Fun Project: Gauging Progress

[RoaringRowanThunderBender]

Good afternoon, my naughty and gorgeous Synners!!!!
Recently, I was talking to a very beautiful babe and a big bon-…er, idea hit me. [ Have fun laughing? Good! Now you’re relaxed!] So, what I have in mind, is we revisit the basics (and not so basic) in a very fun way. It’ll be fun for beginners, intermediates, and experts altogether! I want to give each of you a huge confidence boost. Now, who wouldn’t want to see how much they can shred now as opposed to when they first started? Ever feel like you can go back to a lesson and just murder it or at least do it much faster and accurately? >:3 I do! What I want you to do is take one of the very first lessons you did that are also one of your favorites (intermediates/experts: you can pick the favorite that you’ve done before) and I want you to re-record a video of you doing that lesson. Then in this thread, I would like you to post the link to the first time you tried the lesson and the new video you re-recorded of the lesson. Let’s see just how much you shredding beasts have progressed! I don’t care if it’s Lesson 10, 11, 22, 112, even Syn’s etudes. I want you to feel amazing about yourself and see just how far you have come. I hope everyone can take part and have a little fun! I want as many people as possible to take part in this little game, so I am not posting a deadline. I understand some of you may have to work, may have kids, may have cleaning to do, may have different time zones, etc. There’s only one rule to this. When you post your videos here, say one good thing about yourself and the person who posted before you and have fun!!!!! And get in the habit of doing this. I don’t care if you come back to this post a year from now and do it again to feel better about yourself, feel free to!
xoxoxo,
Row

 

[idssdi]

I love this!
The problem is that I basically only did some improve over the backingtracks for Jak’s challenge and Syn’s alternate picking etudes VII(I think but not sure) so I can redo some of those now but I’m not sure that’s what you meant

 

[RoaringRowanThunderBender]

Thank you! I’m glad.
The fun part is: it’s whatever YOU would like to do! If you feel like you can do that better than before or want to redo that, then that’s entirely fine! I just want to create an opportunity for people to really see how much they’ve grown and really have fun and feel amazing about themselves. The lesson that is chosen and everything is entirely up to the person. ^_^ If you think you can improv better than you did before in Jak’s challenge or Syn’s etude, by all means, show it off! I just want everyone to have fun and that’s all this is.

 

[Dominik Gräber]

That is an awesome idea Rowan!
But I’m gonna cheat a little on this one lol. Haven’t really been active on the lessons lately so I just share my progress on my favorite song intro
Buried Alive Improvement over three years

Buried Alive, Intro 2019

Long hairs! \m/ *Yay*
Okay one good thing about me? I guess you could say I’m creative. And Rowan you are for sure hella active on the school and really care for the students here!

 

[Jak Angelescu]

I seriously fucking laughed my ass off at the opening sentence
I’ve got some really good ideas for my submission!

 

[RoaringRowanThunderBender]

Dominik! Thank you and thank you for participating. That’s completely alright. Thank you so much for the extremely flattering compliment. I love all of you guys and I may be more withdrawn than some others, but I decided to take a try and show my care. I noticed in your first video you looked a little uncomfortable and kind of stumbled a bit, and by your second you had it sounding so much more fluid and like Syn playing! Your hands looked a lot more comfortable and your tone also sounded much better.
Jak, I’m very glad. I was hoping someone would get a big giggle out of it. I don’t know what kind of mood I was in, but I was wild. I can’t wait to see you and the others’ submissions! I’ll also be adding mine to the mix once I get the chance.

 

[RoaringRowanThunderBender]

Ids, Dominik, and Jak. Since you all are the only ones that have decided to participate and are the original responders, I am planning something nice for the three of you and hope you will enjoy it. I will give more details once it. Consider it a little prize just for participating.

 

[Dan Shipway]

To be honest, I don’t have many progress videos because Im a huge self critic, if it ain’t perfect it’s scrapped. Need to get out of the mindset

 

[Jak Angelescu]

Here is mine! This is just my first video because there’s SO much I can improve on! I’ll post my improvement in 30 days. Thank you for this!

