What Are You Working On Right Now?

[TVvoodoo]

Healing.
Last Thursday I sliced a chunk off the side of my fretting forefinger with a big box knife, ceramic blade. Gauzed it all up and it eventually stopped bleeding and started to scab over. Two days later it doesn't feel right, throbbing and such. I poke around to find out it'sxa no-no to use gauze direct... sticks right into the wound and is bound to get infected like, real bad.

Tearing the gauze away on Sunday morning was one of the longest, more drawn-out painful things I have ever experienced.

Has been bound again with a non-stick pad, for a couple days with bit of antibiotic cream Just changing the dressing tonight, letting it air out a bit first. No guitar for me for at least a couple weeks. At least it's not hot and pulsing and seems to be moving along OK.

 

[Eagle]

The hell are you talking about?

The Selmar guitar.

 

[TSJMajesty]

The Selmar guitar.

Well that only took a year. Lol
I had to go back to see what the hell I was talking about!

What I meant was, Why are you saying the marker should be on the 10th fret?

 

[Eagle]

Well that only took a year. Lol
I had to go back to see what the hell I was talking about!

What I meant was, Why are you saying the marker should be on the 10th fret?

Because that is how they were originally.

 

[TSJMajesty]

So as I move into the next section of the Paganini piece, Moto Perpetuo, I've been stretching myself by learning..., I didn't realize that of the 2 versions of it that are "tabbed" out on Songsterr, the one I chose is an octave higher, and it takes you on up to the 29th fret on the high e!

Wait a minute...., my frets don't go that far!! ARRGGGHHH

So for this section, in addition to altering the tabs to make it actually playable on a guitar (many lines stay all on a single string, from the 22nd fret on down to the 2nd, and I'm no YJM), I first have to transpose it down 5 steps!

And since I've already learned a major portion of it, and I'm NOT about to transpose THAT, I figure I've just use the VC in the Axe III, for just that section.

But as I mentioned earlier, doing this sort of thing is really helping me improve my knowledge of the fretboard. So there's that.

And it still amazes me at NP's skill in creating melodies within the chords. This ain't no Taylor Swift, pop music for the masses, that's fer sure!

 

[gearJunkie]

working on a 6 pack of Lagunitas IPA

 

[duzie]

So as I move into the next section of the Paganini piece, Moto Perpetuo, I've been stretching myself by learning..., I didn't realize that of the 2 versions of it that are "tabbed" out on Songsterr, the one I chose is an octave higher, and it takes you on up to the 29th fret on the high e!

Wait a minute...., my frets don't go that far!! ARRGGGHHH

So for this section, in addition to altering the tabs to make it actually playable on a guitar (many lines stay all on a single string, from the 22nd fret on down to the 2nd, and I'm no YJM), I first have to transpose it down 5 steps!

And since I've already learned a major portion of it, and I'm NOT about to transpose THAT, I figure I've just use the VC in the Axe III, for just that section.

But as I mentioned earlier, doing this sort of thing is really helping me improve my knowledge of the fretboard. So there's that.

And it still amazes me at NP's skill in creating melodies within the chords. This ain't no Taylor Swift, pop music for the masses, that's fer sure!

Maybe you need a sky guitar like Uli lol

 

[TSJMajesty]

Maybe you need a sky guitar like Uli lol

Man I'm sitting here thinking, "Where are my glasses" enough, as it is, getting my pinky to land on the 24th fret!

I have a VC! I don wan no mo frets!

Plus, I'm realizing, albeit a bit too late for this workout, that by transposing shit downward somewhat, it gives me more options for how/where to play the highest parts.

Although tbh, that's not always a good thing....

There's this one run, starting way up on a high A (the 29th fret I don't have), that I played 4 different ways before I found the fingering I liked the best. It had to work its way on down to the Eb on the 6th string, so..., lots of choices as to how to finger it, and where the most comfortable position shifts would be for me.

Which is another thing- get it memorized, then start playing it a bit faster, and then it's like, Oh wait. Lemme change that part too.

 

[Warmart]

Man I'm sitting here thinking, "Where are my glasses" enough, as it is, getting my pinky to land on the 24th fret!

I have a VC! I don wan no mo frets!

Plus, I'm realizing, albeit a bit too late for this workout, that by transposing shit downward somewhat, it gives me more options for how/where to play the highest parts.

Although tbh, that's not always a good thing....

There's this one run, starting way up on a high A (the 29th fret I don't have), that I played 4 different ways before I found the fingering I liked the best. It had to work its way on down to the Eb on the 6th string, so..., lots of choices as to how to finger it, and where the most comfortable position shifts would be for me.

Which is another thing- get it memorized, then start playing it a bit faster, and then it's like, Oh wait. Lemme change that part too.

Very impressive, Tom - glad you found something uber inspiring to work on!

I moved on aftee Anthrax's Indians and stumbled upon Def Leppard's Coming Under Fire. Cool intro riff and it's fun, I think I'm out of the rut!

 

[TSJMajesty]

Very impressive, Tom - glad you found something uber inspiring to work on!

I moved on aftee Anthrax's Indians and stumbled upon Def Leppard's Coming Under Fire. Cool intro riff and it's fun, I think I'm out of the rut!

It's so much fun being able to play guitar! In whatever form.

 

[Stone]

Same thing, trying to get the "cleanish" part chord progression correct here --> Time Stamped

 

[TSJMajesty]

Holee crap this Moto Perpetuo just got super-difficult: Ascending major arpeggio starting on E6, 12th fret, descending minor arpeggio, repeat that, 1 octave higher, then 1 more E major arpeggio ending on E1, 24th fret, then working its way back down.

I suck at arpeggios, especially keeping notes from overlapping.

