Welcome to SHRED BOOTCAMP! I'll be your Drill Instructor! And I do mean DRILL! As in a large power tool used in slasher films and Paul Gilbert concerts. Here is were you EARN THE LIVING DEATH out of your fingers and break through any speed bumps/barriers to become a MASTER CHIEF of Shred!
THE MISSION
1.)Your mission is to go all the way back to the very start. The base of the mountain.
LESSON 1. http://bitly.com/gmclesson1
Which you will play SLOWWWWWWLLY, very SLOWWWLLLLYYYY until you master it at a crawl (As You'll Do With Each Mission, and focus on left hand FORM! Make it SUPER PERFECT!). Speed it up bit by bit until you feel your ready to take it to WAR (Any speed, it's up to you) Shoot a video and post it as a reply to this post. I'll then offer a constructive and brutally honest critique.
THE AFTERMATH
Upon nailing the crap out of lesson one at a speed you didn't think possible, and playing it a clean as a freshly waxed floor, you will be given your first insignia of Rank in BOOTCAMP!
After that, you will proceed to play each example in each mission and submit them all for MISSION DEBRIEF!!!
Here is your link your personal training ground/HELL!
http://bitly.com/cmansbootcamp
Practice!
Todd
Alright, Todd, here we go. This is just from having looked at the lesson shortly today. I wouldn't mind going even further back to 60 bpm, working my way up, but this was 80, 100, 120 and finally 130 bpm. There are some bumps in the road here and there, and with a little more practice I could surely be pushing it more:
Throw at me what you got, I don't mind harsh critique
EDIT: I played it a bit higher up the neck and jumping around in a pattern, but if you want me to I can throw a video up of playing it with F and F# on the low E. Or a random jumps video. Your call.
BINGO!!!!!!! Soldier you just KRUSHED Mission One with a HIGH DEGREE OF PRECISION AND MALICIOUS INTENT!!!
Let's Debrief....
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)Clean Strikes
2.)Even Pacing and Progression
3.)Good right hand position, planted on the bridge.
You Sir have just earned your first MISSION BADGE!!!!
In short Soldier, you just drew FIRST BLOOD and ...
!!!!!!!LEVELED UP!!!!!!!!!!!
Very nice, Sir! What's my next mission?
Soldier, you will plow, fight and scrape your way through the examples in each and every lesson in my Bootcamp Training Series of Death.
You just completed MISSION 1, now on to MISSION (Lesson) 2!! These lower lessons have very few examples to master, once you reach a certain point much further on, you will need to master 6 or 7 examples for each Mission. But let's start small and work our way up!!!
All the Missions (lessons) can be found here.
http://bit.ly/twtgmc
Hit the wall at 230 bpm....or before probably.
You've got some really good precision/speed here soldier!!!!! I"m gonna push you a bit here and make you earn the crap out of it. Try this using DOUBLE PICK (slow down a bit if needed to keep it clean) and the DREADED (QUAD PICK - Four Strikes Per Note)
Knock this out and you've crushed it and will be ready to LEVEL UP!!!
Sarge
Fair enough. I'll take the challenge in full stride and get it done tonight!
I'm not 100% sure if this is what you mean:
On the first round with single picking, I think I might have started not on the 1st beat with the metronome. Oops!
BINGO!!!!! Soldier, after seeing your playing in the Collab I have high expectation and you just met them!
Let's Debrief....
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)Doubles!!! Quads!!
2.)Solid Techniques on all fronts, right hand, left hand, picking, synch, nice!
3.)Keeping Good right hand position, planted on the bridge.
You Sir have just earned your SECOND MISSION BADGE!!!!
and ...
!!!!!!!LEVELED UP!!!!!!!!!!!
Here's lesson 3, Sir, singled, doubled and quaded!
This is GREAT SOLDIER!!! But I've seen you SHRED in our Collab!!! I know you have more AFTERBURNER in that right arm!!!! You've got the picking down cold, I want you to push it to the edge just before you lose control of it. See if you can take your DOUBLE and QUAD pick Metronome speed HIGHER!!! Keep it tight, but push it fast enough to be at the very edge of your ability!!!
SARGE
Now your talking Soldier!! I can see by the look of outright PAIN on your face that you are EARNING THE LIVING CRAP OUT OF IT!!!!
That's what I like to see!!! I knew you could push it a bit more Soldier, I knew you could do it!!!
Let's Debrief....
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)Killer Doubles!!
2.)Killer Quads!!!
3.)Keeping Good right hand position, planted on the bridge.
In short, your technique remains very solid. I"m glad to see you pushing the envelope. This is where real progress happens!! keep DRILLING AND KILLING Soldier!!!
You Sir have just earned your THIRD MISSION BADGE!!!!
and ...
!!!!!!!LEVELED UP!!!!!!!!!!!
Double trouble!
Good to see you earning the crap out of it Soldier!! I can tell from the look on your face that you are having quite the good time Earning it!!!!
Let's Debrief....
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)Look at those Doubles!!
2.)Check those Quads!!!
3.)Maintaining a good right hand position through the entire Battle!
