- This topic has 142 replies, 73 voices, and was last updated 4 weeks ago by
.
-
Posts
-
-
Hi Active Melody Community!
A brief overview of the AM Challenges:
The Active Melody Site Member Challenges started in September 2015 thanks to our awesome ex-Forum Administrator, Bryce-AKguitar. Bryce would pick a lesson or a theme each month and whoever wanted to participate would post their efforts, all at the same time, usually during the last weekend of the month or so. When Bryce left as an Administrator in July 2018, Brian took over and has been issuing and following up on our challenge submissions ever since. While Bryce’s challenge ideas centered around specific lessons, Brian kicked it up a notch and has been consistently encouraging us to be more creative either by improvising or writing our own compositions.Everyone is welcome to participate in the challenges, a beginner to an advanced player and anyone else in between. They are NOT a competition but just a FUN and a motivating way to to push our limits, inspire others and be inspired. The ground rules are included with each challenge announcement in Active Melody Forum Announcements section.
Do You Have Any Challenge Topic Ideas?
We have done a lot of challenges already so it’s getting harder and harder to come up with fresh ideas so let Brian know if you have any! Post your ideas for future challenges in this thread, whenever you think of some, and Brian will have a place to find them 🙂You can view an up-to-date list of all previous challenge topics here:
AM Challenges UP-TO-DATEHappy Picking, everyone!
🎸JoLa
-
Het JoLa,
Thans for the invite.
I have some ideas:
1) Change a genre of a given lesson/backing track. So change a blues song into a country song, or a country song into a reggae song or something like that.
2) add rhythm to a given track with only lead
3) choose a lesson you can ALMOST play, but not entirely. Maybe at the end of the month you can play it, or you can share the progression thus far and get some positive advice
4) Skills challenges like vibrato, bending, fingerpicking, alternate picking, barré chords
5) add fills to a backing track with lead
Maybe there are some usefull ideas in this short list.
Greetings from Sebastian
-
I’m pretty good at phrasing within a single pentatonic position, occasionally moving to the position above or below. And I can move my hand straight from 1st position to 4th position and play licks within each position, that sort of thing. But I am constantly amazed at guys who can build complex phrases connected by scales that meander all up and down the neck, perhaps starting above the 12th fret and working their way down into the first 3 frets, and usually pausing along the way for some slides and deep bends. John Mayer, for example, is a master at it.
So my suggestion is: How to build neck-spanning phrases that will amaze your fellow guitarists. Or maybe: Turn your puny licks into mind-blowing phrases. Or maybe: Tired of playing those dinky little phrases? How to stretch them out all over the guitar neck. Or maybe: Are your phrases stuck on the same floor? How to take the stairway to some other floors.
Sunjamr Steve
-
-
Another couple of suggestions:
Choose a lesson from the Artist Series (‘in the style of’) eg Eric Clapton, Chet Atkins, Keith Richards etc.
Or
A ‘Your Choice’ Challenge for one month where players could submit one of Brian’s lessons or their own composition or create their own criteria and create a piece of music based on the criteria they’ve chosen.
All the best!
-
-
-
I enjoyed the July 2020 challenge where we had to compose our own version of ‘sweet bye & bye’. We had to work out the melody ourselves using the major scale. It was upto us how far to go with it, add chords or root notes or record yourself strumming chords then add melody over top.
It was quite difficult but I learnt alot from that challenge.Maybe try ‘happy birthday’ be fun to see different styles. Blues, Rock, Bluegrass Fingerstlye, Swing etc…
Anyway that’s my thoughts!
-
My thoughts…
1. Repeating some idea which is about a year or two old is very very good, or perhaps changing the parameters, just a bit if required. For many of us, it would be absolutely a new challenge. And there is always scope to do something new or better by old members.
2. I saw an old submission by JoLa in YouTube… Virtual jamming… Brian plays two bars of lead, then switches to two bars of chords… the participants have to do the exact opposssite, provide the rythm to the lead, and then provide the lead to the rythm… for maybe 6 cycles. I would love to do that.
3. Simple things, like “Do any popular Cover song / piece that you love”, is also a different, yet cool idea.
4. Artist /Genre specific thing is also good.. example… ” Play something like BB King / SRV / Clapton would do, over this backing track, or all alone with no accompaniment. Needs huge amount of thinking and study.
5. Simple, manageable fingerpicking songs / pieces (Not Travis picking), something manageable.
6. Something to do with rythm… “Western” Music is all about rythm, unlike Eastern Music. Rythm, Groove, Timing is often neglected, I feel a lot of work on this aspect is needed by me.
7. And finally, this is absolutely my personal opinion … I personally would want to see everyone playing within the SAME PARAMETER (say, same backing track, or same chord progression and same timing) … that helps me personally to understand the different thinking and approach of students like me, within a particular parameter, how they are phrasing, how they are forming the tune etc. Too much leeway… makes everyone do something absolutely different, which is good to listen and learn and increase the horizon, but doesnt specifically address one target-issue forcefully.
Storming Heaven's Gate
-
Proposal : play what you fear the most (and explain): if you’re a finger player,use a pick / if you’ve never played jazz, play jazz / if you always run the fretboard, play with 4 notes / play open D / etc and vice versa.
