Mike,

My practice routine on this site is to immerse myself in a lesson. . .in between life's "distractions".  These practice "immersions" may last anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour.  Also. . .I sometimes only focus on one lesson, but it's more enjoyable to push through two or three songs in one session, much like the way a real in-person teacher would teach.

Sometimes audio lesson is o.k., but most helpful is the video lesson to allow me to listen and see fingerings away from the computer screen.

"Looping" certain sections can be also be really important to "implant" melodies or chord progressions on the brain.  As an example, I found the Corey Harris lesson, C.C. Pill  very difficult to "assimilate".  I have always had trouble seperating bass from treble when studying fingerstyle blues. Being able to break the song down into digestible parts is the most effective way to learn. I have (thought that I) learned fingerstyle songs onlyto be playing bass and melody as a clump, instead of keeping the alternating bass seperate and complete, while the melody expresses itself simultaneously!

So to answer your question, I almost always take a lesson with me (Ipod Touch) and am not able to do it without MP4 download capability.

Tim

Hi Tim,

Great discussion, thanks for bringing this up.  

Yes .. definitely want to support people practicing away from their computer .. with the iPod, iPhone or Android phone.  I'm not a big fan of enabling download of the videos though .. and hence we're looking at a mobile application in the future.  

Can you tell me a bit more about how you practice on the road .. and practice in general?

Is it mostly audio?

Do you want to loop certain sections?

Would it be helpful if you could slow down the tracks / loop?

How many songs / techniques are you typically working on at a time?

I appreciate the detail as it will help drive the requirements / features for our mobile application.   I've got some ideas on what I think it should be ... but really want to hear your thoughts and needs before we start talking solutions.

Thanks!

Mike

Mike,

This is a great trackto jam over!  I love it.

I had a quick question about saving SonicJunction videos in MP4 format.  Some videos save as MP4, but most only allow you to save "webpage HTML".  I need MP4 format, as I load videos on my ipodtouch topractice away fromthe computer.

Thanks,

Tim.

Hi Duke. How did you mod your 65 DR to get the sound you needed?

I think Corey said something like this in one of his comments in a different thread.  It was something to the effect of "start quiet".

One of my teachers once said a good solo is like good sex.  It should start off slow, build, have a climax, and resolve smoothly.

Another metaphorical concept for good tone and guitar goodies, expensive gear and gadgets.  Compare it to a good meal.

You could buy the most expensive steak, trimmings etc. but if you overcook it and don't take the extra time to do it right, it could still taste like shoe leather.

Steve

Hi Bluesnut,

Later this month we're going to end the Beta and have our commercial release.  At that time we're going offer a couple different subscription plans

1. Monthly at $19.95 

2. Yearly at $199.50 

.. so about $4 to $5 / week depending on the plan.  A subscription gives you full access to everything on the site, new weekly lessons and personal feedback from Duke, Corey and Jerry.

Glad you are enjoying it.  I am too!

Mike

Hi Alex .. thanks for the thoughts.  Yes we had an issue with the notification and also the view counter for a bit .. but they are all fixed now.  Please let me know if you have any further issues. Thanks!

Chet Baker !!  Thanks for the introduction.   Tone, phrasing and timing.  Three simple words ... but therin lies the magic.  We're going to have to get Duke, Corey and Jerry to explore this ... because, I personally want to get some of this in my playing.

Mike,

Some lessons save as Mp4's, thus allowing me to save them yo my Ipod Touch and practice on the road.  Many of the videos only save as a Webpage.  Is there a trick to getting them all to save as Mp4 when rightclicking on the video?

Thanks,

Tim.

Mike, sorry about that, I don't want confusion.  Chet was a trumpet player and singer that had a really pure tone in both mediums.  Your question hit close to home for me lately as I have been listening to some of the great old jazzers, and so much of their talent was tone, whether it was singing or their chosen instrument.  It really is an important element in making the listener feel something.  So many musicians get caught up with playing notes and lots of them that tone gets forgotten.  And in guitar it's not just sitting at your amp or footpedals dialing it in for days.  I suppose duke touched on it that is starts with your fingers.  Your attack, sensitivity, phrasing, and touch are things that I have been working on with my repertoire, mostly after I have learned all the chords/tempo, etc in the progression.  The tone and feel are really what engages the listener to enjoy the piece, IMHO.   That's why Duke could still playout of a Peavy solid state PA head and sound awesome. 

Steve

Wow,  having Jerry on Sonic juntion is a real treat and a welcome suprise.   I went thought the master class cds when I was starting out. His cds propeled me forward. Harp playing got me through the few years when I couldn't play guitar due to a wrist injury.  Now that I have been playing harp for a while I want to do the cds again just to see what new stuff I can learn. Our band dose a version of Hoochi Coochi man that is heavly infuenced by the From the Cradle version, cause I liked it that much.  I am blown away that Jerry has shown up on this site that provides lots of killer info. In blues harp and guitar are like peas and carrots they just go together, so nice.

