) , then you tend to fall behind the beat.

Development/melodic shapes – Q&A type phrasing is applied and melodic shapes work with your melodic choices. Great work!

Techniques – Your melodic playing is great but your lack of legato technique is sacrificing the melody. I think you need to work more with metronome and/or backing tracks, and just play legato and build it up from slower to faster tempos.

Outro/ending – Ending is cool , sounds like mine haha, just kidding. You did great job on ending it strong , good work !

I am very happy with this solo Mike. You used some exotic scales (like Can did) and your development is just natural – your solos tell me a story and I like that about them. One thing that I noticed in this and previous collab is that you need to work more on your legato to make your style complete. It is obvious to me that you love playing legato (you did It in previous collab as well : ) and practicing it more with “click” will definitely make your playing stronger. I look forward to your future takes in collabs Mike.

Thanks you for your take howermike (Mike) !




Ivan Milenkovic ( 5:09 – 5:37)

Sound – Very good sound, fits backing track well!

Intro – BB King type opening always works as you can play anything after slide down from root. Excellent choice.

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – I have to say that time feel change is definitely there and rhythm with phrasing. I will comment more of this later.

Development/melodic shapes – This was the weakest part of the solo, development. Sounded like you were just running licks up and down the neck, so there was definite lack of Q & A type phrasing, repetition and rests !

Techniques – Legato was your predominant technique and you used it very well trough most of the solo except couple of spots where the phrasing drops (middle and ending). Also your vibrato at the beginning is a bit shaky but that’s your style I won’t try to change that in any way !

Outro/ending – You did end on the root but everything that lead to that actual resting point didn’t make it sound distinguished and recognizable as ending.

Overall I think your sound and legato was your strongest point in this solo. I also enjoyed what you did over C minor part, that was really nice superimposing melodically speaking. The ending part however (F/G, G#dim7 A min) was not pleasing. There were out (wrong avoid) notes over the chords but that was not biggest problem I had… The thing that bothered me there was no development in the solo ; no repetition, no Q&A type of phrasing , nothing that listener can hold on to. When you repeated idea ( in the ending section) it sounded bad as you were playing wrong notes . I recommend when doing new unknown chord progressions to break them up in the little sections and work one section at the time, before trying to tackle whole piece at once.
So overall I think you could have done better job over this backing Ivan as you are one of the Instructors at GMC that students really look up to – so I expect you to hold that high standard when doing collaborations as well.
I hope you take all these advices with open ear and heart.
Thank you for submitting your take Ivan, I look forward having you in future collaborations!



JamesT (5:37- 6:15)

Sound – Distorted, fits the backing track, notes come out. I would perhaps add some more depth with it either in EQ’s or effects. Good job!

Intro – Very good intro, slide into a long note followed by another long one. Typical development trick used in all styles. Excellent work.

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – I really like your phrasing and rhythmic ideas. Your time feel was noticeable in legato and from straight intro which I will talk about later. Your broken rhythmic figures over F#min part were perfect and very fresh compared to all other takes. Excellent work !

Development/melodic shapes – Your solo was telling me story, I like that about it. There was intro development and ending very specific as well as climax points both low and high. Excellent work.

Techniques – This area is your weakest in this solo. There were some unwanted noises when you were shifting strings , so I suggest working more on muting. Lot of people work on right hand muting but overlook importance of left hand muting. I think you need to work on left hand muting more when you are changing strings. Also your legato tends to drop your phrasing and you play a bit behind the beat (not too much tough !). So I suggest your practice more your legato techniques as you have very good melodic ideas that will come out even better with stronger technique !

Outro/ending – Excellent idea for ending! You started with slow rhythm (half time feel) and even ended with that same idea! Great work!


Overall James I really liked your melodic ideas and development trough out this solo. If I remember correctly (correct me if I am wrong please), but you were composing this solo is that right? Either way it sounds very melodic and strong. I have to emphasize legato as technical practice as well as left hand muting. You handled very well dim7 part but still in future more needs to happen over this – we will talk about it in next collaboration!
Thank you for your take JamesT !



lcssd (6:05 – 6:33)

Sound – A bit too distorted for this tape of backing track. With 10 to 20 % less gain it would fit much better. Also this much distortion prevents you from hearing all the notes clearly especially in the lower register of Guitar.

Intro – Very good intro. You applied technique that couple of guys applied. Long single note followed by response in some other range of instrument. Great work.

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – Your phrasing started a bit weak but then as you went on it became stronger. Towards the end where you had legato part it got weaker again. Time feel is there trough the solo, great work and rhythm choice worked really well with your melodic choice!

Development/melodic shapes – Development happens trough whole solo although you have very little rests but make it up with some Q & A phrasing. Melodic shapes are very good, not just up and down but broken as well.

Techniques – This was from technical stand point toughest solo to play (if I had to transcribe it and play it now). But having said that, your technique is not flawless just yet ; ) You need to get every single note clear when you play fast and technical type of music. Otherwise, sloppy playing comes out more than anything! In your case legato and left hand muting (listen to your take without backing you will hear what I mean).

Outro/ending – Very nice ending with double bends characteristic for rock style of music. Great job.

I know this is your 2nd collaboration ever and less than a month ago you didn’t know how to record, so I must state that I am very happy to have you in this collaboration! I am sure all future collaborations will clean up your sound even more when recording and your composing skills will keep getting stronger every time. I think you are great technical player and you have a good sense for melody, I just feel you need more Q &A type phrasing, rests , or use sequences broken up rhythms and things like that to spice up your playing !
Overall I am happy with take but there were some really nice and weird OUT choices – especially over G# dim7 part !

Thank you for your take lcdds (Monte) and I look forward hearing you in future collaborations!




Paiva (6:33-7:01)

Sound – Distorted with all the notes coming out , but it’s a bit in the background ! Sounds like you used a lot of Noise Gate or that was amp cabinet you used. Overall you can make it come out more over the top with EQ adjustment and different gain boost.

Intro – Very nice melodic idea with Q&A type melodies. One problem occurs, and that’s from technical stand point not all the notes come out clear and have strong phrasing. I will talk about it later…

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – Phrasing mostly sounds very strong, there are however couple of spots in your solo where your phrasing was rushed. Time feel and rhythm was applied very well trough whole solo. Great job!

Development/melodic shapes – Very good work with development. You applied rests, different endings, various melodic shapes. On top of everything solo sounded musical and was telling me a story. Excellent !

Techniques – This is the area where I would spend the most time for you Paiva. Legato is a bit soft and not all notes ring out well when you try to play faster passages. So I would definitely work with metronome and/or backing tracks to fix that.

Outro/ending – I like the open string ideas that lead to the actual ending. That was excellent work!

Overall I really like your creativity in this solo Paiva. You told me you composed it and it really shows as it is definitely telling story to listener. Please make sure to make your phrasing even stronger and practice technique more on daily basis with click !

Thank you for your take Paiva !




Slammer (7:01 – 7:29)

Sound – A bit distorted with lots of low eq’s boosted. I think you need to put more mid and high EQ’s to make it sound a bit brighter so all notes can come out clean.

Intro – Really nice idea I enjoyed it a lot ! Long bend as question followed by faster line as response. One problem was the phrasing was a bit weaker and sloppy but other than that ideas were awesome. Excellent work!

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – I think you need to work most with your phrasing. Sometimes its behind sometimes ahead of the beat. Take metronome and/or backing tracks, write down rhythms that you most commonly use in your solos, and start practicing different melodic ideas with them. Record yourself , post it on forum and I can help you from there. The idea is to be in the center of the beat not around. When you have firm control of keeping time then you can go around and do polyrhythms anywhere !

Development/melodic shapes – Development was definitely there along with nice melodic shapes, but it didn't reach its full potential because of phrasing weakness. If I overlook the phrasing problem, this was actually really well approached and done!

Techniques – Strong technique control apart from part at 7:22! Sounds like unwanted noise and/or missed notes. Pay closer attention to that when recording.

Outro/ending – Very strong ending I like it!

Slammer I have never heard you before so I cannot judge your playing level and comfort based on one 27 seconds solo smile.gif All the things I said relate to this solo and this solo only but I hope to see you in future collaborations so we can compare improvement rate between that one and this one!

Thank you for your take Slammer !



Smells (7:29 – 7: 57)


Sound – Awesome distortion! All the notes are clean and you picked very good effect for your style of playing. Excellent work.

Intro – Very raw and energetic intro I like it a lot. Very strong bend with vibrato followed by responding slower paced phrase. Excellent work.

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – Phrasing is almost perfect for most of the time. Towards 2nd part of A min groove you were behind the beat a bit. Time feel is definitely there as you had regular time vs double time with faster legato runs. Good job!

Development/melodic shapes – Great work in development section. Melodic shapes just like with everyone else – could use more expanding!

Techniques – I have to comment in this section on couple of things as I know you will take all advices openly! Your legato in C min section sounded a bit sloppy; some notes were basically missing hence your melodic and rhythmic statement didn’t end up sounding as strong as it should have. Your pedal point melody didn’t sound as strong as it could have as well. Another little thing I noticed was your bend around F#min section is a bit out of pitch… Other than those things you did great job using various techniques and incorporating them with strong phrasing!

