I play the guitar and cannot ever afford to lose an arm due to tissue necrosis just ’cause I was stupidly leaning on it during sleep. I can’t possibly know how long the circulation’s been cut off, so it’s perfectly understandable for me to freak out and await with bated breath for it to regain sensation. The only thing that goes through my mind is “$%#@!! What if I never get to play again?”

So, getting back to last night. I woke up with a numb pinky, nervously shook my hand, and felt it regaining sensation. Something didn’t feel right though. I couldn’t move it as well as had previously been able to. It felt partially numb. At this point, I was telling myself “NOOO, not my fretting hand!!”, and literally cried myself back to sleep. I was hoping it would feel better in the morning, but it didn’t. I’m glad it wasn’t the entire arm and all, but still, my guitar playing will never be the same. I need my pinky back T_T. FML to infinity.

We are using a Tascam Digital Portable Studio DP-24.  I will go into greater detail on the equipment in another post, but for today we are creating scratch tracks of the originals with all the instruments and vocals recorded at the same time.  Then we will take our turn listening to the scratch track while playing our individual part for the final CD.

Silverwing is a four piece band that plays rockin country.  You can visit our website at www.silverwingband.com.  So we all show up and set up our equipment as if we are playing at a gig.  The drums are miked, the guitar amps are miked and the vocals are miked.  Then instead of all of these microphone chords going into a PA for a gig, the chords are the inputs into our Tascam DP-24.

We’ve played these songs together many times and so after a quick warm up.  We went ahead and attempted to record the scratch tracks.  Each individual song is being saved on it’s on Scan Disc.  The engineer has labeled each card for each song.

Playing together is a blast and even though we have played these songs hundreds of times, it’s still always new.  The drums were crisp and bright, the guitar playing was tight and the bass was driving and powerful.  Our music is fun and sometimes kind of rowdy.  There is not a sad song in the bunch.  So this is not work.  This is joy and life.  It never gets old.

So the recording of each song went without a hitch.  Our engineer, Sean, who is also the bass player has used a previous model of Tascam recorder and our DP-24 is the newest and best for our purposes.  So one after the other, we played a practice run through and then Sean hit the record button and there is was.  Saved on the SD card.  Amazing.

So step one is completed in one day.  Scratch tracks for nine original songs are completed in about 8 hours.  Very productive day in the studio.

Can’t wait to tell you the next part of the adventure.

Though primarily an acoustic player, Fahey turned to the electric towards the end of his life and began exploring harsher, more aggressive styles of playing. He drenched his guitar in effect pedals and began constructing (along with occasional help) sound collages that rumble disconcertingly underneath of his delicate playing. Fahey also explored collages during the 60′s and 70′s.

Although his playing is often delicate and melodic, he knows how to craft artful dissonances to stir the listener out of a stupor. His playing seamlessly integrates blues, folk, pop, gypsy guitar, jazz, Eastern ideas of repetition, classical, modern classical, dissonance, avant-guard and complex composition and rich harmony.

Seriously the guy was great. And this is just a taster of his skills.

She did not quit on August first, but quit today, and for that I applaud her.  I know she can do it because while she was pregnant with Molly she quit for the entire pregnancy, not to mention 4 months after Molly was born.  Why she started again, I’ll never know.  

I know I focus on the smoking cessation quite a bit in the blog, and I do this because it is the main focus for August.  The other “goals” that I have set tie into that.  They’re not as important as quitting smoking. They do play a role in the whole quit, but like I said they’re mundane compared to the bigger task at hand.  In fact, I did not work out once today.  Perhaps that might’ve taken the edge off a bit, but I didn’t.  Sue me.  

I did refill my car cup of gum today though.  I chew a lot of gum.  I was almost to the point today where I was gonna say screw this cold turkey crap and buy some Nicorette gum.  It was THAT bad.  By far the single worst day I’ve had since Wednesday.  I decided today that I need to focus on eating healthier than I have been as of late.  I’ve gotten sort of relaxed in my eating habits, and that’s not good.  The weekends are the worst.  It seems as if we’re always going out to dinner with either the in-laws or just ordering some pizza.  I know that when I cook a meal, which I do quite often around here I can balance it accordingly. 

So I’m going to try to get back to doing that.  Tuesdays and Thursdays are tough because of basketball and I don’t want to eat a lot before I go, and by the time I get home it’s too late to eat.  I’ve noticed lately that the choices I’ve made in my diet, I’m more tired than I have been lately.  I’ve been eating more carbs than I had been and I feel all bogged down.  I think my eating habits have actually gotten worse since Wednesday.  Which is quite possible.  I’m trying everything I can to not put food in my mouth in place of a cigarette.  

That oral fixation is such a hard habit to break though.  Someone suggested to me that I should try the E-Cigarette. I will not do that.  The oral fixation is part of the habit.  If I’m going through the motions of smoking, but not actually smoking tobacco, I haven’t accomplished anything.  It’s like when you wear contacts.  You’re so used to wearing glasses all of the time, you sometimes catch yourself “pushing your glasses up” when they’re not even on your face.  They’re at home in the bathroom, on the vanity.  So you look like a horse’s ass.  So no, the E-Cig is out for me.  If that were the route I were going to take, I’d be on that road right now. Part of the reason for quitting is the monetary aspect of it.  

If I buy the E-Cigarette, well then I have to buy refill cartridges for it.  Someone told me it’s about the same price as a carton of cigarettes to get like 5 or 6 cartridges that have about 20 packs worth of smokes on them. It’s still spending money on the habit that I’m trying to break.  So thanks, but no thanks.  It works for some people, and that’s fine, it’s just not for me.  

