Roadhouse Blues In A

Community Recordings Audio-Video Of You Playing
1

Thank you mucho for listening to my second, non-original solo presented in the form of a roadhouse blues, constructive commentary invited.
Here I’m playing a humble but beloved Yamaha Pacifica PAC 012 DLX over a pre-recorded backing track in A. I learned a truckload from this exercise and it’s a blast to play.
(BTW - I hope you like the accompanying image of an original artwork titled “Your Spirit Is Free”(34"x54", 80lbs)- Brick veneer and mortar.)
Thanks again!
PG

7 Likes
2

Love the tone Gary.

Tempo is sounding great, too.

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Very nice work Gary. You make your beloved Yamaha sing and howl.

4

Hi Gary,
Awesome :sunglasses: :sunglasses: :sunglasses:
Greetings Rogier

5

I liked how you put variation in there and showcases your blues vocabulary; varied phrasing, recognizeable blues patterns and yet not too cliché when put together.

Not so easy to point out things to improve except an occassional minor detail in timing and bending accuracy. Perhaps you could try to put some more “dynamics” in there to improve the expression; playing softer and louder, a few slides here and there, softly picked notes versus a harder attack.

You chould also try to hit more than 1 string here and there, hitting 2 notes or even some triad shapes, quickly strumming or ‘raking’ them, doubling double stops
@Richard_close2u I’m sure it has a name when you hit 2 notes at once or hammer on an extra note that’s in the scale but I can’t recall it now. Help me out here :wink: (it’s not double stops obviously).

6

That was some sweet playing Gary. Way above my skill level to pass any technical comment on but I really enjoyed it.

7

Above the ceiling of my guitar knowledge but I did enjoy it, Geoff.

8

Many thanks, Dave,
I appreciate the feedback. I had no idea how dicey it can be to sculpt a tone to suit the occasion. I did a lot of ‘noodling’ as you say, before landing on this one. It’s a discipline in itself!
Stay well,
Gary (PG)

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Thank you for your kind words, BW ( btw,love the handle).
I found that the Yamaha suits my player level nicely, and equals or surpasses many more expensive ones in sound range and play-ability.
Take care,
Gary (PG)

1 Like
10

Hi Rogier,
First, thank you for taking the time to listen and for your encouragement.
I have read your bio and while I am saddened by your misfortune, I’m doubly inspired by your story and the strength of character necessary to overcome such challenges. It seems to me that you could teach a college course in the power of the inner self and positive thinking.
Best to you,
Gary (PG)

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11

Hi Lieven…
Thank you for your intuitive observations - they are golden, and exactly what I’m looking for when I post projects for peer review.
Gary (PG)

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12

Hello John,

Thank you for taking a moment to listen!

Gary (PG)

13

Hi Stefan,
Thanks for listening and the compliment.
The beauty of music (similar to visual or performance art) is that you don’t have to be an expert to have an opinion - either it sounds/looks good to you or not. I post these for peer review because, whether novice or expert, the comments have value in that they me help identify areas to improve, such as accuracy, timing, expression, etc. Let’s face it, to our wives and mothers we’re rockstars - we go to our peers for the truth. :slightly_smiling_face:

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14

Loved that Gary. Super tone and super Blues vibe. Loads of great techniques in there that are way beyond me at the moment.
Where did you get the backing track from?

15

Sounded great, Gary, the tone, the lines, all good. Perhaps a few slightly longer pauses, notes sustained a little longer? I enjoyed it and really beyond my play-grade to offer you too much food for thought. Look forward to more!

16

Thanks David,

Thank you for your kind remarks and adept insights - they are exactly the kind of feedback I hope to hear when posting these and I will remember them. :slightly_smiling_face:

Gary
PapaG

17

Thanks Gordon,
I appreciate our comments, but should confess that the recording represents uncounted hours of practice, and I still have a long, long road ahead. As you’ve observed (thank you), there are a lot of nuances to consider besides getting the notes right: tempo, tone, emotion, etc. Rock stars make it look so easy… :thinking: but it there is much value in knowing how and when to use them.
As for the backing track, because there were so many places I looked, (and I was picky), I forget where I got it from - I want to say You Tube. Sorry I can’t be more help than that.
Thanks again for listening and for your comments!
Gary
PG

18

Man I love me some good Blues, and this is some really good Blues. Well done Gary. Great sound, great phrasing. All around, a wonderful jam. :+1:

19

Thanks, Joe for your encouragement. I learn these solos to add playing techniques to my tool chest. I’m 70, retired and have time to play a lot. Now in my 3rd year or so of re-learning guitar, I will say that it has been, and still can be, confounding. A big drawback seems to be that my brain-to-fingers data transfer rate lags - go figure… :roll_eyes: It’s sort of like learning to snow ski - it seems impossible at first, but once you get down the bunny slope in one piece for the first time, you can build on the confidence and start having fun. I am enjoying the ride immensely. Hope you are too -
thanks again for taking the time to listen,

Gary
PapaG

1 Like
20

A nice listen on a friday night whilst I try to convince myself to practice more. Seem to be doing great for 3 years, was your previous stint on guitar a long one?