Task 1

1.1
SWOT analysis
Strengths
I can take leadership when working in a group so we can all work in time. Alternately I
can work independently and not get distracted easily. This is useful to me as I am able to
work in multiple environments and make progress to what I play.
Weaknesses
Im not very good at managing my practice time so I often learn the intro well but then
start to slip. Towards the solo. Im also not very good at getting the timing correct when
practicing and rehearsing.
Opportunities
I can record myself while rehearsing to work on my timing while rehearsing. I can also
manage my time to evenly learn each part, even maybe learn the song in individual
parts (not in order) and then put them into order so I dont slip on later parts of the
song.
Finally, I can work in groups more often to improve my rehearsing confidence.
Targets
Im not very confident when practicing within a group as I usually work individually. I
also dont have much confidence when it comes to playing in front of big audiences.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
My Strengths Why?
1 Working individually with minimal This makes it so I can just get on with it
help without wasting any time. This also
makes it so Im able to make a lot of
progress without having to stop to ask for
help. Furthermore, I can practice just as
well at home as I dont require help.
2 Taking leadership in a group This makes it so I can help everyone get
in time with the song and play together. It
also makes it possible for me to make
sure everybody is on task and not getting
distracted.
3 Playing different genres of songs This makes it so I can go from playing
rock to pop. This makes it so I have more
variety in what I play so I can display a
large variety of technical abilities. I can
also mix well with different people and
play with different people.
4 Not getting distracted This makes me just get on with it and not
wasting time. It also makes it so I am on
task and make sure I get what I want
doing done in the right amount of time.

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 My Weaknesses Why?
1 Confidence Im not very confident when practicing in
a big group, which can hinder my
performance when playing in a group. It
can also discourage me resulting in my
playing not being as good as it could be.
(An audience of 2-4 is ok)
2 Managing my time I dont keep track of how long I play so I
quite often play for longer than I intend
to and therefore making my fingers hurt.
This makes me not practice as well as I
could. I also get side tracked when
practicing
3 Learning each part well This makes it so some of the parts of a
song are better or worse than other parts.
I tend to be more attracted to learning
the solo first, as it is the most appealing
to my playing style. However, this results
in less time for learning the other parts
such as verse and chorus.
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Personal goals:

What? Why? (Distinction)

Song Avenged Sevenfold- Nightmare I chose this song because it incorporates
many advanced techniques that will
improve my playing ability a lot. Also, it
is very technical throughout and I wont
be bored of playing the same thing over
and over. Finally, it is a rather long song
so it will improve my stamina by quite a
bit.
Group or Solo Solo I chose to do this song as a solo piece
because I dont think I will be able to
communicate well in a group as I need
to be very focused to play the entirety of
the song well and in time.
Instrument Electric guitar I play electric guitar as an instrument
and the lead guitar on the chosen song
is very heavy and rock sounding which
suits my playing style a lot. Also, the
song includes a guitar solo, which I want

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 to play as it uses a lot of techniques such
as hammer ons and dive bombs.
Venue Sports hall I chose this venue as it has a large
capacity for the audience. If I play to a
larger audience, it will improve my
confidence a lot as well as my ability to
play to a big group without getting
discouraged.
Effort score Id give myself a 9/10 for effort. I have put a lot of time in to practising
this song part by part. I have practised
the song starting off slower before
putting it in time with the song. I
practised every day working on all the
parts, however I did spend a little bit
more time on the solo resulting in my
solo standing out more compared to the
rest of the song.
Musical targets:

Skill Mark Mark out Target

out of of 10 (BY Make it SMART for a distinction
10 October
(NOW) 2015)
Dive bombs 6 9 I want to be able to play dive bombs well without hitting
any of the other strings while bringing up the whammy
bar. I want to be able to do this by the end of October
and I will show my evidence by playing a song using
dive bombs as an assessment piece.
Palm muting 9 10 I want to be able to incorporate palm muting in
conjunction with normal playing well and with little
noticeable time between the swap. I want to be able to
do this by the end of October and I will show my
evidence by playing a song using palm muting and
normal playing as an assessment piece.
Hammer ons 9 10 I want to be able to incorporate hammer ons fluently
while playing a fast solo. I will achieve this by using
hammer ons in a solo for an assessment piece by the
end of October.

If I am consistent in my rehearsals, I will gradually get better in my technical ability. Also, if I

continually engage with other musicians I will get more feedback and ways to improve, as
well as improving my ability to work well in a group for group performances.

