This is where you can post those recordings of you playing over the jam corner tracks, or any backing track you have. So come in and show off, but don't hate on anybody else's work. Ill start with one of my recordings.

This recording is one of those ones that you have a lot of things you like about it, but then a lot of things that you hate and maybe even make you cringe. But I will post it anyway, because we need to get this part of the forum rolling. So here we go, me playing over the slow rock in E jam track. Recorded using my Montana Acoustic.

Tell me what you like or don't like
Thanks

Nice playing Garrett, are you using mainly the pentatonic scale? If so, thats a great start but try adding in the F# and C for an E minor scale. You seem to be picking and choosing note-by-note, very leisurely-like. That's good, but I would try to think in terms of phrasing, perhaps try singing something you'd like to play and then try to recreate it, if nothing other than by rhythm and not melody.

It's a good start though, thanks for posting it for us. I went ahead and recorded my own just like yours, I tried to use the notes in each chord (G B D for G major, D F# A for D major and C E G D for Cadd9).

I was using what I call the second and third boxes of the E blues scale, as well as the octave of box one of the blues scale. The octave part is basically the pentatonic but with 2 or 3 added notes. That is what I was going for though, a lesiurely note by note thing. Sort of like something for an intro to a song, but obviously not that long. I was just trying to use the whole recording and get as many different things in there.

I liked your recording as well. I just don't try to think as much when I play, especially improvising.

Yeah, that's understandable. But a good knowledge of the chords as they change can help you avoid those notes that "cringe" and fine the notes that sing.

Maybe we should try a more blues based song that doesn't require scale changes per chord. I think that would be a bit more fun to play one.

Hey, so this song is in Em but why isn't it G major? I know they're related- E is the relative minor to G- but it seems like the whole thing revolves around G. And when you play the different chords, should you play I guess the modes that correspond to each chord?

You're right. E minor and G major are basically the same, although I tend to think in minor keys (mainly because of the blues scale), I should probably dictate that.

I tried to make it easy for those who are using the blues scale to transition into playing other stuff without confusing them with major scale right away. Seems I'm not doing too well.

Here is another song I did a long time ago but it sounds better sound wise then the other one i posted i dont know why cuz im using the same stuff as i was back then.

Wow Guitarkid224, Red House sounds great! I think you've got a good feel for what you're playing. There are a few times that you seem to get caught between a few notes, but nothing that derails your flow.

Unfortunately your first jam didn't upload, it shows as having a file length of zero. If the mp3 is larger than 5 megs it won't work, so you might need to down sample it to about 128kbps or cut it up. If not, just try to re-post it. I'll delete the old one now.

Bryan

Hello,

I hope this worked... this is just some clean channel improv over a static 1-6-4-5 progression in G I played on the keyboard. Not really my style, i'm a little more into playing fast but i think some of the stuff toward the end sounds ok. Let me know what you think. Well just wanted to try and see how it worked getting something on here. Thanks

(oh and so as not to plagerize, the first little lick on guitar is from a song called sweet lament, played by steve lukather on derek sherrinian's album black utopia, since i ripped off that first lick, i just called the file sweet lament)

@ Jared: I heard a little Brian May (Bohemian?) lick in there as well, the track has very Clapton-pop feel. I likey.

Great technique though, not a super huge fan of the acoustic-electric tone you had, but I think its appropriate for the style. Could you tell us a little bit about what you were playing (scales/modes/arpeggios/licks)?

Great post!

Thanks Bryan for the kind words. Good ear by the way, i hadn't noticed the Queen lick until you said that. I hate the tone too, my interface is not very good (or I'm not very good at getting it to work right). I also noticed when i listened to it that it is slightly out of tune... shit!

As for what i did: I started in the E natural minor scale for the opening lick. At the fourth measure (assuming you count 4/4, otherwise when the D chord comes in) i use a D maj arpeggio. I then restated the melody followed by the apparent brian may lick. After that i jumped to the 5th fret area to use the A dorian in the root position for a different prospective on the melody. There was a little jamming in the B Phrygian root position before going back up to the E minor pentatonic.

It is probably worthwhile to note that I don't normally think in terms of degrees of major scales, so when i say A dorian in the root position, that also means the G major scale in the second position. I tend to give modes their own title and position number because it makes it easier if you were to actually be playing in the different modes (which is determined not by what the lead does but by the chords behind it) to cover the neck more seemlessly than having to think about the major scale. At least thats how it is for me... so just keep in mind (if you don't understand the modal talk just yet) if i say dorian and phrygian (or any other modes for that matter) you could actually just give them designations based on major scales dorian- 2nd position major scale, phrygian-third position, and so on

I agree, it is best to learn the modes in each of their designated position, and after time the pattern will meld with itself with each and every mode and you'll know all the positions by rote.

Do you ever play with extensions on your chords? Like if it is a dominant 7th, tag on a 9th, 11th or 13th for some jazzy color? A lot of times this happens but people don't realize it until they mess with arpeggios and find out themselves.

Sure, sometimes. I'll be the first to admit I'm not as much of a jazz player, I dig the different chord spellings in jazz but in my normal playing, i generally don't go that far beyond dominant 7ths, major 7ths, diminsihed, suspended, or add chords. Every now and then a nice 11 or 13 is cool, but on guitar, sometimes it is hard to get a true 13 (which of course would be the 6th an octave up) without having it sound hmm.... i dunno a little..empty maybe... generally because you sacrifice the dominant (or 5th) to be able to have enough fingers to play a 13. Piano is easy to get all the notes that should be there but you know, you have to be choosey on guitar sometimes.

i tried to get this right(warning that its loud so turn down the volume first) almost had its right and its really close to what i wanted

tried to geta bit "slashy" towards the end but i had fun making it

Emoswords, I thought that was really interesting! Some of the phrasing you had was really good and sounded like you were getting away from "playing a scale land" and into "playing a solo realm". That's the exact direction you want to go so just keep it up!