I can’t believe I’m 4 days into this crazy thing though.  I never thought I’d make it this long.  One day at a time.  The support I’m receiving from people is pretty awesome. I totally appreciate it.  

Yesterday I busted out the ole guitar to practice a bit.  I never do that.  I quit practicing on the guitar years ago.  Pretty much the only rehearsing I get in is when I’m playing a gig.  No joke.  I came across some old demos that I had recorded and completely forgotten about.  They’re between 4 and 5 years old.  I used to record music all of the time.  Just lay down a basic skeleton to a song and go from there. That’s probably the last time I had written anything new.  I’m pretty excited about them, they give me something else to do while kicking the habit.  

I remember when I used to record all of the time I would lay down the guitar track, then record vocals over the top.  Then I’d play it back to mix it a bit.  All the while I would be smoking.  When you’re trying to tweak the sound on a recording and find a good balance of tone, you can smoke an awful lot of cigarettes.  While I was touching up some of these songs yesterday I didn’t even think about smoking, probably because I was so excited that I had found some “dusty gems” that needed to be polished up.  Somewhere down the line I lost my passion for recording and making music and I wish I never did.  I had a lot of fun doing that yesterday and I hope that I can continue to do so.  

I’m not going to touch on the other stuff because it hasn’t been accomplished as of yet.  Tomorrow (Sunday), the wife and I are planning on cleaning the house.  That should be a good start to the cleanliness portion of August.  If we can tackle it and maintain it daily we’ll be golden.  We always say that, but it never happens.  At any rate, thanks for taking time out of your day to read my senseless babble, either happy I’m continuing the no smoking or anxiously waiting for me to fail…either way you’re reading, and that’s good with me!

Yes people this is one of the most vibrant, up and coming soul singer/guitar player from the Midwest that you will ever hear. His music is a mix of R&B, reggae, neo-soul, rock, jazz with a sprinkle of his own unique sounds that creates….

Mario Pascal—-Soulful, jazz Rasta of a New Age…

YES GREAT CREATIVE MUSIC!!

St. Louis, MO own Mario Pascal (Haitian descendent) is on the rise and please enjoy the selections I placed in the blog. I can keep on writing on him but heck, why prolong great sounds. Enjoy!!

Mario YouTube #1

Mario YouTube #2

Mario YouTube #3

For more information on Mario Pascal and Roots Fuzion visit Reverbnation Mario Pascal/Root Fuzion

I first learned to play this song for a worship service that I was leading. The speaker was going to speak about Peter walking on the water, so I thought it would be the perfect song to lead him in with. But this was one of those songs that should have spoken to me. But it didn’t. Not until months later.

I don’t know what was wrong with me—maybe I wasn’t listening to the lyrics. Maybe I didn’t realize that Britt Nicole tapped my house AND read my thoughts to come up with the lyrics to this song. But anyway it’s kind of become my secret anthem now. Once I realized that it was about me.

Why you ask? Because I have things to do. God has put things in me that I’m passionate about, and that I’m supposed to act on. But I have been dragging my feet. I have been clutching the side of the boat trying to muster up the courage to step over the side and into the ocean, because of the three crippling factors that Britt sings about.

Doubt, fear and insecurity.

They all kind of go hand in hand. It’s almost like you can’t have one without one of the others. If you doubt your abilities more than likely you’re insecure about something, which causes you to fear rejection of any kind.

The good news? Faith cancels out everything that cripples us. Not faith in ourselves, I could never put all of my faith in my talents. But faith in the one that gave them to me.

Faith in the one who is standing on the water, doing the impossible, and calling me out to join Him.

The Song:

You look around
It’s staring back at you
Another wave of doubt
Will it pull you under
You wonder

What if I’m overtaken
What if I never make it
What if no one’s there?
Will you hear my prayer?

When you take that first step
Into the unknown
You know that he won’t let you go

Chorus:

So what are you waiting for?
What do you have to lose?
Your insecurities try to alter you

You know you’re made for more
So don’t be afraid to move
Your faith is all
It takes and you can
Walk on the water too

Verse 2:
So get out
And let
Your fear fall to the ground
No time to waste
Don’t wait
Don’t you turn around and miss out
Everything you were made for
I know you’re not sure
So you play it safe
Try to run away

If you take that first step
Into the unknown
He won’t let you go

(chorus)

Bridge:
(step out)
Even when its storming
(step out)
Even when you’re broken
(step out)
Even when your heart is telling you telling you to give up
(step out)
When your hope is stolen
(step out)
You can’t see where you’re going
You don’t have to be afraid

So what are you waiting,
What are you waiting for?

So what are you waiting for?
What do you have to lose?
Your insecurities try to alter you

You know you’re made for more
So don’t be afraid to move
Your faith is all
It takes and you can
Walk on the water…
Walk on the water too

