April 2022 Challenge Response – Michael L

[Michael L]

I wanted to do this challenge as a pure improv, that is, no pre-planned licks or melodies, just letting my ear guide me around the pentatonic scales. I figured that would be a good measure of where my skills are at this point. I played over a lot of Brian’s tracks and finally settled on EP433, which is a rhythm lesson. I used Brian’s “With Guitar” track as his rhythm playing filled in the groove nicely. Hope you enjoy it!

I find the more I play the pentatonic and major scales, the more I see them in a linear direction… how the boxes connect to one another, and pathways from one box, to the next, to the next, etc. I also notice tone differences in my guitar between the lower/mid fretboard and the upper areas. More tools to bring to the mix. Still having fun!

[Bill]

Nice improv. Hit the target notes in the chords at the end of your phrases well. Good job!

[Michael L]

Thanks Bill. Yes, I’m working on hearing and finding the chord tones.

[Mike W]

Brilliant concept Michael, and executed flawlessly. Great music and feel.

[Michael L]

Thanks Mike. This one was fun.

[James B]

You’re a fearless picker, Michael. No pre planned licks and you didn’t crash and burn. 😀 I’m impressed. It flowed along nicely. You’re really learning the fretboard.

James

[Michael L]

Haha! Thanks James… of course, you didn’t hear the first couple of takes where the crashing and burning happened. I didn’t plan my licks, but I did rehears over the track a bit before hitting the record button.

[Martin W]

Nice duet , your hitting those chord tones nicely and hats off for the impromptu improv and letting your ear guide you to the sweet spots and connecting runs of maj/minor pentatonic. Excellent sub .

Martin

[Michael L]

Thanks Martin… seeing the linear connections in the scales is getting a little easier with practice.

[Stuart M]

Very nice. I’m just getting brave enough to see what these challenges and responses are like. Think I could learn a lot by giving them a try.

[Michael L]

Thanks Stuart! Yes, I would encourage you to jump in on these challenges. We have players here of all skill levels, and it’s a very safe audience because we’ve all struggled through the guitar journey. Plus, having the monthly challenge gives you a goal to work toward each month. That is really helpful to keep moving forward.

[John H]

Well done Michael,
Yes you are clearly demonstrating the linear tonal changes and do a great job mixing the major and minor pentatonic scales. I know this b/c you invoke different emotions throughout your performance. Great exploratory lesson and I think you turned the corner here big time. CONGRATULATIONS.

John

[Michael L]

Thanks John! Yes, this is really fun for me. It’s all about practice time doing just what I do in this video. It gets better over time and the connections begin to show themselves. I also like pivoting from major to minor on the root notes of the key. They’re good anchors for the pent shapes.

[WBlues]

That’s a good idea of yours, which you executed perfectly. Correct! Well done.

Play guitar just like you live; don't get bogged down in theory, it's just a tool without feeling.

Wilfried

[Michael L]

Thank you Wilfred… always good to see what we’re able to do and what the next steps are.

[Garry]

Great idea and well executed Michael. Not many of us can say we’ve jammed with Brian in this way. Also, very impressive impro, I still need to preplan all my stuff so massive kudos. All the best! 🥸🎸🥸

[Michael L]

Thanks Garry. I noticed this beginning to get easier for me when I would play over Youtube backing tracks for an hour or so on many days. Practice, practice, practice…

[Don Patton jr]

Michael
You played flawlessly up and down the fret board, in and out of positions and scales! Your improv was great! Nice submission ⭐

Don P

[Michael L]

Thanks Don, this was a fun challenge.

[bwade913]

Well done Michael. I liked the way your riffs worked with Brian’s rhythm track.

[Michael L]

Thank you! This was a good track and it wasn’t too fast either.

[sunjamr]

That’s really cool, Michael. I like the way you played your acoustic like an electric. It contrasts nicely with the jamtrack. Like you, I’m starting to see those scale overlays in my mind’s eye. I was dreaming about them every night for the last few days.

Sunjamr Steve

[Michael L]

Yeah, I dream about them too sometimes… especially in that early-morning-half-awake space. For me, the root notes are great anchors for the boxes. They help me see linear connections and using the roots to switch from major to minor shapes and back.

