May 2023 Challenge Response – Bill

[Bill]

The task this month was to play something simple. I chose one of Brian’s Microlessons, ML70, which is a BB King inspired jump blues using just 4 notes.

I had a devil of a time dialing in a tone for this…not sure why but everything sounded bad to my ears. I’m still not completely happy with it, but it’s time to get it recorded and submit for the challenge. Simple indeed!

Look forward to catching everyone else’s simple ideas!

[Michael L]

Hi Bill, smoothly played with some pace and feel. Sounds like a fun piece to play, and you nailed it!

[Garry]

Great minds think alike Bill, we both chose ML070 for this month’s challenge. Really enjoyed your version and the way you kept true to the original but added your own style, creativity and guitaristic additions. Keep on pickin’ and all the best! 🥸🎸🥸

[Bill]

Ahah! And both played on a Gretsch…
Thanks Gary!

[AndréM]

4 notes is not an easy task but you managed it well
Well done Bill.

AndréM

AndréM

[Martyn in France]

This sounds great Bill and the tone is very good. Quite a few using micro lesson as their inspiration for this Challenge. Well played.
Martyn

[Gary W]

Sounds good to me Bill! Great phrasing & a great demo of what can be done with a few notes – as per the brief for the challenge. Good stuff.

Gary

[John H]

I am enjoying your attraction to the Big Band-rockabilly thing Bill. I personally enjoy it so much. Well played and great tone!!

John

[JoeD1]

I thought the tone was great. And you played it very well too!

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

[Reinhard H]

Hi Bill, it sounds very well and its well done. I hear the relationsship to B.B. King. Really enjoyed it!
Keep on playing the Blues…
Reinhard

[Manfred M]

Great playing with just a few notes, Bill. And the tone fits very good. Sounds really good! I enjoyed it!

Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom.
The next Meetup will take place on May 31

There will be a detailed announcement here in the forum in the next days..

I look forward to meet you.
Manfred

[Pap]

Bill, thats a great lesson. You did a nice job with phrasing and a variety of lics for just four notes. Well done man! Cheers. Pap

[Vincent K]

Very smooth well played Thaise 4 notes Bill

Very Nice job

Thanks for sharing

🎸 Vincent 🎶 🇳🇱

[James B]

That’s a cool tune, Bill. Tone sounds good to me. I was hoping BB or Ray Charles would start singing after your solo. 🎶 😎

James

[Bill]

Next time I won’t cut the track so short so you can hear them

[JoLa]

Fantastic playing, Bill!
You made so much music I would never thought it was only 4 notes if you hadn’t mentioned!
And this may sound mean but I’m glad to hear somebody other than myself had a hard time dialing the right tone! It did sound great to my ears though, they say most of the tone comes from the player’s hands 😉

🎸JoLa

[Bill]

Ha, thanks JoLa! It’s funny this guitar journey, some days you think you’ve got it and the next are 🙀

[Werner]

Bill that’s a good one. I’m struggling with BB too and you done it very well. Great contribution. thank you

Werner

[Bill]

BB’s touch and vibrato are not able to be duplicated! The man played so much with so little…in the best way possible.

[WBlues]

Perfectly done. You did it playfully. I like your approach. Well done.

Play guitar just like you live; don't get bogged down in theory, it's just a tool without feeling.

Wilfried

[Mike W]

Great performance Bill – it might only be 4 notes but I find that things are moving pretty fast on that track (although I am a slowhand). I’ve not really looked at that ML but to me it sounds more like the guy on your wall than BB. Well played and the tone was good – we’re always our worst critics.

[Andy Wright]

Hi Bill, great choice for this challenge. You played really well and captured the BB sound

[San Luis Rey]

Great stuff Bill! Love the BB King accent bark you fill in with on the Gretch.

Mike

[sunjamr]

Good one, Bill. I definitely got that early BB vibe in there. I’m not sure what you could have done different to get the tone you wanted. It sounded just fine to me. Really well played!

Sunjamr Steve

[Laurel C]

That’s a great lesson with a terrific backing track to play over. You made it your own phrasing. Still sounded great. It may be only a few notes but I remember playing this one over and over just to get each portion right the way Brian intended it. The touch to it with the right push and pull and timing was a real learning curve for my ears to concentrate on what I was actually hearing and how that made such a difference.

[Martin W]

Hi bill , you certainly said a lot with a little , love that slow bend at 0.34 , the tone sounded fine to my ear kinda in the middle.
Excellent sub

Martin

[Guido]

Liked your guitar’s tone and definitely heard a BB King’s vibe in your performance! Brilliant classic blues rendition, Bill, very enjoyable and fun to listen to!

Guido

[Bob Utberg]

Great licks sound amazing! And not super fast or hard to play. It’s HOW and WHEN we play them. And Bill, you nailed it!
B

Bob U. (aka Bobby Ut)

[Tom D]

Man Bill, you really articulate your notes well and in a “Bill and genre” authentic style. As an example (and I hope I caught it right) your bends at ~0:35 and ~1:22 were great. And you had other great bends too that caught just the notes and feel. Beyond that you play all your phrases with a very purposeful style that sounds like it’s what you want it to sound like. Very cool.

Cheers, Tom

[Bill]

Thanks so much Tom, nice to hear.

[Andy N]

You made those 4 notes earn their keep there Bill. Great playing and that BB style came through, particulary on those bends. I thought the tone sounded good and suited the style really well. The backing was quite quiet when I listened, if it were a bit louder I think the guitar would have settled in nicely.

[David H]

Loved that long bend!

[Author]

Posts