It does not take long without playing for my guitar callused pinkies to get soft. So spending several hours practising minor third bends along with first finger whole step bends after some time out might not have been my best decision... Hence the photo, and this track. The title is obvious but the track was not what I'd planned: to have a bit of a blast as a contrast to my very first effort (Blue Sunday). 

Being a total wimp, my 'split ends' rather put paid to that. So, instead, here is a less taxing, slow, soporific blues style track that I rather enjoyed putting together today. I am still fumbling around with GarageBand - the program seems to pick up random noises, and somehow manages to make double stops sound a bit fart-like(!), rarely resonating in the same way as my amp, but the result seems pretty pleasant to my ancient lugholes.

If anyone wants to improve my simple effort with percussion, keyboard, vocals or guitar, please feel free to do so . It is a simple two chord cycle of Am G with emphasized lead notes targeted from each. Pretty easy to extend, so please message me if you fancy that idea too :

Blood On My Guitar Strings: Instrumental/Original

I love Peter Green's style of playing, and when I found this beautiful backing track on Youtube (link below), I created this as a 'tribute' - though I don't normally record myself over random backing tracks I like how this sounded. I certainly don't claim to be able to play like him: his is the only tone that  BB King said gave him the shivers!

The track is  based on a classic blues song but I ended up using it to experiment with some new effect mixes from my Zoom G3. It is a bit long, but I love it(!) even with a bit of string noise and couple of flat bends etc. BTW anyone else with a G3 who wants the patches can download the basic one here, with a YouTube videolink showing the variations:

http://guitarpatches.com/patches.php?mode=show&unit=G3&ID=8690

I spent much of the last month repairing/servicing/setting up my lovely guitar after I discovered the frets were lifting, so after three years of just polishing it and changing strings I had to get the glue and screwdriver out... 

Much swearing, mess and after a lot of patient scraping of glue off my fretboard(!) I am delighted and reckon she sounds better than ever.

If anyone wants the backing track it was uploaded by a very helpful and talented chap on YouTube who also has some great videos/lessons on Peter Green's classics: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE5FwPnbGSA

BTW The pic was taken not too far from my home in Phuket in the beautiful 'blue' Phangna Bay during a marketing shoot for the wooden charter yacht moored in the background Sadly she sank in 2012 only five years after we built her, taking my business down with her: anyone intrigued enough can still see a marketing video of her created shortly after launch - on YouTube - https://youtu.be/vJI6sTIEqLA). 

My friend Cameron Hansen is a brilliant pro photographer who took this shot, and if you like beautiful landscape 'fine art' photography or fancy joining him on one of his tutored photo-tours of Myanmar then check him out too: 

http://cameronhansen.net/

Greeny Blues

I've 'met' some really wonderful people on here, and been inspired by their music too with offers to create collaborations like this one. My cyberpal Al Wood plays some unique creative guitar, both rhythm and lead, so if you haven't come across his music, and you like blues guitar, then you should check out his tracks on here - he aims to post a blues based track every Thursday which is waaaay too challenging for me! 

Al kindly asked me to add some lead lines to his amazing, beautiful and complex rhythm for this one, which was not easy for me(!) but after several weeks of sporadic attempts I came up with this final version: I tried to create a cool contrast between his unique rhythm (played on an Ovation round bowl acoustic) building toward some Steppenwolf-ish lead reminiscent of the late 60s drug-rock era towards the end!

Thankfully Al loved it and posted it too, so here it is again on my SC page for those who may have missed it. 

https://soundcloud.com/a-wood/tracks

BTW Any Zoom G3 users who like the lead tones can contact me directly for the patches.

Blues Is Good For Ya Soul - Collaboration with Al Wood playing rhythm

This classic blues track is my all time favourite and when I heard the gorgeous vocals of the highly talented Ms King on this jazzy version offering an open collab I had to have a go! 

I thought I'd try my hand at coming up with a sympathetic 'original' lead that also gave a nod to Peter Green's blues playing on this wonderful song, so I do hope I have done it justice. It took me about twenty attempts to find a tone and some licks, including one or two reflecting Gary Moore's rock-blues version, but I eventually settled on this mellowed out final effort and I'm rather pleased with it.

A cool extended backing track for jamming can be found on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVheySyaSxI

Thank you Ms King for your beautiful vocal with its jazzy interpretation, and thank you Peter Green for your inspiration and sheer musical genius :-)))

Check out Lorraine's other awesome tracks here:

https://soundcloud.com/mskingjazzsinger

Dedicated to Mrs Phutsadee Patching - she's the beauty in the wedding photo. 

