Cloughie’s July 2022

[cloughie]

Tēnã koutou,

That means greetings everybody in Te Reo which is one of the three official languages of my country, Aotearoa ( New Zealand ). The other two are English & NZ Sign Language. Te Reo is the language of our indigenous people the Māori – I am proudly descended from Māori on my father’s side & the rest of me is mainly Celtic and Viking. There’s also 5% Italian which may explain my visceral passion for Opera 🙂 – especially Verdi, Puccini and the Bel Canto Italian composers Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti. I also adore Maria Callas and agree she is the greatest artist of the 20th Century.

Anyway … here’s the relevant bit from January alongside July. Huge difference for me this year in my guitar voyage has been using a pick since about early Feb 22 so it lined up beautifully with this 6 month challenge. Loving it!

July is definitely better & not just because of the pick. It’s also shorter and I’m not singing 🙂

Enjoy.

July 22

Jan 22

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

[bwade913]

I liked both, but as a Tele player I do have to give the nod to the Tele version.

[AndréM]

Both are excellent, but I like the Jan one with the fleshy tone with your thumb.
Well done.

AndréM

AndréM

[John H]

Well done Cloughie. Soulfully played. Love the tone of your Tele!

JH

[Bill]

Nice improvement Cloughie! I think the Tele helps 😉
But no doubt it’s your practicing in the end.

[Richard G]

Great improvement Cloughie, using the pick gave it much more attack, which the piece called for. Great to listen to and well worth the practice

Richard

[Werner]

Well done, Sir, well done! With that pick it sounds – how should I say — clearer. But I like the older version as well. Thank you

Werner

[James B]

I like both, Cloughie. You’re as adept with the pick as you are with your thumb.

James

[Phil B]

Difficult one to call. I think I like the latest one better because I love the tele tone but also the pick gives a much crisper attack. Excellent playing.

[Denise]

The tone on your Tele is better and the notes sound clearer and brighter with the pick.
Your playing of the Chicago style has also improved (well you have already a great guitar before).
I absolutely like that style, great backing track, too.
I love NZ, the country of my dreams! You are so lucky to live there.
Denise

More Blues!

[Carpa]

Veel vooruitgang met het plectrum, goed gespeeld.
Great progress with the pick, well played.

[sunjamr]

Hahaha, I was forced by my parents to listen to opera a lot when I was a little kid, so now I hate it so much I will even walk across the street to avoid hearing it. I guess that’s just human nature. But it looks like you have a good grip on using a pick (pun intended). Well played!

Sunjamr Steve

[Garry]

The pick definitely gives a bite and an edge to your playing Brian and I bet you wish you could have tried using a bit of plastic a little sooner 😉. No stress because now you’ve got the option for finger style or pick. July version really rocked and sounded awesome so very enjoyable. Keep on pickin’ and all the best! 🥸🎸🥸

[sciencefiction]

You rock, Cloughie! You have really mastered that pick. And your alternate picking is out of sight. Very fluid playing.
Larry

[Manfred M]

Both versions are great, Cloughie. It don‘t look like you are using the pick just a short time. It looks very experienced. Nevertheless, i hope you don‘t mind, i like the January edition better, because of that soft Mark Knopfler touch

Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom.
The next Meetup will take place in May/June

There will be a detailed announcement here in the forum a few weeks before..

I look forward to meet you.
Manfred

[Martin W]

Yep I like both but …….certainly makes a difference with the pick especially when you dig in , I also prefer the sound of your tele so for me the 2nd one edges it .
Nice work .

Martin

[Laurel C]

It’s great to have both versions. The thumb and the pick and two different guitars. The transition to a pick has been an amazing shift. The July version gives it that sharp edge sound to be quick off the mark as oppose to that of the thumb’s agility. Choice.

[Bob Utberg]

Tēnã koutou Cloughie! Muy Bien!!! Great playing and you always play such great licks and tone. Well done!

Bob U. (aka Bobby Ut)

[Alan K]

Great improvement and a rocking submission this month. Great phrasing and fantastic clinic in alternate picking. So precise. Good stuff.

[JoLa]

Nice playing, Brian! Each version brings different flavors out, expressive thumb playing vs bright and punchy picked notes, a matter of taste I guess. I did enjoy the alternate picking parts, you got the technique down pat 👌

🎸JoLa

[Phil67]

Both are good, but i feel last one with pick is better, you are more expressive and licks sound much as phrases with a story to tell.
You really target and hit the blues attitude.
Bravo.

Where does the white go when snow melts?

[Michael L]

Hi Cloughie, it’s sounding really great! I think the pick has facilitated some smoother lines for you… a little less hesitation between notes as you can get the alternate picking going. And I love that Tele tone!

[Tom D]

It’s cool that you can be very effective with and without a pick Brian. It’s also very cool that you’ve got a Tele and a Strat. For this song, I thought your picking and Tele were especially good together. Enjoyed your music and the background on your country and personal history.

Cheers, Tom

[Marie Jarreau]

Hey Brian,
How ’bout that! Seems you and I started using a pick about the same time!! I’d been simply a thumb strummer for decades but the Boogie Woogie I chose for the Jan/July Challenge forced me to finally make the jump to using a pick. I must say I like your ‘Pick” version better though both are really fun pieces to listen to.

I thoroughly enjoyed your language, history and heritage information. New Zealand has always seemed like one of those fastenating locations.

“Yakoke” (“Thank You” – as in Choctaw language, part of my own heritage. My father was Choctaw, mother was Choctaw/French. We ALL have such rich histories behind us!)
Marie

“Laissez les bon temps rouler“
Marie Jarreau

[Mark T]

Brilliantly played in both versions, Cloughie – with the second one just edging it for me 👍🎶

[Author]

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