Open Mic 09: Recording + After-Show Chat

Cheers Brian, love these deep dive reviews.

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@brian, if only you knew what was going through my head. I was cursing the Trio for upstaging me. Then I remember Jason, saying do you want to start again? My response was sure (sounded rather casual), but my brain was trying to make sure I pushed the first segment button to get the count in, rather than the sequence button that has wiped out my song sequence several times in practice. When I started playing I heard people saying it was better, then that they were losing the sound, and I realized I was reading the comments, and trying to make it better. It did teach me that I knew the song well enough to focus on other things, which I have heard in lessons, but never thought I would do.
Thanks for the positive comments, definitely felt like a duck paddling like crazy under the surface, once again a great learning experience.

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Probably the cheapest, too :rofl:

Haha, I think this is only the second time :laughing: I donā€™t bother if Iā€™m playing them :wink:

Haha, I gave up ā€˜workā€™ 25 years agoā€¦ I have been known to blather on about many things though :laughing: Glad you enjoyed it and are recuperating.

Thatā€™s my catchphrase!
When I was a teenager, I collected songs with impressive 'Huahā€™s. Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood featured prominently :laughing:

Haha, probably exactly the same thing that went through most of our heads the first time we performed/fumbled our first performance :wink:
Paddle on, Sir!

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Thank you Brian, as ever both supportive and encouraging and never ignored.

Just a fact of life, in that these events rely on technology, so the :poop: will always be hitting the fan at some stage. Anyway I blame Microsoft for most of my woes. The candle gets blown out every now and then but its never melted away yet ! :wink:

Shoot thatā€™s good, as we are ringing the changes ! So get ready for the OM X CFI, coming soon. Donations of cents n fourpence will no doubt be contributed. Go see How It Works, published yesterday.

:sunglasses:

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Delightful to read your review, Brian, thanks for that and for investing precious hours in watching the show. Always missing a certain something when you are not around.

I may print and frame that, given all my butchered pitch and phrasing in the past.

I was consciously fading off on the low note for creative dynamics :laughing:

Seriously, trying it with a capo is a good idea as I think that low note, whatever it is, is right on the edge and pitching it a tone higher may work better. Might also have interesting impact on the higher notes in the song.

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David - with your extended range, I think you could capo on 2 or 3 and be fine ! :+1:

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Thanks Brian for listening back and enlightening commentary as always. :grinning: Was a fun night and was nice to get out the way early in the running order as watching back I did look more relaxed than I was! While my mind was relaxed there were a few distractions that made getting to the end more challenging than outside a live context, not least my leg bouncing my guitar about!

I definitely have some ideas for pushing more in future performances but those songs currently need lots more work!

Looking forward to seeing you perform next time! Thanks again, Al :smile:

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@brianlarsen wow what an incredible synopsis - agree with others that itā€™s almost as entertaining (and educational) to read your synopsis as watching the OM itself!

To your feedback about slowing it down - I totally get it. One of the things I noticed about the original recording of Nowhere Man is how propulsive the rhythm section is throughout the entire song, like a chugging locomotive. So I was trying to replicate that energy with just the single instrument - Iā€™m sure there are some other tricks of the trade I can employ. I listened back to the original recording again last night and realized that yes, while the rhythm section is propulsively chugging along, John is super chilled out with the vocal (and I assume heā€™s adding the licks that are also laid-back). So itā€™s the contrast of those two seemingly at-odds approaches that is part of the magic and genius of the song. Will keep tinkering with how to pull that tension off when I play (the message is right there in the lyrics: ā€œNowhere man donā€™t worry, take your time donā€™t hurryā€)!

I wasnā€™t sure what you were referring to about allowing for mistakes/poorer performances so I ask for clarity because I think thereā€™s a wisdom nugget youā€™re landing that I may be missing - is that a nod to my earlier version of the song 4 weeks ago that was posted to AVOYP?

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Now that could be a runaway train ! One thing I always notice, is that I speed up at the OMs, I think its the adrenaline. I never use a metronome, click track or BT but keep telling myself to do so. But every time I go into freefall. I think a simple drum track would keep things steady. Do as I say not as I do :smile:

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For those interested OM9 was a record breaker for attendance so far, scoring 46 unique users so well done everyone! :clap:

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Sorry to miss you all completely this time around; a combination of cancelled and delayed flights made the end of our trip to Italy a little bit more of an adventure than we had planned for, and led to us returning home at almost midnight on Sunday evening, rather than late on Saturday afternoon!

