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Post by bluesbruce on Dec 20, 2020 5:35:37 GMT -6
This week we start chapter 3 in BLYCU (and a new backing track!). These are more blues rock type licks. This is a great opportunity for anyone to jump on board with the Blues Licks You Can Use challenge. Licks 31, 32, and 33 are basically the same lick played in different places in the progression, so I don't think taking all of these at once is excessive. Here's a Guitar Pro rendition:
Again, feel free to "use" these however you would like! Due date for this will be Sunday, January 3, 2021.
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Post by grampalerxst on Dec 26, 2020 18:45:19 GMT -6
Well, no chance I'm going to have anything tomorrow. I'm afraid this is where I'll start falling behind. These are too fast for my present ability and I'm not sure that I could keep up with one new one each fortnight, much less four.
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Post by joachim on Dec 27, 2020 3:01:58 GMT -6
Well, no chance I'm going to have anything tomorrow. I'm afraid this is where I'll start falling behind. These are too fast for my present ability and I'm not sure that I could keep up with one new one each fortnight, much less four. Grampa, we still have another week for these. These licks, plus the awkward lick 25 are the first one where I had to practice just the mechanics of playing them. The backing track is 90BPM, I think. How well can you play them at 80 BPM? If that's more manageable, then just slow down the track. Then later you will be comfortable playing the licks at 90BPM. I was actually happy that Bruce bundled the first 3 similar licks, so that we'll have a little more variety next time. |
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Post by grampalerxst on Dec 27, 2020 4:49:34 GMT -6
Grampa, we still have another week for these. These licks, plus the awkward lick 25 are the first one where I had to practice just the mechanics of playing them. The backing track is 90BPM, I think. How well can you play them at 80 BPM? If that's more manageable, then just slow down the track. Then later you will be comfortable playing the licks at 90BPM. I was actually happy that Bruce bundled the first 3 similar licks, so that we'll have a little more variety next time. Haha, okay I thought the two weeks went by awfully fast! When I worked on 34 last night I was still having trouble at 70%, which would be around 60 bpm if full is 90. This morning I couldn't get past 55% which is about 50bpm. The first three I can fit in at tempo, but when I do the notes are sort of trashy. I guess I should note that I'm basing full (100%) tempo on whatever the faster second demo of the lick was done at. I haven't even listened to the backing track yet to see how it compares. I felt like the full speed demos in the prior section were at a slightly higher tempo than the backing track. |
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Post by bluesbruce on Dec 27, 2020 7:31:38 GMT -6
Grampa, we still have another week for these. These licks, plus the awkward lick 25 are the first one where I had to practice just the mechanics of playing them. The backing track is 90BPM, I think. How well can you play them at 80 BPM? If that's more manageable, then just slow down the track. Then later you will be comfortable playing the licks at 90BPM. I was actually happy that Bruce bundled the first 3 similar licks, so that we'll have a little more variety next time. Haha, okay I thought the two weeks went by awfully fast! When I worked on 34 last night I was still having trouble at 70%, which would be around 60 bpm if full is 90. This morning I couldn't get past 55% which is about 50bpm. The first three I can fit in at tempo, but when I do the notes are sort of trashy. I guess I should note that I'm basing full (100%) tempo on whatever the faster second demo of the lick was done at. I haven't even listened to the backing track yet to see how it compares. I felt like the full speed demos in the prior section were at a slightly higher tempo than the backing track. I didn't count the tempo, but I thought the second demo on these was faster than the backing track. Yes, you've got another week on these. We can extend it if we need to, but when I looked at those first three licks, they just seemed too similar to consider them all separately. I'm right with you Grampa - can play the first three up to the BT tempo, though sloppily. Still trying to get 34 up to snuff... |
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Post by joachim on Dec 28, 2020 14:41:51 GMT -6
Here's my recording:
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Post by bluesbruce on Dec 29, 2020 6:49:38 GMT -6
Nicely done, Joachim. Opened right up with Lick 34, which to me was the most difficult out of this bunch. Liked the way you filled with some chord strums and other licks. Two thumbs up!
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Post by grampalerxst on Dec 30, 2020 5:25:28 GMT -6
Joachim, just FYI, I think your account has been hacked. Some guy playing a Strat is putting stuff out on it.  Suits you though! That was really good. You injected a nice groove into the phrases that really wasn't there in the demo. I listen to the demo and say, "Meh, I don't care if I learn that lick or not." When you play it in context I say, "Now that's pretty cool, I'd like to be able to do that!" Agree with what Bruce said. You did a nice job filling in the spaces without overdoing it.
Still doesn't look like I'll get in under the wire for Sunday. I dropped my practice tempo yesterday because some stuff on 34 was tripping me up, and I had to drop it again this morning from the already reduced tempo. I suppose it is better to get it mostly right than hitting a deadline for the deadline's sake, but that is a gray area.
Anyway, nice job once again!
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Post by joachim on Dec 31, 2020 2:10:06 GMT -6
Thanks, guys! The licks in chapter 3 sure look like they will be pushing all of us to our limits.