All lead guitar was recorded direct to PC via USB using the amazing Zoom G3 gizmo.


I Need Your Love So Bad - Ms King sings the blues...

I came up with this slow bluesy riff based rhythm trying to get some variation with just two chords to practice licks over and sent it to my friend Al. He loved jamming to it so much he recorded this and immediately sent it back while I was still trying to record a version with a drumtrack - this was really a problem as the actual riff fingering and slides are at the limit of my ability! (Yup, and just 2 chords - see below!) 

So here it is in freetime, just our guitars, with Al's amazing raging lead over my ZZ-ish backing. Raw blues - not for everyone but I love what Al did with this.

The two chords are E and A. The riff is based on E5 played with an open E string at the nut and 12th fret, with a slide back from the G to F# (3rd to second fret or 15/!4th) while keeping the B on the 5th string in place - something I find difficult still. Lots of sliding around too, with some E5 bar chugging at the 7th fret, both to give it variation. Works for me(!) and Al apparently!
 
If anyone would like the backing I will happily provide it - in fact I will try and create a drum based version for open collab when I get some time... 

Please check out Al's tracks - he has a unique technique with some amazing rhythm and lick playing that I have no idea how he does. 

https://soundcloud.com/a-wood

As ever, this was recorded direct to PC with my trusty Zoom G3. 

The pic is a reference to that classic two chord hit from America, plus it appealed to my humour.

Blues Dudes - Collab With Al Wood on lead (Play Loud!)

A short clip from a session of me messing about trying to make my guitar 'cluck' - just for fun. I can't see how this will ever produce anything worth listening to but I enjoyed it and I put it up so you can hear how I amuse myself. It's short and sweet so hopefully will make you smile too...

Barely qualifies for my two chords playlist as the G/B fragment used in the cluck is really part of Em too, but hey ho, I doubt anyone really cares and it makes me smile when I hear it!  :-)

Clucking The Blues Away - Fun Clip (WIP)

Tom very kindly offered a chance to collaborate on this jam over a backing track with Roger - two of my favourite guitar players on here and a real honour to be asked to join such august company! I love the tonal variations and the melodies that they created and added my own BB-ish touch to fit in with what they had sent me. 

The three of us come together at the end and that was the biggest challenge for me - trying to sneak in alongside their wonderful 'duelling banjos' but it all came together nicely I reckon.

Thank you Tom for the invite, and thank you and Roger for making this such a cool track to be part of. 

When I arrived on SC 11 months ago I did not know about collabs - a whole new world opened up for me and the community here has been an inspiration and motivation too. I could not have played alongside these two blues masters last year - my skills have gradually improved along with my confidence thanks to you super SC people. Love ya all! 

Here's a cocktail hour toast to the joys of sharing music!  :-)))

Check out Tom and Roger's music - in the unlikely event you haven't already!

https://soundcloud.com/ytlblues
https://soundcloud.com/roger-b-train

The photo is an unfiltered, unre-touched pic of cocktail hour in my 'hood', near Phuket   :-)

Cocktail Hour - Tom Adams & Roger B-Train Collab

Dietmar (fingerstyle_guitar) heard Ms King's wonderful  version of this song with my guitar playing gently along with her jazzy vocals and asked me to add my own flavour to his version - with 'church organ' by his friend Luzz and Dietmar's own unique soft raspy vocal. 

Not much similarity with the Peter Green version - my all time favourite song - but still, in my view, a wonderful interpretation. 

I just hope I did it justice with my noodling! I've not played along with keyboards like this before so it was - another - Soundcloud collab first for me. Thanks Dietmar for inviting me to play! 

Please check out his tracks here: https://soundcloud.com/fingerstyle_guitar

Need Your Love So Bad - Collaboration: fingerstyle_guitar with Luzz & me

My fellow Brit Blues Dude, Al Wood, has been something of an inspiration to me this year with his unique rhythms and amazing lead licks joining me on two previous collaborations. 

Recently I sent him this cool sad bluesy backing I'd found on Youtube and he created some super - and sometimes aggressive - licks that I then tried to fit around with my more mellow approach. This is the result - a cool contrast in styles that we both think complement each other nicely. 

