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Post by jack1982 on May 24, 2020 17:30:52 GMT -6
Kind of a crappy week for me, like I was saying in the other thread I pulled a muscle in my neck and that was pretty damned miserable for a few days. I had hoped to work on lick #3 and come up with a 12 bar recording, but that ended up being an off-the-top-of-my-head first take improv along with the poorly played lick lol. Been working a bit on a TrueFire course, "Blues Grit" by Kelly Richey, it focuses mostly on Hedrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan styles. Lots of technique lessons first and then a bunch of studies later on. Very interesting stuff, it's just different - not your usual pentatonic minor box 1, 2 etc. but "flat tire and left hand muting", "rakes and slides", "slap harmonics" and stuff like that. Also spent some time on an Active Melody lesson, this one's a really slow blues (44 BPM I think) and it's just mean as hell, raw and dirty LOL. I love it Hoping to come up with my own piece based on it. Also messed around with "Yesterday" by the Beatles on classical guitar and got a slightly "better" recording made of that Active Melody piece I posted last week. It's the "Ain't done but I'm moving on now..." version Do the bends sound okay to you guys?
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Post by bluesbruce on May 24, 2020 18:12:28 GMT -6
I think that sounds really good, Jack. Lots of cool pre-bends in there, all sounded well-played to me. Hope the neck gets to feeling better.
Fairly good week here - think I at least played some every day.
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Post by cunningr on May 25, 2020 0:08:25 GMT -6
Jack that sounded spot on to me also.
I have been trying to memorize the first 2 solos from Peter Greens Black Magic Woman, fingers are really sore. Also suppose to be working on last solo from the the thrill is gone.
I also watched that documentary on Peter Green, and Fleetwood Mac on prime.
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Post by Phil on May 25, 2020 0:32:06 GMT -6
Sounds good, Jack. Very Hendrixy. Jack mentioned getting beyond the typical box 1 and 2 minor pentatonic positions that we all know and love. It made me remember that a few weeks ago I started getting familiar with box 4. If you move everything down 3 frets box 4 then becomes box 3 of the major pentatonic scale. I've never ever played in that position before. Don't think I ever got much further than box 2. Well, it's turning out to be a very comfortable position for jazzy, bebop type blues lines which tend to have a lot of chromatic runs in them.
The point of all this is where I got it. Are you guys familiar with David Hamburger? Funny name, but the guy is a walking encyclopedia of all things Blues guitar. From Robert Johnson to Charlie Christian to T-Bone Walker and everybody in between, before, and after. Everything from down-home acoustic to Jazz Blues. His YT channel is Fretboard Confidential. If I'm not mistaken, he made the first ever Truefire course. But don't quote me on that. The thing about the 5 pentatonic boxes is that they're all the exact same notes. However, each has some unique properties because you're starting on a different note and the other notes fall under your fingers differently. If you've never gotten out of boxes 1 and 2 give boxes 3, 4, and 5 a shot. I've been trying to learn a Charlie Parker 12-bar Blues solo. Actually, I've been trying for a while now. I may have even mentioned it before. The challenge is in discovering where it lays best on the guitar. For those who might not know, Parker was a saxophonist who, along with Dizzy Gillespie, created the "bebop" style of Jazz. It's been interesting trying to play a solo written for another instrument and applying it to the guitar. And, as fate would have it, the first 3 bars lay perfectly within major pentatonic box 3. Funny how these things happen. If I'm ever able to play it I'll post a video.
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Post by grampalerxst on May 25, 2020 2:51:45 GMT -6
Jack, the bends all sounded accurate to me. Neat piece.
Phil, I think somewhere I have an old book or two by Hamburger, name is familiar. I'm pretty much a stay-at-home guy and don't roam the boxes much. Maybe some day. Actually, with two competing numbering systems for the boxes, I really don't even know them by number.
