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Cosmin Lupu
Hey my friend smile.gif needless to say, this thread here belongs to...YOU biggrin.gif thanks for choosing me!

Tell me a bit about yourself, your playing/ sources of inspiration and your future musical plans, please, so we can start rockin' wink.gif

Cosmin
Scorpiotic
Ok cool smile.gif

I've been playing guitar for about 6 years, with varying interest/motivation/progress...
Inspiration comes from a wide specter of bands/artists, from soft rock like John Mayer to harder bands like Children of Bodom and Slipknot. Recently had increased interest in prog metal (Dream Theater and Beyond the Bridge in particular) and also orchestral/epic metal (Delain, Hammerfall and Kamelot would be examples). Also, bands like Anberlin, Avenged Sevenfold (quite a devoted fan of their music) Disturbed, Alter Bridge (saw ur lesson on them, look'em up and now about 10-20 songs of theirs fills my ipod tongue.gif ) and Three Days Grace are bands that have inspired me over the years. The list goes on and on, and varies over weeks. Some days Anberlin is all i listen too, then suddenly Dope and Disturbed is what keeps my ears busy...

These days my guitar playing is limited to the GMC lessons and a few "spur-of-the-moment" recordings. I can never seem to finish a song. I will get a really cool riff in my head, recording in, and through the process of adding bass, drums and putting it all together, the interest and inspiration slips away and another project is ended half-way... really hoping to get to the finish line at some point tongue.gif

My future plans; the dream (and here goes unoriginality) is to play in a band, full-time as my job. However, right now I'm content with developing my abilities as a guitarist and songwriter, sort of making materials for when the time to form a band that will stand the test of time comes. I've been in a few bands, never lasted long though; some where school projects, other bands were formed to participate in school and festival talentshows, but never really went beyond that.

As with my inspiration and the bands I listen to, what I want to write is all over the board. I just can't seem to decide what kind of genre i'm better at writing or what i enjoy the most. Of course one can write anything, but thinking forward about forming a band at some point, the material needs to be cohesive in some way so that all the pieces (songs) compliment each other to make an understandable image that listeners can relate to easily without being "confused"

A bit of rambling on there, maybe a bit more than you wanted, I get carried away with thoughts when I write hehe
Well, thats about where I stand now...

As I mentioned in the first message i sent you, I think the fields i want to work on are writing/producing songs and guitar techniques/fluency. I feel i have a fairly good knowledge of music theory, so thats not so much an issue smile.gif

Looking forward to get started smile.gif
Cosmin Lupu
smile.gif mate, your so called 'ranting' is a very good starting point for our work together. The more I know, the more I can help you with wink.gif

Your listening preferences are very, very close to mine - aside from the epic metal, which I am not into - biggrin.gif which is another good thing wink.gif we can relate so that's good! Song writing/ orchestrating is a very lengthy process, which requires time, patience and dedication. A good song idea can pop out at any time, but transforming that idea into a full fledged 'audio story', well that's a different thing.

Living off of music is a great thing to be and a good goal, once you can earn sufficient money out of music so that it will sustain all your needs, you are there. There are a lot of ways in which you can earn money out of music, not only gigging and selling albums (even though that's the most beautiful and soul rewarding part)

Here's how i would start smile.gif first of all, I would be very glad if you could send me some recordings of yourself, so that i may see where we stand. After that, we can take your riffs and ideas and start working on them smile.gif create structures and orchestrate them together.

What do you think man?

Cosmin
Scorpiotic
Sounds good cool.gif
Cosmin Lupu
Great! We'll start as soon as you send some materials!

Cosmin
Scorpiotic
Hi Cosmin,

Exams recently started, or the studying for it at least, so I'm a bit busy with that, I'll try to do some recordings within the week.

Cheers
Cosmin Lupu
Alright man! No biggie - I am here once you are ready and you can send some stuff my way smile.gif
Scorpiotic
Heya,

Unfortunately I've not been able to get any recordings done with studying and exams...
instead of setting a new deadline for any takes which i may or may not break, all i can say is i will get the takes done as soon as possible.

