September 2025 Challenge Response – Serena C.

[Serena C]

Hi AM Friends!
For this challenge I picked the slow country backing track from EP594 and tried to bring it into a bluesy/jazzy vibe using some minor pentatonic licks, some pedal steel licks playing with a 7b note, 6-9 chord transitions, and a IV#dim arpeggio to transition from the IV to the I chord. I got mistaken with the challenge deadline and got it ready for last weekend 😬 but then didn’t find the time for a better rendition, so it was ok like this 😅
Enjoy the challenge weekend!
Serena

If I wasn't making mistakes I wouldn't be the kind of player I want to be. Perfection is dangerous.
It's all about taking risks, sometimes you get to some place, sometimes you get to a different place. (Brian May)

[Tremelow]

Mission accomplished Serena! I’m not sure about jazzy, but I hear a tasty major and minor mix. Very cool how you also sneaked the dim-chord. Sounds like you put a lot of thought into this.

[Juxi]

Nice one, Serena. I agree with Kevin – it was definitely bluesy. In addition to your blues licks, the tone-setting helped too. Great challenge response. 👍🏽

Bluesige Grüße
Juxi

[Michael L]

Hi Serena, I really like the mix of licks you chose for this submission. Good variety and great use of lesson ideas in a new arrangement. Nice bluesy feel, too.

[sunjamr]

Nice one Serena! Every time you post something, you just keep getting better and better. You have a nice sense of phrasing, which keeps it interesting. Well played!

Sunjamr Steve

[AndréM]

Nice bluesy rendition.
Very well done.

AndréM

AndréM

[Bill]

Some cool ideas in here Serena, nice use of the sliding 6-9th chords!

[Guido]

A very original and very nice composition over that BT Serena! Your leads sound very different from the original Brian’s leads, with your own very cool and tasty phrases! Always amazed by your improvements challenge after challenge, a great work!

Guido

[Alan L]

Nice! Those bends are well placed and tasty, the whole thing sings and fits the track well

[John H]

Well done Serena! Your growth as a guitarist is radiating! Nice job on the sliding double stops and harmonized 6ths. Keep on rockin’!

John

[Catherine Arsenault]

Nicely played Serena loved it!!!

[Manfred M]

Serena, that was really a good one. It was fun to see how you followed the chords of this piece, especially how smoothly and cleverly you moved from one chord to the next. You put a lot of thought into it and then played it beautifully.

Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom
The next Meetup is expected to take place in November 2025

There will be a detailed announcement here in the forum in good time.

I look forward to meet you.
Manfred

[Denise]

Sounding great! I like these harmonized 6th from 0:20 – 0:26, they go very well with the track. You’ve also thrown in some minor pent.
You have so much improved since you started with AM.
Denise

More Blues!

[JoeD1]

Nice and bluesy Serena! 👏

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

[Paul S.]

Brava! You did a great job of playing to the changes. Your use of those harmonized thirds in the middle was a nice blend of blues and country. (I had the dates wrong on this month’s submission too, figuring we should have them ready at the start of the next month, not the middle. And I totally understand how the time crunch can force us to post stuff that we know we can do better.)

[Dieter]

Great playing and sound.

Dieter

[Werner]

Of course you made the country sound bluesy. I really like this great post. Thank you very much.

Werner

[Martin W]

Hi Serena , nice work following the changes, you gave this country sounding track a different vibe with your ideas , certainly blues it up .
Cool touch using the #dim arpeggio to bring things back to home base .

Martin

[JoLa]

Great work on your assignment, Serena! It worked pretty well, I liked the bluesified version of the track and that surprising diminished sound as well. This couldn’t be easy to figure out and make it work but you surely did. Your playing is getting better and better as it should, love your submissions!

🎸JoLa

[Jonathan Amos]

It certainly was OK like this. Good use of harmonized 6ths and double stops, takes it to the next level.

Jonathan Amos, Matsuyama, Japan

The farther one travels the less one knows.

[sciencefiction]

Cool playing, Serena. A very nice arrangement with an interesting mix of major and minor pentatonic and Western style riffs. Well played and everything fit together nicely. Challenge met!
Larry

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