Post by: close2u on November 15, 2017, 11:17:43 am
Post by: Garfield on November 15, 2017, 12:34:59 pm
Prior to the lesson Justin asked me to think of subjects that I wanted help with and these are the subjects that we covered. I may have forgotten bits and bobs.
Holding the Pick
I wanted Justin to check my basic strumming technique and to look at how I’m holding the pick. I hold the pick with thumb the side(ish) of my forefinger but it’s mainly the pad of my forefinger. I have been concerned that I should be holding it on the side of the first knuckle on my forefinger. Justin took a look and said he often holds it like that depending on what he’s playing. The key thing is the make sure the tip of the pick is coming out the side of the thumb – which it is. He asked why I was asking about this and I have two reasons; firstly, pick noise. On this he asked what pick I was using which is a Jim Dunlop nylon 0.6mm. He said these were good for beginners but do give a flappy percussive sound, to get a clearer sound he recommended I try a red tortex pick. Which I shall do. He also said to give it a few weeks with the new pick as it can take a bit of time to become accustomed. My second reason for asking about this was that I feel like I struggle with palm muting, I can do it on down strums but I’ve been struggling to mute up strums on a song I’ve been practising. Justin wasn’t sure if he could mute up strums and said it’s not commonly done. It turns out he can do it but said it felt a bit weird, he helped me to do it by softening the strum quite a lot and moving my hand position.
A Minor Barre Chord Changes
I then said I’d been struggling with changing to A minor shape barre chords. He took a look at me doing a few changes and said “nothing wrong you just need to do more one minute changes”, I guess I knew that but I was hoping for a miracle cure.
I hope that I don’t fall in love with you.
I wanted him to help me on the turnaround section of “I hope that I don’t fall in love with you”. I learnt this a while ago but I always get a bit stuck in this section as there are a few choices. He walked me through this bit showing me the basic version and the fancy version. He showed me the correct fingering for the “walk” bit which goes C,G,AM7,G/B. This bit was very helpful and I think I’m making progress on this now.
Guitar and Piano
Next I asked him about how best my girlfriend and I could play together, she’s a beginner pianist. She can sight read music but knows no chords, I can’t read music and only really know chords. Justin said that if she learned some basic guitar chords and their inversions then we could play our way through the beginner songbook. I’m now looking for a good piano teacher on youtube that teaches basic chords, I seem to be struggling but I’ll keep looking. The other thing he recommended for a jam was to put a capo on the 6th fret and to play the blues in A, my girlfriend can then solo over this by just using the black keys – sounds simple but we’ve not tried it yet.
12 bar blues
Lastly as we’d been talking about playing the blues I asked him why my chunka chunka 12 bar blues doesn’t sound quite right. He had a listen and said that my time feel is a bit out. He highly recommended playing along with the original to get in the groove of the song and then to “lock in”. At this stage Justin became quite animated as he emphasised the importance of time feel and groove. I’ve heard him talk about this in lessons before and he’s dead right you can muck up chords and get away with it if the groove is there, alternately you can play the chords/notes perfectly but it won’t sound good if the timing is out.
I thanked him at the time but I’d like to do it again here in case he reads this. He’s an excellent teacher, since I’ve been learning I’ve done a lot of youtubing and watched a lot of lessons but there is something about the way that Justin teaches that really speaks to the student, it’s like he understands why it’s hard and he’s on the journey with you. I’m probably not expressing myself very well. Maybe it’s just that he’s a good guy and it’s nice to hang out with him on youtube.
G
Post by: close2u on November 15, 2017, 12:41:06 pm
Post by: Garfield on November 15, 2017, 12:45:08 pm
A wonderful story of your SKYPE Garfield. Thanks so much for sharing that. :)It's a pleasure and thanks for all your help in setting it up and generally looking after us all on the forum.
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Post by: embishop on November 15, 2017, 01:38:27 pm
Post by: DavidP on November 15, 2017, 02:24:27 pm
Being a stage or so "behind" you in the BC, I found the lesson most interesting.
And I think you expressed yourself in a most eloquent and articulate manner, both in the final paragraph and in the lesson summary.
Thanks again and look forward to your next posting !!
Post by: Amelie on November 15, 2017, 05:00:23 pm
Since the Skype lessons I have been performing a lot. I played a few big shows at the San Diego County Fair this summer and I got the chance to play with San Francisco jazz drummer Myron Cohen a few times. I also had my first official paid gig a few weeks ago, when I played at the anniversary of a local restaurant.
Thanks again to Justin and everyone who organized the competition and helped make the Skype session possible.
Post by: Omar on November 15, 2017, 05:24:01 pm
Thank you for sharing your stories. I'm happy for your for spending time with Justin, talking over interesting subjects and having your questions fulfilled :) Again, congratulations for both of you on winning the competition.
Post by: glpguitar on November 15, 2017, 10:17:59 pm
Post by: michaal246 on November 16, 2017, 11:03:57 am
Before lesson I wrote e-mail with topics that I want to cover and those were:
- What/how to practice
- Transcribing melody, making my own arrangements
- Money. Related to teaching and selling music online as copyright law is very confusing
LESSON
I had guitar during the whole lesson ready to play but it turned out that we were just talking whole time :) I told Justin about what I do and what I want to achieve. From there we started lesson. My goals are:
- Make arrangements of popular songs
- Build repertoire and YT channel. This will have 2 purposes. I can start to busk/playing live. This YT thing does not need views/likes etc. It will serve me as my "Guitar CV". For example it might be useful for finding new students.
- Composing original songs. It's very long term goal so I don't think too much about it right now. It might happen it might not.
OUTCOME
I do not follow religiously practice routine that Justin made. Althought it gave me some nice ideas so I tweaked it and do almost everything that I was advised except theory because it's still confusing and I feel like I should concentrate on other things BUT I'm still willing to learn that just not at this moment. My main focus is now on strength excercises, ear training, arranging, building repertoire and "easy" songs that I could teach in the future.
I had 2 students for about 2 months and the best part is that I didn't even looked for them. They found me somehow. "Hey, I heard that you play guitar. Would like to give me a couple of lessons?" It was fun, I learned more about myself/teaching and hopefully they also learned something from me. I tried to do some video lessons for them with simple exercises and OH MY GOD this is suprisingly very difficult :D Reviews were good though, so it turned out all right. hehe
So far so good but I had one fail in the meantime. I decided to participate in fingerstyle competition and sadly I didn't make it. Maybe next year.
There were few more minor things that happened but for now I will keep it to myself. If someone is interested in more details from my lesson with Justin please ask questions and I will try to answer them.
Post by: redrhodie on November 16, 2017, 12:25:01 pm
It's early here, and I'm a bit sleep deprived, so that's my excuse for thinking you told Justin "I hope that I don't fall in love with you." Haha. I was thinking that must have been some great lesson! Then I got it.
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Post by: Laila on November 16, 2017, 12:53:31 pm
Post by: Fourtwo on November 25, 2017, 09:40:06 pm
1) Drum & bass - It seems rather obvious now in retrospect that drum and bass are the underpinning of the song and should work together complement each other, but I'd never really mixed my tracks like that, just treated them individually without regard to the context of each with the other. Justin stripped back the drum sound, eased off on the reverb (the latter became a common strategy with all of the tracks he looked at!) and left a much clearer track for the basic beat of the song. He then remixed the bass to fit perfectly with the drums, again easing off on the reverb.
2) rhythm guitar - there are a couple of rhythm guitar tracks on my recording so Justin tweaked both, but particularly one that had a grungy sound. He took off some reverb and also some gain then added a little tremolo, which separated the sound from the other guitar tracks nicely.
3) He then moved on to one of the lead guitar tracks that contained fills that accompanied the vocals. Unfortunately I'd mixed them so that the guitar was drowning out and competing with my voice in parts so he tidied that up and made a big improvement on the overall clarity of the recording.
All through the process he referred back to the frequency range that each instrument occupied and showed me how to use the sound envelope in Garage Band to place that instrument in the appropriate range so that it would complement the other instruments without competing with them.
At the end of it I'd learned a lot which I will use in my future recordings, and many thanks to Justin for taking the time to go through this stuff with me.
For those interested I've posted the remixed recording on my Soundcloud page. You'll find the remix and the original here, in case you want to do a comparison yourself:
https://soundcloud.com/fourtwo42/and-then-the-rain-remix
https://soundcloud.com/fourtwo42/and-then-the-rain
Neil
Post by: DavidP on November 26, 2017, 05:50:43 am
I could hear some of the improvements coming through in the remix, particularly the reduced gain on the grungy rhythm guitar...much clearer so sound.
Listening on my tablet ... definitely not the best quality playback ... I thought the overall "loudness" of the remix was lower than the original. Is that right? If so maybe a last move to make the most effective comparison would be to boost the remix up a little on the master?
What a great song, good to listen to it again!
Post by: DarrellW on November 26, 2017, 06:26:20 am
It's made what was a nice song amazing!!!
Post by: Fourtwo on November 26, 2017, 09:57:56 pm
Justin and I had a conversation early in the session which I thought I would share as I found it really interesting and counter-intuitive. We were talking about vocal style - each of us has a unique voice and we have to find our own vocal style. I try to copy the artists that I'm recording in order to (eventually!) find my own style - haven't succeeded yet, but will keep trying. Justin then explained that he went through a period of vocal training from some top voice coaches to try to improve his vocals. After a sustained period of this he happened to be jamming with a friend of his who's in the music business, who made the comment that Justin was not singing with his own voice any longer, rather, all of the traditional vocal coaching had him singing in a traditional, coached manner. Justin asked the friend how he thought Justin should be singing and the friend said that it should be in Justin's own voice - however he wanted it to sound. Justin took this advice and started to sing in a more natural, but rougher manner, rather than the professional, coached manner and had much more authentic sounding results. Whilst I'm sure Justin would not downplay the benefits of receiving proper musical training, whether for voice or instrument, I think his point was that it is not always the best way forward. I hope I've explained this properly if not, perhaps Justin can jump in and recap in his words as I think it's an interesting point worth sharing.
Neil
Post by: glpguitar on November 27, 2017, 10:52:55 am
Post by: MrBumble on November 27, 2017, 11:46:10 am
The point about voice training is an interesting one. From personal experience, I sang in choirs when I was young (boy soprano) at school and in church. I was lucky to have had training in how to sing. In other words, how to breathe and how to preserve my vocal cords. That was all. There was no question of shaping my voice to be something it wasn't.
In later life I sang in folk groups and developed my own sound for that - harmony singing is huge fun. I still sing in church and enjoy it. While I don't have the vocal range I used to I can still enjoy singing by myself and with others.
Post by: redrhodie on February 11, 2018, 06:20:18 pm
I'm a scaredy cat.
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Post by: DavidP on February 11, 2018, 09:09:39 pm
I'm too chicken to collect my Skype lesson. Haha.Come on, Lynn, you write songs that sound good, with interesting lyrics, you sing well and you play pretty well also. Your abilities have been recognised in every contest by Justin. Just go hang out and talk about song writing, album making, music marketing and maybe a little about playing. And if it gets awkward just pretend to struggle to be hearing and drop the call ;)
I'm a scaredy cat.
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Post by: close2u on February 12, 2018, 12:05:37 am
Go on go on go on go on go on. :)
Post by: phx1973 on February 12, 2018, 02:16:33 am
I'm too chicken to collect my Skype lesson. Haha.
I'm a scaredy cat.
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Now that’s hilarious. You can do it!
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Post by: redrhodie on March 02, 2018, 01:06:15 pm
I had a bit of anxiety before hand, mostly because I had never used Skype and couldn't test it out beforehand. Connecting worked, but it was several minutes into my lesson before I realized that although I could see Justin, he couldn't see me. Haha. Oops. He thought I was being shy. I just didn't know I had to hit the video button.
But for anyone who is shy, Justin was very understanding of that, and you don't have to put yourself on video to have your lesson. You can still see him. I would not recommend this, though, because then he can't see if there's a physical issue going on, like mine, which was lifting my hand too far off the strings, and hitting some strings I shouldn't.
Before the lesson, I emailed him a list of things I wanted to talk about, and that's what we did. He was very kind and helpful. We mostly chatted about songwriting, engineering and mastering an LP.
We also talked about guitar practice. He said the most important thing to practice is rhythm. He suggested playing along with songs I like the rhythm of, with muted strings.
Then we worked on one of my problems. Bm is my nemesis, especially when coming from G. I knew the answer was to practice, but he gave me a really specific prescription of 5 minutes of changes from G to Bm really slowly, with strum pick out strum to make sure every note rings out, followed by 5 -1 minute changes. I will do it.
At that point, he had answered all my emailed questions, and there was still time left. I told him that I was happy, and we could end early, but he would have none of that, and started asking about my weather. Luckily I quickly thought of something else to talk about. Making small talk is not my forte. That would have been awkward. Haha.
So, then we talked about stage fright. I told him my physical symptoms, and he assured me it's really normal to have them. He told me if I want to perform, I should start in front of a small group of friends and then maybe do an open mic, working my way up incrementally until I was playing arenas. Haha.
He pointed out the worst thing that could happen would be forgetting the words, singing off key, or forgetting the chords, and even if those things happen, and even if I get booed off stage, it really isn't a big deal. But he told me how to write a cheat sheet so I'd be less likely to forget things in the heat of the moment.