Soldier, I saw you fall off the wagon a couple of times toward the end, but honestly, that was well after you had more than done enough to earn your next Mission Badge!!! I know how fun these MULTIPICK workouts can be! It's hard to stop once you start! I can tell that you LOVE these things so the good news is there are plenty more!!!
In short, ...
You Sir have just earned your FOURTH MISSION BADGE!!!!
and ...
!!!!!!!LEVELED UP!!!!!!!!!!!
Struggling at higher speeds
Slow it down a bit Soldier!!! I just want to see you play near the edge of your ability. Take the speed back so that you can play and feel confident, but it should not feel "Easy". You should be focusing and playing near the edge of what you can manage.
But I DO NOT want you to play OVER that edge to where you are not confident in your ability. I just wanna see you earn it!! Whatever speed that is, will be just fine
Todd
Well fought Soldier!!!!!!!
Let's Debrief....
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)Pushing the edge!!
2.)Very Tight Multipicking!!!
3.)Blood on the fretboard!!!
This is what I like to see Soldier!! You really are earning it!! You are playing near the edge of your ability and still playing with confidence and skill. Very nicely done on the picking and the right hand palm mute. You are gathering all the bits together and really making strides in your playing!
In short, ...
You Sir have just earned your FIFTH MISSION BADGE!!!!
and ...
!!!!!!!LEVELED UP!!!!!!!!!!!
A rough stretch of Danish autumn/winter time had loosing my grip a bit. I'm fighting back now though!
120, 140, 160, 180, 185, 180.
Welcome back to the fight Soldier!!! I continue to be impressed with your playing. You have some really solid technique and I think you are going to make HUGE strides in your playing as you continue to work!
I think you have this NAILED and from your playing in Vid Chat I must say I think you are ready for the DREADED, FEARED and LOATHED.......
DOUBLE PICKED VERSION OF THIS CRAZY LICK!!!!!!
I could tell you wanted to volunteer for this Special Op but needed a bit of a push, so here it is!!!!!
1.)Play this lick at Speed using DOUBLE PICKING (every note, every single note, doubled)
You on the verge of DRILLING AND KILLING Soldier!!!
Sarge
This is not the face of boredom, it's the face of extreme concentration. I start to lose it around 120 bpm, if not before. Right now after having played it a hundred times, I lose it around 110 bpm already. This video is at 115, 117, 119, 121 bpm.
Well fought Soldier!!! I can tell you played this until your fingers bled!!! I can see you played this so much in fact your brain stopped feeding information to your face!!! That's earning it!!!! You had a couple of small blips here and there but that's small potatoes Soldier!! You KRUSHED IT!!!
Let's Debrief!
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)GoodClean Strikes
No SLOP, pure KILL
2.)Double Pick
The downfall of many a bootcamper!
3.)Great hand synch
Right and Left in Perfect Killing Grace!
In short you just.....
Here's the next lesson at 130 bpm with singles, doubles and quads. That is the highest I've been able to push it to.
NICE!!!! This is some fine playing Soldier!!! You have great precision, your picking is very synched up, and some brisk speed!!
I think you are ready to spread your wings a bit Soldier!!! Take everything you are doing and move it around the neck. Try playing this bit very low on the fretboard to force our pinky to come in to play and feel the stretch!!! Then play in the middle, etc. In short, bounce around the neck to show you can "stick the landing" leaving no gaps in between each run through of the bit. Make sense? Play it at 12th, then 5th, then 1st fret, etc.
And you will then be ready to LEVEL UP!!!!
Sarge
Apologies for the low volume!
Nice one Soldier!!! You continue to impress with your blood thirsty aggressive playing style!!!
Let's debrief!!!
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)All Over The Neck!!
2.)Never Misses a Beat!!
3.)Earning It, Pushing the Edge!!
I knew you could do it Soldier!! You are heading in to the tall weeds here in a bit. Prepare yourself!!
In short, ...
!!!!!!!LEVELED UP!!!!!!!!!!!
Something stirs in the midst of a battlefield laden with nothing but death and destruction...
There he is!! I thought the war had claimed you, but it's good to see you back in the fight!!! I'll give this mission and debrief!
Welcome back Soldier!!! Been sharpening your teeth for the final assault it seems!! Let's debrief.
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)Aggressive style and tone
2.)Precise Picking and fretting
3.)Multi-picking like there is no tomorrow!
Great to see you have unleashed the beast!!! Wolfman, in short, you just....
LEVEL 8 is a serious achievement in BOOTCAMP Soldier!! You are ready for MISSION 9!!!!
Sarge
I'm back for blood with a new weapon of mass destruction!
NICE!!! Not only did you freaking KRUSH the Mission, you brought in the DOOMSLAYER 8 String Just for extra Blood!!! Nice
I applaud your aggressive approach and playing Soldier! let's debrief!!
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)Blitzkrieg Speed and Steadiness
2.)Planted Right Hand
3.)All around aggressive approach and style while not sacrificing precision.
to put it simply, you just.....
!!!!!LEVELED UP!!!!!!!
