Welcome to the “48 All Stars”......(NEW UPDATE 01/01/2010)

[The Reverend 48]

                          
Welcome to the "48 All Stars"

The object of the Lessons is to learn "Blues Improvisation" on the electric guitar. The guys have been working hard to develop their skills ...

In a couple of weeks they all can play Minor Blues in any key and have begun to develop their own style..........This little exercise is based on the 2nd lesson and is a snapshot of around 2 weeks work ....
They have never heard each other play

Bear in mind that they have different musical backgrounds and have never played Blues before in any form and this is all real time improvisation with no "learnt licks".....
I am really pleased with their efforts......

Each of the guys has played over the backer and I have cut to around 3mins each. We would be grateful if you would listen and then give us some feedback please don't compare them We appreciate it if you would treat each piece on its own merits.......
Thanks for all your support; it means a lot to us.......
Till next time ........

Take a bow guys a Big Well Done.....

"The 48 All Stars"

I have posted here so we can get them all  in the same thread......

[The Reverend 48]

Here is Wiley's Blues .......

[The Reverend 48]

Here is SteveM's Blues .......

[The Reverend 48]

Here is Sprocket's Blues ........

[Ferryman]

Excellent!!! Well done all three. These are all very good, laid back blues solos. It's interesting to see the different styles, Wiley has that country-ish clean sound, Steve has that dirty, rocky blues sound, and Sprocket the smooth, jazzy blues style. I really enjoyed all these pieces, the playing is great all round. Sprocket has lots of great double stops and almost arpeggio-ish playing in places, Wiley has some lovely clean bends and Steve's rocks, with some really sharp edgy playing.

Well done all and well done Mike. Looking foreward to hearing the next lot of homework.....

Cheers,

Nigel

[Greeny]

Nice work everyone! I can hear Wiley starting to get some little turnarounds in - which is always the trickiest thing to nail (for me, anyway!). There are some lovely clean notes being playing on all three tracks, and it's interesting to hear the different tones give each one its own personality. A bit of practice on timing and feeling, and we're going to have another three great blues players on here. I should get some lessons myself on this evidence! Lol. And hats off to the teacher!!!!

[Wiley]

Wow, I thought I would have to wait until sunday to hear this!! This was really fun getting to hear the others.Gee 48 look at what you have done!! I didn't know what to expect. I thought we would all sound like little 48's LOL But we  don't,  we are all unique.  I see what Ferryman meant. Stevie is more dirty. And Sprocket more jazzy laid back.  Sprocket you have some really great bends. Even a dbl stop bend  That great gives me more ideas. LOL  AND Steve I like the dirty sounds. Your bends were great.  Isn't it neat to think that just a few weeks ago none of played like this!!  The only thing I can really tell is we need to work on the vibrato more. At least I do.  It is starting to come but slowly. Great job fellow students. I am going to download you two's versions and save and then maybe 2 months down the road I will have something to compare to at how much we have improved.  OH and StevieM  I loved your ending. I have a hard time with them.

[Ferryman]

Agree with everythimng you say Wiley. I also meant to say I liked Steve's ending as well. That was neat.

Cheers,

Nigel

[launched]

This was quite a surprise! I like the way all three of you have dialed in your own sounds. Wiley with the warm valve tone, Steve with a tad bit more gain and reverb and Neal producing a semi-hollow style tone emulating an ES-335 or something - I think it all starts with the knobs first!!

You all have produced a fine first lesson - a job well done and hats off to the three of you!!! I can clearly see that you have respect for the teacher, and that you are not trying to force anything. You are letting the music come to you.

And Mike - I'd just like to say that there are not many out there that are willing to give the way you are now. Wish I had the talent to do it with music, but I find other ways. You have my admiration and respect.


Great job guys!!

Mark

[Bluesberry]

Great job all three of you!!!!  That is the blues for sure, great job for just starting to learn this style.  Mike is doing a real good job passing his wisdom and love for blues guitar onto you three.  I won't compare each to the other (as Mike asked), but I will point out what I really like about each track.

For Wiley I really like your sliding into/out of notes.  You do this sliding a lot and it sounds really good.  It adds a real blues sound to your playing.  I also like the bends you are laying down, especially where you keep picking while bending up and down at spots.  It makes for very expressive playing.  Blues guitar is not about how many notes you play (I should talk, I always overplay my notes ) but about the feeling you put into each note.  Good job Wiley.  If I had to pick a famous blues guitarist who this reminds me of I would say Mike Bloomfield.

For Steve, I like the full on attitude, the sharp biting tone, the agression in your playing.  Every notes is picked with authority and you really mean it!  The attitude goes all the way to the end where you end this in style (great ending).  Great tone (and tone comes from the fingers as much as the amp or modeled amp).  If I had to pick a famous blues guitarist who this reminds me of I would say Rory Gallagher.

Neal, you have wonderful deilcate touch.  Really great feeling going on here, variations in volume, pick attack, single notes, then double stops and partial chord shapes.  Great bends.  Very expressive stuff, your guitar is talking with this one.  If I had to pick a famous blues guitarist who this reminds me of I would say BB King.

Really great job everyone.  The timing is really good on each one, no real bummed notes to speak of, no hesitant playing.  I really enjoyed listening to these.  Nothing to be ashamed of here.  You guys/gal got me in the blues mood, when I get home tonight I am getting out my guitar and jamming some blues.