This week I sunk a pretty good amount of time into BLYCU 3 and the intro to Electric Gypsy. I also have a couple of corny little etudes I made up to practice some of the "Little Wing"-type moves I dusted off and messed with for my fun time--I must have caught some of Jack's vibes. Hope to make them into full-blown compositions one day.
This coming week it'll be BLYCU 4 and EG intro providing ballast.
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Post by blackcountrymick on May 25, 2020 4:14:52 GMT -6
Really loved that lesson Jack, lots of different techniques demonstrated there, great!!! As well as the lick project I've been working on a lesson based loosely on "I'd Rather Go Blind", nearly ready to post a recording and move on to another lesson. I might need to check out that AM site again.
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Post by jack1982 on May 25, 2020 6:11:16 GMT -6
Thanks guys! Yeah it's kind of an interesting piece because, for the most part, it's just two chords - E major and its relative minor, C# minor, so for all the single-note lines, well E major pentatonic and C# minor pentatonic are exactly the same notes. You're playing the same scale but it will sound major or minor depending on which chord you're on at the moment. Kind of an interesting concept to play around with.
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Post by Phil on May 25, 2020 8:33:56 GMT -6
Thanks guys! Yeah it's kind of an interesting piece because, for the most part, it's just two chords - E major and its relative minor, C# minor, so for all the single-note lines, well E major pentatonic and C# minor pentatonic are exactly the same notes. You're playing the same scale but it will sound major or minor depending on which chord you're on at the moment. Kind of an interesting concept to play around with.Exactly. The underlying harmony will make these same notes sound either major or minor. All 7 modes of the major scale consist of the same notes. It's the note that you consider to be the root and the underlying harmony that changes everything. When you stop to think about it it's pretty amazing that all western music is made up of only 12 notes. Play any note on the high E string and put different chords under it. You will hear that note take on different colors even though it's still the same pitch.
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Post by jack1982 on May 25, 2020 14:21:27 GMT -6
Thanks guys! Yeah it's kind of an interesting piece because, for the most part, it's just two chords - E major and its relative minor, C# minor, so for all the single-note lines, well E major pentatonic and C# minor pentatonic are exactly the same notes. You're playing the same scale but it will sound major or minor depending on which chord you're on at the moment. Kind of an interesting concept to play around with.Exactly. The underlying harmony will make these same notes sound either major or minor. All 7 modes of the major scale consist of the same notes. It's the note that you consider to be the root and the underlying harmony that changes everything. When you stop to think about it it's pretty amazing that all western music is made up of only 12 notes. Play any note on the high E string and put different chords under it. You will hear that note take on different colors even though it's still the same pitch.
It's funny because when I first started, I could never understand what people were talking about with modes - you play the exact same notes but they sound different? That's impossible, the same notes will always sound the same. Then one time I made up an A minor backing track and played A minor over it. Then a C major backing track and played A minor over it - that was one of the biggest "light bulb going off" experiences of my guitar playing career
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Post by Marc on May 25, 2020 17:40:56 GMT -6
This week I'm a little back to normal. I started reading "Inside Out a person history of Pink Floyd" by Nick Mason. There were so many cultural references I had to keep googling them. Going to try to finish the first chapter this week. I bought some 13's for my hollow body and put them on yesterday. I have a new respect for anyone who can play proficiently with them. Holy cow I feel like I'm playing a bass and trying to feat chords. It's tough. It's quite a work out on the fretting hand too. I'm still bouncing back between BYCU and the Mickey Baker book.
I came across this video by Adam Nely about the worst jazz solo ever, which was interesting. At one point he composes a single note piece of music and talks about a musical excessive of playing only one note.
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Post by Phil on May 25, 2020 18:11:15 GMT -6
I've had so many "light Bulb" or "aha" moments over the past 2 years I lost count. Most were things that were probably blatantly obvious to a normal person. Here's one that wasn't actually a light bulb moment, but it was definitely a wake up call. A couple of years ago I was watching a young saxophone player teaching some licks. About 3 minutes into the video I realized that this kid, who plays a single note instrument, knew far more about chords, chord construction, and chord progressions than I did and I play a chordal instrument! You can learn a lot from people who play other instruments.
