Course Differences...

[ToneSeeker]

Hey folks,

Can anyone tell me the diff between the Slow Blues Supplement and Major Minor Blues Shapes courses other than the available solos?
I've got the SBS and I was wondering if there is any value in picking up the Major/Minor Blues Shapes course if there was some extra guidance on ingraining things...

 

[OG_Blues]

The Major Minor Blues Shapes course is kind of an "SBS Lite" version IMO.
If SBS seems daunting or tedious, the MMBS course is more approachable and is a really good intro to SBS as a follow on.
In spite of the obvious overlap in content, they still complement and support one another I think because the presentation is a bit different.
If you are already through SBS, MMBS probably won't add much to your knowledge. I bought it just because Griff offered it and I wanted to see what it was - have to support the man!!
Tom

 

[ToneSeeker]

So.... here is the rub, I'm really using the Pentatonic Mastery techniques to master the right and left facing concepts things starting from each root... i.e. 8ths, triplets, 16ths, plucked and slurred including the melodic patterns... I was just wondering if there was any more information...

The work has to be put in there is no way to get around it, no shortcuts... I was just wondering if I would glean some additional insights that may help me...

Thanks!

 

[bluesmadd]

I purchased sbs after a recommendation from Griff for the newer major/minor course. From the conversation, I understand that the latter as mentioned above is sbs lite, the content is similar, focusing on the shapes and moving seamlessly between both scales and introducing the composite scale and the 'every chord is the I chord' concept. The solos are much less daunting.

I went for sbs as a greater challenge and it definitely is from the solo perspective. Solo 3 is the big hump in sbs and solo 6 is at a mastery level. I don't see any recordings of 6 in the sbs forum and very few 3, 4, and 5. Again IMO, sbs was not a big seller, so I believe Griff made the sbs lite for a better fit at the intermediate level if you will and perhaps better revenue prospects.

I'm currently working on solo 3 and when you have 4 or more measures with 24 to 26 notes in it, the practice time is more significant, and potentially more frustrating. My strategy is to simplify the really tough measures as to not lose hope and perhaps at some point in the future, come back and play in full. Hope this helps.

 

[mountain man]

Yes. I like it. I have approached my re-learning the guitar using a very "pre-requisite" approach this time. I wanted to make sure that I had the complete building blocks down. I purchased the SBS on the same order with the Pent Mastery course. I opened up the SBS right away and I would have had to go so slow that I wasn't ready for it. So I opened up the Pent Mastery course and spent the summer working on it navigating through a busy summer travel season. When the MMBS course came out I bought that one also and started soon after getting it. After reading this (and other threads) I think I'm ready for the Slow Blues Supplement.

A couple of thoughts. I use skills I learned in both the Pent Mastery and the MMBS course all the time. I am still letting the MMBS course migrate into my style and will go back to that very good course occasionally. Having taken both of these courses it helps what I'm working on now to be much easier to play and understand what I'm playing. Right now I'm working on the Building a Better Blues Solo course and waiting for my Open Jams at the Sports Bar to get scheduled again. So? These courses have a lot of information in them. Putting some extra skill development in them is a good thing, but I think that Griff has outlined some very good courses that will cover new needed skills using a sound methodical way. They all build together very nicely.

 

[ToneSeeker]

Yes. I like it. I have approached my re-learning the guitar using a very "pre-requisite" approach this time. I wanted to make sure that I had the complete building blocks down. I purchased the SBS the same order with the Pent Mastery course. I opened up the SBS right away and I would have had to go so slow that I wasn't ready for it. So I opened up the Pent Mastery course and spent the summer working on it navigating through a busy summer travel season. When the MMBS course came out I bought that one also and started soon after getting it. After reading this (and other threads) I think I'm ready for the Slow Blues Supplement.

A couple of thoughts. I use skills I learned in both the Pent Mastery and the MMBS course all the time. I am still letting the MMBS course migrate into my style and will go back to that very good course occasionally. Having taken both of these courses it helps what I'm working on now much easier to play and understand what I'm playing. Right now I'm working on the Building a Better Blues Solo course and waiting for my Open Jams at the Sports Bar to get scheduled again. So? These courses have a lot of information in them. Putting some extra skill development in them is a good thing, but I think that Griff has outlined some very good courses that will cover new needed skills using a sound methodical way. They all build together very nicely.

Much Like you I'm approaching my practice time with greater wisdom now that I'm playing again, in the past I've really attacked my practice time like a sprinter on a mission. I was very focused and regimented but spent an arduous amount of time on it at the expense of just playing. I'm really looking at this from a marathon standpoint, putting my time in the woodshed knowing that eventually it's going to pay off.

As Griff says and I'm really misquoting, but you can't bypass any of these exercises and the one that gives you the most trouble is most likely the one you need.

... Working on ingraining melodic patterns into my practice routine ( at all tempos, not just triplets for seq of 3, and 16ths, for seq. of 4). Working on my chops I'm doing the same thing, work it at all tempos, and all over the board...

..having fun and playing the blues..