Adams Bootcamp, Time to Fight Soldier! Options

[Todd Simpson]

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!
QUICK TIPS TO PREPARE YOU FOR BATTLE
*Make sure you get both hands in the shot when shooting your video*Make sure you use a metronome for the first several Missions and that the metronome can be heard.*After you complete a mission, shoot me a PM and let me know it's ready and I'll give you a debrief! These are pass / fail, so if you pass you BADGE UP and if not, I'll give you some feedback and you head in to the breach once again.
*The first several missions are VERY simple. They are just to get you used to the bootcamp process.
*Most importantly, there is NEVER a speed requirement in bootcamp. I want you to push yourself to play as brisk as you can, but NEVER at the expense of precision. If you find you are missing a note here and there, slow down a bit. Speed is just a byproduct of precision so my goal is to make you a very precise player. At that point, speed just happens.

MISSON #1

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 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, no points for speed, only points for playing in a precise manner as speed is simply a byproduct of precision) Shoot a video and post it as a reply to this post. Make sure to EMBED the video by clicking on INSERT SPECIAL ITEM above the smiley face and then you'll get a drop down menu. Click on INSERT YOUTUBE VIDEO and follow the instructions in the Pop Up Menu. 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! You will then proceed to Lesson #2 and so forth. Here is the link to the entire 400 plus Lesson Library. https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/wiki/inde...rtal:Techniques

Here is the link to your own PRIVATE HOUSE OF PAIN!...Er I mean.. SHRED!

http://bit.ly/adamsbootcamp
Practice!
Sarge

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This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: Oct 15 2018, 01:28 AM

[Adam]

This is officially the toughest mission at GMC and I'm taking level 10 shred lessons into account. I have a few ideas already. Now I need a few more and then I'll just combine them.

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Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

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[Todd Simpson]

I always thought it was the easiest of all the missions but nobody seems to agree Many of the students have found this one a big of a speed bump on the road to greatness. Don't stress. You can play anything you like. Doesn't have to shred, doesn't need to be fast. Just any notes that are in key. Thats the only requirement.
Todd

This is officially the toughest mission at GMC and I'm taking level 10 shred lessons into account. I have a few ideas already. Now I need a few more and then I'll just combine them.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Adam]

I always thought it was the easiest of all the missions but nobody seems to agree Many of the students have found this one a big of a speed bump on the road to greatness. Don't stress. You can play anything you like. Doesn't have to shred, doesn't need to be fast. Just any notes that are in key. Thats the only requirement.
Todd

I think the difficulty in this one comes mostly from the improvisation task itself. With the tabs given, even in rank 10 lessons, you don't need to worry about that. Just memorize the pattern and phrase it in a way that you see fit. Here, the student must get familiar with the scale and not just 5 boxes but also see them as a whole. Then they must come up with a few melodic licks to make it sound right. My takes don't sound like playing scales up and down but it's not enough to make it sound good. All the tools needed to improvise better I'm hoping to learn here at GMC but it's not going to happen over a night.

From a student's point of view, I can say that I joined GMC with no proper education. I mean, I have some knowledge but nobody taught me how to improvise because I mostly learned from tabs. I think this lack of experience poses that difficulty and I imagine that any student who wasn't taught it before will have a hard time. But it's better this way because this forces a person to think and come to conclusions.

I think that changing this mission the way you did - to figure out the key before anything else is really going to help me and others. Especially today, when there are tabs and transcriptions for most of the pieces. I read many comments saying that e.g. in the 80's people had one CD and figured the songs by themselves. Even YJM used a tape recorder and analyzed the piece's structure with ears only. This is a very important skill if someone aims to become a real virtuoso. Not all of the classical pieces have their score sheets available and even those that do have it probably take weeks to put it on a fretboard. And I don't just mean getting a sequence right but also literally putting it on the fretboard. The same sound appears in few positions and some are easier and more accessible than other. Learning to do it is another crucial skill. My recent experience with Paganini's Sonata proves it beyond doubt.

I honestly hope there are more missions in Bootcamp like this one. Also it's just my idea but I think it would make a very interesting challenge to get a simple recorded melody, even just a sound file with no video, and be expected to reproduce it with no hints such as the key, etc. For example a pass grade for doing it properly and bonus points for dynamics, stressing the notes and ornamentation used. This way, both beginners and advanced players could enjoy it. Also, the feedback from such challenge would probably help any student improve further.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Todd Simpson]

The improv aspect is what makes this one such a challenge for many folks. Improv is something that is hard to actually teach since so much of it comes down to person doing the improv. Even if a student knows all their scales, knows how to play "in key" and all, they still may struggle with even a short improv where they have to write a solo from scratch. The good news is, I've got the answer key so I can share a bit

1.)Once you find the key, pick your scale. Here's a hint. Minor and Pentatonic work great.

