Here's mine...!

Click on these three link:

That's me with the red guitar and the hat.

1). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3i-EPKg3G0
2). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI7A8VaU2Sw
3). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a56vvTy_4O8

Just go to www.youtube.com and type  Maso's Blues  into the search engine. Leave a comment...!!!

Wow i'm really impressed Alex ! The guitar sound clean and nice (good tempo) and your voice is really nice and warm. And i don't hear your accent (maybe our american friends will ;)). It' a great version, you must keep it in your repertory ! There's nothing to add i think except maybe a better end ;)  

Hi Bill,

Yes, I still give private lessons. I will send you an email in the next couple days.

Hi Jerry,

I've been asked to join a band - big step for me!  They sent me their set list so I can be familiar with what they do before I first get togther with them on Sunday for a practice session.  Generally, they play fairly traditional blues, and I know and have played quite a few of the songs they do (not perfectly, but passably I think): Rock Me, Key to the Highway, My Babe, Red House, Little by Little and a couple of others along those lines.  One that has me stumped so far is Stormy Monday.  I think it is in D minor on the TBone Walker version I have. Can you tell me if that is correct?  If so, I would probably try to play it on a C harp in third position.  So far that sounds okay.  Not that I can really play chromatic, but it  sounds like that might work too (or better).  I have a ten hole Swan in C and it kind of sounds right with the button out.  Am I on the right track - either with the C diatonic in third or the chromatic?  I'm not concerned with having this down by Sunday - just trying to get familiar with what they play.  I do want to add a note of thanks as I have definitely improved a lot in the past couple years (long way still to go of course), and your lessons and this forum have certainly helped. One nice part of this is that one of the guitar players in this band asked me to join after hearing me play a couple of songs with his friend's band.

Thanks,

Rich

Hy All,

here's a recording a made a few days ago...

Good Open Mic to all of you!

Duke,

All I can say is everything you put up for all to learn is exceptional for my taste. A good variety, genre, and taste. So you just keep teaching and I will keep on learning and trying to spread the word to all guitarists I know. 

Doug Irwin

Hi Jerry,

I've been playing for over 30 years off and on but lately I've been focusing more on tone and could really use some advice. I know you gave lessons at one time. Is this something you still do?  I live just outside rt. 495 in MA.

thanks,

Bill

Hello Corey,

I'm still studying "kind hearted Woman" and i was wondering about the lyrics? maybe you could hep me ?

A Kind-Hearted Woman shouldn't be a nice woman ? So why she studies evil ? In the first verse he said that she does anything in the world for him and then that she wants to kill him at the end... Does it means that even a nice woman wants to kill you ? Or Kind-Hearted is an ironic term ?

I know you told me to put my feeling of the moment in the song and not necesseraly try do "act" the subject of the song (wich is a good advise !) But this song's lyrics are "disturbing" me a little so i asked you how to you take the lyrics...

Thanks for help !

Cheers

JD

Open Mic at Sonic Junction, Sept 27th - Oct 6th

It's time for Open Mic! We're having our 4th Sonic Junction Open Mic on Sept 27th. So start preparing -- you've got 2 weeks ...

Open Mic is a time to share your music with the Sonic Junction community. Post a video of yourself playing your favorite tune--it can be a song you wrote, something you learned here at Sonic Junction or elsewhere, or a tune you're enjoying at the moment. It's a great chance to share what's on your mind -- inspire and be inspired!

From Sep 27th to Oct 6th, post your videos here.

PLEASE WAIT UNTIL FRIDAY, Sept 27th TO POST YOUR VIDEO.

And check back often to enjoy all the talent here at Sonic Junction.

Drop me an email or let me know via the Contact Us page if you have questions or need help editing or posting your video.

Looking forward to some good music!

Mike

When was Duke's last show in Paris? I don't know...might have been too young 

Indeed you have a lot of fans here - waiting for you! 

I recommand to all blues lovers of Sonic Junction, who might come to Paris,  a great Blues Jam Session - every sunday down in "le Caveau des Oubliettes" (near Notre-Dame de Paris). You can meet here all of our Blues expert...

