[Jim]

After the debacle I posted last weekend, I hope to redeem myself - at least to some extent - with this.

Last November my friend (the same one that is friends with Les Paul's producer/Guitar tech and who got me in to see Les without waiting on line....) recorded this backing track for us to practice over - and named it "Little Blues". It's a simple A7 based blues progression but (I think) pretty well played and recorded (including guitar, bass and drum machine). This one is also a LOT shorter - less than 3 minutes!

After the plain backing track I've uploaded what I think are the two best takes I did over it earlier today (way earlier -- I'm spent a lot of time listening so I don't repeat my last mistake. ). I couldn't decide which of these two takes I liked better, so I'm posting them both. They both use the same thematic material (yes, these are based on a melodic theme I came up with) but with a little different treatment and flavor.

They're both played with my Clapton Strat through my Digitech RP80 effects processor. I think my fingers are finally getting used to playing on the strat, as they have become on the Les Paul.

I really (really) hope you enjoy both the backing track (and I hope others do some takes over it) as well as my playing over it. I'm learning - and I thank those that helped me learn last week - special thanks to Ben! )

Jim

[nocat]

Excellent recording and mixing Jim...!!! You are pacing the song nicely, taking your time
and not trying to fit a bazillion notes in it, IMO the true mark of a blues player...!!!
Well done Bro...!!!

Will be back with a go at this... Hope I can do it justice...

Cheers
Ben

[Kirk Lorange]

Good work, Jim. You're following the changes, playing melodic lines and, most importantly, not just letting some scale/pentatonic pattern take over and become the solo. I wouldn't mind hearing a bit less overdrive on the guitar, but that's just personal taste ... the main thing is that you're looking for melody and finding it.

[Jim]

Thank you Ben and Kirk!

I must say that I was nervous that I wouldn't get any feedback - which is the worse kind of feedback (I'm sure you know what I mean)...

I took Ben's very constructive words from last week to heart and kept listening and feeling that progression until a melodic flow became apparent to me. I hope as I progress that process will take less time and eventually it will be possible for me to do on the first playing of any piece. I've composed a lot of classical style music, but that is so different in process (at least to me) from improvisation. I always wondered how people could improvise so well on the spot (including classical composers like Beethoven and Mozart), and it's taken me to mid-life to start getting a grasp on it... But better late than never.

And yeah...this EC strat has got so much built in overdrive that it was hard not to exercise it (and I only had it at 7/10). But still I probably went a bit overboard...

Thanks again - your critiques me a lot to me.

Jim

[nocat]

Here's my poor attempt at trying to make something work on this cool backing track...!!!

Pardon the flubs, I did it all in one shot and didn't edit it at all... And I think it shows..!!

But it was fun as all heck... Thanks for the opportunity Jim...

LittleBenBlues.mp3

Cheers
Ben

[Jim]

Originally Posted by nocat

Here's my poor attempt at trying to make something work on this cool backing track...!!!

Pardon the flubs, I did it all in one shot and didn't edit it at all... And I think it shows..!!

But it was fun as all heck... Thanks for the opportunity Jim...

LittleBenBlues.mp3

Cheers
Ben

Great playing Ben!!! Heck, that's pretty darn good for your 'poor' attempt - and in one shot. I've never even tried editing my playing...that is something I should learn to do because I definitely have flubs in mine (I couldn't hear any in yours - so there's nothing to pardon!). It shows what a great player you are - I hope to be able to play that effortlessly some day, but I think it will take a while for me to get where you are.

Thanks for contributing - it was really fun hearing your take on it! Great job

Jim

[Jim]

Kirk said he wouldn't mind hearing a bit less overdrive on the guitar - so I did another take today with a cleaner sound and some different melodic material. I also experimented with adding in some extra color that I think adds to the feel of this little blues piece. I agree that a lot of distortion and blues in this case just don't seem to go together and so, I took Kirk's advice, and also listened to Ben's take and I think learned some from how he treated this. I know bends and vibrato are essential in the blues, but I think I overused them and perhaps abused them by not being careful enough about how and where I applied them.

So here's a much cleaner, and a little more colorful (I hope), little blues!

Many thanks to Kirk and Ben - and to all who have given me feedback and advice in the past - for helping me learn what it means to play the Blues...

Jim

[nocat]

You totally grooved that one...!!! Very well done Jim... On your way to becoming a monster...!!! :o)

BTW, You gave it a very cool Rag-time feel... I love it...!!!

Cheers
Ben

[allthumbs]

That last take fit the feel of the tune much better Jim. Congrats.

[Jim]

Thank you both so much!

I am indebted to musicians like yourselves for any progress I've made. That take did FEEL good when I was playing it, and parts even seemed effortless - I think that's a good sign...

Jim