Big thanks to Al for his encouragement and support, plus his creative energies on our collabs. One day we will get together and jam while supping some jars of ale, but meanwhile we'll just have to do more cyber-collabs on here! Check out his awesome tracks for an aural treat:

https://soundcloud.com/a-wood

The backing was provided by masanoriutsumi who has some amazing tracks available on Youtube. This video also has the chords for anyone who fancies a jam without Al and me noodling:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7LmHILR9AQ

The picture is my lovely guitar from a few weeks back when I had to pull out the electronics from the inside through one of the f-holes: a little downside of my archtop is that it is a bitch to service! With chopsticks and dental floss I managed to get everything back in place but from start to finish it took me almost 5 hours, just to fish out the parts, repair the loose connection at the jack plug socket, clean the pots and then get everything back in place in working order... 

She's worth it!  

;-)))


B&B Blues - Collab With Al Wood sharing lead

Rusty sent me this backing track with his super lead lines over the first half some months ago. I added the intro and the second half and posted it on here thinking that was the finished article... 

Then a few days ago I got this from Chris after he'd added his superb lyrics - and his vocals really take it to another level. 

Thanks Rusty and thanks Chris. This is what makes Soundcloud such a special place for me: I never expected to be playing with talented musicians half a world away!

Find more cool tracks from the very talented Chris here:

https://soundcloud.com/wild-christopher-lyrics

BTW The photo is from my local stomping ground in Thailand - the locals call these limestone hills 'mountains' so that's good enough for me!!!

"Mountains"

The hope in my life
Feels like times at the ocean
But over time I’ve built my mountains

There’s been times in my life
I’ve been down in the valley
But I’m climbing out into the sunlight I believe

If I can move these mountains
I will find my way to the sea
If I can travel through the lonely valley
I will find the peace, the peace I need
Inside of me

If I can move these mountains
I will find my way to the sea
If I can travel through the lonely valley
I will find the peace inside of me

Bit by bit I chip away
At hardened uncertainties
I find the strength
I find my serenity
Serenity

If I can move these mountains
I will find my way to the sea
If I can travel through the lonely valley
I’ll find the peace inside of me



Mountains - Wild Christopher With Rusty And Will (Lyrics in description)

I love the blues and became determined to learn to play when I found my beautiful Eastman archtop guitar up for sale, second hand for a bargain price, in Jan 2012. As soon as I touched it I fell in love.

I first tried playing guitar several decades ago: with unrealistic teenaged enthusiasm I fully expected to sound like Hendrix within a month or two while practising just thirty minutes a week. I gave up when I still struggled to tune my guitar and the cowboy chords I'd learnt sounded really rough when I literally banged on them. Girls were much more interesting.

In my late thirties I had a mid-life crisis(!), so I  bought a US Strat and a Gibson LP Pro, determined to learn to be an ageing 'bedroom rock star'. I was working long and hard hours so only practised on odd weekends, always wondering why following tab and listening to CD lessons was not working. I decided I was tone deaf and incompetent, so yet again, I gave up, still unable to master bar chords, convinced I would never be able to play.

As an early retiree, I decided to give it a final attempt when I found my black beauty: the first few years were a journey of discovery, discipline and sore fingers. I practised most days (except when arthritis in my joints and a trapped nerve in my shoulder 'froze' my fretting pinkie and sent my thumb totally numb). Back then, I trawled YouTube and bought a DVD course of lessons, and plugged away. It was worth it as I really enjoyed the fairly limited range of things I could play.

When I first arrived on Soundcloud, I was not expecting to find such a talented and helpful community. I just wanted to upload a jam track for my friends to hear, then I found the amazing wealth of creativity here. 

Sadly, my frozen shoulder, trapped nerve and related problems have pretty much stopped my guitar ambitions since 2016.

However, I still have a blast exploring all the fabulous originals and covers so many relatively unknown, but hugely talented, musicians have conjured up for the SC community. In my first five weeks on here I downloaded c100 tracks and 'liked' hundreds more, and since then I have created many playlists that I regularly listen to depending on my mood...

Simon Cowell and his ilk (overpaid gatekeepers/brand creators/ubercapitalists) have, until now, throttled mass talent for the sake of creating a relative handful of extremely wealthy 'cash cow' celebs.

Who needs these supposedly 'professional talent spotters' and their artificially enhanced 'celebrities'? The internet rocks!

NB If you too suffer from joint pain, RSI or trapped nerves I highly recommend this free DIY pain relief site: it is not just for guitar related injuries but pain anywhere in the body pretty much, and the techniques used really do work - although for me, they provide just temporary relief. Good luck!

Will Patching

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