Guthrie Govan’s Rhode Island shred cover

well billy, i just love your reviews! thanks so much for taking the time to analize my playing and write all this.

i agree with you on the turnaround thing. i could have play maybe some arpegios to outline the chords or some altered scales and all that stuff. i’m fairly good at playing on this kind of changes outlining the chords, but the speed was too much. i will train myself to play them fast and will do another take soon!

thanks a lot again.

@billmeedog 6447 wrote:

Hello Andy! 🙂

WOW! Super job bro! That is NOT easy either! You did a trerrific job on the main melody (head) that Guthrie establishes in that song. I also thought that there were some terrific moments in your improv. solo as well, but the only thing that I thought maybe could’ve been a bit more developed (which contradicts the idea of a pure “improvisation” I realize!) is the “cycling ii-V’s” in the “turnaround.” I’m not sure about the progression, (I haven’t been brave enough to attempt learning it!!! – LOL!) but I think it might be the last 8-bars of double-time 2/4 or the last 4-bars of double-time 4/4 (depending on your counting/time-sig convention…) Anyways, I think it might be that “classic” progression – shown below as the last 4-bars in double-time 4/4:

|___I_Maj.___|____vim____|____iim____|___V_Dom.__|

Again, I could be wrong about the specifics, but it seems like one of those “cycling” type of progressions, and it was during those bars where it seemed like you weren’t quite as confident through those changes, (short of just staying in the “Root-Key” – which I believe was “G?”) :confused: 😎

Anyways, I just want you to know that I agree with Ben about how super-articulate you performed the head, and even a lot of your improv. was awesome too! BTW, there were a couple of times through that turnaround where I thought that you did some very cool stuff, so please do NOT take what I said as an “across-the-board” criticism! What I alluded to was nothing more than one little area where if you develop a few more ideas that work well over those “cycles,” then you’ll be “aces high!” One more point I’d like to make is that the tempo of this song is “frightening!” You do an incredible job of keeping your articulation (picking) together, and you deserve a LOT of praise just for that alone! Maybe you know how to approach such “cycling” progressions that I spoke of earlier, but the “crazy-fast” tempo didn’t allow you time to execute them the way you wanted to! I could see that happening (I know that I could NOT play “those chages” at that speed!. In fact, I couldn’t even play the “melody/head” at that tempo, so you’re already WAY AHEAD of me! – LOL!) 😉 😎

Well done my friend! I hope that you continue to share your talents with us here at IG! 😉

BTW, I almost forget to tell you that I LOVED your tone AND vibrato!!! That’s how to “shake those strings!” That’s “my kinda vibrato” bro! ;):cool:

~Bill Meehan~ 😀