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Posted by: Alex Feather Jun 9 2012, 06:01 PM

Hello! And welcome to my mentoring program! I am very happy that you have decided to join and very excited to start!
I have a few questions before we will start!
-What are your goals?
-What is your weakness?
-What is your strongest point?
-Your favorite guitar players?
Looking forward to start working with you!

Posted by: Sunny Jun 9 2012, 09:40 PM

Hi Alex, thanks for accepting me.

-What are your goals?
1. To understand music theory related to guitar playing
2. To learn theory behind jazz and fusion music
3. To practice the above (chord progression, scales, modes, techniques, improvisation, rhythmic patterns)

-What is your weakness?
My weak spot is keeping rhythm and playing rhythmical patters correctly.

-What is your strongest point?
I have classical music theory education and strong mathematical skills.

My guitar playing skill is humble but I'm slowly working on it. Right now I try to practice between 40 and 100 minutes per day, roughly five days a week, following my own progress path. I should probably note that I play for fun time permitting.

-Your favorite guitar players?
I don't really keep the list of my favorite guitar players but when I think about it I used to admire names like John Williams, Julian Bream, John McLaughlin, then players from bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Helloween, Metallica, King Diamond. Perhaps I should also name Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler, and might add Eric Calderone to the pot too (the guy behind "xxx Meets Metal" series).

Posted by: Alex Feather Jun 10 2012, 05:54 PM

Perfect! I have a great exercise that will do miracles with your hands sync!
Make sure to practice at a slow tempo using a metronome!
The trick is slower you practice it better results you will get!
Here is the tab:

E ||---------------------------|----------------------------------------|
B ||---------------------------|----------------------------------------|
G ||o5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5----|--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5----|
D ||o--------------------------|----------------------------------------|
A ||---------------------------|----------------------------------------|
E ||---------------------------|----------------------------------------|


----------------------------|---------------------------------------|||
----------------------------|---------------------------------------|||
--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5----|--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--o|||
----------------------------|--------------------------------------o|||
----------------------------|---------------------------------------|||
----------------------------|---------------------------------------|||


-------------3--3----------|--------------3--3----------|
-------4--4--------4--4----|--------4--4--------4--4----|
o5--5----------------------|--5--5----------------------|
o--------------------------|----------------------------|
---------------------------|----------------------------|
---------------------------|----------------------------|


--------------3--3----------|--------------3--3---------|||
--------4--4--------4--4----|--------4--4--------4--4---|||
--5--5----------------------|--5--5--------------------o|||
----------------------------|--------------------------o|||
----------------------------|---------------------------|||
----------------------------|---------------------------|||


-6--3----------------------|--6--3----------------------|
----------4--6--3----------|-----------4--6--3----------|
o------5-----------5--3----|--------5-----------5--3----|
o--------------------------|----------------------------|
---------------------------|----------------------------|
---------------------------|----------------------------|


--6--3----------------------|--6--3---------------------|||
-----------4--6--3----------|-----------4--6--3---------|||
--------5-----------5--3----|--------5-----------5--3--o|||
----------------------------|--------------------------o|||
----------------------------|---------------------------|||
----------------------------|---------------------------|||


-6--3--------------------6--3----------------------|
----------4--6--3-----------------4--6--3----------|
o------5-----------5--3--------5-----------5--3----|
o--------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------|


--6--3--------------6--3----------------|
--------4-----------------4-------------|
-----------5--4--3-----------5--4--3----|
----------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------|


--6--3--------------------6--3----------------------|
-----------4--6--3-----------------4--6--3----------|
--------5-----------5--3--------5-----------5--3----|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|


--6--3--------------6--3---------------|||
--------4-----------------4------------|||
-----------5--4--3-----------5--4--3--o|||
--------------------------------------o|||
---------------------------------------|||
---------------------------------------|||


-6--4--3-------------------------------------------|
-------------------6--4--3-------------------------|
o---------7--5--3--------------------7--5--3-------|
o---------------------------6--5--3----------------|
----------------------------------------------6----|
---------------------------------------------------|