Soldier you really killed it!!! You are more than ready to face MISSION 10!!!!
Here's a go at the next level:
NICE!!!!! Soldier!! This stuff is TOO EASY For you!!!!! Tell you what. Let's RAISE THE BAR!!!
Take this lick and MARCH IT UP THE NECK!!!
Also, do one pass with ..........
QUAD PICKING!!!!!!!!!
and you will be ready to BADGE UP!!!!
Sarge
Aye, Sir! It's on! I shall return from the battle in victorious style!
Here's a go at it:
DRILLING AND KILLING!!! Soldier you are EN FUEGO!!!!!!!! As a bonus, you are playing an 8 string guitar with a long scale length, making all of this more challenging. WELL DONE!!!! Let's debrief.
I applaud your aggressive style and playing Soldier!
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)Nice Streeeetch!!
2.)Perfection on the picking
3.)Aggressive style and tone
to put it simply, you just.....
!!!!!LEVELED UP!!!!!!!
*Bonus Honors: In recognition of your effort, you have been awarded the "Precision" mark with cluster (Legion of Honor) on your Badge.
Man, I did not and do not enjoy this one on the 27"!
Nicely Done!!!! Soldier, you are simply on a rip and shred mission from beyond!!!! I love it!! Keep it going!!
That had to be a challenge on thhat 27 in scale neck!!!! But you pulled it off with flying colors!!!
Let's Debrief!!
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)Perfect Timing!
2.)Aggressive Picking!
3.)Solid Palm Muting!
to put it simply, you just.....
!!!!!LEVELED UP!!!!!!!
CONGRATS!!! Solder, you are ONE LEVEL AWAY FROM THE DOUBLE CHEVRON!!! Very, Very, Very few folks have made it this far. Usually Soldiers fall away right at mission 12. I have high hopes that you will fight through it Soldier!!
Here's the next one:
Well fought Soldier!!! This is a CRUCIAL lick in the BOOTCAMP process and you've got it NAILED!!
Let's Debrief....
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)DOUBLE PICKING!!!
2.)Tight Hand Synch
3.)Great right hand muting and control
Soldier!!! You have just .....
!!!!LEVELED UP!!!!
You've got great momentum SOLDIER!! DON"T STOP NOW!!
Here we go again!
There is a STORM coming!!!!! Pun intended Well fought Soldier!!!! Big props for throwing in the DOUBLE PICKING!!
Let's Debrief....
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)DOUBLE PICKING!!!
2.)MILITARY PRECISION
3.)IMPRESSIVE SPEED
In short soldier, YOU NAILED IT!! Palm Mute is perfect and your timing is spot on. You just CRUSHED IT!!!
Soldier!!! You have just .....
!!!!LEVELED UP!!!!
Really struggling with this one as an avid alternate picker:
WELL FOUGHT SOLDIER!!! ECON PICKING can be a serious struggle of the damned at first. But it's worth it!! You've got really good technique here and really good timing and I like your guitar too
However, I know you've got WADS of fight in you that we are not seeing in this video so in addition to the ECON version, I want you to DOUBLE and yes TRIPLE PICK this to show your AGGRESSIVE STYLE!!!!! You've got the ECON bit nailed!!!! ONCE MORE IN TO THE BREACH!!!
You and your doubles and triples! Anyway, here's a crack at it:
WELL FOUGHT!!! This is NOT an easy bit to pick. You may have noticed that the pattern is trying to disconnect your playing hand from your picking hand. You have to use quite a bit of focus to force the two together again and I must say you've nailed it and even in picking in TRIPLES!!!! Let's debrief!
Let's Debrief....
Talk about just KRUSHING it!! I think you may be getting help from Odin, simply due to your epic beard. Or perhaps the spirit of SPARTA!!! Or maybe just ardent practice!! Either way....
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)DOUBLE PICKING and TRIPLE PICKING like a MAD MAN!!!!!
2.)KILLER RIGHT HAND CONTROL on the bridge.
3.)TIGHT HAND SYNCH!!!
Soldier!!! You have just .....
!!!!LEVELED UP!!!!
Here's a shot at level 16, with economy picking, doubles, triples and quads:
Soldier you are on the WAR PATH!!! This is not an easy bit to play and you multi picked it like a PRO!!! Nicely done.
Let's Debrief....
You walk the river of Blood Soldier. I can it's paying off!! At first, I thought it was just the Beard, but now I see that hard work and ardent practice are the real factors!!
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)MULTI PICKING LIKE A BOSS!!
2.)PLANTED RIGHT HAND (zero extra string noise)
3.)TIGHT HAND SYNCH!!!
Above all you rotated the right hand instead of moving it across the strings which is something I'm thrilled to see. You've taken all the lessons to heart and your playing really shows it!! In short Soldier you just.....
Been trying to push beyond 130 bpm, but it's about where I start losing control, both with singles and with doubles:
Nice to see your hard work! It's a great motivation man. Isn't this boot camp the cats meow?
Jesus! That scared the living daylight out of me! Thanks for the kind words though!
