Ken Slocum's Thread, for Gab's Army Options

[Gabriel Leopardi]

Hi Ken!

Welcome to your thread for Gab's Army. Here I will guide you with your guitar practice, creating routines, practice plans, giving feedback of your playing always based on your guitar goals and musical tastes.

Before we start I would like to know a bit more about you.


- How many time have you been playing guitar?
- Favorite guitarists, bands and musicians.
- What are your guitar goals?
- How would you like to you see yourself in 5 years (related to music and guitar)?
- How many time can you play guitar each day?
- Do you have playing live experience?
- Which are your strong and weak points with guitar?
- What do you know about music theory?
- Can you record videos of you playing?
- Share here audios and videos that reflect your current playing.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

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[Ken Slocum]

Hi Ken!

Welcome to your thread for Gab's Army. Here I will guide you with your guitar practice, creating routines, practice plans, giving feedback of your playing always based on your guitar goals and musical tastes.

Before we start I would like to know a bit more about you.


- How many time have you been playing guitar?
- Favorite guitarists, bands and musicians.
- What are your guitar goals?
- How would you like to you see yourself in 5 years (related to music and guitar)?
- How many time can you play guitar each day?
- Do you have playing live experience?
- Which are your strong and weak points with guitar?
- What do you know about music theory?
- Can you record videos of you playing?
- Share here audios and videos that reflect your current playing.

Thanks Gab for taking the time.......

First a little about myself. I am now 57 years old and retired military man. Working part time to help support my family. Back in April 2012, I was sitting alone with my thoughts. I asked myself what else do I want to accomplish? I was thinking back when I was a child and my uncle gave me an old acoustic guitar. I loved strumming that old guitar. Back then, there was no internet and no way for me to earn money to take lessons. But I did not care, still loved to hold the guitar.

I decided to buy me a guitar. Left work, went down to Guitar Center, and purchased me a inexpensive Les Paul Junior. Purchased a book and started trying to play. Now to this day, I own several books and have tested every guitar web-site available. I have owned two Fenders, a Yamaha, an Epiphone, and a Ibanez. Currently, I am down to two instruments. I play a PRS Custom and a Ibanez Prestige. I do not use a amp. I use a Boss ME-80 with two monitor speakers and I also have a boss JS-10. I have Band-in-a-Box and Guitar Pro Tab editor.

Now, let me see if I can answer your questions;

- How many time have you been playing guitar?
I have been trying to play for over three years.

- Favorite guitarists, bands and musicians.
Randy Rhoads, Angus Young, Slash, Steve Clark (Def Leppard), Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits), Vito Bratta (White Lion). I like a lot of different music depending on my mood. Love classic rock and 80 bands. Love them Ballads.

- What are your guitar goals?
Learn the guitar Fretboard inside and out. Be able to develop my own style by using scales and chords everywhere on the neck and be able to combine these shapes Fluently.

- How would you like to you see yourself in 5 years (related to music and guitar)?
Be more confident with phasing and improvising. I would like to be able to take a backing track and improvise in a melodic and rhythmic way. Combining scales and chords in my playing. Better timing and rhythm.

- How many time can you play guitar each day?
I spend at least an hour a day on my instrument. Most of the time two hours.

- Do you have playing live experience?
No. And I have no desire to.

- Which are your strong and weak points with guitar?
Tough one...Not sure I know enough to have any strong points. I love scale work, alt picking, and arpeggios. Weak points is strumming, timing, and speed.

- What do you know about music theory?
I understand whole notes, Half notes, Qtr notes, eighth and sixteen notes. I understand key signatures, intervals, and the notes that makeup a specific key signature. If someone tells me to play a I, IV, V progression in the key of D major...I can. I understand the formula for the major scale. I understand, for the most part, the CAGE system. I understand the fretboard layout. I understand triads, root, 3rd, and fifth. I know a minor has a flat 3rd. I know that a C major has the same notes as a A minor. I understand the concept behind modes. I understand octives, triads, and arpeggios.

- Can you record videos of you playing?
I think I can. I know I can record auto. I am sure I can figure out how.

I know a lot about something. I just don't know how to put it all together. I can play the major scale (CAGE) and some 3NPS up and down the fretboard. I can play Major or Minor Pentatonics up and down the fretboad. I can play 6th and fifth string barr chords and open chords. Just don't know what to do with them.

I consider myself a practicing guitarist. I love to practice. And I do it for me. It just provides me with a inner feeling that is tough to explain.

I know its a lot of information. Thanks for your help.

P.S. I am currently working on my recording and video software. Should be able to record clean videos by the end of next week.

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 Ken Slocum: Sep 13 2015, 05:32 PM

[Gabriel Leopardi]

Hi Ken! Thanks for all this great information! It really helps me to know exactly where you are now and the next steps to follow. I'd like to see you or at least hear your playing so it would be good to dedicate this week to learn how to record and practice this two things:

- Any GMC lesson that is at your level.
- Any improvisation over a backing track.

