November 2021 Challenge Response – Michael L

[Michael L]

Hello AM family! Happy Holidays to all of you and your families all around the world.

I was very inspired by Tom D’s July submission, which is his rendition of EP139 but taken to a high level. So nice! This got me working with EP139 and I also worked with EP413 focused on diminished chords. With those influences I came up with my piece.

[Enrico]

This sounds fantastic Michael, and if it is your own composition, wow!! All my respect!
Listened to Tom’s rendition as well, beautiful too! I find jazz so complex for my level that I don’t dare into those territories yet 🙂

All the best.

[Michael L]

Thanks Enrico. You’re right that jazz can get pretty deep. I don’t go that far into it either… really just some 9th chords and diminished chords mixed into things. Brian has some great sounding lessons that are blues, but add a jazz chord here and there. That’s a great place to start.

[Mike W]

Michael – that was brilliant! You should copyright that immediately before all the jazz guys start recording it. Perfectly executed with a a great tone – I loved it.

[Michael L]

Thanks Mike, you’re very kind! I’m happy with the piece, but no worries about anyone stealing it.

[Tim Read]

Very nice, I love that melody turnaround at 38 seconds..

TimR

[Michael L]

Thanks Tim… that was one of the hardest parts for me to get right. I couldn’t find the right chord that I was hearing in my head, so the sound wasn’t working… eventually I got it.

[Lefty Mike]

very clean picking! thanks

Longtime banjo player looking for some variety so taking up the blues on guitar

[Michael L]

Thanks Lefty!

[Don Patton jr]

Michael
Played very articulate and smooth!
Well thought out, with a bright sound from your guitar ! 👍

Don P

Don P

[Michael L]

Thank you Don. I appreciate it!

[Lights]

Absolutely amazing composition, Michael! Well flawless playing and great sound of your guitar too.
Lights

[Michael L]

Thanks Lights. I’m still working on the recording sound for my guitar. I just picked up a iRig HD2 and connected to GarageBand on an iPad. I have lots of options to play with now, so I hope to find the right settings.

[Werner]

what a wonderful contribution. I like that melody and that gentle picking. Thank you

[Michael L]

Thanks Werner. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

[FergalT]

Who wouldn’t be inspired by TomD!

I love this… who wouldn’t say “wow!” Listening to this!

[Michael L]

Thanks so much Fergal. Yes, Tom plays so well! Glad you liked this one too.

[sunjamr]

Super clean and in the pocket, Michael! I loved it. I’m afraid your jazz licks are leaving a lot of us behind in the dust.

Sunjamr Steve

[Michael L]

Hi Steve, thanks for your kind words. I’m so new to writing my own pieces… I think I got lucky on this one.

[AndréM]

Excellent performance.
Great chords selection.

AndréM

AndréM

[Michael L]

Thanks Andre. Yes, having some fun playing with diminished chords.

[Vincent K]

Fantastic submission Michael

You played very clean , very enjoyable

🎸 Vincent 🎶 🇳🇱

[Michael L]

Thanks Vince, glad you enjoyed it.

[Liam Innes]

Very nicely played indeed.

Great tone as well.

Loved it.

Liam.

“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams. “

[Michael L]

Thanks Liam… still working on the tone for recording. I’ve just started using GarageBand on an iPad. There’s a lot to learn there.

[Bill H]

Great composition Michael………well put together……it was seamless

……….Just great sounding music……….yes awesome

[Michael L]

Bill, thanks for your kind thoughts. It was fun to work on this one.

[Dieter]

Fine jazzy picking – wonderful melody and sound.

Dieter

[Michael L]

Thank you Dieter!

[Mark T]

Just pure gold, Michael – such cool Jazz, just right for chilling. Absolutely beautiful 👍🎶

[Michael L]

Thanks Mark, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I wish I was chillin when that red light came on… it still feels really stiff in those moments.

[Phil B]

Flawless performance of a wonderfully improvised tune.

[Michael L]

Thank you Phil. I’m not sure it was flawless… I can find plenty of ways to improve how I played it, but glad you liked it anyway.

[Gary W]

Brilliant! That really made me smile – what a lovely treatment you gave this. Well played.

Gary

[Michael L]

Thanks Gary! It was fun to work on, and knowing that others enjoyed it makes all the more gratifying.

[Helen Lazaridou]

Absolutely cool jazz!!!it’s so impressive how you managed to combine the lessons and create sth which is totally your own!!!Respect Michael!!!!!

[Michael L]

Helen, thanks for your kind words. I appreciate it.
Many years ago I worked on a cruise ship and the officers were Greek. They put together an evening show with Greek music and dancing, breaking plates and all. It was so much fun, but unfortunately we never visited Greece. We were in Alaska and South America. Maybe one day… I’ve enjoyed your postings here on AM

[Manfred M]

Such a great jazzy feeling you create on your acoustic, Michael. Your playing is marvellous and with so much intuition for this music. Easy to listen and hard to make it the same way!

