What a terrific project Alexis, food for thought as I get closer to my own Grade 2 consolidation period.
As for the song and production, absolutely outstanding, keep up the good work and I’ll be keeping a close eye out for your remaining songs!
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Nice of you to say Mark.
I mention this a little in my first post but what inspired me to do this is that rut busting consolidation video from the end of Grade 2. This is coupled with the fact that post Grade 2 content seems to be more structured around learning whatever it is you want to learn rather than prescribing a specific routine with specific songs.
I wanted a long term goal (years) so that regardless of what I was doing at a particular moment I’d have something bigger that I was working on. The rock song book fit the bill since I wanted to get deep into rock, it’s structured from easy to hard, and if I do a song a month (doubtful that I can keep that cadence) it would still take me over 4 years to get through.
Anyway, that’s all say good luck with your own consolidation/post grade 2 journey!
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I have a thought of doing something like this when I get to the end of Grade 2. The problem I have, and have had through most of Grade 1 and 2, is that I don’t know or haven’t heard the songs in the books or the lessons. For example taking your original list of 15 I’ve heard of five and heard two.
This means that over the last couple of years I have been trying to play songs that I don’t know and have not heard, and is some case don’t like! Saying that there have been a few that I use for practice that I quite like now which I wouldn’t have thought of. There are a few though that I have heard before and use for practice.
Hi Stuart,
When I initially bought the Rock song book I was in a similar situation where there were def some songs in there I knew and loved but many I wasn’t familiar with. Luckily in the product page for his song books there is a spotify playlist link so I added the playlist and started to listening to it on shuffle while doing house work or going on errands.
Now I’m very familiar with all the songs and I was surprised to find that some songs that I thought I didn’t like I actually really liked. Especially when listening to them in the context of the guitar parts. I’d think “Oh that part would be cool to learn”. I don’t remember if all of his song books have spotify playlist links but I know the rock one and the acoustic one do.
Hi Alex. Just watch this performance again and I have a question for you. How are you getting that very clean mute? You seem to be only using your strumming hand to mute. Is that correct?
I’d love to get my muting this clean so any advice be great.
Hi Colin. So I’m muting with the palm of my strumming hand but also loosening my grip on the frets a little with my fretting hand.
I learned later from a Metal Rhythm book I’m going through that it’s better to try and use both hands to mute completely and to both loosen and try a full mute. I tried this in my last AVOYP here: Whips and Chains - Troy Stetina (around 30 seconds there is a part with rests that require mutes) and I think I’m more successful.
Nice project you have here Alexis
It is a nice way of consolidating. So keep up the good work 
Rock on! 
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Thanks Edgar!
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I thought that was great, JG! Made me want to break out the old AC/DC.
Yeah I see. Just watch your whips and chains which is very cool. Had a crack at this myself based of your vid.
The ‘full mute’; Is that what your doing with your index finger on your fretting hand? In the mutes you seem to be laying this across the strings or at least resting it on the top string.
Yup, that’s right. I’m relaxing fingers 1&3 (the ones fretting the D5, and laying finger 2 over all the strings to make sure they’re being muted.
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Thanks for the info Alex. I’ll add this to my ‘skills to learn’ list.
Really appreciate you taking the time to reply to my questions. Awesome
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Song 3: If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next by Manic Street Preachers
This is one of those songs that I actually have never heard before getting Justin’s rock song book. It’s a great song with a really good message so I was excited to try it out. Especially considering the F chord is featured prominently in it.
What I’ve learned:
- The F Chord! Seriously most of my practice was getting the F chord right. I hade 5 minutes of chord perfect which initially focused on just making sure everything was ringing properly, then eventually I spend that time doing really slow changes between the F chord and the other chords in the song. I had OMC exercises between F-C, F-Em, and F-G. Finally got to the point of being able to make and switch between the F chord and others chords without looking which I’m very proud of. Really feels like I consolidated some grade 2 material here.
- D Minor. This Chord has been the only grade 1 chord that I would consider neglected. I didn’t really play many songs that actually used it. This one does so a lot of OMCs between G-Dm and Dm-Am.
- Rhythm. Another 16th note pattern! I feel like I’m getting good at these, or at least grasping new ones a little faster. I had a 5min Rhythm section of my routine where I focused on playing the song with the metronome. Didn’t care too much about mistakes during rhythm practice time. Focus was on groove and making sure no matter what I’m tapping my foot to the beats.
- Layering Tracks. The song has a guitar part that is just playing the chord with phaser and delay effects. This was cool to do and to try and edit in premiere pro to show properly.
- Tone. Messed around with the phaser and delay effects in my amp, sooo much options, but just getting to know my amp more was fun!
Sound:
Main rhythm is using the same acoustic patch I used for my Every Rose has Its Thorn cover except I’m using the neck pick up: Songwriting Collection by Rafael Bittencourt | BOSS TONE CENTRAL
For the effects part I just messed around with the phaser effect and delay until I got it sounding how I wanted it. Too many little adjustments to remember but it took like a half an hour of messing around to get it.
grabbed the backing track from: Download your instrumental songs in MP3 format - Custom Backing Tracks - Karaoke Version (karaoke-version.com)
Here’s If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next (Advice and feedback always appreciated and welcome!):
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Great idea for a thread and very inspiring!
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Lots more learning gained from the song. It is an inspirational project.
Enjoyed the latest song, a well put together production showing fine playing and tasty tones.
I noticed you played the Dm with the pinky rather than ring finger. I know from a conversation elsewhere here that Justin does teach that as a means to develop the pinky early on. That said, depending on how you fret your Am you may find that using the ring finger for the Dm can be used to make a simpler change to Am. In the future some songs also have riffs that would need the pinky to be available to play a Dmsus4. A good strategy as one progresses to be able to use different fingers for chords based on the preceding or following chord to simplify changes.
Looking forward to La Grange as it may be the one song I’d most love to play on this list of 15.
Bravo
You’re correct that I learned it with my pinky because that’s how Justin’s taught it. As I get more and more experience I see that fingering options for chords really just depends on what you’re doing within the song. So you’re right and I’m definitely going to learn it traditional next time I get to a song with it.
It’s definitely one of my favorites! I’m trying to learn it with that mix of fingerstyle and picking that’s used originally so it’s really going to be a fun one!
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Rock study is coming along well. I like how you list the things that you have learned from the song. You’re are inspiring the GAS in me to get a decent practice amp and start learning some of those rock songs.
I think that its better that you post each song on a dedicated topic as when you see a topic with a lot of views/posts it can give you the impression that you’ve already viewed it. And I wouldn’t want to miss the next edition.
@DavidP has made a couple of good observations on the last three songs (as he always does). Nothing I can add but vibes on the study and consolidation of Grade 2. Especially when quite a few of those beginner songs in the Rock Songbook are a level above Grade 2 so you’re doing fantastic.
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Thanks James. I’ve learned so much in this month and a half of consolidating and I’m only halfway through the time I set aside for it.
Deconstructing each song into practice parts has been so valuable too. It’s usually what I put in the what I’ve learned section.
Gotta say that one of the best purchases I’ve made is the Boss Katana MKII. It’s such a versatile amp that can do so many different sounds. Especially if you connect to a computer and mess with the tone studio application.
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That was great Alexis, some tasty work going on there and a great one to cover.
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Thanks Stefan, definitely a really fun one. It’s a great tune to practice rhythm and strumming.
EDIT: @SgtColon I forgot to mention that I actually looked at your cover of the song when I was practicing it. It helped me figure out how I was gonna strum the bars with half C half G so thanks!