Of course, there was also this fad during the second generation of the rise of Original Pilipino Music (OPM), mostly alternative rock to alternative to rock music, in the early to the late 90s. There was the music of Yano, Eraserheads, Rivermaya, Parokya ni Edgar, Orient Pearl, etc. But I was too young to even understand or go with the craze.
In 2004 to present (I think), it was in if one knows how to play the guitar, more so, the drums. It was astig. It was like an equalizer which united the rich and poor in one—learn how to play. Both the rich and poor, employed and tambay were carried on by the trend. I, for one, became the product of the third generation of the rise of OPM. To name a few, there was the music of Hale, Paramita, Spongecola, Imago, Bamboo, Sandwich, Pupil, Cueshe, etc.
The practice or the prevalence of playing musical instruments, guitar in this case, can be associated with the age-old concept of power. When one is starting to play or learning how to play the guitar, first s/he must know the basic principles governing music and guitar playing. S/he must know the basics in guitar playing and this means s/he has to master the basic chords first: A-B-C-D-E-F-G-Em-Bm-Fm-Dm, etc… When s/he knows this, s/he will be able to control the strings. S/he will also be able to control her fingers in pressing certain guitar strings—certain guitar strings that make up a certain chord; be it major or minor chord. When s/he has a control over the instrument, then s/he has the power over it.
As I see it, guitar playing can be traced back to the concept of courtship in the Philippines. A guy knows a woman by wooing or courting her. By courting or pursuing the woman he wants, he tries to get to know the girl. He familiarizes himself with the woman by going out with her, by being with her, by dating her. Why? Because by knowing the woman or everything about her, he can control her. That is why women should never ever let a man know everything lest they (men) use it against us. And where does courtship lead? This can lead to coupling, and coupling can lead to sex or love-making. For the lucky ones, courtship ends in marriage. In marriage, the man has the main voice, control, or power especially in the Philippines, where the society is patriarchal.
Guitar string plucking or picking is also an exercise of manhood. When one plucks a guitar string, it’s as if he’s stroking it. The mood that guitar plucking sets is intimate, sentimental—it can also be sensual. Unlike from strumming which oftentimes connote angst or a passion for loathing, plucking sets a different mood. Intimate. Sentimental. Sensual. Melancholy. By plucking or picking, he somehow rises above his longings or sentimentalism. And take note that when he plucks a guitar string, he uses his fingers. What does a man use when he strokes a woman’s body? And with the body, I mean every part this can reach. His hands. And what makes up a hand: fingers.
Why does a man stroke a woman’s body? To exercise his right or power over the woman’s body. To satisfy his longings. To fill in the void—the lack of intimacy. When does a man fondle the woman’s body? When he has this view that the woman whom the body he’s fondling is his own. When he thinks that the woman is in his ownership and he has the right or power over the woman’s body. He can stroke, fondle, or knead it for all he wants because it is his. The intimacy both the woman and man shares, isn’t just about intimacy. It is all about power.
This technique in playing the guitar (plucking) traces its way back to the primeval demonstration of love. Okay. Assuming that I am not cynical, guitar plucking goes back to the age-old demonstration of love. After all, sex is love in action, love in motion (although not all the time. Sex can also be just sex—pure unadulterated lust).
Guitar plucking traces its way back to this primordial act. And this connotes power. There is politics in sex. And politics parallels power. There is politics in sex: consider the common position couples (married or not) use. Why do men always have to be on top? Of course, to exercise their superiority, their power over women. They know everything (right?) and are supposed to teach their women how to respond to them.
Both the guitar playing and courtship are logical steps to acquiring power.

Copyright: August 19, 2010
Literature 121

Today was a special event designed to give extra special notice to the music of the streets, a festival called The Big Busk. Unlike most music festivals that are held in one specific location, this one was held all throughout the downtown area, on various street corners. Each artist or group was given an hour at a time on whatever corner they chose, allowing a rotation of artists and locations. This guideline is actually part of something called the Street Musician Partnership Agreement. This is a policy that was written to help the street musicians and downtown businesses come to agreement on some guidelines to assure a safe, respectful and enjoyable time for all, allowing everyone to take in the joy of hearing great music in such an amazing city setting.

I often stop to listen to the buskers on any given day when I am out and about, as well as taking in the great buskers that are always playing at the eclectic gathering we call Saturday Market. But today was so much fun, as I came across so much great music.  I listened to a young man play music on a gorgeous guitar, which I’m sure is his pride and joy that he saved up to buy, complete with a leather guitar strap with roses embossed on it (Portland is known as the Rose City). Then I listened to a duo sing a song that lifted my spirits; words sung to me of hope that I really needed to hear – and they gave me a free cd of their music! I saw a woman in a long skirt pushing a xylophone to her next corner destination, but I lost her somewhere along the way. But I found a woman playing a beautiful handmade hammered dulcimer, that produced ethereal sounds in contrast to the cacophony of the city noises. What a lovely way to spend a bright and sunny summer’s day, listening to the sweet sounds of music in the city I love so much.

As TV composers and course leaders we come across many unwritten rules that are simple but sometimes forgotten when working as a TV composer.  Some of you will agree that these are very simple but it sometimes make sense to go back to the basics.

1) When you read the brief try to understand what’s written in between the lines. Remember that most likely it was not written by a musician, and so they do not have the same way of expressing music as you do.  Try and think of the brief that describes the emotional journey that sets the mood of the piece, rather than always just the style of the piece.  Always ask as many questions as you can, (preferably to the person making the creative decisions) before starting to compose.  It also pays to ask for specific examples of existing music – this can save a lot of time and make things clearer..

2) Many people only submit a single option when they are pitching.  We really think it’s worthwhile trying to submit  more than one option. (some of them may be from pitches that you have done before).  We normally send one version that is exactly what the brief asks for, one that is a bit more extreme and one that follows your gut feeling (ie how you think it should sound).

3) Although it is a short piece of music a piece of music this length (ie 10 – 30 secs) it will often need to have a ‘Narrative’ of some sort. By this we mean a short intro, a middle or body and then a build towards the end and a finale.  We find it helpful to think of it like a song – with different “sections” – although much shorter.

Obviously not all jobs will require this format – especially some TV commercials which want the soundtrack to sound like a slice of a song.

4) If the job needs a “mnemonic” (a memorable melody line at the end – think “Intel Inside”) make sure it is a clear memorable melody and better if it appears in more than one place in the music.  Nowadays a mnemonic can also consist of a signature “sound” rather than a melody – so it’s always a good idea to ask the client what they want.

5) Subtle sound design can give lots of life to your ident composition. There are lots of sound design libraries full of sounds, so it is very easy to do.  It’s worth noting that you will always score more cred points if you create your own sounds – that nobody else has.

