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Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Oct 29 2018, 01:26 PM

Hi Adam! Welcome to your mentoring thread.

Before we start, I'd 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.


List of lessons used in this thread:


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

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Beginner-Bending-Workout/

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Bens-Vibrato-Odyssey-5/

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/30-Beginner-Blues-Licks/

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

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/The_tasty_etude/

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Your-First-Metal-Solo/

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Bending-from-Outside-Notes-Marty-Friedman-Style/

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/neoclassical_solo_for_beginners/

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Him-Style-Love-Metal/


https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Bens-Land-Of-Legato/

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Basic-Rock-Rhythm-2/

Posted by: Adam M Oct 29 2018, 06:20 PM

Hi!

* I've been playing for maybe 4 years (with few breaks), started doing actual practice few months ago.
* As for my favourite bands, my major inspirations are: Jason Becker, Rhapsody of Fire, Blind Guardian, Nightwish, Sonata Arctica and YJM a bit. I also like Metallica (esp. Load/Reload age), Scorpions, BFMV and early Iron Maiden.
* About my goals, I want to become a neoclassical maestro above all else. I'm hoping to record Vivaldi's 4 seasons by next august. Even if it takes longer, I want to develop in that direction.
* In 5 years I'd be happy with a few amateur records, maybe even Paganini's Caprices. Generally, I'd love to shred freely over backing tracks, maybe become a street performer.
* I can play daily way more than I do. I'm on my final year at uninversity, so I may have to pay more attention to MA thesis in a few weeks. I also work on weekends, but for now, 1-2h daily are quite a safe bet.
* I've only played live for my family, if that counts. And for the neighbours.
* For the strong points, I can fix it and do any wiring possible and I didn't quit on playing after a month. Nothing to boast about.
* Weak points are probably basic self-taught bad habits and slow, sloppy playing.
* For music theory, i know the basics. Can read score sheet (slowly but improving). I don't know any advanced stuff, like harmony.
* I don't have any recording gear like DI box or mic and console yet. But I do have a camera that does the trick for now.
* I never recorded myself before but I can try on wednesday.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Oct 30 2018, 02:04 PM

Hi Adam! Thanks for your info!

I'll wait for your videos so I can see your current playing. I recommend you to check this video for ideas to make the best videos:



By the way, I recommend you to start with this lesson: https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/neoclassical_solo_for_beginners/

Posted by: Adam M Nov 22 2018, 08:43 PM

Relating to your request from the other topic: How important is the lighting in my videos? I tried 2 kinds of it and both are killing my eyes. I can get a better camera angle but the light will be a problem.

Also, while I'm working on the above. May I ask for next lesson, if you have any planed it for me already?

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Nov 23 2018, 03:58 PM

Hi Adam, your videos are ok if I can see clearly your hands while playing so if you think that this is possible with the current lighting, let's go for it!

Have you tried the neoclassical lesson for beginners that I've suggested in the previous post?

Posted by: Adam M Nov 24 2018, 09:58 PM

FINALLY! I'm done recording. It took me very long time and still isn't perfect. I really tried but now I'm making mistakes because of stress. I can re-record it, if it's not good enough but I hope for the best



The part that was the biggest challenge here are the two runs from 9th and 7th frets on A string to up to the high E. They sound a bit like diminished 7th that YJM uses a lot. I should probably practice it more if I want to play his pieces in the future.

You have already seen my demo in the other thread but I'll copy it here to have all my progress in one place. I would love to play the whole piece someday without the stress and tension I felt while recording it.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Nov 26 2018, 02:29 PM

Hi Adam! Great to find this video from you!!

There are some elements that need attention in your playing so we will work on specific lessons and exercises that will train you and give you tools to improve this lesson and this style of playing.

The elements that need work based on this take are:

- Bending: I notice that you use one finger to bend while it's better to use other fingers to help the one that is bending the fret.

- Vibrato: The same than bending but I also notice that your vibrato is weak by now, and not consistent. I also notice that you are doing most of the movement with your fingers while the motion should be from your wrist. Let's work on this as well!

- Timing: This take has timing issues here and there. This is not dramatic, since there are many parts that are played well. In the case of this lesson, I think that you just need more days/weeks of practice.

- Economic movements: Your left hand fingers separate too much from the fretboard when you are not using them. It's important to try to make your hands and fingers movements the smaller possible in order to be able to play at higher tempos.


Ok mate, these are the lessons that I recommend working during the next week:

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

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Beginner-Bending-Workout/

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Bens-Vibrato-Odyssey-5/


Let me know what you think!

Posted by: Adam M Dec 1 2018, 09:53 PM

Here's my first take on Picking Hand Basics lesson. It's not perfect but it's something to work with. I'll keep practicing it anyway because it's a nice exercise for a warm-up.



I didn't try doing all 3 lessons in one go because that way I wouldn't do either too well. Next I'll go for the bending lesson because I feel vibrato will take a bit longer, so it's better to focus on it later clear-headed.

PS. After reading Kris' feedback in REC I realized I'll have to work harder on this one. These are the basics on which we'll build more complex skills, so they must be solid. I've had a similar problem with Maiden songs, regarding the tempo changes. At higher pace I couldn't follow. Is playing at lower tempo going to fix it or are there any extra tips to succeed?

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Dec 3 2018, 07:03 PM

Hi mate! I've just commented this one at REC, please check out my comments and let me know if you have any question.

Posted by: Adam M Dec 4 2018, 12:01 AM

Thanks! I have a question about what Darius advised me. I tried keeping my fingers on the fretboard but it slows me down a lot. When I asked Todd about it, he said it'd come to me naturally as I progress, so I shouldn't worry.
I have some strength in my hands and I don't feel bad about fretting with just one finger. Is it okay if I just try to keep my fingers low above the strings, so they can act faster? Bending and vibrato is easier with more fingers but that's it.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Dec 4 2018, 03:19 PM

Hi mate, I'm not completely sure if I understand what you mean. However, it's very important to make your technique effective and economize movements, so trying to keep your fingers the close possible to the fretboard. That's the only way to achive fast speeds.

Also, it's important to economize strengh, did you know it?

Posted by: Adam M Dec 4 2018, 04:14 PM

I'm thinking about it now and the more I think, the more I come to a conclusion it's worth trying. Todd's feedback in REC and your advice here could enable me to going places. Please, correct me if I'm wrong on this one:

Breaking a piece into chunks is already a nice idea. Before, I did focused practice only on sections that were tricky to play. Other than than I used to practice the whole piece. So, while I break down the melody, I can also try fretting with more fingers AT A SLOW TEMPO and keep it this way where it works for me and keep fingers low where it doesn't work. I already realized I can't do this in all cases.

PS. I stumbled on Kiko Louleiro's lessons at YT just now. He teaches the exactly same thing - practicing scale runs and chromatic without lifting the fingers.

PS2. Is there a place at GMC where I can learn the theory and absolute pitch? My mom advised me to start by naming notes in score sheets. Just writing names below notes. I want to add these 2 elements to my practice routine but have no idea where to start.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Dec 5 2018, 02:05 PM

Hi Adam! how are you mate?

Yes, that's a good approach! Go for it. Playing at slower tempos, in smaller blocks is the way to go if you want to polish your technique and adjust movements. You won't regret it!

About Kiko's video, yes! That's what I'm talking about. And regarding theory,You can find everything you need to know about theory in the important topics section here: https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showforum=25

Let me know if I can help you with anything else. Keep on the hard work!

Posted by: Adam M Dec 11 2018, 01:14 PM

Just a quick update. I just got the info that 2 of my exams will be on next Monday and since the lecturer doesn't like me, I really need to pass them with high grades. I'll do my best to weave a practice session in between every now and then - in fact, I'm close to re-recording my take on Picking Hand lesson but I won't be uploading it before the exams. I also have to turn in a thesis chapter on Monday, so I'll be very busy for the next few days.

-Adam

PS. I uploaded my take on your Blues Jam. I know it's not the best one but please let me know what you think about it honestly

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Dec 11 2018, 04:36 PM

Hi Adam, I've just answered something at the blues collab thread.

Check it out!

Posted by: Adam M Dec 12 2018, 06:29 PM

Thank you. Reading everyone's feedback makes me want to learn modal scales. But let's take one step at a time, right? I can learn shapes now but I know it would only confuse me. I think I'll understand this subject easier and better in the future, so now I'll just add it to my To-Do-List

I'll use today's practice for improvising over E minor and I'll see what I can get. I don't want to delay the collab.

Also, my ex heard about my struggles and she gifted me a 0-100 course on improvisation that is supposed to teach me everything from the basics. It has about 150 lessons, so it'll take time. If I'm not mistaken, there's theory in it too.

She also got me a Lick Library's DVD on 24th Caprice but it won't be much use for our thread for a while. If it's ok, I'd like to post here my takes on each variation in the future. That way, we could work on each part step by step and have focused practice sessions. This kind of practice works best for me.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Dec 13 2018, 04:09 PM

Yes! There is a lot to do with Pentatonic by now! Even when playing modes, it's essential to have a good knowledge of Pentatonic scales so I really recommend you to work a lot on them before getting into modes.

I'd like to see a video of you playing over the blues backing track using only E minor pentatonic, what do you say? is it possible?

Posted by: Adam M Dec 13 2018, 05:58 PM

Of course it's possible! I'm recording my practice sessions but I won't process the videos until I'm done with university assignments. I'm also working on the three lessons you asked me to do before but this time I want to turn in some better takes. I'll probably upload them all together but no sooner than on Tuesday.

By good knowledge, do you mean being fluent in playing it or should I learn some theory behind it too?

About the Picking Hand lesson. I divided it into smaller sections by the picking patterns. I could upload them so you can check if they are ok. Then, I'll upload a whole piece. It's not difficult but the transitions seem to give me the biggest challenge of it all.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Dec 14 2018, 03:31 PM

Hi Adam!!

Ok! That sounds great! Recording your sessions is very helpful because you (and me) will be able to analyse your playing and progress. Keep on doing it!





Learning some theory behind it is always welcome!! About Pentatonics, you basically need to know that these are 5 notes scales and that the most used are known as Pentatonic Minor, and Pentatonic Major. This is how these are built:


Pentatonic Major: Root - Major 2nd - Major 3rd - Perfect 5th - Major 6th

Pentatonic Minor: Root - Minor 3rd - Perfect 4th - Perfect 5th - Minor 7th


If you don't know what major 2nd, or Perfect 5th is, it means that we need to get into "Intervals" concept. Just let me know!


