Thanks buddy, Kris said it was OK. I never like posting educational stuff without asking. It wasn't a popular post anyway. I thought a lot would have appreciated it but only two replies, one from Todd and one from Adam.

Cheers

Hello Gab,

I've got to the section now where I have to detect the larger interval of two, they are diminished fifths and perfect fourths, wow its hard, I only got 50% first time and some of those must have been lucky. Really enjoying this app

I'm hoping I can get to the stage one day where I can recognise the interval and not just which interval is the largest

Cheers

Phil

UPDATE:
Ten minutes practise and I got to 100% there must have been some lucky guesses which is why I go back to earlier tests and will keep on doing so until I consistently get 100% which will prove it's skill and not luck. I'm going to earn this Gab. I'm also going to stop looking for shortcuts and sidesteps for playing improvement and just earn it.

"And where does this new thinking come from Phil?" you may be thinking, well watch Paul's answer to the Captain's question at 20:50. Paul seems almost offended, as though the Captain has belittled his skill. The Captain crawls back though
https://youtu.be/1PxX7plLKIc


Here's another great Paul Gilbert interview. He talks a lot about the blues at the beginning. At 10:10 it's basically what you told me when you gave me the A major pentatonic and told me not to use the position 1 shape shifted down the neck.
https://youtu.be/kr0SI0FSJpM

Paul is very inspiring. I'm glad to read what you are saying Phil.

Thanks Gab, Paul is so passionate when he talks about playing it ignites something inside me. No doubt there will be times I need to change something to freshen things up but it won't be a search for a shortcut, just some spice

Today I added a couple of interval identification and major/minor scale identification tests. The intervals played were major & minor seconds and unisons, i don't see the point in the unisons really but never mind, the scales were random major and minor scales and I had to decide which were major and which were minor. I got 80% in both tests which I found surprising.

Cheers

Phil

Great Phil!! It's very important to watch those videos that keeps us positive and motivated.

Keep going!!

Thanks Gab

ALWAYS EARNED, NEVER GIVEN!!

Phil

Hello buddy,

I have a question if you don't mind. Is it common to be able to identify major and minor 2nd on the unwound strings easier than the sound strings? They sound much more obvious to me in the higher registers.


I really need to work on my rhythm, I'm nearly always well ahead of the beat, even when I think I'm holding back it shows that I'm ahead of the beat. I find it's my first strike of a strike after a gap that is most ahead. I might look at making a custom lesson in the Perfect Ear app based on what Ron says in this video.

https://youtu.be/nurMXLoR4oI


UPDATE:
Well I've made it through the first sixteen levels of interval comparison tests with 100%, I will go over them again until 100% is consistent. All of those had one common tone in each pair which I guess is to help beginners. Now I move on to interval comparisons with no common tone. If that doesn't make sense, it will if you have a quick look at the app


Cheers

Phil

Great stuff mate! That lesson by Ron is fantastic! It's awesome how difficult it is to do that exercise. I give it to my private students as well.

About your question, I think that the higher strings are closer to what a sinusoidal wave (pure tone) and that's why it's easier to hear. However, there can be any "Ear limit, frequency response" explanation to this too.

Thanks for the update, keep going!

Cheers buddy,

I will keep going every single day with Perfect Ear, it won't interfere with my guitar practise time at all. One of the best apps I've ever found

Cheers

Excellent!!

Hello Gab,

I'm back. You may have read a long thread here yesterday. I deleted it, I'll sort everything out as I go along, only I can do that, it's no good me telling you what to tell me

I'm going to try and become proficient in smaller chunks of work, I think I'm doing too many things per session and my brain gets them mixed up so it takes longer. I'll master one thing before learning anything else. So I'll master an element then add a new element to learn while keeping the previous element/s in my fingers.

So the dominant 7 chord progression, then concentrate on the scale to suit one of the chord shapes, then once set in stone, add the arpeggio for that chord, then the triads.

If I try to learn the arpeggios and triads for more than one chord shape it's a struggle for me to differentiate between them all.

