September 2026 Challenge Response – Mark T

[Mark T]

Dear AMers – for this “Set a Mood” challenge, I decided to go for: Sad, or at least Melancholic.

To try achieving this, I primarily used descending, minor chords and Bass notes; with the lead playing simple, cascading, low-end melodies.

Have I achieved this mood – what do you think? My wife thinks it’s rather pretty 🤔, which was not the intention 😂😂.

I look forward to a wealth of moods to experience from you this month 🤓🤓🤣🤣

Best wishes – Mark 👍🎶😎❤️

[Alan L]

Sounds cool Mark. Sad, and even a bit… disorienting? Reminds me of Yes. 😁

[Werner]

Great job, Mark. Your track doesn’t sound sad to me; instead, it reminds me of the psychedelic sounds we used to hear back in the days.

Thank you

Werner

[JoeD1]

I hear sad and melancholy vibes Mark. Well done mate!

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

[Martin W]

Hi Mark , the way you’ve coloured this with the chosen chords , I can definitely hear a sad sound but also a slightly mysterious feeling to it .
Well played.

Martin

[James B]

Great tune, Mark. Loved your bass line. Nice and tight with both guitars through some tricky timing. As per Martin, I’d call it, “ mysteriously sad”.

James

[AndréM]

Mark I agree with your wife so its”pretty sad”.
But it also has something mysterious.

AndréM

AndréM

[Dieter]

Very atmospheric; it sounds really impressive.

Dieter

[Mike W]

I thought it quite sad, but now others have mentioned it, it does sound mysterious. You’ve made a good production out of the piece – I’m always impressed by multi-instrumental submissions.

[Laurel C]

Yeah it was nice sad, and with intrigue. A nicely put together musical production. It was even better on a 2nd listen as to really appreciate the input of the three instruments.

[Richard G]

Well composed and played Mark, I agree with the above, a sad melody with a twinge of melancholy however, it fitted this month’s criteria exactly.

Richard

[wannaplayblues]

Great submission!

Excellent work!

"I hear you talkin' son, but you 'aint sayin' nothin'" - Will McFarlane quoting Muddy Waters hearing a really fast guitar player

[Don Patton jr]

Hi Mark,
A laid back sort of vibe …maybe a little melancholy tone to your composition. Played well , nice submission 👍🎶🎵

Don P

[Michael Krailo]

That had a slow jazz vibe to it. Nice composition.

Root note patterns >>> CAGED shapes >>> TRIAD'S. Just put in the work and watch your guitar skills soar.

[Manfred M]

It might be melancholic, but with a touch of hope for getting into something better, Mark. Nice jazzy vibe!

Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom.
The next Meetup will take place on October 31

For more information click here

I look forward to meet you.
Manfred

[JoLa]

That was very intriguing, Mark! I would say it was melancholic in a very modern or psychedelic kind of way, it would play really well in an avant-garde movie scene. You may have composing talents you have never explored yet! Very well done and presented original!

🎸JoLa

[Juxi]

Well, let’s face it, Mark: your wife is right – as always. This was pretty pretty. 😊

But perhaps, your wife and I just share the same sentiment- we just cannot be sad when we see you playing guitar. 😊👋🏽

Bluesige Grüße
Juxi

[Denise]

To me it was not sad, rather unpredictable and mysterious. I like your bass lines and that low melody going on.
It reminded me a bit of the early Genesis sound, which I loved very much when I was a teenager, and I still do.
Great tone…and I love that gold color of your Tele.

More Blues!

[charjo]

I agree with Alan, it had a sadness but also a bit disorientation or confusion with the unexpected but very cool notes that actually followd the progression very well. Kudos for always putting the band together.
John

[John H]

Mark
Thoughtful and unpredictable. Very cool. Your bass playing really enhances the guitar work, which adds a nice layer of sophistication. Fun stuff. Job well done.

John

[Wayne Nunez]

I think it sounds very cool, nice job mark!

[Andy N]

You’ve split opinion with this Mark! One thing we can agree on is that it’s an interesting, original and engaging composition that demands your attention and you’ve played it superbly. I guess the mood is then up to the interpretation of the listener? For me, it did have a sad undertone but reminded me more of happy days in the seventies listening to Yes and other prog rockers as you didn’t know where it was going to go. Good company to be among I reckon 👏

[sciencefiction]

Man, this was cool! I would call it sad, but also mysterious and complex. Truly original and unique. Otherworldly and disorienting also comes to mind. Also reminds of something you might encounter in classical music. I think you should title the Moodscape in Key?

[Mark T]

Thank you all 👍♥️ as always! Your friendly comments are really appreciated! 😎

As Andy pointed out, it seems to have stirred a variety of emotions and opinions, but that’s okay – it was all done with kindness, which is what matters and is no more than we’d expect from AMers 👏👏

Mysterious, unpredictable, avant-garde theme tune, Genesis, Yes – 😲😲 – I’ll take all of that 🤓🤓👍👍! To be linked – in even a tiny way – with the likes of Mike Rutherford, Steve Hackett Peter Banks, Steve Howe 😲😲. Although I’ve seen Genesis a few times, including in the days of Peter Gabriel, I regret never getting to see the classic line-up of Yes; the closest I ever got was seeing Alan White (Drummer) in a Jazz-Fusion band.

Anyway, thank you all again for listening and commenting. – Mark 👍🎶😎 ♥️

[Michael L]

Hi Mark, I always love original compositions from AMers. Well done! I felt a lot of tension in the descending patterns and some of the dissonant lead lines. At one point I think I heard a more major, uplifting melody over the tense chords which was an intriguing mix. Fun stuff!

[Author]

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