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May 2020 Challenge Response EP085/ML045 – JoLa

Home › Forums › Active Melody Member Challenge Response Submissions › May 2020 Challenge Response EP085/ML045 – JoLa

  • This topic has 59 replies, 55 voices, and was last updated 7 months, 2 weeks ago by David B.
  • Creator
    Topic
  • May 29, 2020 at 2:55 pm #175408
    JoLa
    Participant

    Hi AM friends,

    While I was playing around with drop D tuning, a brilliant idea came to my head that I might as well tune down the top string to D and make it a Double Drop D tuning. Then I googled it and of course, there is such thing already and apparently it is useful for occasional slide playing while the middle 4 strings are still in standard tuning. Pretty cool.

    Then I thought ML045 was an easy one but to this day I struggle with the A chord on it. Brian just collapses his pinky to bar the top 4 strings and lifts it again to play the chord – but I wonder if there are any humans who can actually do that??

    OK, enjoy your weekend, everyone!

    ♪JoLa

  • Creator
    Topic
Viewing 55 reply threads
  • Author
    Replies
    • May 29, 2020 at 3:44 pm #175438
      John B
      Participant

      Jola that was fantastic. I almost missed the second part and I’m so happy I didn’t. Love slide guitar. The arrangements, playing, and video were really nicely done. Cudo’s

    • May 29, 2020 at 4:01 pm #175450
      BRENDAN G
      Participant

      Are you saying Brain is from somewhere else, or maybe a robot?
      Let me think!
      Anyway great job loved the acoustic guitars and the feel of the composition, great playing.

    • May 29, 2020 at 4:22 pm #175454
      Lights
      Participant

      Hi, Jolanta!
      It’s very clever to choose the classical guitars for EP-085 ‘cos this is a very finger breaking lesson, for me at least.
      But MPA-70 is the most coolest parlor guitar in the world by my opinion. Even better than Petros or John Mayer 00-45.
      Your playing and mixing was perfect, was great pleasure to listen.
      Lights.

    • May 29, 2020 at 4:25 pm #175458
      Richard G
      Participant

      Fabulous JoLa, I loved the feel and groove you achieved throughout. You played it with punch and precision, that’s my very favourite acoustic guitar style.

      Richard

    • May 29, 2020 at 4:35 pm #175465
      snakechisler
      Participant

      That was a great listen, both parts were top banan

      Great achievement on the slide nice and smooth

    • May 29, 2020 at 4:58 pm #175486
      San Luis Rey
      Participant

      Fantastic playing on all the part Jola! Nice catch at the end too!

      Mike

    • May 29, 2020 at 5:05 pm #175495
      Richard S
      Participant

      Great playing Jola. Double drop D huh? Going to have to check that out as the sound was fantastic. Nicely done slide.

    • May 29, 2020 at 5:11 pm #175501
      Phil B
      Participant

      Well your dog ended up having a ball and so did I by listening to this. Really appealing sound from your guitars and some clever and intricate picking. It’s got to be one of your best that I’ve heard from you anyway.

    • May 29, 2020 at 5:27 pm #175516
      Garry
      Participant

      Beautiful playing. Loved the combination of the nylon string and the steel string slide. Great performance!

    • May 29, 2020 at 5:30 pm #175518
      Martin W
      Participant

      That’s some fine fingerstyle work there the slide is a addded bonus which sits perfectly in the mix , I know what you mean with MLO45 that A part is tricky you almost need another joint in the finger for it to work .
      Great stuff .

      Martin

    • May 29, 2020 at 5:52 pm #175535
      sunjamr
      Participant

      I’m pretty sure this will go viral. Pretty soon Sheryl Crow or Reina del Cid or Samantha Fish will be inviting you to go on tour with them.

      Sunjamr Steve

    • May 29, 2020 at 5:56 pm #175537
      AndréM
      Participant

      JoLa that was excellent, like the added slide.
      Very good fingerstyle i wish i had
      Great work.

