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Post by wannaplayblues on Apr 19, 2015 0:57:26 GMT -6
Monday was a good practice day... then events happened that meant I got no further practice this week  I'm highly frustrated about it. Just hope this week will be better. |
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Post by cunningr on Apr 19, 2015 1:17:39 GMT -6
Well I am up early feeling better, I think my cold is gone. I dint practice as much as normal this week because I was sick and a couple of days I practiced was really forced so I don't think I got much accomplished other than an in progress take of blue sixths. I did get a 1. Hours worth of bass practice in early in the week learned you can get a nice blister on your plucking hand. Any this week I plan on hitting it hard again.
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Post by joachim on Apr 19, 2015 1:31:05 GMT -6
Still working on "Rockin' and Rollin'" - can play it decently at around 90% speed. Also working on "Rockin' Blues for Jimi"; that's another really cool tune from BRYCU. I think I can record it during next week. The lead from that track is also outstanding, but probably way harder to play than the BYCU studies.
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Post by jack1982 on Apr 19, 2015 5:25:57 GMT -6
I had a good week of practice, 18 1/2 hours on guitar and a whole 45 minutes on bass lol. Worked a lot on my improvising, trying to improve my note choice and memorize the intervals of the pentatonic minor scale. Also worked on switching back and forth between pentatonic minor and major - still trying to find good ways of transitioning between them. Spent some time on Groovin' Easy in More BYCU. The lead is coming along slowly, I'm practicing the hard part at very slow tempo and gradually increasing the speed, and then I start playing the whole song from start to finish. I had originally recorded the rhythm part with a swing feel, then re-did it in straight time, and now I've re-done it once again in swing time  And I got D Minor Blues recorded this week and also did my ear training every day. I was having a few beers last night and got in my semi-annual 15 minutes of harmonica practice - I think I might have bent a note once or twice  And I ordered another harmonica book of course lol. I was also playing my new recorder a bit, I know 5 whole notes now! |
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Post by Phil on Apr 19, 2015 5:37:09 GMT -6
I got in 5 days/5 hrs. of practice. I'm getting close to recording "Big Bends." "True Trem Blues" is coming along nicely. I plan on cranking it up to 95% Full Tempo this coming week. These 2 studies have been slow going, but I think it is worth the effort. I've been going over "Cheap Runs" for 5-10 minutes every practice session and may re-record it yet again this week. On the Jazz front I learned "Blues for Charlie" in Lesson 3. It's a nice tune, and I think I'll record it this week. I'm also working on a chord melody of "Summertime." I've got more stuff I want to do than I have time for. I didn't work on transcribing a solo I want to learn, I didn't review previous studies like I wanted to. I didn't record anything.  On the other hand, I did notice that the bends on "Big Bends" suddenly got easier. If fact, I checked them with a tuner and I am actually over-bending most of them. Obviously, my bending strength has increased, so I should be happy that I am making some progress.  |
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Post by Phil on Apr 19, 2015 5:52:40 GMT -6
I Spent some time on Groovin' Easy in More BYCU. The lead is coming along slowly, I'm practicing the hard part at very slow tempo and gradually increasing the speed, and then I start playing the whole song from start to finish. I had originally recorded the rhythm part with a swing feel, then re-did it in straight time, and now I've re-done it once again in swing time You would think that after getting 2/3 through the book that there wouldn't be many more hard parts. But each study just presents one more challenge.  What a sense of accomplishment you'll have when you finish this book, and now you are finally starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel - only 5 more to go. |
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Post by jack1982 on Apr 19, 2015 6:24:12 GMT -6
I Spent some time on Groovin' Easy in More BYCU. The lead is coming along slowly, I'm practicing the hard part at very slow tempo and gradually increasing the speed, and then I start playing the whole song from start to finish. I had originally recorded the rhythm part with a swing feel, then re-did it in straight time, and now I've re-done it once again in swing time You would think that after getting 2/3 through the book that there wouldn't be many more hard parts. But each study just presents one more challenge. What a sense of accomplishment you'll have when you finish this book, and now you are finally starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel - only 5 more to go. Oh yeah, there's always a brand new challenge to your technique in every song. Jump up the fretboard, hit the bottom note of the 6th and slide up, hit the top note and slide down, do it really fast and make sure both notes are ringing out clearly after the slide, jump to another position, do it again, throw in some near-instantaneous bends and make sure they're to pitch - jump way up the fretboard to where your fingers barely fit and do more fast bends while rolling your index finger (did I mention it barely fits on those frets?) to go back and forth between notes on the E and bends on the B - and most importantly make it sound relaxed because you're Groovin' Easy There may only be 5 songs left but it'll definitely be 2016 before I've finished them all |
