Lockdown - What new songs have you been mastering ?

fendergibson

For me it’s the old finger and thumb stuff. Freight Train to be precise. I can play/improv almost all lead blues/modal situations but finding it a real challenge/bastard/bitch with simple C/G/F fingerstyle!!!!!

Are you challenging yourselves in these challenging times ?

simonhpieman

I've been getting stuck into Frank Gambale's Chopbuilder. Mastering is very much not the word, though!

tekbow

Mastering? Umm..

Been working on Crazy Train, Kiss of Death, Sails of Charon and some Insomnium tapping thing.

Whitecat

On guitar, been playing exclusively in open-G to change it up. 

But been spending more time working on my rhodes/wurli skills on a new-ish CP73 though - Steely Dan, Supertramp kinda stuff mainly. 

guitarcookie1

Not so much songs at the moment, but been getting to know my HX Stomp that’s was delivered the day before lockdown. 

Finally getting to grips with how it works and started creating my own presets. 

Did manage to use it to record a backing track into GarageBand (that was easier than expected), guitar & bass by me, drums by GB. 

Want to get to grips with Little Wing next, along the lines of SRV’s instrumental version. 

TTBZ

Wouldn't say mastering but I've learnt the Pearl Jam Alive solo which I've always loved. Getting into RATM Take the Power Back solo but it's a bit shreddy for me at the minute. Also just started on Sultans Curse by Mastodon which is really fun to play.

TINMAN82

Last two songs I’ve dabbled in soul territory, Dock of the bay and In the Midnight hour.

JerkMoans

You lot embarrass me. No widdly shredder stuff here. Because I can’t.

Trying to nail a few (comparative) crowd pleasers for the old ‘you play guitar: play something we know’ moments, when all you’ve been doing is obscure Marc Ribot and Queens of the Stone Age licks...

So... since lock down I’ve just about thrashed out playable versions of ‘Valerie’ - The Zutons; ‘The Weight’ - The Band; ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’ - Simple Minds; and currently doing battle with the tortured mind of Johnny Marr: ‘This Charming Man’.

skullfunkerry

I've been working on new material with guys from an old band that will hopefully become a new band...

Adi

Been working on "Don't talk to strangers" by Dio , rhythm parts are fine but the solo is doing my nut it , I feel it's too difficult for me but I just keep going , don't know if that's smart or stupid to be honest 

racefaceec90

nothing technical as i am a rubbish guitarist/bassist but just learned the solo to hello turn your radio on by shakespears sister. i plan to try and learn when tomorrow comes eurythmics on guitar next (whole track if i can). other than that i just widdle about on guitar/bass playing terrible improvisation attempts and awful covers lol

breakstuff

After putting it off for years, because it always looked too hard for my limited talent, and because I'm lazy when it comes to learning new songs, I've finally learnt This Charming Man by The Smiths. Some tricky chord positions, but I've pretty much got the whole thing nailed. I'm quite chuffed with myself. 

p90fool

I think I've played guitar for about four minutes in the last seven weeks, and about 20 seconds of that was one of those daft Instagram riff challenge things. 

The other three minutes or so was part of a demo for a singer/songwriter who's itching to get back in my studio to finish the work we started. 

I've been very busy with music though, mainly with doing pop/dance stuff with one of our stand-in girl singers who's been sending me guide vocal tracks from home. 

It's been really refreshing tbh to be able to put the guitar away and make music I like for a change, which almost never has any guitars on it. 

So although I haven't achieved anything guitar wise, I've come to a crossroads where I need to decide whether I even want to go back to gigging all the time anyway, so in some ways the lockdown has been a valuable lesson.  

SteveF

Mastering would be a stretch and I have had nowhere near the time I was hoping to - WFH has been as busy or busier than being in the office it seems.

I have been working on Paul Davids' arrangement of Autumn Leaves on the acoustic which is harder (for me) than I was expecting, and the solo from Back in Black, which is also way harder than I thought it would be and consequently, I have mastered neither of them!  

grungebob

Nothing, I’ve just been enjoying playing. 

I did stumble onto working out Everything Zen by Bush, lightning crashes by Live and Here is no why by smashing pumpkins. 

And all because I finally set up my old hi Fi and CD collection in my guitar room. 

munckee

I was planning to work on fingerstyle, then I bought a jazzmaster and I've been playing nothing but surf music and indie since.

Snags

I'm still working, which I really shouldn't find annoying, but do. So time hasn't been as plentiful as I'd have liked, What I've had I've mostly spent writing stuff, rather than practicing (because I'm lazy), although have taken the time to learn the odd new cover to inflict on the open mic crew when they re-open, to soften the blow of some of the originals.

gretschthumper

"Sinkin' Soon" by Norah Jones, never really got the hang of alternating fingerstyle basslines, so I'm improving on that ... Also seemed appropriate for the times we live in 

TTBZ

skullfunkerry said:

I've been working on new material with guys from an old band that will hopefully become a new band...

I've sort of done the same but the other way - working on old (to me) material with a new band which will be meeting and jamming for the first time soon as it's safe to use a rehearsal room again it's all stuff I've had mostly written for years but never quite found the right bunch of people all on the same page musically, which is needed to flesh it out and add the finishing touches as I can't do it all myself. This seems to be different and we all love the same stuff so hoping things come together quickly!

Flametop

Been doing some recording, via Logic and Splice, with the other guitarist in the band. Hells Bells and Murders in the Rue Morgue to be exact. Also bought a mic and started yesterday recording a cover of Alannah Miles' Black Velvet with my eldest daughter who has now discovered she hates her voice being recorded. Hey ho...

tbm

Whitecat said:

On guitar, been playing exclusively in open-G to change it up. 

Me too! Enjoying it.