Participate in the January 2021 Member Challenge

[Brian]

Hi Active Melody family!

Here’s the link to the video that I was referencing the the challenge video above. Watch it if you haven’t yet, and you can skip ahead to 7:15 if you want to see me demonstrating how to use it.

Try and create a simple call and response style composition by yourself (no jam track) the way I did in the video. You can just stay on 1 chord if you want… or you can play a 1, 4, 5 – or whatever you want (regarding chords). As for the lead, try to limit yourself to just the 5 notes of the pentatonic scale… major or minor.

Don’t overthink it. The point of this exercise is for you to start using your ear and hearing simple melody ideas and how they relate to the chord that’s being played.

You can do this!

**If you need assistance with how to record yourself and post to the forum see this post**

_______________

GROUND RULES FOR PARTICIPATION:

1. Post your Youtube, Vimeo, or Soundcloud links of you playing your chosen lesson anytime between Friday, January 29, through Sunday, January 31, 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 “January 2021 Challenge Response – [Your AM Screen Name]”

3. Please submit only a single video or audio file for this challenge.

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! 🙂

Topic

[Juxi]

Hi Brian,

o.k. challenge accepted. This is gonna be a hard one for me. But it sounds like fun (at least listening to all the other members playing this will be ;-).
Just grabbing my guitar …

Bluesige Grüße
Juxi

[Jaime]

Challenge accepted! The melody part looks simple to me, but I still struggle with alternating chords and melody. I think it’s a matter of practising it slowly until I get a consistent rhythm…

[Garry]

Hi Brian. Thanks again for another challenging challenge! A question: Do you want us to stay within the two boxes/squares/rectangles (10 actual notes in all without bends) or can we play our chosen pentatonic scale (minor or major) anywhere over the fret board eg any of the 5 patterns? Thanks.

[Brian]

You could play any of them if you want – as long as you remain within the pentatonics. The point of limiting it (at least in the example) – is to encourage those that aren’t comfortable with something like this.. to let them know that it’s all just the same 5 notes – repurposed.

[Garry]

Thanks Brian. Thought that was the case but just wanted to check. All the best!

[Ty N]

Thanks, Brian! Looks like I’ll work on entering my first challenge! Challenge 1 – the actual guitar playing itself, challenge 2 – getting it recorded on audio and video. I think I’m about to learn a lot!

[Sebastian]

Hey Brian, great challenge! I think i’ll learn new things on the guitar by doing this so i’m really forward to it. By the way, thanks for all the effort you put into listening and making comments to all of the submissions of the december challenge.

Greetings from Sebastian

[Mr. Ink]

So guys that will be my first challenge !
I´m really looking forward to it !

stay healthy and lovely greetings from germany !

[Stan]

I hope this will be my first challenge! Really enjoying EP356 Caged with Pentatonic. It is going slow but fun! The tab and video on the screen together is very helpful!

[David H]

Gonna have a bash at this
(first time for me)
Wish me luck

[Author]

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