Outro/ending – Not very original ending I must say as you could have done something different a bit. Overall it does fit into the contest of the solo , so I won’t take anything of it : )

Overall I like melodic ideas and development in this solo a lot. I think you need to clean up technique just a little bit and it will start to sound very professional in my opinion.
Great work Chris, thank you for submitting your take; I hope to see you in next ones as well!



Sondre (7:58 – 8:26)


Sound – Sondre, I like this distorted sound much more than your previous ones. All the notes are clear and it looks like your POD is doing wonders for you. Excellent work.
Intro – Chuck Berry style intro; I have to admit I never expected to hear that here – great job, very creative man : )

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – I like how you are balanced straight vs syncopated (off beat) rhythms. I have to say phrasing could be a bit stronger in some parts, other than that great work man.

Development/melodic shapes – I like that you used rests and nice rhythms to develop your ideas. One thing is obvious; sounds like you are doing E shape for all minor pentatonics wink.gif I would like to see at least another shape in some future collaboration from you.

Techniques – Everything is great except the bend at 8:20! Just work more on bends and it will be great.

Outro/ending – I like how your ending phrase started (very strong down beat rhythm) but it ended very weak at the end. You could have ended it at A instead of going extra note to G postponing it etc.

Overall I hear from this solo very encouraging thing. You took one minor pentatonic shape , moved it around and made some music. Shows that you are creative which is great. Another thing that was good trough most of part was your phrasing. I particularly liked how you combined downbeat with upbeat rhythms.

Thank you for your take Sondre !





Tolek (8:25 – 8:53)


Sound – I love your new sound Tolek! You sound like Mike Stern only distortion is missing, Excellent job!

Intro – You were suppose to do pre bar thing but I have to admit you pulled it off great with targeting strong chord tone ending on longer rhythm. Excellent.

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – Really good job Tolek. Your phrasing has become much stronger now compared to first collaboration you did. Excellent job man keep it up. Nice choice of rhythms, your solo didn’t really need double time feel to it as it was very melodic and greatly developed.

Development/melodic shapes – I love the development in this solo. Your phrasing, Q & A type phrasing, long notes vs short really kept it alive and interesting. Great work man.

Techniques – Everything is smooth until just before you hit F#min section. Something strange starts to happen with your guitar sound – almost as if you were playing slide guitar there : )

Outro/ending – Great idea for ending, however you never resolved it ! I like the odd vs even type rhythm vs melody you did there, but you just had to resolve it and it would have been perfect.

Tolek, I really have nothing to add to your solo except that little technical thing I mentioned. I would to here in future more trough composed solo from you as your Q&A phrasing is starting to come strong together now, so I want to see playing with lines in some future collaboration!

Thank you for your take Tolek!





Toroso (8:54 – 9:22)


Sound – Excellent sound, not too much gain and all the notes come very strong and clean. Excellent Toroso!

Intro – I like it, it starts with slow gradual bend as question and then it responds with faster phrase. Excellent work.

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – I only have words of praise for you Toroso in this are ! Last collaboration your phrasing was a bit behind the beat. In this one you have showed already a lot of improvement. Not only that your phrasing is now on the beat, but your melodies now sound more connected and coherent ! Excellent, I am very happy for this improvement man!

Development/melodic shapes – Development is there as you are using very solid Rhythmic combinations for Q&A type of phrasing. Melodic shapes are lacking, but that’s the case for 99% participants as this Is totally new harmony and material for everyone !

Techniques – Nothing to crazy here technique wise, but solo is very melodic which is good. I think one area where you could spend some time would be bending. I suggest you support your bends with as many fingers as you can. When I bend with 2nd finger I use my 1st to support it; when I bend with 3rd I use both 1st and 2nd etc, you get the idea wink.gif

Outro/ending – The ending sounded strong although I think it would have been perfect if you ended on that F# a bit sooner.

Overall Toroso I am very happy with your improvement. Your phrasing has moved to a new level , your melodies are now doing interaction and everything is sounding more musical.
My suggestions for practice routine : bending and double time type rhythm for more variety in solos (triplets, 16th notes, broken rhythms etc).
Thank you for your take Toroso and I look forward having you in next one !




Vasilije Vukmirovic (9:22 – 9:50)


Sound – I would have preferred a bit more electric sound or perhaps adding touch of effects to your dry guitar sound ( delay and/or reverb even !). This works as well though wink.gif

Intro – Excellent example of how to determine sound of mode from very beginning. You also used repetition a lot which kept everything together. I would have preferred to build solo slower perhaps but this works too !

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – Everything spot on, even time feel and change to double time is very well executed. Great work !

Development/melodic shapes – Q & A type phrasing + repetition with different ending = very strong development. Excellent work, melodic shapes were also very good and good example of what I had in mind to teach in future collaborations!

Techniques – Flawless technique, although your guitar sounds like it has some intonation problems – correct me if I am wrong? Also I didn’t hear almost any vibrato in your playing, sounds a bit static to some extent.

Outro/ending – Smooth jazz type ending, ending on F# as in your face note : ) I like it excellent.

Vasilije since I meet you two months ago and stayed at your place for 2 days, I have to be very careful what I will say here laugh.gif . Just kidding man, you know I will tell you what I like or don’t like always… Your melodic choice was great, from arpeggios, scale sequences, motives even chromatic lines – all very well placed! Your phrasing is also strong , Q&A type melodies are there no doubt so I have nothing to add there. There is some things that could have been better executed in my opinion. One thing that was evident trough solo was Double time to Triple time feel ! Nowhere in the solo you actually went to regular or even better half time feel soloing to calm down solo and create some resolution to your ideas. So I would recommend working more on time feel soloing in future as it will take your playing to whole other level! Another thing I mentioned was sound. When you listen to your take by itself it sound completely dry and there is even humming noise there – is that your guitar pickup, bad cable or something else, I don’t know, but I had to wash it somehow in the mix man : ) Last thing is lack of vibrato… I understand this was fast paced solo but there was 27 seconds to put at least couple of meaningful long notes with vibrato. I would like to hear that from you in future collaborations.
Everything else was great and it felt really great to comment on your take as you are both my friend and instructor buddy here at GMC smile.gif
Thank you for submitting your take Vasilije, I look forward seeing you in future collaborations !








Velvet Roger (9:50 – 10:17)

Sound – I like your sound in general but this one was very hard to fit with the overall sound of backing track. EQ’s were too weak, no matter how much I boosted it.

Intro – Excellent intro, Amin7 to min6 arpeggio, determining sound of the mode immediately. Great work Roger!

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – Everything sounds strong except when you are attempting legato; I will discuss that later.

Development/melodic shapes – Great melodic choice along with rhythms. Your development is very well placed, excellent work.

Techniques – Everything is good but legato. That seemed to be weakest link in this solo. I recommend clearing it more up with metronome/backing tracks.

Outro/ending – Good ending but you could have just stayed with opening statement from intro + A on octave , it would have sounded awesome !

Overall very nice melodic ideas in this solo Roger. I enjoyed phrasing trough most part of the solo (except the legato part) but your development is really growing and I like what I am hearing.
Since this is new style and unfamiliar I will say good job man, but 6 months to a year from now we should be all nailing this type of backing ( goes for everybody not only for you : )
Thank you for your take Roger! You are subscribed to life for my collabs smile.gif





wrk (10:18 – 10:45)


Sound – Excellent sound, reminds me a lot of the one I used, is it the same Andy ?

Intro – Beautiful intro, I love it man seriously. You didn’t start immediately, you waited, and when you came in you were slowly building up your ideas with half time feel. Excellent !

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – Perfect phrasing all the way until the ending part ! Time feel properly applied and used along with corresponding rhythms, excellent work.

Development/melodic shapes – Excellent development and melodic shapes !

Techniques – Your standard type playing, I like it as more and more I listen to it, I start to recognize you from whole bunch of players out there. Excellent Andy.

Outro/ending – Weakest part of solo no doubt and I mean It both melodically and rhythmically. Actually if you choose stronger rhythm and phrasing maybe that repetitive idea would have worked better.

Ok Andy I said many times here Excellent for your solo. What other students might not know is that you submitted your first take which they can all find in upload thread, which was by the way nowhere near in the quality of playing compared to this one. It also shows that you are quick learner, hard worker and talented. Lets not forget that you asked 3557 questions regarding this collab, so my answers probably helped out a bit as well smile.gif Just kidding man but seriously people need to look up to what you did with this take. In my opinion in future I would like to see more double time phrasing from your and line type trough composed improvising. Don’t worry , we will discuss everything before I publish next collaboration until then you can keep practicing and asking questions.

Thank you for submitting your take wrk (Andy), I look forward having you in next collaboration !




Zynex (10:45 – 11:13)

Sound – Funk fusion sound, I like it a lot Donny!

Intro – Typical funky bluesy approach to melodies. Great style approach and creativity there, fits perfectly over backing track.