2.)Land on the Root/Key note now and then to resolve your licks.

That's it. It's really not more complex than that. You can use single note licks like BB king if you like. You don't even have to use polytonal chops. The important thing is that you dive in and try it. If I don't like it, you'll get more practice by doing it again

I like your idea for ear training! The good news is you don't need an instructor for something like that. You can grab any guitar bit ever played and use your ear to work it out not by note. I did that same thing when I was learning and it did help. I still like learning songs that way and only use tab if I hit a sticking point.

You can put up a test solo if you want some feedback before your take. Look forward to hearing it! There are other solo lessons in bootcamp. You just gotta work towards them.
Todd

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Adam]

The improv aspect is what makes this one such a challenge for many folks. Improv is something that is hard to actually teach since so much of it comes down to person doing the improv. Even if a student knows all their scales, knows how to play "in key" and all, they still may struggle with even a short improv where they have to write a solo from scratch. The good news is, I've got the answer key so I can share a bit

1.)Once you find the key, pick your scale. Here's a hint. Minor and Pentatonic work great.

2.)Land on the Root/Key note now and then to resolve your licks.

That's it. It's really not more complex than that. You can use single note licks like BB king if you like. You don't even have to use polytonal chops. The important thing is that you dive in and try it. If I don't like it, you'll get more practice by doing it again

I like your idea for ear training! The good news is you don't need an instructor for something like that. You can grab any guitar bit ever played and use your ear to work it out not by note. I did that same thing when I was learning and it did help. I still like learning songs that way and only use tab if I hit a sticking point.

You can put up a test solo if you want some feedback before your take. Look forward to hearing it! There are other solo lessons in bootcamp. You just gotta work towards them.
Todd

To be honest, you didn't remove the info about the key completely after changing the mission - I just realized that. The description is still hinting at it. Also, the backing track didn't change, so I'm pretty sure the key stays the same.

The main problem I'm having here is that this track is much more dynamic than what I've tried from YouTube and slow ballad-type playing doesn't sound too well here. I'm a perfectionist and unfortunately playing a nice solo won't satisfy me unless it fits the track's character. I need to do some trial and error and see for myself how to make it work. That's the best partt about it!

Is there a place where I can post a video when I work out some piece? All I can think of is the Practice Room section but as long as I can get some feedback, it works for me

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

This post has been edited by Adam M: Jan 16 2019, 10:29 PM

[Todd Simpson]

I'm not trying to make it impossible, really not trying to make it even that difficult. So some hints about the key are ok Using the same track. This lesson is intimidating enough evidently without me making it too much harder. I'm glad you dove in!!!
The bad news is that I can't hear the backing track in the video I need to be able to hear the backing and the solo to be able to tell how you are doing. Since the mission is about playing over a backing, I really do need to hear the backing. You can put up a test pass with the backing and I'd be happy to give you some feedback on it. I can't really say much without the backing other than it looks like your playing is solid, so yeah, add the backing!
Part of what I"m trying to teach on this Mission and in fact every mission, is the importance of not getting in your own way. We all have our demons to overcome. Perfectionism, some folks have procrastination, some folks it's something else. Everyone has something. The missions are designed to keep you moving forward and not allow you to get too stuck on one thing for too long. I've seen many players get stuck and give up so don't allow yourself to get trapped. As for the practice vids, you can put them up right here. It's a great place for them. Make as many as you like as often as you like. The more the merrier. It's by working through this that you gain something from it. There are plenty of missions where you will need to solo so please don't let perfection be the enemy of progress. That too is a key lesson that I"m trying to teach. Learning to let go, and move on, is part and parcel to learning how to learn. That lesson will help you in every aspect of the gig called life. Guitar, after all, is just a sort of metaphor for life itself. The journey is without end. Getting stuck along the way due to a bump in the road doesn't help the traveler or the road.

Look forward to your practice vid!
Todd

To be honest, you didn't remove the info about the key completely after changing the mission - I just realized that. The description is still hinting at it. Also, the backing track didn't change, so I'm pretty sure the key stays the same.

The main problem I'm having here is that this track is much more dynamic than what I've tried from YouTube and slow ballad-type playing doesn't sound too well here. I'm a perfectionist and unfortunately playing a nice solo won't satisfy me unless it fits the track's character. I need to do some trial and error and see for myself how to make it work. That's the best partt about it!

Is there a place where I can post a video when I work out some piece? All I can think of is the Practice Room section but as long as I can get some feedback, it works for me

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!