Other proposal :(elite and vip challenge) challenge for well-off and prosperous people who own a looper or computer tools : looper challenge with a constraint ( for example rhythm with 2 chords)
Last (for now) proposal : improvise on backtrack only made of drums ( choose your key,your style)
Yet another one : enhance a micro lesson : select a micro lesson as a base, then create from it.
Where does the white go when snow melts?
-
Some of these have already been said but here are some suggestions
• Play something over a provided backing track. The track could then be used for Brain’s next lesson so we could see how he came up with something.
• Your choice from any Artist Series (In The Style Of)
• Your choice of any Microlesson. (Could be good platform to encourage original ‘second verse’)
• Really, any of the lesson categories menu..
• Classic trio : provide a backing track of only drums and bass.
JFL
-
How about an either/or choice sometimes, with contrasting options?
As already suggested, playing over a provided backing track goes to the heart of AM’s fundamental aim of teaching how to improvise and could easily be varied enough not to get monotonous, assuming it is not overdone.
The idea for this month of setting tight parameters is interesting creatively and worth bearing in mind for the future with different parameters.
How about a challenge in which members demonstrate something which is musically them but not specifically derived from AM?
I suggest that Brian needn’t worry too much over topics being repeated occasionally, with a reasonable gap between, as long as they are not too restrictive. Other variables will probably alter in the meantime.
-
My preference for the Monthly Challenges would be:-
* Play anything that is all or part of Brian’s (theme or artist based) lessons with encouragement to improvise on the second verse etc.
* Play a lead/solo against a given simple backing track
* Play something which you found most fun or rewarding to play
* Not forgetting the Open ChallengeWhilst I fully support the educational and theoretical side of music, I firmly believe the Monthly postings would be better concentrating on the ‘entertaining and enjoyable’ side of playing guitar.
-
-
Just had the thought of a “before and after” challenge. Pick a lesson that you haven’t worked on at all. One that seems challenging for you. Record yourself at the earliest point you have it somewhat under your fingers… slow, struggling, warts and all. Then work on it for the month and record it again at the end of the month and put the two versions into a single video, one after the other.
-
-
-
A suggestion similar to one of Sebastian‘s:
Reimagine a popular or favourite song or tune – think Eric Clapton’s unplugged reimagining of Layla.
You could take a heavy metal song that you can’t play, and convert it into a gentle folk tune that you can play 👍 🎶
This could be a more “relaxed” challenge that everyone could participate in – just play what you’re able to 😎
-
I haven’t participated in the challenges lately. But that may be changing since I found a much better internet provider.
1) I would like to continue the 2 chord concept with one chord major and one minor.
2) I also think it is good to have an open challenge at least a couple times a year. I think it gives the beginners more opportunity to participate.
3) I would like to see a challenge where you pick a genre of music you almost never play.
4) I also like the current format that is truly a challenge. I have been doing the challenges each month, just not recording them. -
I have no issue with the challenges been repetitive – it hammers home important lessons and over time shows progress.
What I would REALLY like is for Bryan to make a one sentence comment on what the student needs to work on, be it timing, phrasing, technique.
All the positive vibes are great and welcome, but a steer in the right direction would be even more welcome.Fergal
-
-
Hi everyone! I like all the ideas above. Good idea from JoLa to create this post! Now Brian can go through these ideas one at a time, they should cover next year 😊
My little proposal:
Play something jazzy / a little jazz tune. You can do an original composition or play a lesson from Brian. Perhaps Brian can suggest a few lessons like he did with the call and response challenge a few months ago.Bluesige Grüße
Juxi -
Hi Mates.
Many good ideas above. Here my comments,
Open challenges like free composition or free with some limitations (like the 2 chords one) are excellent for medium/adv players but really hard for beginners. Fixing the topic on a single or a small set of lessons (like in the style of..) seems much more accessible. I use to feel much more comfortable on the fixed ones.
My suggestion is that, on a normal basis, challenge a lesson or small subset. Medium, Advanced and Pro’s (yes… many of you are in PRO level…) can always make a 2nd loop on their own, or directly a version more than repeating Brian one. Then, every 3 or 4 months these ones “free” and creative.
Also, as Fergal mentioned above, Positive feedback is nice but steering is better (I know it’s hard and probably many of us needs similar guidance)
Besides the Monthly challenges.
Some lessons on how to warm-up, and routines/timing would be appreciated.Thanks a lot Jola/Brian.
rgds.
David B. -
-
-
Learn to take inspiration from jazz saxophones and trumpets, listen well to Ella Fitzgerald for example when she improvises with her voice, then look for all the possible techniques to develop the rhythmic element. Moreover, it is very important to develop and understand when to introduce the pauses between notes, that is the rhythmic element of pauses.
Carlo Laezza
-
-
The current challenge is in an interesting one. We could have a follow up for next month. Same rules as this month but with the following changes.
1) Use minor chords instead of major.
2) If you participated this month, then swap the chord that was dropped. ie If you do a 1 and 4 chord this month do a 1 and 5 on the next one and visa versa. -
Some have been stated already:
1. Play something over a supplied backing track.
2. Take a micro lesson and expand or repurpose it.
3. Open Challenge at least once a year.
4. Using the two chords only concept for other mixes.
5. Brian supplies a hook to build an arrangement from.
6. Anything that requires a criteria.What doesn’t work anymore is everyone playing the same ep lesson. Thanks Jola for the platform.