Cheers buddy.

Hi Phil!

Let's summarize a bit our work on blues. I've seen you mastering these elements:

- 1 Pentatonic Minor Shape
- 1 Pentatonic Major Shape
- 1 Dominant arpeggio
- 2 Dominant chords


Are we ok with this?

Hello Gab

Okay, I did learn the things that you mention, sort of. I don't think I internalised them enough before trying to improvise with them, I've now forgotten the arpeggios and the triads I think part of it was because I was struggling to come up with any good improvs so kind of lost a bit of my enthusiasm.

Regarding the chords, we recently discovered "tuning issues" (at the bottom of THIS post) which turned out to be excess finger pressure, I'm going to sit each night for 20 minutes just fingering the chords and checking the pitch of each note. I really need to address this issue. There was a post on Facebook the other day from around ten years ago showing Kris playing and his left hand is soooooooo relaxed. It made me realise that I am much too tense. I strain to hold the chord shape and I think what happens is that without realising, I push my fingers onto the fretboard to hold them in place. I really need to overcome that.

Gotta earn it

Cheers

Phil

That sounds good mate! I wanted to summarize topics to remind you which are the elements that you need to learn in order to achieve our goal here: Only guitar (chords + phrasing) Blues Improv.

You are working on the right things!

Thanks Gab,

Last night (Monday) I had a lot of stuff for work to do, end of our financial year at work and production plans for this coming month.

Tonight I did two takes for the Jamming with Kris workshop.

Back to my proper practise tomorrow. It's all good though, it's got me back into my studio

I hope the takes are what you're looking for.

Regarding my ear training, I'm currently doing the random minor second /major second test. It's hard because there is no common note in each pair but I'm consistently getting 80% so I am improving

Cheers

Phil

Hi Phil! I’ve just heard the takes and commented here. Check it out!! 😊

Thanks for the update. Keep on the great job!

Thanks for your kind comments Gab on the Kris thread.

I'm really concentrating on reducing finger pressure. Hopefully I'll get a video of my chord playing at the weekend.

Regarding your takes in the Jammin With Kris thread, awesome playing. On your second video you do something I was talking to you about a while ago but I couldn't explain what I meant. At 00:09 you play very quickly over the backing. That's what I meant when I asked how one plays fast over a slow backing. I know it's too advanced for me at the moment but I'm just clarifying what I meant.

Cheers buddy.

Gotta earn it.

Thanks Phil! I've found your takes really inspiring!

Yes, I play a very fast lick over the backing track. How to do it? As Paul said in the video... I've worked on it!
At first, it's essential to be able to play fast off course. But, I do it as I would do over a slow metronome. If you have a 100 bpm metronome, you can play 4ths, 8ths, 16ths, 32th, tripplets and everything else. Does it make sense?

The lick combines some pick with legato. I can write tab for you if you'd like.

Thanks Gab,

I am glad if a little intrigued that you found my takes inspiring, I am happy with them too

Thanks for the offer of the TAB for that lick but I only really wanted to know what it was that you were doing for future reference.

Cheers buddy.

Phil

Your take is very tasty. You are not looking for flashy stuff, you are looking for beautiful melodies, and your tone is just perfect. Love it.

Awww shucks, thanks Gab

Bit of a delay on the chord video, I've put another video up for the "Jammin with Kris" thread

Cheers

Phil

UPDATE:
I can play the dominant 7 chords cleanly now even on my SRV which gave me problems. Changing is slow but getting there. I'll get over this hurdle, it's taking a long long time to "unlearn" putting to much pressure on the strings but never mind, Once sorted it's sorted forever hopefully.

Its been a tough tiring week at work and tomorrow is going to be a nightmare due to some malware getting into our server and spreading through the factory computers.

Cheers buddy.

Hi Phil! Thanks for the update! Have a nice week mate.

I'll be here buddy, I'll be posting stuff this week, I'm not going anywhere.