My next video I may be wearing this mask and a women's bathing suit... Maybe for the blues collab???
Well Fought Soldier!! 130 is quite brisk for this lick as the picking acts almost like a hand/speed brake. If you want to try it a bit faster, use a semi legato technique and hammer/pull some of the notes ala Paul Gilbert and you will be shocked at how much quicker you can run this as a lick.
As far as getting quicker picking every note, that happens one BPM at a time. I"m certain you could push it with ardent practice but, like I said, 130 is BRRRIIISSSKK!!!!
Let's Debrief....
You walk the river of Blood Soldier. I can it's paying off!! At first, I thought it was just the Beard, but now I see that hard work and ardent practice are the real factors!!
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)Tight, Precise Control
2.)Zero Extra String Noise
3.)Super Clean Palm Mute
Your technique is solid as a ROCK Soldier!!! You have got this lick down. One more thing to try, now that you have the lick, try to do a version where you "let it breathe" a bit. Start slow and work in to the speed. It provides nice contrast when using it in a solo.
Your on a rip and tear Marathon Soldier!! You just ...
SOLDIER!!! MISSION 18 IS CALLING YOUR NAME!!!!
Sarge
A shot at number 18:
Well Fought Soldier!! This is the lesson that really seems to stump folks and you just KAAAARUUUSSSSHHED IT!!!!!
Let's Debrief....
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)Fluid Picking and Fretting
2.)Spot on Note Choices
3.)Smooth Transition between chops
You have really been growing a TON as a musician lately and it's great to see Here is your 18 badge Soldier, you earned it! In short you just...
Here's a take at 19, which proved a bit difficult:
Well Fought Soldier!! This is a complex four finger tapping sequence and you really KILLED IT!!!!
Let's Debrief....
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)Tight Right/Left Hammer/Pull
2.)Smooth timing
3.)Solid strikes and pulls
Not to mention that is one SPIFF weapon you brought to the fight!!!! Welcome to CLUB IBBY!!!!
You just....
Number 19 awaits, but which part am I supposed to record? All of it? Including the warm up?
I think you mean # 20? The warmup is just for practice. Try to record the other bits They are all sorta related.
Sarge
Of course I meant 20. Completely forgot I'd already done 19
Fight On Soldier!!!
Sarge
GREAT TO SEE YOU BACK IN THE FIGHT SOLDIER!!!! Wielding your spiff Ibby as a bonus!! Sorry to hear of your computers issues It's a struggle to be sure. On to the DEBRIEF!!!
You are really spot on with this one Nice Axe there too!!
MEDALS OF HONOR
1.)Picking is on point! Your picking is very clean and as a bonus you are not losing your palm mute during picking!!!!!! Well done.
2.)Muting spot on! You keep a good solid palm mute the entire time and don't let a lot of extra noise happen which is great to see! Never underestimate the value of a planted right hand!
3.)Pacing is great as well!! You don't rush or lag during the entire bit. As I always say, you gotta learn to play like a robot if you wanna Shred like a God!
This is not a simple bit and involves a TON of string and fret traverse and you just NAILED IT. I"d challenge you to take this lick and now try it as a solo lick on any backing, write something simple if needed to match the key to take advantage of muscle memory, and try to let the lick "breathe", E.G. don't play it evenly. Let some notes linger and some notes not, to see how moving around the beat can change the way such a structured lick can sound.
In short, you just ....
21 at ya!
GREAT to see you back in the fight Soldier!!! I must say it's great to see that rare Ibby back in the fight as well!!! It's an awesome weapon of war to be sure. You wield it here with great authority and aggressive zeal. It's heart warming to see Soldier and Weapon working as one!!!
Let's Debrief...
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)So proud to see your muting get this good!! Not lifting at all. This one thing is something I really try to teach. You got it
2.)Precise as a Scalpel. Nothing out of place, no lagging or rushing, just killer!
3.)CONTROL: No extra string noise, no unwanted notes and very even and deliberate pacing. Score!!!
In short, you really did KRUSH it!!!! There are tougher bits ahead and you are fast approaching our highest existing rank in bootcamp. Congrats
You just.....
LEVELED UP!!!
Quickfire shot at 22:
WOW!! As I mentioned on your youtube page, This is impressive. Seriously impressive. Not one player in 1000 can do this lick properly in my experience. You nailed it. Left hand only, no pick, perfect right hand fretboard mute. Nice 
You have developed some really strong left hand finger technique which is critical to pull this off. At this point, picking is really just a tone choice. You can play pretty much any lick with just one hand Congrats!
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)Welcome to the club Soldier!! It's a darn small club!!!! (Folks who can go pure "lefty")
2.)Pacing. Well done on pacing the lick. Keeping this lick evenly paced is not easy, and you did
3.)Aggression. This lick goes well with a dose of ARRGGHH!! Well provided by our resident Viking.
In short, you just......
LEVELED UP!!
Here's 23. If you want it with a Metronome, I can do that too:
That is some very fine playing to be sure! You make it look easy!! I can tell you are spot on with the timing just by listening. I would like to see you do a MULTI PICK version of it though Dealers choice, double, triple or quad. Gotta keep you challenged!!!