-
Hello Jola.
Sorry that I only now came across your post. I find the monthly challenge wonderful, because you are directly challenged and the own creation of a song brings great progress. The only problem for me is that there is often little time for my personal practice program. I would like to cover more lessons, because it is a lot of fun for me, but it also gives me a lot of ideas for licks and so on. I would therefore wish that perhaps every third month is available for free choice of topic. Otherwise I would like themes for Lessons or Challenges, like Reggae or other Latin rhythms, great would also be something with open tunings or Slide, or of course pieces “in the style of ….”.
DieterP.S.: To save time, it would be good to post the new theme immediately after the previous challenge is completed. This would not require a video, one post would be enough.
-
-
In olden days when everyone just played the same lesson, and maybe a few people would attempt a bit of improv as a “second verse”, the challenges were quite boring to listen. It didn’t matter so much back then, because we only had 10 – 15 submittals. Now that we have 90 or so submittals, it would be unbearable to listen to all of us playing the same thing. So I really like the way we are doing it lately, where there is lot of variety in each challenge. I am really amazed at the variety people came up with for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, for example. I would be quite happy if we just did something similar to that each month, using songs that are well-known in most countries. We’ve done a hymn and a nursery rhyme. That leaves us with campfire songs, folk songs, classic rock songs, Beatles songs, old R&B songs, kids songs…
Sunjamr Steve
-
-
-
-
Hi JoLa.
We all learn new styles from Brian -things/styles we really didn’t know techniques for before. For new guitar players, I suppose this would be wide open, but for some of us who have played for decades, we wouldn’t have as many choices.
CHALLENGE
Play a lesson piece in a style that you did not know how to play before joining AM. Could be blues, ragtime, classic rock, country, percussive, etc… something that was foreign to your repertoire.Sorry I haven’t showed up lately. With limited time on the guitar lately, I haven’t pursued the challenges.
Take care -Sam
-
-
I would like to see how people are making their videos. It would be cool to have a challenge (or a lesson or both) on how members are making there videos and how they are using their DAWs. There is a lot of talent and knowledge among site members on what software they are using, how they are putting together their final product for the challenges and references (youtube videos where they learned).
Another idea is to have an AM lesson on a basic piece of equipment like a looper pedal, metranome or band in a box and then incorporate that lesson into a challenge.
Also, I like what Michael L wrote above as well as FergalT (I copied and pasted it below here;
Just had the thought of a “before and after” challenge. Pick a lesson that you haven’t worked on at all. One that seems challenging for you. Record yourself at the earliest point you have it somewhat under your fingers… slow, struggling, warts and all. Then work on it for the month and record it again at the end of the month and put the two versions into a single video, one after the other.
What I would REALLY like is for Bryan to make a one sentence comment on what the student needs to work on, be it timing, phrasing, technique.
Thanks for your time and consideration of the aforementioned ideas.
Pap
-
I am currently working intensively on the topics of timing, tempo, metronome. One problem for me, for example, is that I almost never reach the tempo given by Brian in all lessons, I also have difficulties with 16th notes and rests. I am looking for a way to get faster without losing precision. It would probably be helpful for more than just me if these topics were covered in a lesson or were the focus of a challenge.
Dieter
-
Hi Jola, Hi all!
Hope you are all well. I really enjoyed October’s challenge, combining two lessons: I posted mine, whilst Covid-bound (!)… my week’s recovery was helped considerably by listening to many of your wonderful entries, and learning a lot from you all. My wife and I are clear of covid now, and beginning to emerge from self-isolation.
Is there a challenge this month? If not, can I suggest an open challenge?
I noticed in the thread above that many members suggested a two-chord challenge. I am currently looking at an interesting comparison between the wonderful EP282, which is a nice “dark” challenge of playong over a spooky and atmospheric two-chord backing track of B minor and G, compared with EP146, which has no backing track, but is instead a stand-alone piece, playing fill-licks between strumming two chords: an A minor and G chord.
Best wishes for a lovely week to all AM-ers! 😁🎸
-
-
hi
sometime we are little short for challenge due to ‘late’ announcement -this is not a criticism, just a fact- , so here is a proposal for short-delay challenge :
just focus on 1 to 3 licks, turnarounds, or rhythm pattern in any key and explain them in the spirit of micro lessons.Where does the white go when snow melts?
-
-
Craig, improvising is like learning a language. If you are just playing the scale it is like reciting the alphabet. You are not making words or sentences. I suggest you learn 5 licks. Make these you own. By that I mean they need to become automatic like words roll off your tongue. You need to be able to play them at different speeds, in different keys, and in different contexts. You may need to adjust them to fit a particular context. Apeggios and scales are used to adjust them. For example, use a piece of the appegio or scale to enter or exit the lick. The lick in its original form might end on the root of the 1 chord. You can use a piece of the scale or apeggio to make it end on the 3rd of the 4 chord when the backing track goes to the 4 chord. Once you have mastered 5 licks, add some more to your vocabulary. I hope this helps.