What did you think about my second two takes for the "Jamming with Kris" collab?

Cheers

Phil

I'll check those now...

Thanks buddy,

Because I've been consistently getting 80% on the major/minor 2nd ascending, no common tone, with no improvement, I moved on to the major/minor 2nd descending, no common tone, WOW much harder, only getting 30%.i think I'll go back to the beginning to re-train my ears.

Cheers

Phil

UPDATE: I've plugged away like a honey badger at these chords, progressing like a snail but something happened tonight, I suddenly feel much more relaxed playing the dominant seven chords, changes are much better, not lightening quick but better and I can play them on any guitar in my connection, the only one I didn't try was my acoustic. I still struggle to add the pinky to the chord with the root on the sixth string but it's getting there. Let's just hope it's not some freaky night They should be like riding a bike, once in my fingers, never released

I think it's because I've been really focusing on them lately and just spending a little time on the scales and arpeggios. My brain seems to work better without having to think about too much at once. I'll keep on with them until this coming weekend and put a recording up. I'm hoping I can stay relaxed when playing along with a backing.

Cheers

Great mate. Are you enjoying your practice? That's the most important thing. Also, it's very good to see that are finding the right way to you to learn and incorporate new concepts.

Thanks Gab,

I'm going to be perfectly honest with you. Before my holiday I was at the stage where I was saying to myself, "I suppose I'd better go and practise", I didn't want to tell you, because I didn't want you to think I was a quitter so I just soldiered on. I just pretended to you that everything was fine, hoping to crack it one day, but it was getting to be more and more of a chore which in turn was allowing me to get distracted with the forum and YouTube looking for inspiration which meant I wasn't putting the effort in. It was a little bit soul-destroying. Many times I thought of just quitting but I carried on regardless. (musical link is underlined )

The first week after my holiday, after all I said while I was there (don't we all make plans on holiday that we never fulfil, more exercise, more practise, less beer etc etc) about earning it, I was all fired up then that first practise night last week (Sunday 4th August) I walked into my practise room; took a deep breath, and let out a big sigh. "Oh well" I said, "Let's get on with it". I struggled for a week to get back into it.

Last weekend (August 10th) I was in the same frame of mind but I said to myself, "Let's get these f*%&ing chords out of the way" so I focused, knuckled down and got on with it but it was like being on the chain gang, I hated it but it got the job done.

I now feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, the chords were so hard for me for some reason, I know you have to earn it but I felt like I was never going to get them down.

I apologise for not coming clean Gab, I hope you understand.

Can you watch the video below please and take it as that is the first time you've met me, I've asked you to teach blues and blues based rock and this is all I know, (even forget you showed me triads and arpeggios). If you give me something I've covered before, it will come back to me and I will progress quickly with that hopefully.

https://youtu.be/buIWx9Cq-XM



What should I learn next teacher? Give me something small, and when I've got it down, I'll record it and we can add the next nugget of information and join it all together when you think it's time to consolidate what I've done.

Sorry for the long email, I feel I need a fresh start now. All the stuff I was trying to learn at once was crushing me.

Cheers Gab and once again, sincerest apologies for messing you around. I think the remnants of despondency will be there for a while but they WILL dissolve if I learn in small chunks, even if those small chunks take a while, it's better for me than lots of things taking a while

Peace

Phil

This sounds GREAT mate. Next step:

Learn this E Dominant Arpeggio shape: (To be played over V chord)




And learn this variation for minor Pentatonic which I suggest trying over IV chord.






Now make music.

Thanks Gab,

And play nothing over the A(i) chord?

I do have a question that is burning in my head but I'll leave it until my next post.

Cheers

Phil

Major Pentatonic over I. You already know it.

Your question is:

Why does the Penta variation work pver IV? Isn't it?

Thanks Gab,

I know I already know it but I was strictly in student mode and following instructions but just checking to clarify

That isn't my question but, I'm guessing the answer to that particular question is because the normal penta scale (A,C,D,E,G,A) doesn't have the F# in it which is from the major scale, but the 7 chord does. Just a guess after looking at the diagrams and looking at the scale generator.

