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Posted by: Steelkonsum Feb 7 2007, 05:06 PM

On what seemed to be a semi-popular demand here it is again. I still don't think it's good enough to be considered a lesson but 'ere we go anyways.


Okey, so first off all I would just like to point out three things. First off, I do NOT actually aspire to become a true masterclass teacher I was just inspired by the topics in the general forum about pentatonic boxes. Second, audio and video quality sucks and I'm sorry but you'll have to live with it . Third thing is, this is just a solo or lick or whatever you want to call it to get familiar with where the boxes are located in a more fun way.

So, for introduction - most of you will know me as the guy who rants alot about how people behave and troll the forum more regurarly than most. And this is pretty much the truth . My real name is Mikael and I'm 18 and living in sweden. I just thought I should bring some more swedes to the lesson department so the croatians don't overrun us completely!

As I said in the beginning this is a lesson to give you a lick where you move between all five boxes and use all six strings! I've added some legato and tapping just for the hell of it. Actually, I came up with this thing at work today where I was playing on an acoustic and I wanted to see if I could get some sound out of the tapping - it sort of worked!

If you can't make out what I play on the video try to listen and follow the tabs! Again, sorry for the crappy resolution and stuff.

Now, for the acutal lesson!

Here is the whole version:  main.wmv ( 2.39MB ) : 854


And the whole thing a bit slower:  main_slow.wmv ( 3.29MB ) : 236


Okey so here is the first lick of the lesson:

 vid1.wmv ( 1.08MB ) : 356



E----------------------------
B---------------------------
G---------------------------
D----------------5—7s14----
A---------5—7--------------
E---5—8--------------------

Not much to explain here, it's a basic run down from low E but at the D string we do a long slide down to the 14th fret.Shouldn't pose much trouble and we have already changed a box!


 vid2.wmv ( 880.48K ) : 289



E----------------------------
B-----------13--15—15b17-15s17--
G---12-14---------------------
D---------------------------
A-------------------------
E--------------------------

And here's the next part, I am not quite sure about how much I bend to be honest but just do it untill it sounds about right to you . I think that bending up a wholestep and then sliding to the note you just bent too makes a cool effect. Escpecially if you throw in some vibrato in it.

 vid3.wmv ( 1.15MB ) : 300



E----------------------------------------------------
B—17p15----------------------------------------------
G----------17-14---------------------------------------
D------------------17—14s10--12-10----------------
A----------------------------------------12-10--------
E------------------------------------------------12-10~~

A quite similiar change from boxes as shown in Kris's changing lesson. If you want to get the same sort of sound that I had then hang on the 10th note becuase on the next lick you're gonna slide of it so its usefull to have some sound left on the note else you'll have to pick it again.


 vid4.wmv ( 1.09MB ) : 272


E------------------------------------
B—----------------------------------
G----------------------------5h7s9---
D-----------------------5h7---------
A-----------------5h7-----------------
E—10s5—5h8-----------------------

I like this lick. It sounds a bit ba-dum-ba-dum-badweeem. Uh, by that I mean the 5h7s9 Where you get so many notes in just one pick. Be sure to just hit the 5 and then do the rest of the work in one motion. Cool stuff


 vid5.wmv ( 1.31MB ) : 279


E---------------------------------------------------12~--12~--10-
B-----8--—10--—10b12—10p8h10p8h10s13---13~--13~-----
G----------------------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------------

T T T
E—10--—10h12p10s8----12---10p8--12---10p8--12---10p8s5~--
B---------------------------------------------------------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------

So here you have the ending. I think the combination of some double stop, legato and some easy tapping ending with a nice slide makes a good ending to a otherwise quite ordinary "solo". Granted the tapping was added purely cause of my idea to do it on acoustic . Anyway this shouldnt be too hard though since Im noot pushing any speed limits.


Well that was it for me today! I hope you have enjoyed the lesson and maybe even got something out of it. I apologize for the crap quality but I hope the solo and the tabs make up for it

Anyway, ask if you dont understand anything and feel free to point out any mistake I made. Also criticism is welcome! I hope you have had as fun with this as I have.

Catch you all laters!

Posted by: Why Feb 8 2007, 02:04 AM

It's alright, but I think you have a long way to go before you can create a lesson. To point out some errors in technique:

- Fretting hand not in sync with picking hand, resulting in bad tone.
- Thumb position, Keep it steady.
- Practice with scales more, It'll help you alot on terms of finger strength.
- Hammer on and pull off practice - Need abit of this.
- Bending, Don't bend to quarter notes, It'll sound bad. Bend to Even or Even/2.

