Home › Forums › Active Melody Member Challenge Response Submissions › January 2019 Challenge Response – Martyn in FRance
- This topic has 29 replies, 27 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 1 month ago by Rollover33.
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February 3, 2019 at 2:14 pm #124076
Ok …. this is down to Billy. I wasn’t going to post this month because I was a bit disappointed with what I had achieved …….. I just played Brian’s lesson as well as I could with no improvisation and no double stop developments. I put it on Soundcloud and Billy ‘liked it’ so I thought I had better share it with you all.
The thing is I’m going through a bit of a crisis with the guitar, no direction and no perceived achievement, just the same old, same old. I have even looked at the possibility of selling/giving away all my guitars. Packing it all in and finding something else to do with my evenings. I don’t need your encouragement to continue, maybe I just needed to get this down in writing, give myself a chance to think things through. Maybe I need to get back to doing video again.
Anyway here it is …………. Standard Tele into Reaper with Amplitube software amp.Martyn
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February 3, 2019 at 2:38 pm #124089
Martyn,
Your playing sounds wonderful. This is supposed to be fun. If it’s not step away from it for a while. Don’t every sell your guitars. That’s cutting off your nose to spite your face. I think the wall you are running into has been successfully hurdled, you just can’t see it. We all go through droughts. And, don’t take this so seriously. Keep on cranking out the solos.John
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February 3, 2019 at 2:49 pm #124091
Martyn,
Your playing is solid gold my friend.
I also love your videos when you post them but they can be more work.
So glad you posted this.
Gene
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February 3, 2019 at 3:34 pm #124113
Beautiful recording, Martyn. As for me, after joining ActiveMelody I toiled away learning to play guitar, then one day I began to wonder why I was doing it. I had no aspiration to get up on stage and perform, or play at weddings, or open mic sessions at a blues club or become a guitar teacher. So instead, I decided two things: (1) I should learn to make better music videos, because I could share these with my friends and family around the world. It’s a way of keeping in touch with them, and letting them know I’m still alive. And (2) I should learn to compose original songs, just as a personal challenge. After all, it’s an art form, same as a painter or sculptor. There’s nothing wrong with contemplating the meaning of life, the universe, and everything….which as we all know, turns out to be 42. Or was it 49.
Sunjamr Steve
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February 3, 2019 at 3:38 pm #124115
Martyn, first of all, your submission was flawless with some delicate fingerwork going on behind that smooth audio. Secondly, I think a good number of us have been where you are now. I know at my age I wouldn’t expect anything different.
After playing guitar for many years, there are times when I couldn’t really give a damn. But then, after a period of time, you see or hear something that inspires you and bang, you’re off again and enjoying the break you had and the new energy to learn new songs.Richard
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February 3, 2019 at 3:57 pm #124123
A couple of years back when I was a poor struggling taxi driver with a fading desire which came close to me selling up and giving In. Yourself and many others on forum gave me words of encouragement to continue on.
I am very much a fan of your style of playing and this challenge response is one of many which enhances your skills.
It will be a sad day, not just for the loss ofthings you bring to the forum, it will also be a sad loss that you don’t get to express yourself through music..
Wonderful rendition of another Brian classic, doesn’t get any better for us than this Martyn...Billy..
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February 3, 2019 at 3:58 pm #124124
Hello other Martyn….The fact that you played this lesson accurately and in tempo so that it may as well have been Brian playing it, should tell you that indeed, you’ve accomplished much. I get similar feelings every now and then. From what I understand, it goes with the territory. After the smoke clears, it’s tough to beat making music as a hobby. There are so many ways to gain pleasure from it. As I am nearing retirement soon, I will be looking to music to keep me sane.
Great performance. Hang in there, Martyn.
Marty
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February 3, 2019 at 4:08 pm #124127
Martyn I was smiling the whole time thinking maybe you should be in a guitar funk more often. This is fantastic, as good as I’ve ever heard from you.
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February 3, 2019 at 4:21 pm #124137
Nice playing, I enjoyed listening to it.
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February 3, 2019 at 4:28 pm #124142Anonymous
Very nice Martyn. Like Billy you say you’re disappointed. Well like Billy, you also put out a solid effort that sounded superb. I’m thinking you and Billy should do a duet…it would be awesome. Well done!
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February 3, 2019 at 4:50 pm #124151
By the second bar I was thinking “This is going to be first class!” … and it was!
Have a spell from it if you feel the need to, Martyn – but don’t give it away – you’ve come too far and are away too good a player to do that.
