Mike Caren

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: Keep Your Lamp Trimmed Post 3 Feb 23, 2012

@ Corey .. thanks.  Great feedback.  Will do.  I'm now getting comfortable with the melody and bass together so I can really start focusing on the melody, vibrato and touch.  Yes .. I probably do need to increase the action a bit. I sanded down the nut 5 years ago .. which was probably a mistake.  

@ Alex .. thanks for the encouragement.  It's fun and coming along.  Nice run through!  

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: Keep Your Lamp Trimmed Post 3 Feb 20, 2012

Hi Corey .. really enjoying this song .. thanks!  Here's a video of where I am.  I got the thumb and melody working together (most of the time).  Now I'm on to phrasing, lighter touch and really trying to make some music.  This is the first slide song I've ever brought together .. so it's a lot of fun!!

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: Jumpin' Blues Lesson 3 Feb 19, 2012

Love it.  Beautiful chords and voicings.  Playing it just makes me happy.  Great way to unwind after a long day!

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: Keep Your Lamp Trimmed Post 2 Feb 14, 2012

@Corey .. OK .. thanks for the feedback on tilting the slide.  It's working for me so glad to hear that you think it's good approach.

OK .. here's the bass and thumb together.  I still need practice as there are some rough parts and as you say Corey .. lighter touch.  That said, I'm feeling encouraged as I think I'm going to be able to bring this one together!

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: Keep Your Lamp Trimmed Post 2 Feb 11, 2012

Great video Alex!  I always enjoy seeing your videos.  You're ahead of me as usual!  I'm still working on getting the bass and meldoy to behave together.  

I had an issue with the strings ringing too.  What helped me is I started rotating the slide so it only touches the string I was trying to play .. and it helped a lot!  I'm not sure if this is good technique or not .. but I thought I would share it.  Here's a video below to try and show you what I am doing.  I had to stand over my computer to capture this .. that's why the playing is so bad!

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: Keep Your Lamp Trimmed Post 1 Feb 09, 2012

Hi Corey .. here's how it's coming along.  I'm finding that I can get it cleaner (yes .. this is actually cleaner than before) if I try and having the slide only touch the string I'm trying to play.  Before, I was having the slide touch three strings and when I took it off ... a bunch of ringing happened.  Thoughts / feedback apprecaited!

My next step is to add the bass .. and continue to get the flow / play the melody cleaner.  Love the tune.

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: Boogie 2nd Position Feb 08, 2012

Hi Tim,

I've uploaded an MP3 of the lesson that you can download and practice with while on the road.  I've had other requests for audio tracks and I'm more comfortable with enabling people to download audio vs. video.  

Longer term, we will be looking into an iPhone / iPod / Android mobile application targeted towards practicing and also repeated listen to "fix" the music in your mind.  

Mike

 

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: Jumpin' Blues Lesson 1 Feb 03, 2012

Sweet turnaround at the end Duke!  

Question .. I find I also like chord progressions like this more than lead lines at times.  Is that strange?

I think that maybe my true soloing sound is going to be punching chords .. kind of like a horn section.

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: Keep Your Lamp Trimmed Post 1 Feb 03, 2012

Hey Corey .. great tune! I like how you broke this up.  I've tried to learn slide a couple times .. but never quite got it.  Looking forward to learning a whole song this time!

I'm now practicing the melody only and am getting it.  

Quick question, when I take the slide off of the B string .. it tends to ring.  Do you dampen the strings with your left or right hand .. or is there some other trick I'm missing?

Thanks!

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: C C Pill Blues Lesson 4 Feb 03, 2012

@Alex .. how's CC Pill coming along?  I'm still working on the bass.  It's getting stronger, but still needs work.  

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: Cookin' Lesson 5 Feb 02, 2012

Hi Duke .. I'm really enjoying the 6th chord licks from this lesson.  I'll be using them for a long time!  I'm still working through bringing Cookin' together .. but have learned a lot of good chord and licks so far.  Thanks!

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: C C Pill Blues Lesson 4 Jan 28, 2012

Thanks Corey.  The bass run through is really helping me.  

I'm using the loop and playing it over and over in full screen just looking at your right hand.  I'm going to try doing this for 15min a day for the next couple days and see where it takes me.  

Really enjoying the tune!

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: C C Pill Blues Lesson 3 Jan 26, 2012

@Corey .. Thanks.  I took your advice last night and just listened / played the bass over and over .. it's working for me.  I think I rush into the melody / riffs too quick.  Thanks for the direction!

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: C C Pill Blues Lesson 3 Jan 25, 2012

OK .. here's where I am with CC Pill blues.  I'm struggling a bit to get the flow.  Love the tune .. but more work ahead for me.  Any tips?

   

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: C C Pill Blues Lesson 3 Jan 23, 2012

@Alessandro .. Awesome!  I've got some work to do to catch up!

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: Cookin' Lesson 4 Jan 20, 2012

Hi Mario .. you bet, here's the 175bpm backing track.  

I'm impressed!  I'm still trying to get my fingers to behave at 145bpm.  Enjoy.

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: C C Pill Blues Lesson 2 Jan 17, 2012

Hey Guys ... thanks for the encouragement and thoughts!  Corey .. I will try a lighter touch and also focus on the bass.  Now I'm going to move to playing the whole song through just chords and bass.  It's a fun tune .. and relaxing.  

Allesandro .. I've never tried a thumbpick.  I should.  It's funny though, I'm tending to use a regular pick less and less with time and prefer my thumb and nails.   It's half I like the sound, and half I just like the feel of the strings on my fingers and fooling around with different techniques as it can change the sound so much.  

My guitar is a mid level Yamaha I got 20 years ago.  I've always enjoyed the tone and it's gotten better with time .. and I feel like were old friends now.   It's been camping, wacked around at school, on the airplane, at home, beach ... 

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: C C Pill Blues Lesson 2 Jan 15, 2012

Hey Corey .. I'm enjoying this one.  The tune is really getting in my head .. in a good way. Here's where I am on the intro .. just need to keep practicing I think.

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: Cookin' Lesson 2 Jan 15, 2012

Hey Roger ... GREAT !!  I saw your video last night and it got me practicing Cookin' for an hour.  I dropped the thumb on the 13th chord as Duke suggested .. and I noticed you were doing and things started to flow much better for me.

This is going to be a challenging tune .. but a lot of fun.  Always gives me energy to see fellow blues mates on the journey together!

Nice guitar too!

Mike Caren
Mike Caren commented on: Cookin' Lesson 2 Jan 14, 2012

Hi Duke .. great advice ..

"Each player should pick what works for himself and use that. Lester Young, one of my all time favorite musicians, once said; A musicians style is made up of his limitations as much as his ability.  I feel that is extremely true and what we choose to do is often made up of things we come up with because of what we can't pull off. In that effort to play something like what we want to play we come up with our own individual style."

.. some of the best I've ever gotten, and makes perfect sense.  Probably more broadly true for life as well.  Thanks!

 
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