      AndréM

      AndréM

    • May 29, 2020 at 6:07 pm #175549
      scubatan
      Participant

      I like what new dimension the classical guitar brings to the piece, very thoughtful. Enjoy them both and the dog show.

      A Blues Dude From North Georgia, US

    • May 29, 2020 at 8:42 pm #175587
      charjo
      Participant

      Great tempo and very clean slide work. Really well done, Jola.
      John

    • May 29, 2020 at 9:14 pm #175601
      Julie I
      Participant

      Jola,
      what a mix of tone and style! love what you did!

    • May 29, 2020 at 10:42 pm #175626
      Craig S
      Participant

      Reaaly nice work. Loved the feel and dual recording. very slick!!! And what a beautiful guitar. Great tone.

      How did you record? DI or mic?

      Wish You Were Here

      • May 30, 2020 at 1:18 pm #175974
        JoLa
        Participant

        All recorded directly to GB. I tried the mic but it was too noisy outside 🙂

        ♪JoLa

    • May 29, 2020 at 11:25 pm #175649
      Liam I
      Participant

      Thoroughly enjoyed that JoLa. Loved the finger style and slide combo on the classic. Well done.

      Liam.

    • May 29, 2020 at 11:50 pm #175662
      Laurel C
      Participant

      Double D, double video, double guitars. That was fantastic playing. Can appreciate your fingerstyle work and the speed at which you sustained this, that is a feat in itself. Great control, you made it effortless. Enjoyed the combination of your second video with the complimentary slide work, suited it so well. A double gold star, you nearly hit the ball out of the park only your cute dog caught it.

      'To learn the language surround yourself with better players ... I think it's rubbing off'

    • May 30, 2020 at 12:06 am #175672
      David L
      Participant

      Wow, EP085 at Brian’s pace….or faster?! So well played. ML045 was magnificent with the acoustic and slide playing. Loved it and loved the video so matched the serene sounds with wind blowing your hair. Super cool.

    • May 30, 2020 at 3:05 am #175743
      Phil67
      Participant

      Each time I listen to your work, I found it very creative and surprising
      Once again I m stuck.
      Very nice

      Where does the white go when snow melts?

    • May 30, 2020 at 4:53 am #175754
      wannaplayblues
      Participant

      Aw man, that was AWESOME!!! Timing sounds flawless – do you play to a click track or anything?

      "I hear you talkin' son, but you 'aint sayin' nothin'" - Will McFarlane quoting Muddy Waters hearing a really fast guitar player

      • June 2, 2020 at 11:10 am #177325
        JoLa
        Participant

        I don’t play to a click track (what is a click track anyway??) but I do tap my foot to the rhythm. Sometimes when I’m learning and have trouble with some parts, I use metronome to get it right, usually as a last resort. Otherwise I try to follow Brian’s playing.

        ♪JoLa

    • May 30, 2020 at 6:27 am #175791
      WBlues
      Participant

      Great played JoLa! You served the Drop-D mood perfectly and created a great overall package on it. A band with yourself; with an absolutely cool sound from both guitars. I really like it.

      Wilfried

    • May 30, 2020 at 6:50 am #175797
      David R
      Participant

      You really are great at fingerstyle. I very much enjoyed both pieces. Slide is something I need to look at doing. Well done.

    • May 30, 2020 at 7:41 am #175830
      sciencefiction
      Participant

      Both pieces were great, JoLa! On the first I noticed you are really developing some speed in your playing, but you make it look so smooth and effortless, one can hardly tell. You’ve got some really cool guitars.
      Larry

    • May 30, 2020 at 7:50 am #175835
      Martin G
      Participant

      Hi Jola….so where did this finger style officianado come from?….This is a whole nother level of play that you’ve pulled out of your bag of tricks….a jaw dropping performance….and I loved the sneaky little bit of slide that you plugged in…Once again you’ve nudged your personal bar just that much higher….

      Bravo!

      Marty

    • May 30, 2020 at 8:48 am #175872
      snakechisler
      Participant

      Well that 3 minutes past really quick, am sat in the garden chilling with a cup of tea and the tune flew by.