That's about it. I didn't cry, even at the end when I told him how much he changed my life.
Thanks again Justin. That was fun!
Lynn
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Post by: close2u on March 02, 2018, 01:27:00 pm
So glad you did it.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Post by: embishop on March 02, 2018, 05:52:40 pm
Post by: DavidP on March 02, 2018, 07:21:11 pm
Post by: Fox Cunning on March 03, 2018, 10:25:14 am
I'm booking my session now, so I will have something to post soon too.
Post by: redrhodie on March 03, 2018, 02:32:11 pm
Awesome, Lynn! Good to see that all went well, but really I had no doubt :)Can't wait to read about it. Be prepared with more questions than you think he can answer in an hour. Have fun!
I'm booking my session now, so I will have something to post soon too.
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Post by: justinguitar on March 09, 2018, 07:01:22 pm
Post by: Fox Cunning on March 17, 2018, 10:06:42 pm
I was quite nervous, hands shaking, my skill level instantly went from beginner to newborn sloth with no arms... but Justin was just as cool and encouraging as you all can imagine.
He is such a positive person, and always points out what you're doing well first, and then makes you focus on the issues you should work on.
He gave me sound advice on all the topics I enquired about, and all he said made sense in such a way that I was left pondering: "How did I not think about this myself, it's obvious!".
For example, in order to improve my bends, he advised me to play on an actual backing track -- I most often play on just a drum beat so I am not limited to a particular key/range of modes, but it's a lot easier to notice if I am bending out of key when there is a backing track in that specific key!
Now I'm working on what I promised to do this year: a first-take A/V of an improv, where I will try to incorporate what I've just learnt.
Thanks again Justin, it was a rare pleasure and a honour!
Post by: redrhodie on March 17, 2018, 11:01:26 pm
I've noticed my playing is getting better since my lesson. I was kind of stalled at the same place for a long time, mostly because I lack ambition and am just happy writing the kind of songs I write. But somehow he broke through and I think I'm seeing an improvement.
Also, I got a new (used) acoustic guitar yesterday, and was not too shy to play in front of people at Guitar center. Justin said to start small! Haha. It used to be a big deal for me to even play in a guitar store, and yesterday I wasn't even nervous. Dave said I was even singing, which I don't remember. I must've been in a zone. Haha.
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Post by: close2u on March 17, 2018, 11:09:42 pm
These stories are great and inspirational for many I'm sure.
8)
Post by: DavidP on March 18, 2018, 04:38:30 am
Well I have had my Skype session in the end :Thanks for sharing, Fox.
Now I'm working on what I promised to do this year: a first-take A/V of an improv, where I will try to incorporate what I've just learnt.
Thanks again Justin, it was a rare pleasure and a honour!
As I read each post lesson feedback, I am further convinced that this works well and the gift of feedback plus the reward of the lesson is good for the monthly contest.
Looking forward to the a/v of an improv !!
Post by: ToneBender on March 27, 2018, 03:49:55 pm
Haven't been on the forum in a while but i thought i'd swing by and share my experience with Justin. Close2u asked me to do it a while back and I completely forgot about it
The skype lesson wasn't really a lesson I guess, more like a conversation.
We didn't actually talk about how to play the guitar that much because I wanted his advice on teaching. I've been playing for ten years and started teaching two years ago, so I figured I needed more help in that area.
He gave me some advice on teaching rythm and we both agreed on the fact that rythm is key when you're a musician, but it's also very tricky to explain and teach. You can teach the mathematical theory behind it like how to divide a bar and how to ''remove'' or ''add'' notes in a rythm pattern but the ''groove'' is hard to describe, and you can't teach something that you're having trouble defining yourself. It's more absctract and personal than mathematical I guess... I've spent more and more time on rythm with my students since then but now i feel comforted by the fact that I'm not the only one struggling with this aspect of teaching music ;)
One of the main advice that Justin gave me during the session was that it is really important to define stages in the student's progression and he suggested that i went on his website to see which songs he taught for each stage, especially in the beginner's section. He said I could use the website as a reference, and I thank him for that. The website is great for learning how to play but I also find it great as a teacher because it's well organised. It's like a roadmap for me now.
Anyway, thank you Justin for your dedication as a teacher, I've been using the website for ten years now and will continue to do so, as long as you keep teaching Neil Young tunes :)
Post by: pkboo3 on April 11, 2018, 07:45:52 pm
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Post by: pkboo3 on June 09, 2018, 04:07:11 am
Topics I had for him:
• We discussed the pros/cons of audio vs video uploads to the forum. How a video can show the viewer what you are doing right or wrong. The viewer can then help you improve your form or whatever needs improvement. Also, he said there are software programs out there that can help you sync your video with your vocals. So I plan on doing a little research on that. I enjoy video’s myself, but also realize that uploading an audio is much easier. I have done both and will continue doing both most likely but will try to upload videos more often now, hopefully.
• I told him that I have issues with memory – poor cognitive skills, I guess. He gave me a few tips. He said it could help if I put my repertoire of songs in a book; put the ones I know in the front and the ones I’m working on in the back. And at least once a week, go back over all of them to keep them fresh in my memory. He suggested having a printout to help remember the visual quality of the page. It can actually help to remember what the page looked like in your memory. He suggested to simplify the song I’m learning into the most basic chunks. He also gave me the name of a man who has written books on memory and has a website that can help with that. (http://www.tonybuzan.com). But also, he said it’s OK to make a little cheat sheet if absolutely necessary. Just put the basic chords on it, maybe the beginning lines of the verses and/or chorus. Make it large enough to see, but not so large that it is so obvious.
• I brought up the dreaded Bm Chord. He told me about the “air change” technique. I used to have that in my practice routine in the beginning stages, but had stopped doing it. So I’m going to add that back in along with the Strum/Pick/Strum practice. I also played a little of “Thank You” by Dido for him which has the Bm Chord, so he could see how I was playing it. I was a little nervous, playing and singing, but he gave me some good suggestions. So that was pretty neat. Yeah, I messed up and sang a little nervous. Hehe! But it wasn’t too bad.
• We discussed the use of the Capo. The Capo can be moved up and down the fret board, according to a person’s own vocals. It doesn’t have to be exactly where it’s placed in the lessons.
• I had seen a video of his way back when, about an ergonomic seat. But I couldn’t find it, so he told me what it is. It’s called Sitfit by Sissal. I’m probably going to get me one. I believe it will help relieve my back discomfort I have while sitting on my low futon when I’m practicing every night.
• I showed him my daily practice routine. He said I was probably doing too much at a time. (I practice about 50 minutes, plus about 20 minutes of the songs I’m currently learning and rotating the songs I’m trying to keep in memory. He helped me break it down into more manageable chunks. He said I should do half of them one month and the other half in the second month.
To summarize it all, I felt like it was a great session and I really appreciate Justin for all his hard work and commitment to all of us. I think the advice he gave me about toning down my practice routine will help a lot. Oh yeah! He challenged me to perform in front of real people, because I had told him that I’ve never played in front of anybody before except for my grandkids, and that I will sit out on my back porch and play, but that’s all. So he said in six months to get the family together and play a Christmas song for them. So I told him I would. Yikes! He said everybody gets nervous and that it’s not as bad after you’ve done it once. So we will see – MAYBE! I think actually, I would be more inclined to find a place where people are just walking by, that I don’t know, and see if they will stop to listen. Is that called Busking?! ;)
Post by: close2u on June 09, 2018, 08:28:43 am
Wonderful. Thanks for a great update and sharing how the tips and learning that Justin offered is going to help you - and hopefully others too. :)
Post by: embishop on June 09, 2018, 02:52:49 pm
Post by: redrhodie on June 09, 2018, 09:38:34 pm
Lynn
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Post by: pkboo3 on June 10, 2018, 09:04:02 pm
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Post by: redrhodie on June 10, 2018, 10:22:44 pm
Richard, embishop, & Lynn. You’re welcome. I was glad to do it. Helps me also to write down what I learned. Lynn, the video and audio worked fine. Justin also got to meet my husband, & grandson; and he saw my two dogs. I had everybody outside my bedroom, but they all slipped in & out at some point. It was fun to let Justin see them all.
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Post by: DavidP on October 23, 2018, 08:36:51 pm
A few people suggested I prepare a list of questions and after some thought I wasn't able to do that. As I said to Justin, it is testament to his teaching and this Community that whatever questions I have in mind are either answered in lessons as I progress or here in the Community.
So over and above just being able to thank him in person, my goal was to get a good sense check as to where I am, if I have picked up any bad habits or flaws. Mission accomplished !!
So here the pointers ...
When playing E-shape bar chords my pinky and ring finger tend to separate from each other. Good practice is to ensure they are touching when making that shape. Drill is to start with F and slide to G and back again, slowly, while making sure to maintain the correct shape. He also suggested speaking to the hand, to correct when necessary and encourage when doing it right. Sounds weird but I buy this.
Second point was talking about the way in which I make E and Am shapes. I naturally put my index, middle and ring fingers on strings 3,4,5 respectively for E. Suggestion is to rather go 3, 5, 4. Reason being is that it allows the middle finger to sit more on top of the ring finger and get closer to the fret. But rather than saying the other way is wrong, just a different option and useful to be able to play these chords both ways, since depending on the song sometimes one may make for an easier change.
Another interesting point after doing some bass note down up strum playing, suggested I work on getting a little more of a shuffle/triplet feel into that rhythm and accent the higher strings on the strum. I think I was playing it quite straight ie on the count and &.
After watching my finger-picking and playing some scales, he suggested I also use the pinky as an anchor when playing scales as I do when finger-picking. And on electric that will help with adding some natural palm mute.
Net result, feedback is to confirm I am doing well, both in terms of my approach and level of play developed. My E and A shape barre chords (the latter played with the mini-barre with ring finger) also looking good (other than the gap in the fingers).
We had a good laugh over my wide range of ambitions going forward ... folk finger style + blues lead + slide on open tunings, electric and acoustic. While loads and loads of fun lies ahead, Justin suggested being focussed in my learning going ahead ... focus on gaps in BC (next up then a look at slash chords), start on IM and then pick either folk/finger style or blues lead style modules. He suggest focus for 3-4 months then review and either continue or target differently, to avoid trying to work on too many things at the same time.
I expressed a concern about not doing the ear-training yet and seeing it as necessary to get stuck into bends and he said not really.
He talked about how the BC is a good structure but shouldn't be followed to rigidly. For example, I mentioned that I was still due to work on power chords, I'd put them off. To which he said "no worries" you're playing the full barres, just concentrate on the low strings. Reckon time to explore some hard rocking riffs on the LP :)
And lots more general chat about learning and playing. He was also incredibly encouraging and complimentary, which was good to hear. It is all well and good to think yourself that you are doing well, are following sound approaches to learning and to receive the positive feedback about songs posted, but to have Justin give what I am doing a once over and thumbs up as well as be well-pleased with my approach and thinking was an absolute bonus.
I could now gush on and on about the session, but I think you get the idea. I can't say I am any more inspired or motivated, that would be hard but do feel my confidence has been boosted as I continue on.
In closing, I can only amplify again my experience, that if you want to learn to play then Justin's Programmes backed up by the Community is the business. Thinking about it I realised that during my years and years of dreaming and not really learning, that what was missing (for me) was an effective structure and a place to play, so as not to be on my own. Now I have both!
Work the lessons, learn songs, record and share as soon as you can play songs, and in my experience you'll do well.
Huge thanks to Justin, Richard and Lieven who maintain the Community and each and every one of you, my friends in music here, who continue to offer encouragement and feedback every time I share some music.
Post by: sdd56 on October 23, 2018, 09:01:21 pm
I must admit I've never seen E played the way you describe. I play it the way Justin taught me :D
Well done on winning the Skype session, thoroughly deserved!
Post by: DavidP on October 23, 2018, 09:07:56 pm
Interesting read David, thanks for posting it.
I must admit I've never seen E played the way you describe. I play it the way Justin taught me :D
Well done on winning the Skype session, thoroughly deserved!
Thanks, SDD. I guess I taught myself E that way when somebody showed me the chord fingering diagram without being explicit as to which fingers to use.
And Justin said James Taylor plays the E and Am this way which helped him think how wrong can it be :)
Post by: close2u on October 23, 2018, 09:17:05 pm
Glad that you found so much positive affirmation of what you are doing / can do / want to do.
May your story, and all the skype stories, help inspire others too.
:)
Post by: DavidP on October 23, 2018, 09:27:30 pm
Great SKYPE story David.
Glad that you found so much positive affirmation of what you are doing / can do / want to do.
May your story, and all the skype stories, help inspire others too.
:)
;D
As LBro would say
ROCK ON
8)
Post by: hilts17 on October 23, 2018, 10:01:08 pm
Post by: DavidP on October 23, 2018, 10:10:27 pm
Thanks for sharing the experience with the rest of us David. Sounds like a thoroughly enjoyable time and nothing less than what I would expect from Justin.
Absolute pleasure, Hilts, and Justin was just as I observed him to be in those interactive videos with Lee (RutBusters and Captains Privates). One of those moments that one wishes would never end ;D
Post by: Balamuthiah on October 23, 2018, 10:42:51 pm
Post by: redrhodie on October 24, 2018, 01:18:25 am
I can't wait to see how it affects your playing.
