Solo #3 Video With Eyes Closed

JffKnt

Blues Newbie
Griff sent out an email this week talking about counting the beat versus feeling the beat. I'm a counter...at least when it comes to learning something that I can't get under my fingers quickly. After I learn it then I'm usually in the "feel" mode.

Anyway, people left a lot of comments to Griff's email regarding counting versus feel. I left a reply on one of the comments saying sometimes I like to try to play with my eyes closed because I can feel it better than when I can when my vision gets in my way. Maybe it's just me. Of course knowing where your hands are on the fret board is challenging as well.

Counting. If I remember correctly Griff suggested playing rhythm on the ANDS and the FOUR. So I counted the rhythm one AND two AND three AND FOUR AND one AND two AND three AND FOUR AND where the capitalized beats got played and the lower case beats got the rest.

In this video I peaked one time at the very beginning of the video just to get oriented. (Before I sat down to play I had to start the camera AND the recorder in the DAW, then sit down real fast, close my eyes and try and play the guitar...whew). Then I kept my eyes closed the rest of the time. No peaking. Not even a little. I wanted to wear the tortoise shell Ray Bans, but then you wouldn't be able to see that my eyes were closed. I wanted to wear the Panama hat too, but the headphones were in the way.

If I could do anything different for this video it would be 1) separate out the rhythm from the lead and tone down the rhythm choruses. I did switch pick ups on the guitar when going from rhythm to lead, but the rhythm still sounds pretty gnarly. 2) Turn down the volume in the mix as my guitar is louder than it should be over the jam track. 3) I wanted a more perfect take. This is take 2. I didn't want to keep playing it all night so I said this was good enough.

I recorded the guitar into the computer (DAW) and mixed it with Griff's backing track (Solo 3 Full Length Jam Track). Then I took that audio and put it in the video editor, synced it, and then muted the audio portion of the video leaving just the audio that I imported from my DAW.

In my final lead chorus I got lost on the fret board on lick 11, but I regained my bearings before I got to lick 12. I also got lost on the ending which surprised me because I thought I could do it. There were some other flubs in there too. But playing with my eyes close really helps me feel what I'm doing better. It's kind of painful to watch though. I got a little hula jaw going in places (reminds me of the late 70s and 80s when coke was everywhere but I haven't done any of that since 1979).

Anyway, here's the link https://youtu.be/EOHWQUkLpy0

Thanks for watching and listening and for your comments.

I need to get cracking on Solo 5. (Skipping 4 for now per Griff's suggestion)
 
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(BW)

Better off with the Blues!
Way to find your way back when switching pickups! I get thrown off if I try and attempt that. Nice vibrato too!
 

JffKnt

Blues Newbie
Way to find your way back when switching pickups! I get thrown off if I try and attempt that. Nice vibrato too!

That's a new skill I'm trying to "pick up." I've been an acoustic strummer forever. Electric and lead are both fairly new for me. And then there are the different pick up switches for the fender style versus the gibson style. So it's a lot to think about. Just trying to get a feel for it. I wish I would have had access to this learning material 45 years ago. But that would have been B4G (before Griff)
 

Sailin

Blues Newbie
Great job... makes a whole new meaning to be able to do something “with your eyes closed”. I enjoyed watching!
 

B Roddick

Blues Newbie
I love the way we all have our own slightly different take on the same solos - it's the same, but different. It's great being able to compare notes here.
 
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