- This topic has 26 replies, 25 voices, and was last updated 3 hours ago by
.
-
Posts
-
-
Phew! Another challenge month and another extra challenging time for me! Trying not to come up with excuses every time but this is rather a reminder to myself that in spite of minor setbacks, such as: extra busy work schedule; a fall and a trip to ER with left face, hand, and knee injuries; or a full-on cold when it was time to record the performance – I can still do it! 💪😅
I picked Carol Of The Bells mainly because I thought it was easy to learn with its ostinato, the repetitive motif throughout – kinda like a drone note but it’s a four-note lick repeated over and over. What can go wrong, right? 🤦🏻♀️
Since I couldn’t yet play it any faster, I focused on the tone and clarity. And I got creative with the slide because I couldn’t play the whole piece all at once and so I had to break it into three pieces for the recording 😆Happy Holidays, everyone! ❄️☃️🎄💫
🎸JoLa
-
Great performance of a very challenging piece. I love the added slide embellishments.
Somehow the video, from which I assume you learned the piece, showed up first and I was gobsmacked thinking it was you. That didn’t take away from your wonderful playing, however.
John -
-
Wow, JoLa. That – again – was fantastic in every way. The sound was brilliant, the playing extremely clear and the video work inspiring. The transparency of your image playing in the window… Great.
Yes, you can still do it, even with all those misfortunes. I hope everything is fine again. It surely looks and sounds like it is. 👍🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Hammergeil! Happy Holidays!Bluesige Grüße
Juxi -
That was expertly put together Jola. The slide gave me chills. The whole piece was wonderful. It’s different from Trans Siberian Orchestra’s version but I put it on equal footing with it. Seriously, very well played and assembled. I hope you’re recovering from your injuries. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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 -
Wow Jola, you are really getting control over that slide! What a lovely arrangement. I remember hearing that song many years ago in America, and it seems to me like it was being sung as a “round”. Kind of like “Frere Jacques”. That being the case, I reckon you could do some interesting stuff with a looper.. Maybe loop the ostinato, then the melody line as a round. Hmmm……maybe I’ll try it.
Sunjamr Steve
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Cool composition Jola, very atmospheric and I like the call & response nature between the motif and the slide guitar. I’ve always felt this is the most creepy of Xmas carols, and this seems to lean into it. Between you and Juxi I think we could definitely have the makings of a Christmas fright night going on.
Happy Holidays, I guess?
Kidding…Merry Christmas to you! 🎄🔔 -
-
You chose such a beautiful and haunting Christmas song, one of my favorites!
Great and unique arrangement with fingerstyle and slide guitar. this goes together soo well and I enjoyed listening to very much.
That piece looks hard to play but you mastered the stretchy fingerstyle playing very skillfully.
I liked the changing scenery and mood from winter to desert.
Happy Christmas season to you and your family.
DeniseMore Blues!
-
I do so enjoy your videography, Jola. It is so often a visual feast with so many clever ideas. Your reflection in the bell, the opaque slide work again the badlands backdrop. Not to mention the unseasonable weather for your neck of the woods!
Not that it takes anything away from the quality of your playing. That required a lot of precision to separate the bass line from the motif while keeping time and you nailed it along with the harmonics too. The slide added a haunting depth and was probably my favourite part. Loved it 👍 -
Sounds lovely JoLa,
We have a budding classical guitarist here! I don’t know why you would have wanted to play it any faster. Your tempo was perfect. Your slide added another dimension that provided so much character and ‘finish’ to was already masterful. This was both haunting yet serene. How do you do that? You never cease to amaze me JoLa. Have a wonderful holiday season. Be well.JH
-
-
Wow JoLa, you’re a total master at video editing! And guitar playing off course, that’s pretty impressive. We can see the skills and the experience. I’m curious to know if you are totally self-taught through online learning or you learned it from a young age with a music school ?
-
I’m as far from “young age” or “music school” as you could imagine, Mathieu 😁
I strummed a few chords on someone else’s guitar in my teens, then tried to learn classical guitar from books for about a year in 2009, then again for a year in 2016 until I discovered Active Melody in May 2017 and things started to stick. No school other than 3 years of piano lessons in my youth. This was my 97th challenge submission 😁
🎸JoLa
-
-
-
-
-
From the first note, this caught my full attention, Jola. It seems nothing can stop you. Despite the adversities, you’ve put a lot into this. Your slide playing in particular gives me chills. Ry Cooder and his soundtrack for Paris Texas came to mind.
You offer us some exciting Christmas moments here. I certainly enjoyed it thoroughly.Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom
The next Meetup will be at the beginning of next year 2026A detailed announcement will be posted here in the forum in good time.
I look forward to meet you.
Manfred -
Hi jola , that’s a fine arrangement, the melody was almost mesmerising in a subtle way , looks quite a challenging piece to get to grips with , love the slide aspect you play it so well and it adds a haunting vibe to the piece .
Clever work with the visuals
Hope you’ve recovered from your accident.
Happy Christmas to you and your family.Martin
-
JoLa that was magnificently done. Not an easy piece to play, but you did it so well. Especially love the harmonics parts, that definitely takes some doing! Beautiful and creative additions with the slides!
I’m sorry to hear your trouble with the fall and sickness, but definitely glad that you persevered and submitted this piece! Hope you’re healing well and can have some good time for yourself for the holidays. Merry Christmas!
-
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