-
The new “funky” lesson EP 439 is wonderful for practicing and developing 16th note feel. A groovy rhythm really brings out the music and I think I’m not the only one who still has some deficits. I would therefore be happy if more lessons and/or challenges were possible. Especially I would be interested in
– percussive accompaniment patterns
– triplet exercises in all variations, especially quarter triplets as a “special case”, which require a different counting method than eighth triplets.
– the guitaristic orientation on the drums, e.g. on bass drum or snare (offbeats) etc.
– Notes that fade into the next bar, or chord changes that already begin with the last eighth note of the previous bar.With this in mind, I look forward to more creative work together under Brian’s dedicated and knowledgeable guidance.
Dieter
-
Some ideas:
‘Leyenda’ (Segovia) –fusion with– ‘Concierto de Aranjuez’ (Joaquín Rodrigo)
‘Summertime’ (Gershwin) –fingerstyle or chord melody
‘Samba Pa Ti’ (Santana)–modify with you own expression
‘Hallelujah’ (Leonard Cohen) –can have a lot of expression (ex. Jeff Buckley)
‘K622’ (Mozart) [for Guitar] Interpretation of the Adagio
(ex. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTnP3lG0wlo&ab_channel=MatteoNahum) (by Matteckett)Or anything that you can adapt, interpret, modify (for a lesson perhaps)
Or something originalps: I don’t know how to record anything and submit (I don’t even have a smart phone).
Looks like there’s a lot of great ideas here. I just love listening to all of your wok, it is inspiring!
John B
John Boo
-
-
Hello,
I thought of a few more topics that might be suitable for lessons or challenges.
Up to the 12th fret I know quite well with the individual notes. But because the same thing starts all over again from the 13th fret, this area is unfortunately somewhat neglected. When I play in these higher positions, I usually have to think very soon where I am and which fret corresponds e.g. here to the 5th fret, etc. A lesson focusing on this area would be a good exercise for better navigation.
I would also be interested in styles like “Gypsy swing” a la Django Reinhardt, or Cajun/Zyteko, or various Latin rhythms, or even folk/folk rock in the vein of Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Arlo & Woodie Guthrie, Byrds, etc.
Dieter
-
One of the things I have been delving into more and more are 8 bar blues. Would love to see Brian figure out a way to re wire my brain a bit. Keep reverting via mental muscle memory back to 12 mid piece. Some of this old stuff from the 1920s is incredibly simple and yet so complicated. So basic, so emotional. The more I play with it and learn I keep seeing a straight line to what we are doing today. The evolution.
----------------
Jackleg Jones -
Good day to all AM members. Hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas! Happy Boxing Day!
I have just had an idea for a challenge while commenting on Brian’s latest Christmas Eve lesson EP445. I said there that I have learned a lot of new things from Brian’s wonderful weekly lessons in 2021. So my idea is this.
Perhaps for the first challenge of 2022, we all pick a lesson from 2021 that has represented a real break-through for us, something new that we did not know before, has really enhanced our playing etc, and play it for the January 2022 challenge.
Hope you all enjoy the rest of the festive season!
-
Three suggestions if not already done:
I’m in the:
1) How to use major/minor pentatonic scales together to expand my sound/vocabulary/chops as it relates to Blues
2) How to develop a song seed or maybe a song seed challenge. Example, I record little snippets of things I create that I think sound near or cool. Then weeks later I revisited then but stall because I can’t seem to get the little snippet or phrase to go anywhere.
So how to develop that process for yourself.
And 3) back to mixing major/minor pentatonics. How to add those one or two notes from the major pentatonic to spice up the solo or those one or two notes to cross over onto the major notes
Hopefully that makes sense.
-
You should create something can can work with ROKU. I can only watch the free stuff on YouTube but anytime I want to dive further I have to go PC or iPhone route.
Even if you can’t download the .pdf’s or .xlxs or any other item you should be able to navigate the site from a ROKU connected TV.
Plus you might increase your market and following.
Just a thought.
-
-
I’m enjoying the Feb 2022 lesson to compose a number using only G, F and C. Keeps it simple and at the same forces you to be creative with what you have. I was thinking it might be fun to follow a challenge like this to build on what you created with the 3 chords by adding in some transition chords. Kind of like EP445. I really liked not making what I created too complicated to start, but feel like once I have something solid I’m ready for the next step to spice it up.
CK
-
-
We’d love a ‘3 o’clock blues’ lesson with backing from riding with the king album…
BB King and Eric clapton style ❤️
A beautiful musical masterpiece ❤️
Pleeeeeeeeeeeeze 🙏Now here it is three o’ clock in the mornin’
And I can’t even close my eyes
Oohw it’s three o’ clock in the mornin’, baby
I can’t even close my eyes
Well, you know I can’t find my baby
I can’t be satisfied -
I really like being ‘challenged’ to create something original utilizing a different procedure, method or technique. Some challenges that come to mind are: “In the By and By”, “Twinkle Twinkle”, “Chord Stacking” in C and the use of “Transition Chords” in a CFG composition. I guess I could go on and on but these lessons all had a profound imprint on my guitar education. It is fun to see what you can come up with. My development unfolds a bit more readily when faced with this kind of a task rather than memorizing and playing something already written.
-
Jola-per our most recent discussion, how about a lesson which features the use of only the first position to carve out a blues solo… to be played with any backing track or STAND ALONE… you can use riffs, licks, solos or chords but it all has to be played in the first position! I think this would be quite a challenge and produce some wild submissions.