About being fluent, I was mainly reffering to playing. The idea is that you can play the scale, find it all over the fretboard and identify the chord tones. Which are the chord tones? They are the ones that belong to the root chord. For example, if you are playing A minor Pentatonic, you need to visualize the scale but also be able to see A minor chord inside the scale, as a part of it. Why? Because, these will be the most stable notes when improvising, and the more you get into visualizing chords and scales, the more you'll be able to control your phrasing.





Great! Yes, you can upload smaller sections here to let me check and give feedback!

Posted by: Adam M Dec 15 2018, 08:56 PM

I thought I should write what I know about intervals at this point to keep things run smooth, so here it is:

Intervals are the differences in pitch between two notes.
The smallest difference on fret board is a semitone but you can bend the pitch up by a 1/4 too.
12 semitones make up an octave: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C;, E-F and B-C are semitones, others are whole tones.
There are intervals above the octave - a 9th = octave and a 2nd, etc.
1st, 4th, 5th and 8th are the perfect intervals, consonant.
2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th are dissonant. They can be major and minor.
All intervals can be augmented or diminished which means, they are a semitone higher or lower than usual.

Melodic interval = notes played separately (eg. arpeggio)
Harmonic interval = notes played together (eg. chord)

Chord = two or more intervals combined.
Major 3rd + minor 3rd = major chord
Minor 3rd + major 3rd = minor chord

I'm not sure about these two:
Minor 3rd + minor 3rd = diminished chord (aka. Tritone, some call it the devil's chord)
Augmented 3rd + augmented 3rd = augmented chord

There can be 7th, 9th and 11th chords too, probably more but I wanted to focus on those within an octave.
If I'm not mistaken, they are basically a regular chord with a 7th, 9th, 11th, etc. added to the basic chord, so they can be major and minor as well.

E5, A5, etc. known as power chords aren't technically the chords. They consist of a 5th and sometimes a 4th.

Slash chords: eg. E/B means you play a B major chord with added low E on bass string.

Dissonant chords can be dissolved into consonant but I've never learned it. I know more or less how it looks on a sheet score but I can't do it myself.

Within an octave, you can invert intervals. When looking for a note higher by a minor 6th, you can move down by a major 3rd instead.

Chords can be inverted too. A C major (CEG) can be inverted to EGC and GCE - I never learned how to utilize this while playing!

I also drew a circle of fifth, which helps to memorize the keys - how many flats and sharps are in each key, in what order the amount increases and what is the opposite key (eg. C major and A minor).

I know a few basic chords - what notes they are made of. Basically, I need to spend more time on this and the circle of 5th to be more fluent. I only know the basics here.

Now for the scales, etc.

A minor scale has the same notes as its major equivalent. Minor starts from 6th step of major.

I step is called Tonic - it's a main note of a scale.
IV step = Subdominant - it's the third most important note. Leads to the Dominant and becomes a Dominant when you play the scale backwards.
V step = Dominant - it's the second most important note of the scale.

II and VII steps lead to Tonic and Iirc, they are the least important.
III and VI are leading to V and IV. Also, III is halfway from I to V and VI is halfway from I to IV (when played backwards).

Chords build on I, IV and V steps of a major scale are always major. When build on a minor scale, they are always minor.
Chords built on VII step of major scale and II step of a minor scale are always diminished.
Other chords are minor for a major scale and major for a minor scale.

I also realized, that T-S-D (I-IV-V) chords are corresponding to the perfect intervals. I have no idea if that's accidental and I have no idea how to use this whole knowledge about scales and steps at the moment. I have a little idea about how to use what I know about intervals but I surely need to learn more.

As for modes - I know they are introducing different moods to the melody.
Natural major = Ionian, Natural minor = Aeolian. There's also Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian and Locrian.
Harmonic minor (Aeolian #7) also has modes, most notable is Phrygian Dominant (4 step is raised in comparison to a regular Phrygian mode, iirc). Phrygian major starts at 6th step of Harmonic Major.

I like Harmonic minor and Phrygian major and I'd love to master these two more than any other but I'll be patiently learning and practicing the Pentatonics until you decide I can move on.

PS. Some time ago I found a scale called Harmonic Pentatonic, but there's not much info about this one. Kris played over it in his live stream and said something about it having a 7th step augmented, iirc. Can we give it a try in our Mentoring thread?

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Dec 17 2018, 03:32 PM

Hi Adam! Great idea sharing here everything you know about this concepts. It's a nice reference for us at the mentoring program!

By now, it seems that your theory is ahead your guitar playing so it's time to start to apply all that content into playing and real music.

On a side note, we can work on the Holiday collab here as well. It's a good excuse to practice Pentatonic major scale. So, you have two tasks here:

- Jam video over the blues backing track.
- Jam video over Holiday Collab Backing.

What do you say?

Posted by: Adam M Dec 17 2018, 05:05 PM

I think I nailed today's exams just fine, all that's left for now is my thesis which is less time-consuming. That means, I'll have more guitar practice time now.

I still have 3 basics lessons to turn in. About the Pentatonic practice, I'd even say we can do more: 1 track in minor and 1 track in major for each Collab. I'll also record arpeggiated version of Winter Collab. That's a lot of work, so I'm off to practice now!

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Dec 18 2018, 03:28 PM

Great!! Congrats on your exams mate!

The plan sounds good to me. Enjoy your practice and keep me updated.

Posted by: Adam M Dec 22 2018, 06:14 AM

I came with another update. Much happened lately and not all of it was nice. It feels weird talking about it but I'll do my best to recover ASAP! A glass of whisky and a good sleep can work miracles. If the deadline for Collab is still 3 Jan, I could try submitting. I'll have some time in between work on 27/28, then 31th and 1st. Ideally I'll submit a take or two on the former and there'll be some time for re-take on the latter.

Edit: I took some time listening to Metallica for past 2 days. It's the best kind of therapy for me. I tried playing something my own over the backing track. I didn't check other's videos, so I wouldn't try to copy it subconsciously and then I realized I played something much similar to one of your demos from tips. Is this okay?

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Dec 23 2018, 05:45 PM

Hi Adam!

I'm sorry about the bad things happening. I hope that everything get better soon mate.

Your solo over the backing track is very nice. Those are very tasty phrases and melodies. I'm happy to know that my video helped with some ideas and inspiration!

If you want to polish this one, you could put some focus on expression elements like dynamics, bending, and vibrato. But those are elements that we still have to work here. I would go for this take!

Posted by: Adam M Dec 23 2018, 07:28 PM

Thank you! It seems I needed 2 days to cool down a bit. It'll take some effort but hopefully things will work out fine soon.

I'd love to submit something more technical but I can't do it properly, so I chose to make it simple. I'm glad you like this take. I would go for this as well. I wasn't exactly in a mood for this and I'm happy I did this much at least.

It's not the last Collab, I believe, so I'll try working hard and improve until the next one is up. I'll try doing Bluesy one next.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Dec 26 2018, 03:20 PM

Wise thinking mate. Yes, this is not the last collab. You'll be proud of being part of this one and your take sounds good so why would you miss it?

Let's move forward!

Posted by: Adam M Dec 26 2018, 05:15 PM

I'll submit the audio files tomorrow after work. But I thought I could do something more here. I'll record arpeggios over the mix and then the lick I already posted again, twice. I was lucky to meet Andy James at GC where he was teaching home-recording basics. He said if you record a piece twice and pan one take to left and the other to right, it sounds like a wall of stacks or something like that. I want to give it a try and if it goes wrong, I still have my previous take to submit

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Dec 27 2018, 04:15 PM

That sounds good Adam! Collabs are a great opportunity to try and experiment with new things, so go for it!!

Posted by: Adam M Dec 28 2018, 04:57 AM

I've submitted the files in the Collab thread. I like the dual recording idea, turned out very nice. I also love the way one pattern becomes a background for another pattern. I could go on for another 5 minutes like this! I borrowed the idea from MF's Forbidden City. I want to play the whole piece one day!

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Dec 28 2018, 04:54 PM

Nice!! Thanks a lot Adam!

Posted by: Adam M Jan 1 2019, 07:09 PM

I thought I'd list all my equipment if we're to have lessons about finding the right tone
2 guitars, both H-H pups. One has volume and tone for each pup, the other has master volume and tone + a varitone mod.
My amps are Kustom Arrow 16 DFX and Joyo Zombie.
As for stompboxes: Boss DS-1 with and without Keeley mods (I have 2), TS 808 based overdrive, Behringer 7-band eq which I don't use because of the hiss, Boss DD7, Artec Vintage Chorus and ISP Decimator I.

I have my guitar controls at 6-7, not 10, as most of the tutorials suggested. Kustom amp needs Treble at 6-8 or it's too muddy. I have lows at 5,5 and mids at 4-4,5. For Maiden's kind of tone I roll back lows to around 3 and mids up to 7. I also raised the amp from the floor, as Darius' suggests in his 20 Tips video. Now it's on a chair and there was a noticeable difference.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jan 2 2019, 05:24 PM

Hi Adam! Nice set up mate!

How do you record your guitar for videos?

Posted by: Adam M Jan 2 2019, 08:40 PM

Thank you! For GMC vids, I use my combo because Zombie is too far away - moving it and hi-fi speakers is impossible since they are big and there's not much space otherwise. The combo is on a chair that's about the same height as the tablet I use for recording. Currently I record both audio and video with it.

I ordered a custom 1x12 cab for the Zombie and it should be ready within a week. I thought this is the most important upgrade, since the current speakers could damage the amp's power section or get blown up by it. I had to use it with Phones Out, which is nice only with clean channel.
Next, I want to get the Scarlett 2i2 and maybe Shure 58 for mic'ing the stack sometime later. I still don't like the idea of digital modelling but maybe that'll change over time.

Zombie has a fx loop and Kustom has built-in modulation effects, so I should be okay with playing live too. I think I'll just have to learn to use my effects correctly, so working here to improve my signal chain and order is a great idea.
Lastly, I'll maybe get a webcam if I feel I need one. As long as my current is good enough for GMC, I'll keep it.

Audacity turned out to be really nice when I was mixing the Winter Collab. It's very easy and intuitive

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jan 3 2019, 05:04 PM

Hi Adam!

All those are great plans. I recommend you to get a SM57 since it's the standard for recording guitars. You won't regret it. I think that it's the best mix ever! (for the price).