Sent from my Moto G (5S) Plus using Tapatalk
Post by: batwoman on October 24, 2018, 04:24:19 am
Huge thanks to Justin, Richard and Lieven who maintain the Community and each and every one of you, my friends in music here, who continue to offer encouragement and feedback every time I share some music.
Well said David.
Post by: CT on October 24, 2018, 05:03:46 am
Post by: DarrellW on October 24, 2018, 09:15:31 am
Post by: PilgrimPod on October 24, 2018, 09:39:12 am
you are a STAR ⭐️ Pupil after all 👍👍👍
Teacher's pet... :P
Thanks for sharing the experience of your one to one. As a newbie only two months into BC it's encouraging to hear your experiences of the course and with Justin; he really does seem genuinely invested in those who are invested in his courses.
The cynic in me had reservations about starting an online guitar course that whilst was free had loads of additional bolt on material for a price. I guess the concern was it was a scheme to hook you and coerce you to part with cash to truly progress. Any doubts have disappeared these past few weeks.
That's not to say I want everything given to me for free. If something works I'll happily pay to support it, starting with Justin's amazing mobile app. :)
Justin has truly created something remarkable here with his courses, support and the online community he has nurtured. You guys rock too! :D
Post by: embishop on October 25, 2018, 01:01:16 pm
...
Justin suggested being focussed in my learning going ahead ... He suggest focus for 3-4 months then review and either continue or target differently, to avoid trying to work on too many things at the same time.
...
This is such great advice - for me! Lol
... Thinking about it I realised that during my years and years of dreaming and not really learning, that what was missing (for me) was an effective structure and a place to play, so as not to be on my own. Now I have both! ...
So very true 😃
... Huge thanks to Justin, Richard and Lieven who maintain the Community and each and every one of you, my friends in music here, who continue to offer encouragement and feedback every time I share some music.
I couldn’t agree with you more. Thanks for sharing with the Community, David.
Mari
Post by: Barend on October 25, 2018, 02:12:58 pm
I was looking fwd to this post as I was curious to see what advice you will receive directly from Justin.
I am also working currently on the E shaped barre chords and struggle with keeping the pinky close to the ring finger. I broke my pinky in rugby, so my pinky skews away from the ring. It is not too bad, but have to focus on controlling the pinky.
Using the pinky as anchor when fingerpicking is also good advice for me, I know about it but find it restrictive and get lazy..., so wil bring that in as well.
I can also identify with having to maintain focus on a few areas of learning.
These posts summarising the lessons are great as it highlights areas of improvement for all of us.
Tx for your effort.
Cheers
B
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Post by: Garfield on October 25, 2018, 08:54:10 pm
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Post by: DavidP on October 25, 2018, 09:45:49 pm
Post by: oldhead49 on October 25, 2018, 10:40:12 pm
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Post by: brianlarsen on October 27, 2018, 12:33:26 pm
I'm glad you had a fruitful and enjoyable session :)
We all dream, but I had exactly the same thoughts as you, if my number came up-
What would I want to ask or get out of the session?
whatever questions I have in mind are either answered in lessons as I progress or here in the Community.I pretty quickly decided that a chat about learning guitar and what music means to us would be the main focus and my excitement and experience would just boost my enthusiasm even more.
These descriptions of the skype sessions just confirm my impression of what comes across in his videos:
a really talented, sound guy with a positive attitude.
Cheers again for the review
Post by: DavidP on October 28, 2018, 06:48:17 am
Thanks for sharing all of that David. Sounds like you had a very enlightening session. No doubt, it is well deserved. Congratulations again on this accomplishment in your journey.
Thanks very much, Dave ... it was a real blessing, for sure
Thanks for the Skype update, David.
I'm glad you had a fruitful and enjoyable session :)
We all dream, but I had exactly the same thoughts as you, if my number came up-
What would I want to ask or get out of the session?
I pretty quickly decided that a chat about learning guitar and what music means to us would be the main focus and my excitement and experience would just boost my enthusiasm even more.
These descriptions of the skype sessions just confirm my impression of what comes across in his videos:
a really talented, sound guy with a positive attitude.
Cheers again for the review
My pleasure, Brian. And in addition to all you say, just such an easy guy to hang out with. I felt we'd been mates for ages.
Keep at your learning, playing, writing and entering and no reason why you won't be Justin's Pick sometime down the line. Perhaps in some way the moment comes at just the right time, when the session can be most valuable...worked that way for me.
Post by: max_mue on November 20, 2018, 11:18:59 am
I had to postpone the lesson in July because of a spontaneous trip to Italy, but we caught up today :)
First of all: Justin is a great guy and it's a pleasure to spend time with him - I enjoyed every moment of it. I struggled sometimes with my English skills (I'm way better at reading/understanding than talking unfortunately^^), but it was no problem. We talked a lot about music theory, because it's a lot on my mind due to my Bachelor's thesis.
Here's a summary:
- Position of the left hand: I wasn't sure if the slight pain I had to deal with was rooted in my positioning, but it turned out I just should practice more often to get used to it / build muscles - I was a too cautious ;)
- CAGED system: I wondered how to use/apply it. Justin helped me to understand it's more of a framework and helps to understand the fretboard
- Double stops aka Hendrix/Mayfield style: I wanted to make sure if I understood the theory behind it correctly. Justin's advice was to rather think of it as playing over chords than playing in a scale
- Playing with others / in a band: I met some musicians lately and jammed a bit. I asked Justin if any Do's & Don'ts come to his mind. He told me it's better to be able to play 5 songs really good instead of playing 20 songs mediocre. Preparing/testing the tone before playing live. Prepare for practice sessions by playing along the original to the point where you really know the song without looking at a sheet of music etc.. He mentioned that playing with others is valuable practice time.
Please excuse my short summary, I'm not a wordsmith like David when it comes to writing in English :P ^^
It was a great experience to meet the person that actually taught me to play guitar. 'Never meet your idol/heroes' certainly doesn't apply to meeting Justin ;)
Post by: Balamuthiah on November 20, 2018, 01:01:12 pm
Post by: DavidP on November 20, 2018, 03:14:07 pm
Certainly no reason for being apologetic about your English and the feedback you've provided. Hell, many probably cheering you own, for being more brief than my typical wall of text :)
Sounded interesting, even if a bit beyond my current play-grade.
Post by: close2u on November 20, 2018, 08:21:42 pm
CAGED is such a wonderful tool imho. Any different perspective on how it applies, what it can reveal, what it connects to is a good thing. :) Glad that you got an explanation that made sense to you.
And good news that you have found others to make music with.
8) 8)
Post by: brianlarsen on February 28, 2019, 12:59:48 pm
When I came across Justin’s website nearly a year ago, I felt like I had discovered a secret doorway into the chocolate factory of how music is made. I’ve been running around the factory ever since, flitting from room to room, sniffing different chords, having a taste of this strumming or that picking, as well as leafing through some of the recipe books of music theory.
I even had a go at making some chocolatey music inventions myself, which some of you have kindly tasted.
You can imagine my surprise and excitement when one of the chief Oompa Loompas (sorry Richard :P) informed me that I had received a Christmas present of a GOLDEN TICKET to meet Willy Wonka himself- a Skype session!
What would I like to ask the great man?
Only having commenced my journey, I am painfully aware of what I need to work on; and between the excellent lessons and helpful forum, I had serious difficulty thinking of what I wanted to ask Justin that I didn’t know already, or at least know where to find it.
For me, the answer to most questions lies behind that door named ‘Practice’.
Out of respect for him as a teacher, I did prepare some questions/areas to go over. But as in the above book, it’s all about the relationships. I wanted to meet this man, thank him for the enjoyment he has brought me and if I’m honest, feel like he got to know me. (Self-centred yes, but there you go)
The lesson began by me serenading him with a slight re-write of one of my previous competition entries, ‘Just a minute Justin’ (now ‘just an hour’), to give him a general idea of my playing abilities.
We then had a longish session of general chit-chat about his recent ski-holiday and I gave him a bit of my background, explaining how I ended up learning late in life. Lots of fan-boy praise from my side.
I think he was a bit taken aback when I told him about my brother having a heart attack just as I was launching into the Christmas competition and how helpful I found having an enjoyable distraction at an emotional time. He was half-expecting a funny punchline- not a personal story ending in death, so maybe I over-shared there…
We moved on to discussing how to go about writing simple fingerpicking style for songs. He noticed I had drifted off the alternate base plucking, which he stressed was of utmost importance. I hadn’t realised the thumb takes care of all three lower strings so the other fingers don’t have to shift.
We talked about the minor pentatonic scale and how it relates to major scales. He talked about using notes like words and putting them together in licks to make sense to others.
He suggested it was time for me to move on to barre chords (which I have just recently started practising).
He seemed happy enough with what I was doing. I find my index finger often protrudes way beyond the fretboard, but he was less concerned with what it looked like as long as the sound was clean.
I wasn’t sure the A-shape barre chord was for acoustic guitar, but he assured me again- just more practice.
We finished up talking about two Aussie gigs I’m going to in the coming months: Nick Cave in Liverpool in June and Tommy Emmanuel in Manchester at the end of March. I told him I’m thinking of bringing my guitar with me to see if I can get it signed by Tommy. If I’m not going down the GAS route yet, I might just pimp my current 6-string.
Are you still here?
Well, in summary: Believe the hype. Justin is a really engaging, sound and chilled dude.
Even if he thinks I’m a plonker- mission accomplished:
Mr. Wonka is aware of this plonker now!
Thank you all
(p.s. In playing terms, I had already benefited immensely before the lesson, as I had been practising much more to reduce embarrassment levels. See- practice! ;))
Post by: glpguitar on February 28, 2019, 01:14:46 pm
Post by: redrhodie on February 28, 2019, 01:48:39 pm
Look forward to seeing your progress!
Lynn
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Post by: DavidP on February 28, 2019, 04:59:52 pm
Post by: DarrellW on February 28, 2019, 07:16:42 pm
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Post by: Garfield on February 28, 2019, 08:13:19 pm
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Post by: Fourtwo on February 28, 2019, 09:10:13 pm
Brian, you're a star mate!
Post by: close2u on February 28, 2019, 09:29:09 pm
Post by: batwoman on March 01, 2019, 12:46:08 am
Well, in summary: Believe the hype. Justin is a really engaging, sound and chilled dude.
Even if he thinks I’m a plonker- mission accomplished:
Mr. Wonka is aware of this plonker now!
I'm so glad you've stuck around. Opening your posts is like going to a treasure chest, never knowing what I'll find. I'm never disappointed. I do hope that you are coming to terms with the passing of your brother. Hope it's not too personal an observation and it may be incorrect, but I thought your eyes looked sad in your last video. Be gentle with your good self, mate.
Post by: brianlarsen on March 01, 2019, 03:00:38 pm
Congrats mate! Very glad you had a good chat with J himself. Keep playing!Thanks :)
Sounds like a hoot. I also felt like I overshared with him.Thanks Lynn,
It was and I'm glad I'm not the only one ;)
Thanks for sharing, Brian. I think my experience was similar, though not shared with your wonderful flair for telling a storyThanks David, but we're giving up self-deprecation.
You gave a great account of your lesson (wordsmithery, I think Max called it ;))
Nick cave in Manchester sounds great. I'm a big fan and i've seen him live quite a bit. Have a great timeMr Cave is probably my favourite artist. I've seen him a couple of times (and touched the hand of God last summer at Roskilde festival :)
After having the great pleasure (and fun) of working with Brian I can safely say that this guy can make reading the shopping list appear both interesting and funny!The pleasure was all mine, Neil.
Brian, you're a star mate!
If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have had this experience!
We're co-stars 8) 8)
Whoo-hooApologies for teasing you Richard.
If I had known you look like that I never would have referred to Oompa Loompas :-[
I'm so glad you've stuck around. Opening your posts is like going to a treasure chest, never knowing what I'll find. I'm never disappointed. I do hope that you are coming to terms with the passing of your brother. Hope it's not too personal an observation and it may be incorrect, but I thought your eyes looked sad in your last video. Be gentle with your good self, mate.That's very kind, Maggie.
Thanks for your concern; you're very perceptive- but it's not mourning (I'm doing well on that front).
You are probably picking up on some discomfort from my tooth which looks like it's going to need root canal treatment ;) :(
Post by: Balamuthiah on March 02, 2019, 01:21:14 pm
Wow Brian... reading your experience made me realize the exact feelings I had going into my skype lesson.
You put it in beautiful sentences.
I had my session yesterday. I've got to admit that it was close to impossible to come up with a list of questions to ask Justin during the one shot opportunity. However, I did come up with a list that I had sent him earlier this month before I came to Japan. Embarrassingly enough, a busy week in Japan, led to a lack of preparation and I forgot the things I wanted to ask him.
I had setup my audio interface and everything so that Justin would be able to hear my voice as well as my guitar. The session began with Justin not being able to hear my voice however (Another embarrassing moment). But he helped me figure that out and we began talking about what I do and what I'm doing in Japan. Justin is an amazingly warm/cool guy and he helped me settle in quite well.
