A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

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MojoJim
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A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by MojoJim »

Here's my first post to the Blues Room. I've been playing just about one year.

The backing track is a short version of "A Minor Affair" from Lawrence Fritts.

If this tune seems derivative of other music posted here I hope that's taken in the spirit of "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".

It's a beginner's effort but I wouldn't have gotten this far without the support, advice and guidance of the members of this forum. Thanks!

Any and all comments and critiques will be welcomed and appreciated.

JimRR

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A Very Minor Affair.mp3 - (2.33 MiB)

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Bluesmole
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Re: A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by Bluesmole »

Listened and liked JimRR. You've been practising very conscientiously. Lovely tone! :big_smile:
"Big Bill Broonzy, a white boy's inspiration" (1963), and the Blues ever since.
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Blindboy
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Re: A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by Blindboy »

:clap:
Very nice! Good tone, flows well, sounds like you're getting the hang of knowing where in the song you are. Good stuff.
One critique... work on getting bends up to pitch. :peace:
"Throw yo' big leg over me Mama, I might not feel this good again!"
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Strummer07
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Re: A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by Strummer07 »

Nice tune JRR
Well done .both the playing .........and recording the darn thing !!

and bearing in mind the struggle you described with timing /where you were / counting bars etc .....you ended on time ......and with a flourish :music1:
"Death is just a heartbeat away"
lyric from "Out in The Fields"
Gary Moore 1952-2011
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VikingBlues
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Re: A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by VikingBlues »

I like this JimRR - to do this after only a years playing is a great achievement. :clap: :clap: :thumbsup:

I particularly like the use of melody rather than stock phrases (took me decades to work out that for my own playing). Also I can hear the interlinking of your playing and the backing track instruments -shows your musical awareness.

Just keep working on the techniques like, as Blindboy mentioned, bends and you'll just keep getting better and better. :big_smile:
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
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Slowhand68
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Re: A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by Slowhand68 »

Great recording lad :bb: :clap:
I really liked it. Keep up the good work!

Cheers,
Stefano :peace:
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Golfxzq
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Re: A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by Golfxzq »

DANG.... JimRR, I am SO jealous!!! That was great. You have really learned your lessons well. I'm not qualified to do much critique, it just sounded so good to me. Congratulations on your first upload. Now I think I am more than just a few months behind you, maybe a few YEARS!!

I have lost about a week of practice time on my guitar by being out of town all this week and today (our first full day back home) my beautiful wife of 42 years fell getting out of the car and broke her hip. :thumbsdown: It's going to take a lot of nursing for me to get her back to health. I guess I'll be spending a lot of time indoors so maybe I will serenade her. That will give me a lot of extra practice. :think:

Congrats again, great song!
"Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right."
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VikingBlues
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Re: A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by VikingBlues »

Golfxzq wrote:I have lost about a week of practice time on my guitar by being out of town all this week and today (our first full day back home) my beautiful wife of 42 years fell getting out of the car and broke her hip. :thumbsdown: It's going to take a lot of nursing for me to get her back to health. I guess I'll be spending a lot of time indoors so maybe I will serenade her.
It's so easy for these accidents to happen - my best wishes for your wife's speedy and successful recovery. It's heart-warming to read your description of her though - with that sort of of devotion I'm sure she'll do well. :big_smile:
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
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HalfBlindLefty
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Re: A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by HalfBlindLefty »

:eye_rub:

That's earcandy for sure. Very, very well done. Sweet tone and good playing :clap:
I'm impressed by what you did with this BT and the progress you have made in such a short time.
A long time ago, in the old forum : Registered: Mon, 27 Nov 2006. Wonder were the other old members all went....
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12bar
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Re: A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by 12bar »

+1
Except for a few bends there's nothing to improve! Sweet tone, sweet melodies (not just licks). :clap:
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MojoJim
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Re: A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by MojoJim »

Golfxzq, I'm really sorry to hear about your wife's accident. I hope her recovery goes smoothly. As you suggest, you can serenade her and get in lots of good practice time. Did you say you were at the Masters?

And "Thank You" to everyone else for listening and for your kind and encouraging words.

Getting this first song posted started as a concerted campaign late last year when I decided I really wanted to learn to play and not just own a couple of pretty guitars that I strummed from time to time. I'd been studying and practicing but now I started doing it intently with a specific goal. The goal I set was to post something to the Blues Room at about the one year mark from first getting my guitar.

Of course, I had no idea of the magnitude of that task. For me, without any particularly noticable musical talent, this became a brute force effort where my slow progress was measured in the many, many hours invested. If I wasn't working on learning scales I was studying audio interfaces and latency. If I wasn't practicing chord voicings I was trying to figure out how a DAW works. And there were all the many aspects of playing that I whined about on this forum. I watched the "take" counter on my recording software go above 50 and then 60 and higher as I worked on a small piece of my song. But I loved every minute of it. I was actually learning how to play the blues.

It teaches humility. As a retired high tech professional I spent the last part of my career operating at a high level of skill and competence and being a mentor to younger folks. Now I had to remind myself that my proper self-view was that of an eight year old getting ready for his first piano recital before family and friends. I'd smile at that image and pick up the guitar again for more practice.

