New Weekly Challenge! Let's Get Inspired!! :) :)

[Jak Angelescu]

Good Evening Everyone! I hope your Sunday was very relaxing.
I’ve had some of the students on here reaching out to me on Instagram about feeling like they’re stuck in a rut creatively, and unfortunately I’ve seen a lot of it in here on the school. So I kind of want to introduce something new. I’m still working on the beginner lesson breakdown videos as it’s taking a little longer than I expected (plus I JUST now got my computer back up and running a few days ago).
So alright cool cats (and dogs – that was just for you Josh )
Here is your weekly challenge.
Forget perfection. Forget expectations. Let’s go back to basics and turn off the gain on your guitar and pick up an acoustic if you have one, or play on the clean channel. Feel free to pick at least four chords and just repeat that progression over and over and over again. That’s it! Everyone can do that, right? Then write lyrics. They can be as simple as “She’s so pretty and she makes me happy” to anything overly poetic like “Her beauty is like a fragrant rose I never thought I’d find.”
It can be any emotion you wish to convey!
If you don’t feel comfortable with singing or writing lyrics, write a guitar solo over it with just a simple melody. It can be 10 seconds long or 10 minutes long. This is all about you! But if someone WERE to be singing it, play that. Think of an actual melody you want to convey, and play it.
Don’t worry about hitting wrong sounding notes or singing off key. Have fun with it!
I think some people have a tendency to feel overwhelmed with everything and expect the song to sound “finished” as soon as they start writing it. BUT…. here’s the ticker…
This challenge CONTINUES.
If you can, I’d like to encourage you to build on that song and post up your progression with it. I think improvisation is great, but we should also keep in mind that WRITING something is just as important. I would love nothing more than to see what YOU have to offer!

 

[Calvin Phillips]

Ive been doing so much improv i havent written a song in a while. Once my nets set up.. imma do this too. Start simple. And add layers every week. I would even add if you can only create a verse in a week.. start there first. Thatll givr you time to think of a progression to the chorus.

 

[Jak Angelescu]

Excellent idea, Calvin!

 

[idssdi]

I struggle with writing Lyrica but I’d like to be good at it so I’ll probably join.

 

[Dan Shipway]

I finally worked out my first few lines
A person once exclaimed that the earth would get the better of me, im not the smartest person you will meet
or in other words, Some body once told me the world is gonna roll me, I ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed.

 

[Sayonil Mitra]

I have never tried writing songs or lyrics. I will try for sure, when I don’t know though.

 

[idssdi]

@dan you just made me laugh a little bit

 

[Calvin Phillips]

watched your video, and the opening riff is amazing.. those finger movements is my favourite part. The lyrics are pretty good too, even if you’re off key.. you can easily picture the notes you are trying to achieve. Great work Jak! I would love to hear what you could maybe play over top the rhythm if you haven’t already thought of it.. I can kinda personally hear some crazy finger slides (ala tonight the world dies). I think you should give it a shot!

 

[Jak Angelescu]

Thank you so much, Calvin. That really means the world to me!!! I do have an idea already but I’m going to try your idea for sure!!

 

[Calvin Phillips]

Jak weekly challenge (step 1 verse chorus)

here’s come, literally came to me on the spot. I just some help identifying what two of the chord titles are. Unfortunately, I’m not far enough into theory to know some of the correct chord names, but I have an idea to play over top this. I just am not gonna post it til I’m far enough ahead. I wanna hear what others have put together. Remember, its a simple chord progression. I just decided to play the arpeggios as the verse. And the full chords for the chorus. Thats how I progress in most of my songs.. the notes of the chords build up to the chorus that contains the same chords that you were using to build up to.
Remember, I’m D STANDARD. So I’m actually playing a C here inbetween the two other chords. Keep that in mind if you wanna help me name the two other chords in this riff.

 

[Calvin Phillips]

Me and my new roommate were jamming tonight, and made up this

Just another example of how something simple can sound so good. Obviously this is a rough cut. I have melodies in my head to play over top of this.. But first I have to figure out which scales I wanna play along to it. Which I’m thinking E major over E and obviously Dorian over F. Literally a 2 chord song, first is open clean with chorus.. then palm muted power chords of the chord I picked open. Then straight downstrokes. 2nd verse is the same as opening but palm muted without chorus. Repeat pre chorus and chorus. Then I’m thinking I improvise a solo/bridge. And close out with the chorus. LIterally made this up on the spot, then hit record for 2nd take. Took 15 minutes.