Todd
Quickfire from the hip at 23 with double strokes (and new camera test, as we talked about):
First off, the video quality is SUPERB. The color, contrast, everything. It really shows off the wonderful color on the Axe that i keep wanting for myself Frame rate is good too. I'd say use this as much as possible. Looks pro On to the debrief!!!
WELL FOUGHT SOLDIER!! This lesson is all about fret travel. About being able to take a scale and run it up the neck while making it sound like you are not moving your hand.
MEDALS OF HONOR
1.)TRAVELING: Nice fret travel! Not only traversing strings, but traveling up the fretboard in a very smooth and precise fashion.
2.)PICKING PRECISION!! No wasted movement, or effort. This is idea. No picking from the elbow either!!!!
3.)MUTING MADNESS: VERY good job muting on this as it's one of those licks that is prone to cause string noise. If you lift your mute you run the risk of sympathetic vibrations of the other strings. Very hard to teach this and twice as hard to learn generally But you seem to have it down!!!
LEVELED UP!
24 will be up soon, watch this space
Oops! In my excitement I forgot to edit out the focus square And it's just a demo of the program, so there's a watermark.
I was so impressed by this program that I went ahead and bought it and used a bit of my savings. Here's another video:
KILLER VID AND PLAYING!!
The production quality of your vids has taken a HUGE leap forward with the HD camera/Pic in Pic etc. The vid's looks really nice and sound great. Congrats on that for a start!!
on to the Mission....
This is NOT an easy lesson to pull off. You have been really killing it on several difficult lessons in a row. It's almost too easy for ya! I"m gonna have to start giving you SPECIAL OPS duty and add some MULTI PICKING!
Let's debrief!!!!!
MEDALS OF HONOR
1.)PICK AND HAMMER!: The "Pick and Hammer" is very important and you have a very good grasp here both ascending and descending. Some players find if very hard to do to one or the other, just depends on the player and do both with style!!
2.)Palm Mute Madness: Very good control of leaving your palm in one place and using your fingers to make notes. This is something I try to teach all the time and it takes folks quite a while to get the hang of it, and you have it!!!!!!!!
3.)Precision and Control: You have very good control of your picking/fretting and I'm not hearing any string noise or false notes. You are simply killing it!
In short, you just ...
LEVELED UP!
Bit out of focus, but perhaps it will do anyway:
Ben! You are turning into a MONSTER player!!! This is not a simple lick at all and you clearly go and can play it smoothly at speed. On to the debrief!....
MEDALS OF HONOR
1.)Precision Pick Control: You do a great job of pick control on this one. Steady pace and even playing. Nice!!
2.)PALM MUTE MADNESS: Very clean palm mute per usual as I've come to expect. Nice!!
3.)Played with confidence and aggression, bonus points!
*Used a vintage Ibby so you get a few extra points as welL
In short, you just ...
LEVELED UP!!!!
A shot at 26:
NICE! Soldier you are really on a roll here! You are knocking them down left and right. I"m very impressed with your discipline and your technique. Let's debrief!!!!!
MEDALS OF HONOR
1.)Planted palm mute and using your wrist/fingers to articulate the pick.
2.)No unwanted string noise, only the notes you are intending to play.
3.)Multi Picking!!!!! Just as clean as the single picking. Truly impressive. Double picking while doing non stop string traverse. You are really tearing it up!!
In short, you are KILLING and DRILLING Soldier!!!
Keep it up and you'll be Top Kick in no time!!
In other words you just....
LEVELED UP!!!!
Thanks, Todd.
You've got this one for sure but I think you may be pushing the speed just a pinch at the first few measures. By the time you reach the third position your timing is locked in, but just at the start you are lagging the metronome just a bit. It doesn't have to be shred fast, just needs to be lock step with the beat. I really respect you putting a DOUBLE PICK take on as well Try maybe backing off just a pinch on the metronome and synching the pick with the beat as you jump in and give me one more Soldier!!!!
Sarge
Here's another go:
Now your talking Soldier!!!! You are on point here. Let's debrief!!....
MEDALS OF HONOR
1.)Planted palm mute and using your wrist to articulate the pick. Spiff!
2.)SOLID string traverse without any unwanted notes/noise.
3.)Multi Picking!!!!! Just as clean as the single picking. Awesome!
Bottom line, you really are getting the hang of these tougher Missions with all the string traverse and odd patterns. Keep it up Soldier!! In other words, you just.......
LEVELED UP!!!!
Watch out! Bullets incoming!
NICE!!! Great finger control and you didn't get lost in the looping notes. The repeating nature of the lick can be confusing. It's meant to teach the idea that running certain loops of notes during a scale run can give the impression of having played far more notes than one is actually playing.
MEDALS OF HONOR
1.)Finger Traverse: Like the last lesson this is all about traversing the string back and forth but this time it's over more strings. You KILLED IT!
2.)Very good muting resulting in clean tone without string noise.
3.)Single and multi pick versions are clean and steady as they should be.