@Roger .. Freddie King .. yes indeed.  Did you ever here Low Tide ... a years worth of guitar lessons in one song.

@slimm66 .. true it's the point .. but my tone never seems to be there .. especially the feel and response.  I think it's my gear ;-)

@Floridaskater .. OK .. I need to check out Chet Baker.

@Duke .. I think you're right on the fingers.  We're going to need a lesson on that!  Maybe a couple!!

Hey Slim, I was just having fun talking about guitars, I didn't think you were dis-ing inexpensive ones. I was using a Bad Monkey pedal for distortion. They are great and only 40 bucks! It's the only blues type distortion pedal I like. Plus it's got bass and treble.   

Duke,

     Just the Evans amp?  What were you using for "dirt"?  I've heard the Evans with Jazz and Pedal Steel players, and it seems like a pretty clean deal.  BTW-I don't mean to disparage inexpensive guitars, quite the opposite.  I've worked in a vintage shop (Mandolin Brothers) and been lucky enough to be around many fine guitars, and I think guitars today are better than they've ever been, considering the price.  I only wish I could get them LEFT HANDED.  It's agony seeing something like your Epi Casino, and not being able to get one......

Slim

Thanks Duke!

Hi Slim, I was using the Evans amp only that night. I actually think many inexpensive guitars that are available today sound really great. Of course the prestige of playing a real Gibson or USA made Fender is great to have but not essential, especially these days (Of course supporting US made instruments is important). Actually there have always been cool off brand guitars and some of them have a sound that no expensive guitar can capture. i have spent my life going from guitar to guitar to the point that it's just part of what I do. No one who knows me, expects to see me with the same guitar for long and keeping all of them just isn't a possibility. I have actually owned every desirabe American electric guitar there is at one time or another (no brag, just fact). In some cases several of a certain model (one at a time) like a 54, 57, 62 strat or a broadcaster, 52 tele, 50s &60 Grestchs, Gibson 54 LPs,(never owned a 58 LP) L-5s Super 400s, Barney Kessels, ES-175s  335s, 345s, 355s Strombergs, D'Angelicos etc. etc, etc. Not to mention, Vega, Orpheum, Harmony, Kay Rickenbacker Washburn, Martin, National and all sorts of known and unknown archtops I have bought played and sold or traded in the last 45 years! Now I can honestly say I don't have a need for rare instruments although I still appreciate them very much. I could actually get everything I need out of my Airline Twin-tone or Epiphone Casino or any other mid or low priced guitar out there. What's my point? I guess it's save your money and buy one good inexpensive guitar cause it's ALL IN THE FINGERS ANYWAY!!!     

I am very lucky that I usually can obtain the sound I hear in my head most of the time, which has taken years to refine. I have to say that most of it is in the fingers. Of course having a guitar that gives me what I need to do the job is extremely important and amplifers? Well, they are a necessary evil in my opinion. Duke 

This footage of Billie is the absolute essence of the blues and jazz. It's always been one of my favorite clips in jazz along with "Jammin' the Blues." This is the most real blues playing you'll ever hear in the jazz idiom. Soul just pours out of every musician in there and these guys can play over any changes you could throw at them, yet they are all listening and responding to each other like they were one person, digging deep into the blues. This is the s*%t!!!

Hi Tim, I will be definately doing lessons on the T-Bone style. I consider T-Bone the father of electric blues guitar and his influence has been one of the most important to me and everyone who came after him. As far as "Blue Mood" I recorded that on an acoustic archtop. It was miked from about a foot from the center of the bridge with a conderser mic. Duke

Hi Mario, It's certainly hard to know for sure who had formal training and who didn't. Especially when you consider Wes Montgomery who couldn't read but had such an amazing musical vocabulary. T-Bone Walker could play standards to some extent from the private party tracks i have of him playing "Caravan" and "I'm Confessin' that I love you." Louis Armstrong when asked about how much he knew about music theory suposedly responded, "Not enough to hurt my playing" so there is a good example. As far as I am concerned, music therory is great and learning scales is a good thing but the important part is making a good musical statement wether you have music theory knowledge or not. I myself am self-taught and my playing was more developed by listening to the masters and people who's styles I wanted to emulate. Ear training is more important to me than anything. You have to have a sound in your head before you can play it.

Hi Duke,

How much formal knowledge of music theory and the guitar had the classic players?  I remember reading about T-Bone in an old Guitar Player magazine that he knew how to read music.  For instance, it's hard to me to imagine that Freddie King or Albert King knew much about scales, regardles of the fact that their style can be analyzed using scales.  Any thoughts on the subject?

Regards,

Mario

Chet Baker

Slim66 is correct......however, in my dreams my tone sounds like Freddie King.