My question was related to arpeggios but after looking for an answer to the question that you thought I was going to ask, I've realised the answer to the question I was going to ask, it was lack of fretboard knowledge which I still don't have but I sussed it out

I'll now spend the next few days practising those elements, (If you get a few minutes please check HERE for errors. Then I'll record over the original backing which is in that page. After that, BEFORE learning any more shapes etc, I think it would be good to stick with them but use a different backing track like THIS and then, maybe move onto a different backing with a I IV V progression in a different key, not necessarily pure blues but slow blues-rock or something, and we can try different keys and tempos in I IV V to really get this current set into my fingers so that they never ever leave. Like the A, D and E open chords I learnt years and years ago, I've never forgotten them because I play them every day forever.

If you suggest anything different I'm fine with it but please, Slowly slowly catchy monkey. This current set of examples is more than enough for me, I'm getting old dude

Cheers buddy. Onwards and upwards.

You friend

Phil

Hi Phil, I totally agree with the plan. No more shapes by now, it's time to make music with the current stuff. (The things that you've showed in video and the 2 new shapes that I've shared in my previous post).

FOR now

Okay, great. I'll be back when I have something for you, not going to rush it, I'm going to let it flow.

Cheers buddy

Phil

hahahah it seems that It's impossible to fix me.

Everything is fixable, just change your mindset and start saying, "I WILL say 'For now' and stop saying 'By now'" Remember PMA Positive Mental Attitude

Was my answer correct in my last post HERE? Did you like the musical link?

Cheers

Phil

UPDATE:

Only had a short session tonight, had to work late working on that Malware infection that destroyed our server and all connected computers BUT, I really enjoyed it I didn't feel bogged down and my head wasn't spinning. I think that at the moment THIS is my limit for my brain to cope with so we'll go along with the plan, if my brain starts coping better all that will happen is I will progress quicker with a lighter workload

Cheers buddy,

Peace.

Thanks for the update mate. It sounds good to me!




The changed note in that Pentatonic Variation is part of the IV chord (the third). This scale is usually called "minor add 6th Pentatonic". This is a lesson based on it, just as reference: LINK.

About the musical link, do you refer to this? LINK

That was basically my answer Thanks for the information Gab, I'll check it out.

The link I meant was when I said "Many times I thought of just quitting but I carried on regardless. (musical link is underlined ) " It's pop music but if you listen to their material the lyrics are all about real life and full of humour.

Cheers buddy.

Speak soon

It sounds good, like!

Glad you like it Gab

Here's some more. I'd be interested in your thoughts though, both composition and lyrics. I love the musical intro to "Perfect 10"

https://youtu.be/3Xo80hR-QfQ


Think of you with pipe and slippers
Think of her in bed
Laying there just watching telly
Think of me instead

I'll never grow so old and flabby
That could never be
Don't marry her, have me

And your love light shines like cardboard
But your work shoes are glistening
She's a Ph. D in "I told you so"
You've a knighthood in "I'm not listening"

She'll grab your Sandra Bullocks
And slowly raise her knee
Don't marry her, have me

And the Sunday sun shines down on San Francisco bay
And you realise you can't make it anyway
You have to wash the car
Take the kiddies to the park
Don't marry her, have me

Those lovely Sunday mornings
With breakfast brought in bed
Those blackbirds look like knitting needles
Trying to peck your head

Those birds will peck your soul out
And throw away the key
Don't marry her, have me

And the kitchen's always tidy
And the bathroom's always clean
She's a diploma in 'just hiding things'
You've a First in low esteem

When your socks smell of angels
But your life smells of Brie
Don't marry her, have me

And the Sunday sun shines down on San Francisco bay
And you realise you can't make it anyway
You have to wash the car
Take the kiddies to the park
Don't marry her, have me