      Nice guitar sound on the first part and lovely use of accents on the slide on the second leaving nice space to appreciate the smooth entry into the notes.

    • May 30, 2020 at 8:56 am #175874
      James B
      Participant

      Wonderful finger style playing Jola. Both guitars sound great and adding the slide really accentuated that second piece.

      James

    • May 30, 2020 at 10:23 am #175913
      Pat
      Participant

      Your playing and videos are alway so good and fun listening to and watching! Really like ur nylon string guitar. What is the make/model?

      • May 30, 2020 at 1:24 pm #175983
        JoLa
        Participant

        It’s a 1970s Ventura Lady Nelson, a parlor size guitar.

        ♪JoLa

    • May 30, 2020 at 12:00 pm #175935
      Sal
      Participant

      JoLa,your posts are getting more original than the last ones! This picking along with your slide work was just great,and your visuals are getting fancier by the week!! Great job!……..Sal P.S. Loved the doggie!!

    • May 30, 2020 at 3:10 pm #176107
      Patrick van Rijn
      Participant

      Very very good, Jola! Both tracks were outstanding.Fluent, confident, soulful… and the slide was the perfect icing on the cake. High class submissions!

      Best regards,
      Patrick

      Patrick

    • May 30, 2020 at 3:31 pm #176119
      richard t
      Participant

      That was just spot on perfect in both performances. So smooth and effortless. Nice creativity and intonation with the slide. Appeared you were outside enjoying a pleasant day in Vegas.

    • May 30, 2020 at 6:21 pm #176210
      Scott M
      Participant

      Dang your fingerstyle chops are seriously good and you got the slide workin as well, well put together top to bottom, well done Jola!

      Scott

    • May 30, 2020 at 8:16 pm #176249
      Sam G
      Participant

      Great composition JoLa and a pleasure to listen to. Nice slide.

    • May 30, 2020 at 9:01 pm #176268
      Hide (ひで)
      Participant

      Wow, this is masterfully played, JoLa. Jonathan was practicing this when I was visiting him. I tried it myself, and it was NOT an easy song. But you played it with such a fast tempo, and even without a hesitation. Your slide is awesome, too, and the guitar just sounds lovely.

    • May 30, 2020 at 11:01 pm #176280
      Ethan G
      Participant

      JoLa, your playing has improved massively over the last few months since I’ve been watching your submissions. Well done. My hot take on playing the A chord is to use your thumb on the bass instead of your ring finger and make the chord that way, more like Hendrix style. That way you’ll be in position to flatten your ring finger.

    • May 31, 2020 at 2:16 am #176340
      Vorocnan
      Participant

      Hey really well played I have been playing 085 for a while but never at the insane tempo Brian plays it 😃 but you managed it fine well done. I like it slowed down. I know what you mean with that A chord in ML 45 It is getting my fingers in the right position to play it that I find hard and slow but it’s coming I think.

      Vorocnan

    • May 31, 2020 at 3:20 am #176370
      Israel U
      Participant

      What a great production! Excellent playing and sound, and I just loved the slide guitar accompany.

      Israel

    • May 31, 2020 at 3:32 am #176377
      Eric C
      Participant

      Excellent work, JoLa! What a great performance. Very well played and your acoustic sounds great!

      Eric

    • May 31, 2020 at 9:10 am #176551
      Jonathan Amos
      Participant

      Nice to see a classical guitar for a change and you make it ring out. And the slide guitar sounds amazing, it answers the other acoustic perfectly – a good example of less is more.

      Jonathan
      Ehime, Japan

    • May 31, 2020 at 10:11 am #176593
      John H
      Participant

      JoLa
      Your productions are always a breath of fresh air. I am not sure there is a metric for improvement but you are setting the bar very high. Not only do you play well you compose nicely and seem to tackle more challenging arrangements. Great subtle use of the slide. Duane Allman and Mark Knopfler would be proud. Love the tone quality of those guitars. Very fun and inspirational…. you rock sister!!!

      John

      Thank you always!!