Cheers smile.gif
Cosmin Lupu
Hey man! Take care with the exams, finish the studies and then put your focus into the guitar smile.gif I am here when you are ready wink.gif
Scorpiotic
Hi Cosmin, I'm back smile.gif
took longer than intended though...

Anyway, I'm having some recording issues... I prefer recording guitar playing while jamming to songs - thats usually how my ideas spawns. Problem is, I cant find a way to record live without having 1 of 2 problems;

Using FL Studio and ASIO4ALL driver, I can record easily with virtually no latency, but I can't run iTunes or youtube or anything else to jam along to, as ASIO mutes everything but FL Studio.

The other problem is, if I use Reaper I can record guitar while listening to other songs from other programs, but with a latency that is really annoying and throws my rhythm out the window...

Made a thread about it http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_fo...t=0#entry598891
but nothing yet... Can you think of any work-arounds or programs that could help with this?
Cosmin Lupu
Hey mate, glad to have you back smile.gif

I tend to agree with Todd abotu upgrading your PC and interface - but until then, a simple recording with a camera that also captures sound will do, as long as you place it in the right spot and make a few tests to make sure that the volumes are ok - both backing and guitar smile.gif
Scorpiotic
ok thanks smile.gif i'll get on the recordings

btw - to play songs in drop C or drop B, is it necessary with a baritone guitar or a special set of strings, or can you use a regular guitar with regular strings?
Cosmin Lupu
QUOTE (Scorpiotic @ Aug 5 2012, 11:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
ok thanks smile.gif i'll get on the recordings

btw - to play songs in drop C or drop B, is it necessary with a baritone guitar or a special set of strings, or can you use a regular guitar with regular strings?


Alright mate, well, for drop C and B, you can use a regular guitar but you need higher gauge strings - 10-52s will work ok for drop C and for drop B, 11-54s are perfect.

You can also use 11-54s for drop C, but string bending will become a bit of a nuisance... smile.gif


Cosmin
Scorpiotic
ok thanks i'll remember that next time i buy strings smile.gif

here's the first recording - i'm not too happy with it, but i figured if i am to wait and work with anything until i'm completely happy with it, i miht never actually get to share anything with you x] so here it is anyways... I think its ok, (mixing/balance could use some work though), but how I would add a lead guitar or vocals to it; i'm pretty clueless... I guess thats why i'm here tongue.gif

cheers
Cosmin Lupu
Hey man! This is very nice! It has a grungy 90's rock vibe to it wink.gif

Now - in order to see what you can play over it as a lead line:

1) How did you come up with it in the first place?
2) Did it come to you fast, or you had to arrange, trim, cut, play, until it was there?
3) Listen to it and sing what you hear in your head as a lead melody first.
4) Shape it until it's clear and you can transpose it on the guitar smile.gif
5) Analyze it and see what happened from the theoretical perspective

Points 3)-5) are my way of writing biggrin.gif

What do you think?

Cosmin
Scorpiotic
1. tinkering with '5-chords
2. fairly quick

steps 3-5 is underway... having trouble finding something that harmonizes well with it, my usual point of frustration. I guess I construct the riffs kind of single minded, so when its done I just can't add to it as it is a part on its own...
Could you make a take on it? Would be interesting to different ways of working from the same base.
I will make mine without listening to yours though, trying to make it "my way", if that makes sense...
Cosmin Lupu
QUOTE (Scorpiotic @ Aug 25 2012, 01:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
1. tinkering with '5-chords
2. fairly quick

steps 3-5 is underway... having trouble finding something that harmonizes well with it, my usual point of frustration. I guess I construct the riffs kind of single minded, so when its done I just can't add to it as it is a part on its own...
Could you make a take on it? Would be interesting to different ways of working from the same base.
I will make mine without listening to yours though, trying to make it "my way", if that makes sense...