Then he pulled up the list I had sent him and we began with blues soloing. After that he asked me to do an improv solo. He said that I'm able to play but the most important thing that I need to work on is having a "central idea" and linking the other licks with this idea using "threads". He suggested that I need to explore the guitar more and learn new licks, for you can't get fluent in a language if you only know a few words and sentences that you repeat (How true is that considering that's my skill with Japanese). He also talked about how the flavor of the solos is reflected by the kind of music we listen to. Then he suggested that I should try to transcribe more solos and went as far as challenging me to transcribe 5 solos before the end of this year. This, I gladly accepted! :D
The next thing I wanted to ask him was tips on how to improve the recording and production process. After listening to my song (her light) quickly, he said that I was actually doing good on the production side but suggested that I work on tightening my bass playing which he said was "wobbly" at times. He said that's probably the one thing producers would want to be improved in the song. Then he spoke about what software he uses to produce his songs and also gave me a run through of the softwares available and a little bit of an insight of which would be suitable for me.
Sadly enough that's all we did talk about and the things I forgot to ask him were about how to use and target chord notes while soloing, combining rhythm and lead and lead fills. There were a lot of awkward moments of silence from me due to my lack of preparation (and partly due to the fact that I'm actually talking to Justin!). But Justin was a really cool guy and made the session an enjoyable experience.
The one good thing I did do was to properly thank him for the wonderful website and the community and how it had changed my life for the good in the last few years, particularly the last 6-7 months. I was motivated into doing competitions only for this chance of getting face to face with Justin and it did prove to be a wonderful experience. As for the questions I have unanswered... probably will have to wait until my next win ;) It's not going to be easy, but I'm motivated! Got to work on the transcribe challenge before that though! Thank you all in this forum. You all have been amazing to me and everyone! And thank you Brian for your efforts in the setup as well as the maintenance of the community.
Bala
Post by: close2u on March 02, 2019, 01:53:28 pm
Serious response time (no Oompa Loompas in sight).
It is great to read your story of the session, the chat, the focus on song-writing (a direction you seem compelled to follow), on progressing to barre chords etc. On the last of those, can I make a suggestion? Get a vibe going with the 4-chord progression. You know the famous one. The I - V - vi - IV progression. Try playing it in G which uses only open chords:
G - D - E minor - CThen try in C which uses one barre chord (you could use a mini-barre F Major chord or alternate between F barre and F Maj7 so you can keep the progression going without fatiguing your barring finger too soon):
C - G - A minor - FThen to extend and focus more on practicing your barre chords, try it in other keys.
Key of D
D - A - B minor - G … play all as barre chords with roots on 5th & 6th strings or just the last two as barre chords to ease finger fatigue.Key of A
A - D - F# minor - E .. again mix & match barre chords with open shapes.In technical terms these are all called I - V - vi - IV progressions. (If you don't know what that is you may want to research it a little).
Other variations using the same chords are:
A minor - F - C - G
E minor - C - G - D
B minor - G - D - A
F# minor - E - A - DIn technical terms these are called vi - IV - I - V progressions.
And another variation:
C - A minor - F - G
G - E minor - C - D
D - B minor - G - A
A - F# minor - D - E
In technical terms these are called I - vi - IV - V progressions.
Again, vary your playing so sometimes you play open chords, sometimes 5th string or 6th string barre chords for majors and minors.
@ Bala
Re:
Soloing with the approach of targeting chord tones.
First, you need to know the notes (triads will work) of the chords in the progression. These will become your target notes, comfortable landing places when the chords are changing. So for your chosen chord progression / backing track, chart the chords as triads on the top three strings. Visualise the five moveable CAGED barre shapes and just mark the notes on the G, B & E strings. If you know your intervals, mark the root and the 3rd and 5th too. Definitely the root. Have these neck diagrams in sight when playing.
The sort of backing track that will work best with this will have only three or four chords, be fairly slow and hold each chord for at least two bars.
To begin, play just one note per bar of the progression. Start with the root note of each chord as it comes around. Just the root.
Then repeat but with either the 3rd or the 5th.
Then repeat but play any two notes per bar over the chords, root & 3rd, root & 5th, 3rd & 5th.
Then repeat and extend the idea. Make up a little run of notes that either start and / or end on the root note of each chord per bar. Because the chords last for at least two bars you could progress to runs, licks & phrases that start in one bar and end in the other. For now, still limit your choice to notes that are only from the triads – the root, 3rd or 5th.
Note – for minor chords, the 3rd is a b3rd.
Try this for a few weeks over a variety of backing tracks in different keys.
:) :)
Post by: Balamuthiah on March 02, 2019, 02:25:50 pm
Thank you for the invaluable information Close. I enjoyed both the information shared. With the chord notes, I didn't even think about the CAGED system. I've been trying to use the notes from the E, Emin, A and Amin shapes into the solos. But the CAGED system would open up more of the fretboard now! Thank you for that Close. I probably need to make a lot of note charts now! That's goal 1! :)
Post by: DavidP on March 02, 2019, 02:31:42 pm
Thanks for sharing your experience. Sounds educational, inspirational and fun. Justin is special in the way that he connects with his students (nearly said disciples, but caught myself :) )
Post by: Balamuthiah on March 02, 2019, 02:53:51 pm
Hey Bala
Thanks for sharing your experience. Sounds educational, inspirational and fun. Justin is special in the way that he connects with his students (nearly said disciples, but caught myself :) )
Thank you David. He sure is special. He might be more popular than the Beatles ;) if you know what I mean.
Post by: DavidP on March 02, 2019, 02:57:14 pm
Thank you David. He sure is special. He might be more popular than the Beatles ;) if you know what I mean.
LOL ... that couldn't be ;)
Post by: close2u on March 02, 2019, 03:53:57 pm
Done ... it is here (https://justinguitarcommunity.com/index.php?topic=44991.0)
Post by: Balamuthiah on March 02, 2019, 04:18:26 pm
LOL ... that couldn't be ;)
Or maybe it could ;)
@ Bala … I'm going to start a new thread and share some triad diagrams .. :)
Done ... it is here (https://justinguitarcommunity.com/index.php?topic=44991.0)
Thank you Close! Will check it out! :)
Post by: embishop on March 03, 2019, 03:39:01 pm
Brian, great write up, as usual, sounds like a great lesson as well, very impressed with the amount of focus you challenged yourself with! Sorry to hear about your brother. Music is very healing, if you travel down a serious road one day maybe you’ll find a song for him. Although laughter is also very healing, so maybe it needn’t be such a serious road …
Bala, even if you forgot a couple of things you wanted to go over it certainly sounds like a great lesson. I think if I had ever won a lesson with Justin I’d be star struck and might not be able to get out any words at all!
And apart from the no surprise at you all having great lessons, I’m also not at all surprised to hear from all of you that Justin is the real deal in person. I do believe the hype :)
Mari
Post by: brianlarsen on March 03, 2019, 04:42:47 pm
Serious response time...
Richard,
This stuff is gold dust.
Not only do I get a lesson with the great one himself, I also get bespoke pathways from his right-hand men :)
I shall be coming back to this many times in the not too distant future. I will first need to go back and review the theory. I felt I was within touching distance 5 or 6 months ago on the theory course, but need to refresh.
It's funny- I don't really think of myself as wanting to write good songs, it would just be nice to have something to play while singing something I wrote. (I may end up just stealing others' great tunes ;)).
I shall investigate and hopefully put all the above to good use.
Thank you again.
As for the questions I have unanswered... probably will have to wait until my next win ;) It's not going to be easy, but I'm motivated! ...Really enjoyed reading your account Bala, especially hot on the heels of mine- It brought it all back quite vividly :)
You are a shoe-in for another win, Bala. You've put up so much high-quality stuff in the AVOYP section since I joined!
And thank you Brian for your efforts in the setup as well as the maintenance of the community.You're welcome! ;) :P
Brian, great write up, as usual, sounds like a great lesson as well, very impressed with the amount of focus you challenged yourself with! Sorry to hear about your brother. Music is very healing, if you travel down a serious road one day maybe you’ll find a song for him. Although laughter is also very healing, so maybe it needn’t be such a serious road …Thank you, Mari
Funny you should say that; Soon after the funeral, I had composed the bones of the chorus of a song I might write for him. Although this one will be too personal to share, I'm afraid :(
It's really encouraging to see members take an interest in how everyone else is progressing :)
Cheers
Post by: Garfield on March 05, 2019, 02:29:24 pm
I had a lesson with Justin on Saturday. I can’t say enough nice things about this guy, he’s great to chat to and he’s straightened me out.
So where I am on my guitar journey is lost – or I was. The beginner’s course is fantastic because what you need to learn next is very obvious. I won’t say I’ve completed the IM but I’ve got to the end of it and I’m comfortable with most of the syllabus. I don’t see it as something to be completed before moving on, as I will be working on the some of those skills for years to come maybe forever. As many have commented the more you know about guitar the more you realise there is to learn; and what order should it be tackled? It’s a bit bewildering and I wasn’t sure what direction to go in.
After much agonising I’ve started the Blues Lead 1 and as I couldn’t bend very well on my acoustic I’ve bought an electric. I want to learn the fret board and my plan was to do this via the 5 minor pentatonic shapes. My question to Justin was am I doing right, or should I tackle the major scale first as this is where everything comes from. We then had a long chat about why I want to play and what I want to play. I can’t recount the whole conversation here but the outcome is that I am going to proceed with the Blues Lead course and learn the minor pentatonic patterns. The reasons being that I want to play blues, blues is an easy starter and as Justin said you can always learn other scales and styles later on.
So onto the technical stuff. I struggle with muting on the electric. I find it really hard to mute at the top of a bend. I also asked if I should be anchoring or float with my picking hand. On the acoustic I have always floated but I had the body of the guitar to rest my arm on. Justin anchors. I’m going to anchor. He said that you can’t really get away with floating completely you do need something to keep your hand in a fixed position. I have tried it the past few nights and found it’s not too uncomfortable. On the muting Justin noted that my hand position was wrong and needed moving back toward the bridge. I have noticed that‘ve hit the middle pickup when picking a scale before so I’m too far forward. By moving my hand back and dropping a couple of fingers down I’m in a much better position to mute (it’s a smaller movement) and I do feel a bit more secure when picking. It doesn’t feel natural yet, far from it, but I think it will come with practice.
Also a good tip he dropped in was to roll up my jumper. I was wearing a long sleeved top and he commented that it’s unusual to play in long sleeves and that by rolling up a sleeve I’d get better contact with the guitar.
I’ve been struggling with vibrato. I naturally seem to do the classical style vibrato, it’s lots of hand and arm flapping but as Justin said “that’s just not going to work on electric”. He ran over what I should be doing, and when explained 1:1 I felt I started to get it a bit. Basically I just need to pivot my hand, I was flapping my arm and elbow around, I also need to be locking my fingers. Again this does not feel natural but it will come with practice.
I asked Justin about a lick that I start each jam with and cannot stop playing. It’s become an unconscious tick. To take Justin’s analogy of licks being words, this word is “um” and I can’t stop saying it. He asked to hear the lick which I obviously fluffed and then almost forgot. He said you just have to try not to play it. Try and record yourself so you can see when you play it and if you’re not capable of not playing it then take the strings off. He was serious. He gave me a shuffle in A and told me to play over it but don’t touch the G string, again I didn’t really rise to occasion and without my default lick it was a pretty lousy 12 bars – but I can say I’ve jammed with Justin!
Lastly I asked for some help with rhythm. I have a looper pedal and set loops up for myself quite a bit, but I often find that I’m playing the same or very similar rhythms. He said I could start the blues rhythm course as well if it have enough practice time. I don’t but I’m going to. He said there were backing tracks on the course and that at first I should try and play along but then try and loop them.
That’s about it. He also encouraged me to play with others I’d mentioned that I was trying to set up a jam with a few guitar playing dad’s I’d met at a kids party recently. That’s happening next month.
Hope you found this interesting I certainly did.
G
Post by: DavidP on March 05, 2019, 03:16:02 pm
Big ups to you for working through IM ... I'm pretty much stuck trying to count, strum and tap my foot for first intro to 1/16 strumming :)
Wishing you loads of fun working at the blues and (needless to say) look forward to you sharing some jams over a backing track.
So cool you could jam with Justin ... latency for me was so huge so that was never going to happen.
Post by: Balamuthiah on March 06, 2019, 10:05:04 am
You're welcome! ;) :P
Oh I messed up there at last! I was supposed to thank Close. But being a cricket fan and the great West Indian era fan, and since I've watched "Fire in Babylon", Everytime I see Close's name I'm tempted to call him Brian (Brian Close - an 80's English batsman). It finally came out that way. Maybe I should start calling him Richard :D
@embishop
Thank you Mari. It certainly was a great lesson and Justin is totally worth the hype! It made me realize how great it would be to have been taught by him in person! Not that the website is any less, but to be able to interact with him while learning sounds like such a huge motivation and fun!
@Garfield
Sounds like you've had a wonderful lesson Gareth. All the best with your targets and thanks for the share :)
Post by: close2u on March 06, 2019, 10:53:34 am
Oh I messed up there at last! I was supposed to thank Close. But being a cricket fan and the great West Indian era fan, and since I've watched "Fire in Babylon", Everytime I see Close's name I'm tempted to call him Brian (Brian Close - an 80's English batsman). It finally came out that way. Maybe I should start calling him Richard :D
Ha ha.
That puts me in mind of a famous radio commentary slip-of-the-tongue that rendered the presenters of Test Match Special unable to speak for several minutes:
England vs West Indies @ The Oval 1976
"The bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey"
Post by: DavidP on March 06, 2019, 09:14:46 pm
Ha ha.
