Thread: Guitar Showdown Anyone?

Okay, i didn't read the entire thread here, but what are we doing this week, i may partake if i have time.

Give me the lowdown on what the task is.

Pretty sure it's a rock solo of your choice. Original or otherwise.

Originally Posted by CoLd BlooDed

Pretty sure it's a rock solo of your choice. Original or otherwise.

I'm definitely in for that.

I think i'll do a segment from Free Bird if i can, i'll have to practice of course. If not, i'll just do Walk this Way, i mean its sort of a solo, more compiled of riffs, i don't know.

I'll make my mind up.

Okay, first off, sorry to double post.

Second off, i know some may beg to differ, but i think that the themes for this week is getting a bit too cornered into a specific area, and i don't want it to continue like this. Yeah, play your favourite rock solo, it sounds fun and cool i must admit,

However, i do believe it is a bit unfair on some because some of us may prefer say Jazz over Rock, now this puts a bit of an unfair advantage on others, and playing your favourite rock solo can be quite unfair because there is going to be someone who plays a fast, shredded piece or what not that will likely appeal to most when in fact, others may be more technical.

I think its best if we keep this restricted to areas in which we all find challenging, the voters are not always going to vote based on musical features or style, its whether it sounds good or not to the majority. So, maybe if we could focus on challenges from now on that we all will find hard, i'll do my best to make it work out, and i'm sorry if any of you disagree, if you strongly disagree with what i am saying, just say and we can probably negotiate something.

I just want these competitions to be as fair as possible so that everyone has an equal chance, what sounds the best can often be deceiving in terms of the musical talent which has gone into it.

I think it should be challenging to anybody, but at the same time give the opportunity for everyone to shine through. and what you do is rotate the styles.

week1: Rock solo

Week2: composition.

Week 3: Folk

Week 4: Funk.

Week 5: shred.

Week 6: jazz.

etc etc. every week we each unanimously vote for the next task.

Okay, sounds cool to me.

Well as soon as this weeks competition is over we'll sort things out further. Btw ranma, for this week, can we layer our own backing for the solo? I got one in mind but i need the chords and possibly a virtual drum kit to make it sound right to the beat.

Yeah man All i did was find a midi backing. i edited it in guitar pro. and used audacity to record the harmonies.

Great stuff, if i have time to get it done i'll do it, still gotta learn it yet

Thanks for letting me know

Yeah, I think the themes have been pretty diverse, so far. We've had a Funk week, a "Compose Your Own" week, and now we're in a Rock Solo week, so we've been jumping around a good bit. I like the aspect of doing all types of genres. Inevitably, some people will be more comfortable than others, in certain areas. That just means that the rest of us are going to have to step it up, whenever we're venturing into something that's unfamiliar to us.

Personally, I've seen Ranma's vid already, and I think he's going to be REALLY hard to beat. But my selection is already, hands down, the hardest thing I've tried to learn to play so far, and I'm putting a lot of time and effort into it, so I think that anyone who wants to can try to adapt to anything, even if it's completely out of their element.

When is the deadline for this one? I still got quite a bit to learn of mine but its getting there which is good, i could probably have it recorded tomorrow providing i learn it in time.

Originally Posted by Lucid Seeker

When is the deadline for this one? I still got quite a bit to learn of mine but its getting there which is good, i could probably have it recorded tomorrow providing i learn it in time.

We're going to use Stephen's idea of week-long assignments, so everyone gets a chance to work on their projects to perfection. This one will be due before I open the voting thread on Monday - so, Sunday, just to be on the safe side.

Okay, i'll see what i can put together for then.

Though i can understand why a week would be more appealing and more attractive especially to those who maybe find it difficult to put things together straight away, but i disagree with the approach. In some cases, it is literally down to using your first or second take. My initial idea was for these to be quick and snappy so that it not only motivates people to get it right the first time, but it prevents people from over-rehearsing it to perfection, some people may find it harder to perfect than others.

It works for this weeks task, but say if we were coming up with an improvisation or what not, for example the blues idea i had, that does not need a week for completion, i don't like the idea of it because it in a sense allows people to practice something and then call it improvised even though it was perfect through previous rehearsments.

