NeilES335

Doug and I had tickets to see Tommy in concert last fall neat Toronto, but it was canceled due to the pandemic.. bummer 🙄

Well played Henk! I enjoyed listening... You played every note clearly, and accurately. Now you've done this, my suggestion would be to work on playing more smoothly, so the tune flows through each phrase. Bravo on the recording, especially being your your first (or among the first) you've done. I know it's a leap, and learning Reaper is a pretty big challenge, as Wim points out. I've recorded about a dozen songs with it and the Scarlet 2i2 interface, and have only scratched the surface of what it can do. (I dont think you need to know it all to produce a good recording) You imported a nice backing track, and got your sound levels and timing just right, so well done on that too! Your guitar has a nice tone as well. Keep it up!

A written journal would be a good tool to keep track of your progress, but I agree with Doug, that recording yourself is the best way to to judge how you actually sound to others. It quickly points to areas you do well, and those that need improvement. I wish I had done so earlier on in my learning process. Learning to use recording software like Reaper is well worth the effort, but even if it's just a recording on your cell phone, theres still a lot of value there.

@Randy120 Thats really nice Randy; I haven't seen one quite like that before, with the sound hole grill (like an old lute) and cutaway. (mine is a non- cutaway) I think they are underrated really... Mine stays in tune forever too in the case... I forgot to de-tune it a couple of times and it was in the case for like a year... still played in tune. Amazingly stable.

Hi Randy; I see you have an Ovation Balladeer. I'm curious... how old is it? Is it a fully acoustic, deep body (some call it a bowl). Mine is a Standard, fully acoustic, deep body, Sitka spruce top, mahogany bridge, mahogany/maple/mahogany neck, ebony fretboard. It's one of the "original" models, made in 1968, in Hartford Connecticut. I'm told it was one of the first 100 guitars made, with a paper label. I've had it since 1969! It sounds better all the time. 🙂 I've played lots of high end acoustics, (Gibson, Martin, Taylor etc.) but I still like this one. I dont play it much these days, but I'll never sell it, while I can still play. Cheers; Neil

Grab it. You'll soon be playing it all the time.

I liked Martin acoustic Lite strings on my Ovation Balladeer. I don't think it's a one-string-is best situation however. A little experimentation with different brands on Your guitar would probably reveal what string sound best to you.

Well Done!

Shull makes good videos. however I'd point out that several of the amps he recommends are ' boutique 'x amps, (some I've not heard of before) that you may have trouble finding at your local music store (certainly in Canada anyway). The one I do agree with is the Fender Blues Jr. and of course I'd add the Princeton Reverb, which are both widely available.

I have a " roundback" guitar, a 1968 Ovation Standard Balladeer, that I've owned since about 1970. It is the 'deep bowl' model. It has a solid spruce top. The back and sides are 'Lyracord' , similar to fiberglass. It's tone is actually quite bright and lively, yet also sweet and articulate, which has improved with age. I have played newer ones with a ' shallow bowl' and found the tone similar, although with less volume and projection. These rely more on a pickup. So to finally answer your question, I'd say no. The depth has more to do with volume than with tone. Think of say a big Gibson SJ200 vs a Parlor size guitar. The top of the guitar resonates to produce the most tone, vs. the back and sides which reflect the sound.

Congrats...enjoy👍

Right. I like the Focusright headphones. They're comfortable and sound very good to me. I use them for general listening and recording. Are there better ones? Probably. But very satisfactory for my use.

@MGood1Your file indicates this is a Dangerous Link. Please repost to SoundCloud and post the link here instead.

@Nairon Very well done! Your notes are nice and clear, and accurate. You got the tricky 3/4 timing down spot on, and let the notes ring out. Good job! ps maybe you should look into recording the rhythm track too, (chords). You could learn to use a D.A.W. (digital audio workstation) like Reaper (its free to download ) and record your melody over it. It's a great learning tool and satisfying to hear yourself play a full song too. (you'll need a computer interface like a Focusrite Scarlet Solo or 2i2. they cost about $200 USD)

Great rendition of this classic blues Wim ! I can hear Eric Clayton's recording in there... (Unplugged Album) Well done.

Good job Doug. That was quite creative using the different guitar tones for the lead and rhythm tracks.

@Oldjock @Mike Hoodenpyle Hey thanks guys, it was fun and a treat to play with this really talented group, (albeit virtually) Yes, the production is amazing and I'm sure quite a job to put together.

Done... thanks for advising me.

To get things started, here's my recording of "Moon River" from "The Song Hits" . I hope you enjoy it! "Moon River" is a song composed by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was originally performed by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 movie Breakfast at Tiffany's, winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song.[1] The song also won the 1962 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.[2] Moon River.mp3

Once again, it was my priveledge to participate with an "ensemble" of 17 other jazz guitarists from 7 countries, as a project with Frank Vignola's Jazz Studio. Some great players here, and a very enjoyable listen! The song "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" is a song with music by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II has become a "jazz standard", covered by jazz greats like George Benson, Chet Baker, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Bing Crosby, Winton Kelly, and dozens more. I hope you enjoy listening! Please give it a thumbs up for JP Cousineau, Canada (Video) and Ron Ballantyne, USA (Audio) for this very professional production. (My part is about the 1 minute mark)

If the crack is stable, there may not be much you can do with it. Best to consult a Luther I think before doing anything with it

That's great... you won't be disappointed. I forgot to mention, another amp. IF you're in a band or gig setting and need something a bit more powerful, the Fender Twin Reverb is a very well respected amp, used by professionals world wide.

@Dolph Some folks do have a "flying pinky" that has to be tamed. Try fingering each note slowly and deliberately, while just lifting your fingers ever so slightly moving to the next note. Gentle finger stretches help too. And yes, with practice, you will improve this, if you concentrate. Best do it now as later it becomes an issue. Slowly and deliberately, every day.

@Nairon This is really common, especially while playing acoustic guitar. It's called "String Noise". Yes, it is your fingers dragging along the strings as you change chords or notes. Some find it acceptable to a degree; others like me don't really like it. If you wish to reduce or eliminate it, there are a couple of things you can do. 1) Work on your technique. Don't drag your fingers along the strings, but lift them just ever so slightly, while changing chords or notes. 2) Try some coated guitar strings like Elixir Nanoweb or Elixir Polyweb, which are meant to reduce this noise. 3) If you're playing an electric you could try Flatwound Strings, which virtually eliminate noise. They are a specialty item though, meant for Jazz or Blues. Mostly, it's technique though. Just work on it.

Hey Greg; thanks a lot... I'm glad you enjoyed it! If this spurs you on to your jazz lessons, then all the better! I have a collaboratiion coming out later this week with about a dozen other players from around the world... It's in production and I'm looking forward to seeing and hearing it! Happy Tunes; Neil