Nice log. Your setup sounds great. Definitely on the right “path to shredding”. 
I also use that drummers backing tracks.
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Thanks Jason! 
The quality of the recording sounds really great to me!
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Shred on dude! Cool log. Makes me want to try electric some day! I love Metallica
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Thanks Andy! Really appreciate you checking this out 
You totally should! Electrics are so much fun! And learning a couple of Metallica riffs is great way to get into it. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you decide to give it a crack
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Just quick update to mention some recent progress…
Beginners course progress - Completed up to Grade 3 Module 16
Theory Course - Completing module 4.3 (on lesson “A Fretboard in Your Mind”)
My biggest news was playing in my first Community Open Mic (XIV/14). So fun! But man, I was nervous! 
Glad to have that one under my belt and looking forward to OM XV/15 coming up soon.
I covered For Whom the Bell Tolls by Metallica, I intend to do a AVOYP of that some time to add it properly to the list.
I also did a cover of Creeping Death also by Metallica. Love that track and it was a good one to get on the list.
The above was recorded using my new Focusrite Scarlett 4i4. Super impressed with it, sounds much better than the Behringer U-Phoria UMC404HD I was using IMO. Also very impressed by their online tutorials as part of the initial setup and the control software that comes with it, especially the loopback feature which is available on models from the 4i4 up, incredibly flexible with it’s routing and mixing options. I got the 4i4 as the additional line inputs in the rear allow me to play a backing track on my old laptop and feed that into the mix with my guitar and vocal mic (using the front inputs). Works great and they have excellent guides online for how to configure that routing. Highly recommend this for anyone considering what audio interface to buy.
Here’s an update on my playlist progress with links to those I have recorded:
PLAYLIST
These are songs I sort of know, and are working on, that I hope will form my initial playlist:
Metallica
- Seek & Destroy
- Four Horseman
- Creeping Death
- Master of Puppets
- One
- Fade to Black
- Blitzkrieg
- For Whom the Bell Tolls
Slayer
- Die by the Sword
- Black Magic
- Fight Till Death
- Behind the Crooked Cross
- Angel of Death
- Postmortem
Death
- Zombie Ritual
- Pull the Plug
That’s it for now, that for following along!
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Hey Jeff,
Great little video update, and great idea doing one. Much more personal, and I learnt more about you in those 5 minutes than in several posts.
Keep doin em mate, if it suits you. It comes across well.
I got hooked on those Jazz 3s too, about 6-8 months ago. I like the black ones better as they’re just a bit stiffer, but have plenty of reds as well.
Goin all professional with those lights mate. 
You only come this way once though, so why not.
And keep going with the blues mate. Its a genre I reckon that teaches you ALOT about music in general. Plus its enormous fun with the coolest sounds.
All the best.
PS. Not sure if you’re a cricket or footy fan, but we’re giving you guys an absolute pasting right this moment in the cricket World Cup. I’m watchin it now.
Plus, the main attraction tonight in the footy - AUS v NZ at AAMI Park in Melbourne.
Cheers, Shane
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Thanks Shane! 
Yeah, I reckon I’ll try this approach again in the future, have a few ideas about how to improve it for next time too, see how it goes 
Dude, we’re getting soooo smashed in the cricket right now! 
Massive total incoming from you guys… 
Guess we’ll just have to come out swinging! 
And the footy, well, you Aussies are always the favourites there but there’s always hope. I’ll be watching just in case 
Such a huge weekend of sport, hard to get anything else done! 
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Great update, Jeff.
The video approach worked well, so hope you’ll do it again in future. Lighting is fine in my book
As for world cups …
Aussies got off to a flyer in the cricket. I was happy to see we prevailed in a close one over Pakistan.
As for the rugby. Maybe I am naive or optimistic, but I’d say the final is a 50-50 game. I sincerely hope that both sides show up, bring their A games, and put on a final that can go down in the history books. Of course I’d rather the Boks win, but Bok-AB rivalry is special, doesn’t really get better, and OK with being beaten by a better AB performance on the day if it turns out that way.
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Thank David!
…we may be coming back… maybe… …aaargh! No, he dropped it! 
Totally agree with everything you’ve said there, David (except ABs for the win of course! ). Definitely two very evenly matched teams and will likely come down to either some extra special play or a lucky bounce. The Boks are always fantastic at world cups ('95 still hurts ), and probably our greatest opponent, as you say, here’s hoping it’s a game for the history books! 
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Hi Jeff
Oooo my goodness, you have the gear, you have the flair with speaking (that is the most important thing), but you also have the voice and the mug on it also works well 
… if I didn’t think of the latter myself my wife just confirmed this as she walked past and also while asking “what does that have to do with practicing guitar in the morning?” 