-
-
-
-
My suggestion would be a lesson/workshop focusing on the picking hand. This could include pure flat picking, pure fingerpicking and also hybrid picking with the flatpick and fingers.
Beyond that, there’s also ‘hiding’ the pick so you can go seamlessly into fingerpicking with the thumb and fingers and back to using the pick. Currently I carry a pick with me everywhere, and when I think about it I practice shifting the pick from normal grip to ‘hidden’ mode, freeing up my thumb and one or two fingers to do pure fingerpicking. In other words the pick gets parked and then returned to service relatively seamlessly using only the picking hand.
I haven’t nailed it yet, shifting the pick back and forth tends to throw off my timing.
-
-
-
Hey JoLa,
How about a lesson on transcribing. Three levels. Beginner, intermediate and advanced.
Brian plays an audio file only. No video or tabs. He gives the Key of the short lesson.
Beginner uses one scale shape two chords, intermediate two shapes and advanced three shapes. The video and tabs are not released until after the deadline then we can see how close we were.
Thanks
seam -
I am East Side Bob, the new kid on the block. I am an ollldd blues player.
I would appreciate it Brian, if you would offer a class on my all time favorite blues player, Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac. He is never rushed. I have learned a lot from his “Albatross” and “Need Your Love So Bad”, but would appreciate your in depth review of his style. Like you, he is specific, but plays soulfully from his heart. You are the reason I become an AM member.
So many guitar technicians that lack honest expressions of what they are feeling. Stories on that another time.
Thank you for your last lesson and the “buses and neighborhood” class. You are helping me get out of my box. Also, thank you for your time, effort and love of the guitar/blues.
Best and stay safe…..
-
-
-
-
Just to add a bit “more” interest for 2023 – how about challenging each of us to offer a song that showcases home-country or if not a specific song then a style of music that showcases your heritage or homeland?
Maybe some style you hadn’t tried before. Having been raised in New Orleans, but with no experience in it, for me – I might try a Zydeco tune!🤪
It could certainly be something that uses lessons from any of Brian‘s many classes whether blues, country, etc., simply using a particular scale or mode. But tie it in to something personal to yourself/homeland or homebase.
Hope this makes sense. Otherwise I’d be happy to have others chime in to elaborate.🤔
Marie“Laissez les bon temps rouler“
Marie Jarreau -
Brian; Long time member here….first, congrats on EP500!!!!! Look forward to the next 500.
My lesson request is for another old “surf style” guitar lesson. I think you’ve only done one – back in 2015 by the results of my search. I’ve requested such a lesson a couple of times over the years and it’d be great to offer a surf soloing lesson: maybe in the format of rhythm and fills. Although the Ventures are the quintessential default, Im thinking maybe something other than them as there are soooo many other old school surf groups.
Would also like to suggest country finger picking style stuff….I’ve been really studying Mark Knofpler style finger picking stuff since the first of the year. His cleaner stuff like “Brothers in Arms” and “What It Is”
So melodic and touching….Thanks for listening/reading.
-
-
I look forward to member challenge weekend every month.
My thought would be to play one of Brian’s lessons that you maybe started to learn a while back but found it too challenging or couldn’t finish it.
I know I’ve always got a few that I started but for whatever reason never got around to completing.
-
I‘m also have so much fun to participate in the challenges since nearly two years. And i think it would be great fun to make a challenge, where everyone can show his favorite thing, piece, tune or anything else, he or she does on the guitar, that he/she has the most fun with. I think it would be a great experience to watch all these.
Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom
The next Meetup will be in spring 2025There will be a detailed announcement here in the forum a few weeks before.
I look forward to meet you.
Manfred -
-
Hi All,
An idea for the April Challenge! Following on from the ‘Share a Lick’ Challenge the April Challenge could be:
Choose and nominate 3 licks learnt from members and create a short composition or improvisation on a given, created or downloaded backing track.
Just a suggestion!
All the best! 🥸🎸🥸
Garry
-
-
Inspired by Alan L’s March 2023 Challenge submission, the challenge idea is to take 2 or more EP lessons and combine them, or combine licks from them over a backing track. This gets us away from memorizing a particular lesson and into pulling out reusable elements and applying them in different contexts.
-
-
First of all, thanks to all, who mentioned me and my idea for this months challenge in their contributions.
In my opinion Garry‘s and Michael‘s ideas in the previous posts would be fantastic challenges.
And i want to add another one:
I just watched Pap‘s contribution for this month, where he played the lick from the lesson, that brought him to ActiveMelody. And it came to my mind, that it would be a great challenge, where everybody plays the lesson, that brought him/her to sign in to ActiveMelody.Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom
The next Meetup will be in spring 2025There will be a detailed announcement here in the forum a few weeks before.
I look forward to meet you.
Manfred -
Both ideas are good challenges to extend sentences and blend ideas from an existing base of material .. even if Brian gave the choice of sentences from his vocabulary and we had to come with an arrangement around it. There was an AM challenge to combine two or more lessons into one composition Oct’21.
-
-
-
Challenge idea…….have everyone do the same specific lesson once in a while, like we used to do. Don’t get me wrong, I love the new way Brian does the lesson ideas, even better than the old way, but I don’t see why we can’t all do the same lesson once or twice a year.