1.2

Pre-production video
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See appendix A
My 5 songs:
1) Payphone-Maroon 5 (solo)
2) Living on a prayer-Bon Jovi (solo)
3) Time of dying- Three Days Grace (me, Kaleb and Flynn)
4) Bruno Mars- Lazy song (me, Alister and Courtney) (Acoustic)
5) Nightmare- avenged sevenfold (solo)

Song1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkxNGteEUTI
Song2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDK9QqIzhwk
Song3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCZinX209rA
Song4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLexgOxsZu0
Song5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApmKHzFLR1g

Why I picked each song:

Song1)

Song2) I picked this song as it includes a lot of techniques such as palm muting during
the intro and verse. Additionally it uses a lot of hammer ons and pull offs, which allow
me to improve my techniques and stamina while using these techniques. This song is
fairly long and includes a lot of power chords on different strings so it will improve my
ability to change power chords as well as strumming in time.

Song3) I picked this song as it uses a lot of chords so my ability to play these chords will
improve as I rehearse this song. I will also be playing this with another guitarist so it
will improve my ability to work as a group as well as getting better timing with both the
song and Flynn. The song is also very intricate at parts so it will further improve my
stamina.

Song4) I chose to include this song as it is played on acoustic so it allows me to improve

different skills than just on the electric guitar. The song is mainly comprised of chords
so it allows improving my ability to transition between chords quickly but making it
sound smooth as well. The song also will improve my ability to work as a group and
keep timing with other people as well as just the song. Working in a group on this piece
will also improve my ability to communicate with others.

Song5) I chose to do this song as it is very intricate throughout the entirety of the song
so it will improve my stamina while using methods such as alternate picking. The song
uses a lot of hammer ons pull offs and palm muting so it will also improve those skills.
The song includes a rather fast solo, which will test my ability to play fast while still
staying in time with the song. The whole song will test my ability to keep in time while
transitioning between power chords rooting from both the E and A string.

Weekly practice plan:

Song 1:

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Week 1- I will look at the tab for the song bit by bit splitting the song up to learn. I will
look at what skills are needed for each part starting with the intro. Ill start by playing
the intro slowly before getting faster and more in time with the song.
Week 2- After learning the solo in time with the song, I will look at the verses of the song
in a similar way first practicing it slowly. I will also do the same for the chorus. Then I
will play it in time with the song incorporating all the parts I have learned so far.
Week 3- I will look at the tab for the solo and begin learning it bit by bit until I can play
it through slowly. After this I will speed up the solo so that it is in time with the song. I
will then begin to put all of the pieces together in time with the song.
Week 4- for the final week I will put all of the pieces together and start playing all the
way through and I will record myself to identify any mistakes and places to improve.
After this I will be able to perform. With this song I will be practicing my ability to play
along time without getting tired.

Song 2:
Week 1- I will look at the tab for the song bit by bit splitting the song up to learn. I will
look at what skills are needed for each part starting with the intro. Ill start by playing
the intro slowly before getting faster and more in time with the song.
Week 2- After learning the solo in time with the song, I will look at the verses of the song
in a similar way first practicing it slowly. I will also do the same for the chorus. Then I
will play it in time with the song incorporating all the parts I have learned so far.
Week 3- I will look at the tab for the solo and begin learning it bit by bit until I can play
it through slowly. After this I will speed up the solo so that it is in time with the song. I
will then begin to put all of the pieces together in time with the song.
Week 4- for the final week I will put all of the pieces together and start playing all the
way through and I will record myself to identify any mistakes and places to improve.
After this I will be able to perform. During the rehearsal for this song I will be practicing
my ability to use hammer ons and pull offs as well as time keeping.

Song 3:
Week 1- I will look at the tab for the song bit by bit splitting the song up to learn. I will
look at what skills are needed for each part starting with the intro. Ill start by playing
the intro slowly before getting faster and more in time with the song.
Week 2- After learning the solo in time with the song, I will look at the verses of the song
in a similar way first practicing it slowly. I will also do the same for the chorus. Then I
will play it in time with the song incorporating all the parts I have learned so far.
Week 3- I will look at the tab for the solo and begin learning it bit by bit until I can play
it through slowly. After this I will speed up the solo so that it is in time with the song. I
will then begin to put all of the pieces together in time with the song.
Week 4- for the final week I will put all of the pieces together and start playing all the
way through and I will record myself to identify any mistakes and places to improve.
After this I will be able to perform. With this song I will be improving my ability to work
as a group and work well timekeeping wise.