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Post by Phil on May 25, 2020 18:20:07 GMT -6
This week I'm a little back to normal. I started reading "Inside Out a person history of Pink Floyd" by Nick Mason. There were so many cultural references I had to keep googling them. Going to try to finish the first chapter this week. I bought some 13's for my hollow body and put them on yesterday. I have a new respect for anyone who can play proficiently with them. Holy cow I feel like I'm playing a bass and trying to feat chords. It's tough. It's quite a work out on the fretting hand too. I'm still bouncing back between BYCU and the Mickey Baker book.
I came across this video by Adam Nely about the worst jazz solo ever, which was interesting. At one point he composes a single note piece of music and talks about a musical excessive of playing only one note.
Marc,
Adam Neely is one of my favorite YouTubers.
Last time I changed my strings I tried Thomastik-Infeld Bebop 13s. They don't feel any stiffer than the Elixir 12s I was using. I don't know how they do it. They're pricey but sound great and are supposed to last forever.
How far along are you in the Baker book?
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Post by bluesbruce on May 25, 2020 18:49:49 GMT -6
Exactly. The underlying harmony will make these same notes sound either major or minor. All 7 modes of the major scale consist of the same notes. It's the note that you consider to be the root and the underlying harmony that changes everything. When you stop to think about it it's pretty amazing that all western music is made up of only 12 notes. Play any note on the high E string and put different chords under it. You will hear that note take on different colors even though it's still the same pitch.
It's funny because when I first started, I could never understand what people were talking about with modes - you play the exact same notes but they sound different? That's impossible, the same notes will always sound the same. Then one time I made up an A minor backing track and played A minor over it. Then a C major backing track and played A minor over it - that was one of the biggest "light bulb going off" experiences of my guitar playing career Now that you guys bring this up, I felt compelled to record this. Sorry about the bad lighting (it's raining here). This is from this Fast Forward Lead Guitar Solos book I had dug out of my bookshelf. This is a short solo in A minor pentatonic, played over two different backings - the first in C major (C, F, and G chords), the second in A minor (Am, Dm, and Em chords). Yeah, I think my light bulb is coming on years after yours did, Jack.
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Post by Phil on May 25, 2020 20:18:17 GMT -6
Great example, Bruce. I've seen Jazz guitarist Jimmy Bruno do this kind of thing at seminars when someone asked about modes. He'd play a line and ask a student to play a Dm7. Then he'd play the exact same line and have him play Cmaj, and other chords. Then he'd ask, so was that line dorian, ionian, aeolian, or mixolydian? His point was that it didn't make any difference. The notes were from the C major pitch collection, it works over all those chords, and that's all you need to know. His attitude is - you make the music, let somebody else analyze it.
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Post by Marc on May 25, 2020 21:28:12 GMT -6
This week I'm a little back to normal. I started reading "Inside Out a person history of Pink Floyd" by Nick Mason. There were so many cultural references I had to keep googling them. Going to try to finish the first chapter this week. I bought some 13's for my hollow body and put them on yesterday. I have a new respect for anyone who can play proficiently with them. Holy cow I feel like I'm playing a bass and trying to feat chords. It's tough. It's quite a work out on the fretting hand too. I'm still bouncing back between BYCU and the Mickey Baker book.
I came across this video by Adam Nely about the worst jazz solo ever, which was interesting. At one point he composes a single note piece of music and talks about a musical excessive of playing only one note.
Marc,
Adam Neely is one of my favorite YouTubers.
Last time I changed my strings I tried Thomastik-Infeld Bebop 13s. They don't feel any stiffer than the Elixir 12s I was using. I don't know how they do it. They're pricey but sound great and are supposed to last forever.
How far along are you in the Baker book?
With the strings, i jumped from Exixar 10's to D'Addario 13's. There is about a 10 gauge difference on the Low E which is taking some getting used to and i'm on day 1 or so. I do feel something on the back of my hand. it's not pain but more like muscle soreness.
