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Hi Active Melody Community!
Let’s all get creative with this month’s site member challenge. I want to hear YOU improvise!
So here’s how it works:
1) Download the MP3 Jam track from Lesson EP223
2) Improvise a lead on top of that jam track that uses both the MAJOR and MINOR pentatonic scales. Don’t get overwhelmed by this, just make sure you touch on both scales. Your lead can be as long or short, fast or slow as you want. It’s totally up to you!
3) Let’s all comment (as always) on each others work and learn from each other. 🙂
**If you need assistance with how to record yourself and post to the forum see this post and/or private message me and I will be happy to help you out.**
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GOALS FOR MEMBER CHALLENGE:
1. Beginners & Intermediate: Play the lesson as shown by Brian.
2. Advanced: Create a new fill lick or two in the style of the lesson.
3. Participation Goal: 50 Active Melody Member Participant Videos/MP3 posted.
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GROUND RULES FOR PARTICIPATION:
1. Post your Youtube, Vimeo, or Soundcloud links of you playing your chosen lesson anytime between Friday, September 7th through Sunday, September 9th, 10:00 pm CST. Please do not submit earlier. I think it is fun to see everyone’s posts at once.
2. Submit individually in the “Active Melody Member Challenge Response Submissions” forum. Title your posts “August 2018 Challenge Response – [Your AM Screen Name]”
3. If you submit more than one video or audio link for your challenge submission, please indicate in your challenge post which link you want to be added to the consolidated post. I will pick my favorite if one is not indicated. Only one video or audio link per member will be posted in the consolidated post. This saves me time and allows me to see more of my family on challenge submission weekends.
4. Have fun and don’t be intimidated by these challenges!!! Use these challenges to help you set goals and complete them by a deadline. You can also use this as an opportunity to chat with your fellow Active Melody members and share tips or tricks on this challenge that you think are useful.
5. In my opinion, it is better to show progress versus perfection with these challenges. So if you are a beginner and can only play the first couple of measures. That is completely ok. If you play two more measures of the next challenge piece than you did the previous one, you are on track to getting better. This is what these challenges are about…you learning guitar and getting better. Remember we are all here to support you no matter what your current playing level is.
PREMIUM MEMBERS: DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE ACTIVE MELODY T-SHIRT CHALLENGE:
Premium members can earn a free AM T-Shirt as indicated here:
https://www.activemelody.com/forums/topic/active-melody-t-shirt-challenge2/I look forward to seeing everyone’s posts! Happy Picking!
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Here I just sent a PM to you before I saw this.
This is a great idea, Brian.The melody of the notes is what expresses the art of music . 🙂 6stringerPete
It really is all about ”melody”. The melody comes from a language from our heart. Our heart is the muscle in music harmony. The melody is the sweetness that it pumps into our musical thoughts on the fretboard. 🙂 Pete
Pete
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I suspect this is out of reach for me and with a fast tempo for first time lead improvisation players! You’ve picked a great idea but I think will prove troublesome for many less competent players.
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John @johnstrat at first I shared your concern, but I think there is actually a lot of fun in store. Normally, I would try to replicate what Brian plays in the video. Not this time however, because as I understand this challenge is about improvisation, ie about our own ideas of how we want to accompany a song. Therefore, only the jam track is relevant. I even think I am going to use the slow version and start with playing licks from the Blues lead course over it. Or perhaps some notes from the pentatonic scales that I see fit.
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I suspect this is out of reach for me and with a fast tempo for first time lead improvisation players! You’ve picked a great idea but I think will prove troublesome for many less competent players.
JohnStrat, you may have a point, however, ..if you can first learn the basic rhythm or like he mentioned just do improvisation with the jamtrack! .. could be basic minor /major pentatonic shapes really basic improvisation like small BB king box shapes.. unless you know modes and some legato,, basic blues riffs should suffic,,just stay in the box with simple scales triads double stops etc,, know the key tempo and chord progression.. practice and exercise mind and connect with your guitar!