 

[Warmart]

Holee crap this Moto Perpetuo just got super-difficult: Ascending major arpeggio starting on E6, 12th fret, descending minor arpeggio, repeat that, 1 octave higher, then 1 more E major arpeggio ending on E1, 24th fret, then working its way back down.

View attachment 22393

I suck at arpeggios, especially keeping notes from overlapping.

Yikes=a=roni! I suck at arpeggios, unless they are slow like 80's metal intros

 

[FuzzyAce]

Last couple of weeks have been a slight break from the guitar. When I get the chance to play I've just been firing up the Pod Express with some headphones. It's a surprisingly nice sound, really enjoying it. Been keeping it on the Chime model and running a BK tube driver, Vox Cutting Edge, or Vox Mystic Edge. The unit takes pedals very well so far. So instead of working on song ideas I've been mostly trying out new sound combos.

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

I just got this UAD Plugin:

SSL 4000 G Bus Compressor Collection | UAD Audio Plugins | Universal Audio

Harness new features like Side Chain Filtering, Mix, and Headroom controls with the SSL® G Series Bus Compressor Collection. Learn more.

www.uaudio.com

...and this UAD Plugin:

Studio D Chorus | UAD Audio Plugins | Universal Audio

Add subtle spatial effects and movement to instruments and buses and enhance tracks with the Studio D Chorus Plug-In. Learn more.

www.uaudio.com

And fucking around with them in various mixes I have...

 

[PLX]

I just got this UAD Plugin:

SSL 4000 G Bus Compressor Collection | UAD Audio Plugins | Universal Audio

Harness new features like Side Chain Filtering, Mix, and Headroom controls with the SSL® G Series Bus Compressor Collection. Learn more.

www.uaudio.com

...and this UAD Plugin:

Studio D Chorus | UAD Audio Plugins | Universal Audio

Add subtle spatial effects and movement to instruments and buses and enhance tracks with the Studio D Chorus Plug-In. Learn more.

www.uaudio.com

And fucking around with them in various mixes I have...

Is that VST, or do you gotta have their proprietary hardware audio interface ?

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

Is that VST, or do you gotta have their proprietary hardware audio interface ?

That one (SSL 4000 G Bus Compressor) needs UAD hardware (Apollo).

SSL themselves has their version (of their own hardware product):

SSL Native Bus Compressor 2

SSL Bus Compressor 2

store.solidstatelogic.com

Waves has a similar product:

SSL G-Master Buss Compressor Plugin - Waves Audio

Modeled on the master buss center compressor of the SSL 4000 G console, the SSL G-Master Buss Compressor plugin captures every nuance of the original’s unique sound.

www.waves.com

The Studio D Chorus (Roland Dimension D) comes in Native & Hardware (Apollo), so you could grab that if you don't have UA hardware.

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

For bonus, here's a SSL G Bus Compress Shootout (2023) Hardware vs Plugins

 

[TSJMajesty]

I mention often that I work on keeping my notes from overlapping, and it's always something to do with my technique..., something that I never got right long ago, that I now have to fix, if I want to play cleanly. Which I'm obsessed with. I figure, I want to at least be able to play the stuff I can play, cleanly.

So a while back I learned the beginning riff to The Dance of Eternity, just cuz it's so cool, and a bit weird, timing and note choices and all. I'm playing it tonight and I realize when I play the 5/root notes on the A & E strings, or octave/root on the D & E strings (in the 7/8 measures)..., when I hit the root note, I'm getting this odd overtone, and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong, and it's driving me crazy!

I'm trying different amps in the Axe III, thinking maybe the amp isn't "tight" enough (but I have this voice in my head saying, "Remember dummy..., It ain't the gear. It's YOU!" )

I find the problem, and it's definitely my bad form: When I fret the note on the low E, I'm trying to keep my 1st finger low, to 'drape' across the A/D strings, so as to choke out the note on whichever of those 2 strings I just played, but I'm holding my finger just a bit too low, and it's trying to fret the note on the A string as I strike the note on the E string. Duh!

Back in my band-playing days, this never caught up to me for 4 reasons- I didn't really care, I didn't have my action this low, I didn't play a lot of high gain, and I rarely played single-note riffs that low. Although I don't really have my gain all that high for this riff. Just enough to give it some 'bite.'


Damn! Even keeping the simplest stuff tight, and articulate & clean..., the difference in finger placement can be measured in the tiniest fractions of an inch/mm. That's a huge reason why I SO respect the players who are super-articulate: They've put in the work it takes to play like that!

There's 2 things I have to focus on until they get "muscle-memorized" into my technique: Releasing the note on the A/D string only enough to choke it out, (which is very hard for me to do this low on the fretboard, since the difference between fretting and only muting a string is SO slight), while also making sure I don't drape my 1st finger too hard onto the A string. Which won't matter, if I do the first part right!

Gotta keep that thumb behind the neck a bit more.

One part of this that I am encouraged about is, I've gotten a lot better at keeping my fingers right above the notes, since I've practiced fixing that bad habit (lifting my fingers way too far off the strings) quite a lot these past couple years with this riff:

and playing single note, Maj7 arpeggios across the top 4 strings. VERY helpful!

 

[TSJMajesty]

Here's a great example of something to practice in just lifting your finger (in this case, the pinky) only far enough off the string to choke it out. It's a bit further in that YJM riff I posted above:

It wasn't tabbed this way, and I bet Yngwie doesn't play it using the open strings like I have it, but basically you choke out the 2 notes preceding the open string notes, by barely lifting your pinky.

Or maybe even more correctly, what I do right after I play the note before the open string notes, is simply relax my hand. And the fingers stay on the string, choking out the note I just played.