Whoa this is way too addictive lads !! Just noodle over the 4 Am D7 BTs I downloaded (42 minutes), then the one I shared above but I did not gel with, so rolled back over the others again, until me butt went numb. I’ll have to edit one of the tracks down to 3-4 minutes for recording purposes, as the 2 I like most are both just over 11 minutes. An hour and 50 minutes just playing 4 notes !! Our friend in Calgary has a lot to answer for, again !!
@roger_holland thanks Rogier. There’s lots to be said for this exercise. Maybe also I should do what Justin and Richard advocate is take just one lick and play it over the BT. See how it sounds over different chords and then start playing around with the time, dynamics, note sequence. I agree with you on the length, there were some moments in the second third which were the same as an earlier part and I could have done a little editing.
@Silvia80 thanks Silvia, I appreciate that feedback, good to hear.
@sairfingers that’s a good point, Gordon. The saving grace is that one can stop watching at any point 
I was also wondering about how I might get on with the funk vibe of Toby’s BTs. I may have a go at the second as the tempo of the first is just too hot for me to handle
@TheMadman_tobyjenner well Toby, tip the hat that you can stay with it for so long. I reckon my fingers would have brought an end way sooner. Now I am looking forward to the video … this is my first stop, perhaps it’s posted already …
Hi David,
Okay… and I have to add to my story what I wrote about the conversation with Justin,…but in the last minute I said that my biggest wish is to learn to play the blues, and he said then…learn one or a maximum of 2 licks and play them not for weeks but months (well of course a lot is relative to the time you play per day,…and this is what I (rogier) add), do that well really I say this often and nobody really nobody does this 
…I can’t just forget all the licks I’ve learned and I’ve been working on this for months now…but I have haven’t learned a new lick since our conversation, also got rid of a few … and I’ll keep it that way for a long time,…i hope… uh do 
Need choose and edit a BT to a reasonable length but it’s my wife’s 65th today. Not much in the way of celebrations as she’s been a bit poorly. So maybe later in the evening. 
I’ll share some others with you guys later today. Varying styles and tempos but still just Am or Am7 and D7.
Hi Toby,
I find it annoying to read, but I still want to congratulate you on this (in the Netherlands) milestone age, I cross my fingers for a much better time… 
Greetings,…
Nice job David and definitely looking very cool there. Sounded good and I liked the challenge…definitely makes it easier in some respects to focus on doing as much as you can rather than trying to move around too much. Would love to see you do the same but with the overdrive pedal used a little more.
It’s amazing what you created just using those three things. It sounded great David.
You looked to be really enjoying it and totally lost in it as well.
@roger_holland it is good advice, Roger, but maybe it is like that old story about how people often miss opportunities that come knocking at their door … cause when you open the door the opportunity is dressed in overalls, safety helmet and heavy boots, looking suspiciously like hard work. Learning licks that way is the way to go. Whether learning licks is the way to go is more questionable, or at least how you identify licks to learn. Learning solos is another good way to learn licks and feel which you can then make your own.
@TheMadman_tobyjenner Toby, I hope the wife is feeling much better and despite being poorly you could still enjoy the 65th. Definitely a priority over producing a good old noodle recording for us to enjoy.
@Rossco01 thanks Jason. Not so convinced by ‘looking cool’ but definitely fun and an approach that creates a different experience. Maybe one of Toby’s BTs will be suitable for some more gritty tones from the overdrive.
@SgtColon thanks Stefan. It was a lot of fun and encourages trying to be a bit more expressive
“Alle werkelijke leven is ontmoeting.” (nl)
“All real life is an encounter.”
…Martin Buber
Although I don’t know whether this translation is 100% correct, but with all real life means all living, … always and everywhere…
Learning guitar and everything that comes with it is quite a-liv(f)e
Greetings,…
Managed to crank one out over one of those BTs I shared about 11pm but this numpty didn’t run anything through the Loudness Meter. End result way too hot and distorted and that was just the BT. 
Been at the (Acoustic) Solo Blues again today and an old toon from '64 that’s an OM possible. All being well it will be a Dusty Bin session this evening.
@TheMadman_tobyjenner That’s the first thing that came to my mind when I read the title… hey David’s doing some TV show theme tunes
@DavidP As the saying goes “less is more”. With just 3 fretted notes, 2 chord backing, and one bend you produced a great loodle. A very enjoyable listen and something that I should think about when I get to the stage of learning bends.
OK so hopefully some of you will have seen Mr Preece’s 3-2-1 Loodle post recently and the practice of focused improvisation using only 3 notes, 2 chords and 1 bend. Well this is my attempt.