I will start watching the recording soon, based on the comments above it sounds like a real cracker :slight_smile:

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Well that was an entertaining watch. Fantastic as always. Bravo to everyone involved.

@Rossco01 Very well managed from start to finish and a great opening performance. I recognized the song but couldnā€™t place it at the time until the reference made in Brianā€™s comment.

@DavidP Iā€™ve got so used to following your blues improvisations that I forget how good you are with finger picking and the vocals were great.

@grayal that was a very solid performance, great strumming, clean chords and nicely placed embellishments.

@liaty another fantastic performance. The vocals and playing were great. You have a really nice tone to your voice.

@eric.lennon itā€™s good to see a fellow Scot on the OM and you done fantastic a job with that classic song.

@Malz that was a great display of picking and strumming. I enjoyed that performance very much and the guitar looks and sounds beautiful.

@Notter As you know I was a huge oasis fan back in the day myself and I enjoyed your performance very much. I could just picture the Royal family sitting around the TV. You done a great job with the song.

@martzon that was some great playing and singing. I really enjoyed that performance. It would have been better if I could have seen more of the guitar as I am sure I could have learned a few things from watching you play.

@SgtColon you said afterwards that you felt the nerves. well you certainly didnā€™t show it. That was a very good performance. With every performance we can see you growing in performance, vocally and playing.

@TheMadman_tobyjenner Well that was the first time Iā€™ve seen you play acoustic since I joined the community and it was worth the wait. That was superb.

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@jestersea that was a great performance. I remember watching your AVOYP of the song. You took the song up several more notches. Keep on doing what your doing.

@rodreilly good to see another Scot in the OM. That was the first time Iā€™ve heard that song. You played and sang very well. I thought the song suited your voice so well. I really enjoyed that performance.

@Rod58 Well done. You donā€™t need those training wheels any more, throw them away. You belong in front of the camera. You make it look so easy and that performance was fantastic.

@TheCluelessLuthier that was a great duo performance. You had me tapping my foot along with you and picturing myself sitting in front of a campfire listening to you perform.

@philsmith you took the technical issues in your stride. It could have thrown you off but no you kept your cool like a professional and as Brian says I could actually here in my head what you were hearing at your end. I watched you dry run video and youā€™re making fantastic progress. Well done. Keep doing what your doing.

@John_in_Dot that was some great picking and strumming. I really enjoyed the melody coming through in the song at the start. As Brian suggests maybe think about some more of that or embellishments later on in the song. Great playing.

@jkahn great song choice, great playing and great vocals. I donā€™t think the neighbors would have been upset to much waking up to that performance. Itā€™s been amazing watching you progress.

@sclay thatā€™s the first time Iā€™ve heard the song. If that performance came on the car radio, Iā€™d definitely not be changing the station. I enjoyed that performance, great playing and great vocals.

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@Socio
Thanks, James, and appreciate the write up and feedback for every performer.

Very generous. I find it hard to own ā€˜goodā€™ when it comes to my picking. I keep the pattern super super simple, no left-hand embellishments, and low tempo. Itā€™s a solid foundation to build on.

I guess the morals of the story are that one doesnā€™t have to be a virtuoso player and singer to produce something that people can enjoy, and that with attention one can also learn and practice to become a better ā€˜singerā€™.

Thanks again, really do appreciate the support and encouragement.

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Thanks for the feedback James and for the watch. Iā€™m glad Iā€™m hiding the nerves well. :smiley:

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Thank you James. They do come out a couple of times each week, as I rotate around the stable. Original plan was to use the mahogany Washburn HB but the new Takamine had not been played at all on the forum. So a good time for its debut ! Thanks for listening. :sunglasses:

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Thanks for the write up James! Great you were able to watch the OM end to end. Would love to see you playing at an OM some time.

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That is a very good way to look at it David. Foundations are important. I feel that left hand embellishments (including hammer on, pull offs, slides) are more important in finger style when youā€™re not singing as it allows you can bring the melody more into the song. Even though you say you kept the pattern super super simple with the music you played along with the vocals you were expressing yourself and thatā€™s great music, it comes from the soul.

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Stefan, you have good stage presence and although you feel the nerves inside you are controlling them without realizing it.

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@Socio Thanks James firstly for taking the time to catch up on the whole show and the comments, I can say I achieved what I set out to then if you were picturing Ricky Tomlinson et al slumped in the lounge!! :wink: :rofl:

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