Jan 2016 Challenge Part I - Get your Jam on & Vote!

V8

Thank you to all the entrants - I'm super stoked to see us chatting away in the initial challenge thread, please keep it going everyone!

So when voting, I'm going to suggest you have your instrument at hand to jam along to the entrants and when casting your vote - perhaps think of not only on what you enjoy hearing, but also what you enjoyed jamming along to.

Basically, cue up the track in your daw, find a loop that works and have some fun with it =D

You got 5 days and 3 votes...go for it!

Part II will be using these entries and hearing what you can do with it - At the moment I'm thinking...-> 1min, 4 tracks (excluding the loop you choose). Also thinking that if you don't use your own track, we can re-render the Part I entries w/o percussion so we have the flexibility of using our own rhythm section.

EDIT : Added Eujean @ 09h00 19/01/2016 - I missed his entry...DOH!

[b]BEGINNER[/b] [b]Hasie - Chillin’ in Jamaica[/b] http://guitarforum.co.za/gfsacomps/mp3s/Hasie.mp3 [i]BPM: 85 Key: G Major Fender Standard Strat -> Blackstar HT-5R -> Behringer UCA 222 -> Cubase AI LE 6 (Note that ASIO DirectX Full Duplex Driver does not work on Windows 10 - used ASIO4ALL) Drumkit: MT Power Drummer [/i]

[b]Lu22 - Dance of the Ropefish (Part 1)[/b] http://guitarforum.co.za/gfsacomps/mp3s/Lu22.mp3 [i]BPM: 150 (not entirely sure as I messed up when exporting my percussion track) Struggle, pain, struggle, acceptance. This is a very basic riff, but it should sound much better when the lead is added to it. Can't wait for the next challenge.

Recorded on my ESP LTD M-10, through a Yamaha THR10 and Audacity. Drum track (yes its just a kick I suck at drums) was created in Hydrogen and imported. [/i]

[b]INTERMEDIATE[/b] [b]Wern101 -Way Back Track[/b] http://guitarforum.co.za/gfsacomps/mp3s/Wern101.mp3 [i]Track bpm: Uhm…I dunno. I Accidently deleted the media files after rendering. Luckily I had it on my phone, but I have no idea about the bpm. Between 80 and 100bpm?

Ok so 40seconds was tight…mine is 45seconds…I basically used the MT Power Drum Kit with reaper and used some of the intro’s, presets and fills for the drum track. I then used power chords for the electric guitar rhythm part. The chords I used are: E5, B5, C#5 and A5. Effects used are only reverb on the guitar and drums.

No 'loops' were used in the making of this backing track. First EVER drum track I did!! [/i]

[b]Stoffeltoo - It's Plastic! [/b] http://guitarforum.co.za/gfsacomps/mp3s/Stoffeltoo.mp3 [i]BPM 120 ish Genre: Country rock (think CCR)

I used the power drum kit with Cubase, sounded really cool! Bass recorded with Sanchez el cheapo controller through prodipe VSTi stand alone. Mix done in Audacity[/i]

[b]Eujean - Untitled self title [/b] http://guitarforum.co.za/gfsacomps/mp3s/Eujean.mp3 [i]BPM: 140 This was a fun piece to do, I used my Rocksmith Cable, into Fruity Loops, and Amplitube 4. Didn't do too much mixing. The drum samples I got from a friend. This being my first challenge I think I learned a lot, but think I can learn so much more, so please point out what I should've done differently[/i]

[b]ADVANCED[/b]

[b]Tokyopop - White Lines on Cherry[/b] http://guitarforum.co.za/gfsacomps/mp3s/Tokyopop.mp3 [i]BPM: 120 This is the beginning of a longer song I've started working on.

A C-bebop scale should (I think) work alright with most of this, but some of it deviates from that. [/i]

[b]studmissile -Pick Up The Pieces [Backing Loop][/b] http://guitarforum.co.za/gfsacomps/mp3s/Studmissile.mp3 [i]BPM: 100[/i]

[b]Meron Rigas - Stick8[/b] http://guitarforum.co.za/gfsacomps/mp3s/V8.mp3 [i]BPM: 94 I went for a bass line, as I wanted to give my new bass a run. Since I ain't a bassist, thought it would be easiest to bang out something familiar from my old band - in which I was apparently the bass player ::). No idea on the key - it starts on C (C, D#, G#, G are the four notes I'm bouncing around). All my guitars are in storage, so no chance to jam a lead...I think F Blues might work? [/i]

(old forum) Poll Results: Jan 2016 Challenge Part I - Get your Jam on & Vote!

