MY MUSIC (Usually at at Soundclick)
My General Soundclick Page: see below for links to specific recordings.
Just click on the song title to link to the music on Soundclick or Box.net which will open in a seperate window.
Test Rvb Delay LE SCXD : Testing out Reverb and Delay in Vox Tonelab LE plugged into the clean channel of a Fender Super Champ XD. Improv over Backing Track "Marooned" from Gilmourish.com with no attempt to copy the original. I'd sold a modelling amp recently and was wondering whether to replace it. Combining the old Vox Tonelab LE with my Super Champ XD makes me think I don;t need to. This recording was just a test adding some subtle reverb and delay to the amps own sound.
I Just Hear the Fish Man : Early test of a Breedlove Pursuit Concert acoustic guitar with a Fishman Isys on board electrics plugged into a Fishman Loudbox Mini acoustic amp. Just a gentle meander in DADGAD to see how the notes sound. Haven't really used an acoustic guitar through an acoustic amp much. A bargain price Breedlove set the ball rolling. Undersaddle pickup so I'm having to get used to the notes cutting off as soon as a string stops vibrating.
Old Gear Slow and Low Down : Improv in Bb on a Dave Lockwood JamTracksCentral backing track. Vintage Lemon Drop, Vox Tonelab LE, Fender SuperChamp XD. Old gear indeed. I've been neglecting electric guitar and been wrapped up for a long time in playing acoustic. Tried to kick start playing electric again with some newer gear and no joy. Got the old Vox Tonelab LE out and plugged into the clean channel of the SuperChamp XD amp. A long way from good, but at least the tone and notes started to flow a bit again.
Canine Pursuit : Improv in DADGAD. Trying out a new guitar - a Breedlove Pursuit Concert. Was too tempting at a very reduced price - really enjoying the sounds from it and it's a very different voice to my other acoustics. Dual Mic Avantone CK-1 and AKG 300C. Open windows in summer don't help microphone recordings. Plenty of birdsong here! There is also a dog barking in the background, fortunately not loud enough to intrude too much. It started barking when I hit the record button and didn't stop until about 15 seconds after I had stopped recording and put the gear away!
Am9 Spider Time : Improv on Lowden S32 acoustic with Spider Capo at 5th fret on strings 1,3,4,&6. Giving Am9 "open" tuning. Avantone CK-1 Omni microphone. The spider capo got me into being able to try to play improvs on acoustic guitar. The spider hadn't been used for many months and this was a recording that resulted when it got fished out of a drawer to be used again.
White Spanish Wine Needs a Fridge Iain :Improvisation on acoustic guitar using a spider capo. Standard tuning with capo at second fret on strings 1,2,5,and 6. Phrygian. Lowden S32 guitar recorded with an Avantone CK-1 Omni microphone. The spider capo was what got me into playing improvs on acoustic guitar, but I hadn't used it for months and never on the Lowden. Thought it was time for giving it another try.
Dusk : An attempt at composing a simple tune in DADGAD. Lowden S32 recorded with dual microphones, one omni, one cardioid. Trying to get better at writing tunes - DADGAD tuning works better than standard tuning for this. But the guitarist me is frustrated at the shortcomings of the composer me, and vice versa. Those two parts of me end up glaring at each other in mutual dislike.
DADGAD Dawn : DADGAD semi improvised tune. Lowden S32 recorded with Avantone CK-1 Omni microphone attached to the guitar with an ExplorAudio Gordon Giltrap H-Clamp. A little Reverb added.I've been trying to get a way of recording acoustic guitar that allows me to sway and move around a bit. As I've a few acoustic guitars it's an expensive option to put good pickups in them all. The H-Clamp fits the bill but needs a microphone that works up close - I think the Avantone CK-1 works fine on it using the OmniDirectional capsule.
Barren Island : Self penned tune / arrangement in DADGAD. Lowden S32 with Vintage Viator on Rhythm and as a simulated Acoustic Bass. Using a new Avantone CK-1 Microphone with OmniDirectional capsule.
Those Times Have Long Gone : A self penned piece called "Those Times Have Gone" evolved into this. a pair of Oktava Mk012 microphones used for recording the Lowden S32. The tuning is Csus2.
Early Days on the Open C : Improvisation on the Lowden S32 acoustic. Tuned with Open Csus2. It's early days playing with the tuning and first attempt at a recorded improvisation.
Cold Spring Rain : DADGAD. Attempt at a self penned tune. Lowden S32. Continuing to try to write my own tune. Pretty hackneyed progression/chords and very simple melodic line. Even simpler due to no stretches for notes as my fretting hands little finger is painful.
Put it Back in the Fridge Ian : Third of a trio of rare electric guitar outings in a few months. Improv with PRS SE on David Wallimann backing track "Phrtgian Groove in B". SuperChamp XD amp.
Holly Wouldn't Blues : Electric guitar for a change. Improv with Hagstrom Viking Deluxe on Jam Tracks Central Backing Track "Hollywood Blues". SuperChamp XD Amp.
The Photo Dies : Self penned song in open G. Not the most cheerful one I've done I'm afraid. Lowden S32 double tracked for rhythm and fills. Encountered some lyrics jotted down a few years ago. They didn't seem to get any musical ideas going back then but this time creating a musical structure was rapid. Guess it shows you shouldn't throw away ideas if they don't work at once.
Parcel of Rogues : A guitar only instrumental arrangement of an old Scots Trad song (NOT by Robert Burns) called "Just a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation". Lowden S32 supplies guitar and percussive sounds. Based loosely around Jim Tozier arrangement in DADGAD.
Rabbit from a Hat : A rare excursion into electric guitar in these days of mostly acoustic playing. Improv with a PRS SE Soapbar on a Backing Track in F Minor from JamTracks Central called "The Conjuror" (by Paul Harvey). Right out of practice with playing electric guitar or blues. Took the PRS SE out of its gigbag for the first time in about 4 months. Surprised how good it sounded through the SCXD and grabbed a BT off the hard drive to give a blues improv a quick whirl.
Don't Feel Down 2 : A DADGAD semi-improvisation, taking "Star of the County Down" as inspiration, changing it to 4 time instead of 3, adding notes, and changing phrasing. Slow and slightly melancholy piece to get benefit from the sustain and tones across the fretboard. Changing the style of a piece to slower with longer sustaining notes suits the Lowden S32.
St James Infirmary Blues : Simple arrangement of (an approximation of) St James Infirmary Blues.
Oran An Aoig - The Song of Death : Trying out a new Lowden S32. An arrangement in open G by Rob MacKillop of a cheerily titled trad Scottish tune. One of Burns's borrowed airs I believe.
O Jerusalem (Lowden S32) : Trying out a new Lowden S32. Trad, based on an arrangement by Martin Simpson in Open G. I've played this piece on other guitars - the Lowden lets me take a bit more time.
HOTRS Acoustic : Trying out a new Lowden S32. Thought this arrangement of a fingerstyle House of the Rising Sun in DADGAD suited the guitar even the way I play it. It's missing some of the more difficult fingerings of the TAB and I've taken some liberties with the timing.
The Lord Aboins Air : A guitar arrangement by Rob MacKillop of a 17th century Scots Lute piece. He calls it a "beautiful air with fine variations". That's when he plays it! At just over 4 minutes it has inevitable mistakes - can't manage without any. Played on the Tanglewood TW73.
Lost : DADGAD composition. Tanglewood TW73.
Yearning : Open G Improv on Tanglewood TW73. Newtone Heritage strings used on it for the first time.
Kesh Jig : Attempt at a Trad Jig. TW73 Guitar on Rhythm, Lead and Lower Lead. Octave Mandolin and Tannhauser Mandolin on Rhythm. Tenor Mandola on Lead and Rhythm. Based around a Steve Eulberg Lesson on JamPlay.
Waiting for L-Day : Early attempt at a composition in DADGAD. Tanglewood TW73 guitar. Probably influenced by playing a lot of 17th century lute arrangements for guitar recently. 60 days to wait before I can start playing a Lowden - a long 60 days.
Port Atholl : Attempt at playing an arrangement by Rob MacKillop of a 17th century Scottish Lute piece - Balcarres MS. Tanglewood TW73 Guitar.
