So You Play Guitar?, Well what do you play? Options

[Jim S.]

I give it to you for best practice example Use the lessons to learn concepts which then you apply in your own creations! This is a very healthy way of thinking and I am looking forward to seeing your vids, mate - plus, what lessons are you currently working on?

Well I'm not certain yet. I'm still figuring out my space and tone. Seems that the tone I get from programs is way way more clear and easier to play so.... I might have my laptop power my stack...

Here's a blues jam improv from today. This is from home.

I plan on taking 1 phrase from lessons here and really expand on them.

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[Cosmin Lupu]

Hey Jim - nice tone and I've heard some very interesting phrases here and there Now, Ithink that in order to expand your vocabluary, you should tackle some phrasing lessons such as:

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/jazzy-blues-phrasing/
https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Modern...Blues-Phrasing/
https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/solo-guit...usion-phrasing/

And also - there was a slight moment of uncertainty in note choice, around 01:24 - 01:30

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[Jim S.]

Hey Jim - nice tone and I've heard some very interesting phrases here and there Now, Ithink that in order to expand your vocabluary, you should tackle some phrasing lessons such as:

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/jazzy-blues-phrasing/
https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Modern...Blues-Phrasing/
https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/solo-guit...usion-phrasing/

And also - there was a slight moment of uncertainty in note choice, around 01:24 - 01:30

You are right there needs to be some phrasing improvements and I really dig that jazzy blues phrasing lessong. I may take up on that. I am still working on a lesson from Diego too.

Here is the raw vocal tune Id really like to turn into one of my own songs. This is similiar to what I'm always making up when Im away from my guitar. What do you think about the different sections and the notes Im trying to hit?

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[Cosmin Lupu]

Hey Jim

Glad to hear that you like my suggestions - now, about the recording - check out the video below and look at 01:52 onwards - it deals with the same technique that you have involved



What do you notice as a difference from your recording?

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[Jim S.]

Last night I got most of my equipment setup and got some practicing singing and playing a country song I like. It was the first time using a capo. Wow it's amazing how much moving a 1/2 step can do for your voice.

So playing like this involves a whole new skill set.

1. Learning to use my volume knob; this can change my tone from peaceful to raging angry.
2. Foot switches..... Changing channels and adding boost/gain/reverb ect.... with no delays.
3. Using a looper to solo over....
4. Singing and looking straight ahead with eyes open "my eyes are closed shut in the video I think."

I will admit that the tone from my computer is very tight and clean but playing with 160w tube amp and singing is so much more enjoyable.

Hopefully I can get a good practice refining with these GMC Lessons and live playing/singing.

Have a good day yall!

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This post has been edited by Jim S.: Dec 17 2014, 02:02 PM

[Cosmin Lupu]

Hey Jim! Nice one, man! Say, what tune is this?

All the aspects you mentioned are let's say, experienced to pro level playing things It's amazing that you are experimenting with them and if you are able to build a tone that can offer a sparkling clean with a knob rolled back and then a meaner sound when you roll it up, there you have it - a tone that can offer a wide range of expression.

I totally encourage this sort of playing - based on expression and dynamics, I mean - why not record some ideas which you come up with - just using the cam, so that we can hear the amp at work, but focusing on the aspects you mentioned above

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[Kristofer Dahl]

Last night I got most of my equipment setup and got some practicing singing and playing a country song I like. It was the first time using a capo. Wow it's amazing how much moving a 1/2 step can do for your voice.

So playing like this involves a whole new skill set.

1. Learning to use my volume knob; this can change my tone from peaceful to raging angry.
2. Foot switches..... Changing channels and adding boost/gain/reverb ect.... with no delays.
3. Using a looper to solo over....
4. Singing and looking straight ahead with eyes open "my eyes are closed shut in the video I think."

I will admit that the tone from my computer is very tight and clean but playing with 160w tube amp and singing is so much more enjoyable.

Hopefully I can get a good practice refining with these GMC Lessons and live playing/singing.

Have a good day yall!

Very nice singing (and playing) Jim - you are well on your way!

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[Jim S.]