Greetings,
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Hey, what a nice surprise to see your log updated by a video this morning , while sipping my second cup of coffee. Very charming and informative! Good progress overall as it seems, touched lots of subjects, cool! I liked the video format a lot. Nice to see you still working on the blues route 
. Keep on doing what you are doing, seems to be a great way to progress!
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@roger_holland
Thanks Rogier! I’m not sure anyone has said I have had a flair for speaking before so I will take that and run! 
p.s. give your wife a from me 
@Helen0609
Thanks Andrea! Glad you liked the video format, seemed a more interesting approach than my usual write up
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You should have you’re own guitar channel on youtube Jeff… cool and interresting laid back vibe… worked very well.
Dont know too much about rugby… but i like the all blacks, that Haka thing they do before the matches gives me goosebumps, that is so cool…
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For a minute I thought you were going to do a song demo and lesson there. I’m slightly disappointed you didn’t start with Hey how’ya doin’?
Jokes aside, this is a great way of sharing an update, better than what would’ve been a long post. Really enjoyed that.
Interesting what you said about the strings. I’ve been using Elixirs and EBs myself and never really broke a string. Except when I tuned one too high once. Bet you must have a massive attack then?
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Mastery of hyperbole, Jeff. I’d say ‘if only that were true’
There was '99 when they shot themselves in the foot with squad selection. The infamous ‘kamp staaldraad’ prior to '03 that was followed by a dismal tournament. Oh and the failure to deal with the Bryce Lawrence factor leading to an early exit in '11. But other than those 3 of 8 we’ve generally been competitive (not withstanding the group-stage loss to Japan in '15). And I can’t be bummed about 3 titles from 8.
But given our minority nationalities and the pain others may be feeling, we should probably get back to guitar
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That was a good update Jeff, with musical intro and all. I reckon we might start to see a few other people do them now…
Good to hear you’re working on the blues. I’m also doing that blues lead course in grade 4. It’s quite different than learning songs. Learning licks and improv. But fun. I hope you’re still working on the metal, right?
If you have another holiday in the Sunshine Coast, well, you’ll have to let me know again! And we’ll catch up for another jam, so you can try out those new skills. I guess that’s one of the fun things about the blues, it’s a standard format so straightforward to jam with others. It’s possible to go really deep but you can get pretty far with just the basics and trying things out. I’d only had one guitar-jam before we caught up, and none since - it’s a rarity it seems!
The rugby tomorrow - well I was born in NZ, and my wife is from SA, so we will be watching it tomorrow! The ABs are the favourites but SA can shut their game down… we’ll see!
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@tRONd
Thanks mate, glad you liked the vid!
Totally agree, it is super special, very proud of our lads when they step out there and perform it
Wish I had thought of that, Jeff! Maybe next time
Interesting 
I looked in to it a lot and there was talk around burrs on the saddle causing strings to break but I checked all mine and there didn’t seem to be anything obvious (plus would seem odd to have the same issue across multiple guitars?), however I have always been very heavy handed, so, yes, I think perhaps it’s just my brutal attack 
Thanks for checking this out mate! Glad to hear the format worked for you too 
Well, David, you made some good points, but once you lads make the final, you’re an incredibly tough side to beat! Congratulations on a well deserved win! 
Won’t go into the errors made on our side, I think the pressure the 'boks put on us is what caused those in any case… four more years! 
Thanks JK, I hope so!
Cool! Yeah totally agree, a different mindset, forces creativity too I guess, good fun though like you say.
Oh yes, very much so! 
Dude that would be awesome! Very keen to get back over there, hopefully next year I’ll certainly let you know if I do
Yeah, it’s a shame, I would love to do it more often but so difficult to find opportunities. I’ll admit I don’t look that hard so perhaps that needs to change
Oooh that would have been a interesting perspective with both sides of the fence under the same roof?! I’m picking you ended up having to make breakfast or was there more riding on it than that (dishes every night for a week perhaps)?!
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Love the video update Jeff! You (and Toby) are inspiring me to maybe do a video LL update at some point. Although, I can definitely fill a page with a bunch of written rambling, so we will see
You’ve got me thinking that maybe I should start the blues course at some point. I’m not a huge blues fan in general, but you are right that it is amazing for improv, which is a skill I’d like to develop more. It also seems to be the basis for a lot of guitar solos, which I’d definitely like to get better at!
I am intrigued by those Ernie Ball picks. They look amazingly pointy I use Ernie Ball everlasts right now and I love them, but those prodigy ones look nice too.
Overall, loved the update. Keep them
Coming! 
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