October KVR

[folderol]

I'm really pushing the boat out this time, maybe not too wisely, but I'm doing it quickly before a lose my nerve.

P.S.
This was a 14 hour session!

[offthewall]

 
Listening as I type ....

Yo' brave man, William .... sticking it out there   

The first thing I have to say, having been involved in various incarnations of this piece, is how you have managed to develop a totally different melody from this same chord structure. 

It is amazing how a different instrument can make you think in a different way, isn't it? 

Secondly .... you are certainly getting your guitar 'chops' (as those fellows from across the pond would say) into order, young man 

All told, an excellent days work ..... sleep well

 
James.

p.s.
when the finger tips get sore just pour a little surgical spirit into a saucer and soak the finger ends in it for ten minutes each night .... but don't smoke at the same time 

[MarioD]

You are really out of your comfort zone on this one aren’t you Will.   However you have pulled it off extremely well! Great job!

However I do have a couple of comments.  What are you keyboardists trying to do?  Put us guitarist out of business? Actually you did a very good job here! If I could make one suggestion it would be to incorporate a few pitch bends in your guitar leads.  No guitarist every plays without add a little vibrato!

Second, being across the pond I must say you do have some very good guitar ‘chops”! Now a question, what do you gentlemen call “chops”, when it refers to very good musical playing, on your side of the pond?

Keep up the good work Will.

[folderol]

Ho Hum (yawn) another day, and what have we here

Thanks for the great comments guys.

A different instrument certainly does change your creative style - apart from anything else different groups of notes are easier to reach

Listening again in my cosy 'studio' - it's a filthy wet day outside - I can see I have a lot of work still to do if I'm going to get a natural sounding flow. I shall regard this as my 'practice piece' and eventually re-record it.

Thanks for the er, finger um tip James Fortunately I don't smoke.

Good point about bending notes, Mario, but at present I'm still concentrating on trying to get my fingers to sit properly between the frets (and on the right string) and lift off cleanly

Before I came on here I didn't have a word for 'chops' at all, therefore I guess I'll accept the term as a donation from the left ponders

[offthewall]

 
Yes, Mario ....
once again I have to agree with Will ....

Before I came on here I didn't have a word for 'chops' at all

when I first came across the term here I had to look it up on wikipedia 

I can't honestly think of an English comparison 

and, Will ... I am very impressed with your progress.
Mario's suggestion of bending is a fair one but does take a little skill. In the meantime you can often get a better development by trying 'vibrato' (by wobbling your finger whilst the tip is firmly on the string) and by occasional slides between notes.

Keep it up (as the actress said to the bishop) 

 
James

[Oren]

Righteous Telecaster tone, Mr. G.
"Chops" was a term in common use during the '60s and '70s, normally in place of "technique"

[mvrasseli]

hello! I'm as a guitarist can point some things I think should be improved. The first thing I think would be possible only in High-end libraries that is the alternating picking, when we pick a string with a guitar pick we usually alternate by picking upward and downward. The classical guitarrists as myself alternate the fingers on playing a solo, usually index and middle fingers. In your song it seems like theres no alternating picks so there's a "hard playing" aspect. The second point is that you could use some vibrato and slides that are very common in pop songs. Third, that percussion sounds like a metronome, I'd put it out.
Greats! 

[folderol]

Thank you for your comments. I much appreciate them.

Something you're probably not aware of is that I only picked up the guitar again about 5 months ago, after a 30 year break (and then I only played rhythm).

Now then... {rolls up sleeves}  I'm actually using this tune as a practice/development piece. There are quite a few aspects that I need to improve on and they are all present here.

I do indeed tend to pick in a downward direction almost all the time. It is taking quite a while for me to get used to the idea that the pick has two sides It is something I'm working on.

No slides? Come on, there are at least two Again this is work in progress. I've found one particular place where a slide (if I remember to do it) makes playing a lot easier and smoother sounding. Along with that, I'm also trying to do a hammer-on in a couple of places, with mixed results.

Vibrato/bending is something I suspect will take me a lot longer to perfect, but it's there on the list

You last point about percussion is one that I expect the other forum members are sick of hearing me moan about - I have no affinity at all for it, and it is extremely hard work. Most of my tunes do without, but again I try to do something with it when I can. Very occasionally I surprise myself and something actually sounds quite reasonable. This is not one of those occasions.

Having said all that, this is very much a work in progress, and eventually I'll submit a new and considerably improved version. This won't be next Thursday