That puts me in mind of a famous radio commentary slip-of-the-tongue that rendered the presenters of Test Match Special unable to speak for several minutes:
England vs West Indies @ The Oval 1976
"The bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey"
LOL glad the language filters didn't get triggered by that one ;)
Post by: Balamuthiah on March 06, 2019, 09:57:49 pm
Ha ha.
That puts me in mind of a famous radio commentary slip-of-the-tongue that rendered the presenters of Test Match Special unable to speak for several minutes:
England vs West Indies @ The Oval 1976
"The bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey"
Oh boy that sure is an awkward moment right there! :D
Post by: batwoman on March 06, 2019, 11:15:58 pm
Ha ha.
That puts me in mind of a famous radio commentary slip-of-the-tongue that rendered the presenters of Test Match Special unable to speak for several minutes:
England vs West Indies @ The Oval 1976
"The bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey"
Richard this is a gem, thanks for the share. ;D ;D ;D
Even greater thanks for the gold you've shared and the special thread. You are a phenomenon.
Post by: DanniTSI3 on March 07, 2019, 09:56:45 am
It sounds as though you got a lot out of the session which is amazing!
I bet meeting Justin has motivated you all the more to practice hard and to keep improving!
Sent from my [device_name] using JustinGuitar Community mobile app (http://JustinGuitar Community mobile app)
Post by: Fourtwo on March 07, 2019, 03:12:21 pm
Great stuff, sounds like you're progressing really well. Glad to see you've got your first (of many?) electrics!
Neil
Post by: aloise1 on August 30, 2019, 05:24:50 pm
As some of you may know, my performance of my original song, "I Hear My Own Music" ( https://youtu.be/foPWVHguGMY ) was selected as the "winning" entry for the song competition that concluded in June. There were so many excellent entries this past quarter so imagine my surprise (and honor) to be chosen!
Justin Sandercoe as you all know (or should know) is exactly in person as he is in his videos! He is very down to earth, interested in helping you learn and most importantly I think, wants everyone to succeed in their own way!
I prepared for my meeting with Justin by thinking thru where I am in my guitar journey right now, six years in, so much I don't know or think I should know! I sent Justin some examples of other things I have done, expressed to him what I like to do at this moment in time and then lastly gave him some specific things that I hope to discuss during our hour session.
My questions probably centered around these 3 main topics (although we did discuss other things as well)
- soloing
- fingerstyle
- dynamics
On my end, I was ready to go! I had warmed up the amp, had an electric guitar plugged in and tuned for my soloing questions, an acoustic ready for the fingerstyle and dynamics discussion. Justin knows that these sessions are important to each of us that earns one so after some brief pleasantries, he dug right in!
And he is fast, he can see things that I am doing and immediately pick up on something that can help me! A pinky not being used, weaknesses in my soloing "method" (had to do with my partial knowledge of the fretboard. He demonstrated for me, listened to me both play and talk and pointed me in the right direction on all three topics!
I couldn't have asked for any more! It was a great hour talking and interacting with one of my guitar heros as if we were equals! What a great person and what a great session! We concluded on time, spoke about some of his off site sessions, asked if he was coming to the states! He wished me great success, assured me I was doing great, suggested some of his courses for what we had spoken about and our session concluded.
........or so I thought! About 3 days after our session, Justin posted this video:
https://youtu.be/mP4knhljqj0
You can hear the shout out he gave me a few seconds into the video! (and I NEVER said "dude, why haven't you got a lesson like this on your site!?")........again, I just have to say, thank you Justin for teaching me to play the guitar!
Len Aloise
https://www.facebook.com/PoppysMusicPlace/
https://soundcloud.com/lenaloise/tracks
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5C2pZoXicGW2Q55WBJU5qP
Post by: DavidP on August 30, 2019, 05:38:32 pm
Post by: embishop on September 11, 2019, 09:20:46 pm
Mari
Post by: DanniTSI3 on January 29, 2020, 04:56:01 am
Hey all! I've not been posting much on the boards to crazy busy school holidays etc, but I had my lesson with Justin on 6th January and let me just say, when you see yourself on camera, it is clear why someone like Justin with his easygoing nature comes across so well in his videos, whereas I on the otherhand say "like" a lot and laugh when I'm nervous haha ;D
So my lesson could be broken into 3 components: 1 part guitar counselling, 1 part forward planning, 1 part technique :-)
I've posted before about my struggles with time management in a busy life of work and kids, and what it comes down to is finding the time to have even 15 mins I can dedicate to guitar practice without interruptions. I usually do a little bit of practice when the kids are in the bath, but I end up just playing songs and once I'm playing songs, its hard to go back to 1min changes or other exercises.
The first song I played was House of the Rising Sun - it was a dog's breakfast as my nerves were peaking, but the feedback was:
1. need to use the metronome and force the changes as I kept stopping
2. having trouble with F to Am
3. need to go back to basics and playing well with one strum down, then strumming on each beat.. THEN ADD THE STRUM PATTERN
That conversation lead to my issues with Mr Metronome. I avoid that sucker at all costs: I find it difficult, frustrating, and ultimately so unenjoyable that I dumped the metronome and rode of in the distance on my very out of time horse ;D My excuse to Justin was "well I don't have any desire to play in front of an audience, its really just for me" to which he responded "timing is the whole thing.... even non musicians notice if your rhythm is off... even the earliest music such as banging sticks was in time without stopping and if it wasn't the listeners would notice". Fair call Justin.
5 minutes with the metronome now in my practice routine.
Will do a part 2... off to take my kids to Karate :-)
Post by: close2u on January 29, 2020, 06:21:15 am
It's always a pleasure to read the skype stories and yours is another tale that I am happy to have grace this thread. And you have a new dance partner too! Mr Metronome.
Post by: DarrellW on January 29, 2020, 07:43:09 am
Good to hear from you with what’s going on in Oz!
Feedback like what you’ve got is golden, it will help you so much to progress in a more organised manner, and should help with those blocks you’ve been having. Looking forward to parts 2 & 3!
Post by: DavidP on August 12, 2020, 01:25:07 pm
Once again I count my blessings to have the opportunity to spend the time with him. Have to say again, what a pleasure it is to talk music with Justin. He has that ability that all good teachers have to be able to engage at just the right level, to offer loads of encouragement, some tips and suggestions, and to point out the problem areas. And striking the right balance means one hears those problem areas without any adverse reaction.
Main focus of the session was on song-writing and arrangement. I am busy with another original and we used the current cut of the song (drums, bass, acoustic guitar, and lead vocal) as the basis for the conversation.
Overall he was really positive and encouraging about the song, the arrangement and the production, which was a boost to confidence. I think many of us tend to be quite tough on ourselves, always wanting to do better, which is good, but sometimes not appreciating what we have achieved to this point, which can be not so good if those doubts hold us back.
Most interesting suggestion, and one I look forward to trying out, is to really give attention to the drums and bass at the outset. Work towards having a cut of the song that is just drums, bass, and lead vocal. And if that is sounding good then you have a solid foundation to build on. Useful tips about varying the drums in between sections to keep things dynamic.
Much like the session with Len, we spoke a lot about the dynamics, keeping things interesting through the whole song.
Biggest issue for me is to work on one section of the vocals, to actually compose the melody, and make sure the notes are all good and then pitch them well. Sounds obvious but this is probably the weakest aspect of my journey...the singing and the vocal melody. But he was extremely positive and encouraging on the bridge section. So I will put some more effort into the problem part of the song. And he was positive as to my potential as a singer ... now at some point it is up to me to put some effort into improving my singing.
No promises here as to when I will be done with the song ... best I can say is I reckon before George RR Martin publishes the next book in the Song of Ice and Fire series (Game of Thrones) ... I know that is not saying much.
Many thanks Justin, Richard, Lieven, and all of you ... the lessons and Community truly are a place to come and make your musical dreams come true.
PS Wasn't sure where to post this, so Richard, if you would rather it was a continuation of the award topic then feel free to move it on over there
Post by: Balamuthiah on August 12, 2020, 04:52:45 pm
Post by: close2u on August 12, 2020, 07:41:50 pm
I am sure you went into the session well prepared and with a sure focus which no doubt helped maximise your take-away from it.
ps
I have moved the 'skype sessions' to their own dedicated board so no need to move your post.
Post by: sairfingers on August 12, 2020, 10:45:05 pm
I look forward to hearing the fruits of your labours.
Gordon
Post by: batwoman on August 12, 2020, 10:55:29 pm
Post by: DavidP on August 13, 2020, 06:09:51 am
Appreciate you giving my feedback a read and for more kind and encouraging comments.
With the Community providing endless encouragement, support, guidance how can one not continue to pursue learning and developing one's musicianship.
Post by: DavidP on August 13, 2020, 01:26:36 pm
Most interesting suggestion, and one I look forward to trying out, is to really give attention to the drums and bass at the outset. Work towards having a cut of the song that is just drums, bass, and lead vocal. And if that is sounding good then you have a solid foundation to build on. Useful tips about varying the drums in between sections to keep things dynamic.
In chatting off line, I realise that in trying to keep it short, I have maybe made it confusing.
The first step in this process is to create a rough version of the song with a simple drum track, guitar and vocal. Then compose the bass, refine the drums, and thereafter can go back and add the rest of the instruments. Confident that the song with just the bass and drums with vocal sounds good.
Sorry of you were wondering about working on vocals with just bass and drums, which I guess would be tricky ...
Post by: pkboo3 on August 13, 2020, 02:39:54 pm
Sent from my iPhone using JustinGuitar.com Forum
Post by: DavidP on August 13, 2020, 03:57:37 pm
So glad you enjoyed your Skype with Justin. And once again congrats on your Thoroughly Decent Chap Award!
Thanks Pam. He's just such an easy going guy, a masterful teacher, and I am an incredibly fortunate guy to have had the opportunity to hang out with him twice now.
Post by: embishop on August 21, 2020, 08:48:18 pm
Post by: Alex6strings on August 22, 2020, 04:27:44 am
.
He was playing a Tommy tune on insta the other day... I forget how good Justin is..so good.
Sent from my CPH1920 using JustinGuitar Community mobile app (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=93296)
Post by: DavidP on August 22, 2020, 07:04:15 am
Thanks for sharing your lesson with us, David. (I can’t believe you posted it a week ago, it seems time flies even when I’m not on the Forum!) You got some great input it sounds like, and it’s always good to be reminded that where you are needs to be as much fun as where you’re going. The journey, right?? I will look forward to whenever you post this song as much as I’m looking forward to the next GoT book (and yes, huge fan 😃)
Thanks Mari.
Such wisdom in the notions to enjoy the moment, every step of the way on the journey. To have a direction but not be obsessing about reaching the destination. And in music and in life there is always another destination.
As for GoT ... what odds might we get that the next book will be written by Brendon Sanderson, like the final books of WoT ... Wheel of Time. Disclosure time ... I got as far as the forth book in that series and ran out of steam. My son loves to tease me about my weakness and lack of stamina, it being one of his favourite series.
This is a great thing to have had twice DavidP. You and Justin must be like old friends by now? He seems to be someone who'd be great to have a few beers and jam with. A justcon isn't a bad idea....Justin...convention ..justcon
.
He was playing a Tommy tune on insta the other day... I forget how good Justin is..so good.
It is indeed, Alex, still have a sense of disbelief that I have been so fortunate to have hung out twice. As you say, hanging out with a few bevvies of your own taste, to chat, and play some music would be great fun. I saw his adverts for his workshops ... Italy or the Carribean ... would be fantastic.
Post by: kontenda on September 30, 2020, 12:43:59 pm
First of all he asked me to play him something to give him an idea of where I am in my journey. So I played the 1st verse and chorus of a song I have been learning to play recently, Crowded House's "Distant Sun", with thankfully no singing, just guitar. He complimented me on my rhythm but said he saw certain parts of the song where I added extra concentration and could be smoother. One particular section was a chord change from a D minor to an F Barre chord. He advised that I should pick out the weak areas and just play those portions rather that playing the whole sequence. I should video myself performing, figure out the areas that weren't up to scratch, figure out why (a difficult chord, a difficult change, picking out a note etc..) and just work on those specific parts until they were right. He mentioned this is something he does himself and is something I should continue doing for as long as I play guitar.
1. Basic Posture
Then we moved onto the items I asked to cover. First was posture. I have never had a lesson with anyone before, so I just wanted to confirm that my basic posture was correct. The wrist of my fretting hand becomes painful when I play barre chords or scales and recently the pain remains with me even after I stop playing - so I asked if he saw anything that I was doing wrong. He gave me a very detailed discussion about carpal tunnel syndrome - about how ligaments and nerves controlling your fingers run the length of your arm and through a tunnel in your wrist and if you put a strain on this area it can cause pain and numbness in your wrist. So he advised me to try stretching exercises for my wrists before playing. He also advised me to drop my shoulder (as shoulder pain is also a common complaint of guitarists) and try to bring my wrist up so it is in line with the rest of my arm (i.e. the wrist doesn't bend). After straightening my wrist, it felt strange as I wasn't used to this pose, but with much less tension than my normal position. This is something I am going to have to work on - but I feel this will probably resolve the pain issue.
I also mentioned a problem I had with anchor fingers, specifically my ring finger on the B string. I find after playing songs that require constant anchor fingers while changing chords (like 'Wonderwall') my finger can move ever so slightly causing a slight buzz to occur on the B string. He thought this could be related to the previous position of my wrist and tiredness. He advised also to video myself and see where and when the movement occurs. He also mentioned that using certain areas in the song to reset the fretting of the fingers - lift the anchor fingers up and reposition them - not to rest them but just to prevent them moving too far away from the fret.