Hey mate sure, I'll try and think about something and see what comes out biggrin.gif then post it here wink.gif
Cosmin Lupu
Hey there mate! Would you please send me the drum track? smile.gif I got some ideas biggrin.gif I have been working on for your phrase!
Scorpiotic
Hey mate, finally got around to recording it. I think I had other ideas too, but they got lost as I put off recording it... anyway here is drum track and my recording with a lead. Again, even mixing hasn't been done, just focused on putting the idea on the table (the lead isn't as clear and smooth as I want it, but again, just to get the idea out, and I think I was able to do that)

Hope we can work with it

Already felt that I'm tired of this riff and just want to chuck it out and make something else to be honest... Like that what I got so far is not representative of what I want to have as "my music". Its recorded more of convenience (I was able to sort of) as opposed me thinking "oh yea, this is f**** great, I wanna make this song something special"

So yea, lets see where it ends up... smile.gif

as regarding your steps 3-4-5, I sort of cheated. I initially did sort of work around with it in my head, but then it eventually ended up just recording this while having the first track on loop, and this section here is what had the best fit from my jamming... i had other stuff too, which maybe was better, but it felt more like soloing, something to be heard once in the song, as opposed to repeatedly with the main riff...

So step 3-4 I skipped I guess, as for 5 and theory, its built around A minor... thats what I got tongue.gif
Cosmin Lupu
Alright! I'll record my ideas tomorrow wink.gif
Scorpiotic
Looking forward to hear your ideas smile.gif
Cosmin Lupu
Gimme a bit more time mate, pls smile.gif I also found a vocal line laugh.gif biggrin.gif
Scorpiotic
No problem bud smile.gif Excited to hear the vocal line

I've also had an idea for another song (I dont think it will fit well into the riff we already have) and I feel better about this one.
Going to harmonize it, I expect something like a Bullet For My Valentine or Avenged Sevenfold feel, which I really hope I can pull off smile.gif

Also; initially I said that I would mostly work on songs, but I've realised that to execute my thoughts well and produce music, I need more training actually playing; do you know any good exercises for improving fret-hand speed?
My picking is fast enough, but my fretting hand seems to not be able to keep up, hit well/clean and also sort of gets out of control (saying I play 1-2-3-4-3-2-1-2 etc with 1 finger pr fret, suddenly my ring-finger will stop intermittently, leading to 1-2-2-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-2-2-1-2 etc for instance). This is really problematic when playing fast passages, and therefore also writing them (I can think them, but not execute them).

Cheers smile.gif
Cosmin Lupu
Hey mate, it's all about getting your body used for a certain movement and it's achieved through practicing slowly and then gradually building up speed, once you can play correct and in good timing.

We can work on that sort of stuff as well - I suggest legato and alternate picking combined - 1 hr / day of these should do the trick, if done with great focus and determination wink.gif

What say you?

Cosmin
Scorpiotic
Yea thats pretty much what I had in mind too smile.gif I was wondering if you know of any licks/etudes here on GMC or extracts from a song with passages that fit this kind of practice?
Sure I can just do the "generic" half-steps and similar or make something up, but it'll likely engage me more if there is a "soundtrack" to back up my practicing smile.gif

cheers
Cosmin Lupu
QUOTE (Scorpiotic @ Sep 24 2012, 12:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Yea thats pretty much what I had in mind too smile.gif I was wondering if you know of any licks/etudes here on GMC or extracts from a song with passages that fit this kind of practice?
Sure I can just do the "generic" half-steps and similar or make something up, but it'll likely engage me more if there is a "soundtrack" to back up my practicing smile.gif

cheers


Mate, I would DEFINITELY start working out on a certain series here, called 'Ben's Land of Legato' - I suggest we start working on them together and try to get your hands in shape, eh?
Scorpiotic
sure thing, i'll check it out smile.gif
Cosmin Lupu
So, what do you think so far mate?
Scorpiotic
QUOTE (Cosmin Lupu @ Sep 26 2012, 08:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
So, what do you think so far mate?


So far of what? Anything specific?


