December 2022 Challenge Response – Mike W

[Mike W]

Happy New Year to you all.
The challenge for this month was to play something that we could play quite easily, that was fun to play and that we thought sounded good. The piece I chose was written by an English guitar tutor – Adrian Woodward. It fits the requirements of the challenge plus it’s excellent practice for alternate picking.
Fortunately I recorded this before Christmas – we were stricken down with Covid just after, so I haven’t picked a guitar up for almost two weeks. Thankfully on the mend now – the latest version seems much less severe than the early ones that were killing so many people. It’s still pretty unpleasant though – keep wearing the masks!
I’m looking forward to watching the other submissions.

[Don Patton jr]

Some very nice flat picking in this new year submission Mike! Well done with good Melody 👍 Have a great New Year 🎉

Don P

[Mike W]

Many thanks, Don. Have a Happy New Year.

[Richard G]

So well played Mike and a great choice with that wonderful melodic flow. Glad you’re back on the mend and I wish you all the best for the New Year.

Richard

[Mike W]

Thank you Richard, I wish you and yours a Happy New Year.

[Manfred M]

Great choice, Mike. And some fine alternate picking. A really good exercise. I will make a note.

Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom
This time we are going to have a 600th AM Lesson Celebration Meetup on December 21, 2024

For more information click here

I look forward to meet you.
Manfred

[Mike W]

Thank you Manfred. Have a very Happy New Year.

[James B]

Nice picking, Mike. Glad your feeling better. Damn that Covid!

James

[Mike W]

Many thanks James. Best wishes for the New Year.

[Lights]

Perfect! Fits very good for warm up excercise.
Lights.

[Mike W]

Thank you Meelis. Have a terrific New Year.

[Phil B]

Glad to hear that you are over the worst of it Mike. Pretty nifty playing as well on a nice looking guitar.

[Mike W]

That’s very kind of you, Phil. I got the Gretsch in the summer – it needs a set-up but even without it it’s a dream to play.

[David B]

Hola Mike.

This is really a good exercise for alternate picking man!!
Well done.
hope you and your family recovers fast from COVID.

happy 2023
David B

[Mike W]

Thanks for your kind words, David. Have a Happy New Year.

[Juxi]

Fast and precise alternate picking, Mike. Glad you are well again. I can feel with you, I got Covid in November for the first time. So good to hear you are up and playing again! 👍🏽

Bluesige Grüße
Juxi

[Mike W]

Many thanks Juxi. I wish you and yours a Happy New Year.

[Vincent K]

Excellent playing, great excercise.

🎸 Vincent 🎶 🇳🇱

[Mike W]

Thank you Vincent – have a Happy New Year.

[Mike D]

Good practice lesson! Played very smooth!!

Live on planet Earth ? You got the blues.

[Mike W]

Thank you Mike – have a Happy New Year.

[Paul S.]

If the writer of this piece was English, he was from the part of England where they rustle cattle and drill oil. In any event, you gave his creation a fun. spirited and terrific ride. Glad you are feeling better and hope your 2023 is covid free and guitar heavy.

[Mike W]

Many thanks Paul – you made me smile. Actually he’s from London – they don’t go in much for rustling these days – they make their ill-gotten gains from dodgy share dealing now. Thanks for your good wishes and have a Happy New Year. BTW, allow me to be boring and mention that in the 1930s to 1950s there was oil drilling in Nottinghamshire, in what we call the East Midlands. It helped us considerably through the war, I believe. Quite a few Americans settled here to provide their expertise.

[WBlues]

Mike, nice run on the fretboard. You played pretty smoothly. The track seems to suit you. By the way nice composition from your master.

Play guitar just like you live; don't get bogged down in theory, it's just a tool without feeling.

Wilfried

[Mike W]

Many thanks Wilfried, also on behalf of Adrian. Have a Happy New Year.

[sunjamr]

Wow, you’re right – that is a good exercise for alternate picking. Well played!

Sunjamr Steve

[Mike W]

Many thanks Steve – have a Happy New Year.

[Scott M]

Glad to hear you are on the mend from having Covid, the piece is delivered cleanly with great accuracy and speed, well played Mike!