Is this possible?

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!

[Ken Slocum]

Hi Ken! Thanks for all this great information! It really helps me to know exactly where you are now and the next steps to follow. I'd like to see you or at least hear your playing so it would be good to dedicate this week to learn how to record and practice this two things:

- Any GMC lesson that is at your level.
- Any improvisation over a backing track.

Is this possible?

I should be able to do both and upload video. Where do I upload video? YouTube? Thanks

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!

[Gabriel Leopardi]

I should be able to do both and upload video. Where do I upload video? YouTube? Thanks

yes, Youtube and insert it here.

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!

[Ken Slocum]

yes, Youtube and insert it here.

Hi Gab,

I have finally been able to record some video. It was a learning process to be able to sync video and audio. It was a little time consuming to choose the best software and the learn how to use it. But it was fun.

I have uploaded three videos:

1.) Introducing myself
2.) GMC Lesson - Jumping Around
3.) Improvising over a I, IV, V progression in A

Most of the lessons that I have reviewed at GMC have been in the difficult level of 2 and 3, and some 4. When applying what I know, I am in the beginning stages. I tend to play scales in my improvising too much as you will see in my Improvising video.

I really look forward in your guidance.......Thank you

P.S. I really like your playing.....

Not sure how to insert youtube video....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4xwIgPCrVE...eature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqQKimODc3Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee_uZb0MfQs

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 Ken Slocum: Sep 19 2015, 06:11 PM

[Gabriel Leopardi]

Hi Ken! Thanks for the videos!

The youtube links are set as private so I couldn't seem them. You have to set them as public or unlisted to let me see them here. If you want to insert youtube videos here, you have to copy and paste here this code:




Your videos showed me some important things to cover regarding technique and also improvisation. Here is a list of first thing to work on:

- Alternate Picking: Your right hand motion will give issues when playing fast licks. You are focusing the movement on fingers while it should be focused on your wrist. I'll give you a lesson to work on this during this week.

- Bending: You don't reach the correct pitch on most of them.

- Vibrato: It's weak yet, and not consistent, we need to work on it.

- Phrasing: You tend to play arpeggios and scales up and down, you are not creating phrasing and melodies. We'll also work on this.




During this first week, I would like to see you working diary on this two lessons:

Alternate Picking:

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Picking-Hand-Basics/

Please pay attention to Ben's right hand movement. Check how his fingers are not doing the movement, the movement starts from his wrist. Check other guitarists: Paul Gilbert, Petrucci, Randy. Get inspired by the way they move their right hand.


Blues phrasing: Vibrato, bending and dynamics:

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/BB-King-Blues/

With this lesson, we will start polishing your expressing techniques. Pay attention to how the instructor manages vibrato, bending and vibrato. It's also a good idea to pay attention to how he builds his phrases using Pentatonic minor scale.



The idea is that you divide your practice work on two blocks and practice this two lessons for 1 week and share videos here. If you have questions or want to share any sample to let me check your progress, feel free to do it!

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!

[Ken Slocum]

Hi Ken! Thanks for the videos!

The youtube links are set as private so I couldn't seem them. You have to set them as public or unlisted to let me see them here. If you want to insert youtube videos here, you have to copy and paste here this code:




Your videos showed me some important things to cover regarding technique and also improvisation. Here is a list of first thing to work on:

- Alternate Picking: Your right hand motion will give issues when playing fast licks. You are focusing the movement on fingers while it should be focused on your wrist. I'll give you a lesson to work on this during this week.

- Bending: You don't reach the correct pitch on most of them.

- Vibrato: It's weak yet, and not consistent, we need to work on it.

- Phrasing: You tend to play arpeggios and scales up and down, you are not creating phrasing and melodies. We'll also work on this.




During this first week, I would like to see you working diary on this two lessons:

Alternate Picking:

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Picking-Hand-Basics/

Please pay attention to Ben's right hand movement. Check how his fingers are not doing the movement, the movement starts from his wrist. Check other guitarists: Paul Gilbert, Petrucci, Randy. Get inspired by the way they move their right hand.


Blues phrasing: Vibrato, bending and dynamics:

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/BB-King-Blues/

With this lesson, we will start polishing your expressing techniques. Pay attention to how the instructor manages vibrato, bending and vibrato. It's also a good idea to pay attention to how he builds his phrases using Pentatonic minor scale.



The idea is that you divide your practice work on two blocks and practice this two lessons for 1 week and share videos here. If you have questions or want to share any sample to let me check your progress, feel free to do it!

Thanks Gab......I will start today.

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 Ken Slocum: Sep 21 2015, 05:01 PM

[Gabriel Leopardi]

Thanks Gab......I will start today.

Perfect!

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!