Announcing... RiffMasters!

LiveeviL2000 said:
RIFFMASTERS Challenge 1: In the Beginning

There is a picture of me somewhere in my parents' house of when I was 5 years old holding a right-handed toy guitar that my mother bought at the 5 and 10, and I’m holding it left-handed. Hendrix inspired at an early age I guess. I have always wanted to play guitar, it was just so cool to me as a kid … 50 years later, it still is! I would grab that guitar and play rockstar anytime the radio was on, jumping around making all kinds of noise. Not much has changed since! lol!!!

Fast forward to Catholic school 3rd grade. The school was offering 3 months of music lessons for a “donation” to the school. They gave me a permission slip which had all these check boxes next to pictures of instruments and there it was! “electric guitar”!! My dream will finally be realized!! I brought the paper home to my parents and told them I wanted to learn guitar. My father, being EXTREMELY old school said no to the evils of rock n roll guitar. He told me if I wanted to learn music, it was either Piano or Accordion. I reluctantly picked piano (should have gone accordion because, Weird Al made a career of it). 3 months turned into a few more months of piano lessons and with a nun (Sister Rose) teaching me, it was no picnic. MAN she was tough, but what she was teaching me was a good bit of theory which I still use to this day.

Fastforward to high school in the mid 1980s and a few guys at school wanted to start a band (BRUTAL SEX … yes, that was for real!). They needed a bass player. They knew I played piano … I still don’t know what the connection was between piano and bass, but I said ok. I had a good stash of money from my summer jobs and paper routes, so I bought a pearl white NJ series BC Rich Warlock bass and GK combo amp. I am left-handed and all they had were right-handed instruments so that was a little tough to orient. I started putting what I learned on piano to use on bass, theory is theory after all, and its only got 4 strings, so how hard could it be? <-- I say this about everything new I try!

Fast forward some more past a couple more failed bands. I sold my bass somewhere in the 90s and now its around the year 2000 and I’m bored. I finally decided to follow my childhood dream of playing guitar. I played bass, and guitar only has 2 more strings, so how hard could it be? (see the pattern yet?) I went out and bought my Fender Showmaster, which I still have, most of you know her as “Fiona”. I bought some DVDs “How to play guitar” and started a journey which lasted on and off until about 2010 and I was forced to stop, life got in the way.

When the pandemic hit, I was not working due to the shut down and again I was bored. I was cleaning out my closet and in the back were 2 guitar cases, my Line6 FX board and a Line6 Spyder practice amp. Took my guitars out and decided to really commit to learning. I started playing again. Except now it was even easier to learn with so much material to learn from online. I was having so much fun learning and advancing, I started buying more and more gear. Bought my first Marshall amp, joined a Marshall forum, met Mitch, then he got me to join some weird online forum with a bunch of other psychos like myself and I haven’t put my guitars away since. It was in this time period that my modest guitar skills advanced the most. This is also when I started learning songs and song parts. So you see, I'm actually a late bloomer when it comes to guitar and thanks to the help of all of you here on TTR who have pushed me to try to achieve higher standards of play I am still progressing.

So now the question was, what 3 complete songs did I first learn on guitar?

In no particular order

Paranoid, because … Sabbath!!

Immigrant Song, although I play it a bit heavier now and a lower tuning (C#)

And this great singalong! Which also happens to be the first song I learned on Bass. Feel free to sing along if you wish. This also made me shake the rust off my bass slapping skills. Hopefully it sounds ok.
Gear used to record this little ditty,
HX Stomp (Ampeg, Soldano, and Ubershall Modelers)
Ibanez 605e Bass
Epiphone Explorer GT
Scarlette 2i2 interface
Reaper DAW

https://soundcloud.com/user-529226453%2Fchallenge-1-slow-ride
Click to expand...
Awesome job!! And yes. Paranoid would have been a good one as well. Still one of my favorite Sabbath tunes.
 
iblive said:
Awesome job!! And yes. Paranoid would have been a good one as well. Still one of my favorite Sabbath tunes.
Click to expand...
Sad thing is. I know how to play the opening riff and into the verse to Paranoid. Can't get passed where Tony goes into the solo. But knowing and doing.... two completely different animals. I do it just good enough all you would know what I was trying to play..... but then someones gonna go...."dude, just don't." :pound-hand:
 
ibmorjamn said:
Can a backing track be used. I have a song that is pretty difficult. It might take me the whole time to complete the guitar part.
Click to expand...