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

[Michael L]

Thanks Manfred! I’m learning so much from Brian’s lessons… about the guitar and about music.

[Juxi]

Hammergeil, Michael. That was awesome playing and a very cool, jazzy composition. Great, smooth tone and very precise playing. Awesome! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Bluesige Grüße
Juxi

[Michael L]

Thank you Juxi. It was fun to work on this one and I’m happy you enjoyed it.

[Paul S.]

I was far from diminished after hearing this. A really thoughtful composition skillfully executed. Most importantly it conveyed a really satisfying feeling.

[Michael L]

Hey Paul, thanks very much. It was fun to put it together.

[WBlues]

Very pleasant to listen to composition from you, Michael. You played perfectly. Well done.

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

Wilfried

[Michael L]

Thank you Wilfred. I appreciate your kind thoughts.

[Israel U]

Great playing, some sad chords there, sounds beautiful.
I had to lookup your guitar in your profile to see what instrument gives that beautiful sweet tone, a Taylor..

Israel

[Michael L]

Thank you Israel. Yes, the guitar is a Taylor 314ce… about 20 years old now. It’s a Grand Auditorium shape which has a narrow upper body and emphasizes the midrange when played without amplification. I really liked that sound for fingerstyle which is what sold me on this guitar.

[James B]

Holy moly Michael! You and Tom are both A+ students. Really impressive composition. Amazing how you put this together. 👏👏👏

James

[Michael L]

Thanks James… I’ll always take an A+ in just about anything! Yes, Tom plays really well. I’ve enjoyed his submissions a lot.

[Eric C]

Beautiful arranged and very well played, Michael! You got these jazzy chords under your fingers. Sounds beautiful!

Eric

[Michael L]

Thanks Eric… always working on it. Glad you liked this one.

[Scott M]

Wonderful showcase of your impressive skillset, flawless delivery of your excellent composition. Bravo Michael Bravo 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Scott

[Michael L]

Thank you Scott. It was fun to put together and I’m glad others have enjoyed it too.

[brian-belsey]

That was terrific, Michael! An interesting, sophisticated and enjoyable composition which you then played very well!

[Michael L]

Thanks Brian… I see lots of ways to improve how I played it, but I’m glad it comes across ok.

[Pap]

Michael, that was a fantastic way to combine two lessons. You picked that clean and it sounded great. I wonder how it would sound played finger style.

[Michael L]

Thanks Pap… I’ve played around with this tune as fingerstyle a bit. I think it would work well with some attention.

[David H]

Oh now that was delightful! Such clean notes and chords on an acoustic. Wow!

[Michael L]

Hi David, thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it. I’ve heard the thought that playing acoustic is trickier than electric, but I’ve never picked up an electric guitar. I can tell you that working on this tune gave me a blister on my third finger… too many barres.

[Tom D]

Wow Michael. Your composition and performance is so amazing. Your notes were played cleanly and articulately with a warm jazz tone, and with inspired dynamics. Your lead runs where you vary the rate of note play for emphasis were great. All set within a super interesting composition. Thanks also for your kind shout out. I also wanted to let you know I appreciated your advice last month to use a guitar strap as another way to get better playing ergonomics – it’s helping to save my shoulder!

Cheers, Tom

[Michael L]

Hi Tom, thanks for your kind thoughts. Glad you liked the tune. Also glad you posted on EP139. I enjoyed your post, and it opened my eyes to that lesson which helped a lot on this one. Adding in some jazzy chords is fun, and including the dim and half dim at the right place can make the whole thing. Glad the strap is working out for you. My guitar has a narrow upper body (they call it a Grand Auditorium shape at Taylor). It makes it the neck really low when I put it on my knee, so the strap helps with that. Glad it’s working for you… just don’t let it hang all the way down to your knees unless you get into metal.

[Garry]

Kudos for creating your own composition Michael. Great to use other influences and this has success written all over it. Enjoyed the jazz feel and expressive nature. Awesome. All the Best!

[Michael L]

Thank you Garry. Glad you enjoyed it. I sure had fun putting it together… well, mostly fun. Some parts were tricky and frustrating trying to find the right chord for what I was imagining in my head. All worked out in the end.

[Denise]

You created a brilliant jazzy style composition!!!
Man, that sounds awsome. Nice mix of chords and beautiful melodies🏆🏆.
Amazing, keep on writing your music.
Denise

More Blues!

[Michael L]

Denise, thank you! Glad you enjoyed it, and I appreciate your encouragement. I’m just learning how to put a piece together thanks to Brian’s lessons. I don’t know how he does it every week! I missed Chetty this month in your post, but glad to see the new member of the musical family. Have fun with that new guitar.

[Andy N]

Oh my Michael, I enjoyed this so much, such a fine relaxed composition, so cleanly played and such a cool jazzy tone you extracted you acoustic.