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – Phrasing is strong most of the time except with legato (like with most of the participants). Time feel and rhythm choice is evident, I like what you did in this solo.

Development/melodic shapes – Q&A type of phrasing and various melodic shapes (you even included full chords, great job man) made this your strongest point in solo !

Techniques – This was the weakest area. Guitar was out of tune which Is unacceptable when doing session/studio type recordings! Apart from that legato was a bit weak but everything else was strong.

Outro/ending – I don’t know what to think about your ending honestly. Did you run out of ideas for ending or you really felt like mimicking the chords in the background? If second one was the case then great job perfect, if not I am not too happy lol

Overall Donny I enjoyed your solo. Legato was weakest part along with tuning, but everything was pretty much spot on. I think you need to work over last section a bit more (F/G G#dim7 A min) to create more natural melodies in future.

Thank you for submitting your take Zynex (Donny) , I expect you in the next collaboration as well (with guitar in tune if possible ? laugh.gif )



Pedja Simovic (11:14-11:42)

Sound – Fits the backing really well with even EQ’s and interesting delay.

Intro – Short melodic shapes that latter build up (usually 2 or 3 note shapes). Works because of Q&A type of rhythm and melody.

Phrasing/time feel/rhythm – Very strong phrasing accompanied with various time feel ideas ( odd vs even type rhythms and regular vs half and double time).

Development/melodic shapes – Development very strong that’s to Q&A type of phrasing, strong melodic choices and usage of rests. Variety of melodic shapes applied !

Techniques – Legato , economy , alternate, sweep picking and slides applied.

Outro/ending – Same motive repeated up an octave with different ending (motive development).

Overall I am happy how this solo came out but maybe you guys can judge me for a change ? biggrin.gif


Thank you all for participating in my first Fusion collaboration. It was pleasure doing this with all of you. From next collaboration things will change a bit as I will introduce many new additions that will help you with your playing, recording, composing and whatever that is that you want to work on.
Look forward seeing you in my next collaboration and hope you enjoyed this one.



Pedja

Download final mix http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=13204

Posted by: Emir Hot Feb 2 2009, 12:19 PM

Rock Ballad Style Collaboration

I had 27 participants split in 3 goups for this one. I gave separate video comments for each participant - each video 10 min long aprox.

The link is here:

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=23975&st=0&start=0

These are final mixes for all 3 groups

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=13078

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=13079

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=13137

GROUP 1

1. Audiopaal
2. Berko
3. Col Roberts
4. Enforcer
5. JamesT
6. Marc_Maiden
7. Paiva
8. Smells
9. Strat


GROUP 2

1. Ajmurrell
2. Caelumamittendum
3. Dexxter
4. lcsdds
5. OrganisedConfusion
6. Sondre
7. Superize
8. Tjchep
9. Tolek


GROUP 3

1. ztevie
2. Velvet Roger
3. utak3r
4. Toroso
5. UncleSkillet
6. Wrk
7. coffeeman
8. kaznie_NL
9. SonofDestiny

Posted by: Muris Varajic Feb 28 2009, 02:57 PM

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=13798

ErikEklund

That is was just great, I have not much to add
knowing that you're still pretty young!
Very mature thinking and playing,
smooth phrasing, smart use of stacatto notes,
clean technique, creamy tone, bravo Erik!!



fatb0t

First 4 bars of your take were something coolest
I've heard in a while, so relaxed and chill
and just slightly "of beat" right as it should!!
To be honest, I was expecting you to keep going
in similar direction but you have chosen
the path of rock shred.
Anyhow, there were many nice ideas
but small problem with rest of the take is timing,
it's not as much tight as it should be,
specially if you play faster shreddy chops.
Pay more attention to that in the future,
good effort and thanks for participating!



Tolek

Ok, first of all I must say few things about your tone,
it was waaay too much in midds and treble
so I had to do some cuts,
please think of that next time when you record something,
listen it along with backing and hear if it
jumps too much out of the picture.
Now about playing, I can tell that you had many things
to show but you under pressure of technique,
your chops were all around but nothing to catch on imo
and mostly cause of timing you were struggling with.
Listen to your take after you record it,
does it flow, does it have constant move,
can someone remember a piece of it after one listen etc?
Those are some of the question you can ask
yourself always and questions you'll come up with
will help you A LOT!
Thanks fro effort tho, keep it up.




KaznieNL

Very rocky playing with few nicely placed
pinch harmonics which a liked a lot.
Your timing was also well guided with 16th notes
as top speed which was more then enough.
But there was a problem in last couple of bars,
it modulates into Cm key but somehow
you stayed with Bm pentatonic, what happened?




Ajmurrel

I guess this take was recorded in London
but you never know with Adam,
he's a travel agent so it might have been recorded
on top of the Great Wall as well!!!
So, tons of Gilmourish licks here which made my day,
I specially liked way the you ended most of them
with those "lost" bends at the end of licks, very cool!
Cm part was a bit over pushed, like a tapping assault!!
But you broke a recorded when you recorded
this take in like 2 mins so you're excused this time.




Crazyfret

You stayed low and away from exibitions all the time
which was VERY appreciated,
pretty different from the rest of the takes, cudos!!
Now, intonation was a bit too sharp, maybe you were
fretting too hard or it was just tuned slightly up, not sure.
All in all it was very descent playing without
pushing yourself over the limits with no reason,
I was only missing more vibrato here,
that would be real score, good work!




Berko

I can tell that you played with lot of confidence!
I specially liked part over E chord with
those repetitive rhythmic sequences, well placed.
But something weird happened over G7 chord,
I would really have to listen very closely to
figure out theoretical side of those licks
since you were "out" pretty much,
and same happened at the end of section over Cm.
Still, it was too "out" but only in my opinion,
it's easy to hear that you play each note
with courage and attitude which is good,
a bit more work on theory and you'll be there, god job Berko!





Iluha

Too much reverb, dial it down next time,
there is really no need for this much of reverb.
Playing was nice tho, timing pretty steady
which is very important when you play over shuffle feel backing.
Considering your technical level I guess
you could have done more work on constructing whole solo,
make more sense out if it, put a road map for it.
This was not bad at all but I'm sure that
you can give more "music" into your playing,
keep it up, it's going great!





Velvet Roger

This was very relaxed take
with some cool licks including
repetition in different octaves trick
which gave more color to whole take.
Last few bars with tapping were also
nicely played and you ended right on time.
There are some problems regarding bends
and timing on 3nps patterns
but it's not impossible to fix tho!
Thanks for your effort Roger, well done.




Peixe

Another creamy tone and nice phrasing!
Everything was just up to my taste
except of couple of licks.
You are at descent technical level with
lot of sense for music,
just pay more attention on how you end
each "sentence" or line that you play.
It would be shame to start with something like
"darling, you mean everything in the world to..."
and end with " who's for soda?",
I'm sure you know what I mean, good work tho!

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=24847



http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=13940

Rated Htr

I liked the beginning of your take a lot,
those repetition were the hit!
Your timing was also pretty tight
throughout whole part which was very good and appreciated.
But you did surprised me a lot and you did it twice.
First you did it at the ending of first E Lydian part,
you played small Em pentatonic bluesy
and that was very refreshing!
Then you did it again during whole second E Lydian part,
you played everything but E Lydian,
there was E Minor scale, E Phrygian and Em Pentatonic as well.
I know there are no rules and you have all freedom
on this world to express yourself,
this was very interesting to me
and someone might find it not so cool
but it was different a lot which is the thing!


Leedbreak

I can see your progress Jason, specially in picking area,
you even managed to throw one picking pattern
from Cm Picking Etude over Bb chord which was brilliant!!
I would only suggest you to pay more attention on timing,
try to follow beat and do not run away a lot from it.
Good take Jason, thanks for playing!


DeepRoots

Nice sound and execution.
There were some very interesting sequences,
legato parts, skipping, wide stretching,
Maybe the only thing I was missing
here was more wild vibrato and aggression on few notes
but that's just me and I can't help myself,
great playing DR.


Outlaw2112

You had some problems with key
since you played E Lydian all the time
while there was Bb Lydian part in the middle.
Anyhow, there was some nice ideas,
specially tapping descending line, nicely constructed.
Pay more attention to key next time and also
focus more on timing if possible,
that'll make your playing sound more "mature", sort of speak.
Regarding tone, phaser is cool effect
but not necessary all the time so you didn't have to
use it by all means, and try to dial gain and midds bit lower
next time to get more warm and sweet tone,
thanks for effort and participating,much appreciated!


Enforcer

That was some sweet use of 2 guitars, well thinking.
Your playing was overaly good,
it's just vibrato that I've found too fast and kind a nervous,
try with slower ones with wide range
for more power in your playing in general.
Oh, and ending was "what???"
You continued playing over drum break
and you ended on note F# (2nd or 9th), smooth.
Well done Can, thanks for participating!


Smells

Metal buddy enters the stage once more.
That was some neat playing Chris,
I remember you said Lydian was new to you
but I really have no idea what you were talking about.
Clean technique, lots of sweeps, tapping, picking etc
licks well constructed, good job!!