2. Flat Picking
The second item I asked to cover was flat picking. I cannot play riffs correctly. A few years ago I entered the Kinks 'Lola' in the song competition which had a simple riff (for most people) that I couldn't master then and still haven't mastered now. I played it for him and he played it back the way it should sound. He explained unlike my strumming, when picking I wasn't concentrating on the rhythm of the riff. Which was a big aha moment for me. So he didn't mean that I had to keep my hand moving like I was strumming, but in my head it should be moving, keeping the beat, if that makes sense. He suggested slowing down the riff in Transcribe or Audacity, writing it out on tab - working out which are up picks and which are down picks and practise from there - without worrying too much about hitting incorrect strings at the beginning. The important part was to get the rhythm of the riff correct first. He also mentioned a few other song lessons I could use to practise riffs such as Lenny Kravitz "Always on the Run" and "Le Freak" by Nile Rodgers.
3. Song Writing
The final item I asked to discuss was song writing. Initially when I learned that songs could be written using the chords from a key, it was a revelation for me and allowed to write my first songs. Lately I feel the songs I write can sound very basic and have an almost nursery rhyme feel to them. He talked to me about moving outside the chords in the key and changing keys within a song. I hope I have this part right. He gave an example of starting a song in the key of G, and after for example playing a D chord, make the next change to the 5 chord of the key of D which would be an A major chord. This can be tried in any key and it generally sounds good. We talked again about the song Lola and I couldn't work out its key because it had an E major, A Major, D Major and C Major in its verse. He said it was in the key of E because E felt like home, this was why the riff was played on the relative minor pentatonic of C#m.
He told me it was important to know the craft, as he called it, but there were no rules and it was ok to explore chords outside the key. He mentioned that a lot of songs are written just by experimentation. He told me to try figure out why I like the songs that I like and maybe take bits from some of them to combine into my own composition. He played me an example of a Gomez song ('Make No Sound' I think) where the chords in a signature riff sounded off when strummed by themselves but the way Gomez combined them, and by picking only certain strings, it sounded great. So I need to try stuff out and see if it sounds good.
And then all too soon it was over. He was really easy to talk to throughout the lesson - exactly like he is in his lessons. I feel very fortunate to have got a lesson from him, what I learned from him in such a short space of time was very insightful and a really enjoyable hour. I feel extra motivated now to go work on my guitar.
Post by: Rossco01 on September 30, 2020, 12:54:44 pm
Post by: DavidP on September 30, 2020, 01:30:04 pm
That was a great write up of what must have been a great conversation. Quite a few points to keep in mind for me.
Hope you get around to recording you playing and singing again soon ... always a joy to check out one of your videos.
Post by: sairfingers on September 30, 2020, 09:52:14 pm
Thanks again Kontenda.
Post by: brianlarsen on October 01, 2020, 03:44:04 pm
Thanks to you both for sharing what sound like smashing lessons and great craic (pronounced 'crack' ;))
@ all
I’m afraid I’ve been a bit selfish with my forum prize.
There’s an expectation that when we receive a personal lesson from Justin, we share the experience with the forum- both out of interest and as a learning tool. It’s good practice for personal reflection as well.
I always enjoy reading others’ accounts, so easy to imagine him saying all those things, having watches so many videos.
I thought long and hard what I would like from a lesson and found my attitude had not changed much since the last great Christmas competition giveaway. All the information, advice, tips and demos are available at the click of a mouse. I have a good grasp of where I’m at and no shortage of areas that require attention.
Whilst it would be extremely enjoyable to shoot the breeze with Justin, proudly demonstrating the bits of progress since my last lesson and grunting for more pearls, I felt happier returning the favour and donating my hour back to him to spend as he pleases.
It made me smile to hear he chose to play guitar :)
He donated the prize money to NHS Charities.
This whole episode reminds me that just offering to do something nice for someone else brings happiness. (The action itself is not a necessity.)
Who knows, if I stick around long enough, karma might cross our paths again ;)
Cheers
Post by: DavidP on October 01, 2020, 04:29:26 pm
And I know the truth of that old saying "talk is cheap" (also the title of Keef's first solo album ... highly recommended) ... but at a point I was thinking that should I ever be so fortunate as to win another lesson I would ask if I could transfer it to another deserving Forumite, since I had no need. Then when it came about I had all these song-writing questions, so took advantage of my opportunity to get Justin's thoughts.
Post by: close2u on October 01, 2020, 09:13:06 pm
You filthy ingrates.
Remind me never to agree to choose you for a prize again.
Pah!
;) ;) ;) ;)
Post by: kontenda on October 02, 2020, 12:39:37 pm
Teacher's pet! Did you send him a shiny new apple too? There is always one who makes the rest of us look bad. My Irish Catholic guilt is playing up now ;). I saw an interview with Justin on Youtube recently and he mentioned his basic philosophy is to try to be good. Good on you Brian - a generous action that is perfectly in tune with Justin himself. May you win many more forum awards :D.
Post by: DavidP on October 02, 2020, 12:41:37 pm
@ Brian @ David
You filthy ingrates.
Remind me never to agree to choose you for a prize again.
Pah!
;) ;) ;) ;)
LMAO
Post by: DarrellW on October 03, 2020, 10:55:29 am
Post by: close2u on October 03, 2020, 11:10:23 am
I don't tend to watch the Anderton's videos (apart from one or two very, very occasionally) so have no idea how Lee's playing has improved / changed since the private lessons. It's interesting that you notice the difference. :)
Post by: close2u on October 03, 2020, 11:11:46 am
Great that you eventually overcame time differences and schedules to arrange your lesson Paraic. And it sounds like such a beneficial and enjoyable time. Let's hope we can hear the fruits of your songwriting soon. :)
Post by: embishop on October 03, 2020, 02:11:22 pm
I had my lesson with Justin yesterday. ... I feel extra motivated now to go work on my guitar.
Sounds like a great lesson, thanks for sharing a write up Paraic. I’m going to try that 5th of the 5th chord change, and other possibilities. I’ve noticed that one in particular in certain songs where you would think the chord shouldn’t work in that key but it does. That little example basically explains it to me now.
Mari
Post by: kontenda on October 04, 2020, 04:32:21 am
Sounds like a great lesson, thanks for sharing a write up Paraic. I’m going to try that 5th of the 5th chord change, and other possibilities. I’ve noticed that one in particular in certain songs where you would think the chord shouldn’t work in that key but it does. That little example basically explains it to me now.Hi Mari,
Mari
I have been messing around with that this morning. If I remember correctly Justin said you can do it with any chord in a key. So I played G, Bm and F#Major(5th chord in key of B) - sounded good to me. G - Am - E Major sounded good. I am always wary of writing about music theory as I don't know enough about it. If what I am saying here is incorrect - then hopefully a more knowledgeable person will correct it.
Post by: stitch101 on October 04, 2020, 03:31:36 pm
I’m going to try that 5th of the 5th chord change, and other possibilities. I’ve noticed that one in particular in certain songs where you would think the chord shouldn’t work in that key but it does. That little example basically explains it to me now.
Mari
It's called the secondary dominant chord. It's how the circle of 5th is laid out.
A good example of this is Hey Joe.
C G D A E.
G is the 5 of C, D is the 5 of G and so on.
Post by: Majik on October 08, 2020, 08:45:55 pm
The main focus of the session was where I was on my guitar learning journey and where I go next. As I had told Justin, I consider myself an Intermediate player but between work, travel, and learning the bass I've not picked up the guitar that much over the last couple of years.
I had some great progress with a local guitar teacher up until a couple of years ago, and a few years ago I had passed the RGT Rock Guitar Grade 5 exam and was looking at grade 6. I learned the songs I needed to a reasonable standard, but I always felt lacking in the other areas.
I think, on reflection and after discussing this with Justin that I had met my original aims that I had when I first started playing, and now was more interested in consolidating and using those skills than in chasing Grade 6. For me the grading system was a way of focussing my learning on something concrete and that worked for me up to Grade 5 but not so much after that. After all, like most of us, I do this for pleasure, and developing the skills for grade 6 was requiring a lot of time and effort and creating a lot of stress and I think I wasn't enjoying it any more.
The other area we talked about was focus: I think I have said this on the forum before, but I may have a little ADD because I sometimes find it hard to focus on one thing and stick with it. I find it really hard to stick to a practice routine because I find myself exploring other things and drifting away from my routine, or just forgtting to do it.
Justin pointed out this wasn't uncommon and suggsted some strategies to help with this. For a start he suggested that I build multiple schedules covering different aspects of guitar playing, which could be technical exercises of different types, but could also include just learning songs. The idea is that I select the schedule that appeals to me when I sit down to practice. And that I should give myself permission to not play guitar at all if I don't feel like it.
We also discussed recordig myself, as this is something that I really want to try to do more of. Justin re-iterated how useful it was as a way of checking your playing and progress, as well as focusing on the performance aspects of playing. He supported the idea that I try to build some multi-track pieces from the ground up using my DAW and other tools as it would give me a great insight into song construction and production techniques as well as allow me to develop skills in other areas. He felt it might appeal to my ADD nature too.
Finally we talked about some Major Pentatonic techniques and how I might develop my playing there. He gave me a couple of exercises that I'm going to put into one of my routines as well as road-map of how to develop beyond those once I had them under my fingers.
So it was a really useful session for me. I just need to start putting things into practice. Once again, thank you Justin.
Cheers,
Keith
Post by: tobyjenner on October 08, 2020, 10:07:57 pm
Cheers
Toby
8)
Post by: J.W.C. on October 08, 2020, 10:27:19 pm
We also discussed recording myself, as this is something that I really want to try to do more of.
Very cool, and judging from your road case thread, you definitely have the tools you might need. I'd love to hear some recordings.
Thanks for the report on the session. Sounds like you had a good one.
Post by: DavidP on October 09, 2020, 07:52:08 am
Keith,
Thanks for sharing the summary. Glad you had an enjoyable, productive session.
So much to learn and enjoy in guitar playing and music making/production. I guess we could all spend all day on various aspects, if there weren't so many other things that one must, need, want to do.
Post by: Rossco01 on October 09, 2020, 08:29:23 am
Post by: close2u on October 09, 2020, 09:40:44 am
I'm so glad you got around to the Skype session Keith. And it seems you had an outstandingly productive and useful time. :)
Post by: glpguitar on October 10, 2020, 10:21:50 pm
Post by: batwoman on November 04, 2020, 10:29:40 pm
Buying an electric guitar
It’s a super personal thing. Might not be the most expensive it’s about finding the vibe. The most important thing is that I like it, how it looks, how it feels against my body and in my hands, how it plays. Look at second hand guitars. Buying a new guitar is like driving a car, as soon as you drive it, it’s lost value. Justin buys most of his guitars second hand.
Electric guitar posture.
With an electric I can’t rest the forearm on the top as you do with an acoustic. If there is a jumper in the way the muscles in the upper arm have to hold the arm up. Roll sleeves up so the skin on the forearm creates friction with contact with the guitar for a grip.
Stage Fright
First step is to figure out where the problem comes from. I’ve done that. It’s like plotting a course, make it incremental or some throw themselves in the deep end, face the nightmare, do an Open Mic. Gentler would be to do it for a small group of friends and family. Awesome and super courageous that I’ve faced my fear with my first Open Mic last year.
Almost everyone he has met who performs, including himself, feels these feelings. Dry mouth, sticky hands, elevated heart rate. All a normal reaction. Learn to recognize this collection of feelings that would be categorized as nervousness or anxiety as being normal feelings. Even Keith Richards and people who’ve done a gazillion shows talk about these feelings. Keith said ‘Oh my hands are sticky, it’s time to go on’. It changed Justin’s perception of these feelings. ‘Oh I've got butterflies, I’m about to do that thing that I really love doing. This is a precursor that I’m about to do the thing I like to do’.
Expect those normal feelings. The only thing that can muck it up is the mind games, the psychological response.
My motivation is that I’m doing the thing the thing I love that connects me with others.
Posture and Stage Fright
I played a song I wrote last year, haven’t posted a recording of it as yet. It’s called Hope Dies Last.
To say I was nervous would be an understatement. It's taken me months to find the guts to make a lesson time with Justin. How he made any sense of my incoherent babbling is testament to his perceptiveness and talent. It was some of the worst stage fright I've experienced. :o ??? ::) :-[
When I'm nervous I can't lift my eyes from the guitar or look at anyone. It took me most of the song to be able to lift my head and look at Justin. This song I play with my eyes closed very often. I have no need to look at the fret or my right hand.
Never hold a flag up and make something I’m not happy about obvious to the audience. No flagging mistakes, no commentary, no shaking my head if a chord doesn’t go right. It’s habit forming, the more I do this when I practice the more it becomes a habit. Then it becomes more likely to happen when I play for an audience. Get out of the habit. If the audience thinks I’m not happy with what I’m doing, this interferes with the connection with them, it can break the connection. If it becomes part of my practise routine it becomes part of my performance.
The self critical commentary breaks my connection with the song, and the guitar and if I’m performing, the audience. The same thing applies with recording. When I practice, practice being in my happy place. It’s a place where nothing matters. It doesn’t mean that nothing is important. The space of Nothing is important. When I play, get to a place of playing where I’m not thinking about anything, it just happens. Get lost in this place.