No, it is NOT a competition but I think it is of value to see how others interpret the same lesson. It can be inspiring.
my two cents
PaddyboyALL IT TAKES TO WRITE A SONG IS........3 CHORDS AND THE TRUTH!
-
-
That would be a completely different Challenge!
Show and play your favorite guitar exercise and explain the benefit of it and perhaps what you have gained of it!Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom
The next Meetup will be in spring 2025There will be a detailed announcement here in the forum a few weeks before.
I look forward to meet you.
Manfred -
-
Hi Jola/Brian,
Here is my suggestion. Basically, Brian to give us say, three chords and no other parameters (no BPM, no key, no sequencing of the chords, no genre etc). Our challenge is to do something with them. It’d be especially important not to suggest a key, to leave the door open on decisions regarding the tonal centre etc.Participants could, for instance, put together a strummy rhythm, or do that then play a lead over it, or arrange a finger style tune using the chords, or whatever.
Gary
-
How bout a lesson that you’ve been working on for a long time and cannot quite seem to nail to your satisfaction.
Post best effort and thoughts on what needs improvement -
Perhaps not so much for an AM Challenge, but I wonder if Brian would consider offering a lesson on the “Finer Details of Using the Active Melody site?”
– A specific lesson on how to get and where to find “Part 2.”
– How to use the tools in Part 2 for real “newbies” and even someone like me (though accustomed to following detailed information!) who it’s taken several years to figure out how to slow down the tracks for better understanding!I realized that part of the reason I was hesitant to actually jump into the lead guitar lessons was I just could not even follow a lot of what was happening in the lessons.
More recently I took the time to really get familiar with the “Part 2” sections and discoverd “HOW” to slow things down.
That REALLY opened the door for me!! I wonder how many other folks may end up discouraged because they just don’t have the expertise to follow at the fast pace and can’t immediately figure out how to slow things down for better understanding,
“Laissez les bon temps rouler“
Marie Jarreau-
There is already an 8 minute video that exists Marie. It is under the heading ‘Take the Tour’ where Brian takes you through using the site including Part 2 using the soundslice. It is usually in the left hand corner of the screen, with the bars when you click on, Take the Tour is 2nd of the list. Sometimes it is there and other times its not. Otherwise you could click on the topic ‘Links’ at the bottom of the screen and then click on Sitemap and then scroll down for Take the Tour, it is part of the premium membership.
-
-
PS – I found it quite humorous that when I slowed the YouTube “lesson” down for better understanding of his playing, Brian sounded as though he was giving the lesson while “three-sheets-to-the-wind” drunk!! LOL!
Quite entertaining since I do not see that behavior actually coming from Brian:
my guitar hero! :o)“Laissez les bon temps rouler“
Marie Jarreau -
I thought it would be fun to have a monthly challenge posting a video or audio of you playing a lesson or song from one of your favorite guitar players. “In the style of” !
I know Brian has many lessons of various guitarists labeled or mentioned “in the style of”. Or it could be a song not covered by Brian, that you have learned.
Could be any guitar player you admire from Robert Johnson to Eric Clapton to BB King !Don P
-
Not sure if this has been suggested before but here goes –
Post a video/audio of you playing an AM lesson in a style you haven’t submitted before or wouldn’t normally play.
Eg – Bluegrass/Jazz/Ragtime etc.
Any one of those would be a real challenge for me!
Liam.
“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams. “
-
-
New challenge idea:
Create a video/audio of you playing a song or composition that you have created!It could be as simple as strumming 3 chords or it could be more advanced depending on your abilities. It could be in any genre you prefer as long as you have composed or created it.
Brian has so many lessons teaching various aspects of this in all genres…See what you can do.Don P
-
-
-
Suggestion,
how bout lesson on how to remember important things from your lessons. That’s it, that’s the problem I’m having. I mean it’s not an age thing, although I’m 73, there is just so much and over the years it’s impossible to retain everything. I’ve done like, I don’t know, over a hundred lessons let’s say, and they are all cool things but sooner or later you have to let things go for new things. UGH!! It’ws frustrating because I don’t want to let anything go. Help!! lol
PaddyboyALL IT TAKES TO WRITE A SONG IS........3 CHORDS AND THE TRUTH!
-
Short lesson FINGERPICKING THE SCALES
Fingerpicking scales. The Major, Natural Minor and the Pentatonics.
I know about the thumb on the 6th ,5th, and 4th strings. then the pointer on the 3rd, the middle finger on the 2nd and the 3rd finger on the 1st string.
But would that be the exact same fingering to use when you are doing scales?
thanks,
PaddyboyALL IT TAKES TO WRITE A SONG IS........3 CHORDS AND THE TRUTH!
-
Ok iv been trying to figure out the cords or triads,or strings used in the backing track 471 i beleave but its a 12 bar blues but it sounds like its been dubbed over what i mean is there are no triads or chords the 12 bar is strings the E,C,G or D not sure..
im still having problems with getting a challange recorded ..but how about that -
-
-
Just an idea for a lesson, well not really a lesson as such. I’m sure we all get stuck in our progress, like hitting a brick wall, or plateuing, it would be good to get some fresh perspective or encouragement when faced with this sutuation. I know I have benefitted from the times when Brian offered helpful and encouraging insights and advice. This could just be a short 5 min video.