Recording your guitar connected to a real amp and cabinet must be done with a mic. If not, you are missing a very important part of the sound. If you don't use mic, you need to use some kind of emulator. The easier way would be to use a plug in as I do in some of my lessons. I don't think that using phones output is a good idea for recording if you are planning to become serious about your guitar tone.

Posted by: Adam M Jan 3 2019, 05:17 PM

I'm a bit confused, I keep mistaking these two. Both 57 and 58 are recommended but I guess there's a lot of time before I even save up for that.

I meant to say I'll use the Scarlett only until I get a proper mic. But for practice and jamming I'll probably use the amps. I keep using Phones Out in Zombie for listening only.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jan 3 2019, 05:37 PM

When using Scarlett.. what amp do you use?

Posted by: Adam M Jan 3 2019, 05:46 PM

When I get both Scarlett and a mic, I think I'll be using the Zombie with a 112 cab. That way I'll use the amp's fx loop and probably get better results than stacking all effects before the pre-amp section.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jan 4 2019, 02:34 PM

Yes, that's clear, but my question is... How do you record your guitar for videos and collab? what are you using now?

Posted by: Adam M Jan 4 2019, 04:10 PM

Oh, I'm sorry. I misunderstood your question. Currently I'm using my tablet for both audio and video. The quality isn't the best but I don't have anything better right now.

Edit: Hi! Just a quick update. I've got a lot of work to do over the weekend but I wanted to tell you I've been playing over the Blues Collab backing track today as a part of practice and it doesn't sound so bad. I had no way of recording though, but I'll probably bring in some takes on Monday evening

Edit 2: I was wondering if you had a chance to try out Unidyne 545 mic or its model via some interface. As I discovered, Unidyne was being used by Iron Maiden in their earliest years. After some reading I found out it was a predecessor to SM57. Could you share your opinion on it, please?

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jan 7 2019, 04:15 AM

Hi Adam!

Ah ok, thaks for clarifying! It's not a bad idea to use your tablet by now. It's simple and easy to set up.

Great to know that you are practicing over the blues backing track. I'd like to hear an audio in a few days if it's possible.

Regarding the mic, I honestly never tried it so I can give you any comment about it. I only can say that you can't go wrong if you get a 57. Check out this: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much-gear-so-little-time/368617-shure-unidyne-iii-545-vs-sm57.html

Posted by: Adam M Jan 7 2019, 05:07 PM

Thank you! This thread is interesting to read and I would like to try both, TBH. But I think the SM57 is the safest bet, as you suggest. Maybe in the distant future I'll get a second mic (I saw materials where people do double mic on 1 cab).

As for our tone lab, I tried setting all eq controls to 5 and go from there (I think this should be done before going to another equipment piece) but I don't really know what exactly to look for. The trebles I have to keep above 6/7 or it gets muddy, mids I keep about 5 and bass between 5 and 6. I found a tone I like, I usually use this setting, but I'm not sure if it's technically okay.

Tomorrow I'm going to pick up my new cab, so I will be able to start working with the other amp

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jan 8 2019, 11:41 PM

Everything seems good here! I need to hear to give tone feedback, number are numbers, there is not way to comment about sound without hearing.

Posted by: Adam M Jan 10 2019, 01:40 PM

I got my cab and it's more than I could ask for. It's amazing in every way!

I'll post a demo for each amp soon. I'm almost finished with my thesis chapter but I'll need a few more days. I may be able to post 2nd take for Blues Collab today or tomorrow, though.

PS. My mom loved the final mix for Winter Collab and she'll be happy to watch more of them

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jan 11 2019, 04:06 PM

Congrats mate!! Enjoy it!

Send my greetings to your mom!

Posted by: Adam M Jan 12 2019, 12:10 AM

Thank you!



Here's another take for the Blues Collab. It's not perfect but it's definitely better than the previous one.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jan 13 2019, 06:21 PM

Hi Adam, thanks for the new video!

This is getting better but there is a lot of work to do yet. The first thing that you need is to learn some licks to make them of your own. Learning licks and phrases is like learning to talk when you are a baby. It's a must to be able to communicate through language.

This lesson is a monster class with lots of great licks. What about giving it a try? It can take many time, but maybe in small blocks you can learn a big part of it.

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/30-Beginner-Blues-Licks/


Another lesson that I recommend working is this one:

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


What do you think?

Posted by: Adam M Jan 13 2019, 09:55 PM

Thank you!

If that's okay, I'd like to start with the 30 Licks lesson and submit them in series of 5-6? That way you could give me feedback in between and I would improve a bit with each part, then of course I'll re-record them all in one go for a final version.

Are you able to pick up my tone from those vids? Or should I do the demo with tablet closer to the speaker?

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jan 14 2019, 03:56 PM

Great! Let's go for it mate!


The sound from your video is ok!

Posted by: Adam M Jan 15 2019, 01:00 PM

Do you mean it's "ok" as a starting point or "ok" as it's good and doesn't need improving? I will post my Zombie amp sound soon too.

As for the effects, I know more or less how to set up overdrive and distortion but maybe there are some special tricks?

I guess the noise gate should be set up just to mute the noise when not playing and stop muting once I start playing.

About the chorus and delay, I set them up following Boss' presets (Pedals that make the tone) and I have no idea how each knob works and how to use them to fit my needs. Could you give me some tips to learn it?

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jan 15 2019, 03:21 PM

I think that it's ok for this purpose. Tone is a neverending search and we are always improving our sound because our ear keeps on evolving, and our taste also changes.

There is not one way to use each of the effects and processes that you are listing here and it's a lot better if you experiment by yourself.

Regarding Overdrive pedals, I usually put them before the guitar amp to shape the sound, and sometimes to add a bit of drive and sustain to the amp's drive. However, there are some cases in which I preffer a very clean amp tone and a lot of drive from the pedal. This depends a lot on the pedal, the amp, the guitar and the sound that I'm looking for. One thing that I've learn is that it's always to set drive the lower possible, based on what you need. Let's supose that you need a lot of sustain and distortion for the sound that you want. Once you get the sound, try lowering a bit the drive pot and see if the tone still works. From my experience, it always improves the final result, and you also get a more organic tone, with more dynamics.

There are lots of tutorials, and pedal demos at youtube that I recommend watching to train your ear, learn more secrets and understand how different brands and models work. Check out this one (for example)




About Delay, you need to understand the concept called "Pre" and "post" which means that you can set your effect after or before the preamp of your Guitar Amp. The result is different and I recommend you to find out by yourself the different results that you can get. When talking about delays, the settings are in most of the cases "Time" (speed of the delay, how fast it repeats what you played), "Feedback" (how many times it's repeated), "Mix" (Volume mix between your playing and the effect). Modulators as Chorus and Phases, usually include two settings "Deep" and "Speed". Deep can be understood as the amount of effect, and Speed as the time or tempo of the modulation.

Posted by: Adam M Jan 15 2019, 04:03 PM

Thank you! These vids look great to learn from!

I'll take my time and try to come up with something. Thanks to Zombie's fx loop I'll be able to check the effects both before and after the pre-amp

My free GMC subscription has expired and I've decided to renew it after I'm finished with my thesis because otherwise I'll never get it done. I'll try to practice everyday but I may not be able to reply too often.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jan 16 2019, 02:52 PM

Hi Adam, great to know that the videos helped! Take your time to experiment and feel free to share here tone samples so I can give you my feedback.

All the best with your thesis!

Posted by: Adam M Feb 24 2019, 08:14 PM

Hi! I wanted to update you on my current situation.

As far as guitar is concerned, I tried really hard to implement all the advice from our thread and I'm happy to say that using more fingers for fretting higher notes and bending is now much more natural. And it's become easier too.

As for vibrato, I really like the classical version and any other seems very unnatural - especially bending and unbending with multiple fingers.

I'm starting to position my fretting hand differently - with thumb perpendicular to the neck but for now it only happens on higher strings. When playing on lower strings the thumb is still parallel to the neck. I'm also trying to play thumbless a bit but it's very difficult at this point.

I also found my sweet spots on the chorus controls! About delay pedal, it's okay but mine has many options and I just keep experimenting now and then and see what works for me. I understand their structure (from technical point of view) a bit more but I'll also go more in depth when I have more time for that.

One of my guitars needs rewiring because I made it simple with master volume knob when I installed PAFs just so I can play but it's a mess. The other needs some attention too. The pickups are supposed to be noiseless but when switching to neck, some noise starts to appear. I'll check if anything broke loose there. And it could use some copper foil too, I still didn't have time for that.

About the latest collab, is there anything you think need immediate attention to fix, or do you have any other suggestions?

Sometime ago I got a bit emotional at GMC. I got the news that my only childhood friend is gone now. We didn't exactly talk for past few years because she moved to another town and I guess it's natural. Still, I was hoping for some kind of reunion and there won't be any. I'm still quite sad but I'm finally starting to move on, guitar therapy helped me a lot here. This experience only made me appreciate those around me even more now.

Last but not least, I'm slowly getting to the end of exam session (because of COP 24 all year's schedule had to be changed and that's why it happens so late). I'm thinking I'll pass it but there's a lot of hard work for it. I must study day and night because I'll only have one attempt. It's the last big thing as next semester there's only master's defense and no other exams.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Feb 25 2019, 04:04 PM

Hi Adam, thanks for the update.

I'm really sorry about your chilhood friend. It must be very hard and sad mate.


All the guitar related things sound good to me. It's nice to know that you've been working hard and that you can note improvement in many different things. This is an endless journey.

Regarding your collab take. I like it! You note choices are tasty. There is room to improve your bending, vibrato, and to experiment more with rhythm when phrasing but that's what we are working here, so we are on the right track.

Posted by: Adam M Feb 26 2019, 01:52 AM

Thank you. It really is hard. She was usually the one who used to help me at times like this. She simply forbade me to feel down and hopeless. Also, she was the first person to help me find my own value, bring it outside and be proud of it. With all that said, I'd feel bad just staying idle and drowning in sadness. Playing or even just holding a guitar works like a good therapy for me now.

About guitar related stuff, I would like to discuss an article about Marty Friedman's approach if that's okay. I'll add the link tomorrow, today my mind is still a mess.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Feb 26 2019, 08:29 PM

I understand how hard this is for you mate. I'm sorry.


I'll wait for the link.

Posted by: Adam M Feb 27 2019, 01:29 AM

https://www.musicradar.com/news/marty-friedmans-top-6-tips-for-guitarists

Here it is. I wanted to send it yesterday but I fell asleep in front of my computer.