[Michael L]

Glad you enjoyed it Andy. Thanks for your kind thoughts. Everyone’s encouragement will keep me trying, so hopefully more originals to come later.

[Martin W]

Yep that was sweet playing, very well executed you made every note count ,
Hats off for creating your own composition you’ve really explored this and it has rewarded you . Great stuff .

Martin

[Michael L]

Thanks Martin. Learning so much here at AM… slowly, but it’s coming together. Glad you liked this one.

[DaveW]

Well played. That jazzy style is pretty cool and it sounded great on your guitar.

DaveW

[Michael L]

Thank you Dave. I had fun playing with the dim and half dim chords for this one.

[Laurel C]

Sophisticated playing, Could hear the influence of Ep319 coming through but this was really your own composition and rendered beautifully with your approach.

[Michael L]

Thanks Laurel, I appreciate your kind thoughts. Yes, I relied on Brian’s lessons a lot, but it did take on it’s own character after a while. Happy with it overall and glad you enjoyed it too.

[Bob Utberg]

Sounded so good Michael! And it is so cool to hear that another AMer inspired you to give a go at a lesson! Well done here – you had complete control of your wonderful gitfiddle! Excellent! Bob

Bob U. (aka Bobby Ut)

[Michael L]

Hey Bob, thank you so much! Fun putting this one together and getting so much out of Brian’s lessons. Happy to be part of AM.

[Rainer L]

I love it, a great composition very well played.

[Michael L]

Thanks very much Rainer.

[JFL]

It’s great to see Takeaways extracted from the lessons and then crafted into original compositions. This is a fine demonstration of what the site asipres to offer. Great playing Micheal!

JFL

[Michael L]

Hi JFL, thanks for your kind words. Yes, Brian’s lessons are so good. I find that it’s one thing to play the lesson, but it really helps me to go back and watch the video a few more times AFTER I know the tune. I start to get the concepts into my head… how Brian’s tune relates to chord shapes, how he combines pentatonics with playing chord tones, how he moves his lead from chord to chord… things like that. And this one was fun to work with dim and half dim sounds.

[Bruce D]

That’s beautiful, Michael. Nice selection, and you have a nice clean touch.

Bruce

Just focus on the notes you DID get right . . . Frank Vignola

[Michael L]

Thank you Bruce. You posted a Western Swing video a while back which also inspired me to look up the lesson. Thanks for that as it has opened my eyes to that style which I like. Keep ’em coming!

[JoLa]

Simply beautiful! I love that diminished chords sound, it adds so much flavor and sophistication. It’s a pleasure to listen to, especially when played on an acoustic guitar, just like you just did here.

🎸JoLa

[Michael L]

Thank you Jola! Yes, a well placed dim or half dim chord just gets me sometimes. It was fun to try them out in this piece.

[Phil67]

BRAVO !
very melodic, great submission.

Where does the white go when snow melts?

[Michael L]

Thanks Phil, glad you liked it!

[sciencefiction]

Nicely done, Michael. That’s a very pretty tune, and you played it great. Great improvs (or composition) from the two lessons also. Tone on your guitar was perfect for this.
Excellent!
Larry

[Michael L]

Glad you enjoyed it Larry, thanks! Still working on the tone for recording… I recently picked up a iRig 2HD and I’m connecting to GarageBand on an iPad. So many amp choices and effects, but tricky finding the best acoustic sound. Lots to play with still.

[Valérie]

Bravo!
Great melody, wonderful composition
it sounds so good!

Valérie

Valérie Martin

[Michael L]

Thank you Valerie, happy that you enjoyed this.

[Guido]

Brilliant, smooth and atmospheric jazzy composition, Michael! Loved it! And very well played, and I can see it was not an easy piece to play! Congrats, great submission!

Guido

[Michael L]

Thank you Guido. This one was fun and I surprised myself with it somewhat. Glad you enjoyed it too.

[Richard G]

Fabulous Michael, I missed this at the weekend but glad to have picked it up now. That was nicely played with your close harmony and jazz extensions which gave the piece a gentle soft melodious feel.
My first guitar teacher tried very hard to coax me into those styles but as a young teenager rock n roll was my destiny and it all went topsy turvy from then on.
It was a nice change to listen to some soft jazz chords, it made a change from my brash blues and ragtime offerings.

Richard

[Michael L]

Hi Richard, thanks for your encouraging thoughts. Yes, as a teen I would have tended towards rock myself, but not too long after that I started enjoying some softer jazz. Still don’t relate to a lot of the bebop sounds, but melodic jazz hits a sweet spot for me. I surprised myself with this one as it came out better than I would have thought. I guess I’m learning from Brian’s lessons here.

[Jose R]

Michael this is so great!! Love this piece of art!! Perfect swing feel!! Absolutely brilliant..

Thanks for your submission!
Jose

[Michael L]

Jose, thank you. I really appreciate your kind words and I’m very happy you enjoyed the piece. It was a fun project… I hope they get a little easier to write as I do more.

[Author]

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