Hey everyone ![]()
We wanna know—how’s Solo Blues treating you?
Spare a minute to share you thoughts n our feedback form and help us make this course even better!
Thanks a ton!
Cheers ![]()
Fanny
Hey everyone ![]()
We wanna know—how’s Solo Blues treating you?
Spare a minute to share you thoughts n our feedback form and help us make this course even better!
Thanks a ton!
Cheers ![]()
Fanny
I’m just having a look through first and I’m really impressed. Well done Justin !
@sgardener Hello Simon. Welcome to JustinGuitar Community. Many thanks for subscribing to the course. I hope you enjoy it. If you have any questions just ask in the lesson specific topics.
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Hi, I have a suggestion for @JustinGuitar regarding this course, which I posted via your feedback form, but I thought I’d post it here as well, in case people want to comment on it.
Here’s what I wrote on the form:
I think Justin would do well to make an introductory video that explains some basics about the course and about blues fingerstyle playing in general. Just giving a little background on this particular style, and laying out the sequence of lessons, maybe playing a bit of each piece to illustrate the particular skills associated with it. The reason I suggest this is that I’ve seen a number of posts on the community where users have asked some very basic questions on blues fingerstyle technique. These issues could easily be addressed in a course intro video. It just also makes sense to give the student some idea of what’s coming, rather than just jumping in with the first piece.
Hope this is useful!
Hi @jjw!
Thanks for sharing — this has been noted! I think we’ll be able to sort something out. We’re also planning a live demo, which Justin may be able to incorporate into this session. ![]()
Cheers,
Fanny ![]()
@jjw John is this what you suggested?
Not exactly, that is an advertisement to convince people to take the course.
I am suggesting to add an introductory video to the course itself, a Lesson 0 for those who are taking the course. Maybe spend 1 or 2 minutes on the history of this style, including some listening suggestions. A few minutes describing the pieces: these are all 12-bar blues, all in the key of E (I think that’s right). Talk a little about the different kinds of “grooves”: steady bass, alternating bass, etc, and preview some of the pieces with those different grooves. I would also give some guidance on the use of the right hand fingers. (I’ve already seen numerous questions about that in this forum.) Emphasizing the key point of the thumb keeping the rhythm, while the fingers play the melody. Stuff like that.
I would put it as the first video in the course.
I really enjoy playing (currently 3rd Blues at 80% speed). But I can’t get the improvisations right, I’m completely lost…
I’ve learned some pentatonic licks, but they’re useless here.
Am I the only one, or have I missed something?
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Hi
I’m racking my brain a bit trying to understand what you’re asking Richard @RichieLbv …
are you trying to imitate the improvisation exactly?
If so, yes, then you’re missing the point a bit…it should give you an idea of what is possible, the more of these ( and other licks riffs and other pieces of blues music) blues arrangements you master, the more you can mix at the moment you play …improvising is “choosing something from your memory bank in the moment … licks ,climbs riffs turnarounds which you have practiced many times before” and making this stuff ( by ) your own .
I hope this helps and was what you asked ![]()
Greetings
@FannyJustinGuitar Is there a place to submit our questions in advance for the live solo blues Q&A on thursday?
Rogier already answered, but now, when I wanted to also look at what could be a problem for you, I was not sure which song you meant with “3rd”?
Maybe the third chapter “Target 3rd”? Or maybe the third song in the preparation chapter?
Oh, I missed the announcement, it seems - glad you mentioned it, Mathieu! If it was mentioned in an email, often there are those links to send in questions.
Hi John, there’s going to be a Club session with Justin on Thursday ,that you might like to check this is the link to YouTube ![]()
https://www.youtube.com/live/NOfdHYYVS74?si=A9nLj3HbYWBxQ6U4
Thanks for the heads-up!
Yep! A follow-up email with a submission form will go out today to everyone who’s registered. ![]()
Talking about arrangement #5 Target 3rd Blues
No need to “rack your brain,” the difficulty lies in transitioning from sheet music to something done from memory, built on rhythm with target notes. It’s far from easy, that’s all.
I’m going to keep playing the pieces and finish grade 4, maybe then it will all light up ![]()
PS: Sorry, English isn’t my native language, that doesn’t help.
It’s farther than I looked yet. Sounds and looks like a nice arrangement and lesson!
I think that Rogier is right in what he says (I’d never doubt him anyway!)
I don’t know / remember so many licks well (will go through BLIM again and this course will help!) so me personally, I would approach it from the pentatonic scale, noodling a bit around and targeting those thirds at the right moment (at accents when those chords come along - or when you feel it would be right).
But also, as this live session is just about to come up, you could also ask Justin directly, I guess that he’s happy to see his pupils engaged with the material and some questions coming up.
Even if you can’t attend in the live session, you can still watch it later. (at least, normally these sessions are recorded)
PS. Oh, I missed your answer when I typed mine. You refer to memory, but improvising (at least how I see it) comes more as some spontaneous input. Maybe you didn’t practice it yet? Like, have a backing track and noodle along and you’ll find some things you’ll like and that you can keep… or add to your soloing toolcase, like those licks also. I am still not good at it, as I always avoided it before BLIM, but if you practice regularly, it WILL become easier and sound nicer.
Just continued to watch his video and he gives quite a few examples and then, it seems to be our homework, to possibly use some of them, but better find our own way to build these thirds into our playing.
Oh, yes, that
Well That is a big task in the beginning… I often have a lot of difficulty with that, but I have the right method for myself (the last 2 years or so).
I learn one bar at a time and until it is in my head, preferably not at all, I don’t look at the tabs (or as soon as possible). My limited guitar skills, lack of memory and time and sometimes just don’t feel like it …
It is not easy for many people (just like writing in another language,… also for me
), there are lessons ( even classes ) somewhere (?)here about how to remember music better,
Well have fun
and good luck with it ![]()
Greetings ![]()
PSssss :
This will go into the memory bank and will certainly come in handy at some point ![]()