JasonT

I just admire the way you approach to everything,
precise and accurate like a razor!
Picking is going well, you move around fretboard easily,
the only thing that bothers me here a bit
is that you played 16ths runs way to long imo,
breaking timing here and there
would add some nice spice to this already brilliant take,
keep it up, you're doing great!


http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=25033

Posted by: Pedja Simovic Mar 3 2009, 11:05 AM

Sequence Collaboration final mix with comments


Hello everybody !

Welcome to Sequence collaboration final mix with comments.

I would like to say couple of things before I get to your final comments - if you don't mind smile.gif

This collaboration was first among many that will follow using specific topic as soloing device. It is not like other collabs we had before where you are free to do whatever you want, but you rather have to focus on one thing and do your best with that given thing. Having said that, the comments will focus on specific sequences rather than sound, development, intro ending and things we had in general (open) collabs. Ok, that was the first important thing smile.gif

Second thing, you guys did really well I am very pleased with your takes. You all demonstrated good and solid control of sequence trough your solos. It shows that you are ready for some new topics which makes my program move rather than stay in one place smile.gif

One thing that got me a bit shocked and surprised was number of drop outs in this collaboration. In the beginning there was 10 days to record your take and then I extended it for 2 - 3 more days after that. I figured that would be enough of time for everybody since all you had to do is think of 4 sequences and move them trough chords.
For some guys that dropped out I approve since they let me know via PM they would do so in advance. There were some special cases (like OC leaving GMC sad.gif and others that I don't want to get to , but still I think we should aim to do the work we apply for.
Having said all of these things, I have no hard feelings for guys that didn't make to record or dropped out. We had at least 5 or more collabs in February (Muris had 3 , me and emir one each, david , ramiro + student collabs) - so you guys were on a lot of pressure and all over the place. I respect that and thats why I have no hard feelings for anybody that didn't make it this time.

For future in class collaborations I would just like you to think before you apply, whether or not you can really do it, if you have time to do it and all the rest. I would appreciate you even more if you were honest with this since I count to help you all here and when you back out I feel bad inside a bit mellow.gif

Anyways, enough of introduction , let me thank you for all your takes and time you put into this collaboration !
In March I plan to do 2 in class collaborations and I hope to see you all in them.

Enjoy final mix and comments http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=14115 !

Pedja

Number of participants 19


First up is berko (0:00 - 0:33)

1st sequence : Very nice idea with good rhythmic variety in it. Melodic choice was excellent - strong chord tones were placed on right spots, scale runs were done nicely.
One thing about 1st sequence is I felt phrasing could have been stronger to make it 100% perfect. Other than that excellent work !
2nd sequence : Excellent ! Love this one. Great use of repetition, simple melodic idea and strong melodic choice. Phrasing works well and sounds laid back, like you are playing a bit behind the beat - works perfect with this sequence. Excellent work !
3rd sequence : I like the phrasing in this sequence since it creates double time feel. Over B and A chords note choice worked good but over C# minor there was avoid note that you landed on at the end ( A). minor 6th interval is not good resting note when you have minor triad or minor 7th chord in this case C# E G# (cool.gif. A note clashes with G# since its half step distance. Other than that great sequence!
4th sequence : Very simillar phrasing like in previous sequence and identical problem over C# minor chord. Everything else great !

Overall very cool sequence ideas and you pass this class, just work on that note choice in 3rd and 4th sequence wink.gif

Thank you Berko !

If you have any questions ask here or send me PM I will be happy to answer them all !



big harry (0:34 - 1:06)

1st sequence : I love this sequence Harry ! Rhythmic choice was question and answer type, and you used minor pentatonic scale with great note choice to fit each chord. Perfect !
2nd sequence : Good sequence Harry. Different rhythm then previous sequence, and syncopated rhythm works well with the backing track. Melodic choice was strong, nothing to add or take, excellent.
3rd sequence : I like it, very simple but efective, 3 different notes going descending from 5th (strong chord tone). Rhythm and phrasing is a bit behind beat and sounds like you are draging the backing a bit but nothing wrong with that (we are focusing on sequences only now smile.gif. Good work !
4th sequence : Exactly the same as first one just octave higher. What was good about it was double time feel, triplet feel you put to it, that worked really well. Again here it sounded like you were playing behind the beat a bit so thats something you will work on in future I hope. Overall good work.

Harry you did great, passed the class and displayed some nice sequence ideas here. I loved your 1st sequence, everything about it was perfect ! Your last sequence was same idea as 3rd sequence; I would have liked to see entirely different sequence there wink.gif Other than that, great job Harry !

Thank you for your take Harry !



Canis (1:06 - 1:37)

1st sequence : Very nice idea here Canis. Arpeggio based idea with muting in the lower register . Strong melodic choice was applied and phrasing was very strong as well. Great work !
2nd sequence : This sequence is development of the 1st sequence ( I will treat it like that at least smile.gif. I like that you used trills but melodic choice was not correct over some of the chords. I get your vibe, Hendrix used to do that thril hamer on from minor to major 3rd so I won't hold it against you. Good work smile.gif
3rd sequence : I like tapping idea with strong chord tones, works well and sounds different (with interval tap wink.gif. Also I like how you went higher up for this sequence as it changed the mood of the whole solo. Good work Canis !
4th sequence : Sounds almost identical as previous sequence but I will consider it as development since you changed rhythm and added some things. Good work !

Overall Canis you passed the class , your sequences worked over chord progression. I think your guitar was not in tune 100 % with this backing track so thats something I would pay attention to in future as it influences the sound of the whole solo.

Thank you for your take Canis !



coloneldrew (1:38 - 2:09)

1st sequence : Great idea and almost perfect execution ! Melodic choice was perfect as was rhythmic but from technical point some bending was a bit out of pitch. Since we are discussing sequences this was excellent. You took liberty not to do sequence on the very last chord which was fine. Velvet Roger asked me that same thing and I said it would be ok to do so you are all set smile.gif
2nd sequence : Excellent sequence , I love this one. Fast scale run finishing with slower rhythm and strong melodic choice. Execution was perfect in this one. Well done Drew !
3rd sequence : Another excellent sequence with question answer type of phrasing and strong melodic choice. Excellent work Drew !
4th sequence : Very nice sequence, comonly used in a lot of solos. We could even go further and say that its a very comon lick , but regardless you did excelent job with it and provided ending in higher range. Excellent work !

Overall this was very well done Drew, you definitely pass this class smile.gif I hope to see you in some future classes as well man.

Thank you for your take Drew !



Dexxter (2:10 - 2:41)

1st sequence : Excellent sequence ! I love phrasing in this one slow vs fast and syncopated vs straight rhythms. Melodic choice was also very good altough you started your descending ideas on tension rather than chord note , it still sounded good ! Excellent work Dexxter !
2nd sequence : Good sequence, strong sounding since you used exclusively chord tones. Phrasing was again slow vs fast which made it work even better. Good work !
3rd sequence : Simple and melodic sequence. Nothing spectacular but shows that you can do sequences with very simple ideas as well. Good work !
4th sequence : I like this sequence better then previous one since its also simple but uses more melodic variety. Good work !

Overall Dexxter you passed this class ! There is nothing I can hold against you here, everything I asked for you did which was great man. I look forward having you in some future classes !

Thank you for your take Dexxter !




Emir Hot (2:42 - 3:13)

1st sequence : Excellent work with both chord tones and scale passages. Constant rhythm applied, strong phrasing as well. Well done Emir !
2nd sequence : Very strong sequence thanks to arpeggio based idea. Works really well with constant rhythm. Excellent Emir !
3rd sequence : Beautifull idea and very well executed with muting technique. Great stuff Emir !
4th sequence : I love this idea the most, yes its a cliche but most important thing here is it goes ascending while chords descend and it creates different effect then all previous sequences. Very well done Emir.

One thing I would like to mention is rhythm - perhaps different rhythmic choice would work as well but you pulled it all off with constant rhythm. Point is I don't want students to aim to play constant lines but to have rests create question and answer with rhythm not just with melodies.

Overall I think its safe to say that you failed this class and should take it again smile.gif))
No man, you are good to go, I hope you will join us in some future classes !

Thank you for your take Emir !



Enfrocer (3:14 - 3:45)

1st sequence : Beatufill idea with pedal point application ! Strong rhythm and phrasing applied as well as very strong melodic choice. Excellent work Enforcer ! (Can) smile.gif
2nd sequence : Another great idea Can. Here I liked how you had question and asnwer type rhythm ( slow vs fast) as well as strong melodic choice. Excellent work Can.
3rd sequence : I like this idea a lot ! It moves up while the chords move down, and your melodic choice was excellent here. Well done Can.
4th sequence : This sequence is just awesome in my opinion. It was first time you used constant rhythm and you used it really well. Went up trough scale and came down responding with pedal point idea and interval skiping (diatonic thirds). Excellent work Can.

Overall excellent work Can you passed this class without any problems. I never doubted your take since in previous collabs you used a lot of repetition and sequence so I could tell you have a very firm grasp of that technique by now.

Thank you for your take Can and I hope to see you in future classes !