If you mean in general I'll say it feels good to get some projects going and staying with them. Working with you gives somewhat of a band feeling, in the way that other people expect that I deliver something, which is good because it makes me stay with things longer than I normally would, which might give results. I'm just looking forward to, at some point, finish a song and really feel proud of it. I'm not sure it'll be this first one, but its a start smile.gif Maybe your ideas can make it more exciting/alive tongue.gif
Cosmin Lupu
Glad to know we're on the right path wink.gif

I will help out in the 'band' direction for certain - that's the final goal right? Making music!

How about the legato series? are you ready to record something for me? biggrin.gif

Cosmin
Scorpiotic
Making music it is wink.gif

hehe, not really, still on Bens land of legato pt 1 and i can bare finish it, need to work stamina in fingers... also be better at hitting the string cleanly, and lastly be able to move around.... for a lvl 3 lesson, its tough...
have also looked at the first lesson i ever learned here at GMC; 5/4 solo by Juan Valero... not as fast as Ben's legato stuff but still challenging to me to pick it back up, build finger strength and thicker skin on fingertips tongue.gif
i'll keep on it for a couple more days and see if i'm comfortable with recording it wink.gif
Cosmin Lupu
Good morning mate! I say - 2 recordings you should send me biggrin.gif

1) Ben's lesson
2) The 5/4 lesson

Both at 75% of the actual tempo, but focused on playing tight and in good timing wink.gif

What do you think?

Cosmin
Scorpiotic
yea i'll do them, but i'd rather do them at full speed and take a bit extra time practicing...
I'll record within the week, hopefully (its assignment season at my university the coming weeks)

cheers
Cosmin Lupu
QUOTE (Scorpiotic @ Sep 28 2012, 01:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
yea i'll do them, but i'd rather do them at full speed and take a bit extra time practicing...
I'll record within the week, hopefully (its assignment season at my university the coming weeks)

cheers


As you wish mate, but it would be better to have something recorded slow, at first so that we may discuss on the way you approached it and then kick it to full speed wink.gif

The choice is yours!

Cosmin
Scorpiotic
good point... i'll get some done asap smile.gif
how are your takes coming?
Cosmin Lupu
QUOTE (Scorpiotic @ Sep 30 2012, 02:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
good point... i'll get some done asap smile.gif
how are your takes coming?


Hey mate, I think I can send you a take tomorrow smile.gif Looking forward to your feedback - I will record the vocal line with the guitar though biggrin.gif
Cosmin Lupu
Hey mate smile.gif This here is my take on your groove and riff - I transformed it as I felt, so please let me know on what you think.

Cosmin
Scorpiotic
wow I love it smile.gif i could hear the base riff I made for the first 2 bars or so, then it disappeared, donnu if if it got lost or you removed it.... doesnt matter, that was really cool smile.gif Mine sounds way crude in comparison... btw you never told me what you thought of the lead line I made?

but yea, your version sound way more interesting to work with smile.gif i think i remember reading you saying alter bridge was one of - if not THE- favvorite band, and i feel i heard that there... wink.gif

btw;
I know that programs etc wont make me a better musician, its more about how you know to use the tools as opposed to what tools you are using, I've understood that... However, I'm using FL Studio 10 and I often hear that I should switch to an "actual" DAW, as FL Studio is viewed more of a sampling mixer etc as opposed to an actual DAW...

So what DAW's/plugins have you found useful for recording, editing and mixing? I feel I have a good working basic knowledge which can be applied to most music software, but no particular advanced skill anywhere...
Cosmin Lupu
Thanks mate! Glad ya like it! Well, taking things one at a time smile.gif

Alter Bridge is definitely among my favorite bands and I think I mentioned I liked your lead line but it needed a bit more development (that's the next recording I'll try over this riff).

Regarding the DAW - man, I learned to use them in time without any tutorials or stuff, just by experimenting and having my good friend and band mate near. He experimented long before me and I learned a lot from him.

