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Post by joachim on Jul 21, 2019 3:45:23 GMT -6
I am working on "Half Steppin" in MBYCU. The rake exercises in that chapter are quite difficult, I think.
Also working on the rhythm section of "Rakin' in the Funk". I really like that rhythm study.
Then I dusted off an old drive pedal bought used long ago, a "Full-drive 2 MOSFET" pedal by Fulltone, it sounds OK through my amp, but it adds quite a bit of hum. I also used to have an attentuator, but it seems to be broken, so I will probably just stick with drive pedal.
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Post by cunningr on Jul 21, 2019 4:35:23 GMT -6
Well I am still vacationing so getting about half hour a day. Mostly running scales practicing that progression I mentioned last week and just playing random runs and working on a couple of licks to try to get more engrained into my playing.
Also found a little de lamination on my strat just above the nut on the head hopefully can have it repaired thought someone might have knocked it over without my knowledge but no marks.
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Post by grampalerxst on Jul 21, 2019 5:08:59 GMT -6
Pretty decent week when considering my current situation. In about 3-4 weeks my work schedule should ease back to normal, something I'm looking forward to. I devoted nearly the entire week to working on the Electric Gypsy intro. I've been getting run down so decided to let myself work on whatever I felt like working on, and EG was it. It is coming along very slowly, some of it was a substantial reach beyond my physiological abilities when I started, so I'm not disheartened by the "watching grass grow" aspect of it. I'm starting to believe I do have the ability to work it up to tempo and play it recognizably, but I still have quite a lot of work ahead of me.
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Post by jack1982 on Jul 21, 2019 5:22:13 GMT -6
I'm still working on "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac. I can play the verse part at full tempo (barely) but I'm practicing it at 75% tempo to try to get it to sound relaxed, and also trying to pick more lightly with my thumb and more heavily with my other fingers. That 6-string acoustic is really boomy, even moreso with fingerpicking, and if I record myself playing along with the Stevie Nicks backing track, all I hear is the bass strings going thump thump thump. As far as the chorus, I'm working on that at 50% tempo and still haven't played through it once without a huge screw up lol. I should probably break it down into small sections and work on them separately. It's taking me forever just to get it under my fingers, much less increase the tempo. So that's what I've been up to. This week's plan: practice, practice, practice  I suppose they'll be announcing next month's "challenge" at that other site, have to see what that will be about. |
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Post by bluesbruce on Jul 21, 2019 7:01:24 GMT -6
Of all things, came across some scale and arpeggio exercises in one of my innumerable guitar books, and got to working on those. I might as well embrace the hopping from one thing to another - it seems that's what my mind is doing nowadays.
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Post by cunningr on Jul 21, 2019 7:14:26 GMT -6
Of all things, came across some scale and arpeggio exercises in one of my innumerable guitar books, and got to working on those. I might as well embrace the hopping from one thing to another - it seems that's what my mind is doing nowadays. Jack might try recording the acoustic on 2 tracks then you would be able to eq the separate tracks to reduce bass on one and add treble on the other to adjust the mix. |
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Post by Phil on Jul 21, 2019 9:07:33 GMT -6
I ended up spending 6 complete practice sessions on one thing: Learning 3 32-bar choruses of a solo for the tune "All of Me." (Transcription and video. Not by ear.) I learned the 1st 2 choruses and have them memorized. Now I need to get them up to tempo. I didn't plan to do this (practice only one thing). I just got sucked in. What I mean is that I didn't force myself to do it. I was able to stay focused because I was having fun and enjoying it. So I didn't want to stop and jump to something else. A couple of years ago I'd be fretting about all the other stuff I didn't practice. The fact is that there are loads of techniques and musical ideas buried in this solo that are applicable to other songs. I really didn't miss out on anything by not practicing other stuff. On the 7th day I rested. Just kidding.  On the 7th day I got together with another guitarist and we played a couple of tunes that we hadn't played together or practiced individually in weeks. Surprisingly we remembered them for the most part. Memorizing these melodies and complex chord progressions is getting easier. I think this is good for my old brain. 
We still sound like crap and make mistakes up the ying-yang, but we're improving. I don't know about the other guy, but I'm getting a lot out of this.
I plan on doing a lot of reviewing this week and possibly start learning a new song. I have a general plan as a guide to keep me on track, but I'll just go with the flow again.
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Post by jack1982 on Jul 21, 2019 9:11:39 GMT -6
Of all things, came across some scale and arpeggio exercises in one of my innumerable guitar books, and got to working on those. I might as well embrace the hopping from one thing to another - it seems that's what my mind is doing nowadays. Jack might try recording the acoustic on 2 tracks then you would be able to eq the separate tracks to reduce bass on one and add treble on the other to adjust the mix. That sounds like a great idea - I'm hoping to eventually double-track it with the 6 string and 12 string; the 12 string is not nearly as bass-heavy because when picking with the thumb, you hit the string that's an octave higher first. Both guitars also have piezo pickups so I can try a whole variety of things with recording one channel with a mic, one with the pickup, and EQ'ing them and having one louder in the mix than the other etc. Assuming I ever get that far with this song lol. |
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I suppose they'll be announcing next month's "challenge" at that other site, have to see what that will be about.
On the 7th day I got together with another guitarist and we played a couple of tunes that we hadn't played together or practiced individually in weeks. Surprisingly we remembered them for the most part. Memorizing these melodies and complex chord progressions is getting easier. I think this is good for my old brain. 