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The GFSA 'Keep it Simple' Mini Challenge

Turns out this was not as simple as it seemed? Well done to entrants & thanks for the entries everyone!

Four entries, two groups and two votes - get on it!

[b]Intermediate[/b]

[b]Peterleroux - 5T43[/b]http://guitarforum.co.za/gfsacomps/peterleroux.mp3 [i] Turns out bass players can get in on this, too! A droney riff I've been jamming on for years, decided to work it up into a bit of a song for the challenge. [/i]

[b]Warrenpridgeon - Devil's Gulch [/b]http://guitarforum.co.za/gfsacomps/warrenpridgeon.mp3 [i]I grabbed my old Starfire el Cheapo acoustico which I fitted a dodgy pickup to years ago...plugged it into my line 6. Laid it on my lap and started drumming on it... While trying to tap notes out with my left hand. I eventually ended up with a rag folded over a few times to give a bassier thump while tapping with my fingers next to it for a snappier sound. While doing some riffage with my left hand.

I added a second guitar track running chords that matched the riff I was playing. Panning the two guitar sounds to opposite sides by a random amount (I didn't check the value, I just turned the knobs until I was happy).

Then I started mucking around with a mic running through my line 6 with lots of reverb. Was doing some sort of mogolian throat singing / apache indian (as seen in movies) chanting. Wasn't working so lekker... so I ended up with a "special effect" sound and a whistling melody thingy. [/i]

[b]Advanced[/b]

[b]Studmissile - Keeping it Simple[/b]http://guitarforum.co.za/gfsacomps/mp3s/studmissile.mp3 [i] [/i]

[b]Meron Rigas - Art Girl[/b]http://guitarforum.co.za/gfsacomps/mp3s/meronrigas.mp3[i] [i]Bangin' away on my Terada nylon stringer, tuned to dadgad. 12 Bar progression, using a variation on last month's 'percussion' rhythm I came up with when jammin with Wizard . There are lyrics, but I just couldn't get a clean take with guitar, percussion and vocals all going on at the same time! So KISS applied and I just simplified down to the guitar & percussion part. [/i]

(old forum) Poll Results: GFSA Keep it Simple Challenge

  • Peterleroux: 1
  • Warrenpridgeon: 7
  • Studmissile: 7
  • Meron Rigas: 1
    Ok, my votes are in. This turned out to be a tougher challenge than I thought when I knuckled down to try it, and that might be why there are so few entries.
    It sounds like we all had trouble with clipping on our percussive parts (or my headphones are just cheap and junky)

    A few thoughts:

    Warren- very nice stuff- it's got a nice spaghetti western/Tarantino/True Detective soundtrack feel- that reverb/tremelo feel. The processed vocal/whistle is a really cool addition as well.

    Stud- Starting from the 'folky' progression at the start the 'sitar' sound was a bit of a surprise but it worked really nicely- is that a pedal giving the sound?

    Meron- Like the percussion and the delta blues vibe. Cool slide/barred riffs
      peterleroux wrote: It sounds like we all had trouble with clipping on our percussive parts (or my headphones are just cheap and junky)
      I probably did run into clipping, used my cell phone using the 'high' volume setting. Really didn't do any engineering this time, just plonked the phone in front of me and went for it :?
        Well done gents. My votes are in.

        Y'all should have made videos of this. Would have been interesting to see the different techniques.

        Glad/Sad I didn't try this. Would have failed dismally. ?

        Well done again!
          Peterleroux - 5T43
          This feels like it could be in the soundtrack for a game. I'm thinking like a detective type game. '
          Really dig the vibe you had going there!
          Interested to hear what 5T43 means though?

          Studmissile - Keeping it Simple
          Hitting the Andy McKee vibe solid here! Epic work!

          Meron Rigas - Art Girl
          Pretty cool stuff. Liking the lowfi feel. Could be pretty cool with a banjo alongside it maybe?

          Warrenpridgeon - Devil's Gulch
          I had fun with this challenge ?
            Tough challenge, but definitely entries that rose to the occasion.

            Peterleroux - 5T43 - Great riff-age and melody, foreboding, sounded awesome but personally I felt it would of been perfect with a percussive element? .