Port Rorie Dall : Attempt at playing an arrangement by Rob MacKillop of a 17th century Scottish Lute piece - Straloch MS. Tanglewood TW73 Guitar.
Lady Lothians Lilt : Attempt at playing an arrangement by Rob MacKillop of a 17th century Scottish Lute piece - Panmure 5 MS. Tanglewood TW73 Guitar.
Blue Riben : Attempt at playing an arrangement by Rob MacKillop of a 17th century Scottish Lute piece - Wemyss MS. Tanglewood TW73 Guitar.
My Lady Binnies Lilt : Attempt at playing an arrangement by Rob MacKillop of a 17th century Scottish Lute piece - Wemyss MS. Tanglewood TW73 Guitar.
Lilt-Milne : Attempt at playing an arrangement by Rob MacKillop of a 17th century Scottish Lute piece - Wemyss MS. Tanglewood TW73 Guitar.
Shoes Rare and Good in All : Attempt at playing an arrangement by Rob MacKillop of a 17th century Scottish Lute piece - Straloch MS. Tanglewood TW73 Guitar.
Lady Lie Near Me : Attempt at an arrangement by Rob MacKillop of a 17th century Scottish Lute piece - Wemyss MS. Tanglewood TW73 Guitar.
Rosebery Murders : The lyrics of this song are a severely edited version of a poem by my wife, Sandra. It refers to a true incident, which resulted in the deaths of two gamekeepers and the hanging of two miners. Tanglewood TW73 guitar.
Rocky Road to Dublin : Attempt at the Trad tune "Rocky Road to Dublin" in a guitar arrangement by Steve Eulberg. Starts with just the TW73 guitar on rhythm and melody. Octave Mandolin and Mandolin join in later and show how important they are for this style of music.
Leaving : 3rd attempt at composing a "tune" on Acoustic Guitar. Tanglewood TW73, partial capo 4th fret strings 3,4 and 5. Ended up pretty much in the key of E it seems - there's A major, B major, A add2 and Esus2 when I look at it now.
Is Just Different Enough : Improv on Tanglewood TW73 - just a snapshot of a mood. Partial capo fret 4 strings 3,4 and 5, plus full capo fret 2. So effectively F#sus4 played "open". First half is sparse with maybe too few notes, second half has maybe too much chordal playing.
Where's That Teaspoon At : Slightly disorganised Jam made up on the spur of the moment - trying to do an acoustic blues. Tanglewood TW73 rhythm part and lead part Violin Bass. Can't get any enthusiasm to play electric guitar this year, and couldn't find any backing tracks that sparked anything. So had to try a DIY job, as I had a rare case of the blues wanting an outlet.
You Don't Know My Mind : Cover version of a Leadbelly song, influenced by the Hugh Laurie Version. TW73 Parlour Guitar, Tenor Mandola, Cittern. The percussive effects at the end come from hitting the bodies of teh Mandola and the Cittern. Revisiting a cover version of this song after an attempt a couple of years back that was a disaster. The previous attempts was with electric guitar. The move to acoustic instruments gives better possibilities.
Ramblin On My Mind : Trying to extend the use of my Gretsch Alligator Resonator and this seemed like a good possibility. Loosely based on a Hawkeye Herman version on JamPlay. I don't usually do cover songs.
The Lilting Banshee : Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Mandola, Mandolin, Octave Mandolin and Cittern in an attempt at a rendition of "The Lilting Banshee". Still early days in getting the hang of playing the mandolin family. Hadn't played my mandolin family much recently so this was a good excuse for giving them a whirl. Quite a repetitive tune, so tried varying instrument mix through the piece.
Is a Minor Blues Still There : Checking after several months of acoustic playing, will the blues still come calling on the electric guitar. Vintage Lemon Drop, with the dust wiped off. SCXD amp. Guitar Backing Track.com "Blues Backing in Am". Noticed the dusty Lemon Drop guitar and thought I'd give it a try for old times sake. Would it still find the blues for me?
The Chancellours Farewell : Attempt at a Trad 17th century Scottish Lute piece arranged for Guitar by Rob MacKillop. Tanglewood TW73 Parlour in DADF#AD tuning. Can't seem to manage a recording of it without a few errors so this is the least worst attempt. I did make some changes to the notes in the Tab (arthritic finger joints), and added a small amount of ornamentation.
Elvira Madigan : Cover of a folk song done by Mr Fox and written by Bob Pegg. It's been one of my favourites for a long time and now I'm playing acoustic I thought I should have a go. Tanglewood TW73 guitar, plus Violin Bass, and Mandolin. I do this with apologies to Mr Fox / Bob Pegg fans. My attempt is not a patch on the original, but it's a favourite of mine. I've recently started playing acoustic instruments and thought I should at least give it a try and enjoyed the recording process.
Fusion With a Twist of Cittern : Trying another style with a new Blue Moon Cittern to see what it'll do. Fusion this time. David Wallimann Backing Track in D. Two tracks with the cittern - one higher register notes, the other bass. Just being silly! Have put my Cittern into DADAD tuning and was leafing through backing tracks in D to see what might work. Much to my surprise it didn't sound too bad with this fusion track.
A Cittern at the Backdoor Blues : Trying out a Blue Moon Cittern and trying different styles. This is a Blues using Lawrence Fritts Backing "Backdoor Buzzer Blues" in D. Not been able to get anywhere playing blues with a guitar recently. Thought maybe a cittern would do? Is there a prize for the most silly instrument for playing along to a blues Backing Track?
A Mothers Lament on the Death of Her Child : Solo Guitar in Open G. A Celtic tune from the Patrick MacDonald collection arranged by Rob MacKillop, with ornamentation left up to the player. Tanglewood TW73 recorded on a Yamaha Pocketrak PR7 recorder. Enjoying the open tunings and enjoying the freedom Rob allows for interpretation and ornamentation. Though those two skills have a long way to go in my case - and getting a good flow to the music is so very tricky to achieve.
What Started Off as a Good Idea : Short song bewailing the ills arising from a big garden no longer suited to its original purpose. Tenor Mandola and Octave Mandolin accompany my croaky vocal. Recorded on a Yamaha Pocketrak PR7 with just a tad of tweaking in the DAW. The idea and some of the words hit me when I was mowing the lawn and was eyeing the yet to be completed demolition of the ivy that has rampantly engulfed a lot of the garden wall.
Rhonas Tune : Attempt at interpreting an arrangement by Rob MacKillop of a 17th century Scottish Lute piece. Played on the Tanglewood TW73 in open D tuning. I'm trying to learn about playing acoustic guitar instead of electric. My interest in open tunings and in Celtic music lead me to buy a book by Rob MacKillop - "The Scottish Guitar - 40 Tunes for Fingerstyle Guitar". It's an excellent book - one of the very best guitar books I've ever used.
Air Fa La La Lo : Trad song of the Celtic kind. Tanglewood TW73 acoustic and Hora Octave Mandolin, plus violin bass. Trying to explore Celtic songs now that I've been converted to acoustic guitar and acoustic music in general. A recently acquired Hora Octave Mandolin is proving to be great fun and adds a lot to the sound. Helped by studying a Steve Eulberg lesson about the song on JamPlay.
The Rakes of Mallow : Just a simple arrangement of Rakes of Mallow. Mandolin on melody, a cheap Hora Octave Mandolin just purchased, and an acoustic resonator both on rhythm, plus a violin bass.
Snippets : First attempt at a written / planned / composed tune on acoustic guitar in standard tuning. Helped by ideas for diad/triad shapes from Melodeus on Acoustic Soundboard forum. Tanglewood TW73 guitar.
In Search of a Tune : Another faltering step in trying to write a tune for acoustic guitar instead of relying on improv. Open G tuning on the Tanglewood TW73. Quite probably in search of a bridge too. I've a long, long way to go in trying to write tunes on acoustic guitar. It's so difficult to get the more relaxed style that I can manage in improvs. But I just need to keep trying to make these attempts less stilted - hopefully a small move in the right direction here.
