Mac's learning log

Your next new chord is always your hardest challenge. And will always make the ones that came before look simple and you will continuously be in the chord cycle.

Future Hard
Past Easy.

Simples!
:sunglasses:

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the only exception : power chords , still hard ! :joy:

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You will get there, patience Grasshopper !
:cricket: :pray: :cricket:

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Today was my day without playing but … in the end I played

I recorded Careless whisper for @ConstanceClaire
It was a Challenge of the week on Yousician and I practiced it one more week to polish it a bit

I recorded 2 videos with 2 different strumming patterns
I played the first using the pattern in Yousician but I didnt really liked it , so I checked the Musopia app and , surprise ! Careless whisper was on this app too !
So I quickly learned the pattern tonight and played the second video with it
Thats the first time I play a song with this rythm

Screenshot 2024-12-20 at 21.36.33

On the JG 's app , Careless whisper had a Bm … , that was not what I wanted to play !
So i used the JG’s app pattern on YS … I mixed the two
First time I m trying to do that !
YS is the backing track but I dont follow what’s on my screen , I play the rythm by ear ( I dont count )
Lots of first time tonight so I hope you’ll like it

CW - Yousician pattern :

CW -JG’s app pattern :

Are you more pattern 1 or pattern 2 ?

( I did a mistake on the second video at the end doing an up strum where it was a down strum , I didnt want to record again just for that litlle mistake :sweat_smile: )

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Both versions are nice and consistent but I definitely prefer the faster strumming of the second version :+1:

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the next step : learning to play with a Bm and the fast strumming :sweat_smile:

I think the difference between the 2 videos and ignoring the tempo, the first was a little stop start on the strumming hand, as discussed before. Video 2 was a more up tempo version but your strumming was locked in and consistent and that is the target.

As I only have vague recollections of the original (not a Madman’s genre !) you could approach that and play every other strum per bar at a slower pace following the progression and it would still fit like a glove and feel more relaxed and in the groove.
Things vary in vid 2 around 4:30 and you go back to a stop start jerky strum but I confess unless I played the original I can’t compare in all honesty. But this is George Michael right ? So I won’t be doing that. I am sure the GM/Wham Posse will pitch up and chip in.
But hey you are making good progress !!
:sunglasses:

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The other thing you might try is something I’ve been doing is listening to a song, humming along to it and trying to work out a strumming pattern there. Can be useful to try it out on muted strings initially and see if you’re on the right track. I wouldn’t claim to be good at this yet but making progress. On the likes of my version of Do You Know What I Mean by Oasis, I’m just playing what feels right rather than a strict pattern which isn’t something I ever thought I could do!

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ah yes , for the ending I followed back the YS pattern , it has this little hush sensation like in the original song

Wow , im already happy to have learned a brand new fast strumming pattern in only an evening :joy:

Yes ! George Michael is great !
He wrote some awesome songs ( some are very cynical )

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This still amazes me too when I manage it, it’s not that long since it used to take a fortnight or more :blush:

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thats the moment we can see and feel the progress we’ve made :smiley:
happy times when it happens !

( except for that upstrum mistake )

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Only Deep Purple had a “hush” sensation !!

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Ooh, the promised song! Love it!

It sounded perfect! If it were a CD track I wouldn’t be surprised, it was just smooth. Also liked the guitar tone for it, too, it suited the song. Do you do stuff to change the sound of the electric guitar for different songs?

RE strumming thoughts: I think I prefer the first pattern, actually? But I reckon your dissatisfaction might come from its consistency. The song is so groovy and moody, so you might enjoy it more if you switch it up a bit while you’re playing. Put in some of the faster strumming where it feels right, and slow it down where it feels right.

Like, the first pattern you could go from D U D U D to D U D (UDUDU)<-all that bit would replace the last U and D, but start like a fraction after you would normally do the upstrum. Or to try to write it how I thought about it: from doo doo dooo doo doo, to doo doo dooo bedobedobe. Or you could really dig in to a bar and replace the last U D with doo doo dooo bedobedobedobe, but that’s really fast and might be a pain to attempt! Or it might not work, I’m just sitting here singing doo-bee-doo out loud, which takes zero co-ordination lol.