Its okay for this week, but it think we should change the structure a bit depending on the task because a week is a bit too much for some and it can make things a bit unfair, at least if the time in shortened it will help people improve how quickly they an generate ideas and project them.

I definitely agree with that, especially when it comes to the improvised contests.

On the other hand, though, it does work both ways. If we were to give too little time to, say, an open type of project like a "play a folk track" (or whatever) then there are some of us who may have a song that they've already played and perfected over years, while others will be playing something for the first time, should they choose to enter.

Either way, there's always going to be some sort of bias, but you're right, the timing should depend on the project. I didn't even think about the improvisation thing.

Okay.. this week's task "Classic Rock".. not really my thing at all, but I've had a go in the spirit of the thread, and here's my entry:

http://media.putfile.com/Little-Wing-29

It's a version of the Hendrix classic "Little Wing".. just two tracks, one rhythm, one lead, with 4-5 "fluffs" that I have left in.. I couldn't be bothered to edit out the mistakes. Done in just one take each track. I start off as the original solo, and then morph into improv.

Sorry, won't be taking part this week either. I've been playing a lot, but to be honest, i am no match to any of you in many of the chosen areas, i'd rather not make a fool of myself. I'm also not the learning of existing songs type, i just practice and do my own thing.

Oneiro, that sounded pretty darn good, i really like Stevie Ray Vaughans take on Little Wing, much more that Jimi's in fact.

Well this was the best I could do. Just did a couple takes over the last little while. I really need a direct input for better quality, though. Damn all you with your professional equipment.

Welcome Home Solo

This is me playing Welcome Home by Coheed and Cambria. If I had a camera you could see how fast my fingers have to go on some parts, including the buildup to the pinch harmonic parts. The whole lead guitar in this recording is actually me, no matter how intergrated it may sound with the song. I kept playing after the backtrack stopped just to prove that.

It'll do.

Nice one CB..

Have you got a jack converter (1/4 inch female to mini jack) for your DI? Very simple and cheap. That's all I use, but I do DI out of my amp, which has two DI outs: a standard mike one, and a 1/4 inch stereo out, which is the one I use for PC DIing and recording.

Now.. where's everybody else? O? TJ? Ranma?

Awesome, CB.

TJ is sitting this one out, and I will be ready soon. I'll be posting my vid and starting up the vote thread within the next couple of hours. In the meantime, what do you guys think we should start on as this week's assignment?

Ranma's is already ready. He posted it to me in pm, so I'll put it up, when I start the vote thread.

I've got an idea for next week, O, which I think will bring back TJ and pj into the fold, and which will also present a level playing field for all participants: it's Latin Jazz improv.

To explain: I've recorded a backing track of a simple latin jazz composition. Participants could all download the same track and have carte blanche to do what they want as guitar accompaniment.. how about that? I don't wish to impose this if the general concensus is against it, but I do feel it would push people away from the comfort zone, and prove to be a worthwhile exercise. What does everybody think?

I'm definitely for it. We'll see what the others think.

Originally Posted by Oneiro

I've got an idea for next week, O, which I think will bring back TJ and pj into the fold, and which will also present a level playing field for all participants: it's Latin Jazz improv.

To explain: I've recorded a backing track of a simple latin jazz composition. Participants could all download the same track and have carte blanche to do what they want as guitar accompaniment.. how about that? I don't wish to impose this if the general concensus is against it, but I do feel it would push people away from the comfort zone, and prove to be a worthwhile exercise. What does everybody think?

Are we actually going to do this blues one or are we going to keep putting it off Its as though it keeps being allocated as the one we will do next.

Ah, no. I actually forgot about that one.

So, that's the one we're going to do this week. What are the terms?

Oh yes.. I forgot about that one too.. so you're back in, LS? Good.

So..what's the set-up?

Ok, now wait a minute...I'm going back through the entries to write up the vote thread, and I'm seeing all this about "classic" rock, as opposed to just "rock solo," which I thought it was?

Is this a "classic rock solo" task, or just "rock solo"? because I learned the solo for the Stricken song that I played for the Rhythm Contest, which is more hard rock / metal.

...cool?