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Two Years of Improvs.

Calvin Phillips

Music Theory Bragger
Nov 11, 2019
2,588
1,988
Two years ago we started the improv challenge. Thats where these videos started. Two years later and its become a regular in my routines every day. And has helped me lead writing on top of my playing as well. All 100% raw and unedited. I have both years in two seperate play lists. I'd recommend a lot of the newer people listening to the early ones, you see how quickly you learn to build melody on the fly, and how BIG motifs are in song writing and solos.

Year 1

Year 2

These are very time consuming the later you go. They start out 5 minutes or so and build up fast. Thats because its hard to stop when you start jamming. And thats essentially how my jamming routines go everyday. Record the rhythm, then play over top of it.

These ones in particular also hold a special place for me, as most of these are written and played on guitars I no longer own. You can obviously tell which one was my favourite.
 

Calvin Phillips

Music Theory Bragger
Nov 11, 2019
2,588
1,988
I agree. I'm gonna watch everyone i can this week. But seriously it blows me away how much better each note and bend and vibrato sounds.

Hopefully people here use thi for motivation to keep going. I could always play before. Injust couldn't play the same thing twice. Those days are well behind me now.
 
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Calvin Phillips

Music Theory Bragger
Nov 11, 2019
2,588
1,988
I got through year one as there was only 25 from the first year. 2 things I wanted to mention.

1. While watching I pmed jak saying "I totally noticed every improv was ideally the same licks and runs over a different melody. So ideally was always working on the same techniques. But it got a little boring to hear the same thing a lot. I noticed this while learning too. And started looking into penatonic and arpeggios. I remembered the times but not the improv numbers. I was on 20 at the time. (This was yesterday). I then played 21 and noticed the g minor arpeggios right away. So I realized this at the same time I did on the fly. Funny thought. Some people think they catch things faster then others even now with more knowledge. I still noticed the same trends at the same time. So itll take you a long time to get really good at improv and solos is basically what I'm saying. Just keep working at it.

2. This one I feel is even more important. Near the end of Improv year 1 I lost all my presets.on line 6. I had to factory reset for the pedal. This really annoyed me at first. Ask jak lol.. but this also forced me to make my own tone. I now feel whoever's owned this amp before me made the tones I used. I never could replicate them. But looking back those tones were HIGH.on distortion and gain..they didn't sound that great. I spent hours going through every pretone I could find. Amp and cab models. I found a few I like. I have favourites. And I have some for wah specific solos. They all for headphones though. I have to play around with it in an open room more.to get better ones but i make do. You definitely hear the difference. And you hear MY tone. Not syns..not anyone else. Me. I'm getting better at making the small adjustments. It takes practice. I HIGHLY suggest everyone else take the time to do the same. It will help you craft skills and playing. And be yourself. You might end up with a tone or preset syn uses but you may adjust it a different way. Your pick ups play a part too. I miss those hb 105s in that revenger. The tones I had before were specifically for that guitar. The adjustments have been tough on the apocalypse. The epiphone was easy... thing is fucking legendary.