April 2025 Challenge Response – Alan O

[Alan O]

Hi AM Friends,

Here is an arrangement that I’ve been working on and decided to use for this month’s challenge. It is in B minor and I limited myself to no pick and minor pentatonics only. I hope to develop it into a full song with lyrics one day.

Alan

[Tremelow]

Hi Alan, I really like the composition. I’d be interested to see what else you do with it. I’d also say that playing without a pick suits the piece very well. The notes would come out too harsh with a plectrum.

By the way, I once had almost the same guitar, only as a semi-hollow. I sold it a few years ago, but now I wish I still had it.

[Bill]

Nice piece Alan. Very clean picking on those arpeggiated chords with your thumb. The whole thing has a great vibe, and even though using the minor pentatonic, you hit just the right notes to give some hopeful sentiments. Great job!

[Jennifer D]

Love this if you don’t make up lyrics I might have too…absolutely beautiful! 👌

[Mark T]

Wow, that is truly beautiful, Alan – clean and precise playing too 👍🎶😎

[Martin W]

Nice arrangement Alan , very melodic sounding and playing finger style adds so much warmth, interesting to see you develop this track it has a lot going for it .

Martin

[AndréM]

Awesome composition Alan.
This is something that should be revisited.
I can hear the drums and bass suddenly coming in.

AndréM

AndréM

[Catherine Arsenault]

Beautiful composition Alan wow !!!

[James B]

Sounds great, Alan. Love the tone you’re getting with your thumb.

James

[Paul S.]

Beautiful piece. The finger (or thumb) picking softens it appropriately. You play it with great feeling, too, and there is no evidence of limitation.

[Mike W]

Cracking composition Alan, with some terrific bends and slides. It makes for a great atmosphere. It will be interesting to see how you develope it.

[Michael L]

Hi Alan, great mellow vibe here. Fingerpicking helped with that as the attack was softer. This has a very classic rock ballad feel. I think some great lyrics would fit right in.

[sunjamr]

Nice one, Alan. You should definitely keep growing that composition. Lyrics and vocals next. Maybe a sax kicks in a few times.

Sunjamr Steve

[Alan L]

That’s pretty epic. Great melody. Definitely keep developing that one!

[Laurel C]

Hope you do take this further to a full voice production. This was awesome. Not sure why but I was imagining a soft rock Fleetwood Mac approach. It will be fun whatever direction you go with this. It’s a keeper.

[Manfred M]

Not only no plectrum, but also, with a few exceptions, only played with the thumb, Alan. But you manage to make it sound wonderful despite this, or perhaps because of it. That’s a wonderful composition, by the way, and you should definitely make a song out of it. So my wholehearted encouragement to keep working on it.

Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom
The next Meetup will be on May 31, 2025

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I look forward to meet you.
Manfred

[John H]

Alan
Wow! Impressive. Subtle yet powerful. Nicely orchestrated and wonderfully performed. You clearly demonstrated that you don’t have to talk much to say a lot. Like Tremelow suggested, I hope there is more to come with this clever piece.

John

[Serena C]

Superb composition Alan! And so soulfully played, congrats!

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)

[Andy N]

Wow! You definitely need to keep working on this Alan, it’s beautiful. Very melodic like something Mark Knopfler might come up with. So mighty fine indeed!
The playing was spot on too. Nice use of the looper and the tone was just right.

[JoLa]

Alan – this was fantastic! First of all, I just LOVED the soft (thumb) touch on the strings, I never tried to play arpeggios like that but love the sound of that and will have to try it! And then the pentatonic melodies you played made the cake, totally professional grade and beautiful! 💯🩷🎶

I’m gonna have to bookmark this page and come back to study what you did a little bit more, I feel like I have a lot to learn here…!

🎸JoLa

[Mike D]

Very melodic and mysterious ..loved it!

Live on planet Earth ? You got the blues.

[JoeD1]

That was hauntingly beautiful Alan. Well done!

Joe

The sight of a touch, or the scent of a sound,
Or the strength of an Oak with roots deep in the ground.
--Graeme Edge

[Dieter]

Great ideas and playing.

Dieter

[Author]

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