Posted by: Steelkonsum Feb 8 2007, 08:09 AM

Great! Now please elaborate!

What's wrong with my pull-offs/hammer-ons? Can't work on something if I don't know what Im doing wrong!
I wil practice some bends with my tuner, thanks for pointing that out.
I know my thumb position sucks (see some other random thread about that )

About scales I practice them a fair ammount and guess it'll improve over time and I don't know what to do about the syncing except play even more.

Cheers!

Posted by: Josiah Feb 8 2007, 11:12 AM

You can learn something from everyone. I think the intent here was to show an idea on how to transverse positions and not to display professional level playing skills.

I didn't get the opportunity to see Steelkonsum's lesson, but did Why mean "quarter step" (interval) bends, and not "quarter note" (time) bends? If so, these "semitone bends" are ok (if intentional ) and are commonly performed by all the Blues greats.

Steelkonsum, I think Why's critiques are generic in that they could apply to most people here to some extent, and was ment only in a constructive way. You say you suck, but compared to who? Paul Gibert? Me too! Hey, no matter how good you are there is always going to be someone who is better, and no matter how bad you are there is always someone worse! So the only fair comparison is to rate yourself against yourself, (Do I suck compared to my playing level last week or last month?).

Now me ... I really suck!

Posted by: Steelkonsum Feb 8 2007, 02:07 PM

Yea well I watched my own videos a few more times and just felt it was way to low to be on here. If you want to get to view it anyway I still have all the videos, tabs and texts on my computer so just drop me a PM with your email/msn and you can get it.

I did absolutely not take any offence from Whys comment, in fact I am eagerly awaiting his response too see how to improve. I just felt sort of embarassed about the lesson afterwards because it was sort of an eye opener as too how bad I really was playing.

Anyway, take care.

Posted by: MickeM Feb 8 2007, 02:16 PM

But your education was about how to get across the boxes and had nothing to do with playing technique, or? So what was wrong about that across-the-boxes part? And as you said yourself - it was the "á la Konsum way".

Posted by: Steelkonsum Feb 8 2007, 02:26 PM

I give up! Here it is again

Posted by: Kristofer Dahl Feb 8 2007, 03:22 PM

Great idea - showing others what you have learned about box shifting so far while getting constructive critisism on you playing (heck you taught us how to!).

Playing/practcing-wise: I would say keep giving it those daily practicing hours at a slow tempo. In the main video one can hear that you have to momentarily slow down to switch position - you generally want to stray away from that.

A little time gap/unnevenness is also obvious when you swith between different techniques (IE tapping & picking) work on this!

Keep going

Kris

Posted by: Steelkonsum Feb 8 2007, 03:30 PM

Thanks Kris.

I do practice all the pentatonic boxes daily in all positions and shifting from all boxes to all boxes and try to come up with similiar licks/mini solos as shown in this lesson. Makes it feel less of "guitar push ups" and more "guitar practice".

Switching to tapping is something I admittedly have a problem with. I tried to hide it a bit with hanging on the slided note but obviously even that wasn't enough. But as I said the tapping part was just added because I came up with this on an acoustic and had to see if I could do it. Tapping is something I still have to spend a loooot of hours with but I do try to tap for at least 20-30 minutes but there is so much to practice.

Anyway, the idea was to show what I do when I try to learn how to switch but I got cold feet when I watched the vids and pulled em back. But now theyre up again for everyone to see one of my practicing solos. And also as Pavel has mentioned in some thread - playing and recording is a lot harder than just playing and this is my first attempt to record ever. it does sound a bit better when its jsut me around

Posted by: Why Feb 8 2007, 10:07 PM

I can't really say anything about developing Hammer on's and pull off's but the main error here is them sounding 'amateur-ish'. It's mostly due to the pressure you're applying when you 'hammer' and the time delay between the hammered note, It should be equivalent to the general tempo and not just a hasty hammer on the note.

The rest of them can just be cleared out by practice with a metronome. Start of very slow, In that video it seems like you're trying to push the envelope of your speed which is throwing everything out of control.

Also, your slides should be one fluid motion, In this case it's abit stuttery which is again causing the beginnerish effect.

Your tone is another problem, I'd recommend a new amp or pickups if you're getting serious about your playing. The sound here is too treble-y and has too much gain. Also, adding abit of delay (barely audible) helps ALOT.

Keep going

Posted by: stratman33 Apr 6 2007, 01:07 AM

i have a few problems:1.in between the numbers on the tab, it shows symbols i cant read.2.i cant watch this type of video.i can only get quicktime videos.3.you also need to add hammer ons and pull offs(that might be what you mean by the symbols but im not sure).