And the Sunday sun shines down on San Francisco bay
And you realise you can't make it anyway
You have to wash the car
Take the kiddies to the park
Don't marry her, have me

https://www.letssingit.com/the-beautiful-so...version-kjsr7cd
LetsSingIt - The Internet Lyrics Database

And the more explicit version

https://youtu.be/GYZfFKDsXHk


Think of you with pipe and slippers
Think of her in bed
Laying there just watching telly
Then think of me instead

I'll never grow so old and flabby
That could never be
Don't marry her, fuck me

And your love light shines like cardboard
But your work shoes are glistening
She's a PhD in "I told you so"
You've a knighthood in "I'm not listening"

She'll grab your sweaty bollocks
Then slowly raise her knee
Don't marry her, fuck me

When the Sunday sun shines down on San Francisco Bay
And you know that you can't make it anyway
You have wash the car
Take the kiddies to the park
Don't marry her, fuck me

Those lovely Sunday mornings
With breakfast brought in bed
Those blackbirds look like knitting needles
Trying to peck your head

Those birds will peck your soul out
And throw away the key
Don't marry her, fuck me

And the kitchen's always tidy
And the bathroom's always clean
She's a diploma in "just hiding things"
You've a first in "low esteem"

When your socks smell of angels
But your life smells of Brie
Don't marry her, fuck me

And the Sunday sun shines down on San Francisco bay
And you realize you can't make it anyway
You have to wash the car
Take the kiddies to the park
Don't marry her, fuck me

And the Sunday sun shines down on San Francisco bay
And you realize you can't make it anyway
You have to wash the car
Take the kiddies to the park
Don't marry her, fuck me

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another one with great lyrics. In many ways, it's a beautiful song about acceptance

The verses of the song - sung alternately by Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott - are made up of a series of innuendos using clothing sizes and penis length to illustrate a loving relationship between two people who don't conform to modern stereotypes of physical perfection. The male vocal shows that although his partner is a little on the large side ("but she wears a 12"), she is a 'perfect 10' in his eyes. He also states, "the anorexic chicks, the model 6, they don't hold no weight with me," preferring instead to, "hold something I can see."

Likewise, the female vocal references penis size in several places, suggesting that "XXL" is unnecessary ("Every penny don't fit the slot") and that even when all her partner has to offer is "a poor poor 4, there ain't no man can replace." The numbers in the song that are sung by Abbot refer to penis length, "Big fat 8" is 8 inches long, "poor poor 4" is 4 inches long.

The chorus to the song is sung by both male and female vocals, and confirms the theme of a happy and accepting relationship beyond ideas of conventional beauty, with Heaton and Abbott stating:

"We love our love, in different sizes
I love her body, especially the lies
Time takes its toll, but not on the eyes
Promise me this, take me tonight."

I love the singers' faces in the second verse, cheeky

https://youtu.be/js-2cqqY1K8


She's a perfect 10, but she wears a 12
Baby keep a little 2 for me
She could be sweet 16, bustin' out at the seams
It's still love in the first degree

When he's at my gate, with a big fat 8
You want to see the smile on my face
And even at my door, with a poor poor 4
There ain't no man can replace

'Cause we love our love,
in different sizes
I love her body, especially the lies
Time takes it's toll, but not on the eyes
Promise me this, take me tonight

If he's extra large well I'm in charge
I can work this thing on top
If he's XXL well what the hell
Every penny don't fit the slot

The anorexic chicks, the model 6
They don't hold no weight with me
Well 8 or 9, well that's just fine
But I like to hold something I can see

'Cause we love our love,
in different sizes
I love her body, especially the lies
Time takes its toll, but not on the eyes
Promise me this, take me tonight

I've bought a watch, to time your beauty
But I've had to fit a second hand
I've bought a calendar, and every month
Is taken up by lover man

'Cause we love our love,
in different sizes
I love her body, especially the lies
Time takes its toll, but not on the eyes
Promise me this, take me tonight

'Cause we love our love, in different sizes
I love her body, especially the lies
Time takes its toll, but not on the eyes
Promise me this, take me tonight

Cheers buddy.