Reflections : A simple improv in Open G on the Tanglewood TW73. Relecting on life, or more accurately death. The passages of repeating bass G with a steady beat is the tolling of the bell for the end of a life. 365 days ago, as near to the hour as possible. Nothing I could play would do justice to the subject - no tones I could play would be really suitable. So it's just a simple piece of improv playing while trying to capture the mood of the moment and attempting to channel thoughts of loss, passing of time and of final peace.
First Steps in Open G Part 2 : Tanglewood TW73. A week since I started trying to get to grips with Open G on acoustic with the intent of being able to improv / put together planned pieces. This is really just improv. Working around harmonised major scale shapes on strings 2,3, and 4. Also utilising doubled up octave strings - the 3rd string has the 5th; the 4th has both the 6th and 1st. Those harmonised scale shapes are there on those three strings in standard tuning but finding the notes to go with them is the much more complicated.
O Jerusalem : Attempt at an open G arrangement of "O Jerusalem" by Martin Simpson. A further step in exploring open and altered tunings using an instruction book of Martin Simpsons. Playing the Tanglewood TW73. Playing around with Open G generally at the moment and this was the one transcription in the book of a piece in open G. Probably I've played it too slow, but played faster means losing some of the resonances from the open tuning.
First Steps in Open G : As the title suggests. Early steps at trying to find music in Open G - other than that "Keef" sound. Tanglewood TW73 - my search of the open tuning being aided by some advice in a Martin Simpson instructional book/DVD. I'm finding acoustic guitars are really enhanced with open tuning in a way that electric guitars are not. The resonances from the droning and doubled strings bring so much sound from the wood of the guitar.
The Water is Wide : A first excursion into recorded acoustic folk music. Over a year since I last tried to sing - and boy does it show! The new Tanglewood TW73 on guitar duties plus a small bit of mandolin.
The Road to Lisdoonvarna : Attempt at a Mandolin / Guitar instrumental of "The Road to Lisdoonvarna". An East German Tannhauser Mandolin that was my late fathers, Tanglewood TW73 guitar and Hofner Violin Bass.
Peace for Them at Last : Tanglewood TW73 in DADGAD tuning. A 100% composed piece - which is a first for me with the acoustic guitar. My lack of experience has meant it's just a short recording. Exploring open and altered tunings. Thought I should try and compose and play a piece with no improv at all - 100% fixed notes. A first time experience for me.
Alligator Slides in the Swamp Blues : Attempt at slide in open D on Gretsch Alligator Acoustic Resonator. Lawrence Fritts Backing Track. So much more difficult to avoid clattering noises from the slide on an acoustic guitar! Been playing electric blues for quite a few years, but been converted to the sounds of acoustic guitars in just the last few months. Got nowhere with fingerstyle blues yet, so a slide blues in open tuning is my best bet on acoustic at present.
Em Maybe Knows Too : Second attempt at a (mostly) planned composed piece on acoustic guitar. Using a Tanglewood TW73 this time. Standard tuning but partial capo at 4th fret strings 3, 4 and 5. Follow up attempt to "Em maybe knows" - also on Soundclick, but not linked here. Trying to find my way in altered tunings and partial capo playing to get those extra resonances that suit an acoustic guitar so well. Had been looking at a Gordon Giltrap tab using this partial capo position and tried to bring some of the chordal ideas / harmonies to my piece.
Where Do I Go From Here : Tanglewood TW45 Acoustic Spider Capo on Am9 tuning (505505). Solo Improvisation - trying to transfer the mind cleansing power of the improv to the acoustic setting after so many years of doing that on electric guitar.
Eeee There's a Spider on my Alligator : Spider Capo on the new Gretsch Alligator Resonator. Trying a solo improv around an Esus4 tuning. Continuing my recent attempts to play acoustic guitars and not just electrics.
Alligator Blues : BluesBlast backing track in G. Trying for a laid back improv using two guitars - the Gretsch Alligator Resonator open G tuned and played with a slide, plus the Vintage V100 Lemon Drop on standard tuning. Trying to find my way around a Gretsch Alligator Resonator. Trying to remember how to play slide. Just an attempt at another step up the ladder of progress.Got so absorbed in the playing didn't realise it was over 7 minutes - too long really.
Spidery Amin : Tanglewood TW45 Acoustic. Improv with Spider Capo set at 505505 - Am9 open chord.
Spidery Phrygian Variations : Tanglewood TW45 Acoustic guitar. Spider Capo and a Phrygian tuning - GMaj7#11. 10 minutes trying out a few notes - then improvise something - one take, one track only. Trying something different - a challenge. Bit hesitant the first minute but I found it quite invigorating making it all up on the fly - I'm not usually a risk taker! Spider Capo holding down fret 2 on strings 6,5,2, and 1. Strings 3 and 4 left open.
Done Dealing : Backing Track in Am from JamTracksCentral that has some 7#9 thrown in for added interest. Improv is with the Vintage V100 Lemon Drop through the SuperChamp XD on a Blackface voice.
Sadness as Lemon Tears Drop : A short backing track from Kris Norris on JamPlay in E Minor. I'm playing the Vintage V100 Lemon Drop and using double delay on a Zoom G3X into a SuperChamp XD. E minor - which is one of my favourites. I liked the sound of the vocal (bit like Lisa Gerard) lines on it too. I can't put the V100 Lemon Drop down so I'm playing that and I've had another go at getting to grips with delay - a double delay this time - I thought delay would suit the song well.
The Sweeter Kind of Lemon : Nick Kellie backing track in Fm - just 4 repeating chords. Too tired to do work on a more difficult collab. So I turned to this to make some relaxed lead lines with the V100 Lemon Drop. Super Champ XD amp on Blackface voice.
My Lemon Drops Taste of Sorrow : Improv on a very basic 3 chord 8 bar backing track from playGuitar.com. Lemon Drop guitar x 2 : Lead panned right, Chordy bits panned left. Just the Super Champ XD and line out. First takes. First take means a horrible wrong note at 2:56 and a really bad bend at the end I'm afraid. But fun to do so I don't care too much!
Lose a Day on Tuesday : Improv on free backing track from Playguitar.com. Live one take track for each of two guitars. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe left and Vintage V100 Lemon Drop right. Quick and dirty approach and way short of being error free! The Wilkinson pickups on the Lemon Drop do a great job of competing with the massively more expensive Seymour Duncan / Seth Lover SH55 pickups in the Hagstrom!
Drop a Lemon into the Open Dustbin Lydian : A backing track from Kris Norris on JamPlay in Bb Lydian Augmented. Inspired to try it with a G3X patch posted on a forum. Two tracks of the Vintage V100 Lemon Drop guitar panned left and right. Not sure how to play in this mode and winged it - there's a section where I tried to play non scale notes and also detuned a string deliberately.
Onwards and Upwards With a Lemon Drop : Backing track from PlayGuitar.com - "Onwards and Upwards" in B Minor. Vintage V100 Lemon Drop guitar. Going for Happy Melodies!
A Fresh Start With Lemon Juice : Trying out a different style improv on a backing track with lots of delay. Lemon Drop guitar and delay pedal through Super Champ XD Amp on Tweed voice 2 and Line Out. Sounds much happier than my usual! Backing track from PlayGuitar.com
Ain't No Love so Have a Lemon Drop : Revisiting a backing track I used 5 months ago - "Ain't No Love" from JamTracksCentral. This time using the new Vintage V100 Lemon Drop guitar. Testing to see if I can get my "trademark" sound. I think I have, and I think it's brought a bit extra to it.
Ballad 61 With a Lemon Drop Neck : Continuing to play around with the new Vintage V100 Lemon Drop. This time on Neck Pickup through Super Champ XD using slightly driven Tweed setting. "Ballad61" backing track D Minor from GuitarVoice.com.
Hard Time To Drop a Lemon : I've recently acquired a New Vintage V100 Lemon Drop. Bit more overdriven than my usual. Bridge Pickup Tweed overdriven voice on Super Champ XD Line Out - no pedals. JamTracksCentral backing track "Hard Time Blues".
A Nother Blues : Basic blues in A. PRS SE (left) and Hagstrom Viking Deluxe (right) for variety of P90 / humbucker. Both through Super Champ XD with Hot Rod voicing and using direct line out recording. The rhythm guitar is on the backing track.
