@7LimitJI--That was great! You gave me some wonderful new ideas to steal--thanks for posting it! Wonderful tone on the low end. . . ---------- ==================================== Always be yourself--unless you suck. . . -Joss Whedon
@7LimitJI: I like it! You keep it moving really well, yet string the whole thing together into a coherent mass; I'm currently only managing one or the other.
In fact I've really enjoyed both musical postings here, yet they've been quite different. Really hope to see some more soon.
@7LimitJI: I'd like to know how many times you listened to the backing track before you came up with your improv. Did you do it just the once, or did you have a few attempts?
Some nice stuff in there Dude. Esp the 3rd and 5th.
I read somewhere about learning to play in different positions/octaves to play the same lick in each one.
If you tried this it would give your song some coherence. Once you get that expand on it,then come back to it again, build, then back and so on.
There is a lot of repetition in the blues. Audiences love it. It makes them feel safe and warm in a relaxed place!! ---------- The Pentatonics Myspace Youtube
"Why don't you leave some holes when you play, and maybe some music will fall out".
There's some really cool stuff there for me to steal! I'm going to be working on this one for a while. I hope others join in--I just keep getting more good ideas for things to do with this. . . ---------- ==================================== Always be yourself--unless you suck. . . -Joss Whedon
Last Edited by on Jan 20, 2011 7:58 AM
Andy. I think it fits the backing pretty well and your changes were more distinct than mine. Mine sounds like noodling and yours has more structure. You are ready to venture on up the harp a bit. Nice job.
I'm with oldwailer..the more I listen to mine the more I hear what i need to work on.
Last Edited by on Jan 20, 2011 12:10 PM
Thanks harpdude. I've been fooling around with the higher register recently, but I did stay in my comfort zone for this one. It was my first post & I could not relax into it at all for the first minute or 2; after that I seemed to get into the playing and lose the tension and I think I can hear that in the recording. Oh well.
I'm with you and oldwailer; all I hear is the stuff I have done wrong. The unclean single holes, the dodgy bends, the mis-timed notes, the slightly muffed up licks; but I'm like that with everything I do, I'm always my own harshest critic.
Last Edited by on Jan 20, 2011 2:24 PM
Andy. Congratulations, you're no longer a posting virgin. Well done Sir. I hope it was ok for you.
I could hear you relax into it in the second part and you made a valiant effort. I thought this little challenge was going to be a doddle but I really have found it quite testing and keep hitting the psychological brick wall.
I've been fooling around with this BT too but still not confident enough to record yet. Hopefully before too long.
One thing I have found is that when I went back to the normal 3 chord 12 Bar BT's, it seemed so much easier than before. I must be learning something but I'm blowed if I know what it is.
Ditto, Tooka. I've been trying to play along with this too and I find I run out of ideas pretty quickly. I know what you mean about the 3 chord structure as well - when the IV chord comes, it's like a way out, a bit of relief. With the I chord track, though, it feels like the pressure's constantly on.
@ Andy. I liked it! Very musical and you found your hook. I was tapping my foot all the way through.
Try to hit the single notes a bit cleaner. Work on the bends too. The rest will come in time.
You're heading in the right direction :o)
Well done.
Ps I've come back to do an edit. I've just turned off you're track, and your riff is still playing in my head. A good sign!! ---------- The Pentatonics Myspace Youtube
"Why don't you leave some holes when you play, and maybe some music will fall out".
"It's music,not just complicated noise".
Last Edited by on Jan 20, 2011 3:09 PM
Here's a one-chord thing I've been working on - the guitar part is looped a couple of times because I kept screwing it up. I'll try and figure out something to fit Sorin's track ... the tough thing, I think, is creating a theme and I was definitely noodling in places on this one.
@Andy and Jordan--Great! More ideas to work on--getting this down really well could take all year.
I can tell you are noodling, Jordan--but I really like it anyway--who cares if it's noodling?
Andy--I like the theme you're laying down there--a new song could come out of that. . . ---------- ==================================== Always be yourself--unless you suck. . . -Joss Whedon
@Jodan The first 30 secs are good. But you never go back to it. :o( Some other good bits too.
What about something like this? Hook/riff to start, establish it by repeating a few times.Just like the 1st 30 secs. Noodle to your hearts content in the middle. Take us all back to the hook/riff to finish.
This is a simple but effective way of solo building which packages it up.
Thanks for the comments and feedback guys, it really is appreciated!
@tookatooka: I wasn't really 100% with mine, but in the end I thought "sod it - it's now or never" and posted it anyway. I'll keep dicking around with it and if I make a dramatic improvement I'll post it back up. I for one would like to hear what you've got even if you think it not quite right!
@7LimitJI: I was shocked at how many of those single holes I missed. I could swear I'm better than that when I'm not recording myself (but then I always thought that on my guitar too until I listened back to it).
Right - I've done it now, so no one else need worry that theirs will be the worst . . . lets be having them :)
Last Edited by on Jan 21, 2011 5:53 AM
OK, so I chickened out. Well not quite - I cheated. This has given me headaches trying to work something out, so I came back to look at what oldwailer did and had a mini-brainwave.
You're going to hate me for this OW, but I took the liberty of piggybacking on your track. What's that old saying about 'standing on the shoulders of giants?'.
I found it so much easier to play to the track with singing on so I accompanied you. I hope you don't mind. I hope you don't think I was trying to drown you out but I had difficulty trying to balance it all up.
You can hear the track by clicking here. My harp is the one with a lot of delay and it sounds brighter than the lovely rich tones that Oldwailer produces. I want one of what he's got. I was using a Special 20 in A by the way, through a Roland MicroCube with a bit of chorus and delay thrown in.
I haven't given up on this yet, but I just had to get something down because it's been driving me mad. ----------
Last Edited by on Jan 21, 2011 2:53 PM
Slight problem Houston. OK got it. Yep! you've cracked it but I think I found your earlier one chord posting more to my liking. ----------
Last Edited by on Jan 21, 2011 3:40 PM
@tookatooka: like the interplay between the old school harmonica and the reverbed up uber-space-harp. It sounds like Muddy Waters making love to Brian Eno (metaphoricaly speaking). Bags of atmosphere.
@jodanchudan: There's some beautiful noises going on in that one, you get that harmonica proper wailing a couple of times. I like it.