Here's one of your fellow, a "blues refugee" always playin' crazy stuffs down in le caveau every sunday...named Jumpin' Jeff Hoffman - that i recommand to you! 

http://jumpinjeffhoffman.com/jumpinjeffhoffman.com/Blues_video_files/Don%27t%20touchsmall2_2.mov

Grettings from Paris

Guillaume

Great! and...I found a new baby?! A great tune, and a great solo

Hi Guys, All your song suggestions are great and I will add them to my list. Thanks! Duke

I don't play guitar so I've never played harp in a rack. Harp is usually a lead instrument but you can use it however you wish in accompanyng your singing - playing fills between vocal phrases and in a solo.

Thanks for the reply, great lessons, love your music.

I found that if I kept time with my foot and knew where the 'one' was it was easier.  You may want to practice singing while only playing the bass line first.  You can add the melody later when you get more comfortable.  The main thing is to practice and take your time.  Thanks for posting.

Hi Mark .. thanks for the thoughts.  We are going to be releasing a new lesson page design in a couple weeks.  It will include a print button and also remove the lesson listing on the right so we can have wider tab and full chord charts (with even spacing).

For the time indications, updating the tab will be next on our list.  Our goal is to have the tab convey time (and potentially even the location of beats) ... but will likely not have bars.  We want to emphasize the audio as the ultimate source of truth and the tab as a back-up reference.  All the Artist also tend to play around / behind / ahead of the beat ... so I want to make sure that we have a notation the properly captures this ... yet is still minimalist / simple.

Yes .. we are going to redo how the lesson are listed and better group them.  This will be in the new design we will release in a couple months.

The text will be a little darker in the new design ... so I hope that helps your issue.  We have the text light to keep the visualy priority on the video and tab.

Great to have you a part of Sonic Junction and I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.  It is VERY valuable.  Thank you.

Hi, just curious if you have any tips for singing while playing.

With strumming I dont have problems singing but now that I play more advanced songs with fingerstyle, trying to sing throws off my hand rhythm, even if I know the song very well.

I try slowing the songs right down but still struggle, any ideas?

I agree with Mike that it's nice to be able to print out the lessons. For the newer lessons, I write out the tabs in pencil on tab paper for a handy reference. Which raises a touchy question: the swing lessons have tab that gives time indications--such as coming in on the 'and' of one or whether a group of notes is a triplet or a sixteenth and two eighths and so on: could the tab for Newer lessons give time indications, if only it is the grouping of notes with a bar???? It would sure help me, and I suspect others too.

On another front, as the number of lessons increases, might Duke add an indication of which lessons are aimed at beginners (-in a genre, such as swing) and which are more advanced?  Maybe just a "Beginner's Corner" with a list of lessons that cover the basics and a 'suggested' path through the material?

Finally, and this may be just because I'm getting older, but when the lessons are listed down the right hand side of the page, I find that text too faint. (If the laptop is in my lap, no problem, but if the laptop is on the desk and I'm in my guitar chair, well, I find myself wishing the font were darker so the titles would be easier to read.

Having a blast with the lessons! Glad I found this place and I plan to stick around.

Mark

I've gotta say I am really enjoying the Freddie King stuff, thanks a lot. For a future lesson, how about a Guitar Slim tune, like "Letter to my girlfriend"? I also like Clarence Gatemouth Brown a lot, perhaps okie dokie stomp?

Something Jerry said  "If I can't hear it...I can't play it"

Hi Mike 

I don't know why but one lesson in the series is missing(3rd of 4) from Cold, cold feeling. I don't need anything broken down I need that lesson re-posted. I'm quite sure it's messing with all do respect. I love this sight and I remember it. Can you hunt it down and re-post?  I've spent quite alot of time working on it.....Thanks

"Back at the Chicken Shack" (Jimmy Smith, with Kenny Burrel on guitar) is a fun "greasy" blues in F. Sure you know it. Think many of the members would enjoy playing it, and I can tell you dig Mr. Burrell. (Sounds like a song title! That or, "Can You Tell I Dig Kenny Burrell?") Organ-trios have generated so many great records that allow guitar players to use double stops, bluesy licks, and some jazzy voicings.

Thanks, Duke! I love all those tunes---great to hear there's a chance it could be "Shivers". That's a great one

There are various factors that impact how long any given harp will last. How much do you play one harp? How hard do you play it? Most people play them too hard, too much. Remember, volume and tone are not the same thing. Some last me a long time and others that I play more frequently have to be replaced more often. And sometimes there's a reed that succumbs to metal fatigue from the vibrations more easily. It's hard to really estimate. When I played regularly on the road I generally had to replace my A harp every week.