Sunburst John
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I suspect this is out of reach for me and with a fast tempo for first time lead improvisation players! You’ve picked a great idea but I think will prove troublesome for many less competent players.
Hey John, there are 2 jam tracks without guitar at different speeds in this lesson. it is certainly worth a try no matter how this turns out…er…hahahaha
..Billy..
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I suspect this is out of reach for me and with a fast tempo for first time lead improvisation players! You’ve picked a great idea but I think will prove troublesome for many less competent players.
There’s a slow version minus guitar, the challenge is improvise, take the jam track and come up with something no matter how simple or complicated. Brian tends to pack a lot into the lesson so focus on what you can do.
I think some of the more experienced players will run some ideas through showcase your playing.
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hi Folks thanks for all the points made and encouragement to break the Improvisation ice. As you will all appreiate I have not seen this as a challenge for the less than intermediate or getting that way players. My own goal here has not been to think on these lines until I had reached a certain standard, which is perhaps a high bar but one I felt that if I could make most new lessons sound reasonable within an hour or so of practice and virtually play them from seeing the tab, then I would have the basic playing ability to move on. I am not with that goal yet but things are moving in the right direction as speed of learning is improveing. I will look at the lesaon as its also on the to do list and see how I do with that.
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Man I’m going to suck at this,I only know the pentatonic scale in 3 positions but I’m definitely going to give it a go,after all that’s what I’m here for,great idea Brian and I’m sure the more advanced guys and girls will have a blast 🙂 I’m really looking forward to hearing them all,best of luck guys and have fun! 🙂
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Hi,
Brian also wrote:
“Beginners & Intermediate: Play the lesson as shown by Brian.”
I think improvisation is out of reach for less experienced players and at first they do need to see how it works by just copying the teacher’s style and then after working it out try to come up with something of their own.
Brian’s explanations are extremely valuable and to be honest I slowly start understanding them after learning some real basic of scales and chord structures and different keys. Without this knowledge the explanations were beyond me. I am going to have a go at this challenge although I have already started preparing for the Open Challenge so maybe I will come up with two pieces 🙂Thank you,
Slawek
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Hi,
Brian also wrote:
“Beginners & Intermediate: Play the lesson as shown by Brian.”
I think improvisation is out of reach for less experienced players and at first they do need to see how it works by just copying the teacher’s style and then after working it out try to come up with something of their own.
Brian’s explanations are extremely valuable and to be honest I slowly start understanding them after learning some real basic of scales and chord structures and different keys. Without this knowledge the explanations were beyond me. I am going to have a go at this challenge although I have already started preparing for the Open Challenge so maybe I will come up with two pieces
Thank you,
What open challenge Slawek ?
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Hi,
Brian also wrote:
“Beginners & Intermediate: Play the lesson as shown by Brian.”
I think improvisation is out of reach for less experienced players and at first they do need to see how it works by just copying the teacher’s style and then after working it out try to come up with something of their own.
Brian’s explanations are extremely valuable and to be honest I slowly start understanding them after learning some real basic of scales and chord structures and different keys. Without this knowledge the explanations were beyond me. I am going to have a go at this challenge although I have already started preparing for the Open Challenge so maybe I will come up with two piecesThank you,
What open challenge Slawek ?
Hey, what a great idea and one which I am happy to give a try( I should have at least listened to the jam before i wrote that eh)..btw, Not all of us have a “labour day”weekend.
Hahaha funny Billy I done the same and then when I listened to the jam I said……. ooohhhhh shit!! lol
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I think Brian is asking we all improvise here. He’s just cut and pasted what Bryce has always used regarding beginners play as played by Brian, etc. I don’t believe that’s intended to apply here. Having said that if a member is more comfortable playing what Brian is playing then I’d say go for it! It’s All good and it’s All in Fun!
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I like this approach….It should not be daunting to less experienced players….
