April 2022 Challenge Response – Serena C.

[Serena C]

Hi everyone!
Here’s my short composition for this submission. I played on the backing track of EP409 and got my inspiration to mix major and minor pentatonic scales from EP130.
I noticed that I used the major scale on the 1 chord and shifted to the minor on the 4 and 5 chords, it was not intentional but I’ve found it interesting.
Enjoy the challenge and the weekend!
Serena

If I wasn't making mistakes I wouldn't be the kind of player I want to be. Perfection is dangerous.
It's all about taking risks, sometimes you get to some place, sometimes you get to a different place. (Brian May)

[Bill]

Nice submission Serena. Your performance has a great funky vibe. Cool SG!

[James B]

Well done Serena. Mixing the licks from one lesson with the jam track to a different lesson is something Brian encourages. Your timing is nice and tight.

James

[Phil B]

Wow Serena your playing just gets better as your confidence grows. Well done.

[Don Patton jr]

Serena
Sounding very good, with a quick tempo and tight licks to suit! Placement and timing of your leads spot on… Good one 💯

Don P

[Manfred M]

Serena, i enjoyed your well played and cheerful improvisation. It‘s always so inspiring to feel your enthusiasm, when you play. Btw i have done the same: major over the 1 chord and minor over the 4 and 5 chord. You see ours ears can guide us.

Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom
The next Meetup will be on February 28, 2026

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I look forward to meet you.
Manfred

[Mike W]

Good submission, Serena. It was a tight arrangement and your timing was spot on – very enjoyable.

[Scott M]

Bright uptempo piece with some tasty licks delivered with excellent timing, I like how gave space to breathe between your licks. Well done Serena!

Scott

[Lights]

Really cool submission, Serena! Great bends and awesome licks too!
Lights.

[AndréM]

Great funky vibe with nice fast runs.
Well done.

AndréM

AndréM

[Martin W]

Hi Serena ,nice that you used ideas from several lessons that’s what it’s all about , you took the right path playing major over the 1 chord and minor on the 4&5 chord a cool mix , nice use of space in between licks .
Well played.

Martin

[sunjamr]

Rock on Serena, well played! I caught those cool double stops, and deep bends – all done to perfection. Great job, and very entertaining.

Sunjamr Steve

[Garry]

Great submission Serena. Excellent choice of backing track and and your lead worked very well over the top. Smooth fretboard coverage, variety of major and minor licks but for me the highlight is your phrasing and the ability to allow your music to breathe ie the spaces in between. Your music also always comes across very positive (even though it’s the blues!). Well done and all the best! 🥸🎸🥸

[Mike D]

Very well played, an enjoyable listen you mixed minor and major seamlessly!

Live on planet Earth ? You got the blues.

[Paul S.]

Lots of good double stops in this piece — one of my favorite techniques. And I admire your choice of places to speed through a quick series of notes. Well done!

[cloughie]

Nice mixing of the 2 scales. I agree Major over the I and minor over the IV & V sounds good in your piece. Thinking out loud … I guess it’s the major 3rd of the I chord that is the problem child which often prevents the I major pentatonic from sounding right over the IV & V especially when they’re 7 chords.

Be kind to yourself (especially when you're trying to play this instrument!)
Brian Clough

“Got a lotta sinful ideas but they seem kinda sensible” Jim Casy the ex-preacher in The Grapes Of Wrath

[Bob Utberg]

Hi Serena! Great playing and style. You nailed the changes and used awesome ideas over the I and IV,V. Brian explained why perfectly. Good groove and licks. Loved it. Bob

Bob U. (aka Bobby Ut)

[Denise]

Serena, very cool improv! I like your major and minor double stops!👍🎸 Sounded very tasty. You are such a fast learner.
Greets from the region of Venice.
Denise

More Blues!

[Pat]

That was good! I liked the double stops. and as Brain suggested ” keep it simple ” and u came up with a nice piece!

[Tom D]

Hi Serena:

I agree, your mix of the major and minor scales was very interesting and nice to hear. Especially nice was your restraint in creating space for silence. Together your playing is very effective and cool.

Cheers, Tom

[Alan K]

Great submission Serena. Your phrasing fit in perfectly with this backing track. Some nifty fast runs. I think this is your best post yet. What a cool SG.

[Enrico]

Ciao Serena, great submission and can only echo what everyone else has already said! Keep rocking that was excellent playing 🤟🎸

[FergalT]

Excellent!

[David H]

You are spot on when it comes to switching from major to minor. Great groove you have going on!

[Andy N]

That was very good Serena. Your timing was excellent, with nice use of space and tasty licks. You mixed the scales nicely and your ear was obviously telling you when go minor or major which is a massive asset to know you have.

[charjo]

Well done, Serena. The formula you discovered is a very popular one and works very well over a 12 bar.
John

[JoLa]

What a great phrasing, Serena! I like the snappy and uplifting feel of your composition. It’s cool that you discovered by yourself the right to play the pentatonic scales over a blues progression. Really well done on your homework this month, one of your best yet!

🎸JoLa

[Juxi]

Great solo-playing, Serena. Cool ending! Well done! 👍🏽

Bluesige Grüße
Juxi

[Tim Read]

Nicely done…your phrases worked really well over the chords

TimR

[Phil67]

nices licks with great ending note.
it’s varied, musical, in the rhythm, Bravo !

Where does the white go when snow melts?

[John H]

Well done Serena. Your confidence and improvement are obvious. Nicely placed, licks, rifs and double stops. Are you starting to use overdrive? Sounds like it and it sounds great.

John

[Michael L]

Serena, I enjoyed this! You made some good choices and created a melodic lead that was telling a story. Good use of double-stops too.

[Serena C]

John H wrote:

Well done Serena. Your confidence and improvement are obvious. Nicely placed, licks, rifs and double stops. Are you starting to use overdrive? Sounds like it and it sounds great.

John

Hi John! Yes, I’m trying to improve the tone but I still have a lot to study or to try 😉

If I wasn't making mistakes I wouldn't be the kind of player I want to be. Perfection is dangerous.
It's all about taking risks, sometimes you get to some place, sometimes you get to a different place. (Brian May)

[Livio M]

Good job Serena compliments, smooth phrasing and coherent melody. your observation in the use of pentatonics: major on the I chord and minor on the IV and V I have also read it from other parts I wonder if it also makes sense in harmonic theory.

ciao Livio

[Serena C]

Thanks everyone for your comments! They’re a big part of the learning process ’cause you make me notice things I would otherwise underestimate, like the importance of pauses and silences. This wasn’t intentional neither but I’ll keep it in mind in the future. Thanks 🎸🙏

If I wasn't making mistakes I wouldn't be the kind of player I want to be. Perfection is dangerous.
It's all about taking risks, sometimes you get to some place, sometimes you get to a different place. (Brian May)

[Serena C]

Livio M wrote:

Good job Serena compliments, smooth phrasing and coherent melody. your observation in the use of pentatonics: major on the I chord and minor on the IV and V I have also read it from other parts I wonder if it also makes sense in harmonic theory.

ciao Livio

Ciao Livio! Grazie! Maybe the minor taste on a major progression is good to add tension and that’s why it goes so well on the 4 and 5 chords. This is at least what I thought about it after noticing it…

If I wasn't making mistakes I wouldn't be the kind of player I want to be. Perfection is dangerous.
It's all about taking risks, sometimes you get to some place, sometimes you get to a different place. (Brian May)

[Reuben B]

Great groove Serena and nice improvising over this jamtrack (I’ve not seen that lesson before so thanks for that, I’m looking it up). Definitely you have a good feel going with the different scales.

[Author]

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