    • May 31, 2020 at 11:15 am #176654
      satellite
      Participant

      Another great visual production which we’ve all come to appreciate, and going hand in hand with it, another admirable progression of your playing skill set. There are some tricky finger stretches in this one!

    • May 31, 2020 at 11:40 am #176666
      Bob Utberg
      Participant

      Yo Yo Yo Yo Jola!!!!! THAT WAS INCREDIBLE! How do you mix those vids? Your slide playing was super tasty! So confident! Very well played. If you had trouble with any chord/position, I could not tell! I look forward to more of your playing. Well done! Bob

      Bob U. (aka Bobby Ut)

    • May 31, 2020 at 1:49 pm #176746
      David H – DTO
      Participant

      Had a little “Little Martha” vibe to it. Always good stuff from you.

    • May 31, 2020 at 6:06 pm #176869
      sunburst
      Blocked

      Jola , this was such a fantastic showplay.. very creative and cool keeping tempo and arranging the slide fills.. that’s talent.. oh that dog is talented too lol.. great ending loved it! ty for sharing

    • May 31, 2020 at 7:53 pm #176923
      Dave K
      Participant

      Fantastic as always, Jola! I am not familiar with the lessons, but it sounds to me that you played them absolutely perfectly…and the slide playing was awesome!

    • May 31, 2020 at 7:57 pm #176925
      bwade913
      Participant

      Very nicely done Jola! Switching from a classical guitar to a parlor guitar had me confused until I went back and looked again. Both guitars sounded great and your playing was very fluid. I enjoyed your slide playing as well. Double Drop D is very close to Open G (just 5th string different) so there would be a lot of slide potential for the upper four strings. – Bret

    • May 31, 2020 at 9:03 pm #176965
      RPatrick
      Participant

      Wow! That looked easy for you:)
      Great playing!

    • June 1, 2020 at 3:30 am #177061
      Santiago P
      Participant

      only …. it is a pleasure to listen to you

    • June 1, 2020 at 4:40 am #177083
      Andy N
      Participant

      Two for the price of one this month! Loved that Jola. The first piece is my favorite of Brian’s drop D lessons, not only sounds good but feels good too when you get it going and you really had it going there, it had a momentum all of its own.
      I’d not heard the micro lesson before but will need to go and look it out you’re slide lead was really cool and well controlled.
      I know what you mean about Brian’s pinky. I thought if a spent a couple of weeks bending back on a table it would work……but no doesn’t 🙂

    • June 1, 2020 at 5:28 am #177096
      Brent N
      Participant

      Wow! I’m a fan.

      Brent
      Permian Basin, Texas

    • June 1, 2020 at 7:06 am #177140
      Cory James
      Participant

      Not sure I missed this one, but I’m glad I circled back and saw this! So many good things to say about this submission. I loved your rendition of this. Sounded amazing.

      Cory

      "Love the life you live. Live the life you love" - Bob Marley

    • June 1, 2020 at 2:17 pm #177210
      Don D.
      Moderator

      JoLa, both parts are great, your playing is so fluid now! Excellent. The first part wouldn’t be out of place on a CSN or CSNY record.

      Don D.

    • June 2, 2020 at 7:36 am #177292
      Jack C
      Participant

      That was just wonderful, really enjoyed it! The slide part fit perfectly and created a nice atmospheric piece! Loved the doggie too lol 🙂

    • June 2, 2020 at 9:34 am #177315
      Roger
      Participant

      That was amazing. You got an almost 12 string like sound out of that guitar at the beginning. Your slide work is spot on. Your fingerstyle is very impressive.

    • June 2, 2020 at 11:24 am #177327
      JoLa
      Participant

      Thank YOU! ☺️
      I appreciate all your comments, everyone, they are very motivating. I also enjoy watching and commenting on everyone’s take on the challenge, it makes my weekend every time! There is a great gang here on Active Melody! 😉

      ♪JoLa

    • June 2, 2020 at 2:03 pm #177352
      David B
      Participant

      Hi Jola.

      Both parts are fantastic and melt together great. You’re really good, and creative.
      Your play, recording quality and video are, as usual, in top.

      Best Regards
      David B.

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