Steve L’s Learning Log

[SteveL_G99]

@TheMadman_tobyjenner Toby, thank you so much for listening and commenting on my short intro to Asturias (Leyenda). My understanding is that this is just the intro to a more complete piece. I enjoyed looking at your online lesson for Asturias, which is a more advanced (or intermediate) version than my version. The online lesson version above is closed form played at the seventh fret and mine is a simpler version at the first position. It looks interesting and I plan to try to master it some day. Looking at it again, I think that it might not be too much harder than learning the Enter Sandman riff from Grade 2 module 12 so I might try to learn it next month.

I am glad you liked the last version. It was a quick demo of an idea. I tried many amp presets in GarageBand, but never found the exact tone I wanted. Many amp model presets in GarageBand are almost unusable, but as I learn more I might find what i want. Also the next version should be done with my Epiphone Les Paul. The Strat had too much buzz and hum in the recording. Thanks again listening.

[JokuMuu]

There is so much more to metal, than just screaming angst, Steve.

For example symphonic metal or symphonic death metal songs are inspired by classical music and sometimes feature operatic style singing contrasted with typical death metal style singing. Here is an example…

- YouTube

As to taking Leyenda electric - yes of course that’s a very feasible idea. Sounded quite good already

[SteveL_G99]

@JokuMuu Nicole, thanks for introducing me to a new form of music. When I first heard this I thought - can this be metal? Is unplugged or acoustic metal truly metal? But I suppose the themes and the style of music give it the metal character.

[JokuMuu]

Good question. In the end it’s surely the context and dramaturgy of an album and a band’s history as well, which help to put labels on things (I’m no metal expert however just like listening to it )

[Silvia80]

Steve, I still feel quite unconfident with thumb technique and the Leyenda Theme was my first piece where I did quite a workout with it. I I also remember I gave up the sight-reading because playing and reading at the same time required too much effort for me so I preferred to analyse the structure of the piece and memorise the sections and the variations through all those repetitive phrases… I got a bit crazy with it, I must admit Did you practice the melody line on its own? After that one is well consolidated adding the second voice is actually the easiest part of the piece. This is a challenging piece, you’re doing a very good job, in the second video goes smoothier…I need to be honest I wouldn’t bother too much about the tone at this point, well at least I didn’t, there’s so much going on, and we are beginners after all.

[SteveL_G99]

Silvia, thank you for listening to my recordings and for your kind words of encouragement. I didn’t have time to fully memorize so I am partially sight-reading the melody line while playing. You can tell that I get more intense when I get to the more difficult passages in the melody line. I unconsciously bite my tongue between my lips and I think that I see smoke coming from my ears

[SteveL_G99]

7Oct2024 - I was going to record the riffs in the Grade 2 modules as part of my Grade 2 consolidation, when I realized that I had never recorded the Grade 1 riffs. So here are my Grade 1 riff recordings:

Peter Gunn Theme riff

Seven Nation Army riff

Sunshine of Your Love riff

Come As You Are riff

I had learned the riffs originally on the acoustic guitar, but decided to record on my Strat, since I don’t have as much playing time on the electric while working on my grade 2 songs for consolidation. I can spot places to improve my playing in each of these recordings, but since this is supposed to be grade 1 riffs, I will move on, especially since I will be revisiting some of these riffs in the full song later.

[Silvia80]

@SteveL_G99

I think that I see smoke coming from my ears

Be reassured Steve that I well know the feeling in the end I was so desperate that I thought “ok if I have to race with myself I’m gonna run and have fun with it!” Races are fun

[bkennedy74]

Nice work Steve. I am about to record and post up some stuff for my consolidation of grade 1 also… thanks for the vids

[SteveL_G99]

8Oct2024 - Now I really have to focus on my 10 songs to record for Grade 2 consolidation. I think my problem is that I have already set the bar high by playing just a few grade 3 songs after weeks of practice in the last couple of years focusing on one song at a time. Now I need to do 10 songs and I feel that I need to maintain the same level of playing for 10 songs with just 30 minutes of practice each day. The other challenge that I face is actually deciding on the 10 songs. I tried to put together a list of songs based on the criteria of songs recommended by the app grade 2 modules and for the website grade 2 modules. I mostly limited the songs to grade 2 songs from Justin Guitar Beginner books 1 and 2 and with song lessons on the website, but most importantly songs that I enjoyed playing on the guitar. The more I looked and played the songs, the larger the list grew. I ended up with 20 songs on the list, until this morning when I added Save the Night to the list. Here is my list of candidate songs:

Grade 2 candidate list for 10 songs to record

Can’t Help Falling in Love
I’m a Believer
I Want to Hold Your Hand
Free Fallin’
One
Killing Me Softly With His Song
Blue Suede Shoes
Please Forgive Me
Mustang Sally
Brown Eyed Girl
Hallelujah
Wonderwall
Before You Accuse Me
You Really Got Me
(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay
Dakota
That’ll Be The Day
Redemption Song
Have You Ever Seen the Rain
If It Makes You Happy
Save Tonight