Fsgdjv (3:46 - 4:17)

1st sequence : Simple and melodic opening sequence, works well with chords. I think you could have picked stronger melodic notes as your last note in the phrase is tension , chord tone would have worked even stronger. Other than that, good work !
2nd sequence : This sequence I like much more then previous one ! It is also 3 notes, different melodic shape, strong rhythm and excellent melodic choice. Well done man !
3rd sequence : I like how you moved up in some case here melody as chords were going down. Very strong melodic choice, but from technicall stand point when you release your bends notes don't sound as strong as they should here. Apart from that excellent work !
4th sequence : One of the best sequences and a great choice to do it as ending if I may add ! Minor pentatonic along with scale passages, typical sequence application used in a lot of solos for last 40 years or so. Excellent work !

Overall Fsgdjv you passed the class without any problems. I hope to see you in some future classes as well man !

Thank you for your take Fsgdjv!



GrannyKiller (4:17 - 4:49)

1st sequence : Very solid sequence, starting with strong chord tone. Great rhythm choice , question and answer phrasing applied. Well done !
2nd sequence : This sequence is development from previous sequence. I like what you did with it altough idea of this class was to do 4 entirely different sequences ! Great work regardless smile.gif
3rd sequence : Beautiful sequence ! I loved string skipping which created low register melody communicating with higher register melody instantly creating question and answer phrasing. Excellent work !
4th sequence : Pentatonic based sequence worked almost perfect here. As with Canis I will mention that this sort of exact sequence is something that guys like Hendrix did. Be careful with A chord, it should have D# rather then D note when you bend into E note, since we are in C# natural minor or relative E major key. Other than that little thing it was very well done.

First I must say thank you for submitting your take GrannyKiller. I have never seen you on forums before and if I am not wrong this is your first collaboration - correct me if I am wrong please. Either way you did great man, submitted your take last minute and passed class without any problems.
I hope you will join us in future classes as well !

Thank you for your take GrannyKiller !




JamesT (4:50 - 5:21)

1st sequence : I like this sequence a lot ! Idea behind it is very simple, scale run starting from root of the chord, but what made it sound great was rhythmic choice and strong phrasing. Excellent work Jim !
2nd sequence : This sequence is also very good and strong. What I liked here was question and answer type melodies. Low register question , higher register answer. Strong melodic notes applied - well done !
3rd sequence : This sequence is very typical and is quite oftenly used by a lot of guitar players. What I liked here was that unlike first two sequences this one exclusively used one rhythm and it was triplets which created odd vs even type phrasing against backing track. Great work !
4th sequence : Final sequence sounds very strong thanks to strong chord tones and arpeggio soloing. Constant rhythm applied and strong phrasing. Great work Jim!

First of all I would like to thank you for recording your take once more and submiting it with last sequence updated. That really made a difference in my ears when I listen and compare two takes.
It is safe to say that you passed this without any problems Jim. I hope to see you in future classes as well.

Thank you for your take JamesT !




lcdds (5:22 - 5:53)

1st sequence : Strong sounding sequence, simple melodic idea with bends leading into root of the chords. Great work Monte !
2nd sequence : Beautiful sequence ! I like it a lot simply because you used 7ths of the chords as resting point for your melody. That made your sequence stick out a bit and it was done with care so it worked well. Excellent work.
3rd sequence : Double time time sequence with descending scale run. Sounds very strong since you started with chord tones. Great work.
4th sequence : Great sequence, I enjoyed the fact you used 7th chords rather than just triad here. If I am not mistaken you also used your favorite technique (tapping) smile.gif Excellent work over all.

Monte, it was worth waiting for your take smile.gif
Excellent work, you pass the class without any problems. I hope to see you in some future classes as well man.

Thank you for your take lcdds !




Marc_Maiden (5:53 - 6:26)

1st sequence : Sounds very similar to my 1st sequence so I have to say great work here smile.gif
2nd sequence : You developed previous sequence and did complety different sequence in the 2nd voice in harmony. Excellent work altough that was not necessary at all smile.gif
3rd sequence : I like this sequence since its contrasting in regards to first two slower sequences (rhytmicly speaking). Very strong melodic choice and solid phrasing. Great job Marc.
4th sequence : Here you just harmonized the sequence so 2nd voice is doing exactly same idea. I would have prefer if you created counter sequence like you did in the 2nd sequence.

Overall Marc you passed the class but it sems like you really wanted to get those harmonies out man smile.gif I appreciate it, there will be in class collabs with harmonizing given melody and I think you will do great in that. For sequence collab you have passed but I feel you could have just done 4 different sequences or like you did harmony with 2nd voice doing different sequence (that was awesome!).
I hope to see you in future in class collaborations man.

Thank you for your take Marc_Maiden !




Oxac (6:26- 6:58)

1st 4 bars - Nice sequence using diatonic 3rds as well as pedal point !
2nd 4 bars - Very strong melodic choice for sequence using diatonic 5ths.
3rd 4 bars - Satriani like legato 3 note sequenced idea - great work !
last 4 bars - Excellent arpeggio idea and soloing !

Overall Oxac you were among the first one to submit your take but it wasn't exactly what I asked for. I wanted 4 sequences trough whole solo, you recorded some sequences within solo. I still accepted this take because it has very strong melodic choices in sequences and besides that I know you can play and use sequence. You still pass this class because I know you can pull sequences as I heard in your previous solos wink.gif
Good job on solo and sequences in it, I hope to see you in future in class collaborations, and please if you have questions ask in the thread, read first post and listen to my solo - answers are already there !

Thank you for your take Oxac ! (when can I get some keyboard solo from you ? wink.gif



Paiva (6:58 - 7:29)

1st sequence : Great work with this one Paiva ! I love phrasing and note choice here, very strong and melodic, almost riff like sounding.
2nd sequence : I like the melodic idea but execution is not perfect so it made it sound weaker then it should. Some bends are out of tune and you should work on that. Other than that, melodic choice was great in this sequence , great job Paiva !
3rd sequence : Pentatonic based idea that moves trough chords with interesting melodic choice (both chord tones and tensions). That was great, phrasing here was even weaker than in the first one so it made it sound weak overall. Sequence is definitely there and we are grading on that right now so you get A for sequence smile.gif
4th sequence : Very strong sequence and melodic idea since you used strong chord tones and arpeggio lines. Excellent work , same thing with phrasing as in previous one.

Overall Paiva you pulled it off and passed the class since all sequences were moved properly trough harmony. On the side note, your phrasing was a bit weak in the whole solo and I suggest you work on it for some future in class collaborations (we will soon have one that focuses on phrasing wink.gif.

One more thing , congratulations on winning the competition on Portuguese forum ! smile.gif

Thank you for your take Paiva and hope to see you in my next collaboration as well !






Sami (7:30 - 8:01)

1st sequence - Simple but at the same time very strong melodic sequence. You choose root and diatonic 3rds as two melodic notes, and they worked great over harmony. Great work Sami.
2nd sequence - I like this sequence a lot ! It sound like you builded on the previous sequence and extended it. Sounds very strong in both rhythm and melody area. Well done Sami !
3rd seqeunce - Nice ! Love this one. You used interval skips and managed to keep it interesting with strong melodic choice. Well done Sami !
4th seqeunce - Strong chord tones and arpeggio lines works well with harmony. I am just curious why your arpeggio over B chord sounds a bit odd , other than that great work.

Sami it is safe to say that you did very well and passed class. You didn't go for technical sequences but I like that you did the work and each sequence was very well executed.

Hope to see you in future in class collabs buddy.

Thank you for your take Sami !




Tolek (8:02 - 8:34)

1st sequence :Very strong sequence, add 9 arpeggio ideas always work wonders. Excellent work Tolek.
2nd sequence : I like the idea but execution is not so great. Sound has a lot of gain and low eq's so its very hard to hear what you are actually playing there. I will say good work as it is obvious that you did sequence here wink.gif
3rd sequence : Excellent sequence idea. String skipping and imediate question and answer phrasing , low vs high register. Strong melodic choice - great work Tolek.
4th sequence : Interesting ! Monte did bends into Roots you did bends into Diatonic 3rds. Both work great. Great work Tolek !

Overall Tolek you passed this class without any problems. Melodic choice was strong in all examples and sequence was there definitely. One thing that I would look for is that 2nd sequence and the execution of it. Send me a PM if you don't feel discussing it here man.
As you know you are signed up for life, so I will auto sign you for two collaborations I plan to do this month smile.gif

Thank you for your take Tolek !





Velvet Roger (8:34 - 9:06)

1st sequence : Excellent work with opening sequence. Interval skips with strong melodic choice and phrasing. Excellent work Roger !
2nd sequence : Great development of opening sequence. Just one little thing , on first chord try to avoid using minor 6th as it clashes with perfect 5th. This is especially the case if you end on weak/avoid note or play longer rhythm with it. Otherwise great job !
3rd sequence : Beautiful sequence with interval runs of diatonic 3rds. I like how you used slides in this ones to make simple melodic idea stick out more. Great work Roger !
4th sequence : Another cool slide idea but this time more of a glissando effect. Strong melodic approach and interesting execution. Excellent work Roger.