Song 4:
Week 1- I will look at the tab for the song bit by bit splitting the song up to learn. I will
look at what skills are needed for each part starting with the intro. Ill start by playing
the intro slowly before getting faster and more in time with the song.

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Week 2- After learning the solo in time with the song, I will look at the verses of the song
in a similar way first practicing it slowly. I will also do the same for the chorus. Then I
will play it in time with the song incorporating all the parts I have learned so far.
Week 3- I will look at the tab for the solo and begin learning it bit by bit until I can play
it through slowly. After this I will speed up the solo so that it is in time with the song. I
will then begin to put all of the pieces together in time with the song.
Week 4- for the final week I will put all of the pieces together and start playing all the
way through and I will record myself to identify any mistakes and places to improve.
After this I will be to perform. With this song I will be practicing my ability to play and
transition between chords fast and cleanly to get a nice sound.

Song 5:
Week 1- I will look at the tab for the song bit by bit splitting the song up to learn. I will
look at what skills are needed for each part starting with the intro. Ill start by playing
the intro slowly before getting faster and more in time with the song.
Week 2- After learning the solo in time with the song, I will look at the verses of the song
in a similar way first practicing it slowly. I will also do the same for the chorus. Then I
will play it in time with the song incorporating all the parts I have learned so far.
Week 3- I will look at the tab for the solo and begin learning it bit by bit until I can play
it through slowly. After this I will speed up the solo so that it is in time with the song. I
will then begin to put all of the pieces together in time with the song.
Week 4- for the final week I will put all of the pieces together and start playing all the
way through and I will record myself to identify any mistakes and places to improve.
After this I will be to perform. Through performing and rehearsing this song, I will be
focusing on skills such as fast picking and hammer ons. As well as time keeping.

While rehearsing my songs, it will be important to warm up my fingers before practising to

avoid injury and strain on my hands and fingers. Also, it is important to have many rests
between playing and rehearsals while still playing for an appropriate amount of time to
improve my stamina. Rests are important as they give time for your fingers to rest from the
continuous strain of playing.

1.3
Rehearsal evidence
See Appendix B and C

Rehearsal diaries:
1.4
Evaluation
Evaluations for each song:
Song 1- I believe that song one was a huge success in developing my playing ability. It
was good practice for my stamina as there were very little pauses throughout the song.
It also developed my ability for playing using techniques such as hammer ons and
playing on different strings and moving fluently between each note. I believe that the
song was out of time at some points so to improve I could manage my rehearsal time a
lot better and learn each but with more accuracy and better timing.
Song 2- this song was a huge success as I played in front of people which allowed my
confidence to improve. As well as this, my skills improved exponentially throughout the
rehearsal of this song. I managed my time very well and learnt each part with accuracy
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and I played in time with the song a lot to improve the timing. The song also improved
my ability to play faster and for a longer period of time. The song incorporates power
chords within the choruses so my ability to transition between power chords rooting
from both the E and A strings improved a lot.
Song 3- this song was not a very good success. It was my first time working in a group so
I was not very good at playing within a group and communicating while performing. I
wasnt very in time with the other members of the group, however the song is made up
of primarily power chords allowing me to work on transitioning between them
furthermore. It also includes technical picking towards the start of the verses, which
improved my ability to pick faster, and cleaner within other songs. If I were to redo this
song with the same group, I would spend more time practicing with the group and
working on timing.

From my smart targets, I have completed my short-term target as I can now switch
between standard chords such as C, D and E. I can do this effectively because of
practicing every week with my guitar teacher on chords and also by practicing by
myself everyday for about half an hour. On the other hand, I still have a lot of work to do
for my long-term target as I find it hard to move my fingers how they are supposed to
for the song. This is an area I need to focus on, as well as this I need to focus on pull offs
and hammer ons and vibrato. I am currently focusing on improvisation with scales with
my guitar teacher, which includes a lot of vibrato, which helps me with the song. I can
focus on hammer ons and pull offs on my own however as they are simpler skills to
work on. Therefore I will concentrate on playing songs that include hammer ons and
pull offs like layla by Eric Clapton.

Overall, this rehearsal process has proven to be very effective in improving my ability as
a musician as it has given me time to rehearse each of the songs equally and improve my
technical ability. It has also proved to be good at developing my time keeping skills as i
had a tight schedule to meet while taking part in this process. My role has been effective
as I have been able to help multiple people and give and receive good and relevant
feedback to help me improve further.