 

[RoaringRowanThunderBender]

Yes, Dan! Please step out of that mindset. I relate to you so much. I don’t like to post anything unless I feel like it’s good enough, but sometimes you really just have to say “fuck it”. 1) It’s one of the only ways I get feed back and know how to improve better. 2) Usually, you guys here are a lot nicer to me than I am to myself. But honestly, since I’ve started working much harder than usual, looking back at the old videos I’ve made and remaking them has made me feel so proud of myself and my progress. And that’s where this project stems from. I want everyone to take a step back and really recognize all the hard work they’ve put in and how they’ve grown.
Jak, I freaking love you so damn much. I always know that you will participate with me and also be part of my encouragement and feedback team. You always make me feel some form of accomplishment, even on the video where I messed up somewhat practicing to Nightmare like you showed me. I love that you just went for it. I love that you left your stumbling in there and just posted it all. I also adore that you talked about what you were working on and admitted what you needed to work on. Because that alone, takes a lot of courage. Some people can’t even do that. It’s my pleasure. I cannot wait to see your follow up video in thirty days!
To anyone and everyone that decides to participate and even keep participating any time you want, I am so fucking proud of you. For being vulnerable and being human and making mistakes and also working hard to keep improving yourselves. I want everyone to realize the best players don’t magically happen over night.

 

[RoaringRowanThunderBender]

And here’s my starter videos: I’m going to start easy and work my way up because I don’t want any beginners to be intimidated or discouraged. February vs today, I feel like it’s all a bit more fluid and like I can go through the scale more quickly.

 

[AGA]

This is an awesome idea Rowan!! I was just about to get myself back in shape and this might be the thing to help me!

 

[AGA]

Jak, your improvement is mind-blowing, I remember your videos from a year ago. No comparison to today! Plus you look so badass with your new guitar!

 

[Calvin Phillips]

I agree with ailee.and I remember hearing the solo in your song. Mind blowing compared to a year ago where you were saying you never thought you could ever play lead. You’re Improvement is what pushed me and others here and its very inspiring and motivating. I’ll be super late on this.. but I’ll find one of my older improvs.. and go back to that Improv and redo it when I can.

 

[idssdi]

I had some problems with picking which one to do and picked lesson 32 in the end
This was me a year or so ago:

And This is me now:

 

[RoaringRowanThunderBender]

I’m glad you like the idea Ailee! I was hoping you and Calvin would notice and hop in!

 

[idssdi]

Thank you Rowan! Haven’t been conscious about the tension bit tbh, maybe I’m just starting to feel more confident with improvising.
I was actually planning to redo all the improvs I did for Jak’s challenge.

 

[idssdi]

I redid my phrygian dominant improv.
This is the previous one

And this is the new one

 

[Calvin Phillips]

Right now I’m doing caged system videos. I could being you my old videos. But instead I suggest watching the newer ones. I can link to the old ones if youd like. After that.. I’m thinking of focusing on the modes and the diminished scale again.
Also looking to do the 7 positions of the major scale. Although that’s one where I can pick it up in the fly and sub the major scale in using. I’d rather figure out the diminished and modes. Those are things I need to memorize next. This weekend I’ll be doing 2 more videos for the g shape. Maybe get into e before the weekend is over. Well see.
Rest assure though I’m going over stuff I’ve reviewed before but more.. detailed.they are worth watching.the jams are starting to fer better too as I add positions in. As in.. like which position plays the lick the best or sounds the best in which position. Which ones are easy down stroking. And vice versa. So far I’ve figured out a few small things there.

 

[Calvin Phillips]

Right now I’m doing caged system videos. I could being you my old videos. But instead I suggest watching the newer ones. I can link to the old ones if youd like. After that.. I’m thinking of focusing on the modes and the diminished scale again.
Also looking to do the 7 positions of the major scale. Although that’s one where I can pick it up in the fly and sub the major scale in using. I’d rather figure out the diminished and modes. Those are things I need to memorize next. This weekend I’ll be doing 2 more videos for the g shape. Maybe get into e before the weekend is over. Well see.
Rest assure though I’m going over stuff I’ve reviewed before but more.. detailed.they are worth watching.the jams are starting to fer better too as I add positions in. As in.. like which po