First, there are two speeds to work with…Second, Brian is showing you how to do it in the lesson and certainly one can reduce the number of notes and riffs to whatever is comfortable….You can make it as hard or as simple as you like.
This challenge exercise will help build your chops. Think Positive!Marty
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Agree with Marty and certainly Brian our instructor,, you folks have to know this no different from when Bryce took time for these monthly challenges..this lesson is so relaxed and I think Brian picked a great lesson for August challenge,,(really hate the term challenge lol ) I care not challenging anybody including Brian lol.. this is suppose to be fun and any endeavors appreciated from learning from his lessons I certainly for one appreciate!,, I consider myself a beginner compare to many I watch and know I’m learning here and everywhere..that is what this is all about i figure!
Sunburst John
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BTW , my best intentions for my most recent replies..I mentioned Bryce, great guy but he simply stated he had enough and simply put it he wants more time as a responsible person for his family time..nobody here should feel bad,,as a matter of fact ..rejoice and praise Bryce for his honesty .. he did what anyone of could do if they had the time.. but let us all be kind and helpful for Brian’s time here at our Active Melody!Plenty here, including Bryce could always chip in…I remember a few forum sites who had moderators come and go too..Been on fishing sites garden sites etc over the decades ..I know what happens after awhile..lol.. people want time but the timeis precious..I respect that Bryce was upfront with us.. Brian I wish you continue challenges or not, what you been doing is great here my friend, having a great time!
Sunburst John
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I was just thinking always and will try I sharing some positive input here from what I gathered from Active Melody all participants who may or may not want to consider an August submission. first, I want to say our Brian teaches us every week something cool regardless a forum contest etc.. I personal care less about who wins incentive prizes ..many visitors come and go regardless anual prize tee shirts.. haha,, I much hope we just have so much fun here and have a good time and think we all regardless Bryce bailed out for whatever the reason..Bryce just to you hope all is well, thought last I read you ,you’d be hanging with us but not as a committed moderator..anyway hoping he still enjoys this site and s sincerely cause he was a good moderator and guitar player,, hope he returns too,, anyway , I’m excited to learn more each day,,will renew my yearly subscription because of so many good friends we share with Brian’s tutorials which are simply amazing each and every weekly..so looks like so far i’m going to do August (will submit a redo lol ) we all are learning folks regardless what skills level.. otherwise we wouldn’t be here ! enough..anyway..looking forward , now back to practicing!
Sunburst John
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Challenge incentives are not a bad thing, quite the opposite I would say.
For those who participate in the T-shirt challenges or champion T-shirt challenges then I say good on them, what I wasn’t too happy about was the feeling of almost being forced into having to submit video during challenge responses,Video is not my cup of tea.
Anyway back to this month’s Challenge, this is one I am struggling with and I’ve just got to the stage now where I will submit something rather than nothing cos that’s the only 2 options I got..hahaha..Billy..
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Hi all,
Hope you are all well. I was just wondering what the September Challenge is going to be? Can I suggest that we can take a lesson of our choice from The August/September lessons? (That is EP268 onwards). There is a nice mix of lessons there.
I do have an ulterior motive there: I like EP269!
Shall we go for this, Brian?
Nice weekend to all!
Rich F
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Sorry, Billy… I didn’t mean ‘a Billy’: my iPad added rather ‘a’ in the message!
Hey Rich, looks like we are running out of time for a September challenge, I’m thinking the forum needs to find another “Bryce” pretty soon..
..Billy..
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There is so much going on here it is like trying to drink from a fire hose. I’m hit and miss on these challenges due to work and times of the year with free time, but am very impressed with so many here. Its motivational.
Also amazed at how so many are from all over the world. So interesting to see them all the way Don collected everything into one spot.
It looks like some of the guys who have been around here for a while stepped up and took over a little bit from Bryce, but forums are almost a full time job to manage. None of us want Brian distracted from what he does. I’m sure it will settle out.
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