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September 2026 Challenge Response – Michael Krailo

Home › Forums › Active Melody Member Challenge Response Submissions › September 2026 Challenge Response – Michael Krailo

  • This topic has 24 replies, 19 voices, and was last updated 52 minutes ago by Michael L.
Viewing 23 reply threads
  • Author
    Posts
    • October 17, 2026 at 4:52 pm #424935
      Michael Krailo
      Participant

        Well, I finally got it together after quite a long battle getting this riff captured on camera. I did not show the video of my bass playing, but the bass guitar part is all me. The drums are midi drums and the guitar part is the main deal that will surely give you a sense joy and excitement. As always, have fun making music.

        Almost forgot, here is the tab I created for this.

        Joy-and-Excitement-1

        Joy-and-Excitement-2

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

        • This topic was modified 1 day, 20 hours ago by Michael Krailo.
      • October 17, 2026 at 10:25 pm #424951
        AndréM
        Participant

          Very nice composition.
          Are you using Guitar pro for the tab.
          I downloaded to app but can’t figure out how to make it work.

          AndréM

          AndréM

        • October 18, 2026 at 2:07 am #424963
          Ben C
          Participant

            Your riff/hook with the muting is tasty. I really enjoyed this. And I loved your bass playing too. Great to see you picked your bass up again!

          • October 18, 2026 at 2:38 am #424967
            Juxi
            Participant

              In any case, this gave me a lot of energy to jump out of bed and start the AM Sunday, Michael. Joy and excitement is fitting, well played and very rocky tone. 👍🏽 Thanks for the tabs, looks like a lot of work. 👍🏽

              Bluesige Grüße
              Juxi

            • October 18, 2026 at 2:51 am #424970
              Scott W
              Participant

                Very well done Michael, it as a little medal feeling. A plasent surprise well done.
                Is that a new PRS guitar?

              • October 18, 2026 at 4:52 am #424982
                Michael Krailo
                Participant
                  AndréM wrote:

                  Very nice composition.
                  Are you using Guitar pro for the tab.
                  I downloaded to app but can’t figure out how to make it work.

                  AndréM

                  I’m using SoundSlice. I was going to put the tab into to video, but ran out of time.

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

                  • October 18, 2026 at 1:06 pm #425147
                    AndréM
                    Participant

                      THanks, I saw a Soundslice in Brian’s posts but i would have to try to figure out how it works.

                      AndréM

                  • October 18, 2026 at 5:02 am #424986
                    Michael Krailo
                    Participant
                      Ben C wrote:

                      Your riff/hook with the muting is tasty. I really enjoyed this. And I loved your bass playing too. Great to see you picked your bass up again!

                      I knew you would get a kick out of this one. Just ran out of time, otherwise there would be bass video included. I should have started with the bass part first. It was much easier to play with the bass part already in there instead of just drums.

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

                    • October 18, 2026 at 5:08 am #424988
                      Mike W
                      Participant

                        Great sound and very inventive riff.

                      • October 18, 2026 at 5:13 am #424989
                        Michael Krailo
                        Participant
                          Scott W wrote:

                          Very well done Michael, it as a little medal feeling. A plasent surprise well done.
                          Is that a new PRS guitar?

                          Yes, it’s a new PRS SE NF53. I really like the thicker neck profile that it has. I returned a Revstar in favor of this and I’m very happy with it.

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

                        • October 18, 2026 at 5:44 am #424995
                          Martin W
                          Participant

                            Catchy hook , lots of energy in this one ,your new PRS has a deep tone to it .

                          • October 18, 2026 at 6:19 am #425005
                            Alan L
                            Participant

                              Tasty riff! Very catchy. I love the dynamic/tone contrast you get with the muting. Bass sounds awesome too.

                            • October 18, 2026 at 6:51 am #425020
                              charjo
                              Moderator

                                Catchy, energetic riff, Michael. How come you chose a key with so many flats? Was that a challenge within the challenge?
                                John

                              • October 18, 2026 at 8:11 am #425050
                                Mark T
                                Participant

                                  Nicely done, Michael – had me chair-dancing to your driving beat 😂 – Mark 👍🎶😎

                                • October 18, 2026 at 8:25 am #425055
                                  Michael Krailo
                                  Participant
                                    charjo wrote:

                                    Catchy, energetic riff, Michael. How come you chose a key with so many flats? Was that a challenge within the challenge?
                                    John

                                    I don’t want to be limited to only keys that I like. Db is a common key that keyboards, or piano like to play in. So yes, I’m working on playing in different non standard keys that I’m likely to run into playing with other instruments. Eb is another one, but I have never practiced in Db before this, so this was a challenge within a challenge for sure.

                                    Any song that incorporates open strings are tougher to transpose because, those open strings are no longer available as soon as you switch keys. So the limitation of no open strings is actually an advantage with transposing or doing key changes. I thought about doing a key change in this, but just ran out of time. I learned a lot during the whole processes though.

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

                                  • October 18, 2026 at 9:56 am #425073
                                    Andy N
                                    Participant

                                      I’m getting a bit of an Eric Johnson vibe from that main riff and he always takes me to a happy place just like this does.
                                      Excellent playing, the muting of those lower notes adds lots of character and lifts it another level.

                                    • October 18, 2026 at 12:31 pm #425122
                                      James B
                                      Participant

                                        Great tune you put together, Michael. Your bass skills are just as impressive as your guitar chops. In D flat nonetheless! That’s challenging yourself for sure.

                                        James

                                      • October 18, 2026 at 12:49 pm #425130
                                        JoeD1
                                        Participant

                                          Very energetic Michael. I use Guitar Pro for my compositions but I ran out of time this month. I’m going to try to post a true improv later today. Again, this was really good!

                                          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

                                        • October 18, 2026 at 1:40 pm #425172
                                          Wayne Nunez
                                          Participant

                                            Nice and melodic, well played Michael!

                                          • October 18, 2026 at 2:06 pm #425192
                                            Manfred M
                                            Participant

                                              Great work, also on the bass, Michael. That’s a catchy riff you came up with, and it’s definitely a joy to listen to.

                                              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

                                            • October 18, 2026 at 3:29 pm #425214
                                              Michael Krailo
                                              Participant

                                                I can’t take the credit for the riff itself, as it was inspired by another guitarist. I just transcribed it and had to pound away at learning to get the feel of it which was very difficult at first. It took a solid two weeks before my fingers started to flow well enough to sound good and to nail all the slides. I learned a lot from the whole process of transcribing and using my ear to get the parts down.

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

                                                • This reply was modified 21 hours, 13 minutes ago by Michael Krailo.
                                              • October 18, 2026 at 9:15 pm #425264
                                                sciencefiction
                                                Participant

                                                  That’s definitely a happy tune you came up with, Michael. Loved the fuzz tone on the guitar which seemed to fit perfectly with the happy vibe you were shooting for. Enjoyed your bass accompaniment also. Sounds great!
                                                  Larry

                                                • October 19, 2026 at 1:04 am #425266
                                                  Dieter
                                                  Participant

                                                    Excellent melodic song and perfectly playing.

                                                    Dieter

                                                  • October 19, 2026 at 2:10 am #425277
                                                    Jonathan Amos
                                                    Participant

                                                      A great riff, I can hear influences but it sounds completely original to me. Your own bass guitar playing too, obviously you worked hard on this one and it paid off.

                                                      Jonathan Amos, Matsuyama, Japan

                                                    • October 19, 2026 at 12:33 pm #425372
                                                      Michael L
                                                      Participant

                                                        Hi Michael, love the riff! Really energetic and full of life. Nice composition.

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