Dream On a Tweedy Aeolian : Melodic style improvising in Aeolian mode on a backing track called "Knopflers Glorious Dream" by David Wallimann. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe through the Super Champ XD with Tweed Voicing. I'd been wondering about needing lessons. Revisited this backing track I used two and a half years ago for a recording to check if I've made progress. I'm pleased to find the playing has improved.
G3X Test - Blues in G Minor : Testing a Zoom G3X pedal - and pleasantly surprised. David Wallimann backing track - Blues in G Minor - from GuitarPlayback.com The PRS SE P90 on neck pickup. Zoom G3X sim of Fender Deluxe Reverb with Spring Reverb Delay and a Cab Sim of a B-Breaker 2x12.
A Twisted Tangle(wood) with a Hag(strom) : A David Wallimann backing track called Twisted Minor has kept me interested over the weekend. Inspired by Tom Adams I dragged out my Tanglewood TW45 Acoustic. It swaps the lead role with the Hagstrom Viking Deluxe.
Lowdown Slowdown Blues : An improv on "Lowdown Blues" backing track from the Blues Variations collection at JamtrackCentral. Bb Major & has chromatic descending sevenths thrown in - a different spin - guess that's why it's in a BT collection with "variations" in the name. Been trying to use this backing track in a forum collab. Been a tricky one and it has caused my guitar playing to falter - so I lost my patience with it and went for it. This recording (with clams) is going to be IT for better or worse. Just the Strat into the SuperChampXD direct into the DAW.
Sunday Night Doom'n'Gloom Blues : Doom'n'Gloom Blues sets in on a Sunday Night with the help of a Jam Tracks Central backing track - "All the Way" from the Blues Variations Package - in G major. Strat through Hardwire Tube OverdrivePalmer Overdrive into SuperChamp XD and recorded by Microphone. No fx used in the DAW - what plays back is what came out of the amp speaker.
Looking for Calm : Looking for Calm in a David Wallimann Backing track "Hybrid Ballad" from GuitarPlayback.com. Minor and Major mix with A Aeolian and Eb Lydian modes. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe, Weber Micro Mass, Palmer O/D and Blues Junior III. Very tired - last few days before desperately needed holiday. A calming Backing Track from David Wallimann perked up my interest.
A Gentle Ionian Breeze : Gentle music hopefully, like a cooling light breeze on a warm day to soothe the brow. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe through Blues Junior III, and a backing track in E Aeolian by David Wallimann on GuitarPlayback.com.
Peel Me a Grape Blues : Just a basic improv on a backing track "Grapevine Blues" in G Minor from JamTracksCentral. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe and Blues Junior III. Trying out the new Blues Junior III with a Weber Micro Mass attenuator. No pedals and only a tad of delay added in the DAW.
A Prayer for Them : David Wallimann Backing track "Musical Prayer" from GuitarPlayback.com. The improv lead is in F# Aeolian and Phrygian. Playing the new Fender Blues Junior III amplifier. The Prayer from me is for my recently passed away Father and Uncle. After troubles with a warranty replacement amplifier - my SuperChamp XD replaced with an X2 - and my not liking the X2 sounds. Invested in a Fender Blues Junior III amp instead - a good enough reason for recording an improv on a David Wallimann Backing Track.
A Kind of Minor Workout : Improv on an A Minor backing track by David Wallimann at GuitarPlayback. PRS SE through the e-band function of a Boss BR80 Recorder. Just trying out the sounds in a Boss BR80 that has had more use from the e-band function than as a multitrack recorder.
Too Late for Love: Sometimes it's too late for everything. Improv in A Major on Jam Tracks Central "Ain't no Love" backing. PRS SE, P90s, Palmer Overdrive and SuperChamp XD. Not played much, and recorded even less, in the last month. The rustiness shows with some wrong notes and some not played cleanly. Hopefully the mood is there though - that was the intent.
No Thought in Aeolian : Trying out a Harley Benton delay pedal with a David Wallimann backing track "Aeolian Thoughts". Trying to have no thoughts while playing and go where the mood of the music takes me. Enjoying the sounds of a PRS SE P90 guitar after struggling with not getting a new guitar with P90s to sound any good. Only ever really used a small bit of delay before. Trying to use it more as a major effect here and maybe overdone it.
Eeee - a Minor Blues : Taking a mellow and laid back approach to "Blues All Round" an E minor backing track from JamTrackCentral.com. The PRS SE P90 panned right, the Hagstrom Viking Deluxe with SH55 pickups panned left. Just enjoying playing after wrestling with technical problems with amps and guitars for a few weeks.
Hardwire Jam in Minor and Major : The SuperChamp XD away back to Fender for repair. Dragged the VibroChamp XD out an hooked up the Hardwire O/D pedal to it for the first time and jammed along on the Hagstrom with a minor and a major backing track from JamTrack Central.
Peace for the Ancient : Stumbled on a Backing Track in A Major called 'Ancient Alien' by Nick Kellie, a teacher at JamPlay. Suited the laid back mood I was in. Trying out an A/B Y Box - the SG through both the SuperChamp XD and the VibroChamp at the same time.
Never Loved Champ : Improv in Bb on a Jazzy backing of I've Never Been in Love Before. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe into clean channel of Fender SuperChamp XD.
Sell Door to Door Blues : Lawrence Fritts BackingTrack - Door to Door Blues in F. My #1 guitar - Hagstrom Viking Deluxe - with no pedals, direct into SuperChamp XD on Blackface voicing with a bit of gain dialled in and reverb.
Clapped Out Beyond Belief : About the 3rd anniversary of my first upload of guitar playing into the internet. This revisits the same backing track. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe panned right, Strat panned left. Palmer overdrive and Fender VibroChamp XD. Each year I revisit this backing track. The basic theme is the same, but it's a sort of record of where my playing is. This one has my two currently favourite guitars taking turns. Both have had new pickups - SH55s in the Hagstrom and Chris Hernandez hand wound pickups in the Strat.
Burst Bubble Blues : Improv in A on a Lawrence Fritts Backing Track "Bubble Gum Blues". Hagstrom Viking Deluxe through Palmer Overdrive and Fender VibroChamp XD. Been feeling tired, sick and mainly playing mellow and laid back guitar. Got a bit more momentum this time and hit the record button.
A Minor Laid Back Blues : Very Slow Blues. Lead Improv on a Backing Track in Am from the Jamplay teaching site by David Wallimann - "Super Slow Blues". Hagstrom Viking Deluxe withSH55 pickups through Palmer overdrive and clean voicing VibroChamp XD. Looking for a laid back blues BT to try to unwind with. This one has such a strong rhythm guitar from David Wallimann had to give it a try. Difficult to do a strong enough melodic lead to compete with his guitar though!
Drifting on a Sunday : Very laid back playing minimal notes. D Minor with a blues edge. David Wallimann Backing Track from JamPlay - "Drifting in a Minor Dream" - D Aeolian. Attempting to chill after a stressful Saturday. Hagstrom mid pup setting, and PRS SE Slide Open D tuning through Palmer O/D and VibroChamp XD. Trying to take "laid back" as far as possible and drift dreamlike.
Slowl E does it blues : .Slow Blues in E improv on a backing track "Chicago blues in E, 72 bpm" from Bluesblast.com. Trying out the Hastrom Viking Deluxe with it's recently installed SH55 pickups - neck pickup on this recording. Fender VibroChamp XD on Hot Rod voicing and Palmer Overdrive pedal.
Age Old Blues : Playing the Hagstrom one night and enjoying the combination of the new SH55 pickups, the Palmer Overdrive, and the VibroChamp XD on a clean voicing. Just noodling around and ended up playing around in the key of E which I tend to do if I'm just playing the guitar on its own. Some lyrics popped into my head - .they came from the frustrations of viruses and chest infections and it had turned into this song by next morning. Single take of each track Guitar (Hagstrom) / Vocal / Slide (PRS SE in Open D) so as "live" as you can get with a multi-track recording.