I'm the most curious about your opinion about part 2 (ditching the scales) but all advice here is pretty interesting.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Feb 28 2019, 02:44 PM

I know what he means. He don't think on scales when playing and improvising. However, this is being said by a musician who studied, played and practiced scales when he was young so I don't see how this can be taken as completely true or helpful.

There are big names like Slash, Jimi Hendrix and even Jeff Beck who made amazing solos without knowing too much about scales. I think that playing only by ear has its advantages but it can be limiting. For me, the best is to find the good balance between learning some scales, and experimenting with our ear. Learning new scales can open new posibilities that maybe we wouldn't imagine. And this can also happen by listening to new music and learning the phrases by ear.

Another concept that he is talking there is "following the chords". This is also very helpful for soloing and it's based on targeting chord tones when making a solo over a chord progression and using other notes as passing tones. This is very powerful, even more than learning scales, but scales are helpful for this too, because they give you ideas on which notes can be used as passing notes.

In other words, there is not one way, you have to find your own way. But don't take too seriously this type of articles that take one phrase out of context and provide a "magic formula".

I extremely recommend you to get into Kristofer Dahl's improvisation lessons. His "Your first phrases" and Jam School series" have a similar concept to what Marty thinks.

Posted by: Adam M Mar 4 2019, 04:32 PM

I think he means thinking beyond the scales here. As you said, he did all that when he was young and I remember Jason Becker mentioning he discovered Hungarian minor scale thanks to Marty. I understood this part as using the scales as tools to learn the sounds and ditching the concept of a scale once you sort of master it and can use them freely, maybe subconsciously.



It's true that you can play amazing music, even knowing just 1 scale. But as you say, it's limiting. I think Kirk Hammett uses mostly Blues scale, Natural minor and Pentatonic and his solos sound nice but it's not what I'd like to end up doing. On the other hand there's Yngwie who knows his scales but he also knows a lot more theory and he can use the ornamentation without worrying it will sound bad. My friend who studies jazz music at Music Academy says that scales are important but he said they are just a theory and the only practical way to learn to apply it is by playing licks.



Is this what happens in the 3rd part of the Anthem Collab or do you mean chords within one key? In the Collab the key changes, I assume, because it's C Aeolian, not Ionian. If it changed to C major, would it be just changing modes or how does this work?


You are right again! But I think the magic formula does exist and it was described in the article. Marty mentioned all the factors that ended up creating his own unique style. I believe while there's no identical formula for everyone, it stays the same for everyone: journey, exploration and discovery. Absorb what you like and reject what you don't. With that said, do you think it's possible to become a real neoclassical shredder and develop rhythmic skills based solely on James Hetfield? I think one would affect the other and I'm not sure if the result would be nice. I do realize that every player, even soloist, should be able to play rhythm guitar as well and for me it's Metallica.



I think his profile even mentions Marty as one of Kris' inspirations. I sometimes watch his Facebook streams but lately I barely have the time to do more than an hour of technical practice, sometimes it's even less. I'll make sure to check his lessons when I'm done with the thesis.

Now I wanted to ask you another thing, related to the Collab. Let's take the 3rd part in the key of A minor. If I wanted to play the Phrygian mode over it, how would work? I think I'd have to use E Phrygian to keep the same notes and the root note would be E? I'll check the Theory section for some introduction to modes when I have more free time but could you explain it a little using this example?

I also wanted to share my recordings with you. On last saturday I went to a Metallica S&M concert with my brother and it was amazing. It's an Ukrainian tribute band but I think Metallica acknowledged them as the official. I've recorded two songs. The video quality isn't good at all but the sound is okay. Hearing it live was a great experience! The band is called Scream Inc and they have their concerts on their YT channel too, if you're interested in the whole thing.





Edit: There's first part of my take for 3rd part of the Collab. COuld you let me know if it's okay to use?

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Mar 5 2019, 05:51 PM

No, by following the chords with thirds I mean to play the third of each chord from the backing when it's sounding. It's not related to modulation which is what's happening on that backing.




I don't understand your question very well. Do you mean if it's possible to play rhythm as Hetfield and play neoclassical shred? It that's the question, the answer is yes! There are lots of metal guitarists that play neoclassical while play trash riffs. Check our Children of bodom guitarist for example.





The chord progression is based on Aeolian mode so that's the best choice by now. Once you are more advanced with improvisation, you could add some Phrygian color here and there but the best choice is aeolian.








Thanks for those Metallica covers links. They sound as good as the originals! Awesome.


Regarding the collab take, yes! Those chords are right and this video and audio can be used for the collab!

Posted by: Adam M Mar 5 2019, 06:31 PM

I see. I need to try experimenting with that. This is a really interesting concept.



I'm sorry if my question confused you but that is what I wanted to ask. I've watched Crossroads recently and the man at the rehearsal said not to serve two masters. He meant Blues and Classical music but I feel the Neoclassical genre is pretty close. If that can work well with thrash, it's a great news for me! I'll check a few Children of Bodom songs. Any specific you can recommend to me?




My question was theoretical, I didn't want to use Phrygian mode in this Collab but I was curious how would that work. From your answer I inferred that switching between modes means basically playing one or two licks in the said mode then going back to the original scale. Did I get it right? I watched a short tutorial about this scale and what I learned is that to build a Phrygian mode is to take the Aeolian mode and make the 2nd step of it flat. This video also said that Phrygian is all about the flat second. Is this correct?

Now that I think about it, this scale is in some way similar to Harmonic minor which is all about the augmented seventh step. Both these scales are built around a half step above or below the Tonic.

I still don't really know how to use it but I'll just practice more basic things and get back to it when you say I'm ready



This time the orchestra was smaller than last year and they skipped a few songs of the original S&M but the show was still inspiring and amazing experience! This band has been touring in Poland for a year but they are doing really great! I'm looking forward to see how they progress in the future


That's great to hear! In this case I'm moving on to the next tracks! I hope I'll finish the whole thing tonight or tomorrow.

I probably overdid it. At this point I have the power chords background I posted before, a rhythmic section and a harmony in 4th to that rhythmic section. I'll think it over and maybe I'll come up with a solution tomorrow.

Posted by: Adam M Mar 8 2019, 08:43 PM

A quick update: I passed this exam!!!!!! Now there's nothing more but thesis defense in July! I'll subscribe to GMC once I get my salary and we'll be able to progress I took a break so I wasn't tempted to spend too much time playing instead of studying.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Mar 10 2019, 03:17 PM

Great news!! Congrats Adam!!!

It’s time for music!!

Posted by: Adam M Mar 11 2019, 03:51 PM

I was thinking about going for your HIM Love Metal lesson once I get the sub. I rarely like all songs on an album but this is one of them. And it's really easy one too I tried figuring out how to play it by watching the vid and in one spot it's much easier to play a different shape starting off a different fret (notes stay the same). Does it automatically fail me if I post such take at REC?

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Mar 12 2019, 05:10 AM

Hi Adam,

That's a nice lesson! Regarding your question, I don't think that it's a problem if is sounds the same. In some cases, changing the shapes or position can give a lesson a different feel or style, but if you don't think that this is the case, you can go for it.

Posted by: Adam M Mar 21 2019, 12:04 AM

Thank you, that's a great news! I don't think this change will affect anything but uncomfortable fingering pattern.

I'm posting one of my overdue videos. I'm really ashamed I had to record these parts separately. This lesson has low difficulty level and I should be able to do it. I really wanted to do it in one go but today I decided that maybe you'll be able to point out whatever I'm doing wrong that keeps me from it. Einstein said that repeating the same actions and expecting different results is insanity and this is exactly what I'm doing here - repeating it over and over again but I have no idea what I should improve to get it done. Maybe we'll finally move forward with this video:



PS. Could you explain a bit about pickups? I feel like it's time for me to learn what are the differences between low, medium and high outputs. I know high-output pups are tailored for heavy-gain and rhythm sections that don't involve much articulation that they don't capture as well as in pickups with lower output. I think medium output is what PAFs or DiMarzio Evolutions are. Based on logic, I think they are quite well balanced but also aren't as good as neither low or high output ones in certain areas. About low output I know literally nothing, only as much as I deduced.

I couldn't find much useful info with Google - the results were mostly about pickup types (single, P90, etc.) and magnets' features that I already know. This is a technical stuff that most players don't think about but I feel that learning the differences could help me use each type in such way to make it shine. I could set up the guitars to use those features to my advantage.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Mar 22 2019, 07:26 PM

Hi Adam, I don't see anything wrong in your video. It sounds good, doesn't it?

In order to get more control, and speed, you could focus on making your right hand movement smaller. An also, I would keep left hand fingers closer to the fret-board when you are not using them. Check out how Ben uses his left hand fingers in the original lesson.

Regarding pick ups, I'm not a specialist, but the difference between low and high output is the fact that you get more "driven" signal so depending on the amp and sound that you want to get, you'll prefer low output (maybe pop guitarist?) or high output (metal guitarist).


There are many youtube videos about this here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=high+output+vs+low+output+pickups

Posted by: Adam M Mar 22 2019, 09:08 PM

Then maybe the issue I'm having is related to playing the whole thing in one go. If these pieces are okay, than maybe it's about losing concentration. I'll give it some more time over the weekend

I know it's better to keep the fingers close but I'm not sure if it can happen in one practice session. Is it okay if I just keep it in mind while playing and hope it will come to me naturally when I get better?

I'm sorry, I should have checked the YouTube too. I assumed it won't be there if Google didn't work for me. I watched 2 of the videos in the link from you and they didn't answer all my questions. I'll try the other after returning home. I'd like to understand not only what genres they work well in but also why they work there but it's maybe too technical knowledge.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Mar 25 2019, 07:04 AM

Yes, being able to play a full lesson or song requires extra attention and focus. This must also be practiced.





Yes, but the best is to dedicate some time to slower practice to be able to control your fingers and keep them the closer possible to the fretboard.




Yes, that’s very technical. I’ve never investigated it.

Check out this link:
https://www.seymourduncan.com/support-pickups-101/understanding-output

Posted by: Adam M Mar 26 2019, 11:29 PM

I'm getting close. It seems the problem lied in switching picking patterns, so when I play each part isolated it doesn't happen.


This will take some time but I've added it to my practice routine. To maximize the result, I practice downstrokes with the picking hand and chromatic scale with fretting hand at a slower tempo that allows me to focus on these objectives


This article is quite informative! I'm not sure if I got this part right but it sounds like a high output pickup will behave accordingly as I turn down the volume on guitar. Until now I used volume knob to keep the signal around 7, so I could get that extra punch and cut through the mix for solo etc. It also cleared up for me how the pickup's type reacts to distortion in a more theoretical way.