----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
--------6--5--3-----------------------------3--5----|
--5--3-----------------------------3--5--6----------|
-----------------6--4--3--3--4--6-------------------|


-----------------------4--6--8--3--4--6-------------|
--------------4--6--8--------------------3--4--6----|
-----3--5--7----------------------------------------|
--6-------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|


--6--4--3-------------------------------------------|
--------------------6--4--3-------------------------|
-----------7--5--3--------------------7--5--3-------|
-----------------------------6--5--3----------------|
-----------------------------------------------6----|
----------------------------------------------------|


----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
----------------------------------------------------|
--------6--5--3-----------------------------3--5----|
--5--3-----------------------------3--5--6----------|
-----------------6--4--3--3--4--6-------------------|


-----------------------4--6--8--3--4--6------------|||
--------------4--6--8--------------------3--4--6---|||
-----3--5--7--------------------------------------o|||
--6-----------------------------------------------o|||
---------------------------------------------------|||
---------------------------------------------------|||

Posted by: Sunny Jun 10 2012, 06:14 PM

Thanks Alex. I'll start working on this tonight.

Posted by: Alex Feather Jun 10 2012, 06:16 PM

QUOTE (Sunny @ Jun 10 2012, 05:14 PM)

Posted by: Sunny Jun 14 2012, 11:53 PM

Here is one take at 50 bpm, after 3 hours of practice. I recorded all segments one after another without repetition.
http://soundcloud.com/sc01sunny/afhw01

Parts 1, 2 and 3 were easy to learn and I can play them at 50, 60, 70 and 80 bpm. I started at 80 and went down to 50.

Part 4 was a bit harder because of sixteenth notes that were too fast for my left hand. After I learned it without tripping in the left hand I noticed that I tend to rush sixteenth notes on the first beat or two after triplets.

Part 5 was a fun one: I first memorized the notes (positions), then I worked on getting them up to speed and I used metronome but as I played very slowly (slow left hand and jumping strings in right hand) I set it to 2 notes a beat instead of 4. I started at 40 bpm and practiced up to 120 bpm (from 20 to 60 bpm actual speed). But alas when I tried playing at 50 bpm, 4 notes a beat, feeling the rhythm, I couldn't play at all. I realized that my brain and my internal beat classified the notes as triplets, as they were three on a string and my inner rhythm got totally confused by them being four per beat instead of three. It took me a bit of practicing to resolve this conflict between feeling the beat with four sixteenth notes and my hand's urge to play three notes per beat.

It is really a good exercise, especially that sneaky 5th part.

Posted by: Alex Feather Jun 15 2012, 08:14 AM

QUOTE (Sunny @ Jun 14 2012, 10:53 PM)

Here is one take at 50 bpm, after 3 hours of practice. I recorded all segments one after another without repetition.
http://soundcloud.com/sc01sunny/afhw01

Parts 1, 2 and 3 were easy to learn and I can play them at 50, 60, 70 and 80 bpm. I started at 80 and went down to 50.

Part 4 was a bit harder because of sixteenth notes that were too fast for my left hand. After I learned it without tripping in the left hand I noticed that I tend to rush sixteenth notes on the first beat or two after triplets.

Part 5 was a fun one: I first memorized the notes (positions), then I worked on getting them up to speed and I used metronome but as I played very slowly (slow left hand and jumping strings in right hand) I set it to 2 notes a beat instead of 4. I started at 40 bpm and practiced up to 120 bpm (from 20 to 60 bpm actual speed). But alas when I tried playing at 50 bpm, 4 notes a beat, feeling the rhythm, I couldn't play at all. I realized that my brain and my internal beat classified the notes as triplets, as they were three on a string and my inner rhythm got totally confused by them being four per beat instead of three. It took me a bit of practicing to resolve this conflict between feeling the beat with four sixteenth notes and my hand's urge to play three notes per beat.

It is really a good exercise, especially that sneaky 5th part.

Posted by: Sunny Jun 17 2012, 12:08 AM

QUOTE (Alex Feather @ Jun 15 2012, 07:14 AM)

You did a very good job! A few parts you were rushing a little but more you will play it better it will get! Part 5 is sneaky
I would like you to add this exercise to your warm up routine! In the meantime I will create a new melodic assignment for you!
Give me a day or so and we can start getting into improvisation!
Let me know if you have any questions or need help!