-
Just had a thought… create a lead over a backing track using ONLY 3 note or 4 note phrases. Go on as long as you like, make it as musical as you can, but no phrase longer that 4 notes. They could be 4 looooonnng notes, or short, staccato notes, or a combination. Get creative with the rhythm and tones of the phrase, and try to sing with your fingers.
-
-
-
-
-
How about a real fun challenge for us all?
Play your favorite AM blues lesson!
The hardest part will be to decide which one!Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom
The next Meetup will be in spring 2025There will be a detailed announcement here in the forum a few weeks before.
I look forward to meet you.
Manfred -
I love seeing the challenges based on a lesson. So, I would like to see Brian do some lesson(s) on timing, using a metronome and practical application thereof. After some lessons are published have a challenge that applies to timing. I think this is one thing that is left out on AM. I am discovering how important it is…especially if you want to play/jam with others. Thanks. Pap.
-
Whatever happened to the ‘Open Challenge’
When Bryce decided on the Challenges he would choose at least three free-choice challenges per year, to play whatever piece took your fancy. While I truly understand ActiveMelody is about learning new skills and with Brian’s leadership it’s extremely good at that, I’m also sure it’s about freedom of choice and expressing yourself in a way that you choose.
So let’s have a few ‘Open Challenges’ per year.Richard
-
The way I look at it, Brian has done some open challenges, he just didn’t call them “open” 🙂
For example, the recent CAGED challenge – pretty much anything you play could be broken down into CAGED shapes. And what about “Play something” challenge, when he asks us to show what we play when someone asks us to play something? or “acoustic blues” challenge, a “no accompaniment challenge”, “what sounds good and is easy to play”, “your favorite licks”, “fill licks” … and so on – maybe not exactly “open” but very wide subject-wise.
I think – with most challenge topics – you can still play whatever you want and the challenge is to find a way for it to fit into the given challenge 😉
🎸JoLa
-
-
-
Topical idea for the July challenge would be to compose or improvise your own lead over the Quist jam track for EP 576. It’s like an AM wide AM jammers challenge.
John -
-
I think we should divide the monthly challenge. Electric or Acoustic.
The skill sets we are starving for are different in many cases. Many playing electric guitar always want a backing track to play lead with. While many of us on acoustic are working on fingerstyle stand alone compositions.
I mean as an acoustic fingerstyle player, I am not looking to jam with Quist. Yes it could be done but…
I doubt many electric guitar players are looking for challenges to play stand alone electric guitar fingerstyle with drone or alternating bass. Yes it could be done but..
Also we can review and focus on A.M. members who are working towards a shared goal with a more common interest. Each month you pick your category . This could be a more focused and streamline way to proceed.🎶Don P
-
-
-
I feel you but for a guy like me that don’t own a Taylor or Martin is pretty hard to go with an acoustic.
I prefer having a backtrack instead of playing by myself.
Sorry but I am an electric player.AndréM
That’s exactly my point Andre.
I don’t own an electric so it’s hard for me to go with a Quist backing track…
My suggestion was to have an electric guitar challenge and an acoustic challenge.Don P
-
I don’t think splitting the challenges into two separate tracks is a good long term solution. Some players are only either acoustic or electric but a great number of us experiment with both, so then which one do we pick? Whatever we do pick, we’ll miss out on the other one. So do both then? Maybe so but that kind of defeats the idea behind the challenges and they will start to look like Showcase Your Playing events. Aren’t the challenges supposed to encourage us to leave our comfort zone once in a while?
The way I look at them you can interpret them to suit your current mood or the style of playing. Whatever you’re currently working on can most likely be used for any given challenge, one way or another, it has happened to me many times. Worst case scenario, sometimes one can “bend” the rules a bit too. For example, if the challenge calls for playing over a specific backing track and you only play standalone pieces then maybe create your own standalone composition using the same chord progression as in the given backing track? Or if someone plays ONLY with tracks and the challenge is to go without, well – either you take the challenge – or just play your own thing this time. Since it is not a competition, you won’t be disqualified. Maybe the next one will be right up your alley 😉
🎸JoLa
-
-
-
-
Hi AM’ers
Let me start by saying I would always prefer to have a backing track.I don’t play electric but even if I did, backing tracks serve another purpose. They work as standalone jam tracks.
I like what JoLa said “For example, if the challenge calls for playing over a specific backing track and you only play standalone pieces then maybe create your own standalone composition using the same chord progression as in the given backing track” so I can’t see the conflict of “having” a backing track.
Further, I would also like to see in the “Full Screen Mode” the backing track tabbed out as well so we can play along with just the track at our own tempo because in the “minus guitar part” section on the main page you can only slow that backing track down to .5 which is way toooo slow. I like to practice these lessons at a slower tempo without having to play over Brians lead.
most important, let me say this again…
I would also like to see in the “Full Screen Mode” the backing track tabbed out as well so we can play along with just the track at our own tempo because in the “minus guitar part” section on the main page you can only slow that backing track down to .5 which is way toooo slow. I like to practice these lessons at a slower tempo without having to play over Brians lead.
Paddyboy
ALL IT TAKES TO WRITE A SONG IS........3 CHORDS AND THE TRUTH!
