Venting Spleen - A Blues in C

[DetroitBlues]

Great job! Just keep recording often, that helps too.

I find it is extremely helpful to transcribe other player's licks. Try and learn some SRV, Albert King, Hubert Sumlin, etc. Just a few licks that you hear them play often. This means of course, you have to LISTEN to them a lot, so that you can really hear these "signature licks."

Then you figure out how they play the licks. Go for easy ones first. Get the timing right, the feel. Then you try to add any of these licks when improvising over a jam track. Do it again over a jam track at a different tempo.

Rinse and repeat.

This is how I learned what I know - listening a lot, copying a lot, adding my own ideas and approach in the mix. Blend well, and you have your own concoction - your recipe for play'n da blues!!

Every find yourself sounding great when not recording, but when you are recording, nothing sounds right?

[pictoratus]

Every find yourself sounding great when not recording, but when you are recording, nothing sounds right?

Yep, quite often. 

[reb]

not recording-sounds great; get recorder-sounds like caca-that is the 'warp in the fabric of the universe' phenomenon. some bit of space junk gets in the way of the 'right waves', and the vibes don't flow like they did a moment ago.

it's akin to having bought your significant other a bauble because you think things are going so great...and she tells you she's leaving you before you open it at the restaurant.

[robert]

Great job! Just keep recording often, that helps too.

I find it is extremely helpful to transcribe other player's licks. Try and learn some SRV, Albert King, Hubert Sumlin, etc. Just a few licks that you hear them play often. This means of course, you have to LISTEN to them a lot, so that you can really hear these "signature licks."

Then you figure out how they play the licks. Go for easy ones first. Get the timing right, the feel. Then you try to add any of these licks when improvising over a jam track. Do it again over a jam track at a different tempo.

Rinse and repeat.

This is how I learned what I know - listening a lot, copying a lot, adding my own ideas and approach in the mix. Blend well, and you have your own concoction - your recipe for play'n da blues!!

Every find yourself sounding great when not recording, but when you are recording, nothing sounds right?

Yes, often. That's typical for most people. Only way to get better - record more often!
It's also much easier to hear mistakes when you listen back to what you recorded, compared to just jamming along. The "tape" (or digital recording) doesn't lie...

[VikingBlues]

The "tape" (or digital recording) doesn't lie...

I think it's what could be called brutally honest. Though a video recording outdoes the sound only recording - it not only demonstrates the mistakes but also shows how you were so blissfully unaware of them at the time. 

[Klaus]

Hi VikingBlues

You wrote:

I'd be grateful for any feedback if you'd be so kind as to give a listen

 

First of all English is not my first language but I hope you understand anyway and dont get me wrong 

There are a lot of great ideas in your playing but Im feeling that you have to play with a little more confidence. What Im trying to say is "Play like you mean it" Still play your riffs as you do now, just getting even more into it. I know itīs easy to say but Im just saying what I was thinking when I was listening to your music.

Great tone by the way, sometimes I could hear a hint of overdrive, is that your amp or are you using a Tubescreamer or something similar?
Maybe you could try to change the tone maybe halfway in (more overdrive) and play a little more agressive. In that way you get more variation and it can even sound like there are two guitarist.
For me the tone it self have a BIG influence on my playing. I will say, I nearly automaticly get into a more agressive playing with more overdrive or distortion. You will also get more sustain that way, which brings me to my last point. I can see you are writing about your bends and vibrato. Try to give it even more vibrato so we really can hear it and feel it. Your bends are most of the time great.
Your feeling for the music are great and you follow the music very well.

I hope all make sense, and remember itīs all ment positive 

Cheers
Klaus

[VikingBlues]

I hope all make sense, and remember itīs all ment positive 

It does all make sense - you write very well in a language that is not your first. I appreciate your helpful comments and I do not take offence at all at anything you've said. If you heard what I say about my own playing inside my own head - now that can be very harsh. I'm pleased that you have had a listen and taken the trouble to write a detailed response. 

There are a lot of great ideas in your playing but Im feeling that you have to play with a little more confidence. What Im trying to say is "Play like you mean it" Still play your riffs as you do now, just getting even more into it. I know itīs easy to say but Im just saying what I was thinking when I was listening to your music.

You've hit the target with the confidence thing. It's gradually getting better. I'm quite a late starter with blues guitar - just in the last three years and in my mid (to later) fifties I don't learn so fast any more. I can at least hear major improvements in the last couple of years with the recordings I've done - two years ago it was very cautious playing, always on the beat, not very effective use of bends and vibrato, and very obvious phrasing.

Great tone by the way, sometimes I could hear a hint of overdrive, is that your amp or are you using a Tubescreamer or something similar?
Maybe you could try to change the tone maybe halfway in (more overdrive) and play a little more agressive. In that way you get more variation and it can even sound like there are two guitarist.
For me the tone it self have a BIG influence on my playing. I will say, I nearly automaticly get into a more agressive playing with more overdrive or distortion. You will also get more sustain that way, which brings me to my last point. I can see you are writing about your bends and vibrato. Try to give it even more vibrato so we really can hear it and feel it. Your bends are most of the time great.
Your feeling for the music are great and you follow the music very well.

I do like to engage with the backing track and respond to what it does (as far as I am able) - so I'm glad to see your last comment above. My natural inclination is towards playing instrumental pieces in a melodic style - the sort of light rock / ballad type sound I guess - with a very clean tone. Like the playing with aggression my using overdrive is something that I've gradually been trying to build on and get to grips with recently. I can't use a real fired up amp for overdrive as I live in a flat, so I'm stuck with simulation of overdrive and direct recording - I find it tricky to get a good overdrive sound and very easy just to get a horribly noisy nasty distortion which just sounds unmusical and very nasty. I was using a Vox Tonelab LE on a simulated Marshall setting for this recording - I at least find the LE gives me a tone which bears some resemblance to a decent amp and it lets the different sounds of my various guitars through - something that a lot of my previous equipment has been very bad at - I'm not so sure it is as good at a cranked sound though, at least not when I play it. 

Many thanks - you've encouraged me to keep working away at it.

[Klaus]

Hi again VB

Im glad if i have encouraged you keep working  Especially because you are working in the right direction.

About the sound and maybe a little overdrive, I dont know if you have read my answer and my opinion about Ibanez Tubescreamer in this Thread?
http://www.dolphinstreet.com/forums/index.php/topic,7.60.html
Because you are right about getting a good sound with distortion, a lot of them are really bad or just to much even when you turn them down.
With the Tubescreamer you can get a very nice overdrive where you still can hear the guitar and that even on low volume which would be perfect for you when you live in a flat. If you havent tried them then..... 
I can see we are in the same age group but you know its never to late.
I will look forward to hear more music from you.

Cheers
Klaus