At some point you have to say, "Well, that's as good as I can do right now" and post the song - bad bends and all. I expect to keep improving and to post better songs to the Blues Room from time to time. Maybe my next goal should be to get good enough to participate in a collaboration. But that seems a long way off.
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12bar
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Re: A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by 12bar »

JimRR wrote:...and post the song - bad bends and all
Naaaa - not "and all" - only a few bends that can be improved - that's all! Nothing else :thumbsup:

The small bends at 0:50 and 0:55 are just great!!!!!
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Golfxzq
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Re: A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by Golfxzq »

JimRR wrote:Golfxzq, I'm really sorry to hear about your wife's accident. I hope her recovery goes smoothly. As you suggest, you can serenade her and get in lots of good practice time. Did you say you were at the Masters?
Yep... the first day practice round, that's all I could afford... or get tickets to, but it was quite the experience. I have never been before, although I am an avid golfer. Got within a few feet of Tiger, Freddy Couples, and many more top players.

Me, Wife, and oldest grandson at the Masters:
Masters Pictures me K P_640x360.jpg
Masters Pictures me K P_640x360.jpg (90.51 KiB) Viewed 25009 times
Thanks for the kind words concerning my wife. She is recovering nicely, we may be able to go home tomorrow. I can't wait to get back to "Co-Co" (my Ibanez hollow body).

Congrats again on your excellent post. You have certainly earned it.
Last edited by Golfxzq on Wed Apr 14, 2010 3:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right."
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bluesinbflat
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Re: A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by bluesinbflat »

JimRR wrote: my next goal should be to get good enough to participate in a collaboration. But that seems a long way off.
JimRR, I just listened and you're doing quite well for the short amount of time you've spent learning blues (notice I didn't say 'the blues' because that phrase is used incorrectly the majority of the time, but we'll save that for another day :big_smile: )....You should just jump in when there is a collab and not worry about whether you're 'good enough'....Jams or collaborations lose their appeal when people shy away from them. Keep it up and hope to hear you on the next collab after this one.
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MojoJim
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Re: A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by MojoJim »

Golfxzq - great picture. What a good looking family! I think my oldest grandchild is about your grandson's age (15?). I'm not even a golfer and I'm jealous that you got to spend a day at the Masters. My wife and I watched the last couple of days on TV. Hope your trip home goes OK.

Bluesinbflat - Interesting distinction between "the blues" and "blues". I hadn't thought of that. I'll keep it in mind. And thanks for the encouraging words.

Just to finish up my postings around this song I'd like to document the rig I've put together.

I started seriously learning guitar and blues about a year ago. I decided if I was going to try to learn that my limitation would be my talent and skill - not my gear. Some guys retire and buy a big house in a gated community on a golf course. Well, that was totally out of the question for me but I thought I could splurge a little on music gear.

First, I bought an American Standard Strat with an ash body and Sienna Sunburst finish. I shopped Ebay for a while and think I got a good deal.
I bought a Peavey VYPYR 30 amp - also for cheap on Ebay. Probably a mistake but what did I know at the time. I may sell it and buy a Blues Jr.
It was time to do a technology upgrade on my PC. So I bought a new one with eight processing cores running at 3.3 Ghz. Someone told me I could control seven nuclear power plants with it. I retired from high tech so I still get my employee discount - which makes things pretty affordable. I really didn't want latency to be a problem.
I got a 1 TB drive for software and another 1 TB drive for songs (and videos and other media files).
My audio interface box is a Presonus Firestudio Mobile. I picked FireWire over USB because of concern about latency.
My DAW is the Presonus Studio One. The basic version came with the Firestudio Mobile and I upgraded to the Pro version.
I recorded my song with this rig and cleaned it up a bit with Studio One using a little reverb and a little compressor - but not much.

I did a lot of studying and a lot of shopping and I'm very pleased with my rig so far. I've got a lot more gear than I deserve but I hope to grow into it in the years ahead.

As a result of the discussons of guitars and tone on this forum - and as a reward to myself for getting all this gear running and my first song posted - I've been shopping on Ebay again. I've got a used Antique Red Gibson ES-339 on it's way. I should have it by next Monday. Man, am I excited.
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Blindboy
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Re: A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by Blindboy »

JimRR wrote: As a result of the discussons of guitars and tone on this forum - and as a reward to myself for getting all this gear running and my first song posted - I've been shopping on Ebay again. I've got a used Antique Red Gibson ES-339 on it's way. I should have it by next Monday. Man, am I excited.
I expect you will really enjoy the Gibson. Good choice. :thumbsup:
I agree with everything that bluesinbflat said about your post. Keep up the good work and hope to hear more soon.
"Throw yo' big leg over me Mama, I might not feel this good again!"
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Strummer07
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Minor Affairs - Accidents and "Pekinese"

Post by Strummer07 »

Hi Golfxzq
Agree cracking photo ..
really sorry to hear about yourwifes accident ..........I'm sure you'll be able to laugh about it in years to come ........but right now it must be pretty traumatic and I would imagine quite difficult with a long-ish recovery period in front of you .Good luck with all that.