Scott

[Mike W]

Thanks for your kind words, Scott. I wish you a Happy New Year.

[Michael L]

Nice Mike, lots of picking in that one and you played it pretty smoothly. Glad your feeling better now.

[Mike W]

Many thanks, Michael. Have a very Happy New Year.

[Alan K]

Some upbeat and fun picking Mike. Nicely done. Glad to hear you are on the other side of this COVID thing.

[Mike W]

Thanks for your kind words, Alan. I wish you a Happy New Year.

[Richard W]

Nice, clear picking, Mike. Glad you’re feeling better.

[Mike W]

Thanks for your kind words, Richard. Have a Happy New Year.

[JFL]

That is fun! Glad you are on the mend. Nice job Mike 👍

JFL

[Mike W]

Many thanks for your kind words, J. I wish you and yours a very Happy New Year.

[JoLa]

Very impressive, Mike! It would take me months to learn flat picking like that, this seems like a good exercise indeed! Glad you’re feeling better 🙂

🎸JoLa

[Mike W]

You’re very kind Jola, thank you. It’s a great exercise because it’s such fun to play. I wish you and yours a very Happy New Year.

[AndréM]

Cool bluegrass submission.
Well done.

AndréM

AndréM

[Mike W]

Thanks Andre – Happy New Year to you.

[Andy N]

Nifty playing Mike! That’s a real workout for both hands. Glad to hear you’ve got over Covid. It’s been doing the rounds, my sister had it pretty bad too.

[Mike W]

Many thanks Andy. Happy New Year to you.

[Denise]

Very nice sounding country style bluegrassy melody!
Well played. Wish you a good recovery and all the best for the new year.
Denise

More Blues!

[Mike W]

Thank you for your kind words, Denise. Happy New Year to you and yours.

[Enrico]

Nice and smooth picking Mike. But I have to disagree with you too! 😊 That doesn’t look that easy at all!

[Mike W]

Ha ha – touche Enrico. Thank you for your kind words. Happy New Year.

[Martin W]

Catchy tune Mike , and a real plectrum workout ,I think it’s better to have something like this as a practice exercise rather than just scales .
The Gretsch sounds fab is it a new one ?
Well played .

Martin

[Mike W]

Many thanks, Martin – I couldn’t agree more about having a fun practice piece. I got the Gretsch last Summer. It needs a set-up but is still a dream to play without it. Happy New Year.

[Pat]

Nice flat picking and smooth playing.

[John H]

Well played Mike,
What a great concept. You covered this nicely. This I bet gets challenging in so many different positions. Thanks for sharing.!!

John H.

[Mike W]

Thank you Pat – Happy New Year.

[Bob Utberg]

Hey Mike!!! Glad you are feeling better! Soon COVID-19 will be like the “common cold”, right?
Super job here and glad you are back playing guitar. Great licks and style.
Happy New Year
Bob

Bob U. (aka Bobby Ut)

[Mike W]

Many thanks Bob. I hope you and yours have a very Happy New Year.

[David H]

Great picking and glad you are back in the saddle.

[Mike W]

Many thanks David – Happy New Year to you.

[Reuben B]

Definitely looks like a great exercise for flat picking; I wouldn’t call it easy but you have it down and sounds great.

[Mike W]

Many thanks Reuben. Happy New Year to you and yours.

[Mark T]

Lovely clean picking, Mike – enjoyed that 👍🎶

[Mike W]

Thanks Mark – Happy New Year.

[Liam Innes]

Nice clean and clear picking Mike it sounded great.

Very few people have escaped some form or other of the dreaded Covid!

Liam.

“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams. “

[Mike W]

Thank you Liam – Happy New Year to you.

[Phil67]

Great work Mike
I do something similar with triads connections : just 5 minutes a day, but each day since 1 month: great path of progress, your exercice is musical and is building deep foundation.

Where does the white go when snow melts?

[Mike W]

Thank you Phil. Repetition is so important – so it is important to make the exercise fun/interesting. I wish you and yours a Happy New Year.

