Home › Forums › Active Melody Member Challenge Response Submissions › November 2020 Challenge Response – William I
- This topic has 70 replies, 36 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 4 months ago by William I.
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November 27, 2020 at 12:12 am #220615
Hello. Well, this is my first go at posting. I’ve been a member for a few months. I only discovered this forum a few weeks back, having been spending my time working through some of Brian’s great lessons.
So this tune was exciting and got my juices going. I tried to work out some chords but became lazy. I recognised is as “Georgia” and it was in C. I googled and saw some very complicated chord progressions so decided to “wing it”. I roughly jammed along with some chords up the neck to get a feel for where I’d play the lead and to get the feel of the song. I gave it a go at jamming and recording, was happy with my playing but the sound was completely distorted. I couple of tweaks and go’s at playing, I recorded my “take”. I was happy with the guitar playing, though the sound is dodgy! (a few questionable moments, but perhaps lost in the bad recording!)
Now back to lessons! So many guitar styles and so much to learn from Brian. He’s a great teacher. Also looking forward to hearing what other people submit – I think there will be many interpretations based on who we are, our guitar styles, what we’ve worked on in the past etc. Love it.
PS: I’m in Australia so have been eagerly awaiting 27th November UTC (It is now 4.30pm 27th for me :)).
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November 27, 2020 at 1:06 am #220628
Great effort
Wish You Were Here
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November 29, 2020 at 3:32 am #222559
Thanks Craig
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November 27, 2020 at 1:10 am #220633
Very nice job.
Dieter
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November 29, 2020 at 3:32 am #222560
Thanks Dieter
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November 27, 2020 at 1:25 am #220639
Welcome, Will! Great first post,keep on going!
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November 29, 2020 at 3:33 am #222561
Thanks .. depends on the subsequent challenges 🙂
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November 27, 2020 at 2:16 am #220658
Good creative lick and rhythm ideas. Tone is trial and error. I use a Scarlett audio interface into my Mac and it made a huge difference. Well done.
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
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November 29, 2020 at 3:34 am #222563
Thanks – I’ve now saved the Scarlett interface to my wish-list in E-bay!
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November 27, 2020 at 2:17 am #220659
Great first post, william. Good to have you on board. Never mind the sound, that’s a secondary consideration at the moment. I really enjoyed your playing and look forward to more later.
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November 29, 2020 at 3:36 am #222565
Thanks Tremelow — yes, I wasn’t too worried about the sound – just gave it a go. Was sort of intelligible, but still I guess it could be better .. nuances will get lost unless I can do a clean recording.
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November 27, 2020 at 2:52 am #220664
Welcome to the challenges. That was great playing and responded with feeling. Keep up the good work.
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November 29, 2020 at 3:37 am #222566
Thanks Laurel – I was inspired by the backing track and didn’t want to keep recording over and over in case I lost the mood. Glad I conveyed some of the feeling. Cheers.
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November 27, 2020 at 5:28 am #220696
Thats the first hurdle over. Last month was my first attempt so I know how big a step it is. Great playing. Welcome. Look forward to hearing more.
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November 29, 2020 at 3:39 am #222568
Thanks – perhaps it was made easier because I hadn’t looked at any past posts .. having now I have looked at some of recent posts, I’m sure glad I didn’t as I might have lost my nerve!
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November 27, 2020 at 5:39 am #220708
Some really cool licks happening there William. Well done. Sound wise, most of us plug into an audio interface which then goes into our computer and we control our sound from there. If you need advice with home recording members are very willing to help with advice, just ask. All the best!
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November 29, 2020 at 3:40 am #222570
Cheers Garry – yes, something I will look into further, though I’m not keen on out laying the sums of dollars for the units I’ve so far seen .. worth half the value of my guitar 🙂
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November 27, 2020 at 5:49 am #220717
composition is great and punchy. you’ve got style.
Where does the white go when snow melts?
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November 29, 2020 at 3:40 am #222571
Thanks Phil – very kind of you. Cheers.
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November 27, 2020 at 6:51 am #220745
What a debut! Welcome to the challenges Will. Great playing, it just got better as it went on. Look forward to you future offerings.
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November 29, 2020 at 3:42 am #222573
Thanks Phil – I was happy with with it (except for the sound quality!). Yes, I warmed into it. A fun track.
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November 27, 2020 at 7:20 am #220760
William, I agree one way to ‘wing’ this is to not try to play around the chords, and stick with the basic pentatonic! I think I will use that approach as well. Good dynamics at times.
Hidetada Shimizu
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November 29, 2020 at 3:44 am #222574
Thanks Hide. I’m a bit of a believer of playing from the heart. Follow your ear and feel it. Can get too cerebral otherwise.. Glad the dynamics came out (through the muddy audio! :)).