Hello Gab,

I hope you enjoyed the music and lyrics above

I know I said I wouldn't ask questions, and I don't mind if you say "Wait, all will be revealed soon" I can take that, so I will ask and see what you say.

Why use this E Dominant arpeggio over the V chord..............


........when this has the same notes and is less awkward?


The only reason I thought about it is that I was practising the V chord and the arpeggio whilst looking at the fretboard diagrams, I started thinking, "Hmmm I wonder why arpeggios are different positions to playing the notes of the chord where you actually strum them. I know the G# on the D string is not strummed there but it is very local.

Cheers buddy.

Hi mate! Thanks for the music! I could get into it yet, but I'll do it soon. Thanks a lot friend!

There are at least 5 shapes for each arpeggio. I've decided to share that new E dominant shape (C Shape in CAGED system) to have all the notes to play the blues in the same part of the neck. There are many shapes and concepts to learn but we will focus on the ones that I've already shared FOR now.

Does it make sense?

Felicidades mi amigo,

It's great that you used "for now", even if you initially typed "by now", you had the awareness to change it, if you typed it correctly first time that's brilliant. You now have to be as aware outside the classroom as you will easily switch back to "by now" subconsciously when your tutor isn't around. I will be watching you young man

Regarding the arpeggio, I understand what you are saying and I will go with what you say, I won't go looking at the CAGED system, I know what it is but I'll keep away for now.

I just think that the arpeggio that I wrote seems more intuitive for the V chord and my brain loves intuition It just seems to fit better with where the root is played. As I said, I'm not going to wonder off into unchartered territory, I'll wait to be fed the info

Cheers buddy.

Phil

Great Keep me updated!

Hello Gab,

Tonight for the first time, I've tried to improvise with the new shapes. I've been strumming the chords and playing the shapes after each chord in free time and I thought I'd got them in my head, what a difference the backing track makes, my fingers reverted to the normal pentatonic minor shape over the IV chord and my head completely forgot the E dominant arpeggio.

Back to the drawing board, for now, I need much more time playing over the backing, it's not natural enough to me yet.

Time is still tight at the moment, I'm still working late ironing out the creases after our malware attack at work, one server and fourteen computers all reformatting or new drives, and updating to Win10, sorting out compatible software for data transfer to machines etc, it's a right headache.

Cheers buddy.

Hi mate, thanks for you update! It will take some time to make all these shapes familiar, but you are on the right track.

Enjoy the process!

Thanks Gab,

Just to show you I do know the shapes, it's just that they aren't instinctive yet so when I try to play with backing, the instinctive shapes that I know, take over. It's a bit like learning to left foot brake when racing a car, you're fine until you need to stop quickly and act on instinct then your right foot jumps in

Here's some footage of just the shapes, let me know your thoughts please.

A Major penta:
https://youtu.be/NHTl0dMb5lQ


Penta to use over IV:
https://youtu.be/Xn_F-AOrYYI


E dominant arpeggio:
https://youtu.be/-zPU76gvpf8

Excellent! Now it's time to start building phrases!

Thanks Gab,

Do you think I should just put a click on and not consider following the 12 bar for a while, just strum one of the chords and then play the relevant scale/arpeggio that you suggest, then another chord and do the same, then another etc for now? Just to get more comfortable with it all as I currently still find it hard to follow the chords in the backing. I can try to keep rhythm with the click in my phrases. Or do you suggest something else?

It's a public holiday here on Monday so we are going HERE tomorrow and then onto somewhere I'm sure you'll have heard of HERE until Monday.

Cheers buddy.

Hi Phil!

Yes, it's ok to try different ideas to work on the chord + phrasing improvisation. You can go for one or two measure for each chord to get more familiar with shapes and experiment with rhythm before getting into the whole blues progression.

Those places are beautiful mate. It's awesome to see how many amazing buildings and cities you can visit in your country. Enjoy it!!