[Pap]

Mike, how fortuitous that you played this before XMAS and before you cam down with Covid. Souned great and I love exercises that involve cross picking. Well played. AS for COVID, I was really fatigued from it…up to two months after. I exercise daily and I noticed that my HR recovery time was much longer after anerobic work. Don’t push yourself too hard. Happy New Year. Pap

[Mike W]

Thanks for your kind words, Pap. Fortunately I’m retired so I shall be taking it easy. Glad you got over it ok eventually. Happy New Year to you and yours.

[Charlie Veaudry]

Hi Mike, I really enjoyed this piece. Flat picking is always so intriguing to me. You put in the effort and have this great result to show for it.

I’m you are on this side of that nasty Covid experience.

I’m looking forward to seeing more of your playing.

Cheers!

Charlie

[Mike W]

You’re very kind Charlie – thank you.

[Tom D]

Hi Mike:
Thanks for your kind reminder to remain careful with Covid. Glad you’re on the mend. Your guitar picking starts off the new year posts in impressive fashion. Your alternating pick pattern is clear, accurate, and purposeful. Your piece sounds great. Have a great 2023!

Tom

[Mike W]

Many thanks Tom – I always appreciate your comments. Happy New Year.

[FergalT]

Nicely done Mike!
Glad you’re on the mend…hope Covid didn’t take too much out of you

[Mike W]

Thanks Fergal – Happy New Year.

[Bruce D]

Mike,
Nice playing on this Adrian piece. After Brian, Adrian is one of my “other” go-to guitar teachers. When I did a video of Kenny Burrell’s Soul Lament in November, it was from Adrian’s lesson. I also do Susie Q from him, and a nice cowboy routine called Country Thirds. Oh, and Pipeline. He covers a lot of styles, like Brian.

Soundin good, Mike.
Hope you’re on the mend.

Bruce

Just focus on the notes you DID get right . . . Frank Vignola

[Mike W]

Many thanks Bruce. I’m pleased to meet another of Adrian’s pupils. Like Brian, he’s very accomplished in a variety of styles. The main difference is that Adrian does actual cover versions rather than “in the style of”. Unfortunately I didn’t get involved with November’s challenge – I’ll go back and find Soul Lament. Have a great New Year.

[Marie Jarreau]

Hey Mike,
That IS a beautiful Gretch! And lovely finger picking ta boot! Nicely done. So glad your feeling better! Keep it up :0)

“Laissez les bon temps rouler“
Marie Jarreau

[Mike W]

Many thanks, Marie – you’re very kind. Happy New Year.

[Carpa]

Thankfully you are recovering from the Covid, your runs on your guitar are smooth and technically well done 👍

[Mike W]

Many thanks Carpa – Happy New Year.

[Richard S]

Nice job Mike. looks like a good finger workout.
Happy New Year.

Richard

[Mike W]

Thank you Richard – yes it’s a workout for both hands, the beauty is that it doesn’t feel or sound like an exercise. Have a Happy New Year.

[Livio M]

Hi Mike
I’m glad you’ve now come out of the covalescence of the covid and were able to offer us your December challenge which is an excellent suggestion for me who suffers from picking.
Best wishes for a peaceful 2023.

Livio

[Mike W]

Many thanks Livio – I wish you a very Happy New Year.

[Laurel C]

That was a fun tune and did sound good. I liked it very much. It reminded of Yakety Sax in several places as in melodically not speed wise. Having the Gretsch for only a short time you look at ease with it already. You have encouraged me to start using my Gretsch, by flatpicking. I find the fret markers starting on the first fret put me off as my other guitars start on the third fret. Glad you were able to shake off Covid, concerning that it is still around.

[Mike W]

Thanks for your kind words Laurel. You’re right about the similarity to Yakety Sax – I think that’s what attracted me to it in the first place. To be honest I bought the Gretsch for the wrong reason – it was such a beautifully grained and stained piece of wood – I couldn’t resist. Fortunately it scores very high on the more important features – playability etc. I know what you mean about the first fret mark – it’s there for aesthetic rather than functional reasons. I can’t criticise though: I bought the thing because it looked so good! Sadly I think Covid will always be with us now – fortunately each new strain seems less horrible than the last. Despite this – let me wish you and yours a very Happy New Year.

[Author]

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