Blues in G on an XD : Improv on a backing track called "jamtracks - track 04 G" from GuitarBackingTracks.com. Self Build Strat compressor pedal and Boss FBM-1 Fender Bassman pedal into clean voice Fender VibroChamp XD. Trying to avoid just single notes in the improv. I've always had the microphone very close to the speaker doing recordings in the past. Having seen what others have been doing this time I've tried the Microphone recording at around 30cm distance from Fender VibroChamp XD. Enjoying the easier bends on the 3rd string having recently changed back from a long spell using a wound 3rd.
See You, See Me, C Jazz Club : It's not Blues. And it's not really Jazz either. David Wallimann JamPlay backing track - "Jazz Club" in C. PRS SE Soapbar with Tonerider P90s (and upgraded wiring). Compressor, CM2 drive pedal, Nano reverb and Fender G-Dec 3 30. I like playing along to David Wallimann backing tracks - he has a skill in letting you play in a different genre while pretty well sticking to penatatonic and basic modes. Most of the "Jazz" sound in this recording comes from the BT.
Lost Memories Am : I stumbled upon a Nick Kellie JamPlay backing track called "Memories" and the minor key and mournful aspect fitted my mood and circumstances. Not so much blues in style - but blues in mood. A piece of improv played under the pall of a family members rapid descent into Alzheimers. Lost memories and lost identity. The PRS SE Soapbar through compressor, CM2 drive pedal, Nano reverb and the AC4TV recorded with a cheap microphone. The Tonerider P90s tones were up to reflecting my mood.
Cats a Sleeping in the Sun Blues : Slide Improv - Open D on Hagstrom semi-acoustic - using Lawrence Fritts backing track called "Snoring Cat Blues". Trying for a "Swampy" sort of tone / sound. Reminded that I'd not been playing any slide for a while - trying to summon up whatever I could remember and this resulted. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe Open D tuning through Compressor, Hardwire CM2 O/D and EHX Nano Reverb.
Thats More or Less It : Improv on a backing track in Am by puyyngwie on YouTube. The BT is a Gary Moore style. Tried to do a different version and not copy the original - which I couldn't do anyway. PRS SE through Vox Tonelab ST. Was noodling along to backing tracks on the hard drive - this one started sparking some melodic lines so I thought I'd record it.
A Two Day Easter : An improv over a Bluesblast.com backing track "hi_a_min_slow". I'm celebrating the end of a massive two day holiday at Easter - Saturday & Sunday! PRS SE with P90s compression, Hardwire CM2 pedal, nano reverb & Vox Tonelab LE. Wanted to do some longer ringing out notes to try to rid myself of the Sunday Evening feeling - heightened by a lot of other people having Easter Monday as a holiday. I'm afraid this is about the most I let my guitar of the leash.
Selfish Shellfish Blues : Trying for slow and a raw edge. Main lead guitar part panned right - slide panned left (damn - I've not been practicing slide and it shows). Blind Oyster Blues backing track by Lawrence Fritts. Trying to get that blues "attitude" smouldering at least a bit. Trying to get the two guitar parts to talk to each other a bit. Both guitar parts with the PRS SE (P90s) through Compressor, Hardwaire CM2 overdive, Nano Reverb and a clean Marshall sim on Tonelab LE.
So Slow Will it Flow : Talk on 12bar blues forum of slow simple blues and a few notes - this is probably slow enough and few enough notes. At the start you can almost go and make a cup of coffee between the notes! Backing track in A by John Tuggle.
Vamping Around on Gm13 : Vamp - first 12 measures Gm13 (G Dorian) and last 4 measures (Eb,Gm7,Eb,Gm7) are G Aeolian. "Minor Stream" Backing Track by David Wallimann at GuitarPlayback.com. Trying out some modal playing - PRS through compressor, hardwire cm2 overdrive, nano reverb, and clean marshall sim on Vox Tonelab LE.
Smokey Vamp Cm7 : C Dorian Vamp on Cm7 chord. Backing Track "Smokey Dorian" by David Wallimann at GuitarPlayback.com. Playing around with a new Hardwire CM2 overdrive pedal. For a challenge tried an improv on a one chord vamp.
On A Go Slow : Mellow Improv in key of A. PRS SE (P90s) panned right concentrating on Minor Pentatonic and Natural Minor, with home made Strat panned left doing runs on A Minor 7. "Slow Aeolian" backing track by David Wallimann (GuitarPlayback.com), I just like playing along to David Wallimann backing tracks - they make my musical taste buds water. Trying out the idea of mixing sections which just use notes of the minor 7 as a change in colour to the full Aeolian scale notes.
Slow Worm Blues : Improv on a slow blues in G7 from Jamtracks.ru. Trying to get a raspier edge to tone - PRS SE P90s helped by compressor pedal and Hardwire CM2 overdrive. I was playing the first chorus in a collaboration on a blues forum - got carried away and kept playing.
Smooth It Back : Improv on E Aeolian and B Phrygian Dominant backing track by David Wallimann (GuitarPlayback.com). Wistful smooth and mellow instrumental, trying for smooth changes between modes. Trying to play more improvs involving mixing of more than one mode. Trying for lots of space and pauses - smooth transition of scales - with sustain from the compressor and trying to make it tuneful. PRS SE + Compressor + Hardwire CM2 OD + Nano Reverb. Clean amp sim on the Vox Tonelab LE.
Oh Gee Major : Improv on Marty Schwarz Backing Track from GuitarJamz.com. In G Major Pentatonic with a dash or two of Ionian. Trying to get the resonances and getting enough variations on a simple two chord piece (G and C). Working at Major key improv to get it up to the same comfort level as minor. Continuing to try to develop use of compression and the new Hardwire CM2 pedal together. Playing the PRS SE. Tried to capture a vaguely Scots sound - I thought the backing track suggested the skirl and drone of the pipes.
Oh Gee Blues : A friend on the 12bar blues forum posted a great blues Band in a Box backing track. Improv with PRS SE trying for more sustain through Compressor, Overdrive and Reverb pedals into Vox Tonelab ST (amp/speaker sim only). Managed to find an ovrdrive pedal that suits me - the Hardwire CM2 overdive. Chained up with a compressor and getting gentle extra sustain. The Band in a Box backing track sounded much better and more musical than most backing tracks I've downloaded and I had to give it a go.
Pass It On : Jazzy backing track by David Wallimann has B Aeolian, A Aeolian, F Ionian and (help!) A SuperLocrian - so 4 modes and a mix of major and minor. An attempt to make melodic flow through the modes. When you're in a rut you sometimes seek a new challenge. 4 modes in the one piece WAS a new challenge. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe through my old Vox AD15VT on Blackface setting and direct line out to the PC interface.
A Weekend Dies : I hate Sunday Nights. They even make major key improvs sound sad. G Ionian backing track from David Wallimann at Jamplay.com. PRS SE lead improv over the backing track through a Boss GT8. Spent a chunk of Sundayafternoon just playing along to some backing tracks. Seemed to be easier going than recently. Went to do a recording late evening - I wasn't hitting sad notes like this earlier - must be my mood as Sunday draws to an end.
Bar Room Blues : Inspired by, but in no way an attempt of a copy of, The Sensational Alex Harvey Bands 'Gambling Bar Room Blues'. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe rhythm guitar, Hofner Violin Bass, and a bit of PRS SE lead. Was going to do a cover song - had been looking at St James Infirmary, then heard the Hugh Laurie version and thought that's an amateur and I couldn't get within a million miles of that standard. So I thought I'd ruin the very similarly chord structured Alex Harvey 'Bar Room' song - apologies to his fans. Joined by Mrs VikingBlues in the choruses.
SlaughterHouse : Something nasty is lurking in the dark slaughterhouse. Is that water dripping or something more sinister. Industrial dark mood music from guitar and a Boss GT8. Trying to learn about the settings and capabilities of the Boss GT8. Some of the sounds started suggested a dark horror edged film so had a go at a soundscape of unrest, hostility and lurking menace.