[Mike D]

Very good improv and mixing minor and major! Enjoyable listen!

Live on planet Earth ? You got the blues.

[Michael L]

Thanks Mike. Still kind of winging it on the maj/min mix, but it’s coming.

[Alan K]

Nice country feeling licks Michael. They fit in well with this backing track. Great sound from your Taylor.

[Michael L]

Thanks Alan… having fun with this.

[Phil B]

That was flawlessly picked and very impressive since it was purely improvised playing. Something I need to strive towards.

[Michael L]

Thank you Phil. I’ve been practicing this a lot recently… it gets better with time.

[Manfred M]

It sounds like a joyful expedition on your acoustic, Michael. A great way to make a discovery and have fun with it. And it sounds so good and the fun is on my side too, listening to you.

Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom.
The next Meetup will take place on May 31

There will be a detailed announcement here in the forum in the next days..

I look forward to meet you.
Manfred

[Michael L]

Thanks Manfred, I’m glad you enjoyed it too. I’m having fun.

[Werner]

Ver nice tune Michael and well performed. You hit that countryfeeling perfect. Thank you

Werner

[Michael L]

Thank you Werner. I appreciate your comments.

[Scott M]

Excellent improv with good mix of major/minor up and down the fretboard, a very enjoyable listen. Well played Michael

Scott

[Michael L]

Thanks Scott, glad you enjoyed listening. It was fun to play too.

[Denise]

This is one of my favourite country lessons! Really well imrovised (wow!). You got that country swing vibe in your maj/min mix and it goes well with the rhythm.
This is such a great way to visualize and anchor the patterns. You played flawlessly up and down the neck.
👍👏🎸💡
Denise

More Blues!

[Michael L]

Thanks Denise! Yes, it’s fun learning this way and the more I do it the more the connections show up in my mind.

[Tom D]

Wow Micheal. You’ve got great licks and feel at your command. You sounded really good. Very courageous and well done!

Cheers, Tom

[Michael L]

Thanks Tom… I don’t know about courageous… there’s always the delete button if the video doesn’t work out! And you didn’t see the first couple of takes!! Glad you liked it, it was fun to play.

[AndréM]

Hee Haw… You nailed it. Very nice country feel, well done. AndréM

AndréM

[Michael L]

Thanks Andre, I appreciate it!

[Paul S.]

We should all be so brave as to pick and strum naked into the videosphere! Bravo! This had plenty of country feel and pace and had that ‘happy’ major key vibe. I did notice, though, that your left hand’s pinky finger didn’t see any action until the horse galloped by. So I reckon this improvisation was only about 75 percent of your full potential.

[Michael L]

Hi Paul, yeah, I seem to really work the first and third fingers a lot. Glad you mentioned the pony… you’re the first. I was wondering if anyone watched that far into the video!

[Bob Utberg]

Sounds great Michael! You have amazing chops and skills. I’m gonna be the “Simon Cowell” dude here and say it sounded great! However, it sounded like you were practicing over a backing track trying to hit the key notes on the changes. Which you did. Since you are so talented and gifted, my humble suggestion is to make it even more musical. Watch this vid of E.C. and how he talks about “stock riffs and licks”. Even John Coltrane never truly “improvised” LIVE! I hope I am not out of line here. Ut

Bob U. (aka Bobby Ut)

[Michael L]

Hey Bob, not out of line at all. I really appreciate well-meaning thoughts aimed at improving. And, I think you’re correct. My own thoughts on my playing here is that it’s pretty good, but a bit too much “pentatonic wandering”. Some guiding licks could make it more concise, add some space, and add musicality. All good things to keep working on.

[Pat]

That was really good. Guess that is true ” improvision “?

[Michael L]

Hey Pat, thanks. I like “improvision”… impro-vision: playing within the framework you can see.

[Andy N]

Extra credit for taking this on without a safety net 👍. But no worries as it all worked very well, reflecting the backing track chord changes and nice mood swings as you changed between the scales. Great work👏

[Michael L]

Thanks Andy, glad you enjoyed it. But, of course, I did have a safety net… “Delete, take two”. Which I had to do a couple of times. All worked out in the end though.

[Lights]

Great Nashville picking, Michael! Very cool improvisations on that theme.
Lights.

