November 2025 Challenge Response – Michael L

[Michael L]

Wishing you all the joy of the season!!

Thanks to Frank Vignola for the basic arrangement with some ideas added from Swiftlessons, and my own embellishments.

[charjo]

Beautifully played, Michael. Such a delicate and accurate touch with the pick. Love the warm acoustic tone and your terrific dynamics. Merry Christmas.
John

[JoeD1]

Nicely done Michael. As Charjo said your articulation is magnificent. And you seem to be so comfortable playing it too. Your timing is spot on. 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

[Reuben B]

Beautiful arrangement, but more importantly beautifully played with a lot of feel and dynamics. I really enjoyed the runs and embellishments, connecting the different part the song. Great submission, Michael.

[sunjamr]

Absolutely lovely, Michael. I don’t know the song, but I easily got the melody woven in between the chords. I’m really enjoying hearing everyone working out how to play melody lines as a standalone performance. Most people seem to be using a mix of single note lines and chords, which works great and sounds like a one-man-band (or one-woman-band).

Sunjamr Steve

[Juxi]

Beautiful, Michael. Very delicate and precise picking. Great tone and recording quality. Pro level performance! 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

Bluesige Grüße
Juxi

[JoLa]

Michael, you have developed such a lovely style of playing! I often wish I could play just like that, the single line melodies based off chords with occasional chord strums and a pick for that crystal clear soothing sound. You make your Taylor literally sing without an apparent effort at all. When I listened to it, I could almost hear the lyrics, it sounded so lovely – and very much in the style of Christmas! 🤶 One of your best, Merry Christmas!

🎸JoLa

[AndréM]

Very smooth version of this song Michael.
Awesome playing.
Great tone from your Taylor.

Merry Christmas

AndréM

AndréM

[Manfred M]

You brought out some wonderful playing by doing this song, Michael. What a good example to play something so precisely and also so softly and full of feeling. You have developed some great guitar skills. Great work!

Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom
The next Meetup will be at the beginning of next year 2026

A detailed announcement will be posted here in the forum in good time.

I look forward to meet you.
Manfred

[Guido]

Beautiful rendition, Michael! Great arrangement and your playing is spotless and has a great dynamic musically, with a perfect and articulated combination of chords and melodies on top at the same time! It sounded great on your Taylor, with a rich warm tone!

Guido

[Werner]

What should I say that´s not said above already, Great Job, excellent playing and sound.

Thank you, Werner

[Denise]

Beautifully played with so much jazzy feel and dynamics. I love that song.
Your playing skills are getting better and better. You have become our AM jazz guitar player.
Bravo bravo!!!
Happy Christmas to you and your family.
Denise

More Blues!

[Bill]

Jazz! Really love the arrangement and playing Michael. This is my second favorite Xmas song and a real challenge to play, but you executed flawlessly. What a joy to listen to.
Happy Holidays to you!

[Jonathan Amos]

I love all those clever passing chords, makes you look a cut above us simple strummers. Your Taylor has a very warm sound, almost sounds like a classical guitar, which suits the mood of the song.

Jonathan Amos, Matsuyama, Japan

[John H]

Michael
Wonderfully played but done so with grace and elegance. You demonstrate some real finger gymnastics. This got better like a good wine. Congrats on this! A wonderful way to enjoy my morning coffee. Always a pleasure. Happiest of holidays.

JH

[Andy N]

There’s something about a classy arrangement like this, that a deftly played acoustic guitar is all you need. Anything else would be too much. Your playing was simply superb here Michael. Loved all the movement in the chords and your timing was spot on too.

[Alan L]

Really well done! Great arrangement and so nicely and cleanly played. Bravo! 🤩

[Dieter]

Fine jazzy performance and great sound.

Dieter

[Martin W]

I think think this Xmas challenge has really brought out the creativity, and yours is no exception, what a wonderful arrangement you have produced, that melody comes out of the chord structure beautifully, as mentioned your articulation is superb as well as the subtle dynamics, you kept a nice even tempo throughout as well

Merry Christmas to you

Martin

[Alan O]

Beautifully played! You really know how to make that Taylor sing! Merry Christmas!

Alan

[James B]

What a beautiful rendition of this song, Michael. Great expression in your playing. I really enjoyed it.

James

[Catherine Arsenault]

That was beautiful Michael!🥰

[Author]

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