I also tried again the Bending lesson you suggested and I'm starting to connect the intervals between notes, steps of a given scale and most importantly, I'm starting to see it on the fretboard - which notes I can bend in a given key and how much I should bend them. And what I shouldn't bend. To be honest, I usually did bending using my ears in a manner to make it sound okay but this lesson showed me that sometimes what sounds acceptable is actually off-key. I know it's common to use the notes outside of scale but I guess it's done by people who understand how to do it right. And in my case I should stick to the key, right?

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Mar 27 2019, 01:57 AM

Great stuff Adam! Everything sounds good here! Regarding your question about bending, I think that it's a good thing to start bending to inside notes to train your ear. There is also something cool that is done for example by Marty Friedman, that is bending from outside notes to scale notes. This is a cool effect and it also works for training your ear.

Posted by: Adam M Mar 27 2019, 11:21 PM

That sounds like a great idea! Up until now I only did that to make up for hitting the wrong notes but I'm interested learning to use it intentionally! Practicing bends seems a bit boring but it definitely isn't. I've had fun in today's session and I'm looking forward for more! Do you know any drills or patterns I could use to make it even more interesting?

I have an idea for the Collab song's lyrics but I'll probably take time at work to write something nice over the weekend. I don't have a computer or guitar there, so I won't get distracted. I'll let you know if I come up with something around Monday

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Mar 28 2019, 05:21 AM

Hi Adam! Great to know that you'll record something for the collab!

Have you done this search?

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/search/friedman+bending/

Posted by: Adam M Mar 28 2019, 11:03 AM

No, I didn't think there would be any lesson on this subject. Thank you!

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Mar 28 2019, 06:53 PM

yeah! There are some bending like friedman lessons by Ben that are amazing!

Posted by: Adam M Mar 29 2019, 02:01 AM

I'll make sure to try these out! I checked a few and they are so similar to the real Marty it's confusing me a bit. Sounds like fun!

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Mar 29 2019, 09:24 PM

hehe yeah! Ben can really capture Marty's style!

Posted by: Adam M Mar 31 2019, 10:37 PM

I'll have to pay closer attention to his lessons, then!

I did some brainstorming at work and I came up with almost whole song. There's the beginning, maybe a prechorus and something chorus-like but I need a few more days because I got the ending but I can't find a way to connect it to the whole. I'll post the whole thing here once I'm done writing and correcting things and we can focus on the melodic line for it. It came to me much easier than I expected!

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Apr 2 2019, 12:51 AM

Great! It would be good if you also share it with Cael since he composed the tune, what do you think?

Posted by: Adam M Apr 2 2019, 11:06 PM

Sure, that's a great idea! I'll talk to him when I'm finished writing

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Apr 3 2019, 03:57 AM

Excellent!!

Posted by: Adam M Apr 17 2019, 09:23 PM

I'm sorry for not writing for a while. I got into a depression and I took a few days off and went to the mountains to think things over without internet and other distractions. It got a little better but I'm neutral about literally everything now. I feel bad about missing the collab, especially since it was my idea.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Apr 18 2019, 08:22 PM

Hi Adam, I'm sorry about this!! I can wait for your take if you can work on it during the weekend!

Posted by: Adam M Apr 20 2019, 12:29 AM

I'll just sit down with a guitar until I get a satisfying take. I've tried recording today but the right e string broke and I changed the whole set. Couldn't do much because they were stretching. I tuned them half step up, as Darius suggested in his tutorial iirc, so tomorrow it should be ready to rock! (After some more stretching, that is).

Does it matter if I'm using a plastic, wooden or alu pick? I mostly use Dunlop Tortex (other materials feel somehow bad and uncomfortable) and alu TecPick. I like the sharp attack of alu but I think it wears down the strings faster than Tortex.

I'm designing my own alu pick and I'll look up some video tutorials on that. If I get anywhere with the project, I'll show you the results Doing artistic things or physical activities helps me much more than any pills at times like this and I somehow just started working on this without thinking too much. I think it's because the satisfaction of a job well done and the effort put in it are bigger than the negative feelings. And when I'm physically tired, I don't have any energy left to feel down.

Posted by: Adam M Apr 21 2019, 12:58 AM

I put a video and mp3 file in the collab thread, hope that's not too late. I gave up on the singing part because that thing I wrote turned out too personal and I scrapped that. It's not that great but I feel I'm making progress in improvising and I had some fun while recording. I didn't think about what to play or even how should I start. Nor did I re-try a few times before getting that one good take. Each take was different and really improvised and I chose one I liked most For earlier Collabs I recorded lick by lick or made few attempts to play one solo well, not anymore!

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Apr 21 2019, 04:00 PM

Nice Adam!! I really like those phrases and how you played it! Well done mate!! It’s not late at all!!

The problem is that I need a mix version to sync your take with the backing, is it possible?

Posted by: Adam M Apr 21 2019, 08:20 PM

Thank you! I'm glad I made it in time.

Here it is. I'll attach a mp3 file in a moment in case you need that one too.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Apr 22 2019, 08:02 PM

Excellent!! Thanks a lot Adam!!

Posted by: Adam M Apr 22 2019, 10:23 PM

I've managed to memorize the opening part of Tornado of Souls' solo and I thought I'd share it with you I have a lot of lessons overdue already and I shouldn't really add another one to the mix - I know there are Megadeth lessons at GMC, even the very solo too. But I feel bad working on many lessons simultaneously because completing any specific one is delayed a bit. I'm hoping to post 2 lessons this week because I'll have more time for practice! The one about picking hand is basically just a matter of recording but I won't consider it done until you say I passed.

Could you please let me know if there are major mistakes that I should focus on ASAP in this video besides phrasing?

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Apr 24 2019, 06:19 PM

Hi Adam! How are you mate?

Thanks for your update! I'm not convinced of the first bend that you are playing for Tornado's solo. The other parts doesn't sound bad at all, maybe the last phrase is could sound cleaner.

Some inspiration!

Posted by: Adam M Apr 25 2019, 01:06 AM

Thank you for asking! I'm much better now but I may need to look for a new group of friends. It feels like I'm a part of them but I'm not at the same time. It's hard to describe. But I got a new hobby to pass time - assembling warships models Listening to Sabaton really makes the atmosphere and when the Bismarck played I grabbed my guitar and eventually figured out the main riff and half of the solo! My mom likes them, so I might pay more attention to their songs in the future.

Thanks for your feedback on the video. Do you mean the opening bend? I'm still learning that lesson and my natural bending is quite bluesy. I'll improve it for sure! I'm not sure if my approach is okay but when learning a new piece I start by getting familiar with the notes' sequence and when I get comfortable with it, I move on to the phrasing. This song is meaningful to me and I won't rest until I learn it whole, so it will get cleaner too

Thank you for the video! I found another one, too. Marty looks very happy there.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Apr 25 2019, 02:23 PM

Hi Adam! That Marty's video doesn't work for me.

Yes, I reffer to the first bend which is not precise. Check out Marty's or Kiko's versions. The other parts are much closer. That's a very tricky solo but it's one of the most amazing metal solos ever! I love it.

Posted by: Adam M Apr 25 2019, 02:36 PM

I'm thinking it's maybe better to focus on the bending and vibrato lessons and when I clear them I'll go back to Tornado and try applying it there. And try the next part maybe if I manage this one well enough. I'm clearly lacking skills in both and I'm not sure if watching just performance videos would help here. I've been working on the bending lesson you suggested earlier and I'm maybe even close to shoot a video

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Apr 25 2019, 04:54 PM

Excelent!! Looking forward your video!!

Posted by: Adam M Apr 27 2019, 09:13 PM

I'll shoot it tomorrow. I wanted to practice as much as I could but I don't seem to improve much with every session. I'll just record what my vibrato is like now and we will have to work bit by bit to improve it. I'm doing way better with the bending lesson but I can't do two-strings-bends well. The high E string is somehow muted. I'll practice some more over night on phone mode but I don't expect to get any better now.

At first I thought I should post the videos only once I can play the lesson and I wasted a lot of time that way. I'm sorry about that and thank you for being patient.

With every attempt at Sabaton's, Friedman's or Becker's piece, or any other, I begin to realize improving these two techniques is a key to play anything at a satisfying level. Breaking through the two barriers will probably let me progress faster in anything else.

Posted by: Adam M Apr 28 2019, 11:22 PM

I did both Vibrato and Bending lessons, well. partially.

I thought there's no point going for the whole lesson if I'm lacking the technique to do it properly.

About the vibrato part:

I'm getting used to bending the string up and down at a slow/moderate speed but I still need hours of practice to get it right. It's better than before but I need your help to advance it.

The wide vibrato - both fast and slow, there was nothing to record. I think it will come naturally once I improve on the more basic version. I can't do it at all at the moment and I really tried for a long time.

Classical vibrato - something is there but it's nowhere near what it should be. I like this one the most but I find it difficult to do it barely audible. I want to believe it's not the fault of my guitar's frets but rather my own. I've found a separate video about this on YouTube by our own Ben. He's really amazing and he does it effortlessly, it seems!

I'll definitely try more of his lessons after I learn the basics. I also found his lesson on YJM's vibrato. It's very interesting but too advanced for me now.

Last but not least, the index finger vibrato. This one is probably one I'm most comfortable with and since I got advice here at GMC to perform this vibrato using the finger as a lever against the guitar's neck, it really improved!

And now to the bending:

I'm used to bluesy bending but I never took time to practice it before joining GMC, so it was a shot in the dark but I think I'm getting the correct pitch most of the time. As I said before, the two-strings bends need the most attention from what I observed. I've noticed the higher string doesn't get muted when I'm using a guitar with higher strings action But it's still not what it should be.

I hope you're not disappointed with this video. I believe I'll make progress faster with your help even if my technique is so horrible that I can't play the whole lessons.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Apr 29 2019, 02:12 PM

Hi Adam, great to see you working hard!

The bending lesson is not souding bad! I would like to hear you playing it over the backing track, maybe at a slower tempo. But you are reaching the right pitches and there are not unwanted noises.

The vibrato section has more issues. There are many unwanted noises and your vibrato is not natural. What lesson are you playing? I would go for a easier one that doesn't combine different type of vibratos.

Posted by: Adam M Apr 29 2019, 05:10 PM

Thank you!

I will start practicing it over the backing track but currently I'm focusing on the double bend part.