[Michael L]

Thank you Lights!

[Pap]

Michael. that was great use of the realestate! You went up and down the neck fluidly. You played that like a pro and I would have never guessed you imrov’d that for the 1st time. Well done. Pap

[Michael L]

Thanks Pap! I appreciate your comments. It worked out pretty well, but I hope I didn’t give the impression it was on the first time. I didn’t plan any licks or approach, but I did play over the track several times in preparation. It was different each time, but I became familiar with the chord progression and timing of the track before I hit record. And, I still had to do a couple of takes to get through without stumbling.

[David H]

Such a nice pleasant happy go lucky improve. You play that acoustic like an electric in the upper frets, I can’t do that. Congrats.

[Michael L]

Thanks David! I have a cut-away, so that helps a lot with everything above the 12th fret… at least on the top 3 strings.

[Juxi]

Pure improvisation and very cool, Michael. I also did the second part of my response only guided by my ear, but with me, this only led to the same boring licks. You, however, managed to keep this solo very interesting with a great variety of licks. Respect! Thanks for the inspiration!

Bluesige Grüße
Juxi

[Michael L]

Hi Juxi, thank you. I appreciate your comments, and happy you enjoyed my playing. I enjoyed yours too… I didn’t find it boring at all.

[FergalT]

Wow! That is very impressive for no plan pure improv…bopping to that!

[Michael L]

Thanks Fergal! I did play over the track to get familiar with it quite a bit before recording, so it wasn’t a first-time improv. But I didn’t compose or plan it out. Glad you enjoyed it.

[charjo]

Love that you tackled this as improv. Great ear, Michael.
John

[Michael L]

Thank you John! I’ve spent a good amount of time playing over Youtube backing tracks. At first it was pretty awful, but in time I started noticing I could hear the changes easier and that led to finding more chord tones at the right time, etc. Still a long way to go, but I’m having fun!

[JoLa]

We had the same idea to improvise this month and yours sounded incredible, Michael! Very bouncy and melodic with just a perfect acoustic tone for country pickin’! It didn’t sound easy to do but it looks like you prepared well and even hired a cowgirl to entertain us! 🤠

🎸JoLa

[Michael L]

Thanks Jola! This one was a lot of fun. Glad you saw the cowgirl! I thought it was important to bring the mid-video retention level up! 😉

[Reuben B]

Great improvising Michael, and connecting the major and minor scales.

[Michael L]

Thanks Reuben, glad you enjoyed it!

[Tim Read]

That worked very nicely and the playing switched really nicely between happy and lonesome…

TimR

[Michael L]

Thanks Tim. I’ve played a bit with the maj/min mix in some of Brian’s lessons. It’s really informative to get a couple of pent positions and see the overlap around the root notes, the experiment on mixing them.

[Phil67]

excelent choice of licks, timing and musicality.
you country layer fits perfectly over the backtrack.
it fits so well it should have been a Lesson by Brian.

Where does the white go when snow melts?

[Michael L]

Thanks Phil, I appreciate your kind words. Always working on it, and this time it came together pretty well.

[Livio M]

Hey Michael
If this was a test the result was excellent, the ability to improvise on the first try for 2 minutes is not everyone’s skill.

Livio

[Michael L]

Thanks Livio, glad you enjoyed it! Actually, it wasn’t the first time… I practiced over the track many times before recording, I just did not plan any specific licks or phrases.

[Marie Jarreau]

Michael,
Another lively, pleasurable tune, greatly enjoyed!

“Laissez les bon temps rouler“
Marie Jarreau

[Michael L]

Thank you Marie, glad you enjoyed it! It was a lot of fun to play.

[Bruce D]

Michael,
Nice duet with Brian, walking all over the neck. A nice country jam…
Clean pickin.

Bruce

Just focus on the notes you DID get right . . . Frank Vignola

[Michael L]

Thanks Bruce. Yes, Brian’s rhythm added a lot to this one. A nice team effort.

[Valérie]

Great improvisation, I think you’re understanding the linear direction!
you do a great job mixing the major and minor pentatonic scales. Good ide to play with Brian:-)

Valérie

Valérie Martin

[Rosemary M]

Great playing!

[Author]

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