This is supposed to be one of the first three songs you learned, as a raw beginner guitarist?
How difficult can it be? is it cliffs of dover or something? I don't think that would be right in the spirit of the challenge TBH
you do have plenty of time left
 
Today's PSA boys and girls. Pay particular attention to this rule. I was a bad boy and did not follow rules in the previous games. "Once you post, NO Editing of the musical selection, or the rest of the deets, so BE SURE! " It was my bad and may have done me a favor in the end.... I was not going to last much beyond that first challenge.
 
@iblive RiffMasters is not the same structure as The Game of Toanz. So far there are only two cases where penalties will come into play (subject to adaptations to improve the competition).

1. Failure to show up for, or challenge another player to a guitar duel when you are in position to do so.

2. Editing a musical post to replace material with an improved recording v.s. your first submission... so you are very right about that one!

I think if you go in to fix typos or whatever nobody is gonna to get upset. I tried to design this forum happening to be much more music-focused and less about fantasy role play or a whole bunch of rules and penalties, immunity idol etc.

I hope everyone has fun and is challenged, and it's also engaging to watch and vote. Plus don't forget anyone is welcome to jump in on any of the stages, to grab up some points for your ownself.

Remember this is not a closed field of competitors. There are nine titillating main challenges ahead, and many more entertaining Guitar Duels too!

That said, my personal goal, taking honest stock of my skills, I just hope I can rise a level or two above "busker" state.

1229283313449213069.gif

Vote Poll on Guitar Duel #1 "I'd Tap That" ended 14-5.
@Clockworkmike now leads the field with six points, obviously inspired by Dave Matthews. A valiant tappedy-tap effort by @LiveeviL2000 was not quite enough to overtake clockwork, but Evil is now firmly in second place with 3 points.

Anyone is still welcome to throw in on the guitar duel for an automatic single point, until this round is over... it will not be voted on

A little over 3 weeks still remain in the "Opening Act" challenge. The sooner you get your entry in the more power you have in case of a tied vote.

e03ddf4d9c29f8a7a5b2a249404611ab.gif
 
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TVvoodoo said:
@iblive RiffMasters is not the same structure as The Game of Toanz. So far there are only two cases where penalties will come into play (subject to adaptations to improve the competition).

1. Failure to show up for, or challenge another player to a guitar duel when you are in position to do so.

2. Editing a musical post to replace material with an improved recording v.s. your first submission... so you are very right about that one!

I think if you go in to fix typos or whatever nobody is gonna to get upset. I tried to design this forum happening to be much more music-focused and less about fantasy role play or a whole bunch of rules and penalties, immunity idol etc.

I hope everyone has fun and is challenged, and it's also engaging to watch and vote. Plus don't forget anyone is welcome to jump in on any of the stages, to grab up some points for you ownself.

Remember this is not a closed field of competitors. There are nine titillating main challenges ahead, and many more entertaining Guitar Duels too!

That said, my personal goal, taking honest stock of my skills, I just hope I can rise a level or two above "busker" state.

1229283313449213069.gif

Vote Poll on Guitar Duel #1 "I'd Tap That" ended 14-5.
@Clockworkmike now leads the field with six points, obviously inspired by Dave Matthews. A valiant tappedy-tap effort by @LiveeviL2000 was not quite enough to overtake clockwork, but Evil is now firmly in second place with 3 points.

Anyone is still welcome to throw in on the guitar duel for an automatic single point, until this round is over... it will not be voted on

A little over 3 weeks still remain in the "Opening Act" challenge. The sooner you get your entry in the more power you have in case of a tied vote.

e03ddf4d9c29f8a7a5b2a249404611ab.gif
Click to expand...
And for the record Brad. I was never upset about my early departure. I blew it plain and simple and I accepted that.
 