Overall Roger it is safe to say you nailed this class. I have nothing to add or take except that minor 6th advice over minor chords (avoid note good only as passing note !).
You are signed up for life like Tolek and Enforcer , so I will see you in my next in class collaboration smile.gif By the way, your sound was great here I love how it fit the backing !

Thank you for your take Roger !




wrk (9:06 - 9:38)

1st sequence : As strong as it gets, arpeggios of each chord. Well done Andy.
2nd sequence : Wonderful development. You created question and answer type phrasing with 2nd idea. Excellent work.
3rd sequence : Very similar sequence phrasing wise, but melodic choice was strong so it worked again.
4th sequence : I love this sequence better than previous one. It ends on strong chord tones and phrasing defines it very well. Excellent work.

Andy you pass the class without any problems. You and Roger were doing great with development of your sequences. Marc also did great job to some extent with his harmony parts doing different sequence vs original one.
Overall great work Andy I hope you will be in next class as well.

Thank you for your take wrk !





Pedja Simovic (9:38 - 10:10)

Feel free to grade my take - I am just submitting you link with lesson on collaboration solo. Feel free to check out spoken video as I go more in depth regarding each of the sequences.


http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/sequen...aboration_solo/


Guys its been pleasure running this class, getting your takes and grading them. You all passed which makes me really happy and am very excited to see how you will handle my future classes in this month !

If you have any questions please feel free to ask here or via PM.

It was great having you in this class and I hope to see you all in next one (which will be in couple of days !!!).

Until then have fun and see you around forums !


Pedja

Posted by: David Wallimann Mar 7 2009, 03:35 PM

 Lick_building_class_collab.mp3 ( 17.8MB ) : 294


The melodic lick construction collab is now done! It was a real pleasure to review your entries. You all had a lot of things to say musically in here which made this very inspiring to review!
Here is the final mix followed by a deeper review of all our players.

Attached File Lick_building_class_collab.mp3 ( 17.8MB ) Number of downloads: 37


Thanks again everyone for taking time to record something on this, I hope you find the following inspiring!
You all did a wonderful job!

Matt23

There are some really nice melodic elements in your lead. I like the simpleness of your lead, although the faster shreddy type of licks at the end are a good addition.

One of the main things I suggest you work on is rhythm placement. Maybe spend a bit more time on working with a metronome playing with short simple rhythm ideas. You don't need to go fast while working on this. As a matter of fact, it's actually harder to play with much precision at slower speeds. Recording yourself while practicing this kind of thing can do wonders as it's sometimes difficult to be critical of your playing while actually playing...
A great exercise that would certainly make you progress even faster would be to learn the lead you played here and record it again lick by lick making sure every note is placed exactly where it should on the tempo. Also, if you have a guitar notation software such as Guitar Pro, I recommend that you transcribe your take. That will help you visualize what the rhythm placement shoudl sound like.

Keep up the good work!


Berko

I like the sound you chose for this. The delay and reverb give this a nice smooth atmospheric touch that emphasizes the notes you are playing.

I do hear a problem with some of the notes you used here though. Every once and a while, you are going outside of the A minor scale. It's true that sometimes, playing outside of the original key has its advantages, but in this particular case where the chord progression is slow, playing outside of the key will have a negative effect on the listener's ear. If you are not quite comfortable with the natural minor scale (Aeolian), you can always use a minor pentatonic scale. That is because the minor pentatonic scale is extracted from a natural minor scale (it just has 5 notes instead of 7).
Besides working on the different possible scale positions, I recommend that you work on hearing the scales and recognizing them before even playing them. There are several ways to doing so. I suggest you start with a good recognition of intervals. Start with simple intervals such as 3rds, 5th and 2nds. That is key to a good melodic improvisation.

You're on the right track though! You have some nice melodic lines going on in here. FIxing the off notes will surely fix the problem.


Skennington

Several aspects of your lead are very catchy and worth developing. First of all, I really liked he longer notes at the opening of your solo. They help the listener dive into your musical universe with ease. That's good! You also added a nice touch of vibrato on these notes helping them to be even fuller of meaning.

Now there are a few things that you could work on to make things even smoother. First, a few of your licks were a bit off beat. I'm thinking about the repetitive lick on bars 5 and 6. It's an easy fix. Also, a few bends are slightly flat. You can develop a very simple yet effective exercise for that by playing a note anywhere on the fretboard, then bending the note a fret or two below until it sounds exactly like the starting point. I'm sure these little problems are just because you probably improvised the whole thing, right?
My suggestion for you would be to take that lead and memorize it as a written piece. That will give you a chance to fix all mistakes making your playing even smoother next time you improvise.

Keep up the great work, you have some solid ideas well worth listening to!


Audiopaal

First of all, I need to tell you that the sound you used is very pleasing to my ears. It is not over saturated and serves your melody very well. I love the laid back feel you have when playing this. Your melodic lines are played with good control and good note choices.

One thing I would suggest for you is to work on linking these ideas together. An exercise that Paul Gilbert teaches to his student has been found very effective for that. Play a simple short lick, then answer that lick with another on starting the way the previous one ended. It's very simple, but can lead to great results in your phrasing. While improvising, your ideas will be better linked and make even more sense. You can also try that exercise without the guitar. That will be very beneficial for your inner ear and help you organize your musical ideas.

Taking this approach for anything you do musically will give you great results, keep up the awesome work!


Paiva

I liked how your lead built from simple notes in the low registry to gradually build towards higher notes on your fretboard. It was a little difficult to hear exactly what you were playing as you sound was a bit bassy and muddy, but did I hear octaves in the opening? It sounds good! I really like how you opened things up on the D minor chord. The choice of notes worked really well there.

A few things to consider for your development would be first of all to work a little on your tone. Play a bit with your EQ, a little less bass, more highs and a bit of mids might help clean things up. You can also try to lower the gain of your distortion. Sometimes when recording, pulling off the gain will help your ideas to sound clearer to the listener.
Another aspect you could work on is velocity variation. That kind of goes along with your tone. What I mean here is that all your notes sound as they were played at the same volume. Tryin to vary that will help your ideas carry a deeper meaning. You can practice that aspect of your playing by playing a scale starting with a very soft note, gradually increasing the velocity of the notes as you move along the scale. The difficulty is to keep a steady tempo while working on that. I think that will help your playing a lot!

Keep working hard like you are, you have some great ideas!


SensE

You have a nice idea going on in the intro! I like the repetitive lick there, unfortunately, I think there is a bad note in there that doesn't quite work with the key. I heard a Bb in there which is a minor 2nd. That clashes with the Major 2nd of the A minor key. Here is the formula for the A minor scale used over the backing track:
Root-Maj2nd-min3rd-4th-5th-min6th-min7th
If you are not too comfortable with that scale yet, you can use its little brother the minor pentatonic scale which is extracted from that minor scale. You have some good chops, but they don't always follow the scale used and therefore sound a bit disorganized. I recommend you take it a few steps back on the technical side and concentrate on basic things such as writing very simple ideas over a given key. That will develop your ear and give you a solid foundation to an already descent technique. I know how frustrating it is to have to slow down, especially when you already have the chops like you do, but that is the only way I know to do that. Try it and I promise that you will soon see amazing progress!

Keep up the good work!


Outlaw2112

Your lead has some cool ideas man! I like the use of artificial harmonics, the sound you are using definitely helps in that matter for sure! Your technique sounds good and seem to allow you to express yourself the way you want. I don't think that's a barrier there.What I would suggest for you is to develop more coherence between your ideas. You can read the comments left to AudioPaal concerning that subject. I would also suggest to you that you work a bit on rhythm placement, especially in your faster licks. It's nothing really bad, but just slightly off tempo every once and a while, especially in your faster licks. Just take a small segment of your lead, and make an exercise out of it with your metronome. I guaranty that a regular metronome workout like that will fix all your problems and bring you to the next level.

Overall this was a real good take my friend!


Crazyfret

You lead is so well built! I love the coherence of ideas and the way all your segments complement each other nicely. You have a good rhythm placement and nice pitch in your bends. Good job!

Here is what you could work on to make your playing even better! I would take that them you wrote here and try playing it with more of a guitarist approach. Maybe replace one note by a trill, or maybe approach one of the notes by a bend. There are tons of possibilities here. You already have the hard part which is to come up with a simple melodic theme. Now you just need to dress it up. Another approach to this would be to take a short section of your lead, and play it on a different area of the fretboard. That will force your fingers to play the theme a little differently and make some notes more "bendable" than others.

Keep practicing, your development as a musician is really good!


Toroso

I can tell in your lead that you have lots of things to say, that's a great thing! It's one of the most important things to have for a musician, and you have it!