You are on a roll!!! In other words, you just....
LEVELED UP!!!!
Managed a take with my father looking like: "that's not music, what the hell you playing?"
JUST KRUSHING IT!!!!!! There is no stopping you Soldier!! I think that Ibby is the best buying decision ever
MEDALS OF HONOR
1.)Clean muting/picking. Doing a great job managing the string noise that is very hard to escape in licks like these! Nice!
2.)Very smooth timing. It's often the case that these licks get rushed, dragged, but nope! Perfect.
3.)Playing ALL the licks well. Not just some of them. Well done!
You are on a roll Soldier!! In short, you just...
LEVELED UP!!!!
BOOM!
Look at him Go!! You are heading for the top spot with vengeance! Let's debrief!!!
MEDALS OF HONOR
1.)Multipicking!! Right off the bat you dive in to the multi picking on each lick. Well done there!! Your multipicking is very tight and even which is awesome.
2.)Overall Technique: Your right hand is well planted to prevent unwanted string noise, and it's doing a good deal of the muting. This is key in playing bits that don't let you mute with your right hand. Some folks never quite get this, you got it
3.)Steady Hand: Your picking is very clean and even. One of the hardest bits can be learning to play on beat and in rythm. You have a very natural sounding rythm and it's spot on.
In short you just....
LEVELED UP!!!!
Here's a shot at 31. It was kinda tricky getting those part to fit with the backing track. Sorry for the weird angle, didn't adjust my camera and just played.
SUPER CONGRATS SOLDIER!!!!! This Mission separates the Quick from the Dead. Very few folks find their way past it. It's a Landmark lesson in your progress. None of the licks fit easily. The timing is odd, the licks are odd, the whole thing is difficult. You persisted, you nailed it. Let's debrief.
MEDALS OF HONOR
1.)Proper use of very technical licks in context, and in time.
2.)Very precise technique and right/left hand control per usual
3.)Very good muting and noise control with the right hand, and articulating from the wrist.
You did well here Soldier. None of this is easy. You handled it well and pushed forward.
Congrats Soldier, you just ...
LEVELED UP!!
BANG BANG!
WELL FOUGHT SOLDIER!! You are on a Mission to reach the TOP I can see that
You have really been putting in some serious effort here lately soldier and it shows. Your playing is getting steadily better and it was already darned good. Your Precision is improving, and overall you technique is getting better as well. Nice!!!
Let's DEBRIEF!!!
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)TIGHT right and left hand synchronization!
2.)Ear for fitting the licks in so they sound musical, not mechanical.
3.)PRECISION picking and string traverse.
Most importantly, you played "Musically". I could almost feel the notes as you searched for the most appropriate place to put them. You didn't just rattle off the licks, you thought about it and felt your way through to place them in a musical manner, in to the backing. well done
Soldier!!! You have just .....
Threw in a little extra stretch for you. 0-5-10 instead of 0-5-9. It's in the second half of the video
WELL FOUGHT SOLDIER!!
You are on a serious roll here Soldier!!! You are ripping through the enemy with reckless abandon!! I love it!!!
Let's DEBRIEF!!!
MEDAL OF HONOR
1.)TIGHT right and left hand synchronization.
2.)PLANTED right hand for solid mute which is CRITICAL in this type of lick.
3.)Elegant and fluid STRETCH! The key to this entire bit is the stretch and you have it NAILED!
It looks like you put in some time on this one. It's a big stretch and you made it even bigger just for kicks! Nice
Soldier!!! You have just .....
Worked ahead a bit while at the stretches. There was no picking pattern in the lesson, so I assume it was all to be legato as noted.
NICE STRETCH! Soldier, You have some serious STRETCH going on!!!! Not to mention, very good control despite the long finger gap. Let's debrief!.......
MEDALS OF HONOR
1.)Pinky Power!! You not only play the stretch, you go beyond it and do with style and grace.
2.)SOLID string traverse, per usual Without any string noise.
3.)Back and forth with picking and fretting is spot on with no hesitation or misses.
This is a WIDE stretch to make and to make it and keep one's playing even and steady, while not adding string noise, takes some doing. You do it quite well In short, you just....
Played around with a few patterns in 35, including the one that it was all about:
This is very well played and your technique is on par with many of the best players I've ever had the privilege to teach One quick thing though, as noted in the notes on the lesson, the backing is in E even though the tablature is in A. It's done in A, to help work the stretch a bit, then we transpose to E (Just moving to the 12th fret E string as our root note) to match the key of the backing and to work in a much tighter confined space further up the neck.
So your playing is spot on, it's just not quite in key with the backing. This is the chunk from the notes on that lesson.
"we will transpose it to E Minor (12th Fret) and use it as a solo lick with backing track. Here is our first tablature."
As you are now one of the Highest Ranking Soldiers EVER, and about to move the the second in 5 years, FOUR CHEVRON BADGE, I'd like to have you play it in E if for nothing else than the benefit of others to follow to see a good example of the lesson being done. Can you give me one more Soldier?