These are the lessons you suggested before:
https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Beginner-Bending-Workout/

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Bens-Vibrato-Odyssey-5/

I also found Ben's YouTube tutorials and tried using them to get better understanding:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlY0-YAFta4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAXPuLAs3PU

I found this lesson by Darius and it's on the same difficulty level as the one I've tried before. Should I go for it or is there anything that is more suitable for me? https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Beginner-Vibrato-Workout/

I'm aware of the string noise issue but I don't know how to eliminate it. Is the vibrato I'm doing in the video okay besides it or is there something wrong about it too?

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi May 1 2019, 04:49 AM

I think that it's a good idea to practice that bending lesson (the first that you play in the video) over the backing track, because you are playing it a lot faster and without reaching the right pitches. Maybe playing them over the original lesson can work as well. I also notice that you are playing it with more strength and that makes it sound aggressive and nervous. If you play it more relaxed, some of the unwanted noises will disappear, while others should be muted with the palm of your right hand (muting the lower strings).

Does it make sense?

Posted by: Adam M May 3 2019, 12:11 AM

I will give it more time and attention, as you suggest. I've had quite a lot of stress lately and some of it found its way to my fingers when I'm playing but I'm not going to pretend I don't need more practice because I do and I feel it. Eliminating the excess tension could take some time but with reglar practice I will eventually learn get it.

Could you please recommend me a lesson to keep practicing vibrato along bending?

For some reason I get worse results when in front of a camera but that's just another reason to practice more! I should start working to eliminate stage fright if I want to do guitar busking in the future.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi May 3 2019, 06:22 PM

What about this one?

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/neoclassical_solo_for_beginners/

Posted by: Adam M May 3 2019, 07:36 PM

We've started with this one and then you suggested me the lessons I linked above but I'll be happy to re-do it since it didn't go well and see how much I've improved since then

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi May 4 2019, 05:58 PM

yes! It's the best choice so getting back to it from time to time is not a bad idea.

These two are also cool to work on feeling:

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/The_tasty_etude/

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Your-First-Metal-Solo/

Posted by: Adam M May 4 2019, 08:42 PM

It should be easier to focus on technicalities because I can play this lesson more or less from my memory. The other two lessons seem nice too! I'll keep you updated on my progress!

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi May 7 2019, 01:53 PM

Great!

Posted by: Adam M May 13 2019, 12:10 PM

I should be able to submit my take/-s before the deadline. I'm having a bad time with my thesis, as I have to submit it on Wednesday and I forgot about it since last semester, so I've cut all distractions possible to focus on writing.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi May 13 2019, 01:46 PM

Hi Adam, thanks for the update! There are still 5 days to go!

Posted by: Adam M May 15 2019, 07:31 AM

I'll review my recordings today, after I get some sleep, and I'll get back to my usual practice routine today, so it's possible I'll have a take or two to submit today!

Lately I'm really unsure about what should I practice besides the lessons you've recommended. I usually try learning or improving bits from songs I like along with the regular exercises but now I'm a bit confused. As I said before, I like both thrash and neoclassical genres. Iron Maiden, especially their early era, and Sabaton are a great influence and inspiration for me as well. Does it make sense to practice all of it, depending on what I feel like playing at the moment or is it better to focus on one of the bands/styles and learn their songs before moving on?

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi May 15 2019, 02:00 PM

Hi Adam! Nice to know that new videos are coming!

About extra practice, I think that the best is to practice the things that keeps you having fun and motivated. If you feel that you need some structure to get the more of this time, you can divide your time in two blocks and work on both Maiden and Sabaton music. During my early practice days I used to have some kind of practice repertoire. In other words I had songs that I've learnt and practice every day to keep on polishing them. During my first years, the songs were by bands like Guns and Roses, Nirvana, Ramones, Kiss, then I could switch to Iron Maiden, and more metal bands, to finally get into Yngwie Malmsteen, Blues Saraceno, Satriani, Vai, and Dream Theater.

It's always good to learn to play full songs since this puts you in a real music situation where you have to switch from lead to rhythm as it happens when you are playing with a band.

Posted by: Adam M May 15 2019, 07:41 PM

Thanks, that's a great advice! I practice different songs to avoid getting bored because I'm not as enthusiastic about practice while I'm bored but I wasn't sure if it's optimal for making progress. I know lots of bits and pieces by now but I can't play a one song from start to finish. I'll try to change this soon

I'm really close to play whole:
*Nothing Else Matters (I focused on the fingerstyle part, so I don't know the distortion parts)
*Bismarck (I memorized the riffs and got the timing but it still needs practice as a whole piece + I can't play the second part of the solo)
*Hallowed Be Thy Name (I often play its riffs as a warm-up and I can match the tempo but some transitions between riffs are hard and Dave's solo is still too big for me I could handle Adrian's with some practice, though)
*HIM's Love Metal ballads (I tried the songs and the riffs are mostly easy and I probably could do it with just some practice)
*Phantom of the Opera (I'm familiar with the riffs and lately I started learning Murray's first solo but the issue here is the high-octane tempo that tires my hands quickly)

Could you give me some advice on any of these?

I think it's a good idea to start learning the whole songs already. About switching between lead and rhythm, I think Iron Maiden is an exception because each guitar's part has some lead to it. But that's a good thing because as you said being able to switch between roles is important and underestimated skill.

PS. I'm very happy to say everything went fine at the university! I was a bit nervous but my professor is a great person! I'll just have to put more effort to finish the whole thesis by 12th June and things will work themselves out

PS2: I ordered Vai's guitar theory book and it should arrive tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it! I'm very enthusiastic about being able to ditch the tabs and switch to score sheets and judging by what others say, it's something I'll learn from it for sure!

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi May 16 2019, 01:49 PM

Hi Adam!

That's a very nice list! I would try to learn all those songs complete to have a repertoire that can keep growing. The easier songs from that list are Nothing else matters (You could learn all distorted parts and then the solo) and Him's song. I would start with these two ones and then complete the others that seem a bit trickier.

Congrats about moving forward at the University! I'm sure that you'll finish your thesis successfully!!

About Vai's book. I'm a big fan of his work, I surely know the concepts covered but I want to get it. His approach to things is always inspiring.

Have you seen these videos?

Posted by: Adam M May 16 2019, 05:15 PM

I realized there is a much better way to play some parts of the Hallowed, that make transitioning easier but I also learned there is still much practice ahead before I can play just the rhythm sections. It's a matter of time but I'm sure we'll make it!

I could focus Nothing Else Matters for now and start polishing it once I can play the whole song. Him is a bit harder than it looks but I think I'll go for your lesson at GMC for a start. It sounds great and is simple enough for a beginner!

The book arrived and it's really great. It has some things I've known for a while but they are ordered, more detailed and most of all, there's a practical application!

I'll watch this video in the evening when I'm home. I can always expect to learn new things when I find one of those

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi May 20 2019, 02:28 AM

Hi Adam! Everything sounds great!

I think that focusing on “Nothing else matters” and Him style lesson can be a good idea. I have to re-check that Him song because I thought that it was close to my lesson.

About the book, great news!! Enjoy it. I’m sure that you’ll learn a lot from it and that you’ll feel inspired.

Keep on the great job here!

Posted by: Adam May 20 2019, 11:11 AM

Hi! Thank you!

I'm trying the Nothing Else Matters riffs now, followed by the solo and it's going pretty smooth. I'll post a recording of the clean part before mixing it all together because I'm not sure if I'm doing it properly.

About the Him, I didn't mean any song in particular because they all are of similar difficulty. I'll just listen to the whole album and pick one or two that seem easy.

I also realized I could record a cover of Breaking the Law anytime now. I don't listen to Judas Priest but I realized this song is really easy and simple.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi May 20 2019, 03:06 PM

I was thinking on this song:

Posted by: Adam May 20 2019, 04:09 PM

I like this song. The video you posted is blocked in Poland but I have it on CD as well I haven't heard it in years, so hearing it now brings back the memories. Say no more, I'm on it!

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi May 20 2019, 04:30 PM

Great!

Posted by: Adam May 28 2019, 09:21 PM

Here I thought I would be uploading this cover tonight but it turned out the tabs I was using are a bit out of sync with the original. I'll probably try playing it along with the song with my earphones tomorrow to make sure I get it right this time.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi May 29 2019, 02:57 PM

Ok! It's a very good idea to use your ears to fix possible tabs issues. Go for it!

Posted by: Adam May 30 2019, 02:23 PM

I found another video on Tornado of Souls but this time it shows the learning process. I think it's VERY interesting to watch because until now I've only had my own perspective of learning. It terrified me how he could tell the Locrian Mode right away by just hearing it! He also recognized Harmonic Minor so fast. This scale has distinct tone to it but I would have to break it down and probably play it as a box pattern to identify it.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi May 31 2019, 04:14 PM

That's an excelent video! It's very easy to learn and follow the solo from it and it's also a very good ear training. Good job finding it!

Posted by: Adam Jul 25 2019, 02:43 PM

Thank you for the suggestions! I'll copy your post in here to have it easily accessible in our thread.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jul 25 2019, 02:46 PM

I can add more lessons over or below the level of these ones, just let me know if you need it.

Posted by: Adam Jul 25 2019, 03:00 PM

I think we have plenty to work on for now. I had to take a long break from playing guitar at all, so making up for the lost time could take a while.

I was thinking, maybe You could paste all the lessons we started to the first post, so it's easier to keep track of? I know there's a lot of them and I didn't even finish one of them yet. But that's all the more reason to work harder!

I think if I was to take on any more lessons, it would be definitely on the same level or below until I get the hang of it.

I made a list of all the lessons I'm working on:

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

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Beginner-Bending-Workout/

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Bens-Vibrato-Odyssey-5/

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/30-Beginner-Blues-Licks/

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

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/The_tasty_etude/

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Your-First-Metal-Solo/

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Bending-from-Outside-Notes-Marty-Friedman-Style/

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/neoclassical_solo_for_beginners/

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Him-Style-Love-Metal/

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jul 27 2019, 09:22 PM

Hi Adam, I've just copied this list of lessons to the first post. Is that what you've asked for?

Posted by: Adam Jul 28 2019, 06:57 PM

Yes, thank you very much!

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jul 28 2019, 07:03 PM

You're welcome!!

Posted by: Adam Aug 1 2019, 01:21 AM

I was thinking, maybe we could update my Lessons Log in that post, both completed and in progress, if that's not much of a problem for you.