Your comment " we may be able to go home tomorrow. I can't wait to get back to "Co-Co"

You might want to rephrase that .............for your wife !!

ie., "Just can't wait to get my wife home again" .......................

rather than expressing unbridled love and longing for your Ibanez !! :D

I'm not sure women understand these things !!

JimRR .I was really into your post and the tale of your journey and all and I understood every word up to ."buy a Blues Junior"
JimRR wrote: I may sell it and buy a Blues Jr.
It was time to do a technology upgrade on my PC. So I bought a new one with eight processing cores running at 3.3 Ghz. Someone told me I could control seven nuclear power plants with it. I retired from high tech so I still get my employee discount - which makes things pretty affordable. I really didn't want latency to be a problem.
I got a 1 TB drive for software and another 1 TB drive for songs (and videos and other media files).
My audio interface box is a Presonus Firestudio Mobile. I picked FireWire over USB because of concern about latency.
My DAW is the Presonus Studio One. The basic version came with the Firestudio Mobile and I upgraded to the Pro version.
I recorded my song with this rig and cleaned it up a bit with Studio One
Then you started talking in Pekinese I think !!


I know ................what a Phillistine I am !! .......I can be impressed with a couple of vintage humbuckers ... but an eight cores thingy watsit :icon_whoknows:

and "latency as a problem" ...I'm way more interested in potency and /or opportunity these days !! :thumbsup:

bach to geetars ............................
JimRR wrote: as a reward to myself - I've been shopping on Ebay again. I've got a used Antique Red Gibson ES-339 on it's way. I should have it by next Monday. Man, am I excited.
and I am sure that when it arrives " your cup will runneth over" ... if you are as chuffed with yours as I am with mine .... you'll be a happy bunny :easter2: .... that is for sure !!

Do you know its pedigree ??
You might have to post a piccy or two !!

5 days and counting !! ....................
"Death is just a heartbeat away"
lyric from "Out in The Fields"
Gary Moore 1952-2011
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Golfxzq
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Re: A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by Golfxzq »

Your comment " we may be able to go home tomorrow. I can't wait to get back to "Co-Co"

You might want to rephrase that .............for your wife !!

ie., "Just can't wait to get my wife home again" .......................

rather than expressing unbridled love and longing for your Ibanez !! :D

I'm not sure women understand these things !!
OH... you are so right!! Co-Co is my second love. Actually I haven't left my wife's side for the past four days, but you are right, I should express my priorities very carefully.
running at 3.3 Ghz......1 TB drive for software and another 1 TB drive for songs
Your friend is right... maybe eight nuclear plants... I didn't even know the US government would even allow an individual to have that much tech-power :lol:

JimRR... My grandson is almost 14, so they are close. He also loves golf and has been learning guitar about a month longer than I have. Maybe I'll post one of his songs before one of mine !! :music1: He likes Blues as well as all that teen music.
"Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right."
- Henry Ford
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MojoJim
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Re: A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by MojoJim »

Strummer07 - the advice and help I got from you and from Badbluesplayer convinced me that the 339 was the right guitar. I'm buying it from a professional jazz guitarist in New York. It's a 2009. He says he bought it specifically to record a few tracks on a recent album. He says he has 25 guitars and needs to cull the herd. He says it's in perfect shape. It's always a risk when you buy sight unseen - but I'm hoping for the best.

As a guy who spent his whole career messing with computers I can tell you that "terabytes" and "gigahertz" flow off my tongue more easily than "myxolydian mode". When I started putting my system together I think my secret feeling was, "At last - I get to do music my way - with technology". I suspect it was just an avoidance mechanism so I could ignore theory and practice for a while.

It's amazing what's in computers today. The one I bought was just a standard, off-the-shelf model. The first computer I ever worked on was built using electro-mechanical relays.

One reason I keep up with technology is that both my son and my son-in-law are always trying to outdo the old man (me) with their knowledge of technology. They can best me in many different areas but I keep an edge in technology - just to retain their respect.

"Look Dad, I've run a cable from my computer to my TV and I can play my home movies in wide screen mode."

"That's nice, Son, I can do the same thing but I do it wirelessly using the 5 GHz channel on my new dual-band router and my Wi-Fi enabled TV. And I backup my videos to my Network Attached Storage system with two 1 TB drives run in a RAID 1 configuration. You do know about the five levels of RAID, don't you?".

It drives them crazy. The hardest part is keeping a deadpan expression while I'm talking.

Golfxzq - my granddaughter is learning guitar as well but for her it's just an academic exercise. She has no real love for it. She puts her efforts into singing and she's very good at that.
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Golfxzq
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Re: A Very Minor Affair - first post to the Blues Room

Post by Golfxzq »

JimRR wrote:Golfxzq - my granddaughter is learning guitar as well but for her it's just an academic exercise. She has no real love for it. She puts her efforts into singing and she's very good at that.
Cool... maybe a colab with your grandaughter singing and my grandson playing? :clap: He is supposed to perform at Pucketts of Franklin, a local club, this month (second time since he has begun). If I can get some sound bites I'll post them.
"Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right."
- Henry Ford
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