Sorry for these short videos but it's all I can do until i fix my computer. Last night I practiced again but first I took out 2 of my power tubes and found a sweet spot on my preamp roughly around 7-8. Whoa!!!! Some magic happens I never heard before. Omg it sounded so good..... Funny thing is after playing for 20 min of high intensity singing and playing I gave myself a migraine and a panic attack. Seriously I had to put my guitar down and run home for some medicine.

I am prone for cluster migraines which are dibilitating. Hope to God they are not coming back. Anyway right before the onslaught of panic, this video I shot. It shows a more energetic side to me both singing and playing. My guitar solo is ridiculously sloppy but,,, it doesn't matter because how much testosterone was pumping though my body. Check it out, this is near full rage amp. I set my looper and just rolled with it.

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[Jim S.]

Hey Jim! Nice one, man! Say, what tune is this?

All the aspects you mentioned are let's say, experienced to pro level playing things It's amazing that you are experimenting with them and if you are able to build a tone that can offer a sparkling clean with a knob rolled back and then a meaner sound when you roll it up, there you have it - a tone that can offer a wide range of expression.

I totally encourage this sort of playing - based on expression and dynamics, I mean - why not record some ideas which you come up with - just using the cam, so that we can hear the amp at work, but focusing on the aspects you mentioned above

Well it is a real challenge remembering where your volume knob is and where it is going. I found myself lost trying to manage all those controls. I'm thinking a pedal board I'll have to make to organize this mess.

Cosmin do you remember what started this whole tone seeking mission? You made a comment about a cover song maybe 1-2 years ago. I was experimenting with these same aspects but because my amp was not hooked up to a speaker cab my test results were pretty beat and I lost hope with this same amp. All it took was small adjustments over all the components to make it sound good. I missed that part last time and never went through each piece of the signal chain and examined them.

So thank you for pushing me to find tone in my fingers and not with a crappy pedal board with a rectified mod.

It's time to start writing music!

Kris, thank you btw! This is in response to your comments on Intermediatish Player thread about playing musical. I'm starting to really understand what your saying. See playing with headphones in a basement to a met or backing is good for working on technique but nothing musical is happening. Standing in the open with a guitar and mic forces you to create. When I'm practicing like this I feel like people are watching me and playing in an auto shop it's possible someone could walk in at any moment So..... I'm definately not practicing scales...

Have a good day yall'

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[Cosmin Lupu]

Hey Jim!

I can feel the energy and emotion from here, man! This is how playing should feel like - as you said, it was sloppy, but hey! It felt amazing

I am glad to hear that I managed to push you into a different zone and I will try to suggest another idea Work with the knobs on a simpler more melower track, so that you may have time literally in respect to note length - you will feel more comfortable with rolling the tone volume up and down in respect to how the track rises or falls

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[Jim S.]

Here is one of my styles of playing that I seem to lead toward. This is just 15 seconds because the lead work that I'm coming up with doesn't flow over the "supposed" chord, however I have no idea what chord I was to solo over because I'm just soloing and never think about those aspects.

On top of it all I believe this style of playing will help me sing. http://instagram.com/p/w2PtOrHSXm/

I'd really like to tap more into this stuff when I'm writing.


Cosmin I did start transposing that voice memo I posted earlier........ Wow that's kinda hard. Yup that takes a bit of time replicating a voice. Sort of practicing all over the place currently but feeling optimistic about being a musician.

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[Cosmin Lupu]

Hey Jim!

The chordal work sounds very promissing and if I were to develop it, I'd analyze what I'm doing with the chords, see what tonality and scale I am using and see what possibilities I would have from that point on.

Also, try to see what bass notes would go well over the little solo part and from those bass notes, try to derive chords. Have you ever tried that? A good exercise with whom you can develop this skill, would be to play your favorite themese on the guitar and also play the root notes of the chords that the theme is played over - in this way, you will become far more conscious of the relationship between the chords and the notes played over them

About the voice thing - It is only a matter of becoming more and more experienced with the process the more you do it, the easier it will feel. Will you record it when it's ready?

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