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Post by Phil on Apr 19, 2015 9:16:12 GMT -6
Oh yeah, there's always a brand new challenge to your technique in every song. Jump up the fretboard, hit the bottom note of the 6th and slide up, hit the top note and slide down, do it really fast and make sure both notes are ringing out clearly after the slide, jump to another position, do it again, throw in some near-instantaneous bends and make sure they're to pitch - jump way up the fretboard to where your fingers barely fit and do more fast bends while rolling your index finger (did I mention it barely fits on those frets?) to go back and forth between notes on the E and bends on the B - and most importantly make it sound relaxed because you're Groovin' Easy There may only be 5 songs left but it'll definitely be 2016 before I've finished them all It's comforting to know that I'm not the only one who's frustrated.  What keeps me going is that I'm convinced that when (if?) I finish MBYCU I will be ready for just about anything. |
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Post by bluesbruce on Apr 19, 2015 9:25:44 GMT -6
Been another busy week with pretty much everything besides music. I played some almost every day, but I guarantee that I'm coming up way short of the hours some of you are putting in. It's been almost a month and I haven't found time to make a video with the new guitar. Finally got strap locks put on it yesterday. Of course, with a new guitar, I had to get a new strap. It's nylon, and I like the looks of it, but it really slides around. I'll probably try one of the Planet Waves guitar strap pads. I'm still seriously considering setting some concrete goals - I think it would really help to give me some direction.
Bruce
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Post by Phil on Apr 19, 2015 9:54:22 GMT -6
Been another busy week with pretty much everything besides music. I played some almost every day, but I guarantee that I'm coming up way short of the hours some of you are putting in. It's been almost a month and I haven't found time to make a video with the new guitar. Finally got strap locks put on it yesterday. Of course, with a new guitar, I had to get a new strap. It's nylon, and I like the looks of it, but it really slides around. I'll probably try one of the Planet Waves guitar strap pads. I'm still seriously considering setting some concrete goals - I think it would really help to give me some direction. Bruce Are you telling me that you couldn't find a spare 18-20 hours this week to practice? What were you doing, sleeping or something like that? |
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Post by jack1982 on Apr 19, 2015 15:35:04 GMT -6
Been another busy week with pretty much everything besides music. I played some almost every day, but I guarantee that I'm coming up way short of the hours some of you are putting in. It's been almost a month and I haven't found time to make a video with the new guitar. Finally got strap locks put on it yesterday. Of course, with a new guitar, I had to get a new strap. It's nylon, and I like the looks of it, but it really slides around. I'll probably try one of the Planet Waves guitar strap pads. I'm still seriously considering setting some concrete goals - I think it would really help to give me some direction. Bruce Are you telling me that you couldn't find a spare 18-20 hours this week to practice? What were you doing, sleeping or something like that? Bruce, if you're really busy then it's okay with me if you only practice 15 hours a week - I'm not a slave driver like Phil But by next month I'd hope you'd be back into 20+ territory. |
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Post by blackcountrymick on Apr 19, 2015 16:05:24 GMT -6
Not much practice at all for me again this week, I thought I was ready to record another rhythm lesson though but not quite there yet. Hopefully this week if life/wife allows |
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And I ordered another harmonica book of course lol. I was also playing my new recorder a bit, I know 5 whole notes now! 
What a sense of accomplishment you'll have when you finish this book, and now you are finally starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel - only 5 more to go. 
What keeps me going is that I'm convinced that when (if?) I finish MBYCU I will be ready for just about anything. 