Rick
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February 3, 2019 at 4:54 pm #124152
Great take on EP280, Martyn! As far as I could listen on Soundcloud, your technique was already pretty good 2 years ago! So clearly, improvement of skills may not be enough motivating for you! May be I am wrong, but I had the impression that you were giving a special feel to the ‘jazzy’ tunes that you posted on Soundcloud. Jazz, or jazzified blues could be a direction to explore: appoarently you possess the tools and the skills for that. At least, it is worth a try prior selling all your equipment to Billy!!! Phil
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February 3, 2019 at 5:42 pm #124155
Hello Martyn from France this you did excellently! I’m watching the Superbowl football here in USA.. and still holding a guitar! Didn’t feel like going out and not a fan as much anymore of football but enjoying it already! Never get frustrated just find stuff you like to play and have fun, think you had fun with this cause the recording turn out great!
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February 3, 2019 at 9:58 pm #124201
“The thing is I’m going through a bit of a crisis with the guitar, no direction and no perceived achievement, just the same old, same old. I have even looked at the possibility of selling/giving away all my guitars. Packing it all in and finding something else to do with my evenings.”
Ironic you should post this. I was in the same frame of mind yesterday. I spent a lot of time working on using chord tones for lead and harmonized 3rds and 6ths as well. But even though I understood the concepts, I just couldn’t come up with anything beyond the lesson. Frustrated, I was done with guitar yesterday. I thought of all the other things I could spend my time doing and didn’t touch the guitar.
Today I decided to record the lesson at the last minute, since I spent so much time learning it. I’m not happy with the results. I always feel it should be better. But I am coming to realize I will never be satisfied, and I am probably a better player than I think I am.
I think you are also a much better player than you give yourself credit for.
I have seen a lot of improvement in your playing since I have been here the past three years.
What you posted today was very well played. Just playing the lesson well, is no small achievement.
I’ve changed my mind. I hope do as well. -
February 3, 2019 at 10:36 pm #124206
I like the way you played this lesson, Martyn, it sounded just perfect! It is also very inspiring to read about AM members influence and effect on each other, I think that is this group’s strongest point and I am grateful to be a part of it.
Hopefully you will find your inspiration soon, whatever that may be. This is a hobby so it should not be a chore, sometimes a break, to clear the mind, is a good thing. I heard somewhere that “intellectual boredom” has its purpose, the mind may just need time to reboot and “refuel” its creative energy. An inspiration is everywhere and one day it may strike you again without a warning 🙂🎸JoLa
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February 4, 2019 at 12:48 am #124214
Well whatever mood you were in it sounded great! I’m fairly new to the forum but it’s a bit refreshing to read other posts about people getting into a funk with their playing. I sure do. At times I’m mentally excited with all the things I am motivated to do with guitar and tell myself I’m going to work on, at other times I’m too tired or unmotivated to even pick it up even for just a few minutes. At times I feel like I’m an okay player and other times I feel like I have no business even trying to learn guitar. It’s like a constant roller coaster.
Anyway like someone else mentioned whatever you do, don’t sell your gear. Hang in there. Take a break perhaps but don’t give up and just try to have fun with it.
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February 4, 2019 at 1:41 am #124223
Hi Martyn, you said you don’t need encouragement, and I respect that. But I listened to your playing after reading your comment and I couldn’t believe that both were from the same person. You are quite an accomplished musician, you may just not be aware how far you have come. I really enjoyed your playing and hope to hear many more in the future.
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February 4, 2019 at 1:48 am #124225
Hello Martyn,
your playing cannot be a reason for selling your Guitars, but for buying a new one. It sounds really great.Dieter
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February 4, 2019 at 2:02 am #124231
Hi Martyn,
That was brilliant! Wonderful, accomplished playing!
I think that playing and learning guitar is a (non-linear!) journey that meanders all over the place, quite often a huge desert, but then with little oases of discovery! As Richard G says above, you are quite often at a dead end, and then, bang, something hits you unexpectedly and inspires you to go on…
In my personal journey, I have been learning for a long time, branched out into blues, but began to feel a bit stale. Then, 4 years ago, I discovered Brian’s wonderful Active Melody, which gave me a guitar- boost (a kind of musical sugar rush)…. and I found that, listening to the other members’ wonderful postings is inspirational. Also, what I love about AM is that Brian teaches many different styles of Blues. There is a massive back catalogue: Brian’s lessons introduced me to Slow Blues, and particularly BB King: this is my real focus.
Then, late in 2017, I was again feeling stale, so I suddenly decided, on a whim, to go for the 12-month challenge (a great motivating invention from Bryce), I started in November 2017, and suddenly had a brand new purpose in my guitar journey. The excitement of posting, then seeing what the next Month’s challenge was going to be. The discipline of keeping going when sometimes it’s tough! The 12- month challenge was just the goal that I needed to set myself.
Having achieved it, and ‘got the T-shirt’, this month I am enjoying taking a break from it, and listening to all of the other wonderful members’ brilliant postings!