Now, let's talk about how to covey your ideas into musical phrases. Although I get what you are saying musically, the choice of notes is a bit hindered by the control over these notes. The notes you play sound very "mechanical" and I would recommend working on your vibrato. That will make all your notes come alive and be even more musical. There are several vibrato technique available. None are really better than others, it's just a mater of personal preference. The first way is to play a note and make that string vibrate from left to right in a repetitive motion. You can also use the same kind of technique except that this time you will have an up/down motion. There is also a third way which is a combination of the previous two techniques leading you to have a circular motion over the strings.
I also suggest that you work on your pitch. A few of the bends you played are not in tune. That's an easy fix if you do it seriously. Just use a note as a reference and bend a lower fret so that it reaches that original note. Doing that in as many areas of the fretboard will be very beneficial.

Those are fairly common problems you have and they are pretty easy to get rid of. You already have things to say, all you need is to clean that up a bit. You're on the road to great success, congrats!


Sollesnes

I hear some really good ideas in your lead! I particularly like your lick on the chord change on Dm. It really opens up things a lot and gives your work a breath of fresh air.

There is one thing that I would suggest for you. Work on phrasing a little. You have some really good ideas, but because of the fact that there are almost no silences in your solo, all these ideas end up sounding a little confusing to the listener. That's a very easy fix. Try developing some of theses ideas adding some longer notes and taking more time to share them with these more repetitive motifs so that the listener can really get what you are telling him. As guitar players we need to remember that the listeners need a lot more time to fully appreciate what you are telling him musically. The greatest way to doing so is to just take your time. Repeat to him what you are playing several times with slight variations until he can fully appreciate what you are creating. Sometimes that means that you won't be able to use all the ideas you have, just pick a few and develop them.
The silences that we talked about earlier are there to give the listener time to digest what you just played. If you have that in mind while playing, you will soon be an expert at that kind melodic playing.

You are doing great there man! Good job!


Velvet Roger

You did a good job mixing nice melodic licks with faster guitarist tricks in there. Very good! I also really love the fact that you ended your lead like you started it. That is a very good thing to do to give some kind of closure to a solo. You did very good!

Now for the improvement part, I would would work basically on just cleaning up your technique a bit. The main thing involved here for you is only patience and willingness to start on very simple exercises such as finger placement and hand synchronization. That is mainly for the faster sections, the slower ones work well. Your speed is already there when you play faster stuff, that is not what I think you need to focus on. Here is what I suggest for you here: take a short faster lick that you played in your take, and play it over a metronome at a slower comfortable speed where you can play the lick almost with closed eyes. Repeat that lick over and over at the same speed to develop a strong synchronization with your two hands. It might sound mechanical doing so over and over, but that is exactly what you are trying to do. The mechanics developed here are the foundations of higher speeds. While practicing at super slow speed, spend time analyzing your movements and try to focus on placing your fingers exactly where they should on the frets. Also be aware of the fingering you are using. You'll find that for some licks it might be better to use different fingers than you would in a conventional "one finger per fret" approach.

I am certain that a regular approach like that will help you develop into the true gifted musician you already are. Keep up the awesome work!


UncleSkillet

You have a beautiful theme going on there, I love that! You have a very nice sense of melodic phrasing that is easy to follow and because of the repetitiveness of it helps the listener really get into what you are telling him. Bravo!

My recommendation is to clean up things just a little in the faster parts. Your technique is quite clean, but can always be cleaner (that goes for all of us guitar players). That is done by repetition at slow speed with a conscious effort on rhythm placement. I find it often beneficial to tab the section you want to clean up in midi or even better a guitar notation software such as Guitar Pro. Seeing what you play helps you visualize internally how things should sound in tempo.
Besides that, I don't have much to suggest besides the typical keep working on what you are at the moment as you are obviously on the road that leads to better musical achievement.

Great work!


You may also want to read the discussions we had while the collab was active here.

Posted by: David Wallimann Mar 30 2009, 07:11 PM

 Full_mix.mp3 ( 11.05MB ) : 264


A little while back, I asked 11 of you to participate in this phrasing collaboration. I was very pleased with your takes! Here are the video comments for all participants including a few tips and suggestions on how you could improve. Great job everyone!
Sorry for the poor Youtube video quality!


Tolek


Caelumamittendum


Sted


Velvet Roger


Rated Htr


enforcer


GrindGuer


Bladzerock


Kaznie_NL


wrk


TJchep

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Apr 1 2009, 11:09 AM

Hey guys, and welcome to my Stop Time Blues Collab final mix&comments thread!


Emir had this great idea for his collaboration for putting video comments, and I think it is an awesome concept. In this collab I will try to do similar thing, cause videos can be more effective.

Thank you all who participated, and I hope to see you on more collabs as well!

This thread will be open for consultations and feedback for all GMC members, and I will regularly update it with video comments. Sorry if my english is a bit bad in the comments!

I will do 1-2 video comments per day, and comments will be in the order that you've uploaded the takes. In the end, after all the comments are done, I will upload the final mix as well.

Since this is my first time of doing these kind of comments, any feedback on how to make them better will be very appreciated!
Here's the list of participants (by the upload order):

1. Toroso
2. berko
3. Matt23
4. enforcer
5. Velvet Roger
6. leedbreak
7. Sergio Dorado
8. kaznie_NL
9. Caelumamittendum

COMMENTS:

1. Toroso

PART 1

PART 2



2. berko
PART 1

PART 2


3. Matt23

PART 1



PART 2



PART 3



4. enforcer

PART 1



PART 2




5. Velvet Roger

PART 1



PART 2



6. leedbreak

PART 1



PART 2



7. Kaznie

PART 1



PART 2



8. Cael

PART 1



PART 2



9. Sergio




FINAL MIX:

Posted by: Pedja Simovic Apr 2 2009, 01:05 PM

Hello everybody !

Today we have final mix with comments for soloing with arpeggios and chord tones class type collaboration. Before getting to your comments I would like to say couple of things first...


Some of you guys did perfect job and played needed notes everywhere; some of you did combination of chord tones and tensions and some didn't submit takes at all
Overall I am happy to say that there is real improvement in some of your takes and I believe you can hear that to. I got many messages how this collaboration helped you develop new vocabulary, restrict yourself to solo only with arpeggios etc. In a way this was great discipline exercise if nothing more. I am proud of what you guys did (most of you at least with your takes and I look forward having you in the next in class type collaboration !

Enjoy tha final mix and comments !

Pedja

Number of participants : 23


First up is berko (0:00 - 0:33)


Let me say in the beginning that you passed the class !
In your take there were only two things I would like to talk to you about. One was rhythm (which is not graded in this collaboration but you had very weak phrasing overall here) and second one was E min7 A min7 D min7 G7 section.
If your phrasing was more on the beat, or you had chosen simpler rhythms, you would probably get 100% on this. Since the rhythm was weak the whole solo sounded like it was out of place. This is especially true for 4 bar section I mentioned above. You were anticipating chords very much in that section which means playing chord tones of next chord before that chord actually happens.

All in all I am happy with your approach, you did everything I asked just hope next time your rhythm and phrasing will be stronger ! (more question and answer type rhythms helps a lot).

Hope to see you in next collaboration Berko !



big harry (0:34 - 1:05)



Harry you absolutely 100% passed this class. I am really happy with your take. It was melodic, catchy and it followed all the rules of the class. You picked really good question and answer rhythms, and your melodies were just coming trough great. I think you are learning a lot in collabs and lessons overall. This was very good take.
Do you want to hear mistake I found ? I bet you do
You know C maj7 A min7 D min7 G7 ?
Well when you had D min7 and G7 you also anticipated G7 chord , just instead of doing it like Berko a beat earlier, you did it by an 8th note. So you played B note on the end of beat 4 of D min7 chord - just before G7 chord comes in. Thats anticipating chords, I didn't ask for it and am just telling you this for future reference - don't do it unless specified
Everything else Harry was great. Awesome take really well done and hope to see you in my next collab.




Canis (1:06 - 1:37)

Canis you passed this class without any problems !
Lets mention good things and things you need to work on man. Good things - you had lots of repetition and sequences which kept the solo together; your rhythm choice and phrasing was somewhat strong.
Bad things - you are playing too much staccato (short notes). You tend to lift your playing hand too quick from strings, thats why your whole solo sounded like you couldn't technically quite pull it off !
This is just a side note and I recommend you work on it as your solos will sound even stronger.
Overall very nice melodic choice and structure and everything was spot on.
Well done Canis.



coffeeman (1:38 - 2:09)


Andru you passed this class with 100%. Really well done job !
You displayed strong knowledge of arpeggios and your rhythm and phrasing was spot on.
There were only couple of spots where you did slide ins that made solo sound weak. The way you did it made ending of the melodies unfinished in a way especially over G7 chord. So thats the only thing I would work on.
I would like to thank you for sending me your take last moment, this was good take and I am very happy with it.
Hope to see you in next class type collaboration !




Dexxter (2:10 - 2:41)


Dexxter you passed this class as well
Your solo was nice combination of arpeggios and chord tones, I liked that. There isnt really much to say here except to work on your sound (as a side note). It sounds like you have lots of highs there, perhaps you can add some lows to EQ's and even it out ? Also your guitar sounded a bit flat to the backing track so check tuning next time before your record.
Overall you did everything I asked and I am happy with this take.
Great job Dexxter, hope to see you in next one !
Thank you for your take Dexxter !



