Direvus - January 2023 - Desperado, take 2, new guitar :)

Hey all,

Been a while since I posted any video and realised I hadn’t posted anything at all with my new Ibanez.

Here’s my current progress on Desperado.

This song still feels like it’s a stretch for me at my current skill level, but I feel like the work is paying off. Since the last video I have started playing with block chords in the verse and strums in the chorus, and have it fully memorised.

This is played without any click, I’m trying to feel the time and flex it when necessary. I think the rhythm got clunky in a couple places but overall not bad.

I think my dynamics and expression have come a long way.

Hope you enjoy.

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Hi Brendan,
So, this is a lot of progress since your last version, great :sunglasses: :clap:, and you also look very relaxed…and playing like this without any other sound also exposes everything,and that is admirable :sunglasses:,…but I like it and it is certainly not an easy song and a very nice one to record every now and then and see how much progress you have made, … it is getting faster and better, just a little while and you will be standing with a band to play :sweat_smile:if you’re not careful :smile:
Greetings, and i wish you a lot more fun with this :sunglasses:

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Definite progress, your playing is coming along nicely!

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Awesome progress, also love the new guitar!

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Sounded a big improvement to me, well done.

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I think we should be working on stuff that’s a stretch, shouldn’t we? Anyway I don’t think that was too much for you it sounded great. Well done. Desperado is a strange one for me. I love the accompaniment but the vocal not so much. Consequently I really enjoyed listening to your performance. Ticked the boxes for me!

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An interesting take, John! I I think you’re the only person I’ve heard talk about Desperado who didn’t like the vocals. But fair enough.

I do like the Eagles’ vocals, and I enjoy singing along too … but I’m still at that stage where, if I try to sing and play, the playing gets glitchy. For this recording I really wanted to focus on playing it as well as I could.

Well that is a very happy side effect :smiley:

Thank you for the feedback!

Great and really noticeable progress Brendan! Sounded really good to me. You also looked very chilled and relaxed while playing. Beautiful guitar too BTW!

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Very well done Brendan. I only watched Justin’s video of this song a few days ago. I think you did a great job. :clap::clap::clap:

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That is some pretty sweet progress there Brendan. Nice opener and then a really good, steady rhythm.

You should be really pleased with this one.

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Beautifully played - I really enjoyed it :+1:

Lovely Brendan, you’re progressing really well which is terrific to see.
Love the guitar btw!

Sounds beautiful, enjoyed listening to it. Thank you.

I got a wonderful surprise yesterday – @Patthebunny decided to record vocals against my guitar and sent me the result. I loved what she did with it, so I’ve mixed her vocals together with the guitar (and added a little backing vocal of my own at the end).

This is my first time collaborating with somebody from the JG forum, and definitely the first time somebody has spontaneously offered to collaborate with me! What a delight.

Thank you Pat! :blue_heart:

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Really enjoyed your play, Brendan. I noticed the way you controlled the choice to let a chord ring or to mute it to create space. Tip my hat to investing time to develop your performance.

And what a treat to scroll down and find the version with vocals. You mixed it in well and liked your little vocal in the outro.

Admirable generousity and a delicious vocal, @Patthebunny

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Good to see you keeping at it Brendan and how much you have gone to in such a short amount of time! Sounded really good to me, and what a great vox from Pat, overall really cool collab!

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Terrific collaboration Brendan and Pat. I enjoyed your instrumental version before Brendan but it’s really a vocal song and now it sounds great!

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Thanks David, really pleased that you noticed that. I am only just starting to appreciate the difference a well-timed mute can make, and trying to work that into my playing. I find it a lot easier with fingerstyle than with strumming.

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I just wanted to say how fun it was to get back into collaborating, and how gracious Brendan was when i dropped the vocal on him. I learned something about my singing, you always learn something. But mostly it was just enjoyment. Thanks for the kind comments — and thanks, Brendan, for posting it!

Pat

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It was absolutely my pleasure Pat, I am so grateful to you for adding your voice to my cover! It made my whole week. You rock.