Good luck on your next pitch submission and we’d love to hear about your experiences and any other unwritten rules that you may have…

Written by Tim Rabjohns & Fridel for Music For TV Masterclass

Fresh from his show in Grahamstown, Cape Town musician Jitsvinger presents Jitsenic at the District Six Museum on Friday 27 July, 2012.  

Jitsenic, Jitsvinger’s latest formula combines his rhyme styles and guitar-playing with the sample triggering, finger-drumming techniques of Arsenic (Gary Erfort).

The upcoming Jitsenic performance will introduce its newest member, Andre Hope, who will be completing the ‘sound-system’ by adding savvy bass grooves to the mix. Consisting of two sets, the show features Jitsvinger who will be switching moods from acoustic guitar and poetry to electric guitar.  Those who know Jitsvinger’s repertoire can look forward to hearing familiar classics such as ‘Smile’ and ‘Doenit’ from his debut album ‘Skeletsleutel’,  as well as new unreleased tracks he has been working on with Arsenic.

Jitsvinger mastered his art form through successful projects like Khoi Khollektiv, Rogue State of Mind and the critically-acclaimed Afrikaaps, which earned various awards and rave reviews, both locally and internationally.  All of these projects experimented with different modes of expression from storytelling to word-play. In this spirit, Jitsenic features a fusion where old meets new South African sounds, with the audience being taken on an artistic, lyrical, and music journey.

Tickets cost is R60 and available from Thursday 19 July, 2012, at the District Six Museum.

———————————————-

Related: UPDATE: JITSENIC – Combining Arsenic and Jitsvinger

Some good tips on how to start learning to play guitar

It is not hard for a newbie to learn to play the guitar, the guitar is among the simplest instruments you can  learn to play, know that 65% of the American people know how to play the guitar. If you are unaccustomed playing guitar then it can look a little bit overpowering, but take it from me when i tell that it is pretty well to do and if you are able to get past the learning curve it is truly a great deal of fun to play guitar.

What are the pits a starting artist have watch out for when they learn to play guitar? the 1st thing is that in the beginning it Is not much fun and since the fingers are not accustomed it they’ll start to hurt, and that’s enjoying when you’re learning to play the right cords, getting the right cords in the beginning can be hard and discouraging from time to time, but there’s no pleasure without pain and this is something that all new guitar players will have to go true in their travel to learn to play guitar.To assist you  in your pursuit to learn to play the guitar I’ve mad a list of the things you should keep in your mind.

Tip 1, Buy a good guitar

Learning to play guitar will go better when you’ve a good guitar, this is truly significant, you maybe able to buy one cheap from a charity shop, but you will need to make sure the neck is not warped or any other damage before you buy it.

if you’re serious in studying how to play guitar then you  need to make a investment in a good guitar, it does not have to be the best and the costliest guitar available, just make sure it not faulty in any way.

Maybe if you know someone who plays guitar if they could spare the time to check it over in the shop if possible before you buy

The right guitar will give you comfort and a healthy sound and encourage you to do the next tip
Tip 2, exercise, exercise, exercise.

As you know the expression  goes “practice makes perfect” and that is certainly  true when you’re learning to play guitar, try to practise as much as you will be able to, you’ll see how much quicker you’re improving and it will keep you propelled, keep in mind that you can merely learn to play guitar by practicing, leaving the guitar in the corner of the room does not make you a guitarist.

Tip 3, studying guitar playing by yourself.

This is also a serious tip i want to give, get the basic learning curve done by yourself, it’s fund that folks that begin to learn to play guitar have a lot less pressure when they’re on their own figuring out the first view cords, I’m not stating that you never should use a teacher or somebody to help you i just want to point out that it would be advisable if the student would knew some basics before taking group classes.

It all comes down to getting cracking and work your way true the basics, and then you’ll see that learning how to play guitar is really well to do and when you have reach that point you’ll discover that there’s nothing so smashing as playing your own music on your own guitar.

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Guitar passion

A piece of wood, six strings - that’s it. Okay, optionally electric pick-ups if you want an electric guitar. The guitar is a rather straightforward instrument. But for most owners, a guitar is more than just the sum of its parts. Guitars are hated, loved, some have names. What they all have common: They tell stories. About passion, making music, emotions.

written by Sandro Schroeder

My first guitar

A lasting memory

If I remember my own first guitar, it is more about hate than actually love. For my seventeenth birthday I bought myself this electric guitar for around 70 Euros. Not much for a decent guitar and still too much for what I got: A Chinese copy of the famous ‘Stratocaster’. Blue color, a lot of cheap wood – that sort your Ikea-furniture is made of, nothing you would build an instrument with. And I was happy with my awful first tones, like everybody who starts playing guitar. For a few weeks I was extremely happy, practicing a lot and enjoying the guitar. My first song was a cover of ‘Popcorn’ by Hot Butter. For hours I could play that melody: It is actually more nerve-racking than you expect it to be.

Sooner or later, I found out how bad this guitar actually was. The better I got, the more obvious it got. Beginners’ hands always hurt, but mine were not far from bleeding: Some frets on the guitar’s neck were not really fitted properly, so they cut superficially into my fingers every time. I began to hate that guitar, although it brought me the passion for playing guitar. As a reminder memory, I still keep it, although it gathers dust in a corner – nemesis!

Every guitar player has another story to tell, so here’s what my four interviewees told me about their beginnings and their special relation to their instruments.

From “Guitar Hero” to guitar player

Sascha’s Acoustic

19-year-old Sascha B., currently on a year abroad in New Zealand, started playing guitar three years ago – and with a quite uncommon beginning. He had piano lessons from age 7 on, but got bored with classical music at 17.