Shifting Sands of Time : Improv in E while trying a new Boss GT8 with the PRS guitar. Then building 3 more guitar layers and bass on that first improv track. Going for a "trippy" feel and throwing in delay, reverb, pitch shifting, volume swell, uni-vibe into the mix. Trying to learn how to use the Boss GT8. One or two of the presets caught the attention and as a break from the conventional bluesy tones I was trying to get I fancied going for something rather more extreme. The rhythm was all set up by the first guitar part - helped by delay and volume swells. Not a success based on a one star rating on soundclick.
Bluest Azure Sky : Blues improv on a backing track in A. PRS SE Soapbar. Testing out a Boss GT8 and trying to cut back on my safety net of too much reverb. Trying to concentrate (with difficulty) on a recording after a sleep deprived new years eve. Revisiting a backing track I used over a year ago and trying out a (second hand) Boss GT8 that was added to the collection this Christmas.
No More Loot : Blues in A - improv on backing track from jammer.net.ru. Trying to get boost / gain from OD gear, but with transparency and dynamic range intact. OD pedal inserted in send/return on Vox Tonelab LE. Guitar used is PRS SE P90s. Just a little reverb, no delay. Just had over a fortnight without playing one decent note so was happy to have managed this. Slowly getting there. First day trying a Rothwell Heartbreaker Overdrive/Boost pedal.
No Pain Without Gain : Blues in A - improv on free backing track. Still wrestling with trying to get a real blues guitar sound and maybe overdid the reverb a bit. PRS SE with Alnico II Tonrider P90s - those pickups have given the guitar a much better bluesy sound. Trying to attack the guitar more in a blues. Using my fingers - but also the backs of the nails - hitting across more than one string at a time. Months of vibrato practice. Varying the speed of the bends - bending the third string down as well as up. Trying vibrato on the top of a bend. Hard work!
Tear Drops : Melancholy air with an E Aeolian arrangement, with a touch of E Harmonic Minor at the turnaround. Backing Track 'Slow Minor Ballad' by David Wallimann from GuitarPlayback.com. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe. The addition of the D# at the turnaround when the chords suggest D Harmonic Minor really twists the sound of sadness up a notch.
Emily Tries to Play Jazz : VB tries to play jazz with a BT of 'Emily'. I'll admit I don't know the song it's based on or who wrote it or what the chords are - not ideal for an improv! Of course it's not jazz - I don't know how to play that - it's just some attempt at melodic guitar lead in a challenging situation. I enjoyed the laid back aspect - I feel like my main spring has snapped - no energy at all. I think my 'get up and go' has got up and went.. This recording is sort of Eb Major - often Eb Ionian sounds a great fit to me. BUT - every so often it veers way off and I've not a clue. PRS neck pup. I've tried to share the lead with the piano - apart from anything else the pianist knows what he's doing - good thing one of us does.
Sunday Feeling Blues : Something about Sunday night gives me the blues. Backing track in A minor by Martin Shwartz - GuitarJamz.com. PRS lead opening and closing sections, 'Strat' lead in mid section. PRS slide in background open E tuning. Did a guitar only improv on this A minor backing track. Listening back to it in the gloom of a Sunday evening words started popping into my head.
Venting Spleen - a Slow Blues in C : Working on bends and vibrato. Lead with PRS SE P90s over jammer.net.ru backing track. I'm trying to let go and not be so timid - which is fighting my natural instincts. Thanks to the guys at 12bar.de for their help and encouragement. It had been a horrible week - and next week will be no better! Venting some spleen on the guitar seemed like a good idea.
Old Bean Counter : Blues by an old bean counter. Backing track Am I-V-I from Jammer.net.ru. PRS SE P90s on lead Strat panned left late on. Lyrics came from the bubbling frustration of many moons. Fed up. Fed up being a bean counter. Too many years. The lyrics came very easily.
Someday Never : Blues improv on backing track 'Someday After a While' from guitarbackingtracks.com. The improv is done with no reference at all to the original song. A very musical backing track. VSA590 guitar through Vox Tonelab LE. In the doldrums with playing - motivation gone and inspiration away on its holidays. Someone posted an improv on 'Old Love' on a forum - I went looking for the BT and found this BT too. It seems to have got things moving (a bit) again. My title 'Someday Never' refers to when I think everything in life around me will next be positive.
Dawn Dischorus : Attempt at a soundscape. Heavily processed backing track of 'castellorizon' from Gilmourish.com plus dawn chorus birdsong. Add bass, slide and guitar parts with lots of modulation, echo, reverb, delay. How do the birds sing in tune whatever you play? Watching some early Pink Floyd makes me want to revisit the sort of soundscapes I used to try and make years ago. I'd been wanting to try to incorporate some DawnChorus birdsong into a recording for a while and it matched. Despite all my attempts the birdsong is in harmony with my playing.
Rhodes to Nowhere : Short Blues : slide - sort of Delta-ish sound. PRS SE panned right played in open E with slide. 'Strat' panned left. Tried to feed on the dark atmosphere of the BT. I've been trying to learn to play slide better - so I see a 'blues' BT called 'Dirt Rhodes' (Kevin McLeod - incompetech.com) and it's mostly in E which is my preferred open tuning for slide - and the word 'Rhodes' is in my house name - I had to give it a go.
Even More Clapped Out : Update to a piece from 2009 that was my first post to Soundclick. Lead on a backing track - slow blues with a hint of rock. Reflection of feeling old and clapped out. This version is a Strat through Vox Tonelab LE and Fender Twin amp settings. I think it's different enough to post it. Same backing track - different DAW - different interface - different guitar. My playing's changed a bit too thankfully - I hope.
Who Cares : Lead improv on 'Strat' over Rock Ballad Backing Track in D Minor from CreamerMusic. Trying for a bit of a sad mood to fit my state of mind. Feeling tired and old. So a bit sorry for myself. Picked the first minor key BT in my collection to try to get my 'Strat' to put across those feelings.
The Shame in Spain : Lead played over a backing track by David Wallimann. In G# and C# Aeolian. 'Strat' through Boss FBM-1, Nano Reverb, and with the DAW adding a tad delay and chorus. Continuing my practice of modal playing using backing tracks. This backing track seemed to give the opportunity to mix in blues and a hint of Spanish Classical guitar - as far as a 'Strat' permits!
I Figure it's the Boss FBM Man : Slow blues in A - backing track from bluesblast.com. Self build 'Strat' through a just acquired Boss FBM1 pedal and the old EHX Nano Holy Grail Reverb. Tryimg to expand my range of tones - saw a Boss FBM1 pedal ex demo for half price and couldn't resist. Day one of trying it out. Also trying out the 'Strat' tuned down half a step so that the 10s on it feel similar to the 10s I use on the 24.5" scale of my other guitars.
The Waves of the Ocean : An excercise in learning blues slide guitar evolved into an early draft of a song. Played along to a backing track Vamp in A (FreeJamTracks.com). The lyrics came from an idea formed watching the sea rolling in while in a black mood. PRS SE in open A. The idea of the ocean waves rolling higher and cleansing the earth of all mankind and its ills popped into my head.
Strait Jacket : Improv on E Aeolian Backing track by David Wallimann on JamPlay.com. 'Strat' with middle/neck pup lead, plus Srat rhythm part. Vox Tonelab LE. Just playing as the mood took me. Mid way through a week of trying to catch up at work from a fortnights holiday and feeling totally stressed I found release in the guitar. I'm amazed how relaxed it sonds - as I was very much NOT relaxed when I started playing. Just tried to go with the flow and let the music wash over me.
Sad Dream : Ever had one of those dreams were the mood on waking is so strong you can't shake it off for a while? I tried to take advantage of this by jotting down words suggested by the dream in the half hour after waking and tried to recapture the mood of that time. Vocals were written first and fell into place very easily on a David Wallimann Backing Track on Jamplay.com where I am taking lessons. PRS SE on rhythm / first half lead, & self build "Strat" second half.
