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.
Number of participants 19.
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
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
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
You are at GuitarMasterClass.net
Don't miss today's
free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with
free content!
. 