“In 2008 there was this new Guitar Hero game, the one with the plastic guitar and five coloured buttons on it. I really liked the idea of playing guitar, but the simple way,” he explains. Sascha did not think of learning the guitar, despite his musical background: “I didn’t even think of learning a new instrument with 17 years, that’s a bit late.” When asked about the Guitar Hero Game, Sascha’s parents were not too keen. “They never liked video games, so they simply asked: Why a video game and not a real guitar?” Sascha remembers.

So he got a ‘Stratocaster’ copy, with natural colour. “I named it Woody because of its unique texture on the body. I learned all the basics, everything I know now from this guitar. I took it to pieces, reassembled it. The finger cramps of the first month and the pain in the arms during the first weeks – it all binds me to this guitar.” In New Zealand, he bought an acoustic guitar: “A year is just too long.”

A true friend made of wood

Claudia’s Acoustic

Claudia V., 21 years old and studying French and History, started playing guitar aged 15: “I was infected with the guitar-virus by a friend. She brought her guitar to school and we played the whole afternoon together. Then I knew: I wanted to learn it too.” When asked about her favourite guitar, she answered: “My favourite one is my acoustic guitar from Ibanez. I got it for my sixteenth birthday from my parents.” This guitar even accompanied her to Brussels, where she studied for six months. “It means a lot to me, because  it helped me to forget the homesickness sometimes”, Claudia recalls.
As her favourite memory she mentions: “I had trouble with friends two years ago and someone invited me to play at a concert. We played for an hour without rehearsing, it was the best concert of all.”

A bit of therapy

Lorenz B., 19 years old, says: “I cannot name a particular reason why I started playing guitar. It just came to me.” He began when he was 15 years old. For him, playing guitar is a bit like therapy: “Mostly, I play when I’m in an extreme mood – whether it is a good or bad one. Or when someone asks me to play something.” The chemistry and mathematics student owns three guitars, but his favourite is not his first one: “I really like my second guitar, it was my first electric one. A lot of good memories are connected to this one, especially a rather big concert two years ago with over 2000 people.”

A voice for emotions

Anne Z., apprentice with a German automobile manufacturer and 20 years old, started playing guitar two years ago: “I moved to my dad at that time and as I love singing, I always wanted to learn an instrument additionally. My father had a guitar and we started to play together, at least we tried.” For her, playing guitar is a good way to express yourself, she says: “When I feel there is something inside me that needs to get out: Then there is no better way than to play and sing as loud as I can. When you need to scream something out and get rid of it, the nicest way is to sing.” And that is the reason she has a special relationship to her  acoustic guitar:

“My guitar means a lot to me. It is a voice for my emotions and a way to tell my inner thoughts to the world, sometimes even to myself.”
Anne had her best guitar-experience when she was seriously ill. In hospital, her guitar was a welcome change: “It was the only way to forget everything around me. After a while, other patients liked to listen to me. So people forgot about their own problems while listening to what music has got to tell them.
Giving other people something by making music is a wonderful thing”, she resumes.

classical guitar (Photo credit: bennylin0724)

This is a question I’m sure plenty of guitar students ask, in some form, when considering purchasing or upgrading their existing instrument. It was certainly a question I toyed with and asked of my then teacher a few years ago. Can a decent or even half-decent guitar really make you a better player?

Well, yes and no.

No, in that it’s not going to turn you into a superstar of the classical guitar overnight. Only serious dedicated practice over time can do that.

But conversely yes, in that it can make learning and playing the guitar a lot easier for you. A good guitar makes it easier for you to work on becoming a better player.

This ultimately comes down to better quality of materials for the soundboard, better quality of material for other elements of the guitar, the guitar’s design and build quality. Improved quality across these factors can lead to a greater ease of playing. It sounds daft but a better built guitar will last certainly feel easier to play (in most instances, but there are always exceptions to a rule), you won’t feel like you have to squeeze the life out of it to produce different tones, different volumes or different tones at different volumes

Trust me on this one. When I first moved from a factory, or part factory built guitar, to a hand-built guitar (Allan Bull) it was nothing short of a revelation. The tone quality was stunning – deeper, richer, brighter, more clarity. I no longer had to milk the fretboard and strings for all they were worth like a stubborn old nanny goat to try to get sweet dolce tones from it. It also felt immediately easier to play in terms of moving around the fretboard. It didn’t feel like I had to fight the instrument anymore to play the music as I felt it.

I know of other guitarists transitioning over for the first time to instrument of greater quality who have had similar, epiphanic experiences.
I’m not saying that everyone should rush out and buy a luthier-built guitar. There are a number of considerations here, not least of all budget (you’re looking at a starting price of around AUD$5 to $6k for a hand-built guitar in Australia). Significant variations also exist within that rather enormous bracket of “good guitar” of types and styles of guitar, sizing, materials, quality and so on. What feels like a dream to play to one person, with melodious gossamer tones, may be another’s idea of trying to get sound from a tree branch. Different types of guitars sound can sound quite different, and the same guitar can sound quite different when played by different players. You always need to road test a number of them to find one that really speaks to you. And you’ll just know when you’ve found it.

If you’re looking to take your playing up a notch, however, you’re preparing for a higher level exam (7th/8th grade and upwards) or you’re getting into performing, you might want to give some thought to treating yourself to a quality instrument.

Click above for streaming audio file

Sunday Noodling.
5.34 minutes. 5.2MB mp3 file. 128 kbps.

This is my second recording using Ableton Live 8 Lite which came free with the Fender Mustang amp.
It has a very different feel and a different production method from my first attempt.
There is still a bit of cut & paste going on but much less this time. This is basically two audio tracks mixed down into one with no MIDI tracks at all. I’ve just used the software to record a rhythm guitar track and doodled along to it on a second track.