Practise is to automate it so I can switch into that other zone, a place of nothing. It’s very much like the space called meditation. Thoughts come and go, it’s an empty place but it’s not.
Stop looking at my hands when I change chords. The frantic motion of looking at every chord change takes me out of my happy place. Constant head movement gives me an air of not being confident. It makes the connection weird. I don’t need to do this with either hand. As my head moves back and forth, this squeezes the voice box, mic won’t pick me up. Play in a black room, blindfold myself, close my eyes. Build up my confidence doing this over the months ahead. There are times I’ll need to look, a big jump, something complicated, when something goes wrong.
Future Direction
I've been feeling lost and to be honest, like a loser going backwards at a rapid rate.
Writing and the creative thing are the strongest drives in me. A specific course eg Jazz Chords, Blues Improv isn’t really compatible with my goals. The most inspiring would be to continue to learn songs I love and as I find things in the songs that I love, explore them further eg drop D. Look at how I can use these chords in my own songs.
Recording is a good adventure for me. It gives me something tangible I’ve made in a few hours. That builds a sense of achievement and progress. The feedback can be enlightening and super valuable. Don’t let it be a self-critical thing. Allow it to notify me.
This next bit is pure gold. Tears mist my eyes every time I read it. It brings an enlightenment and an expansive perspective that gives me permission and impetus to grow with grace, ease and joy in my own way. I'm liberated from feeling driven by the lists of all the things I should be learning and mastering and never getting there.
Let go of the idea of having to progress in a linear fashion. Just because someone can play fancy s***t doesn’t mean they’re a better musician. It’s an art. Find the things that resonate with me. Focus on those rather than thinking I need to be better. Do things that are fun. I can improve myself and how I sound, how well I get in the zone, how I express myself in the zone. It’s about learning things that resonate with me and exploring those things, finding things I think are really cool, and absorbing them into my palette of things I can use when I write.
Thankyou Lieven and Richard for putting my name forward, thankyou Justin for this precious gift you've given me. :-* :-* :-*
Post by: stitch101 on November 04, 2020, 11:31:14 pm
Justin has a way of pulling things out that you didn't know you had.
When I had my lesson with him it amazed me how he knows what you need
and lays it out right there in front of you.
Post by: Majik on November 05, 2020, 12:32:09 am
Thank you for posting this. It resonates with me a lot, and also echos some of the discussion I had with Justin. But you expanded and described it so much better than I could.
I'm glad you got so much out of your lesson, and that you shared it with us. There's so much good advice and stuff to learn here. And I feel as much as is coming from Justin, a lot of it is coming from you and your exploration of your situation and the application of Justin's advice to it.
Thank you.
Keith
Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
Post by: batwoman on November 05, 2020, 12:52:07 am
Good read Maggie. Lots of food for thought.
Justin has a way of pulling things out that you didn't know you had.
When I had my lesson with him it amazed me how he knows what you need
and lays it out right there in front of you.
You're so right stitch. He has a talent for meeting people where they are and being able to reflect what he sees in a potent way. The last bit he said blew me away stitch, every word landed loud and clear. He really read me well despite my babbling and waving my hands around, which is what I do when I'm nervous.
Post by: batwoman on November 05, 2020, 12:56:23 am
Hi Maggie,
Thank you for posting this. It resonates with me a lot, and also echos some of the discussion I had with Justin. But you expanded and described it so much better than I could.
I'm glad you got so much out of your lesson, and that you shared it with us. There's so much good advice and stuff to learn here. And I feel as much as is coming from Justin, a lot of it is coming from you and your exploration of your situation and the application of Justin's advice to it.
Thank you.
Keith
It's a long post and all about me, me, me ... so fascinating ;D but I wrote it this way as I think much of what Justin observed and said is universal. I'm glad there was something there for you Keith.
Post by: DavidP on November 05, 2020, 04:53:04 am
Maggie,
So thrilled to read this, delighted that the experience was so enjoyable, informative, and inspirational. And to cap it you have given us an excellent account, that in itself delivers much wisdom and inspiration for all of us. Bless you for taking so much time and trouble to share both the content and how much it meant to you.
I look forward to continuing to share in your adventure through the covers, the originals, the Road Case, and all the observations and encouragement you share in such a wonderful way with all of us.
Post by: sairfingers on November 05, 2020, 09:25:01 am
..... I think much of what Justin observed and said is universal....That’s exactly what I was thinking as I read your very comprehensive account Maggie. So much useful generic content there. Thanks so much for sharing and I’m so pleased you enjoyed and benefited from the one on one with Justin.
Post by: brianlarsen on November 05, 2020, 12:15:41 pm
It's as if you heard from Justin what you already thought/knew, but needed to hear him say.
That's an invaluable skill for any teacher to possess.
So are you gonna share the song with the forum? ;)
Rock on, gurl \m/
Post by: rwoodlin on November 05, 2020, 01:28:12 pm
As others have stated, I found a lot in your description of your lesson that I can take to heart.
Thank-you.
Robert
Post by: batwoman on November 06, 2020, 09:26:58 pm
So are you gonna share the song with the forum? ;)
Rock on, gurl \m/
Ah Brian, you're a treat. Yep I'm gonna share Hope Dies Last, been plodding along with a multi track recording for a while. It may end up as a one take spontaneous outburst.
Post by: batwoman on November 06, 2020, 09:27:43 pm
Maggie, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post.
As others have stated, I found a lot in your description of your lesson that I can take to heart.
Thank-you.
Robert
Glad it was of meaning and use to you Robert.
Post by: DarrellW on November 06, 2020, 09:51:27 pm
You have achieved so much since we first crossed paths it’s all down to hard work and persistence, you will get where you want to be with your musicianship (or I’ll eat my hat 😂)!
Post by: close2u on November 07, 2020, 09:21:52 am
Post by: batwoman on November 08, 2020, 12:25:39 am
I definitely want to hear Hope Dies Last now too. :)
Workin' on it boss :)
Post by: batwoman on November 08, 2020, 12:36:17 am
Since accepting my limitations with my condition and starting again I’ve been happier and have started to achieve more than I thought that I could.
You have achieved so much since we first crossed paths it’s all down to hard work and persistence, you will get where you want to be with your musicianship (or I’ll eat my hat 😂)!
I'm glad to know you've reset your goals and that's bringing satisfaction and a sense of achievement Darrell. I think part of the shift in mind-set for those of us who get locked into lists of things to do, all the 'shoulds' and the 'try harder' mentality, is to be more flexible and expansive in exploring other ways of making music in ways we consider as progress and growth. Hard work and persistence for me needs to be tempered with enjoyment and creativity.
Post by: embishop on November 14, 2020, 11:20:50 pm
Keith, I just saw your write up now. Sounds like an excellent lesson, thanks so much for sharing. Justin seems to have a way with pinpointing where people are and what they need to do in their guitar journey to get where they're going. Lots of what you learned from your lesson is also what I could learn. Focus. Thanks for sharing!
Maggie, from you too, future direction, and progressing in a linear fashion isn't what makes us better musician. Much gold in there to ponder! Thanks for sharing your lesson :)
Mari
Post by: batwoman on November 15, 2020, 12:17:27 am
Maggie, from you too, future direction, and progressing in a linear fashion isn't what makes us better musician. Much gold in there to ponder! Thanks for sharing your lesson :)
Mari
Happy to share the lesson Mari, it was too good to keep to myself. Pay it forward is so much the ethos of this community. The lesson is still dropping in for me Mari resulting in many light-bulb moments and a joyous liberation.
Post by: embishop on February 25, 2021, 12:30:57 am
I should say right off the top that I perhaps gushed rather a lot, but he took it all in good humor I think. I will also say though that gushing notwithstanding I did feel quite comfortable sitting and chatting with one of my guitar idols. Cross a lesson with Justin off my bucket list, now the much bigger bucket list item for ‘someday’ is to be able to go to a JG residential workshop 😊.
For my lesson, we started off talking about what I wanted out of a lesson. I talked about my guitar goals, which I set out as being able to play cool songs / recognizable stuff, being able to add something different when playing with friends where the other guitarists are mostly strumming open chords, and song writing. And then what I’ve been thinking of as my primary goal – figuring out how I get from here to there. Justin actually really helped me to realize that I haven’t actually quite figured out where ‘there’ is yet. It’s one thing to want to be a guitar goddess (and yes I did use that phrase lol), but what does that actually mean to me. Wanting to play cool stuff is not necessarily the most focused goal. That reminds me of the Alice in Wonderland quote, and I may have seen it at some point on Justin’s web site, paraphrased, "If you don't know where you're going, any road'll take you there".
Speaking of focus and structure though –
By the end of it Justin had helped me sort my learning priorities into 2 streams, Song writing, and Theory / Knowledge. He gave me a lot of good ideas for each stream.
Song writing – muck about and have fun, explore, experiment, search for ‘seeds’. When you’re looking at gaps in your knowledge, you might not necessarily want to fill them all for this part of it. Leave room for creativity.
Knowledge – Justin has just finished rewriting his Intermediate Course and will start to tape soon, first lesson might be out in a couple of weeks, probably be released over the year. It’s got a different flow, so you can follow it by lesson, or by topic. Go through what works for you, to fill the gaps you want to fill. Pick a focus – fingerstyle, percussive playing, CAGED, blues. Write a riff each week, using a chord or a scale, and develop it into an entire song. (Okay that’s also song writing.) Record the song. Explore and find sounds you like to find the ‘cool’ stuff. Experiment with different tunings. Jam.
Back to the beginning – after some chit chat and talking about goals I played parts of 2 songs for Justin so he could see where I was, Honky Tonk Woman (a dropped D version), and Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out. I was quite happy to have Justin say a few times over the lesson that I have good rhythm, it’s nice to get a compliment from your hero lol 😊. We then talked about confidence, and how that builds up the more you develop your skills. We also discussed some specific practice techniques, especially breaking a solo down into small sections, riff by riff, and working on each section long enough that you get through the ‘omg Justin why do I want to be practicing this riff for 5 entire minutes!’ thinking and find I guess the heart of that moment in the music. And then we talked about emotion in music. HTW is a much easier song for me to play, it’s just fun, so it’s a lot more carefree, but I can get much more stifled in something more complicated like the solo in Nobody Knows You (and no, Justin did not call me stifled!) So we talked about breathing, and stress raising the rhythm of your heart, and that can drive the rhythm of the music, so now you’re not playing the feeling you want you’re playing more mechanically, getting the notes right (or close enough) but not finding the rhythm of the music (and no, Justin did not call my playing mechanical either lol). The point is to practice enough so that you are confident enough that you don’t have to think about it. “The more you think the more you stink” – good quote. (Possibly Neil Young.) (He also said that being nervous from a lack of confidence is different from recording-button nerves.)
We also talked quite a bit about tone, and exploring tones to find a sound palette that I like for different types of songs. I keep meaning to do that but so far I know next to nothing about either my Katana 50 or the new (used) amp that I got from a friend recently, a Vibro Champ XD. Exploring was a key theme of my lesson overall today, so exploring tone is going to be included in that.
I was thinking about my lesson afterwards, specifically about where ‘there’ is, where do I want to be as a guitarist. Justin had talked about jamming, and that idea suddenly just felt like it put everything into place. My overall takeaway from my lesson is therefore to know my guitar goals as song writing, and jamming. And I haven’t been doing either of them! I can put together a practice routine now that will help me work towards my goals (including with all the various tips from Justin today). And I have watched through Justin’s various videos on effective practice, and goal setting, so I will review what I want out of my guitar journey from time to time, but I’m completely happy sitting with these 2 overarching goals.
And when I say my overall takeaway has to do with figuring out my goals, well that’s not the entirety of it at all. My real overall takeaway is to keep having fun, explore, be creative, relax, breathe, and don’t mind what anyone else thinks. And that reminds me of a Dr. Seuss quote – which I may also have seen somewhere on Justin’s website – ‘those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind’.
Happy guitar playing everybody,
A happy guitar-goddess-in-training,
Mari
Ps yes of course I wore my favorite tee, a JG tee, ‘You can’t buy happiness but you can buy a guitar, and they’re kind of the same thing’. 😊
Post by: adi_mrok on February 25, 2021, 01:14:50 am
Sent from my SM-G973F using JustinGuitar Community mobile app (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=93296)
Post by: batwoman on February 25, 2021, 01:27:27 am
I agree with you that Justin has an unerring way of pin pointing and providing focus for times when the goddess may get a little dazzled by all the bright, shiny lights.
Had to chuckle over your admission of gushing. Have to confess I did that too.
You sound clear about what lies ahead, so glad for you.
Post by: stitch101 on February 25, 2021, 01:58:04 am
Justin has away of seeing exactly what a person needs to improve. It only took him about
5 minutes of talking to me to narrow down what my goal should be.
Now it's just taking the time to put what he said into practice.
Post by: DavidP on February 25, 2021, 07:42:38 am
Loved your quotes in the post. I think I've heard that one about thinking and stinking from Stevie Ray Vaughan as well. Eventually I hope I'll reach a level where less thinking is involved and more feeling.
Wish you well as you pursue these goals.
Post by: tobyjenner on February 25, 2021, 08:08:02 am
Great write up and insight into where you want to be, plus some good information that will be useful to others. Sounds like you prepared well prior to the session and could therefore maximise the time with Justin.
