Cloughie’s July 2022

[cloughie]

Tēnã koutou,

That means greetings everybody in Te Reo which is one of the three official languages of my country, Aotearoa ( New Zealand ). The other two are English & NZ Sign Language. Te Reo is the language of our indigenous people the Māori – I am proudly descended from Māori on my father’s side & the rest of me is mainly Celtic and Viking. There’s also 5% Italian which may explain my visceral passion for Opera 🙂 – especially Verdi, Puccini and the Bel Canto Italian composers Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti. I also adore Maria Callas and agree she is the greatest artist of the 20th Century.

Anyway … here’s the relevant bit from January alongside July. Huge difference for me this year in my guitar voyage has been using a pick since about early Feb 22 so it lined up beautifully with this 6 month challenge. Loving it!

July is definitely better & not just because of the pick. It’s also shorter and I’m not singing 🙂

Enjoy.

July 22

Jan 22

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

[bwade913]

I liked both, but as a Tele player I do have to give the nod to the Tele version.

[AndréM]

Both are excellent, but I like the Jan one with the fleshy tone with your thumb.
Well done.

AndréM

AndréM

[John H]

Well done Cloughie. Soulfully played. Love the tone of your Tele!

JH

[Bill]

Nice improvement Cloughie! I think the Tele helps 😉
But no doubt it’s your practicing in the end.

[Richard G]

Great improvement Cloughie, using the pick gave it much more attack, which the piece called for. Great to listen to and well worth the practice

Richard

[Werner]

Well done, Sir, well done! With that pick it sounds – how should I say — clearer. But I like the older version as well. Thank you

Werner

[James B]

I like both, Cloughie. You’re as adept with the pick as you are with your thumb.

James

[Phil B]

Difficult one to call. I think I like the latest one better because I love the tele tone but also the pick gives a much crisper attack. Excellent playing.

[Denise]

The tone on your Tele is better and the notes sound clearer and brighter with the pick.
Your playing of the Chicago style has also improved (well you have already a great guitar before).
I absolutely like that style, great backing track, too.
I love NZ, the country of my dreams! You are so lucky to live there.
Denise

More Blues!

[Carpa]

Veel vooruitgang met het plectrum, goed gespeeld.
Great progress with the pick, well played.

[sunjamr]

Hahaha, I was forced by my parents to listen to opera a lot when I was a little kid, so now I hate it so much I will even walk across the street to avoid hearing it. I guess that’s just human nature. But it looks like you have a good grip on using a pick (pun intended). Well played!

Sunjamr Steve

[Garry]

The pick definitely gives a bite and an edge to your playing Brian and I bet you wish you could have tried using a bit of plastic a little sooner 😉. No stress because now you’ve got the option for finger style or pick. July version really rocked and sounded awesome so very enjoyable. Keep on pickin’ and all the best! 🥸🎸🥸

[sciencefiction]

You rock, Cloughie! You have really mastered that pick. And your alternate picking is out of sight. Very fluid playing.
Larry

[Manfred M]

Both versions are great, Cloughie. It don‘t look like you are using the pick just a short time. It looks very experienced. Nevertheless, i hope you don‘t mind, i like the January edition better, because of that soft Mark Knopfler touch

Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom
The next Meetup will probably take place in July/August 2025

There will be a detailed announcement here in the forum in good time.

I look forward to meet you.
Manfred

[Martin W]

Yep I like both but …….certainly makes a difference with the pick especially when you dig in , I also prefer the sound of your tele so for me the 2nd one edges it .
Nice work .

Martin

[Laurel C]

It’s great to have both versions. The thumb and the pick and two different guitars. The transition to a pick has been an amazing shift. The July version gives it that sharp edge sound to be quick off the mark as oppose to that of the thumb’s agility. Choice.

[Bob Utberg]

Tēnã koutou Cloughie! Muy Bien!!! Great playing and you always play such great licks and tone. Well done!

Bob U. (aka Bobby Ut)

[Alan K]

Great improvement and a rocking submission this month. Great phrasing and fantastic clinic in alternate picking. So precise. Good stuff.

[JoLa]

Nice playing, Brian! Each version brings different flavors out, expressive thumb playing vs bright and punchy picked notes, a matter of taste I guess. I did enjoy the alternate picking parts, you got the technique down pat 👌

🎸JoLa

[Phil67]

Both are good, but i feel last one with pick is better, you are more expressive and licks sound much as phrases with a story to tell.
You really target and hit the blues attitude.
Bravo.

Where does the white go when snow melts?

[Michael L]

Hi Cloughie, it’s sounding really great! I think the pick has facilitated some smoother lines for you… a little less hesitation between notes as you can get the alternate picking going. And I love that Tele tone!

[Tom D]

It’s cool that you can be very effective with and without a pick Brian. It’s also very cool that you’ve got a Tele and a Strat. For this song, I thought your picking and Tele were especially good together. Enjoyed your music and the background on your country and personal history.

Cheers, Tom

[Marie Jarreau]

Hey Brian,
How ’bout that! Seems you and I started using a pick about the same time!! I’d been simply a thumb strummer for decades but the Boogie Woogie I chose for the Jan/July Challenge forced me to finally make the jump to using a pick. I must say I like your ‘Pick” version better though both are really fun pieces to listen to.

I thoroughly enjoyed your language, history and heritage information. New Zealand has always seemed like one of those fastenating locations.

“Yakoke” (“Thank You” – as in Choctaw language, part of my own heritage. My father was Choctaw, mother was Choctaw/French. We ALL have such rich histories behind us!)
Marie

“Laissez les bon temps rouler“
Marie Jarreau

[Mark T]

Brilliantly played in both versions, Cloughie – with the second one just edging it for me 👍🎶

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