Sarge
I didn't see that at all for some reason. Will give it another shot. Watch this space.
EDIT: Forgot to take off the focusing rectangle. Oops! Well, now you know where the action is
That's what I"m talking about Soldier!! You are feeling the notes and letting the backing guide you. That's the secret of crafting good solos. Even though you are semi restricted to the scale bits in the lesson, you make it your own and interpret it, in light of what you are hearing in the backing. The two combine to create a new piece of music. Well freaking done
MEDALS OF HONOR
1.)Precision Pick Control: You do a great job of pick control on this one.
2.)PALM MUTE MADNESS: Very clean palm mute per usual.
3.)Played with confidence and aggression, more please!!
In short you KILLED IT!!!!
In short, you just ...
!!!LEVELED UP!!!!
Here's 36:
Soldier, you are really ripping it up!!!! You are only a few lessons from the top slot at this point!
MEDALS OF HONOR
1.)Finger Traverse: Many of these lessons focus on picking while moving your fingers between strings. You have gotten really good at this which is the foundation of long runs.
2.)Very good muting per usual!! You have a very firm grasp on muting and it makes your technique sound nice and clean!
3.)Multi picking from Hell! Your multi picking has really gotten good.
You are Drilling and Killing Soldier! Keep it up! In other words, you just....
Soldier, you are a freaking MACHINE!!!!!!!! It's great to see you tearing through these
MEDALS OF HONOR
1.)Finger and Pick Traverse: Combining these two things is just not easy. You have a really good handle on it and it's impressive.
2.)You've adapted the "Static Mute" (E.g. keeping your palm mute while picking from the Wrist) to your own style and it's working well. Certain licks are just off limits until one masters this to some degree. You have it down.
3.)Multi picking from Hell! Your Multipicking is as smooth as Glass!!!!
You are UNSTOPPABLE Soldier!!! In short, you just....
38th enemy in sight:
Soldier, you are knocking on Heavens door, as it were! Also, you are about to cross a very vaunted threshold. Only one other player has EVER achieved the FOURTH CHEVRON BADGE. That would be, of course, our current Ranking Champion, FZALFA. 39 is the crossover point. So you are right there
Let's Debrief!
MEDALS OF HONOR
1.)Precision, Precision, Precision. Resulting in Speed, Speed, Speed.
2.)Pinky Power! : Great use of all fingers, especially the oft neglected PINKY!
3.)MULTI PICKING POWER BONUS: Very clean and articulate multi picking.
In other words, you just...
!!!!LEVELED UP!!!!
Aim taken at 39th target:
WELL FOUGHT SOLDIER!! This lick is something we did quite a bit in our Online Vid Chat lessons. As I remember, you had a firm grasp of it then, and now! This is called a "Scale Inversion", I did a lesson on this topic for the GMC lesson archive. Here is a link to it. https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Picking-In-Thirds/
Anyhoo, let's DEBRIEF!!!
MEDALS OF HONOR
1.)Picking from Wrist (Extremely Articulate I might add!)
2.)Palm Mute held fast while picking like a maniac. (Never pulled off the bridge)
3.)Precision and Speed together with a very steady pace. (solid as a rock!)
In other words, YOU KILLED IT!!! You are more than ready for what is coming. The lessons get a bit more complicated from here on out. But that should be no problem for you Soldier!!!! You are more than ready. Reload!!!
Also, it is my duty to inform you that you are now the second Soldier in Bootcamp History to EVER achieve the much vaunted FOURTH CHEVRON BADGE. Super congrats there!
In other words, you just LEVELED UP!!!
Here's 40!
I know you said to march the pattern up, and that usually means to play the same pattern, but I decided to spice it up a bit and play the same notes, moving it up within the "scale" instead, cause it would make it a bit more interesting.
I misread the first (warm up) exercise, I think, and it was supposed to be legato? Here's a legato version:
And here are the tabs for the "extended" and redeveloped exercise:
No Enemy can withstand the aggression and persistence of FIRE!!!!
You are drilling and killing Soldier!!!!
Let's Debrief!!!
MEDALS OF HONOR
1.)FINGER TRAVERSE: Just like the last Mission, this one has picking/fretting traverse from low all the way to high string. You handle it like a champ!
2.)PALM MUTE: Your ability to strike each string and traverse while striking and not lift up off the bridge is something that takes wads of woodshedding and yours has clearly paid off!!
3.)MULTI PICKING FROM HELL: Also carried over from your last Mission is your killer use of MULTI PICKING which has expanded from Doubles to Triples!!! This requires different strike and traverse patterns and you walk through it like a hot machine gun barrel through butter!!!
In short Solder......
You Just......
Quickfire shot:
No Enemy can withstand the aggression and persistence of FIRE!!!!
You are drilling and killing Soldier!!!!
Let's Debrief!!!
MEDALS OF HONOR
1.)FINGER TRAVERSE: Just like the last Mission, this one has picking/fretting traverse from low all the way to high string. You handle it like a champ!
2.)PALM MUTE: Your ability to strike each string and traverse while striking and not lift up off the bridge is something that takes wads of woodshedding and yours has clearly paid off!!