I'd say i'm on lesson 4 of the Baker book, I go back and forth on it. I like chords but his chords are kind of odd. maybe just old fashioned guitar chords, i don't know. I did pull out another jazz guitar book and was comparing chord fingerings in it compared to baker. I find my self warning up to on lesson 2.
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Post by wannaplayblues on May 26, 2020 2:18:20 GMT -6
jack1982 sounded good to me. Bends are definately clean. I may have to move on to that lesson soon This week was a mixed bag. I recorded my own ringtone for my phone - fun little project, but I'm now reluctant to answer the phone as I want to listen to the track I thought this past weekend was the submission weekend for the monthly challenge so I did a recording - but can't submit it until next weekend which is the actual weekend. So I'm ahead of myself there - something for you all to look forward to Working on a rhythm piece from the other site - it's more of a straight blues rock but filled with little licks/riffs. Hope to record that next week as I'm still learning it. In amongst all of that I was painting, decorating and re-arranging the house - happy wife, happy life (with more guitar playing permitted )
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Post by grampalerxst on May 26, 2020 4:23:54 GMT -6
This week I'm a little back to normal. I started reading "Inside Out a person history of Pink Floyd" by Nick Mason. There were so many cultural references I had to keep googling them. Going to try to finish the first chapter this week. I bought some 13's for my hollow body and put them on yesterday. I have a new respect for anyone who can play proficiently with them. Holy cow I feel like I'm playing a bass and trying to feat chords. It's tough. It's quite a work out on the fretting hand too. 0.013s, wow, and here I'm contemplating going from0.010s to 0.009s! Are tuning standard or down to Eb or anything to mitigate the tension?
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Post by cunningr on May 26, 2020 5:38:34 GMT -6
Great example, Bruce. I've seen Jazz guitarist Jimmy Bruno do this kind of thing at seminars when someone asked about modes. He'd play a line and ask a student to play a Dm7. Then he'd play the exact same line and have him play Cmaj, and other chords. Then he'd ask, so was that line dorian, ionian, aeolian, or mixolydian? His point was that it didn't make any difference. The notes were from the C major pitch collection, it works over all those chords, and that's all you need to know. His attitude is - you make the music, let somebody else analyze it. My instructor is working on this concept with me. I think he told me to use dorian on the minor tones and aelian on everything else, or maybe was dorian on everything else a aeolian on the 4rths. Got to look on that again. The shapes open you up a little more for improv.
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Post by Marc on May 26, 2020 20:56:54 GMT -6
This week I'm a little back to normal. I started reading "Inside Out a person history of Pink Floyd" by Nick Mason. There were so many cultural references I had to keep googling them. Going to try to finish the first chapter this week. I bought some 13's for my hollow body and put them on yesterday. I have a new respect for anyone who can play proficiently with them. Holy cow I feel like I'm playing a bass and trying to feat chords. It's tough. It's quite a work out on the fretting hand too. 0.013s, wow, and here I'm contemplating going from0.010s to 0.009s! Are tuning standard or down to Eb or anything to mitigate the tension? Nah, i'm embracing the pain right now. I did read that SRV down tuned a whole step, but I'm not ready to do that yet. These are Jazz Mediums I felt like i should try to experience it fully. There are some definite challenges. It feels like I'm learning to bend all over. Today was a little easier though.
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Post by grampalerxst on May 27, 2020 6:48:59 GMT -6
Nah, i'm embracing the pain right now. I did read that SRV down tuned a whole step, but I'm not ready to do that yet. These are Jazz Mediums I felt like i should try to experience it fully. There are some definite challenges. It feels like I'm learning to bend all over. Today was a little easier though. Well, you're more ambitious than I am, haha. I tried 0.011s for a while but went back to 0.010s. Think SRV mostly tuned down a half step, fwiw, although 0.013s should accommodate a whole step down pretty good. If those are jazz mediums, probably explains why jazz players bend a lot less than blues and rock players.
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