I just wanted to keep you updated about why things progress so slowly on my side: I'm practically done with university now, just minor changes in thesis to make, but I had to re-organize my room and throw away what I no longer need. I want to adapt the room to be a bedroom studio while at it, so it takes a lot of effort. There's a lot to look through.

Also, my collab bits should be up soon-ish.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Aug 2 2019, 03:29 PM

Sure! I can add it. Please share the current status here and I'll copy it.

Posted by: Adam Sep 14 2019, 12:00 AM

I tried it for some time and I know this won't pass REC but probably the only way to pass eventually is to submit fail videos and learn from them.

I found some more lessons that are simple enough for me but I'll try at least pushing the ones I'm already on. I'm happy to say I submitted my finished thesis and I'm waiting for the advisor's response, so it's officially OUT OF THE WAY! I can focus on things that actually matter to me now!

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 15 2019, 09:51 PM

Hi Adam!! Congrats on submitting your thesis! 😊

I can see that your take on Picking hand basics is not bad at all. You are getting closer. Remember that you need to record yourself over the backing track for REC. It’s important to know that the main purpose of sharing takes at REC is to receive feedback from different instructors, so go for it!

Posted by: Adam Sep 16 2019, 10:35 AM

Hi! I've submitted it for REC, as you suggested.I know it's not a passing take but as you say, the feedback I get is the only way to improve Moving on to another lesson while I'm waiting!

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 17 2019, 02:21 PM

Excellent! I'll grade it there. I've also seen that you shared takes for the collab! Well done mate!!

Posted by: Adam Sep 18 2019, 12:01 AM

Thank you!

I should be have the cover of HIM tomorrow if nothing goes wrong! It all really goes much smoother since I got thesis out of my head.

I was really impressed by your response video to Onetabmat's take in the Collab. I'm not sure if it's the YJM vibe or something else but I'd really love to get to that point in my own playing. The only way is to work hard learning basics one by one and no shortcuts, isn't it? I tried learning sweep picking without these basics and I only wasted my time, so now I'm taking the long way and hope for the best

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 18 2019, 02:45 PM

Yes Adam! The secret is to practice every day. I've been a big fan of Malsmteen when I was starting to play the guitar so my main focus was to learn his licks and techniques. Then, I continued learning and exploring guitar. But his style is part of mine.

Posted by: Adam Sep 18 2019, 03:39 PM

Being able to play like YJM, or in this genre in general is my long-term goal. I'm trying to listen to Classical music every day, learning theory bit by bit, I've got quite far in Todd's Bootcamp and I'm practicing the lessons on our thread's front page and this is my practice routine, if that's the appropriate name. I don't have a fixed schedule.

If I understood Mr Vai correctly, Learning with guitar is as important as learning without it. His book is a real gem and lately it comes in really handy!

Thank you for the response in REC thread. All is clear and I'll move on to practicing it the way you recommended. I will update my progress accordingly.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 20 2019, 03:33 PM

That sounds great mate! Let me know when you are ready for a new routine!

Posted by: Adam Sep 20 2019, 10:56 PM

There's always the right time to make changes and I'm fired up and ready

I shoot a HIM video but apparently the tab file and the song's tempos are a bit different. I'll try again I guess.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 21 2019, 06:16 PM

Great! Could you please make a list here with all the GMC lessons that you've worked and the current status?

Posted by: Adam Sep 21 2019, 09:48 PM

Of course! It's actually the same list you have posted in the first post of the thread. I've done 2 attempts at Picking Hand Basics, 1 attempt at Neoclassical Solo and currently I'm working on Picking Hand Basics and Vibrato lessons. I've only passed the Neoclassical lesson but there was a lot of feedback and room for improvement in the REC thread, so I'm going to re-try it when I improve my vibrato at least.

As for the other lessons, the non-technical ones, if I have some extra time I try to take a while and play one of these chosen at random but it's nothing I could submit for REC or here. I still need some more time

Posted by: Adam Sep 22 2019, 08:27 PM

Hi! Here is my cover of HIM, take one. I know I missed a few strokes and got the timing wrong in few cases but this is me playing blindly over the real song, with no tabs on screen to follow. I know I need more time practicing this song but I thought I'd share anyway. How does this look, besides the mistakes I've listed above?

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 23 2019, 02:51 PM

Hi Adam! Thanks for the list. I thought that we had more lessons. So please remind me every time that we need to update that list.

I've checked your take on Him's song. The first thing that I note is that your guitar is not well tuned. Besides this, you are on the right track with it, you just need to focus more on the sound of your palm muting, and making timing more precise.

I would like to suggest this lessons for the next days:

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Bens-Land-Of-Legato/

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Basic-Rock-Rhythm-2/


What do you think?

Posted by: Adam Sep 23 2019, 03:53 PM

I too thought we had more lessons. Speaking of which, the two you suggested are cool and I'll be happy to add them to my practice list!

As for the tuning, I should have made sure it is tuned properly just before recording but I have been playing for about two hours on that day and I simply forgot about it.

I really like how Ben has managed to make technical lessons and yet make them all melodic and pleasant to do! I noticed his vibrato is legendary even here at GMC

Should I keep practicing the HIM song every day even if just for a while or should I save it for later when I'm done with the lessons?

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 24 2019, 01:31 PM

Sure! Keep me updated mate!

Posted by: Adam Sep 25 2019, 10:29 PM

I did an attempt on these two lessons just to see and it will take some time, of course, but I can manage it. Could you add these to the list?

I had some more time for playing today but I wanted to do something else for a change and I revisited MF style bending lesson by Ben. I tried practicing chromatic bends by a half-step from outside the scale. No backing track, so I can hear if I'm hitting the correct pitch and so I can just get used to this concept. It was definitely something different than what I usually do but I can already tell: I absolutely love how big of a change it makes, even in my slow and careful playing. I'll definitely keep coming back to this from time to time and add it to my technique arsenal! Bending up by 3 semi-tones sounds really fun!

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 26 2019, 02:39 PM

Added!! Great job working on bending like MF! This is a very cool element to add into your phrasing, but it's also a great way to train your ear and technique. Keep going!

Posted by: Adam Oct 4 2019, 10:33 PM

Thank you! This is a fun challenge and I will work hard to master this technique!

I have recorded a video of Picking Hand Lesson but I was in a hurry before going to work, so I will post it when I get back home. I did my very best to focus on relaxing both my hands as much as I could to minimize the right hand movements and also on accenting the first note of each group. With this, the lesson's difficulty has increased up to 6-7 in my head.
I made a point for myself to continue improving on each lesson I tackle until my take gets rated 10/10. The more takes I do, the more fluent I get at playing any lesson, so after clearing the basic requirements, it will be easier to focus on new elements in it, so I can get the most out of it. Being rated under 10 means there is a room for improvement and learning.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Oct 7 2019, 03:02 PM

Hi Adam! I agree with this but I would only keep the lessons that you enjoy practicing. If you get bored of a lesson that didn't reach 10 level you can go for another one. Reaching a 8 or 9 grade sometimes can be enough. But it's great to put high goals, go for it!

I'll wait for your picking lesson take!

Posted by: Adam Oct 7 2019, 06:14 PM

I was thinking to do just like you say, having a few lessons that I practice but as I keep playing, I improve and it's always worth to revisit an old lesson with new abilities and see how much I improved, just like you requested that I revisit the Neoclassical Solo

I have been practicing my MF bends but I also discovered MF's Introduction and Scenes albums and I am enchanted by them both! I see there are lessons for both Eras at GMC but I will stick with my current plan for now.

In my recent REC thread I was suggested to work on accenting the notes and relaxing my both hands (I DM'd Kris about some details and he has been thinking about recording a lesson about that!) I found this lesson:https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Tightness_Etude/ and I think it's a good one to practice accenting, relaxation and minimizing the picking hand movement. Could you add it to our list on the front page?

I will try to record a fresh take for the Picking Hand lesson because the video file for my previous one turned out to be corrupted and wouldn't open.

Here is my today's video. It's not what I would like it to be but I hope it's an improvement since the last take.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Oct 8 2019, 02:58 PM

Hi Adam, thanks for the video!

I can see that you are getting more comfortable but there is still work to do in order to improve both dynamics and hands relaxation. The lesson includes different rhythms and speeds so it can be helpful to isolate each rhythm and work on it at a comfortable tempo with metronome to polish dynamics, and then play the whole thing again.

I think that Lian's tightness lesson is a very good choice for you since it's close to "Picking hand basics" so I'll will add it to the list now!

Keep on the good job mate!

Posted by: Adam Oct 21 2019, 11:37 PM

Hi!

I'm starting to hit the notes subconsciously, that's how much time I've spend playing this lesson, but thanks to that I can now focus on the lesson's essentials. Isolating the tempos is a great idea and seems to be just what I needed to move on!

I've also been practicing "Friedman" bends and I'm absolutely loving it! Not only did the out-of-scale element make playing interesting but I'm also memorizing the fretboard a bit better thanks to it. I think my vibrato got stronger by just using that MF technique. Before I knew it, I absorbed it into my arsenal and I'm having so much fun doing it, that it's probably illegal! I practice this whenever I get a chance to throw that into just anything. I just shoot 2 videos for Todd's Quick Licks where I use it. I'm still a bit uncomfortable with the low and high E string bending or vibrato (because they are at the edge of the fretboard) but I really made a lot of progress I'll share the videos here as well:

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Oct 23 2019, 01:22 AM

Hi Adam!!

Those videos are very impressive!! You playing sounds very good mate. Congrats on your great job with Todd!!

The only thing that I would like to suggest is to try to keep your left hand fingers closer to the fret board when playing the second lick. Notice how the right hand fingers movement is not small there. Fixing this will help you with future and faster licks.

Posted by: Adam Nov 7 2019, 07:53 PM

I finally got my master's degree and it doesn't change my life one bit but I'm extremely happy it's finally over! It's a huge weight off my shoulder. And I picked up my new guitar from a luthier today, so you might see it in my future Collab takes and lessons
I bought it some time ago but it needed a proper set-up and I was on a tight budget back then. He also re-wired it for me, like those 2-humbucker Ibby's are (with a 5-way switch). I'll try recording a demo because it's well worth it!

I also would like to ask if you could help me learn one tune from AI: Somnium Files. It sounds simple but I don't have experience tabbing things by myself. I've managed to get the first two bars already but this scale is weird, none that I'm used to or it uses notes from outside a scale.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Nov 8 2019, 02:42 PM

Hi Adam!! Congrats mate!! I know that you worked/studied a lot to get it!! Well deserved!!

Let's get back to practice!