Emir Hot (2:42 - 3:13)

Emir you passed and do I really need to say more here?
You had lots of arpeggio runs as well as chord tone soloing. I especially enjoyed arpeggios sequences, that was very refreshing.
I have nothing to ad to your take man.
Hope to see you in next collaboration !




enforcer (3:14 - 3:45)

Can you also passed this class !

There were some strong ideas in your solo. I like how you combined chord tones and arpeggios, very nice balance. You did everything I asked for but there were also some extra things.
I give you homework to listen to your take and transcribe it in guitar pro ! This homework goes for everybody I think did non chord tones so you are not alone. Also this will help you learn about your phrasing and rhythm
On the side note, that ending run was great but you didn't pull out one note and it made it sound weaker !
Hope to see you in next collaboration Can !




GrannyKiller (3:46 - 4:17)


Dado you passed this class 100 % ! I am very happy with your take. Everything was there ! Repetition, sequence + nice balance of chord tones and arpeggios.
The only flaw in whole take is actual ending when you did double stops. That didn't sound as effective as it should have, but thats all now getting into more detailed things.
For purpose of collaboration you did great and I hope to see you in next one as well !
Great to know you can use guitar pro as well - I don't mind you tabbing all your future solos for collaborations



JamesT (4:18 - 4:49)


Jim you did well and passed this class.
Your take was very melodic and had nice combination of arpeggios and chord tones. There was quite a lot of runs but thats fine since you choose distorted sound
I have assignment for you !
Listen to your take, transcribe it in Guitar pro and send me guitar pro file. I want all the rhythm values correct along with notes. When you finish that we will get into further discussion regarding some more things.

This was good Jim , I hope to have you in next one as well !




jdriver (4:50 - 5:21)



Jeff you passed this class with 100%. Excellent job with your solo. You demonstrated things I asked and on top of that made music with your take. If I had this track on album and had to pick a solo, I would put yours on it most likely.
Repetition, development, motive playing and in second section harmonic type playing (open string usage even).
Just awesome Jeff !
Hope to see you in next collaboration Jeff




kaznie_NL (5:22 - 5:53)


Kaz you passed this class, good job man. You had some nice melodies and development going on trough whole solo. For most part you did what I asked for but there were parts where you did non chord tones. Because of that I have assignment for you
I want you to write me your whole solo in Guitar Pro and send me the file. I want to hear exact rhythms as in your solo, or as close as exact. That will clear out some things for further discussions.
On the side note your sweep picking seems to be one of the weaker technique. Post a video somewhere on forum so I can perhaps help you out to make it smoother.
Thanks Kaz, you did good, I hope to see you in next one as well !



lcsdds (5:54 - 6:25)



Monte you passed this class with 100%.
Very well approached solo. It wasn't too technical (at least the first part wasn't , but you rather had great development from slower to faster rhythms. Your phrasing was very strong and you did everything I asked regarding usage of chord tones and arpeggios. There were no tensions in your solo so great job.
Extra credit assignment - transcribe your solo in Guitar Pro and send it to me !

Well done Monte and I hope to see you again in my next collab !




Marc_Maiden (6:26 - 6:57)


Marc you passed this class without any problems !
You showed some nice arpeggio runs in your solo and melodic approach was also there. If I had to pick one spot to work on it would be your phrasing. In some sections you were playing unclear rhythm which made notes sound cut off in a way. I don't know if this was improvised take or composed but either way try to work that into your practice routine.
I have extra assignment for you that may or may not do
Transcribe your solo in Guitar pro file and send it to me ! It should teach you a lot about your phrasing
Thank you for your take Marc and hope to see you in my next collab !



Marek Rojewski (6:58 - 7:29)




Marek you passed this class with 100% congratulations
You did everything I asked for and besides that there were some unexpected things happening there. I like open string, harmonic soloing approach. Only you and Jeff have done that effectively ! There was also nice balance of chord tones and arpeggios.
Your strongest section that sounds refreshing is last 4 bars of the solo in my opinion, especially chord tones that you play over C maj7 and A min7.
I can only recommend as extra assignment to tab this this in Guitar Pro and send it to me - but you already did that so you are all set
Well done once again and I hope to see you in my next collab !
Thanks Marek !



Outlaw2112 (7:30 - 8:01)


John you passed this class without any problems Well done really, your determination and hard work really payed off. I am sure you have learned a lot by going back and recording new takes, fixing non chord tones and anticipations we discussed. You really did well and it makes me really happy to see determined and hard working individuals such as yourself.
I can just recommend extra assignment for you that would include you tabbing your solo in Guitar Pro and sending it to me!
Let me know if you need any help with it.
Solo was very good overall John ! Nice combination of both chord tones and arpeggios.
Hope to see you in my next collab



Paiva (8:02 - 8:33)


Paiva you passed this class, good job man.
I have couple of things to suggest you for future collaborations. First thing, always tune your guitar with actual backing track so it doesn't sounds sharp or flat with it. Second thing you need to work on the phrasing and rhythm more. Your whole solo has ups and downs because of phrasing. If you get it to sound stronger quality of your solo will boost and come to center of attention.
I am happy with what you did in your take regarding chord tones and arpeggios.
Only thing I can suggest is transcribing it in Guitar Pro and sending me the file so we can talk more and fix your phrasing troubles
Thank you for your take Paiva and I hope to see you in my next collab !



Sami (8:34 - 9:05)


Sami well done you have passed this class successfully !
This final take is much different from original first take you sent me and it sounds like you have improved here.
I like how you are slowly building your solo and using both arpeggios and chord tones. There is also motive development and repetition in the solo, good job man !
Two things that I can suggest that should help you in future. One, work on your sweep picking ascending and descending equally. Only that way your rhythm and phrasing won't suffer. Second thing was that minor mistake at the very end of the solo where you anticipated C maj7 chord with C note before it actually arrived.
My advice, transcribe your solo in Guitar Pro and send it to me !
Great work overall Sami, hope to you see you in my next collab !


Sergio Dorado (9:06 - 9:37)


Sergio you have definitely passed this class
Your take has lots of different ideas for both arpeggios and chord tones, I like it. I also like the fact that you focused on melody more then technique here. Really well done man.
I hope to see you in my future collaborations.
Thanks Sergio !



sted (9:38 - 10:09)


Sted you have done well and passed this class. This solo is very melodic, has a very natural build up and on top of that you used everything I asked for !
Really good job !
I have one advice and thats regarding your phrasing. In some sections solo sounds weaker because it sounds like rhythm is slipping you away , ahead behind beat etc. If you made your rhythm tighter solos would get even more attention over harmony and backing tracks. I suggest you transcribe your solo in Guitar Pro and send it to me (there is something in there worth checking out) !
Thank you for signing up and submitting your take sted - hope to see you in my next collaboration as well !



Tolek (10:10 - 10:41)


Tolek you passed this class If I had to give you a grade it would be a B- or C probably. Your solo had a lot of non chord tones which were not allowed(when I say a lot a mean more than one or two notes!). I know you could have done simpler solo and stick to actual chord tones but you choose to do differently.
I am only making hard comments for you because you are mentor and need to set example to all your students here at GMC. Thats why I am letting you pass this collaboration, but I am giving you assignment to submit me your solo in Guitar Pro file.
Best thing you can do is record a new proper take without non chord tones and anticipations and upload it at this thread any time.
I know you are very talented determined and hard working but I promised you I will give critique when you deserve it - now is that time
Thank you for your take Tolek and I look forward getting extra assignment from you



Velvet Roger (10:42 - 11:13)



Roger you successfully passed this class !
Your solo was very interesting as it had similar rhythm and phrasing through the whole solo. Thats what kept it glued together and connected. Your ideas were great, very melodic and interesting shapes and you had nice balance of chord tones and tensions.
I have nothing to add to this take except suggest that you tab it out in Guitar Pro if you have some free time, so we can analyze it and talk about more in depth things.
Well done Roger, thank you for your take and hope to see you in next collab



wrk (11:13 - 11:44)

Andy you passed this class with 100%. Very well done solo !
Your timing was laid back, melodic approach was there in whole solo and just overall solo sounded very musical.
I like how you approached this in terms of slower and faster rhythms, that really made everything sound more interesting.
Extra assignment would definitely be to tab out this solo in Guitar Pro as it doesn't have typical downbeat rhythm in it.
If you want to discuss more your solo feel free to ask me here or via PM.
Thank you for your take Andy, hope to see you in next collab


Pedja Simovic (11:45 - 12:22)

I submitted lesson on this exact same solo and I hope you guys will have chance to see it soon live on main page. Until then feel free to comment on each takes and help each other out as much as you can.


I would like to thank everybody who submitted their takes. I am glad I extended the deadline in the end as there were some great takes coming in last minute.
Don't forget to ask any questions if anything is not clear to you, I am here to help remember that always

Hope to see you all in my next collaboration which should be up by the end of the week I hope !


Thank you all for participating it was pleasure teaching you this extremely useful concept in class type collaboration !


Pedja

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=14761