There is a little cut and paste in so far as the rhythm track comprises a 1.20 minute loop repeated four times. I also recorded the lead guitar track three times and took the best bits from each take as far as practically possible. Sometimes you could hear the join and it just wasn’t going to work.

This is an idea and chord sequence that I first came up with years ago but only ever committed to a long-lost analogue audio-cassette. I hope you can forgive the length. It is meant to drift and meander so I didn’t edit it down in length. It does falter and stumble a little between about the 1.30 minute to the 2.30 minute mark but I think that adds power to the second half and I’m not clever enough to edit that bit out without breaking the whole.

More practice on the guitar and with the software is the only way my output is going to improve. I hope you enjoy this for what it is non-the-less.

markallanwolfe.com

Focus on your instrument.
If you’re a vocalist preparing to record, warm up and do your vocal exercises. Maybe a throat spray to lubricate your vocals will help (though be wary of the sprays that desensitize your throat). Wear a scarf around your neck for a couple of days prior to entering the studio to help keep your pipes warm. And just do the basic stuff (avoid smoking, no dairy) to keep your throat moist and phlegm free.

If you’re a guitar player, change your strings before going into the studio – especially if it’s an acoustic guitar. If you’re a bass player and you don’t change your strings once a month, you need to change those strings before you bring that bass into the studio. It’ll help the tone, the output, and you’ll stay in better tune.

If you’re a drummer, change the drum heads. If the heads have been on for too long, they’re going to sound dull and they’re not going to stay in tune. Also, take time to tune the drums correctly – you may even want to tune the drums differently for different songs.

For any performer, vocalist or instrumentalist, lighting control can also help set a mood. Recording a slow, sultry track? Dim all the lights, light up a candle, and get in the groove.

Move around the room
Physically move the instrument or amplifier to different parts of the room. It can make a big difference in the tone you get. If you’re recording an acoustic guitar, violin, piano, sax, or any acoustic instrument, and you have it up against a wall with a lot of glass and wood, you’ll get a more reflective sound than if you’re up against a baffle. If you’re recording an amp, don’t just turn the amp on, stick a mic in front of it, and hit “record.” The amp can sound totally different in different parts of the room, so play around with different spots until you get the right tone for the track.

Angle your amp
Raising an amp off the ground or angling it so the face of the amp is at 45 degrees can have dramatic effects, depending on the room and the amp. If you’re angling the amp, essentially you’re decoupling the amp from the floor. The floor may be wood, and it may have a resonant cavity below it that’s sucking away your low end, or adding more low end because it’s vibrating. By pulling the amp off the floor, you’re decoupling it. Even if you’re angling it, only part of the amp is touching the floor, so you’re basically removing the floor from the equation in terms of the tone you’re getting.Also, if you have an amp perpendicular to the floor, all the energy is going forward, and low to the ground. Let’s say you’ve got an 8′ ceiling. You’ve got many more options if the amp is kicked up at a 45º angle. Now you can put a mic up in the corner to get a little more of the room. If you’re going for a really tight sound, you might just want to leave it on the floor. Remember, in a studio they’re going to have a dead floor. They’ll have that under control so you wont have these pockets of resonance under the floor. Chances are, your home studio won’t be as predictable.

mixing board

Play with mic placement and angles
Mic placement and mic angles go a long way toward capturing different tones from the same source. For example, to help record a very sibilant vocal performer, try angling the mic up toward a 45º angle and you might find a lot of that popping and hissing goes away.

Mic placement

It’s been said before, but bears repeating—the best way to find the optimum placement of a microphone is to find the spot where the instrument sounds best. Do this by putting a finger in one ear and listening to the instrument with the other, moving around until you find the spot where it sounds best to you. Then put a mic in that spot.

I rarely use eq when tracking acoustics—so many tones can be achieved by placing the right microphone in the right spot that electronic equalization is usually unnecessary. For example, you might put a microphone 6 to 8 inches from the guitar, pointing at the neck about mid-way between the sound hole and the 12th fret.

When you listen to the signal, you may decide that the mic is picking up too much of the guitar’s low end—it sounds boomy. If this is the case, you could either point the mic farther up the neck and away from the sound hole (where a lot of the low end comes from), or you could pull the mic back another 6 or 8 inches (which will lessen the proximity effect of the mic). If the sound of the mic is too bright, you can move the mic closer to the sound hole or closer to the instrument. This isn’t an either/or choice; the character of the low end created by proximity effect is different from that attained by moving the mic closer to the sound hole.

Another approach is to use the off-axis frequency response of a mic to your advantage. Earlier I mentioned that cardioid microphones are more sensitive to sounds coming from in front than from the side; that’s true as an average, but many microphones exhibit a decreased sensitivity to certain frequencies as the source is moved off axis (that is, away from the front of the capsule). As an example, at 30 degrees off axis, a specific mic may be 2 dB less sensitive at 1 kHz, and 4 dB less sensitive at 10 kHz. For the user, this means that one way to change the sound captured by that mic would be to point it slightly away from the sound source.

Studio Mic

Using Mic patterns to your advantage

Most microphones sold these days have a cardioid pickup pattern, which means that the mic is most sensitive to sounds coming from in front of the capsule, and is less sensitive to sounds coming from the sides and the rear. Most cardioid mics have a pronounced proximity effect, which means that the low end response of the mic is increased as it is moved closer to the sound source. But don’t forget that both omnidirectional mics (which are sensitive to sounds coming from all directions) and figure 8 mics (bi-directional mics which are more sensitive from the front and back and less sensitive to sounds coming from the sides) can be enormously useful, as I’ll detail in a bit.