I need to reduce the list to ten songs, since I want to finish by the end of the year. I already made a chord-lyric sheet for Save Tonight and the chords are easy, but that is one that I might save until later, until I perfect the complicated strumming pattern that Justin uses in the demo. I can further trim the list by trying to sing all the songs and pick the songs that are easiest for me to sing. I also would like to choose a list of songs that demonstrates most of the different techniques in Grade 2. One of the songs is grade 1 and a few are grade 3, but are listed as songs to do in the grade 2 modules to demonstrate a specific technique. So I will do all of that and try to get the final list so I can focus on the songs and start recording soon.

[SteveL_G99]

13Oct2024 - I finished playing all 22 songs (add 1) in my Grade 2 song candidate list this week and checked for ease of singing, which is important if I want to sing all 10 in a single day. Here is the results:

Grade 2 candidate song list for 10 songs to record for Grade 2 consolidation

 __________

Songs that made the cut for my 10 song list:

Can’t Help Falling in Love - in my vocal range (using capo 2 of song lesson) - 6:8 finger picking

One - in my vocal range - interesting strum pattern with chord alterations

Please Forgive Me - in my vocal range - interesting persuasive strum pattern

Have You Ever Seen the Rain - in my vocal range - 2 4 accent strumming

I’m a Believer - I can sing in lower vocal register with capo 4 - a song from my childhood - has a fun intro riff

Free Fallin’ - vocal range just a little high, but I wan’t to include this one, I heard a (professional?) busker at a resort playing that (practicing at a music stand on the Hilton Head Island inland harbor) and vowed to play it someday.

Mustang Sally - can sing in lower vocal range with capo 3 - bluesy song with lots of growing potential

Hallelujah - can sing in lower vocal range with capo 3 - 6:8 strum - grade 3 song that is listed in grade 2 song list

(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay - vocal is slightly high by wanted to have song with pushed chords

Redemption Song - can sing in a lower register - grade 3 song that is listed in grade 2 song list

 __________

Songs that I like to play, but dropped from the 10 song set list:

I Want to Hold Your Hand - vocals is too high - would make good GarageBand project

Killing Me Softly With His Song - I’ve recorded 3 times, so I wanted to record something new

Blue Suede Shoes - vocals is too high

Brown Eyed Girl - vocals is too high - riff is difficult on my acoustic can’t reach higher frets 15-17 on my guitar - would like to do later with acoustic guitar only set

Wonderwall - vocals is too high - Justin doesn’t even sing in his video - will do later as part of an acoustic guitar set with no vocals

Before You Accuse Me - I would prefer to work more on this acoustic blues song

You Really Got Me - electric power chords - save for later electric project

Dakota - vocals too high - have plans for project with electric guitar and acoustic

That’ll Be The Day - vocals too high, also added to list recently and haven’t practice much

If It Makes You Happy - chorus vocals too high, but will do later as acoustic guitar only

Save Tonight - would like to work more on acoustic strumming version

Man in Black - I had thought about adding this to the list since it is in my vocal range and introduces a new strum, but I added it so recently that I decided to work on later. I was motivated to add when a guitarist in a Johnny Cash tribute band moved into my neighborhood recently.

This whole exercise keeps reminding me of the Loving Spoonful song from the 60s:
‘Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind. (FYI - this song was a little retro sounding when it charted, in the same vein as some of Herman’s Hermit’s songs, but the beat and the guitar is very early 60s pop).

[TheMadman_tobyjenner]

Some good songs in both lists, that will stretch you Steve. And you can always come back to list 2 at a later date. Above all else have fun learning them.

[Helen0609]

Hi Steve, whenever I read your log entries, I see your very well focused approach to learn and progress! I admire the perseverance you have with all your efforts to consolidate your skillset.
Obviously you are able to use those 30 minutes of practice you only have per day very effectively. I need much more than 30 minutes a day to get along. Although I follow a structured daily routine.
Keep on with the good work!

[SteveL_G99]

Hi Andrea, thanks for taking the time to read my learning log. Fortunately, I am entering the time of year when the sun rises later and I have more time in the morning. I can extend my practice time to 40 or 45 minutes. This week I have been playing each of the 10 songs for 4 minutes, which takes about 45 to complete when including the transition time between songs.

[SteveL_G99]

16Oct2024 - I wanted to use the Singing & Playing At The Same Time practice tips from Grade 3 Module 20 while I practice the Grade 2 songs for my 10 song set for consolidation. I have made a table that I can print and use for scheduling my practice items:

Thanks to @rklein for the inspiration and format for this table in his Bobbaroo’s Learning Log. I read this post in Sept. 2023 when it was first posted to the community and I was practicing Module 19 in Grade 3. It is funny to me that it has taken me this long in my glacial progress to reach the point where I can put this idea into practice.

