Frank Gambale's Chop Builder challenge

Megii

Certainly it's a challenge for me anyhow - anyone else worked on this before? Did you get to the point where you can play along with FG for the full hour? Any tips if so?



...yes, the mullet, the leather trousers - I know, I know, what can you say?

dindude

Oh dear, this is everything I dislike about the electric guitar in one fell swoop, if practicing was this dull I would never have advanced, I feel I now have to post the antidote.......

http://youtu.be/TadiMA4g9_I

Edit: don't mean to derail to much btw, only pulling your plonker

Megii

Nothing wrong with Neil Young, but I happen to like FG's stuff myself - each to his own I guess!

Megii

dindude said:

Edit: don't mean to derail to much btw, only pulling your plonker

No worries! I will consider my plonker well pulled...  ">  I just see that FG video, and despite the lack of fashion sense/taste, there is a challenge there that I find hard to ignore somehow.

equalsql

Great video, thanks for the link.

I will have to have a go at these exercises. Can''t help but laugh at the look on Frank's face though, to say he looks wizened would be an understatement 

Fazer

that's a polyester mullet, right?

Megii

Fazer said:

that's a polyester mullet, right?

Or some other synthetic fibre... not a good look...

colski

Methodical, clinical, but effective as hell, if you are serious about playing well then practising solidly like this for an hour really shouldn't be a big deal. Guaranteed to get results if you stick to it. Wish all my pupils practised like this.

Catthan

Love it!!

I'll be doing 1 hr of superchops for jazz and 2 hrs (half tempo) of this starting 1st of Jan!!

Thanks

carlos

I can more or less hang in most parts except for the sweeps which is an area that Gambale pioneered and in which I've never developed fluency.

I agree with colski, it might be methodical clinical and what not, but most of the stuff here is pretty "basic", like doing the fundamentals to a good level. Nothing wrong in practicing all the fundamentals in such a methodical metronome'd way.

Evildurka

Just ordered the DVD

Catthan

I'm in! Been looking for consistent day to day technique routine! Can't be bothered to make clips of my progress tho but I might consider it when I work it out

Megii

I guess as the OP I'll have to count myself in too! I did have a bit of a go with this stuff a while ago (lasted a couple of months lol) and got to the point where I could almost (but crucially not quite  ) get to the point where I could play along cleanly with the second semiquaver section, and could do the first triplet bit. Kudos to those who can keep up with the lot! Anyway, I guess it could only do me good to have another crack, and a good time for such resolutions of course...

Tunez

IMHO, this is THE best technical manual Vid ever made. I'm not a massive fan of franks music, but as an educator and technician he's awesome. This vid is so well planned and practical. I don't play like Frank (or try to) but the technique work is so strong that, if you can stick with it you'll reap huge benefits! 

 The only downside to the vid from my pov is the repeated close-up shots of Franks leather clad balls... Not cricket.

Gru

Ha ha, read this today on the forum and decided to have a look once home. I am ok with the triplets, but put that with note changed at pace, hmm. I am still new to guitar, and certainly made me appreciate how much time I still need to put in. Looks like a very good hour of exercises.

jazzlemming

Great! I'm all over it. Imagine if Neil Young had had this video in his youth though...

Megii

As the thread starter, I'm feeling guilty now, as I have yet to tackle the Gambale challenge. 

Tunez

Megii said:

As the thread starter, I'm feeling guilty now, as I have yet to tackle the Gambale challenge. 

I wouldn't worry, I've never met anyone who just 'did it overnight', I'd wager it'll take a while!

ash96

I've just started this. I can get through round one ok, and about half of 2 but I'm far from a fast shreddy player so definitely struggle with a lot! Something good to work up to.

Megii

Tunez said:

Megii said:

As the thread starter, I'm feeling guilty now, as I have yet to tackle the Gambale challenge. 

I wouldn't worry, I've never met anyone who just 'did it overnight', I'd wager it'll take a while!

Cheers! I'll have to get going on it though. I think to really be able to play through the whole lot cleanly would indeed take a while to get to, and represent quite a considerable achievement in terms of technique.

Megii

ash96 said:

I've just started this. I can get through round one ok, and about half of 2 but I'm far from a fast shreddy player so definitely struggle with a lot! Something good to work up to.

FWIW, when I last spent a bit of time on the video, that was about where I was at too. I could almost get round 2, but was just having to work with a metronome, and speed up from a bit slower tempo. One or two of the little repeated phrases are just a bit tricky to play really cleanly, without fluffing the odd note.