So, Martyn, I think that the key is to enjoy yourself, maybe set yourself little challenges and achievable targets, find a style within AM that you really like (mine is slow blues, BB King: it looks like yours is Jazzy blues?), take breaks when needed, and wait for the next unexpected thing to hit you and inspire you ‘out of the blue!’
Again, thanks for posting it: it was brilliant!
Rich F
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February 4, 2019 at 2:18 am #124232
Nicely played
If your playing isn’t quite inspiring you at the momment try something different, I’m currently learning how to play the harmonica, small blues one.
I also paint but that’s a different story all together.
Hope you get your guitar mojo back and that it’s just hiding not lost altogether
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February 4, 2019 at 3:44 am #124242
Excellent performance, Martyn! Flawless playing and great sound, everything is perfect in it.
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February 4, 2019 at 3:50 am #124244
Thanks everyone for all your kind, supportive and lengthy replies. It is somewhat overwhelming to receive such amazing support and I truly appreciate it enormously. And it does give me greater resolve to continue. So a big thank you to all of you. I am humbled by these responses.
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February 4, 2019 at 6:51 am #124258
Great, now go pour yourself a glass of wine, sit down and play us something…
..Billy..
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February 4, 2019 at 8:47 am #124276
Sounding great, Martyn. That’s exactly how I’ve been feeling lately, as you describe. I think we should sell all our guitars, so then we’d have to buy a new one six months later.
I just wish you would post more videos of your playing, good or bad (in your mind). Seeing videos of your playing is what really inspires me. It’s the videos that teaches me what I capable of (or gives a goal), if I just keep practicing.
Thanks for keeping the posting going!
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February 4, 2019 at 10:35 am #124312
Keep playing music Martyn! Our world needs more music. You graced this piece wonderfully.
James
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February 4, 2019 at 11:16 am #124324
Hi Martyn, I was just about to start consolidating the posts, but I thought, let me check out Martyn’s post first. You’re sounding great. I know you’re dissatisfied, but there’s a difference between taking a couple weeks to reassess if you want to play and selling your instruments. You clearly have a good musical sense and ability. Why not try to apply it to a song you’ve always liked? Much as I like Brian’s lessons, I don’t think they could be anyone’s reason for playing. Try to remember the reason you started playing in the first place and feed that.
Don D.
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February 4, 2019 at 11:59 am #124328
Martyn, I can understand that sometimes it looks like the development is going to stop. But then comes the point where it sets in again; like you imagine it. I did not think that was your submission, I’m not saying it that way, really good. Sometimes I have the problem that I do not come up with any good ideas. Then I just can not get on. After a few days break, everything looks different again. Stay tuned; that is very important in our age. I expect you in the future as well.
Play guitar just like you live; don't get bogged down in theory, it's just a tool without feeling.
Wilfried
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February 4, 2019 at 7:18 pm #124407
Hey Martyn, sorry to hear about the crisis on the guitar. We ALL go through that…I pick the guitar up sometimes and feel like I have no idea what I’m doing with it. So just know that’s normal. I was glad that you shared this.. your playing on it was excellent!
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March 17, 2019 at 2:48 pm #128378
Salut Martyn, je suis du sud ouest France, Charente, 61 ans. Je fréquente peu le forum, c’est même une des rares fois, à l’occasion de la 300ème de Brian. Ton surnom “Martyn in France” a attiré mon attention.
J’ai écouté ton enregistrement, c’est du très bon, un touché, une identité sonore… on n’a pas tous ça, loin s’en faut ! J’espère que tu as repris du poil de la bête depuis ce jour où tu te voyais bazarder des guitares ! Pas fou non ?!!!
BOn, sérieusement, des coups de mou avec l’instrument on en a tous. Personnellement je tente alors d’autres instruments (piano, accordéon, un top cet instrument, harmonica, synthés…). Tout cela plus ou moins en connexion avec un tout petit studio pour s’enregistre.On a acquis un savoir transposable, pas trouvé mieux que la musique pour vivre ou survivre, comme raconte la chanson de chez nous !
Bonne route, au plaisir d’entendre ta guitare bientôt.
J’espère accéder sous peu à un stade auquel j’oserai le forum, les challenge mensuel, pour te faire entendre du son charentais ! @micalement, Guy -
March 17, 2019 at 2:55 pm #128379
… ha oui, et puis tu sembles ennuyé autour de l’impro. Alors depuis deux ans, j’ai acheté une guitare manouche et j’étudie doucement ce style qui précisément vise l’impro et complète fabuleusement l’approche de Brian ! As tu essayé ? Suis pas spécialement fan (idem pour l’accordéon !), à l’écoute mais à tenter, pour un guitariste, c’est passionnant !
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