-
Some ideas, not sure if they are in the normal scope of the site
Non-diatonic chord progressions, perhaps it’s easier to improvise over 1,4,5 but would like to explore more borrowed chords and perhaps stuff like pachelbel’s canon progression or use of diminished 2 chord in minor progressions like Because by The Beatles. Then most common progressions used in doo wop, let it be etc…
Finger picking such as Travis
Mini video on taking Active Melody Caged blues ideas to the Ukulele
-
-
-
When I stop looking at the fretboard it is all over. How bout some tips OR A LESSON on how to take those darn eyes off the fretboard because I feel it’s imparative to be able to do that.
I can do it a little but for the most part I have to look.
Paddyboy (Pat)ALL IT TAKES TO WRITE A SONG IS........3 CHORDS AND THE TRUTH!
-
Having seen the suggestions here and the posts, I’ll admit there’s very little to add or ask for. There does seem to be ALOT of leeway. Glad for that!
My suggestion would be impose a key or chord progression to improvise over. This would be fixed and unchangeable. But each player has the task of choosing the tempo or style, e.g. blues, swing, country etc. But to see how each player interprets this parameter would be fascinating. Much more so for me anyway rather than playing a certain lesson. A kind of “I can do this ” as opposed to playing as close as possible to what Brian has already done. Not that I don’t find HUGE VALUE in that but the different attempts are lacking and don’t hold my attention.
I found Brian during COVID and have grown in my knowledge and fluency on the guitar.
Too old for rock and roll but too young to die
-
How about assigning a mid tempo 12 bar blues backing track in A with a quick change and trying to use a variety of scales, ie. mix in some major and minor pentatonic, mix of the two, maybe a little E minor pentatonic over the V chord, arpeggios, mixolydian, chromaticism, maybe even a little diminished lick in the appropriate place, a turnaround or two. Give each participant 2 rounds of the 12 bar to keep it manageable and each member can keep it as simple or as complex as they like. It would be fun to see how different these solos turn out and a great learning experience.
John -
Yeah I think it would be fun, but how do we go about it. I remember the Jammer and I think it was kind of tricky for Craig to do the mix.
AndréAndréM
-
Hi Andre,
This would be the regular monthly challenge with individual submissions. I just suggest keeping it short so it’s not overwhelming for the members trying to listen to all the posts. Each member could keep it to their best ideas, almost like taking a solo in a jam.
Just saw a video of Garry playing EP 508, it’s a nice, fairly slow Chicago blues style lead. I think that could be a nice track to use.
John-
So we would have to post the monthly challenge and the jam in the monthly challenge?
Maybe it would be too much for the people that only participate in the challenge.
Lots of them don’t even post in the showcase. They just appear for the monthly challenge.
Thought in would be in a separate tread and be open for the month, then add anew backtrack for the next month and so on.André
AndréM
-
-
-
-
-
Take a song and play it in another mode here is an example of Chuck Berrys You Never can tell played in a minor mode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CAjHt8XKj4
-
Roll The Dice & Write A Song
Pick a key
Write a song by rolling a dice 8 times
1st 4 results are the verse chords
2nd 4 results are the chorus chords.
Forget the number 7 coz the 1st 6 chords in the key are all you need
Have fun
Be kind to yourself (especially when you're trying to play this instrument!)
Brian Clough“Got a lotta sinful ideas but they seem kinda sensible” Jim Casy the ex-preacher in The Grapes Of Wrath
-
I’ve participated in almost every challenge ever since I joined Active Melody in June 2017 but there were a few that I missed due to life circumstances. As I was organizing my practice materials I thought it might be a cool idea to catch up with those that I have missed – but not sure if I could find time in between the ongoing challenges to actually do that.
So maybe we could have a “catch-up” month once in a while? It would obviously be a different challenge topic choice for most and for those who have never skipped a challenge, they could pick one from before they started participating in the challenges.
There’s a link to an up-to-date list of all the AM challenge topics on top of this thread and we can still find Brian’s prior challenge announcements/explanations in this forum section.
🎸JoLa
-
-
THIS IS MORE OF AN IDEA FOR ONE OF BRIAN’S MICROLESSONS.
I NOTICED THAT I’VE NEVER HEARD BRIAN USING NATURAL HARMONICS IN ANY OF HIS LESSONS. WHEN I PLAY ACOUSTIC FOR PEOPLE AT COOKOUTS, ETC, PEOPLE DON’T PAY THAT MUCH ATTENTION TO THE MUSIC, BUT IF I PLAY A HARMONIC OR TWO, HEADS TURN AND I HEAR “WHAT WAS THAT, OR “HOW’D YOU DO THAT”? NON-PLAYERS SEEM FASCINATED BY THAT SOUND.
VERY SIMPLE TECHNIQUE, BUT IF YOU’RE A BEGINNER YOU MAY NOT KNOW HOW TO PLAY HARMONICS, OR MAY NOT EVEN BE AWARE THAT THERE IS SUCH A TECHNIQUE.
MOST PLAYERS WOULDN’T PLAY HARMONICS EVERY DAY (EXCEPT LENNY BREAU), BUT IT’S A GOOD TECHNIQUE TO KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN PLAYING IN G, D, AND EMINOR, OR OPEN TUNINGS.
RALPH P.
Ralph P.
-
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