3.)MULTI PICKING FROM HELL: Also carried over from your last Mission is your killer use of MULTI PICKING which has expanded from Doubles to Triples!!! This requires different strike and traverse patterns and you walk through it like a hot machine gun barrel through butter!!!
In short Solder......
You Just......
42nd!
43:
Bad camera angle on this. Hope it still works.
45
Here we go with lesson 46 I expanded a bit on the last part.
This is just top notch work and a big part of the reason you are so far along the path in the BOOTCAMP!! Put simply you practice and play your pants off!! This is very well played and I like how you added your own thing on top at the end. Showing not only a mastery of the technical bits, but creativity on top of it in order to take it further and make it more musical. I hope you get the chance to do more of these! I'm sure other folks find them as inspiring as I do. Oh, and. NICE IBBY!!!!
MEDALS OF HONOR
*RIGHT HAND PLANTED: Zero right hand drift. Keeping a solid mute the entire time allows one to pick any string, fretted or open, without any unwanted string noise. This is tough to master. You have a really good grip on it!
*SYNCH LIKE A CLOCK: Right hand strike and left hand fret are locked in step just as they should be. That open string lick is built to show any gaps in your synch. Good news, don't see any
*BONUS POINTS: Going above and beyond playing the bit, you interpreted it to other strings while keeping perfect form. Well done
In short your just...
LEVELED UP!!!!!!!
FZALFA is TOP DOG with a rank of 60+ but you are close behind!
Talking to the Boss now, looks like we may be able to work something out so I"ll let you know asap
Todd
Here is the new version of MISSION 1 by BEN. It's the most creative use of this mission that I've ever heard. He turned it in to something amazing, when it started out as just a picking drill.
Just having a bit of fun here. Don't worry about grading
WOW! Top Notch work. This is probably my fave Mission 2 that I've ever seen. I love how you took a pretty basic finger drill and made it something musical and spiff. You did the same with Mission 1 and it was equally impressive.
Let's Debrief!!
MEDALS OF HONOR
PACE: Steady pace without rushing or lagging. Keeping pace is key and you do it perfectly and with style in a way I have not seen until this vid.
TECHNIQUE: Solid Techniques on all fronts, right hand, left hand, picking, synch, it's all there. I am looking for any gaps in technical ability. Don't see any
MUTE: Keeping Good right hand position, planted on the bridge. Your mute technique is on point.
YOU KRUSHED IT
you just..
LEVELED UP!!!
For good meassure here's mission 3 and 4 in the same style
Turning a bit proggy here, as mission #4 is in 5/4.
As promised here are the backings for 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Backing 1: | C | G | F | C G | C |
Bootcamp_1_Backing.mp3 ( 1.38MB )
: 113
Backing 2: | Am | G | F | Em | Am | G | F | E | Am |
Bootcamp_2_backing__Am_G_F_Em_Am_G_F_E_.mp3 ( 1.6MB )
: 103
Backing 3: Chromatic from A to E, then landing on a C-note.
Bootcamp_3_backing.mp3 ( 1.2MB )
: 102
Backing 4: Chromatic from D to A then landing on a D-note.
Bootcamp_4_backing.mp3 ( 889.79K )
: 105
These are AWESOME!! I"ve asked FRAN to add these backing tracks to the original MISSION PAGES in the bootcamp. It will give everyone a chance to play with Music as a backing all the way back to Missioon 1.
HUGE Props to Ben!!!
Sarge
Mission 5 in the same style, including backing track
Backing 5: Chromatic from D5 to A5 landing on F#5.
Bootcamp_5_backing.mp3 ( 1.36MB )
: 94
This one is my fave yet. I love the keyboard bit that matches the lick! It sounds very power metal which is killer. This could work as part of a power metal/prog composition. I never thought this lick could be this musical. The lick is a simple chromatic ascending loop. The backing makes it feel like so much more. I've shared with FRAN so he can update Mission 5.
These are truly killer tracks. You RAWK!!
Todd
Mission #6 in the same style:
Bootcamp_6_backing.mp3 ( 1.78MB )
: 93
That's just perfect!! Very cool composition. Also nice job on doing all the speeds with the backing and making it all sound musical and cool!! I'll share this one next with FRAN. These will give future BOOTCAMPERS a great option. No longer just the metronome, playing with music from DAY ONE. I really dig how the slow version sounds with the backing. Nice!!
Todd
I'll be keeping a look in this thread to update future backings to the wiki lessons
Thanks Cae & Todd!
(Bump)
Just a reminder to myself to get back on this
Many thanks! I'll shoot you a PM when one pops up as well!! BENs backing on this series have been AMAZING.
Todd
quote name='Fran' date='Oct 9 2019, 05:52 AM' post='771871']
I'll be keeping a look in this thread to update future backings to the wiki lessons
Thanks Cae & Todd!
[/quote]
A Glorious Death Awaits! As it says on your Bootcamp headline Looking forward to seeing your work!! I have always enjoyed your takings and your originality on the backings was superb.
Sarge
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