Studio ambiance

You know, we’ve all read about those singers who recorded their hit song while surrounded by their necessities—their lava lamps, their incense, their ginseng tea and their aromatherapy candles; they want the darkened room, along with (I suppose) their bunny slippers, their spiritual adviser and the studio to be at 71.5 degrees and 42% humidity. Although this is cool to a degree somethings need to be and others are just personal preference. like if your just recording the music portion then yes I totally dig the whole lava lamps and stuff. I have them as well as different things to help stimulate the whole atmosphere.

With the singer I want light—enough light so that the singer can see their words, and, if they’re singing with a band, enough light so that all concerned can see each other. I’ve never been able to see that building a womb for the singer results in a performance any better than their performance while standing in the middle of a well-lit recording studio.

During the course of my years of recording I have taken a slightly different approach to things by experimenting in many different ways and encourage you to do the same.  I have sang and recorded my guitar in closets, bedrooms, laundry rooms and bathrooms. And you know what? They sounded great! I pretty much make sure that the vocalist has someplace to set their water (tea, coffee, or whatever), a music stand, a chair to sit on while they listen to playbacks, and off we go. Don’t misunderstand, though—I will try to make myself comfortable, but I have never seen the need to be straight by the book always. Sometimes the best recordings come by accident as well.

I will post more on this subject as time goes by, in the meantime I would be thankful for you to share some of your experiences if you would? What works for you? Where have you found the best ideas that work? Why not share them with the world for maybe someone can benefit from your experiment make a hit record and owe it all to you. Also all of the tracks submitted on this blog were recorded in my home studio,

Mark Allan Wolfe–www.markallanwolfe.com —wolfiesmusicpublishing.com

Mark Allan Wolfe

Click above for streaming audio file

Cut & Paste Guitar.
3.30 minutes. 3.2 MB mp3 file. 128 kbps.

As promised, here is my first attempt at home recording using the Ableton Live 8 LE software that came with my Fender Mustang guitar amp.

I am very impressed with Ableton Live and am considering paying to upgrade to the full edition to allow unlimited tracks and effects in any given project.
Read the Wiki here

It took a whole day to watch the videos, set it up on my computer, configure the settings and learn to use it but it is surprisingly intuitive. There are tutorials and help within the program which you can follow step by step until you get the hang of it. It is certainly a lot more user-friendly than Steinberg’s Cubase software.

Live 8 has two main views, Session View and Arrangement View.
As a visual artist, the lightbulb moment for me was realising that Session View is like a palette on which you mix your colours, (MIDI and audio loops) with no heed to the passage of time and Arrangement View is where you record the loops from your palette and arrange them to unfold through time.

The track above is very much a first attempt and falls between several different stools as I tried to do everything at once. I now realise that I could make very satisfactory ambient or trance type music just using the MIDI instruments without even picking up the guitar.
You don’t even need a MIDI controller or keyboard either as you can use your computer keyboard to trigger the MIDI, draw drum maps and so on.

The upshot of all this was that I shot myself in the foot by producing a backing track that was almost impossible to jam along to on the guitar. Hence the title of the track, “Cut & Paste Guitar”, because that’s what I had to do to make it sound half-decent.

NEW YORK, NY, Jun 25, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) announced today that it has filed multiple infringement actions against nightclubs, bars and restaurants in several states across the nation.

In each of the cases filed today, the business or establishment has publicly performed the copyrighted musical works of ASCAP’s songwriter, composer and music publisher members without obtaining a license from ASCAP to do so. These establishments then refused to acquire a license and continued to perform ASCAP members’ music without permission, resulting in the filing of the infringement actions.

ASCAP manages the rights of its members by licensing and distributing royalties for the non-dramatic public performances of their copyrighted works. Those licensed by ASCAP include any establishment or business that wants to perform copyrighted music publicly.

“Music plays a crucial role in attracting customers to restaurants, bars and various other establishments. Our membership of songwriters and composers are, in essence, small business people, who must invest in the tools of the trade that allow them to create music the world loves. They deserve to be fairly compensated when others benefit from the fruits of their labor and talent,” said Vincent Candilora, ASCAP Executive Vice President of Licensing. “It is both ASCAP’s right and responsibility to collect licensing fees from these venues in order to protect the livelihoods of our members.”

Any business using copyrighted music has the opportunity to obtain permission to do so lawfully, through acceptance of a license covering the use of the more than 8.5 million copyrighted songs and compositions in the ASCAP repertory. Nearly 90% of the license fees ASCAP collects are paid as royalties directly to songwriters, composers and music publishers. The balance covers ASCAP’s operating costs, which are among the lowest of any performance rights organization in the world.

“ASCAP only takes legal action as a last resort — after several attempts to provide the necessary permission have failed,” added Candilora. “Like a liquor license, establishments require a license to play copyrighted music. This is a basic cost of business recognized in hundreds of thousands of venues across the country. By filing these cases today, we hope to raise awareness among music users and the public that it is a Federal offense to perform copyrighted music without permission.”

Frequently Asked Questions about licensing can be found on ASCAP’s website at http://www.ascap.com/licensing/licensingfaq.html .

