Hi Rollover, I heard your contribution to this challenge and BRAVO to you too 🙂 I will be back.

Thanks Lights. I am trying very hard not to just copy Brian’s lessons these days – takes me longer to get through a lesson but I get more out of them that way.

Hi James, Jethro Tull was one of my all time favorit bands for the longest time. ( As I have got older I have got to appreciate many others too.) I guess it’s possible to play Bach on the electric but with all of the overlapping melodies it would probably sound too ‘ringy’ and not very nice. I don’t think I would ever bother to play my classical stuff on an electric guitar.

You just got me listening to Jethro Tull’s Bouree again as I am writing this and, of course, it sounds absolutely fantastic. I have played Bach a lot on the the guitar but not this particular melody. (If I am not very mistaken Ian Anderson was a classically trained musician.)

Thanks so much John, it really was a fun one to do. I love playing those mixed rythm lead lessons Brian puts out.

Hi Ralph, I have always been reasonably comfortable with a pick and I generally prefer using one for electric playing. Classical is really more my thing but, like you say, variety just makes it all more fun.

Thanks for listening Andre.

Thanks Juxi you are too kind. So often I play something thinking I sound good until I play back the recording -:( Whenever I listen to myself I can see a list as long as my arm to improve on. (Over the last year I have been recording every single thing I play – really helps me to improve but it can be humbling sometimes).

Thans John, I could only wish that I am ambidextrous – it just took a long time for me to figure out the camera on my phone. (I am a bog-standard rightie in real life). I hope I am getting better at improvisation but it all progresses at a glacial pace.

Thanks Rainer. I am sure you are being too modest. It’s all just a lot of practicing – no special talents on my part.

Thanks Vincent, this is a nice one to play for sure. I liked the way Brian comes up with these really cool little compositions without getting overly technical. He just gets right down to the meat of the theory and leaves the rest up to us.

Thanks Guido

Thanks Phil, I think you overrate me 🙂 Classical players learn the guitar differently. In my experience at least, we get a pretty good grouning in reading music and knowing the fretboard but we don’t do so well with music theroy. Being able to jam is not something quite foriegn to a lot classical guitar players. In my case, if I sit down and work something out, I can come up with something – Brians lessons have helped me a lot in that regard.

Thank you Hide. Coming from you that’s a compliment for sure. Truth is, i am pretty bad at the blues but I do have more of a feel playing in major minor or modal motifs.

Thanks Jola, this last year was not my first exposure to playing with a pick. I used one decades ago when I played in a band (badly..mind you). I am starting to notice that all of my improvisations take on a somewhat ‘Spanishy’ feel no matter how hard I might try to avoid that. I have always been heavily influenced by classical and flamenco – I don’t think I will ever be a blues player but it doesn’t matter, I will just make the Spanish thing my style lol.

Hi Moose, I am not sure. I feel like doing one of Brian’s Eric Clapton Cream compositions just for something completely different this time around.

On the classical side, I am working on a bunch of Tarrega compositions. I just love Spanish Romantic guitar.

Thanks Steve. I seem to be fumbling around trying to discover a style of playing – I guess I am always going to lean to what I feel.

Thanks Garry, in a way I find playing rythm and backing more interesting than lead. Can’t really say why, learning hwo to construct chords and harmony is just the thing that floats my boat more I guess. I am thrilled that you think I sounded good – I enjoy your submissions too.

Thanks Dave, I did OKish with it the first time but the dynamics were kinda flat and I couldn’t get the bends quite right. As I am sure you know well, improving is a whole series of little refinements that accumulate at a glacial pace over a long period of time.

By the way, I have only heard you on accoustics which you do great at. Do you play electrics at all?

Thanks you Wim, I am absolutely thrilled that you could compare me to Santana who is probably my all time favorite guitar hero. I guess I have been subconciously influenced by his playing.

Thanks Mike, I don’t really know if my Squire Strat has a wider than usual fredboard. Most likely just the camera angle.

Thanks Richard. I have got a long way to go but I am genuinely happy that you enjoyed this

Thanks Snakechilser. I just love that people think I sound like Santana – I doubt I could ever touch the robe of “the great one” -:). You know, I am not too confident with overdrive and I use it pretty sparingly – I have a a great BOSS ME-80 effects unit that would allow me to switch to overdrive from clean but I have yet to figure out how to control the volume nicely that way. You have given me the thought that I should tinker with that a bit more.

Thank you Carpa.

Thanks for listening Israel.

Thanks Charjo. Truth is I originally wanted a semi-solid electric, and still do. I got my “Squire Stratie” because it was cheap and I didn’t know where I was going to go with this electric guitar playing – turns out I rather like this guitar especially after I upgraded the pickups on it.

Thanks Pap, I hope I am making progress. You are absolutely right “Play what you love and play every day”. It’s the playing every day part that can be tricky – life gets in the way sometimes.

Thank you Tom. Very kind words.