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@klaasvakie won the "Gil-More" Challenge so, as is custom, he got to choose the next challenge. With input from @studmissile, we present you with the "Four Note Special"

? Entries Close: Sunday, 7 October, Midnight

?Rules: Create a track, using only four notes (but you can use octaves of those four notes anywhere on the fretboard). Any & all instruments welcome. Use your phone, or go multitrack. Let's set max track length at 2 minutes, shorter is fine too! But remember...only four notes! As a guideline, read @studmissile's thoughts below

A song only using 4 notes (including octaves), but include both melody and harmony and chords in that restriction...the challenge is to entertain with just the 4 notes.

I just think its a really clever idea, cause you stuck with just 4 notes, but I'd include harmony and melody in that challenge. So theoretically you'd be harmonizing the same notes in different combinations? Even the chords would have to be restricted to those 4 note patterns.

⁉How To Enter: Record your entry, sign up or log in to SoundCloud, post it there. Then grab the SoundCloud link and reply here with the link pasted in your reply.

?Prizes: The fame and glory of winning a GuitarTalk challlenge...oh and you get to pick the next challenge theme ?

Anyone can enter this competition. You just need a guitar and a phone. But any other recording equipment is fine too.

In case you missed it...Spring has sprung! Dust off that neglected guitar and get playing!

Hey @V8, maybe we should just be explicit that octaves are OK, i.e. if you pick "A" as one of your notes, you get to play any "A" on the fretboard.

P.S. I think you chose an awesome picture for this one

klaasvakie Cool man, good idea, have added a little blurb about using octaves ?

That little image is useful - I was looking at one of evolucian's lessons which got me thinking how useful is it to have a visual reference of the fretboard.

    Was thinking yesterday, the peeps who have open tunings up their sleeves are gonna rock this one.

    It's a bit easier to keep track when you know the open strings are tuned to the notes you plan on using?

    The other thing that I found was if you plan on singing/whistling the melody - you'll still have to (at least try) to use the same four notes. Which gets interesting coz I can sing to pitch (kinda), but never tried 5th's - harmonizing a vocal isn't something I've ever tried before.

      V8 and chords

      So to understand - If I decide on using the ' E, A, D, G' Notes then I can play those same chords as well?

        wern101 Sort of, the chords must be made up of only those notes you've selected. So if you do a standard D chord make sure you don't hit the ringing F#.

          With my current schedule... I doubt I'll even get time to think about this one :-(

          Double stops will be pretty useful in this I'd rate

          warrenpridgeon With my current schedule... I doubt I'll even get time to think about this one :-(

          If there was one to spend a some time on to get to know yer fretboard - it's this one. I'm learning something new (or re-visiting old info with fresh perspective) every time I jam something for this.

          @klaasvakie & @studmissile have concocted the coolest challenge topic ?

            Even if it just gets you looking and thinking about your fretboard a bit, its worth it.

            So far this has been harder than I thought it would be, the good thing is that it is forcing me to learn at least some of the notes on the fretboard which cannot be a bad thing.

            I've also been going through the riffs I know to see how many notes they use, and I think Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top is the 4-note riff wizard. The main riffs to "Just got paid" (A D E G) as well as "La Grange" (A C E G) are 4-note wonders. You can even get a good version of "Sharp Dressed Man" (Bb C F G) going if you leave out the notes played on the G-String.

            This gives me hope that I might be able to come up with something that is at least a little bit interesting.

              This is a really cool challenge idea. I jammed a few ideas this evening based on a chord shape I really enjoy. - hopefully I have time over the weekend to put something more concrete down

              I've two chord progressions lined up for the final cut - but won't get much done till next week, month end is looking rather busy.

              Sooooo tempted to stick dots on the fretboard... ?

              @peterleroux , and @V8 Yoh - feel like I'm behind. I have some noodling but nothing that sounds any good yet --- will have to step up my game. So instead of dots, I keep my tuner running - immediately tells you if you are using a different note than you should.

              • V8 likes this.
              • V8 replied to this.

                klaasvakie I keep my tuner running - immediately tells you if you are using a different note than you should.

                Great idea! Though my clip on tuner is MIA (somewhere in Jozi), sure the boss tuner app will let me know how crap the intonation is on my acoustic ?

                    6 days later
                    4 days later

                    Right-o, 8 hours to deadline and I havn't made one recording attempt yet - story of my life ?

                    How's the entries coming along?