It is easier for me to have a printed table in my practice notebook, instead of taking the time to start up my laptop.

[dobleA]

Hi Steve, good you set aside some time for recording the Grade 1 riffs. I can see that note duration accuracy is a second nature for you. Leyenda or Asturias is an entertaining piece to play. I can hear clearly the reference to it on the Iron Maiden’s song (by the way one of my favourite bands as a teenager). This song actually I think has multiple references or themes being played in succession.

Everyone can organize his or her practice the best way that works for him or her, but for me I think it works well to have some beforehand planning as you do. Good luck with your consolidation songs.

[SteveL_G99]

29Oct2024 - I am continuing to practice the ten grade 2 songs for consolidation in a systematic way. I have already partially memorized the chord progressions. That is, I can play through the chord progressions without looking if I refresh my memory at the beginning of each song. But I will need a lot more practice to memorize all ten without looking once.

I have organized all the rhythm patterns. I am trying to use the rhythm patterns suggested in the video lessons and in the song books. Here is a list of rhythms I will use roughly organized by complexity. I won’t try to give the rhythm notation. The UD notation gives me what I need to remember the rhythm:

I am using x to represent a percussive strum. I thought the strumming pattern for Redemption Song and Mustang Sally was the same until I looked more closely at the strumming patterns shown in the beginner book. I noticed the rest symbol over the 2nd beat of the strumming pattern for Mustang Sally and thought that a percussive strum would provide a distinct percussive mute after the first chord.

I highly recommend the beginner books for all beginners. I found it very convenient for learning the songs. You can get them on the JG website store or purchase them via Amazon online.

I’ve got a pretty good memory for melody and rhythm, so I find the more complex rhythm of Free Fallin’ fun to play. When I was practicing the rhythm for Free Fallin I thought to myself that the rhythm reminded me of another song. I don’t remember titles or lyrics that well, so I played the song that I remembered in my mind a few times until the word “we just disagree” came to mind. Sure enough that is a song by Dave Mason. The first of the two 16 note rhythm patterns is repeated at the beginning of the song “We Just Disagree” except the strum over beat 4 is left out, which I figured out by listening to the actual song on YouTube. It was the slow “triplet” type of strumming pattern at the beginning that triggered the memory.

[SteveL_G99]

11Nov2024 - I have just completed my one week per month of Classical Guitar, taking a break from learning the ten Grade 2 songs for consolidation. I practiced several songs in the Warner Claasical Method book 1, but mostly focused on the Minuet in G since it had a lot of Major G scale runs which gave good practice in working on clear fingerpicking tone and rhythm. This musical study was arranged as a duet and I practiced both the melody line and the bass accompaniment. I thought that this is a good time to learn how to use a video editor, so I learning how to use iMovie to create a split screen duet with me playing both parts of the duet. (note: old dogs can learn new tricks, even at the age of 69). I only had a week to practice so I am not up to normal performance tempo of around 110 bpm, just 60 bpm. I played both to Justin’s metronome app and carefully aligned the metroname clicks to sound like one click. Here is the result:

Minuet in G Duet w title SteveL 11Nov2024

If you want to hear it played a little faster you can adjust the playback speed, although playing back at the faster tempo can distort the sound some. I need to take off the watch next time before recording, but it does show that I recorded at 6:42 AM during my morning practice time.

One last thing I wanted to document. Each time when I start the one week of classical guitar in the month, I have to plan ahead to have some fingernail on my right hand, then shape and file before I start the lesson. I got an extra emory board from my wife and used to shape the nail after cutting to the approximate shape. I found information on fingernail shape and care on the Werner Guitar Method website:

I found that it is optimal to have a little less nail on the side of the fingernail toards the thumb side of the nail. This is because the hand is at an angle to the strings and the fingernails will pluck the strings at a slight angle. I haven’t mastered the fingernail shaping for best tone but I am still learning. Here is picture of my fingernail appearance prior to playing the Minuet in G piece:

I think that keeping the nails at this length also helps with Fingerstyle acoustic and acoustic blues solo playing.

[Silvia80]

Hi Steve, I’m happy to read and hear your Classical Guitar practice is going well, I found the Minuet to be very accurate…such a good exercise to play both parts and put them together, you certainly did a very good job on it! Have you practiced the Siciliano piece yet? I’m in love with that little piece! I also prefer not too long nails.

[SteveL_G99]

Silvia, thanks for reading and listening and your kind comments. I have practiced the Siciliano and the Farewell piece once as well as Malagueña piece a few times but I will need to wait until next month to get to know the songs better. I expect that I will spend a few months consolidating the techniques and getting my performance speed up to normal tempo.