“Nylon Fantasy #2”

A Nylon String Guitar Original Work

Prelude

This “classical guitar” work in the new acoustic style is by far my favorite of the ones I’ve written 'Air Guitar' byso far. Both its sound and construction are exactly what I look for in instrumental guitar works. Like anything else that comes as a pleasant surprise, this was one of those sessions where everything came together. I must say however, that I never go into a session with a preconceived idea, well at least not one that is carved in stone. My brain doesn’t work that way even though I can be very conservative and by the book in other areas of performance and study.

 

Methodology

I go in to such sessions randomly trying not to get caught up in the guitarists mindset that can plague your endlessly. The thoughts and schemes such as what key? What scales or chords? Should I go intblockdiagramo an altered tuning or not? Should I play fast or slow? That does nothing more than push your spirit into a one-dimensional force bent on being traditional. Traditional for the sake of tradition. Not to pay homage to it, but to be bound by it.

The Work

I don’t remember consciously doing this but it has a logical rhythmic flow to it. The piece starts out by stating the melody in between a very dense foundation harnomics.gif
of dark arpeggiated chords. I overdubbed some, but not all of the harmonics onto the work as a decorative effect. I, like many non-guitarists, tend to find them aurally attractive and very desirable especially on acoustic guitar.

 

Technique

slurs

The slurred sections were not easy but flowed surprisingly well considering that I had no plan for incorporating them. I’m very happy with how they turned out. It’s my climbing Mount Everest moment as that are fairly athletic. It will take quite a few minutes to pull them back under my fingers in that exact configuration. However, I must take the time to score out the work so as to codify it. In that way, it becomes “official”, solid, unbending. Unless, of course, I go back and change the score.

Angular Thinking

As musicians, we all have areas that are endemic to our playing. I love the angular in music, but to produce it well is not easy. This was one time that it happened without the usual struggle and gnashing of teeth. The fleeting moments of non-compliance with the voices in our heads that would doubt us.The total control one has sought from the beginning of the Screen+Shot+2013-03-07+at+10.01.40+PMjourney. However, I’m sure I’ll go back to the struggle until I can take control of angular and the unexpected in my playing.

 

Thank God for the guitar.

 

-Mark Jeffery Campayno

Hozier “Like Real People Do” from the Barn on the Farm Sessions – Guitar Tab

I have transcribed the great Hozier song, “Like Real People Do” .

Here is a Guitar Pro score in PDF form for you to aid you in learning this wondeful guitar part:

“Like Real People Do” PDF Guitar Pro

I have used the version of  “Like Real People Do” that comes from Hozier’s live Barn on the Farm Sessions. Check out the video here:

Hozier “Like Real People Do” Barn on the Farm Sessions

The ending is a little tricky. I’ll have the completed section scored out for you soon. It’s not overly difficult but is a little tricky~!

Screenshot 2016-06-05 20.52.13

Here is Part 1 of my guitar tutorial of the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6N9DxYCxBY&t=155s

“Don’t Let Me Down” – The Chain Smokers (Feat. Daya)

This is a tab for the electric guitar parts for “Don’t Bring Me Down”, the pop hit by The Chainsmokers. Daya, a singer/songwriter from Pittsburgh, PA  is featured on vocals.

The guitar parts are fairly tame but when added to the mix of hip hop rhythms and a heavy bass foundation, they fit perfectly. Take your time with the fingering and articulation. There is a lot going on when the song kicks, especially during the drop breaks.

I left those parts out as the harmonies stay static on the G#minor harmony.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7AH_jj2jg2-WkI2OTcwNE5Zb1U

Your First Recording Session: Are you Prepared?

A Short Primer On Your Band’s First Recording Session

So you and your band have worked hard. You’ve saved enough money to book time at a recording studio. All the merch sales, donations, and gigs have paid off. Well, almost. You are now entering a whole new level of band life and there is much riding on your time in front of live mics in an environment that may be brand new to you.
The capturing of the music in real time will be the ultimate barometer of your sound and furthermore,  will define who you are as a unit.  I’m not taking
IMG_5668 away from the fun and learning that goes on during live recording sessions, however there is much to consider as you prepare for this experience.