Posted by: Alex Feather Jun 17 2012, 05:18 AM

You said you want to get into Jazz and fusion!
Let's start and I will explain you how the stuff works
Here is a very cool II - V - I backing track in E minor
http://soundcloud.com/alex-feather-akimov/ii-v-i-jam
Over A7
A minor blues pentatonic
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/scalegenerator
Over D major 7 F# minor pentatonic
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/scalegenerator

Try to be as melodic as possible and
Let me know if you have any questions or need help!

Posted by: Sunny Jun 19 2012, 10:35 PM

Alex, I just want to let you know that I'm working on this since I haven't replied immediately.

I like the track and I'm playing to it every day 1-2 hours. One odd and interesting thing I noticed is that it's possible to play Am over an A7, which is a concept I haven't heard of before.

I'm memorizing the positions you recommended and I'm making phrases (licks?) that fit these positions, to use later when playing. I'm looping each chord at a time to get familiar with all the notes in that position.

The tempo and the chord progression feel a bit fast and I noticed that I tend to improvise all over the fretboard due to being too slow to quickly change positions when chords change. At the same time I'm following some sort of melodic line and it feels much easier to do so when not thinking in positions, but just keeping to the correct notes. Is that ok?

At the same time I'm working on my technique (legato, vibrato, left hand speed) to actually be able to phrase the melody I want to play correctly.

When I get so far to record my take, how long (as in duration) should it be?

Posted by: Alex Feather Jun 21 2012, 06:22 AM

QUOTE (Sunny @ Jun 19 2012, 09:35 PM)

Alex, I just want to let you know that I'm working on this since I haven't replied immediately.

I like the track and I'm playing to it every day 1-2 hours. One odd and interesting thing I noticed is that it's possible to play Am over an A7, which is a concept I haven't heard of before.

I'm memorizing the positions you recommended and I'm making phrases (licks?) that fit these positions, to use later when playing. I'm looping each chord at a time to get familiar with all the notes in that position.

The tempo and the chord progression feel a bit fast and I noticed that I tend to improvise all over the fretboard due to being too slow to quickly change positions when chords change. At the same time I'm following some sort of melodic line and it feels much easier to do so when not thinking in positions, but just keeping to the correct notes. Is that ok?

At the same time I'm working on my technique (legato, vibrato, left hand speed) to actually be able to phrase the melody I want to play correctly.

When I get so far to record my take, how long (as in duration) should it be?

Posted by: Alex Feather Jul 14 2012, 05:45 PM

QUOTE (Sunny @ Jun 19 2012, 09:35 PM)

Alex, I just want to let you know that I'm working on this since I haven't replied immediately.

I like the track and I'm playing to it every day 1-2 hours. One odd and interesting thing I noticed is that it's possible to play Am over an A7, which is a concept I haven't heard of before.

I'm memorizing the positions you recommended and I'm making phrases (licks?) that fit these positions, to use later when playing. I'm looping each chord at a time to get familiar with all the notes in that position.

The tempo and the chord progression feel a bit fast and I noticed that I tend to improvise all over the fretboard due to being too slow to quickly change positions when chords change. At the same time I'm following some sort of melodic line and it feels much easier to do so when not thinking in positions, but just keeping to the correct notes. Is that ok?

At the same time I'm working on my technique (legato, vibrato, left hand speed) to actually be able to phrase the melody I want to play correctly.

When I get so far to record my take, how long (as in duration) should it be?

Posted by: Sunny Jul 19 2012, 04:43 PM

QUOTE (Alex Feather @ Jul 14 2012, 04:45 PM)

Posted by: Alex Feather Jul 20 2012, 06:27 PM

QUOTE (Sunny @ Jul 19 2012, 03:43 PM)

Hi Alex, you must have missed my PM from few weeks ago. Anyway I was away on vacation and I returned back home yesterday. I'll resume where I left off and hopefully have my part recorded in a fortnight.