Best wishes for the new year!
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Post by bluesbruce on Jan 3, 2021 7:18:43 GMT -6
OK, here's my go at it. Sorry about the poor video quality - sun hasn't come up here yet, so the lighting is really poor. I've got to get to work this morning, so don't have time to post the next challenge, but let's just take the next two licks: 35 & 36.
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Post by joachim on Jan 3, 2021 13:21:46 GMT -6
Bruce, it's great that you recorded the licks - that's what matters. The licks are harder, but you'll smooth them out over the next couple of weeks. And I am sure we'll all be able to see real improvements after we've finished.
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Post by bluesbruce on Jan 3, 2021 17:51:13 GMT -6
Thanks, Joachim. Those came out pretty rough - that was plug in the guitar, one take. Realized I didn't even tune up! They will get better. I also played around with 31-33 in "closed" form at the 12th fret, just don't have the time to get all of these worked out as well as I'd like. I'll try to keep working these some - especially lick 34, which I thought was a particularly cool lick.
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Post by grampalerxst on Jan 3, 2021 19:18:18 GMT -6
OK, here's my go at it. Sorry about the poor video quality - sun hasn't come up here yet, so the lighting is really poor. I've got to get to work this morning, so don't have time to post the next challenge, but let's just take the next two licks: 35 & 36. Hey Bruce, good attempt--you threw caution to the wind and went for it which is admirable! Like Joachim alluded to, these are really going to take some time but as a groupe we seem willing to stick with it. |
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Post by grampalerxst on Jan 3, 2021 19:22:07 GMT -6
soundcloud.com/grampalerxst/blycu-31-34/s-HSKCfGokHTZI got my money's worth out of Lick 34. I did have to punch in the end of the second chorus, my hand cramped up on me and I had to go do something else for 10 minutes before I was confident it would work. I meant to record this with the bridge pickup, but I usually use the neck to tune, and forgot to switch it. I recorded at suck low volume I didn't really notice.
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Post by bluesbruce on Jan 3, 2021 20:23:21 GMT -6
That was cool, grampa! You did get your money's worth out of lick 34! You definitely had way more of a chorus than I did, and I can see why your hand cramped up on that second chorus. That lick is definitely a work out. Very nicely done! Yeah, I've just resigned myself that if I'm all busy with work or family or holidays or whatever, I've just got to put up something and keep working at it! I think as a side benefit, that trying to put up some recording every two weeks has made me faster at recording (but unfortunately, not better at it). LOL. Having worked the weekend, I should get out early tomorrow, so I'll try to post up the next BLYCU challenge.
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Post by joachim on Jan 4, 2021 0:37:02 GMT -6
That was so cool, Grampa! I forgot - are you using Helix? The tone was just perfect for this backing-track.
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Post by grampalerxst on Jan 4, 2021 5:54:58 GMT -6
... That lick is definitely a work out ... I think as a side benefit, that trying to put up some recording every two weeks has made me faster at recording (but unfortunately, not better at it). LOL... Thanks, Bruce. Workout is the right word. This is one of the few times I can say that I went from something I just physically could not do to doing an imperfect but recognizable version (back-to-back-to-back- ... haha). Agree on the benefits of recording something on at least a once/fortnight interval. Any longer and I would start forgetting how to drive the DAW and have to re-eat part of the learning curve each time. Plus human nature being what it is, it's a bit of motivation to try to put our best foot forward and it's good to have a gentle undercurrent of that flowing over time. |
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Post by grampalerxst on Jan 4, 2021 6:09:05 GMT -6
That was so cool, Grampa! I forgot - are you using Helix? The tone was just perfect for this backing-track. Thanks, Joachim.
My setup was a little different than the one I've been using for a while now, but yes, still using Helix (twice I suppose you could say). When I record I run through a regular Helix LT patch and capture that, and also capture the dry guitar output in a separate track. Then I playback a blend of the original Helix capture plus the dry out reamped through Helix Native plugin in the Daw. I used a different Helix LT preset than I've been using over the last few months, but the same Native preset I've used on the last several. I also used a different guitar than I've used on all but this and the most recent prior Challenge entry.
After we talked about it in a different thread, I did a sloppy job of muting on that one which irritates me so I probably haven't given it a fair listen. Glad you liked it, and thanks! As mentioned, I was initially horrified that I'd done the whole thing having forgot to flip over to the bridge pickup. I thought about redoing it but in the end laziness won out. Maybe it was fortuitous laziness.
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Post by bluesbruce on Jan 6, 2021 17:48:17 GMT -6
OK, here's my go at it. Sorry about the poor video quality - sun hasn't come up here yet, so the lighting is really poor. I've got to get to work this morning, so don't have time to post the next challenge, but let's just take the next two licks: 35 & 36. Very cool, the way you commit yourself to a project, keep deadlines, motivate others etc., no matter what - leading by example. KUDOS! Thanks, Tbone! |
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