In order to have the session go smoothly with few snags, here are some things to consider before your studio date arrives. Go into the session with an open mind. Be flexible and open to the advice of the sound engineer and to each other. The mere act of recording can expose parts of your music that could use tweaking.  Riffs that worked during your “garage sessions” sometimes do not translate well on recordings leaving you with quick decisions to make.

To minimize such issues, ask yourself this question: Does the band have all parts worked out with no trouble spots?  Does each member have a working knowledge of each other’s parts? In other words, do they know how all the pieces fit together?  Is everyone capable of playing or singing what they are required to play or sing? Sometimes technical issues are masked during band rehearsals due to volume, less that idea sound in your space, and underdeveloped “hearing”.IMG_8280

Prior to the session it may be wise to rehearse the song parts one, two, or three at a time. Have the drummer and bass play. Then add keys or rhythm guitar. After that, add vocals and harmonies. Be prepared to start your songs from different sections. If anyone in the band cannot play from any section instantly then the music is NOT memorized and precious time will be wasted and the costs will increase.

Finally, the issue of equipment comes up. Does everyone have decent equipment to record with. More often than not, you will use what the engineer suggests. Don’t be offended if your 6 Line (lol) amps sound doesn’t cut it in the studio. Are your guitar players using too much gain and distortion during rehearsal? Have you thought about cutting it down to about 3/4 of what they are used to (at least for the rhythm parts)? It’s shocking how much that will clean up your sound.

IMG_0396Remember to provide your engineer with a detailed list of your songs and the structure. If not, the clock will tick as you try in vain to describe how each song goes. That is a gigantic time waster. Provide also each member’s role on the songs. Who sings harmonies, who plays tambourine, when does that elusive cowbell part come in?

A few hours spent on firming up all these details can save you hundreds of dollars and can clean up your session in a big way!

-Mark

 

 

“THE SKY IS NO LIMIT” – ORIGINAL SONG/COLLABORATION – YouTube

via “THE SKY IS NO LIMIT” – ORIGINAL SONG/COLLABORATION – YouTube.

Brand New Original Song/Collaboration🎼.

This is an instrumental song about soaring to heights you’ve only dreamt of. But after listening, you must prepare yourself to live like there are no limits to your potential. Maybe then you will find that there really aren’t any if you are of a mind to overcome your circumstances. -Mark

The track was written and produced by, Martin Carlberg.

The electric guitar melodic content was performed and produced by Mark Jeffery Campayno. Mark played his Paul Gilbert Model Guitar (PGM150) for this session.

theskyisnolimitslide.pngPublished on Mar 20, 2016

“The Sky Is No Limit” – Original Song/Collaboration
Track Composer: Martin Carlberg

Guitar Solo by Mark Jeffery Campayno
Produced, Performed, and Written by Mark Jeffery Campayno
Mark’s Guitar Recorded at Musicians-inc
Herndon, Virginia USA
Videography by Mark Jeffery Campayno
Recorded and edited at Blue Room Productions
Herndon, Virginia USA
https://www.blueroomproductions.com
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https://www.thecreativeguitar.com
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http://www.musicians-inc.com
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WEBSITE LINKS:
Martin Carlberg
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PERFORMANCE NOTES:
PGM 150 Paul Gilbert Electric Guitar (Ibanez)
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Charlie and Selena Don’t Talk Anymore?

The Acoustic Guitar Score for Charlie Puth’s new single, “We Don’t Talk Anymore” featuring Selena Gomez

Youtube Official Audio Version from Charlie’s Vevo Channel:

“We Don’t Talk Anymore” Official Audio

“We Don’t Talk  Anymore” the new single by Charlie Puth, featuring Selena Gomez, contains a very exciting guitar part that will keep your concentration on high alert. Even though consists of only two separate but similar chord progressions, one little slip can cause a bit of a mess due to its fast tempo.

wedonttalkcolorProgression 1 (4 measures)

A Major – B Major – C#minor – G#minor.