TVvoodoo said:
@iblive RiffMasters is not the same structure as The Game of Toanz. So far there are only two cases where penalties will come into play (subject to adaptations to improve the competition).

1. Failure to show up for, or challenge another player to a guitar duel when you are in position to do so.

2. Editing a musical post to replace material with an improved recording v.s. your first submission... so you are very right about that one!

I think if you go in to fix typos or whatever nobody is gonna to get upset. I tried to design this forum happening to be much more music-focused and less about fantasy role play or a whole bunch of rules and penalties, immunity idol etc.

I hope everyone has fun and is challenged, and it's also engaging to watch and vote. Plus don't forget anyone is welcome to jump in on any of the stages, to grab up some points for your ownself.

Remember this is not a closed field of competitors. There are nine titillating main challenges ahead, and many more entertaining Guitar Duels too!

That said, my personal goal, taking honest stock of my skills, I just hope I can rise a level or two above "busker" state.

1229283313449213069.gif

Vote Poll on Guitar Duel #1 "I'd Tap That" ended 14-5.
@Clockworkmike now leads the field with six points, obviously inspired by Dave Matthews. A valiant tappedy-tap effort by @LiveeviL2000 was not quite enough to overtake clockwork, but Evil is now firmly in second place with 3 points.

Anyone is still welcome to throw in on the guitar duel for an automatic single point, until this round is over... it will not be voted on

A little over 3 weeks still remain in the "Opening Act" challenge. The sooner you get your entry in the more power you have in case of a tied vote.

e03ddf4d9c29f8a7a5b2a249404611ab.gif
Click to expand...
Inspired by Dave Matthews....oh is that wound still fresh lol
 
TVvoodoo said:
This is supposed to be one of the first three songs you learned, as a raw beginner guitarist?
How difficult can it be? is it cliffs of dover or something? I don't think that would be right in the spirit of the challenge TBH
you do have plenty of time left
Click to expand...
So most of the entry's on this challenge will be ancient so to speak. Lol
Well, my journey was different from most. I always tried to play stuff way harder than I could play. Might be why I never finished learning them. I will re-think something.
 
Good morning rock stars!!

Have you set up your drums and bass tracks yet? Still waiting to lay in some dope riddims and searing leads?

Have you even chosen your musical selection from your first three songs learned, or mostly learned?

groundhog_day_breaks_alarm_clock-DMID1-5hnyezkn5-450x270-1.gif

Rockstars? Anyone?

@ibmorjamn minimum clip length is only 1:00 that goes by real fast.

Participants... if any one particular main challenge seems out of your league, there is no penalty for not taking part... other than losing out on the automatic 5 points for any reasonable attempt at a submission at all. At this point that's what I'm banking on LOL!

And I thought I'd start this game with an easy walk in the park sorta warmup!
 
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TVvoodoo said:
Good morning rock stars!!

Have you even chosen your musical selection from your first three songs learned, or mostly learned?
Click to expand...
Sheesh. First songs? That was 50 years ago. I’d just purchased my first guitar. Yamaha 12 string acoustic. I was playing it at places like church camp around the campfire. And no. Not making that up for a story. But if I had to take a guess at an early learned song I could play bumper to bumper…… drum roll……

It’d be Kum Ba Ya. And I am NOT playing that for this group of misfits. :pound-hand:
 
iblive said:
Sheesh. First songs? That was 50 years ago. I’d just purchased my first guitar. Yamaha 12 string acoustic. I was playing it at places like church camp around the campfire. And no. Not making that up for a story. But if I had to take a guess at an early learned song I could play bumper to bumper…… drum roll……

It’d be Kum Ba Ya. And I am NOT playing that for this group of misfits. :pound-hand:
Click to expand...
I think a heavied-up treatment of that ol' spiritual could kick major patootie
 
TVvoodoo said:
And I thought I'd start this game with an easy walk in the park sorta warmup!
Click to expand...
I've found out I can no longer play those songs :) I don't know how I did it all those years ago. I think it may be that I'm more critical of my playing now. Also, I talked to a friend I used to play with back then. I thought the first songs we learned were Beatles so I was relearning them. He told me the first ones were CCR so I've had to change mid stride so to speak. I should have one down by next week.
 
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