No One Else: Improv on "All of Me" in C - can my figers stay the course at 160 bpm!!??. PRS on this one (neck pickup). Through the Vox Tonelab LE - a Vox AC30TB setting but with low gain
Once Again: Imorov on Jazz BT "The Second Time Around" in C. Hagstrom (neck pickup) then PRS (neck pickup) then "Strat" (neck/mid pickup) then PRS again. As with all Jazz stuff no idea of teh chords. Through the Vox Tonelab LE - a Vox AC30TB setting but with low gain
See the Old Folks Safely Home: Jazz Backing Track in C Major - "Old Folks". My recording is an early draft pehaps. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe on lead, through the Vox Tonelab LE - a Vox AC30TB setting but with low gain and bridge pickup on the Hag for a cool laid back jazz sound. No tweaking of sound at all in the DAW, just what the Tonelab produced, and a one take lead recording only edited for one slightly mis-hit note. Just trying yo play melodies from what I can hear - no knowledge of the chords being used.
Any Old Git can Play: An attempt at Jazzy with no intention of playing like Django - I can't! La Gitane BT from Jamtracks.ru/en/mpjam_jazz_gypsy.html. Trying to expand my repertoire from just bluesy pentatonic. Managed to quickly get a decent tone setting on the new Vox Tonelab LE. Vintage VSA (neck) then PRS SE Soapbar (neck), then Hagstrom Viking Deluxe (mid), PRS SE (mid), VSA590(Treble), Hagstrom (neck). I have only heard a bit of the original and it's way beyond my understanding.
Mr J Takes it Easy: Attempt at a smooth jazzy blues - on a backing track by David Wallimann on the JamPlay.com site where I'm trying to work out how to play guitar. The piece is in B Aeolian. Trying out a Vox Tonelab LE for different sounds. The combination of a UK Blues setting and the PRS SE Soapbar's Vintage Alnico II pups with volume and tone rolled back sounded quite jazzy so I dug out a Jazz BT. Of the two additionla minor scale notes for the Aeolian the G wanted to be played a lot.
Blues 4 Honey: Blues for a dog called "Honey". David Walliamann BT "Slow Motion Blues" from GuitarPlayback.com. G minor Pentatonic, G Aeolian and G Dorian. Opening/closing lead guitar PRS SE Soapbar Tonerider Vintage Alnico IIs, other leads Hagstrom Viking Deluxe. I have tried to write a song about my "friend" Honey a few times a few times since her passing on 1 September 2008. This is the first attempt that has not sounded totally crass and awful. It's helped by the quality of the backing track. I hope I have done her justice - a sweet good natured faithful companion.
Minor Blues in G: : Variations on a Minor Blues Theme in G Minor - Backing Track from GuitarPlayback.com by David Wallimann. Trying to bring a structure to the improv. Played on a Vintage VSA590.
Dreaming of Aeolian: Wee bit of Knopfler influence on an attempt at playing lead on a David Wallimann Aeolian Backing track on JamPlay.com. Guitar used is a Hagstrom Viking Deluxe. Also added second rhythm guitar part panned left with the Hagstrom.
Go For It Eh: Up Tempo Blues in E - improv over a GuitarBackingTrack.com backing track of a generic Freddie King sort of style. Trying to relieve tension before a very hectic few weeks at work. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe on lead - both pickups selected. At the faster tempo I just have to hang in there an go on instinct alone - I believe there's minor and major stuff going on, but I'm just playing what's popping into my head.
This Be Minor Blues: A B Minor Blues using a backing track from GuitarBackingTrack.com. An excercise in mellowness and trying to play with fluidity on the Hagstrom Viking Deluxe - both pickups selected. Trying to stay relaxed before a very hectic work period - this backing track appealed to my sense of anticipated weariness at what was to come. I'm trying to get the note runs, slow as they are, to be more fluid and running into each other.
Holidays End: Improv on Ionian David Wallimann Backing Track in E. Last day of a weeks holiday. Trying to reflect my feelings about a holiday ending. "Strat" played pretty "clean" through Vox Tonelab ST.
Cold Dessert: Improv on a David Wallimann backing track in C Phygian - trying to play a mode other than Aeolian. The lead work by the Vintage VSA590, then self built "Strat", then the Hagstrom Viking Deluxe, and a shorter closing part from the VSA590 again
Mellow Melodic Ions Ian: Trying to play major key for a change - G Ionian. Checking out my
"Strat" with 10s and a wound 3rd instead of 9s, and testing my PRS SE
Soapbar with lowered pickups to clean up the tone. David Wallimann
Backing Track. "Strat" panned right, PRS left.
Aeolian DW Comp: A competition entry - one live take playing lead over an Aeolian backing track by David Wallimann - the object being to show understanding of the scale being played and playing something that could be remembered.
Weighed Down by Gravity: Trying to push the envelope of "Less is More" as far as I can. The backing track was posted on a forum. I'd never heard the song
it's from, so what I've done is my interpretation from scratch. The
Vintage VSA590 guitar with its P90 pickups in mellow mode again.
Hard Cheese: A midi bt thanks to HalfBlindLefty - when he played along with it there
was blues, but I seemto get more jazz flavour. Mellow - perhaps smooth. I love a BT like this which encorages me to find melodies and themes
rather than riffs. The Vintage VSA590 with it's P90 pickups in a mellow
mood.
Just Sweet Noodles:Slow Minor9 Blues BT from GuitarBackingTrack.com. Trying to get soem
sweet mellow sounds from the Wilkinson P90 pups in the Vintage VSA590.
The VSA doing a lead line panned right and some chords and arpeggiated
runs quietly panned left.
Big and Banned: Blues lead with the new Vintage VSA590 over a backing track from
NewBackingTracks.com called "Big Band Blues" Trying to find the VSA590
voice - and play some melody.
Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out: I've listened to versions by Eric, BB, Bessie Smith, Hawkeye Herman, and others. All different - well so's mine different! VSA590 on rhythm and also (thanks to the DAW) bass. Hagstrom on (quiet and understated) lead. Multiple Me's on vocals. And a Strat very quietly in the background pretending to be something else to add colour - may be buried too deep in the mix to be noticed.
Theo: Song in a jazzy blues style about my Friend Theo, a Ruby Cavalier. Backing track from freelicks.net. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe and Self Build "Strat". Theo is such a friendly dog - he deserves a song. The bouncy whimsical sound of the Backing Track suits his nature. I wish my lyrics could do him better justice.
Good Man Bad Man Blues: A Lawrence Fritts drums only blues backing track. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe for Lead and Rhythm work. The lyrics take their inspiration from the ideas in Man-Erg by Peter Hammill / Van der Graff Generator. I had been ignoring my rhythm playing for a year while concentrating on lead work. When I had added bass and rhythm as an exercise to a drum backing track I found a song needed to be let out.
Purple: A reworking of an improv on the "Marooned" backing track (Stanislav Dyachenko) off Gilmourish.com. that I used on my "Sunday Night" track. Less angst and less overdrive - still a mournful air but easier on the ear.
Sunday Night: At the end of a musically wasted weekend my Strat and I cry at the emptiness as midnight chimes. Helped by part of the "Marooned" backing track (Stanislav Dyachenko) off Gilmourish.com. Just one take and no editing.
Death Don't Have No Mercy: Cover version of teh Rev Gary Davis song. Inspired by the teaching of Hawkeye Herman at Jamplay.com. No backing track safety net. Just Hagstrom Viking Deluxe on Rhythm, Vintage Advance AV4 bass, a bit of clean Strat, and some creaking vocals.
Red Deer Blues: Em Blues BT with Strat lead and vocals. Bit "proggy". Trying to use words that don't nicely fit the rhythm structure - tricky. Trying to get an atmosphere. Strat via Nano Holy Grail Reverb and Artec Blues Pedal into Vox AC4TV and mic recorded to PC. Words to a poem called Red Deer by Sandra Patterson.
Cloudy Day: A Jazzy backing track from GuitarBackingTrack.com based in the chord progression of Misty. Bluesy Lead played over it with the new self build Strat - recorded from amp with mic. Put through Nano Holy Grail Reverb, and Artec Blues pedal into Vox AC4TV.
Never Be Minor To Me: Second piece of music using my new self build Strat after the body was finished and the guitar reassembled. Playing with a Bm blues Jamtracks.ru BT.
My Strat May Be Minor: I wanted to do a proper recording before dismantling the Self-Build Strat and finishing the body. Direct mic recording from Vox AC4TV. Strat through Artec Blues Driver and EHX Nano Holy Grail Reverb. Neck/middle setting.