            Warrenpridgeon - Devil's Gulch, Great spaghetti tribute! Magic, from beginning to end, definitely put a smile on my face.

            Meron Rigas - Art Girl Ahh, that's so cool! and that tone sounds so sweet, reminds me of jason isbells 7 mile island. Envious, of that guitar now. Great, great playing, smooth.


            Peterleroux no drive, just guitar and microphone.
              hi guys, hi ?

              as usual a big 'well done' to all you guys that entered something for the challenge, especially after some of guys saying that it was a bit of a tough one. Studmissile, your entry is really great man. i'm going to be playing it back over and over, just as something one has on their playlist to listen to during the day. its also really inpsired a person to hit the acoustic hard and put more practice in. the i'mediate entries were quite good too. Peterleroux and Warren you guys put a couple interesting pieces together ?.
                Peterleroux - 5T43 - Great riff-age and melody, foreboding, sounded awesome but personally I felt it would of been perfect with a percussive element?

                -Thanks Studmissile, glad you like it. I agree that something more percussive would have sounded good. I tried to get some 'click' out of the string noise in the bass line but in the end I don't think that's enough. I might go back and mess around with the track again and see how I manage with some percussion.
                Really dig the vibe you had going there!
                Interested to hear what 5T43 means though?
                Thanks Warren! I'm not so smart with names, I toyed with doing what Dave Matthews used to do and just numbering everything I wrote, but #2 doesn't sound that great. The name is just the chord progression of the riff: a Power chord (5), followed by a Tritone, a fourth double stop (4), then a third double stop(3).
                  Sorry guys, had some domestic plumbing emergencies, will get a chance to comment more once it's sorted (hopefully today).

                  Really great entries, I'd think it's best crop of entries since we started trying mini challenges? Peter's, Warren's and Stud's all blew me away - tough voting in the Intermediate section, very tough to choose between the two. Hiesh, nice problem to have 8)
                  wern101 wrote: Y'all should have made videos of this. Would have been interesting to see the different techniques.

                  Glad/Sad I didn't try this. Would have failed dismally. ?
                  I thought video would be cool for this, but not everyone has the hardware/software to sync up audio and video. A pity! Having said that, I did do a video recording on my laptop and it does help to make sense out of what I was doing.

                  Was a great one for playing around, as I remind myself - it's not a entry that counts - but how much fun and growth we can eke out of attempting these challenges that keep me coming back and enthusiastic.



                    Peterleroux : Really dug the opening riff, can feel the width the union tracking gave the track overall. Was easy to 'hear' the kick on the downbeats, I liked it lots!.

                    Warrenp : You really need to keep on entering early, this was perhaps my favourite of your entries so far. The throat singing thing was epic for the track, whole feel of the track gave me "mongolian western set in india" vibe.

                    Studmissile : Simple percussion and SO effective! Great work on integrating the beat into the piece. Can't offer one crit, except to say very well done! +1 to Nicks comments, very , very listenable.

                    So a beeg congratulations to Warren and Stud for 'winning' - I'm leaning towards another "Anything goes" challenge. E.g. No limits as we did last year, anyone keen? Happy to run with any other idea if there's something you'd like to try.

                    Wern, here's the video of my track : I reckon I should have used the audio from this instead of the cell phone?
                      Well done Warrenpridgeon, nicely played and everyone else.

                      Thanks for the votes, I actually spent quite a bit of time on it, and have a new appreciation for acoustic slapping, so I'm glad it paid off.

                      I reckon inspiring other guitarists is probably the best compliment you can get. Thank you nick_D01, enjoy!

                      "Anything goes" challenge: can never go wrong with that.
                        13 days later
                        studmissile wrote: Well done Warrenpridgeon, nicely played and everyone else.

                        Thanks for the votes, I actually spent quite a bit of time on it, and have a new appreciation for acoustic slapping, so I'm glad it paid off.

                        I reckon inspiring other guitarists is probably the best compliment you can get. Thank you nick_D01, enjoy!

                        "Anything goes" challenge: can never go wrong with that.
                        I'm keen for whatever!
                        I'm planning on trying to cover a song I really dig... sometime soon. lol.
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