There has been a sidebar, off piste chat, between @stitch @DavidP @sairfingers and myself for a number of months now (to be honest I can’t remember when it started) but it was around the time David and Gordon started some Blues Impro. Rick had helped me no end over the years, so the idea was to pass on my some of my limited experience while drawing down on Rick’s expertise of many decades ! There has been a few projects and challenges borne of those first discussions and this is the latest gauntlet that Rick thrown at our feet. Naturally we rose to the occasion.
Like David, I have included a link to the Active Melody video Rick shared with us, in case anyone else fancies a nibble. As David said you are limited to just 3 fretted notes and 1 bend, using a backing track with just 2 chords. I have added a fretboard diagram showing the positions used in this exercise, which like David is over a A minor Backing Track but I have shown the notes as intervals, so you could move this to a different key (eg drop 2 frets and use a G minor BT). The bent note is the 4th interval, in this case D bending a full tone to the 5th interval E.
So the initial exercise is to improvise in the position shown above but then move around the neck using different scale patterns, once you get used to the constraints of the exercise.
With my moto of why reinvent the wheel, I popped over to YouTube and got hold of 6 backing tracks, with just Am and D7 (or subtle derivatives). Chopped them up into suitable lengths, from 11 minute jams to AOVYP friendly.
So here is The Madmans’ SoulFunk Boogie in A minor (A 3 2 1 Production)
Comments, feedback, critique most welcome. If anyone else is interested in trying this and would like some ready made backing tracks (BPM 96 to 120) I can share them from my Cloud.
Cheers
Toby
Original Backing Track Courtesy of BassLog Soul/Funk Backing Track Am7/D7 - YouTube
Good job Toby phrasing was good and in time with the music. Full bends where good, specially the first one where you held it for a second then brought it down smooth. Prebends where good.
Try some Trills (hammer-on pull-offs without picking the string), they are mellower and would fit well with the laid back vibe you got going on.
Thank you Rick appreciate the feedback.
Will be trying this on the other BTs with different styles and tempos. My trills always seem a little weak, hence picking the first note in those repeated hammers (or were they pull offs ? I was swapping on alternate recordings before I saved the last take !) . Something to work on or up the gain. What I think has improved, I hope, is less intrusive string noise ringing out. Still feel I need to work on overall muting but it seems a lot better than it was. Going to retry this BT with the 10th fret root (B) combined with 14th fret (G). Same octave root but a more challenging shape higher up the neck, maybe different fingering across G n B.
Cheers
Toby
Really enjoyed that. Nice laid back and groovy. I’d be interested in the backing tracks, hadn’t followed this thread, the active melody lesson is definitely on my to do list now. 
That was super Toby. Really groovy and such a funky sound. You are way above my level so I can’t offer you any real feedback other than to say that it was a beautiful piece to listen to!
Tasty, tasty, very, very tasty they’re very tasty.
I noticed some really confident and decisive moves. There were a few hesitant little moments on a few mini bends when it seemed you ckuldn’t quite decide whether to bend full or half or just a curl.
Mood music for the soul.
I suggest an extension.
4, 3, 2, 1
3 notes
2 chords
1 bend
Start the licks on beat 4.
That is a sneaky reference to comments I have made to a few folk to try to encourage exploring away from the tried, trusted and reliable ground of starting licks on beat 1.
@tony Thanks for that Tony, definitely groovy and not my normal java but a couple of the funky BTs are fun to play with and yes there are some Blues as well. I’ll post links to my drive later today.
@Eddie_09 Cheers Eddie. Beautiful is not something I associate with my impros so I’ll put that down to the BT !! Appreciate the comments.
@Richard_close2u Mr C if only you knew ! Those hesitations were fatigue and should have been full bends ! I had lots of audio issues, with ASIO losing sight of the AI output channels and needing to reboot the PC. I ended hosting the BT in OBS then had some issues getting the levels right. What sounded good in the headphones, turned out to be too low GTR wise on the recording. So tweak record assess, wash rinse repeat. I finally got a great run, fitting all that was in my head and found the OBS recording hadn’t started ! Frustrated and weary I gave it one last shot and managed to get something in the can !
Are we heading to Manfred Mann territory ? Bend 3b to 4 as well ? Lets keep it at 321 for now but yes experimenting with the beat and when to come in will be added to future dalliances. Thank you for your ears .
Explainer for the youngsters Manfred Mann - 5 4 3 2 1 - YouTube
Toby, that was schweeeeet playing. Loved the bends, especially when you came back down from the bend up (sorry, I don’t know the technical term). I was digging your groove man.