I'm checking that song and yes, it combines different concepts so it mixes at least 4 minor scales: Aeolian, Harmonic Minor, Locrian and Blues Scale.

The first part's progression is:

Bm - F# - Bm - F
Bm - F# - Bm - F#
Em - F# - Em - F#
G - F# - G - F#

The scale use over Bm is B minor (aeolian), then they switch to B harmonic minor over F#. The chord F appears as a modal interchange and the scale there is B locrian. Then, over the passage Em - F#, the scale is again harmonic minor, as well as over G and F#, but they also uses a chromatic passage that adds the b5 (blue note).

Does it make sense?

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/scalegenerator

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/scalegenerator

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/scalegenerator

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/scalegenerator

Posted by: Adam Nov 15 2019, 06:54 PM

Thank you!

It makes a lot of sense the way you analyzed it. I have yet to learn how transitioning between modes and scales works. The way I tried it was taking out the notes and I got a Japanese scale with one extra note which made me realize it's more complex than that A Japanese scale makes sense, because it's a theme of Yakuza, but as I learned, this can be achieved by using multiple modes as well.

I've been getting comfortable with these scales and keys (I tried soloing over G and F# backing tracks for some time because I rarely use these keys and I wanted my ears to get familiar with them.

It will take some time but I feel I'm making progress.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Nov 16 2019, 09:55 PM

That’s interesting! I’ve never learned that japanese scale. I wonder if it’s cover in our Exotic Scales series, have you seen them?

Posted by: Adam Nov 24 2019, 06:50 PM

I'm sorry for the late reply! I was certain I posted it already!

I noticed Hirajoshi scale got more attention, as far as lessons at GMC are concerned but I took some time and analyzed both and got some interesting information.

Hirajoshi and Kumoi/Japanese scales have both the same sounds. One is a mode of the other, starting at the fifth (interval) of the other, Hirajoshi being the main scale, if I remember correctly. Aeolian starts from the sixth of Ionian mode, so that's one difference.

Japanese music conceptions describe one as Male and the other as Female, I think Kumoi was the Male one. That is probably a thing born from dualism philosophy, like Yin-Yang.
There's not so much of Golden Ratio and Eastern music is a bit more asymmetric. Probably this is why their scales don't use regular trichords.

They don't really have a 7-step scales like we do, but I'm curious what kind of tetrachords they would use if they did. But traditional Japanese instruments are Koto and Shamisen, the latter has only three strings, so they wouldn't be able to use Western scales to the fullest with that.

Hirajoshi and its mode, Kumoi, can be derived from Natural Minor scale, just like Pentatonics. It's interesting how the Japanese don't include sub-dominant ((IV) and sub-tonic (VII). Western music pays more attention to sub-dominant, but as I said, Western conception loves symmetry.

With that said, you can use Minor Pentatonics where you can use Aeolian mode. Should I assume it's the same for Hirajoshi and Kumoi scales? I suppose the chord progression would have to meet some conditions but I'll try playing those over some Aeolian backing tracks when I get back from work

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Nov 25 2019, 02:42 PM

Hi Adam! Interesting stuff here!!

I know both scales because it was said that Marty Friedman used these scales. That’s why I think they became popular among shredders. I tried them a bit but never went too deep so your post really taught me. 😊

Keep on experimenting with new scales.

On a side note, have you ever heard Steve Vai’s Alive in an Ultra World?

Posted by: Adam Jun 27 2020, 09:13 PM

I'm not a big fan of non-instrumental music but that song is pretty good.

I have a question about HIM style lesson: Do I need to upload a video for each track if I can't put multiple videos in one screen? I will probably be ready to post the rhythm part (palm muted with distortion) soon.
I've been through a lot for past weeks and I barely could grab the guitar and do daily 15 minutes of exercise but I think I'm getting comfortable enough to record a take on HIM lesson for evaluation.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jun 29 2020, 03:15 AM

Hi Adam! Can you upload a video with all takes one after the other?

Posted by: Adam Sep 4 2020, 03:42 PM

Hi! I'm working on it but seems I'm camera shy. When I'm just playing it for practice, it's all fine but as soon as I start recording, I also start making mistakes... Each try goes worse than previous one and I eventually turn off recording and go back to practice.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 4 2020, 04:34 PM

What about practicing in front of your camera?

After some days/weeks, it will became a normal situation.

Posted by: Adam Sep 4 2020, 04:43 PM

I've been trying to do that but with every mistake I lose some of my focus and get a bit irritated. Essentially, the longer I keep practicing, the more mistakes I make and eventually I just go for some other exercise or turn off the camera. And the camera has limited amount of space that I easily meet after playing in front of it for too long.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 4 2020, 04:50 PM

Ok, let's work on this. Don't feel bad about this, it's very normal. I also experiment REC bottom syndrome and I can assure you that most of us (guitarists) experience it.

Let's do an exercise. What about posting here daily videos (not necessary every day, you can share 3 per week) just playing whatever you want. It can be the easiest lick, riff or idea that you know, it can be the first song you've learn... The vids don't need to be perfect, you can share them with errors, or wrong notes.. you can also set them as unlisted at youtube if you don't want other people finds them.

We won't use this to monitor your practice by now, we'll use it as an experiment... what do you say?

Are you in?

Posted by: Adam Sep 4 2020, 07:27 PM

It sounds interesting. Might actually work for me.

I did today's video and started a separate thread for the experiment. Maybe knowing others can see it will work even better for me.

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=61261

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 5 2020, 04:18 AM

Excellent!! Your thread will inspire other students as well! Congrats!

Posted by: Adam Sep 6 2020, 11:16 PM

Thank you. It would feel great if it did help anyone.

I've posted another video. I tried adding a backing guitar over it but I've recorded leads along the original song and the backings over the tabs. The tabs got the wrong tempo and it doesn't fit at all. Do you think it's worth re-doing some time later or should I pick another piece already?

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 7 2020, 02:02 AM

Hi Adam! Great to see a second video!

Whatever you do will be ok. You can re-record it or you can go for a new one. These vids are only to get used to record.

One question.. why aren't you using your left hand thumb to hold the neck in the new video?

Posted by: Adam Sep 7 2020, 07:53 AM

I went for some Nightwish this time. I enjoy playing their old songs and don't think too much while at it, so i thought it would do the job There might be more Nightwish pieces coming in the future.

I'll redo it because it sounded really nice with two tracks, the part that was synced well.

Is it bad I'm not using the thumb? I picked it up at Todd's Bootcamp. I don't really understand it myself but I do it instinctively. It's the one thing that helped me get this far in the Bootcamp. In some situations I need the thumb but it happens the less often the more I practice his drills. Todd may be able to explain it in more details. I'm sorry I can't be of help.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 7 2020, 02:25 PM

Hi Adam! Nice! Nightwish sounds are cool for practice. They have amazing riffs and metal rhythms. It will definitely help you with your guitar progress. Let me know if you need any help with the songs.


Is it bad I'm not using the thumb?

It's not a common practice, but I'll ask Todd about the reason or objetives behind it. Don't worry.

Posted by: Adam Sep 7 2020, 10:20 PM

Nightwish is one of the first bands I listened to and it's been there with me until now, so it's also a bit special to me.

Actually, I don't feel too confident about repetitive picking, like 16th notes, gallop, etc., on one string with or without added notes such as this: (the intro riff)



I just keep losing my focus and mess up the patterns sooner or later. If there's a pattern and scale runs, it's just fine but picking one note for too long doesn't go too well for me.

Posted by: Todd Simpson Sep 7 2020, 10:47 PM

Thumbless technique is just about reducing overpressure created by clamping down too hard while using the thum on the neck. It forces the hand to just use the finger tips. One can't clamp down too hard without the fulcrum the thum provides. It can always be added back later as a guide. I still use the technique myself during fast bits when I want a light touch.

Todd

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 7 2020, 11:02 PM

Amazing song!!! I could see them live during Once's World Tour.

Well, the first thing that you need to be able to play is open G sting in 16th notes. From what I can hear, that guitar is in Standard D tuning, so this is a riff that keeps open 3rd string (the sound is F) as a pedal note.

I've prepared 4 "warm up" exercises based on this riff so you can work on them to get used gradually to it. Please try them, work at a very slow tempo, over the GP file or metronome and let me know what happens.





 Nightwish_Warm_Up.gpx ( 21.38K ) : 51

 Nightwish_Warm_Up.pdf ( 39.74K ) : 58

Posted by: Adam Sep 8 2020, 08:44 PM

I was around Middle School age when they did End of an Era. I wish I was there or at any other concert with Tarja or Anette. You were so lucky!

I keep my SG in D tuning, so it should be fine. The exercise isn't that hard when I do it slowly, carefully and with somewhat focus. That kind of picking appears a lot in Finnish and not just Finnish power metal songs, so learning that would open a whole new world for me.

I added another video in the experimental thread but for some reason, it's not displayed nor listed as the "latest".

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 9 2020, 02:14 PM

Yeah! It was nice to see them with Tarja! It was a killer show, very energetic, and it was in one of my favorite places to see bands live here.

Great to know that you are playing the exercises. If possible share a video or audio here so I can check how the exercises are going.

I'm checking your experimental video in a moment. That forum issue is now fixed.

Posted by: Adam Sep 9 2020, 04:30 PM

I can imagine how good it was!

I'll try posting them in here or in the other thread when I get some more practice!

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 9 2020, 05:04 PM

Perfect! The video doesn't need to be perfect. Let's use it as a part of the experiment.

Posted by: Adam Sep 9 2020, 09:48 PM

Okay then!

I posted one for today. I didn't have much time to think or act, so I've recorded the first thing that came to my mind. I used my old amp today, so the sound may be a bit off (I only used its stock sound, no effects).

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 10 2020, 02:11 PM

Don't worry. The idea is that you share vids every day if it's possible. You can play/record the first thing that comes to mind, it can even be an improvisation. You amp sound is ok for this purpose.

Posted by: Todd Simpson Sep 11 2020, 04:31 AM

here is a quick video of "THUMBLESS TECHNIQUE" in action. It's also a "pickless" demo. So no thumb and no pick Give it a try!!




Here is an example of using THUMBLESS TECHNIQUE to get a longer stretch/reach. Without the thumb on the neck, the hand can reach more frets imho.



It's not exactly proper techique, but I've found it very useful. GABE I think I've seen you do this type of thing now and then? Also, maybe KEN?

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 11 2020, 03:05 PM

Cool vids Todd! I've never been into this or at least I don't remember it.