starting the new year with SWS

[bplavoie]

I'm pretty excited - SWS came in yesterday, and I've got the whole day today to dig in. Looks like a great course!

I just started Solo #1 in BGU, but this looks like the perfect 'prelude' to the solos, so I think I'll put BGU aside for a while...

 

[Steve G]

SWS is a really good course  Brian.  You might want to work the 2 courses in tandem, as I think that SWS is a nice compliment to the BGU solos.  Either way, you'll enjoy it.

 

[SeattleSlim]

Hi Brian,
I am doing the same thing. But if you look ahead in SWS the level of difficulty ramps up pretty fast. So I don't think you are missing anything at all by working on SWS. I think it is another way to learn some really excellent blues. What I see as a little different than BGU is that it is only about learning solo chops, where BGU starts out with some rhythm and chord lessons. You are still going to learn bends, tweedlies, pull offs, hammer ons, and all the other vocabulary of blues.

And I agree, it does not have to be either/or. It might be good to work them together, or alternate. I think each will reinforce the other.

 

[CJ_Allan]

I'm working with SWS & PTTB....
Didn't get much done with em last year, but gonna put extra effort in them now......
Got my guitars and amps pretty much squared away........
Setting things up for recording  & video.......

So, It's all Go from here........

 

[mw1954]

After finishing BBG last summer and dabbling in BGU . I started taking live lessons again . A focus on acoustic fingerpicking . Learning to read music . But it's a hard road . And while it is something I am going to continue to try and develop my skills in , I have continued to pop in and listen to the recordings . Listened to the improvement in the people that came here before me , with me and after . And with renewed enthusiasm I am also starting my new year with a focus on SWS / BGU . Got all my recording ducks in a row on my new computer . Looking forward to recording again . I really learned the value of that in BBG . Also the value of the info here, as well as the input and encouragement . Regardless of skill level . Happy new year to all you all !

 

[bplavoie]

Thanks for the comments, all. I just picked up the guitar after a couple of months with the dulcimer, and I was surprised by how much better I was than I remembered. In the last couple of weeks I've started working on soloing for the first time, and its a whole lot more fun than the rhythm stuff.

I did a lot of playing today, and it felt like everything was just working, you know? I could feel the music, my hands were doing what I wanted them too, and the wife said I was sounding pretty good. Nice to experience - I'll have to remember it when I reach the next 'plateau' 

(And man, I love that Les Paul. The strats always felt awkward, but everything about the Epiphone feels like it was made for me. Good argument for trying a lot of different guitars before buying, I suppose.)

 

[vashondan]

What is the learning curve in SWS?  Someone mentioned that it gets pretty hard.

 

[bplavoie]

Don't know, yet - I'm only just starting. I've read through the entire course, though - it didn't look any harder to me than BGU...

 

[Spencer]

Awesome to hear Brian, looking forward to hearing about your progress. I haven't started the BGU solos yet, and am up to solo 4 (lesson 13) in SWS. It definitely makes large jumps in degree of difficulty, but from what I've read and heard, the BGU solos make the same big jumps. It's a great course.

 

[bplavoie]

Thanks, Spencer! I just found out that all of my old recording are gone from 4shared 'cause I didn't sign on for 30 days.  When I post the new stuff, though, I guess I'll re-do the old stuff...

 

[cowboy]

Brian,

I missed this post....glad to see you back....hopefully you can make the next jam I have or maybe we'll get luck and someone will have one down your way.....enjoy the SWS...later.

cowboy

 

[Alexander Blue]

What is the learning curve in SWS?  Someone mentioned that it gets pretty hard.

Ya man ... the day I can play Solo #7 and sound like the DVD is the day I'm going to refer to myself as a "Blues Guitar Player"   [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

 

[MikeS]

What is the learning curve in SWS?  Someone mentioned that it gets pretty hard.

The first several lessons are not too tough and they get you soloing right away.
But as will all lessons, the higher the number, the harder it is.

 

[bplavoie]

Yeah, I've found that to be the case. I'm getting pretty good at Solo #1 (and variants) and have just started on solo #2 - I'll post something soon.

I'll tell you what: You can play chords all day long, but the 'wow' moment really comes the first time you realize you might actually be able to do this 'solo' stuff...