The establishments that have performed publicly the copyrighted musical works of ASCAP’s songwriter, composer and music publisher members without receiving their permission to do so, resulting in lost income for these music creators, include:

Establishment, City, State Anthony’s Lounge & Ristorante, Murrieta, CA Romeo Cucina, Laguna Beach, CA Smuggler’s Bay Restaurant, Fort Lauderdale, FL Younger’s Irish Tavern, Romeo, MI Coyote’s, Hillsboro, OR Bud’s Sports Bar, Chattanooga, TN Ixonia Pub, Ixonia, WI

About ASCAP Established in 1914, ASCAP is the first and leading U.S. Performing Rights Organization (PRO) representing the world’s largest repertory totaling over 8.5 million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from more than 435,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members. ASCAP has representation arrangements with similar foreign organizations so that the ASCAP repertory is represented in nearly every country around the world where copyright law exists. ASCAP protects the rights of its members and foreign affiliates by licensing the public performances of their copyrighted works and distributing royalties based upon surveyed performances. ASCAP is the only American PRO owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. For more information, please visit http://www.ascap.com .

        
        Press Contacts
        Tim Hayes
        ASCAP
        (212) 621-8414
        thayes@ascap.com

        Bobbi Marcus
        Bobbi Marcus PR & Events, Inc.
        (310) 889-9200
        bobbi.marcus@bobbimarcuspr.com 

SOURCE: ASCAP

Happily, it has USB connectivity. My long term reader will know of my trials and tribulations with Cubase LE and the Zoom G2.1u guitar footpedal/processor!

I am really pleased with the Fender Mustang amp. “It’s all in one box man!”, to steal a phrase from Line 6 and it comes with free Ableton multi-track DAW software AND Amplitube Fender LE for PC which I already have on my iPhone.

Putting all this together with the Blue Yeti, USB microphone that I purchased quite recently and the KNS6400 closed back professional headphones I that bought with the amp I think I’m well placed to start home recording again.

A pocket digital recorder would be nice to add found sounds into the mix but, hey, lets work with what we have. You’d be surprised at the ambient sounds you can get out of an over-driven guitar amp with crockery rocking on the strings of a guitar layed flat on it’s back.

That’s a spin off. The amp provides some beautiful tones. It has re-inspired me.
I’ll post some audio once I’ve registered all the software and got to grips with it all.

A final thought: This is the first amp I’ve owned where you have to update the firmware!
As the man in the first shop said, “Guitars are guitars and computers are computers and ne’er the twain shall meet”.
I know exactly where he’s coming from. I laughed with him but I’m afraid he’s wrong!

Here are some grainy Hipstamatic pics of the kit…

As I try to move ahead in this wonderful world of music I have discovered some basic truths that if put into practice will help you immensely, if left behind or laid aside can hinder you in your progress.

Website

First you need to have some form of website or web presence in these days. If you are going to make any headway or gain some popularity you MUST have a website. They do not have from your wallet.e to be something costing millions of dollars but you need to have a .com It is a place for your fans to connect with you, a place to share links,videos band news, etc. Now I have listed a few examples to just show you of what I mean. You can have  have a FACEBOOK personal page BAND page or a MYSPACE page but always in the end you need to have your own little corner in the world that is your place, something like www.markallanwolfe.com

For something like your own URL (which is like your band name) it only cost a little bit of cash so it is not something that might break you. You can start here for possible URL. One thing I remember someone telling me early on was you need to spend a little money to make some money. so do not fear but also use extreme caution for their are folks out there who will take advantage and try to squeeze out as much as they can.

Why the need to get all of these places out there? Because part of this game called the MUSIC BUSINESS is the key word in that, BUSINESS! You thought well if I just make the music and tell people about it they will flock to me and demand, “DUDE! play on!” Just like in any other Business you will have to earn customers and build a name for yourself. The days of when you just had to play a song for someone and they would give you money to get a record deal, were blown away and wanted to make you a star are almost gone. There are times when some one comes along but even THEY need a place to start.

The music business has changed so much over the past few years that what was once a elite club to get into, is still somewhat elite, yet you have a better chance at getting to your set goals then before all because of the INTERNET. Which leads me to my next little step.

GOALS

You need to take sometime out to write out all that your looking for and what your trying to accomplish. For with out having a game plan your DOOMED to fail.As trivial as this sounds do not make haste at it. For what company ever succeeded without first having a goal to reach for. They can be anything you want but you need to devise a plan. That way when the time gets hard, and they will, you have something to go back to. When things seem to be going great and your head is int he clouds you can always comeback to your list to see if this is something that you wanted

I know many of you will probably read half way thru and turn away at some of these thoughts, but ask yourself this question, do you think Henry Ford just got together with those around him and said, “I am going to make a product that the WHOLE world will want to buy, that will make me billions, and change the WORLD!” I just want you bankers to give me all the money I need on this horseless carriage, (what cars were first called), NO!

He had to develop a plan and stick to it, by doing that as you can see they have been around for over 100 yrs if I am not mistaken.  You say, “Wolfie , dude that is cars this is different” How so? You want to change the world with your music, you need money form folks to help you realize this dream of yours. You need to surround yourself with those of like mind to achieve the goals you have set out for yourself. No matter if your looking to be the next best thing in music, acting, or any other business you NEED a plan that is solid. Nothing wrong with writing your dreams and goals out. It can be something as well to go back to when everyone around you thinks your crazy and a fool that you wont get it, it will never work. You can read your own words and find strength and comfort knowing YOU will make it if you faint NOT.

I will share a few more ideas perhaps tomorrow but definitely soon. I want you to be encouraged in this dream of yours. It is something that is birthed in your heart since who knows when. NO ONE loves your music MORE than YOU. Friends will not, family will not, your neighbors wont, only YOU. You need to believe in yourself a 120% all the time and you will make it. That is if you have got the talent, and determination. LOL Look at it like a marathon race of 26 miles. Many people will stop after 10-15 miles, faint after 20-25 but people who run say that after they hit the wall they STILL move on past it like they still have ANOTHER 26 miles to go. If you stop to look to your left or right your going to get tripped up and fail. DO NOT STOP KEEP MOVING! Wow I think I encouraged myself today.  )

More next time.