Having read further along, it’s already been suggested to hum along and work out your own favourite groove.

Vibe with the guitar. Let the rhythm take over. Tap in to your inner George Michael.

Style your hair in an epic bouffant.

Pierce an ear, and wear a large, dangly silver cross in it.

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Deborah

Prefer the fuller rhythm of the second accompaniment: both your accompaniments sound good.

Brian

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Strumming coming along well, Deborah. I liked the more up tempo second version FWIW (not worth much). Guitar tone was fabulous.

Now like Toby, I’m not too into GM and Wham! but would love to play that rhythm from the song Faith. Sometimes I feel I am almost getting it but then it vanishes again. Maybe one day :smile_cat:

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Thank you all for your replies

looks like the faster rythm is a favourite :slight_smile:

Oh yeah that one is great !
must be difficult to play it ^^"
I hope one day you ll record it :slight_smile:

a promise is a promise !

Not really
I just turned the tone knob a bit to get a clearer sound and turned down the volume so that the guitar fits in the song instead of covering it
didnt touch the amp settings
no pedal involved

The tone you hear comes from the Brian May / Vox amp , the sound is a bit different !
I love that amp

I dont like to dwell to much on a song
it was just a weekly challenge
I love challenges , it avoids the : " I will practice my song until it sounds perfect " crisis
BUT … I will practice the song ( again ) on the JG app since it has a Bm , good practice for learning that chord ( The YS version was good to practice Dm . you dont like Dm , practice careless whisper ! lots of Dm in it ! )

The YS pattern just seemed too easy thats why I tried the other pattern

Now I ll need a wig :joy: :joy:

Why ?
GM wrote amazing songs ( sometimes not the most popular )
its fun , groovy , It makes me happy when I hear it and my body wants to dance ( though it obviously can t )
Anything she wants and Praying for time are my favourite :slight_smile:

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I guess just a matter of individual taste and preferences. A little too pop for my taste in general. GM did write some great songs, no doubt, and do enjoy some of those. If I recall rightly, Patience was one such song.

And generall not a big fan of the 80s synth/keyboard driven pop. Though there are select songs that I think are great and enjoy. From what was popular I’m more a fan of early Police. And Deep Purple did reform the Mk II lineup and release Perfect Strangers (but not fair to label that as 80s music :rofl:)

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they were punk if I remember correctly

Yup , thats him :slight_smile:
I like Shoot the dog on this album ( the video is crazy )

Let’s say some post punk influence, plus some reggae/ska influence. I would class them as a punk band, in the sense that say the Sex Pistols were and some of the New York punk bands.

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Day 260 / 51 weeks streak :

Played the Am pentatonic scale and the C major scale as a warm up + 1 of the pinky exercice
Learning the Pattern 1 of the G Major Scale
Trying to name out loud the notes on the neck while playing the Am pentatonic scale

Yousician

Challenge of the week :
God rest ye merry gentlemen / level 3 / basic melody
carol of the balls / Level 4 / cowboy chords

Broken chords ==>
Broken chords : practiced a song called Playing in the park
Worked on Knowledge : roots and groove : Scale Minor / Arpeggio Cowboy shape

Practiced on Last christmas by Wham

Working on Losing my religion level5 / cow boy chords

Practiced drills for fingerstyle forward Arpeggio up and down

grade 2 in JG :

Module 11

Practiced fingerstyle : happy Birthday riff with 2 fingers

The F barre chord : a ladder to the sky / level 4 / cow boy chords and Sailing by Rod Steward

The Bm Barre chord : Practiced what’s up by the four non blondes / full speed

Practice Folk fingerstyle patterns part 1 ( on the JG website )

FO-101-Pattern1

module 12

Practiced power chords

Songs on the Musopia app :

Played Halleluya by Leonard Cohen fingerstyle at 80 bpm / 91 bpm / 102 bpm

Practiced Careless Whisper by George Michael ( practice for 3 fingers Bm )

Practiced on Last christmas by Wham at full speed ( practice for 3 fingers Bm )

Guitar teacher :

Practice E major arpeggios
forward / backward and alternate fingering ( up and down )

Practiced Wish you were here Intro

Practiced fingerstyle exercices + ragtime

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