I now use Samplitude and before that I have used Logic Audio. About pluggins, I use Variverb for all the delays/ reverb effects you would hear in the riff.
Scorpiotic
all good bud smile.gif
btw, could you upload a GP file or some sort of tab for your take? Would be interesting to see how you approached it
Cosmin Lupu
QUOTE (Scorpiotic @ Oct 4 2012, 01:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
all good bud smile.gif
btw, could you upload a GP file or some sort of tab for your take? Would be interesting to see how you approached it


Mate, I have a better idea - How about if we turn this into an ear training exercise and I send you the separate guitar tracks wink.gif so that you can figure out the riffage. I can assist of course smile.gif

Are you up for the challenge?

Cosmin
Scorpiotic
QUOTE (Cosmin Lupu @ Oct 5 2012, 08:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Mate, I have a better idea - How about if we turn this into an ear training exercise and I send you the separate guitar tracks wink.gif so that you can figure out the riffage. I can assist of course smile.gif

Are you up for the challenge?

Cosmin


haha yea sure tongue.gif
i gotta warn you, it might take quite a while... on a scale from 1-10 i'm a 4 at plucking individual notes (under a certain tempo) and close to 1-2 for chords... but sure, challenges are what we grow by doing, thats why im here i guess tongue.gif

So our working list currently;

Me to do;
5/4 at 75%
Bens Legato at 75%
Pluck your riff when you send the guitar track
Start second riff

You to do;
Send guitar track
Vocal line

Thats pretty extensive tongue.gif i'll have more time available when I go back home late November, but what I send may change as I have a different rig back home, and different guitars (too much hassle and costs bringing everything back and forth Norway-Australia...)

Is there anything else on our schedule/"to do" that I missed?

cheers
Cosmin Lupu
Hey mate! What a list! biggrin.gif I'll send the tracks a bit later on today, as I got caught up with stuff regarding my band's video - we're shooting tomorrow and there are still a lot of things to be taken care of smile.gif
Scorpiotic
np bud, good luck with the video biggrin.gif

the 5/4 solo full speed (felt comfortable enough with it)
did about 10-15 takes, this is the best one of them. im fairly happy with it. i drop it one place as u'll probably hear, but it was the best of the ones I did so... tongue.gif

will get back to you about bens legato but i gotta say - my fingers are aching... even that first one requires a lot of stamina tongue.gif
Cosmin Lupu
Hey man!! I'll get to ya about the tracks and the violin pluggin biggrin.gif I didn't forget about it wink.gif

Anyway, your take seems correct, but there would be two main spots where you need to work on a bit more:

- articulation: there are some bends which seem unsure, especially when you don't reach the correct pitch perfectly
- timing - it is good, but you need to interpret the piece now, that you have got it in your system smile.gif

The 5/4 time signature is not necessarily the easiest thing, but I think that if you get the pulse, you can understand it and apply it in more contexts rather than just this lesson.

Do we have a deal, mate?

Cosmin
Scorpiotic
All good smile.gif

Yes sir, I'll keep it in mind smile.gif
Cosmin Lupu
Perfect! smile.gif
Cosmin Lupu
Howdy mate! Here are the guitar tracks biggrin.gif

Have fun and let me know what you discover wink.gif

https://rapidshare.com/files/3831131721/ScorpioticGTRS1.mp3
https://rapidshare.com/files/2728003498/ScorpioticGTRS2.mp3

Cosmin
Scorpiotic
QUOTE (Cosmin Lupu @ Oct 16 2012, 09:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Howdy mate! Here are the guitar tracks biggrin.gif

Have fun and let me know what you discover wink.gif

https://rapidshare.com/files/3831131721/ScorpioticGTRS1.mp3
https://rapidshare.com/files/2728003498/ScorpioticGTRS2.mp3

Cosmin


hey there,

been really busy, so all GMC has been put on hold for the moment...
that second link doesnt work, but first one is ok.
I'll get back to it as soon as I can smile.gif
Cosmin Lupu
QUOTE (Scorpiotic @ Oct 30 2012, 12:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
hey there,

been really busy, so all GMC has been put on hold for the moment...
that second link doesnt work, but first one is ok.
I'll get back to it as soon as I can smile.gif


Alright mate! No worries, maybe it has expired? If so, when you are here and ready to jam, let me know and I can send'em again wink.gif

Cheerios!

Cosmin
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