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November 27, 2020 at 10:20 am #220844
Nice runs and you put your own style on it!
Live on planet Earth ? You got the blues.
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November 29, 2020 at 3:45 am #222575
Thanks Mike – gave it my best me.
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November 27, 2020 at 10:38 am #220863
Congrats on a great first post, keep em coming William
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November 29, 2020 at 3:46 am #222576
Thanks Mike — I’ll do another if the challenge is something I can manage! — lots of different guitar styles etc., so who knows 🙂
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November 27, 2020 at 11:57 am #220925
William,
That sounds really good – congratulations on your first post!
Hope you post some more as you get into the lessons.Bruce
Just focus on the notes you DID get right . . . Frank Vignola
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November 29, 2020 at 3:47 am #222579
Thanks Mike – am happy I gave it a go. Nice to have so many supportive comments. The lessons are great – so many past lessons that are of interest. I wish I didn’t have to work!
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November 27, 2020 at 1:25 pm #220992
Pretty cool first post. Keep it up.
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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November 29, 2020 at 3:49 am #222580
Thanks. I gave it my best shot and it was fun to do — but hard in the 1 minute!
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November 27, 2020 at 2:54 pm #221049
You’ve got some hot licks there! Good job and keep going!
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November 29, 2020 at 3:50 am #222581
Thanks Mike 🙂 Well, there came out as they came out — not sure if I could repeat them 🙂
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November 27, 2020 at 4:18 pm #221139
The most modern approach of the backtrack, so far! Some wild runs to make it spicy! Great first submission! Hope you will post again for next challenges! Phil.
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November 29, 2020 at 3:51 am #222582
Thanks Phil – that is really encouraging. I’ve turned 50 so being modern is certainly a compliment! (I must tell my children! :))
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November 27, 2020 at 4:22 pm #221141
Congrats on your first challenge submission, some nice ideas, as you mentioned it became a bit distorted, maybe use a interface and adjust the gain settings , recording is a lesson in itself and all part of the journey. Well played and keep em coming .
Martin
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November 29, 2020 at 3:52 am #222585
Thanks Martin – yes the recording seems to be part of the journey – some really amazing productions I’ve seen over the last day!
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November 27, 2020 at 4:45 pm #221183
Lots of feeling in ur playing and good first post!
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November 29, 2020 at 3:53 am #222586
Thanks Pat – I don’t like to play if I’m not feeling it – I sometimes wonder how the pro’s keep playing the same pieces over and over .. I think I’d be over it!
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November 27, 2020 at 6:02 pm #221248
Great first post William. You let you’re ear tell you where to go and it felt very personal and passionate as a result. Nice Vibrato and slides.
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November 29, 2020 at 3:54 am #222587
Thanks Andy – appreciate your comments and they reflect what I was trying to achieve (personal and passionate).
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November 27, 2020 at 10:36 pm #221346
Nice playing William and congrats on you’re debut post. That’s the back broken on the first recording you’ll find that using an interface and or mic is like night and day compared with just an iPhone or similar. Get yourself on YouTube for tutorials it can only go up from here!
Best
Liam.
“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams. “
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November 29, 2020 at 3:55 am #222589
Thanks Liam – certainly if I post again I will endeavour to improve the sound quality. Some really good quality recordings were submitted by others.
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November 28, 2020 at 2:08 am #221418
Very nice first submission! Along with the blues I can hear a lot of jazzy influences. I’m looking forward to hear more from you!
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November 29, 2020 at 4:00 am #222596
Thanks Sebastian – I like all sorts of music so I guess something popped out that came from those! Of course Blues is the root and other styles on top of that. Love playing rhythm and spent years playing bass guitar. Grew up on Credence Clearwater Rival, JJ Cale, Eric Clapton etc and love also Dire Straits, funk styles and jazz (George Benson, Larry Carlton .. ). Of course, being Aussie, I’ve grown up on ACDC and Cold Chisel (Ian Moss) also!
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November 28, 2020 at 4:20 am #221490
Great first submission, William! Keep em coming!
Eric
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November 29, 2020 at 4:00 am #222598
Thanks Eric — let’s see what happens 🙂
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November 28, 2020 at 8:33 am #221660
Some great ideas and licks going on, the playing has a nice soulful feel a nice double stop run in the middle
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November 29, 2020 at 4:02 am #222600
Thanks, I just went for those (I love playing that kind of double-stop playing up the and down the neck, I think it sounds cool) and luckily they worked out. It was unrehearsed, so not sure I could play it again the same 🙂
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November 28, 2020 at 9:51 am #221766
Hi William! Welcome to the peeps of AM. Great job – especially the first one. Loved the Bluesy lick at :38 the best. Keep submitting great fun! Bob
Bob U. (aka Bobby Ut)
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November 29, 2020 at 4:02 am #222602
Thanks Bob – yes, it really kicked off there. That was fun. Cheers
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November 28, 2020 at 10:36 am #221854
William, welcome and nice 1st submission. There is a plethora of interface/software combos that can really spice things up. I have resisted getting into the weeds on that part of it thus far. I am focusing on playing better. However, I will soon cave and buy an interface w/ software. Cheers. Pap
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November 29, 2020 at 4:04 am #222606
Yes, the interfaces are another area .. I’m happy just focusing on playing but will look into it, though at first look they seem a bit pricey.