Slow 6x8 Blues in G - Strat Test: Slow Blues - Backing track from GuitarBackingTrack.com. Just testing the tone of a almost completed Self-Build Strat. Really more noodling than a structured piece. The strat is making me play in a different, and a bit blusier, way. Bridge / middle setting.
Caged Bird: Came out of a post on a forum - challenge - how much can you do with two chords? The lyrics deserve a better vehicle .... one day. Using a G Minor Pentatonic teaching backing track. Song about freedom. Lyrics by my wife Sandra. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe, Vintage Tele (slide part) & Tokai LC85 at the end.
Bad Day blues in Dm: I was in a real foul downbeat mood one night, and while "leafing" through some backing tracks found Blues in D Minor by Althrax - something clicked with my mood and a coupe of takes on the Tokai resulted in this. For a week or so if I listened to it I could only associate it with that terrible feeling. Tokai LC85 through a Blackstar HT Boost pedal into a Vox Tonelab ST.
Too Blue: I've been trying to explore "Less is More" and just play as few notes as possible and get the most from melody and tones. A plea for backing tracks produced one from an on-line friend that I liked. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe on lead over this gentle backing track.
Waltz Montagne: Just for fun - waltzing round the cafe with a hint of blues. Trying to distract myself by trying something different this waltz backing track took my fancy. Never tried a waltz improv before so I'm just making it up as I go along and trying to have fun. Backing track from Jamtracks ru gypsy jazz waltzes section. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe. Both pickups for most of the piece - neck pickup in the middle bit 01:05 to 01:30 or thereabouts for tonal variety and help disguise I was very unsure of notes to play in this section. This was the bit that didn't fit E Aeolian which most of the rest did
Blues Soul in G: An escape from stresses of reality - a mellow blues in G. A backing track from Jamtracks RU (for home educational use) and the Hagstrom Viking Deluxe. Trying to play fewer notes and find a melody. Not in my usual style but I really enjoyed playing it and enjoy listening to it too.
Trying for Less - BmSlowBlues: People were having goes on a forum at a backingtrack.com slow blues. I had a go at playing as few notes as possible. A tough challenge. I hope "less is more" rather than less - I feel it did work pretty well. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe, Blackstar HT Drive and Vox Tonelab ST interface.
Barfly: Blues in D Natural Minor (Aeolian). Backing Track by David Wallimann. Inspired by the lyrics from a poem by Sandra Patterson. Arpegiated and lead guitar parts played on a cheap Vintage brand Tele copy - I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of tone from this budget guitar. Fits in with low spirits as a holiday finishes. His backing track had the right mood for the song about the Barfly - a shimmering sound of alcohol induced wooziness.
Beauty at Marnies: A continuing quest to understand modes with the help of David Wallimanns teaching - one of his backing tracks (an Aeolian in A) had the right mood for the song about my best friend of 26 years, Sandra, that I wanted to write while relaxing on a tranquil holiday at Marnies Croft near Inverness.
A big thank you to David Wallimann for taking the mystery out of modes and explaining them so simply. The vocals are a bit rough but I'm hoping the sentiment and mood have survived. Tokai and Hagstrom guitars.
A big thank you to David Wallimann for taking the mystery out of modes and explaining them so simply. The vocals are a bit rough but I'm hoping the sentiment and mood have survived. Tokai and Hagstrom guitars.
The Dead Bird: Trying to understand modes with the help of David Wallimanns teaching (JamPlay.com) - one of his backing tracks Deep Aeolian Thoughts in G got under my skin and got me wanting to try a recording with it. I woke up one morning, after listening to Gottadamerung the night before, hearing the song in my head with the words of one of my wife's poems. The poem is of a real event. The vocals are a bit rough but my singing hasn't had much attention for a lot of years. I'm hoping the mood has survived the rough edges. It remains one of my favourites as it's got a high success rate for me in the ambition that playing less is more. I'm on the Hagstrom Viking Deluxe - mostly just blues scale but with a few bits of Aeolian thrown in here and there. The slide guitar in the background is David Wallimann - I really like the musicality of a lot of his Backing Tracks. Chords are Gm7, F9, Gm11, Gm9.
Black Cat Blues: Blues in C about a special cat called Sooty. Lawrence Fritts backing track. Tokai LC85 Guitar and Vox Tonelab ST. RIP Sooty.
Attempt to sing blues - first time for public display. Maybe a work in progress - "could sing it better".
Attempt to sing blues - first time for public display. Maybe a work in progress - "could sing it better".
My Life: Sort of Prog Rock with a hint of metal and a Middle East tinge. Phrygian Mode. A statement of Love for Sandra. My first posting on-line of a song with my own lyrics. Tokai LC85 through a Vox Tonelab ST. The Jam Track was the bass, drums and a splash of synth-strings done by Mark Wallimann a teacher at JamPlay.It was the start of some concentrated study of modes - David explained them in a way that I could understand.
Gee - It's a Slow Minor: Blues - slow Minor in G. Tokai LC85 over a backing track.
Mellow 4I: Laid back Jazzy-Blues on Tokai LC85. A beautiful backing track by Jerry Dean was the inspiration and sad thoughts of a recently passed away sister-in-law. RIP "I". I had complained to my guitarist friend HalfBlindLefty on 12bar.de that I didn't know what to try to record next. He recommended the "mellowroonie" Backing Track by Jerry Dean. I loved the BT and the music flowed from that, though it really needed 100% concentration. I would like one day to try a two guitar part on it but don't yet have the skill to make that work.
Old Man of The Sea: This came right out of the blue. My friend at 12bar.de, HalfBlindLefty, recommended a backing track (When a Blind Man Cries by Avalon) as I was looking for inspiration - it was not a track that I would normally have thought about playing with, but I'd come to trust his judgement on how my musical could be inspired. The second half of the backing track had a strong Pink Floyd feel to it. The opening near couple of minutes are quite "musique concrete" and freeform but then so was a lot of the earlier Floyd stuff. I haven't got skill at "Gilmour"ish chops so the song part is really "Viking"ish guitar. I used both the Tokai LC85 and the Hagstrom Viking Deluxe and had to find my way around the complexities of Samplitude software a bit more. As usual at this time the guitar input to the PC was the Vox Tonelab ST. For the first time on the internet I posted music with my vocals on it. The words are from a poem my wife Sandra did and i'd been looking for two years something to fit them to for a long time. Everything fell together as if it was meant.
Skyline: Up-tempo Shuffle in A - Tokai LC85 over Pete Anderson Backing Track described as Stevie Ray type. Not my usual style. As a result I'm not sure about it, but it has one of the higher % downloads per times viewed on sounclick, so some people see something in it.
A Minor Affair: Title gives it away - a minor blues in .. erm .. A minor. Pete Anderson backing Track. Tokai LC85 lead guitar throgh Vox Tonelab ST. On 12bar.de we had just heard of the passing of on of the most active forum members and I was toying with the idea of a piece for MAC when I recorded this - I was certainly thinking about him and I hope something of the feelings came through.
Cafe Blues: Bit light and fluffy. A cafe scene - capuccino, light babble of conversation, clinking of crockery, flickering shadows from candles, a few drops of rain sprinkled on the window. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe & Tokai LC85 over backing track.Bit light and fluffy. A cafe scene - capuccino, light babble of conversation, clinking of crockery, flickering shadows from candles, a few drops of rain sprinkled on the window. Hagstrom Viking Deluxe & Tokai over backing track in A Major.
That's the Gospel Truth: This was my take on a Blues in G backing track recommended to me by HalfBlindLefty at 12ber.de. Two part guitar over backing track. Tokai Les Paul Custom and Hagstrom Viking Deluxe. At this point I was still finding trouble in playing the Hagstrom as fluently as the Tokai.
Clapped Out: This was the first piece of music I had the nerve to post on-line for others to hear. It was played over a Backing Track that was posted on the 12bar.de website where I had got to know and trust some very knowledgable, helpful and kind players, mostly with much more experience and skill than me. Slow blues with a hint of rock. Reflection of feeling old and clapped out. Tokai Les Paul Custom through a Vox.