Progression 2 (4 measures)

A Major – B Major – C#minor – C#minor.

*For clarity’s sake let’s call these sections A and B, which is clearly marked on the score.

wedonttalkbw

The entire song is played arpeggio style with a fast 1/16th-note texture and it never strays from these two sections.

The difficulty with playing “We Don’t Talk Anymore” will lie in the speed at which the parts are played. The tempo is a “brisk”

It will be easier to play this song using finger style technique on an acoustic guitar. Using a pick will require extreme accuracy for the entirety of the song (3:37). If you are up for it, God bless you!

Here is the structure of the song:

  • wedonttalkcolorThe intro is: A B
  • Charlie’s Verse is: A A
  • Charlie’s Pre-Chorus is: A B
  • The Chorus is: A A
  • Selena’s Verse: A A
  • Selena Pre-Chorus: A B
  • The instrumental: A A
  • The Outro (Charlie and Selena): A B
  • The Outro Double Chorus: A A A A

-Mark

Guitar Score:  “We Don’t Talk Anymore” PDF Guitar Pro File

Here is the Youtube link:  Youtube Tutorial for “We Don’t Talk Anymore”

Dan Kanter and JB

 

 

Screen Shot 2016-01-18 at 12.13.19 AM“What Do You Mean” Acoustic Guitar Tutorial

When I set out to do a guitar tutorial on the Justin Bieber (acoustic version) hit, “What Do You Mean?”Dan Kanter Acoustic Version I had no idea how important that innocuous, deceptive, but irresistible guitar accompaniment would become to me and many others. It truly woke up a whole nation of guitar players to the “coolness” of the acoustic guitar in a pop/hip hop setting. The song would be to so many a “slap back to reality” of sorts to the guitar community of the expressive and colorful possibilities of an acoustic guitar and a voice.

Before you accuse me of leaving out countless other guitar vocal duos, Tuck and Patti Tuck & Patti surely come to mind first, none of them were at their peak during a communication revolution. With information moving faster than we can keep up with,  Dan’s guitar playing on the acoustic “What Do You Mean?” has single-handedly sparked a very big interest in taking the guitar more seriously.

Maybe, just maybe, this has demonstrated that it can be cool to play three, four, maybe a rare five chords and make them groove. Not only that, but when played by a bassist, pianist, guitarist, composer, arranger, music director, producer, current holder of a New York University music degree, and a future York University YorkU Master’s Degree in Musicology YorkU Musicology Program graduate, you see that the word guitarist can now carry much more weight that it has in the past.  

One thing is sure, in a world of incessant musical delivery it’s refreshing to see someone come along and stir up some of us who had become rather comfortable. Keep it up Dan and thanks for the infusion of relevance into the world of the guitar.

Eve’s Apple – Vonn Love

The Funk is Alive and Well

New Music!

A vonnnn.jpgblistering funk/soul track by Maryland’s own Vonn Love, sets the tone for a ride that will have you moving for the next 5 plus minutes! Vonn Love’s clever approach to the subject of “woman” is at once engaging, tongue in cheek, and just plain fun. His ability to combine the best of soul, funk, and blues is tops in the genre.

Love’s sharpshooter guitarist Mark Jeffery Campayno adds some real fire to this biblical bash taking his PGM 150 Paul Gilbert Ibanez and ripping into the strings with a pentatonic, blues, funk, fusion, fury that fits both the mood and the groove of this bouncy and bravado-rich track.

Vonn Love’s mystery vocalist adds the right amount of soul and sass to this collaborative masterwork by mockingly wailing throughout the vonnmiddle section of the tune.
Love is always full of surprises and he doesn’t disappoint here. His very clever refrain, “Look at this mess y0u got us in” is the “Adam Complex” at it’s finest. Ya Adam, sure, blame it all on the woman.

If Love keeps this up, there’s going to be some real juice comin’ his way soon.

MJC

 

YouTube Link:

Eve’s Apple – Vonn Love (featuring Mark Jeffery Campayno)