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November 28, 2020 at 12:17 pm #221974
Great start William. You’ll progress quickly with the Active Melody lessons.
James
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November 29, 2020 at 4:05 am #222609
Thanks James – I’ve already learnt a lot from Brian – but the challenge is to implement the learning 🙂
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November 28, 2020 at 12:18 pm #221976
Congrats on a very good first post. You were playing with a lot of feeling and had some nice runs in there. It’s ok to use a phone to record videos and concentrate on guitar playing.
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November 29, 2020 at 4:06 am #222611
Thanks Richard – yes, I agrees that the guitar playing is the focus – I’ll never be good enough to be famous so the audio quality isn’t too paramount. A secondary consideration.
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November 28, 2020 at 12:33 pm #221986
Welcome aboard William! These challenges are great fun. You managed to get in some pinched harmonics in there! Look forward to hearing more from you
JFL
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November 29, 2020 at 4:08 am #222613
Hey, glad you heard my pinched harmonic(s). There are something I used to work on and they come-out when I really squeeze out the note. I thought it sounded cool and was really happy with it. Glad it was detected in the audio!
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November 28, 2020 at 1:18 pm #222024
Hi William! Welcome to the AM and the challenges 🙂 Congrats on your first submission, you “winged” it pretty well! You will learn all the recording technicalities as you go along, the most important step is to break the ice and share your first recording so we can meet you and follow you along your guitar journey – and that you have now accomplished 🙂
🎸JoLa
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November 29, 2020 at 4:10 am #222616
Thanks JoLa. Yes got lucky with that 4th take – the first was good (but sound was shocking). Glad I did it and had the courage to share (easier having not first looked at other people’s posts!).
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November 28, 2020 at 5:13 pm #222323
Great effort William and welcome aboard.
AndréM
AndréM
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November 29, 2020 at 4:10 am #222617
Thanks very much. A very passionate and support group. Cheers.
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November 29, 2020 at 4:51 am #222641
Hi William – hey well done on your first post! I especially liked the second run when you seem to relax & become more expressive. I though the early part of the 2nd run was Clapton-esque & very engaging. Looking forward to next time.
Gary
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November 29, 2020 at 5:19 am #222663
Thanks Gary – I really enjoyed playing that part. The first part I was feeling my way into it but once the song hit the second time through (and yes perhaps I was more relaxed) the song really cried out for that bend blues bit! Gave it my best wailing 🙂 Cheers.
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November 29, 2020 at 10:44 am #222934
Hi William
Well done,
Personally, I think your tone doesn’t suit the backtrack that well, but tastes differ and there’s no right or wrong tone. Certainly fine for a first entry. Try to work on your recording quality, the distance between your amplifier and the microphone (of your smartphone I suppose) and of course also the volume of your amplifier, makes a very big difference
Thank you for sharing your submissionEnjoy your day
Luc
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November 29, 2020 at 2:52 pm #223133
Thanks Luc. I had the track playing through a speaker connected to my computer and my guitar was plugged into a small amp (Yamaha THR5) near my feet; with the sound being recorded through the webcam (with in-buit mic). So two sound sources going through the air to the mic, with the computer speaker quite close to the mic. AS it turned out the recorded sound was over-driven and distorted, which it wasn’t in my room. My son has since suggested playing the track on headphones with my recorded through-air guitar track being added in later through software. Anyway, something to work on. Another issue was the sound of sizzling cooking being recorded – shouldn’t do it anywhere near dinner-time :). Still, it was good fun and something to work-on in the future.
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November 29, 2020 at 6:39 pm #223342
I thought the phrasing was every emotive. I really enjoyed watching it.
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November 29, 2020 at 11:25 pm #223465
Thanks Bill. I appreciate your comment. Cheers
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November 30, 2020 at 11:46 am #223684
Enjoyed your first post. Great effort, Mate! Also, enjoyed your son(?) videobombing you!
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November 30, 2020 at 3:12 pm #223730
Thanks! Ha ha, yes, not the controlled environment I saw on other people’s posts! I get the feeling from others posts that I needed to take the recording process a whole lot more seriously 🙂
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