We can now all sit back and watch your journey unfold but hey whatever you do
Quote
those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind
man I love that quote, comes up frequently here.
Cheers
Toby
8)
Post by: close2u on February 25, 2021, 08:46:29 am
Playing guitar on the back porch ...
Wonderful write up of what mus have been another wonderful skype.
So many good things crystallising.
Did you touch upon triads blended with scales as a way of playing along with a strummer?
Post by: brianlarsen on February 25, 2021, 09:27:16 am
The skype sessions thread is always a treat to be savoured.
Before having one myself, I found it was not only an interesting read, but always nourishing food for thought, as it made me ask myself "What would I want to ask? What do I want to learn? Where do I want to be?"
Having had the privilege of receiving one, it's a reminder of the experience itself and a gentle nudge to focus again on all the good intentions I had as a result.
You sound like you squeezed just about all the goodness out of that juicy fruit and I hope the sweet taste lingers for a long time.
I've quite an appetite for some home-baked originals from Mari's kitchen- It's only a pity you might have to wait a bit before you can turn the fruit to jam...
Good vibes for sharing your experience 8)
Post by: sairfingers on February 25, 2021, 09:57:14 am
Interesting to hear that the intermediate course is changing. I look forward to following that.
Looking forward to the fruits of your lesson in AVoYP. Fruit into jam - wish I’d thought of that one Brian!
Post by: stuartw on February 25, 2021, 04:36:35 pm
Did you touch upon triads blended with scales as a way of playing along with a strummer?
Is that even English? :-)
Post by: embishop on February 27, 2021, 04:25:37 pm
Is that even English? :-)
That made me smile, Stuart 😊 Nice to see you on here, and I’ll just say that there’s been quite a few things I’ve read on the Forum that made about that much sense to me as well!! We’re all on our own guitar journey, and as long as I’m learning and having fun making music I’m happy 😊
Mari
Post by: close2u on February 27, 2021, 07:52:00 pm
...Richard, triads was a small part of the conversation, but I will tell you that I had your G major triads diagrams out while I was working on some song writing this morning. That’s also the first exercise I’ve marked down for ‘jamming’ along to songs....
That's great to know. I'm chuffed that you have found a use for it.
In case anyone is wondering about the reference .... thread here (https://justinguitarcommunity.com/index.php?topic=44991.0)
@Stuart ... it'll come fella ... and you'll know when the time is right :)
Post by: CT on February 28, 2021, 04:54:16 am
Post by: DavidP on February 28, 2021, 07:38:17 am
I updated my profile to say ‘Guitar-Goddess-In-Training’ lol.
Love it Mari ... now that makes me think ... what would my aspirational vision statement be ... hmmm ???
Post by: embishop on March 06, 2021, 07:51:30 pm
And then along comes Mari! Dig it. You are such a cool and supportive force here on the forum. It thrills me to no end to see you thrilled to no end. A lot of great takeaways from your time with JS, thanks for sharing the details. Can't wait to hear whatever music is next from you. Let 'er rip!
Hey thanks Clint :)
Post by: willsie01 on July 07, 2021, 02:55:21 pm
I don't know your difficulties but I've discarded guitar a few times after having brief goes at it because I just couldn't get anywhere with it. First time when in early teens. Christmas present. Then late twenties actually bought a pukka Gibson ES 335. Hardly touched it and sold it much later as we needed cash for a new kitchen. Thirties I bought a classical guitar and took lessons but it was never what I wanted and just seemed so damned hard so quit. 5 years ago at the age of 68 and thinking about retirement I came across Justin Guitar on the net. Was persuaded by the vibe of the setup and bought another guitar. Have been playing solidly now since then. 5 years or so and actually making enough progress to keep me happy. Might not have the greatest aptitude for music in the world but what I can pick up from the lessons and the forum sure keep me going.
Post by: DavidP on July 07, 2021, 04:11:02 pm
I'm very late with a report of my session with Justin, which was part of the prize for the Christmas competitions. but just to put down a marker-and I don't know if this is appropriate-I'm writing this as I've read the story of the guy giving up the guitar as it wasn't working for him. I wrote a reply but I think it became too much about me so I'm pasting it here:
I don't know your difficulties but I've discarded guitar a few times after having brief goes at it because I just couldn't get anywhere with it. First time when in early teens. Christmas present. Then late twenties actually bought a pukka Gibson ES 335. Hardly touched it and sold it much later as we needed cash for a new kitchen. Thirties I bought a classical guitar and took lessons but it was never what I wanted and just seemed so damned hard so quit. 5 years ago at the age of 68 and thinking about retirement I came across Justin Guitar on the net. Was persuaded by the vibe of the setup and bought another guitar. Have been playing solidly now since then. 5 years or so and actually making enough progress to keep me happy. Might not have the greatest aptitude for music in the world but what I can pick up from the lessons and the forum sure keep me going.
Such a familiar story, John.
Personally I think you have developed more ability to make music than you give yourself credit for. And in my mind how long it has taken me to reach the level I have reached is neither here nor there, the fact that there are plenty folk who have greater proficiency developed faster neither here nor there. As you say, the progress we make keeps us happy, all is good.
Now have you had the lesson with Justin and the feedback still to come or is the lesson itself still to come
Post by: willsie01 on July 08, 2021, 10:27:17 am
Such a familiar story, John.
Personally I think you have developed more ability to make music than you give yourself credit for. And in my mind how long it has taken me to reach the level I have reached is neither here nor there, the fact that there are plenty folk who have greater proficiency developed faster neither here nor there. As you say, the progress we make keeps us happy, all is good.
Now have you had the lesson with Justin and the feedback still to come or is the lesson itself still to come
The feedback is still to come. I had the session with Justin earlier in the year. I'm very late!
Post by: DavidP on July 08, 2021, 11:06:26 am
The feedback is still to come. I had the session with Justin earlier in the year. I'm very late!
No worries, John ... something to look forward to reading :)
Post by: tobyjenner on July 10, 2021, 08:12:54 am
Looking forward to the write up.
As to that story, its oh so familiar and sounds like my path between 96 when I got an Affinity for my 40th and 2013 around the time I started the old BC. Ups and downs, stops and starts with many gaps in between. Even now there is the odd blip of stagnation for various reasons (in one now!). But I agree with David when he said "you have developed more ability to make music than you give yourself credit for" and that is shown in the confidence you display when you're performing and yes I'll call it that.
Cheers
Toby
8)
Post by: LBro on September 18, 2021, 12:08:11 pm
I had a 1 hour Zoom session with Justin a week ago this past Friday. I sent him a simple outline as follows on what I thought we should cover:
* Strumming -15m
* Minor 6th string bar cords-15m
* Songwriting-30m
I had a great time with Justin and it was an hour of good sharing back and forth. He is in the midst's of putting together another studio and has been busy with that. So, we chatted a bit about what he is up to there.
Here is a bit more details on what we covered from the outline above:
* Strumming.
Though I have tried a few times over the years to get Old Faithful down, it has never clicked for me. I am sure if I can get this down, it will open up a whole new chapter for me in guitar play. I figure it is probably that I have not pursued this hard enough, consistently, to make major progress and get it down.
Together we went over where I was at and Justin identified what he felt I should work on. Basically, forget the chords with the left hand and keep the right moving. That brought up the question I had on palm muting. He said that was an entirely different animal. The takeaway here as that he felt I could practice strumming Old Faithful 5 mins a day for 2 weeks and I should be able to nail it. - I am about to dig in and see if that pans out.
* Minor 6th string bar cords
We went over this in depth. Checking how I was baring the chords, suggesting I add the middle finger on top of the index finger and more. I don't recall seeing it in a lesson, but Justin zeroed in on moving the index finger in and out ever so slightly across the strings to try and locate the finger crease away from any of the strings. I did get some of the minor chords to ring out clean and this looks promising. It will take a bit of practice, but I can see light at the end of the tunnel!
* Songwriting
The remaining time was spent on this topic and mainly on my most recent post in AVOYP; Old Engine 109: (https://justinguitarcommunity.com/index.php?topic=49853.0 (https://justinguitarcommunity.com/index.php?topic=49853.0)).
Justin lit up on this subject and he really seemed to enjoy talking about songwriting and Old Engine 109. He wanted to know if I once worked on trains or how that figured into the song. I had no experience with trains other than an interest in the old locomotives. Not far from our home is an outdoor steam train museum and maybe going there a while back sparked my interest. Justin really liked the song and said it was one of the best student songs he had heard in a long time. He then offered what he felt could improve it.
Drums -
To him, the drums were the area that he felt could use a little help. He could hear what sounded like a "3 arm drummer" in there. True enough, most likely in just a couple to few fills. I have remixed the song, but this area still remains to be done. Next, was the toms, or tom runs. He felt they were a bit overbearing and did not fit the song. I tend to agree with that and have lightened them up with new kit pieces. Lastly on the drums, he caught and has a great ear in doing so, that I had the cymbal midi hit at the end of the fill, about 1/16th of a note early from the end bar. I knew this as I had created those by hand. Justin said the cymbal ending should got on beat one at the start of the next bar and I have made this change.
Piano-
Justin felt the choice of the piano was too orchestral. He thought possibly an upright vs the grand I had in there might be better. I have changed this up as well.
Songwriting Summary-
That is about all Justin had on Old Engine 109 for suggestions and time ran out right about there. I may post the new mix with Justin's suggestions in the near future. Though to me, unless you knew what was changed, it might be hard to pick out.
All in all, it was a great time and I highly recommend a session with Justin if you manage to get the tap on the shoulder. I found it both profitable and uplifting. I would suggest making up a simple outline and sending it to Justin prior to your session as it helped him to know what we were going to cover. In addition, monitor how much time you budget for each topic and segment of what you want to cover. Time will go by fast, so this is important. You will want to get everything in that you have in your outline!
All the best and keep on rock'n!
LBro
Post by: close2u on September 18, 2021, 12:22:42 pm
I'm utterly delighted that you got this arranged. Like your posting in general, you provide a comprehensive, easy to read and thoughtful summary of your one-to-one. The biggest take out is that you benefitted. And that is so important. The 'prize' is not about 'meeting' it is about learning, improving, expanding from the meeting.
Great write up. I look forward to that steam locomotive passing by this way again soon.
Post by: tobyjenner on September 18, 2021, 01:17:18 pm
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers
Toby
8)
Post by: close2u on September 18, 2021, 01:51:13 pm
... Now go put it into practice and write some original sad songs to get those minor barres working. ...
Great idea Toby.
Hey - and some borrowed chords too!
:)
Post by: tobyjenner on September 18, 2021, 01:54:59 pm
Great idea Toby.
Hey - and some borrowed chords too!
:)
(https://i.imgur.com/3r03oKJ.gif)
Post by: LBro on September 18, 2021, 02:33:49 pm
I completed the remix based upon Justin's input and suggestions and posted it in the original thread. The details of what was changed are combined in this thread and the ReMix post thread. You can find the ReMix via this link:
https://justinguitarcommunity.com/index.php?topic=49853.0 (https://justinguitarcommunity.com/index.php?topic=49853.0)
@ Toby - Ha, I am working on it dude. If you don't want to see a song post from me, then it will certainly be a while till I am guitar ready with minor bars and a decent strumming pattern! I am working on a hopeful duet for NaNa that has minor OPEN chords in it. So take that for the interim.
@ Close2U - I learned a lot in 1 hour with Justin. I almost donated the hour, but am glad I went through with it. Not only did I learn, but it gave me a shot in the arm of "can do" attitude and a desire to practice more. This to me is always a very good thing!
All the best and rock another round for me!
LB
Post by: DavidP on September 18, 2021, 03:10:09 pm
Keep at the Old Faithful and I am sure it will click in due course.
Post by: glpguitar on September 18, 2021, 07:35:43 pm
Post by: LBro on September 18, 2021, 08:57:17 pm
Thanks for sharing your experience with Justin, LBro. I'm glad you didn't donate it. That would have been characteristic of your selfless generosity but you deserved the session and delighted you got so much value from it.Thanks David,
Keep at the Old Faithful and I am sure it will click in due course.
I now have some added incentive to stick to beating OF strumming. I hope JG is right and in 2 weeks I am there. If so, I can entertain using it on another original as Toby suggested!
All the best and rock on!
LB
Post by: LBro on September 18, 2021, 09:01:04 pm
Great summary, I always learn something from these reports so thank you for sharing! And as others have said, I am looking forward to some more original music from you!Hi GLP,
It makes it all the better that some get a bit of a boost from reading about time with Justin. If you ever get the chance to have face time with him. Jump at it!
Original music is my gig these days. Coast to Coast media is in limbo these days, so originals are what is on tap via West Coast Media...
All the best and keep rock'n,
LB
Post by: batwoman on September 19, 2021, 06:31:56 am
Post by: LBro on September 19, 2021, 08:31:32 am
A great write-up LB. Now git and do some strumming :)Hi BW,
I hear you on this one. Been busy working a project, but I see it coming to a halt, awaiting my duet singer in NaNa. We both are stacked up for a few weekends. That will leave more time for this and to start another project.
Strumming has beat me for far too long and I think with Justin's help and encouragement, I have a better shot at coming out on top of this one. I really could use it in the new project too, so we shall see!
Keep well and rock'n,
LB