Hasie: 2
Lu22: 8
Wern101: 3
Stoffeltoo: 1
Tokyopop: 7
studmissile: 7
Meron Rigas: 7
Eujean: 6

V8

Before anyone mentions...I know the links are broken, just checking with Norio and we'll get them working!

EDIT : All links checked & working.

Stoffeltoo

Mmmm. Yoda about was just but then Yoda read he

wern101

Hey guys.

Links didn't work when I wanted to play then on my cell. Once I went on the PC the links are just fine, well, the player that is.

Loved the entries. such variety!! Completely awesome.

Sadly I am on the road till Sunday so won't be able to jam along to any of these. :'(

Well done people! You are all very talented musicians!

laters

Hasie

I can always provide the track without the intro and outtro drums I used to round off the entry.

Lu22

Sweet entries! Looking forward to seeing the end results.
Actually wanted to do a bass line myself, but my bass (it's a Cort so no surprise) decided it would rather be a bee, and I didn't have time to take it in.

Stoffeltoo

Plucksim! There are some good stuff here! Well done and thank you to all the entrants ?

peterleroux

Some very nice stuff there. Will definitely spend some time this week jamming over some of these

V8

Apologies to all for the teething troubles with getting the entries in & up. My first attempt at ftping to GFSA, creating a poll for voting and setting up the voting thread - it'll be smoother from here on (I hope :-[)

The issue with google axing the gfascomps account caused Eujean's entry to get lost in translation - entirely my fault! I had a feeling that there was eight entries, but didn't check GFSA Pm's for a few days and his entry got left out of this morning post.

But I have added him in the intermediate group (hey, you left it up to me Eujean... ?) and added him to the bottom of the voting list (I couldn't re-order the list without losing the votes cast). Please have a listen to his track and - as always - your feedback is muchly appreciated on all entries...!

Hasie

This is some great stuff. I am going to enjoy trying to jam to these tracks.

Since I have some OCD and my brain farks out when I don't know the key or chords of the track, can I ask that everyone post either the key/notes/chords they were using?
It will help me a lot to figure out what to play with it. :-[

studmissile

Great stuff, such brilliant entries and wonderful to hear some new members!

Hasie wrote: This is some great stuff. I am going to enjoy trying to jam to these tracks.

Since I have some OCD and my brain farks out when I don't know the key or chords of the track, can I ask that everyone post either the key/notes/chords they were using?
It will help me a lot to figure out what to play with it. :-[

Key of C [I'm working on an A Minor and C Major Pentatonic Scale solo]

Stoffeltoo

F C F G some D's in-between- enjoy

iainrossouw

Great Entries All. Interesting genre all round. Liker had been said before there are obviously plans for each entry in part 2, will be great to hear the final results. Maybe mix a medley when all is said and done?

wern101

Think a medley would be a great idea Ian! I am not great at mixing so we'd have to leave that to V8....?

TokyoP0P

Fwoah! Great turnout! Decisions, decisions...

V8

Hasie wrote: It will help me a lot to figure out what to play with it. :-[

Jamming (Improvization) is a great way to improve listening skills - My short cut is finding a note (by singing it) that sounds like it fits throughout the progression/loop (it's a like a drone note), find it on the fretboard, consider that the root and work out other notes that work from there. You can, of course, apply scale knowledge once you got a root to work from and then forget the root and get all jazz on it too. My hero (Victor Wooten) reckons play rhythmically 1st and worry about the notes later - applies more to bass, but I apply to leads and it works for me ?

wern101 wrote: I am not great at mixing so we'd have to leave that to V8....?

Haha, thanks for that - mixing is definitely not my strength. I'll defer to Adrian, who's Dec entry was insane - 5 genres, 10's of instruments and smooth like butter. Dammmnnnnn, that man has skillz 8)

Hasie

Thanks V8. Iain showed me during yesterdays lesson more or less what you just told me. I tried it on a few songs, and if it is not some obscure key, it is not that hard to figure out. It will just take some ear training.
I searched in semitone increments until I found a note, then worked around that in semitones and listened what fit and what not. Then figured out which chord shape it is and from there you can get the key.

If the music has some serious fuzz on it, I really struggle doing that.

Lu22

Power chords (yes I am lazy), with subtle variations to the following progressions:

B, G, B, A
C, G, B, G, E
C, G, B, G , A

The first chord in the progression on the A string, the rest on E

Stoffeltoo

Quick Question?
May I change key and BPM to splice songs for smooth transition?

Hasie

Stoffeltoo wrote: Quick Question?
May I change key and BPM to splice songs for smooth transition?

I don't know what comp "rules" state. I guess it will also have to be approved by the "composers" of said backtracks.