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/Beginn...ending-Workout/

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

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/30-Beg...er-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/Bendin...Friedman-Style/

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/neocla..._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/

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.

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/neocla..._for_beginners/

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?

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?

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.

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/Beginn...ending-Workout/

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


Let me know what you think!

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?

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

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.

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?

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.

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_fo...hp?showforum=25

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

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

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

Check it out!

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.

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?

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.

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!

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?

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?

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!

Great!! Congrats on your exams mate!

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

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?

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!

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.

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!

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

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

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!

Nice!! Thanks a lot Adam!

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.

Hi Adam! Nice set up mate!

How do you record your guitar for videos?

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

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.

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.

When using Scarlett.. what amp do you use?

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.

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

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?

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-gea...45-vs-sm57.html

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

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.

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

Congrats mate!! Enjoy it!

Send my greetings to your mom!

Thank you!



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

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-Beg...er-Blues-Licks/


Another lesson that I recommend working is this one:

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


What do you think?

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?

Great! Let's go for it mate!


The sound from your video is ok!

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?