Tag: how to get good guitar tone

“Welcome to the Machine” – A Melodic Masterpiece in Disguise

Bands, Collaboration, Composition, Cover Song, Guitar, guitar lesson, music, Music Review, Music Theory, Performance, Recording, Recording Basics, Videos

Pink Floyd‘s tech-heavy composition, “Welcome to the Machine” was always way ahead of its time. It brooding and searching and minor-based sonic pallet always took some getting used to, at least for me. But, after covering the song, I discovered the incredible melodic motifs contained within.

This is a two-minute section of the song.

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Your First Recording Session: Are you Prepared?

Bands, Guitar, music, New Bands, Original Music, Recording, Recording Basics, Recording Preparation

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 Rise of Female Guitarists

Guitar, music, Music Education, Original Music

   Ladies, it’s good to have you. The guitar breathes a collective sigh of relief!
The accgggtompanying song is a dedication of sorts to the increasing amount of female guitar players new to the scene. It’s one of the great movements in the world of music performance, education, and recording. Maybe it’s because I’ve taught guitar in public school for 12 years that I am able to see this first hard. With this increased interest, involvement, and desire to play guitar from females the music scene has and will continue to change. It has to right? How can the status quo be maintained when the literal face of guitar playing is becoming more gender friendly?

I’ve always been interested in this movement as myself, and the rest of the guitar staff in the Loudoun County Public School System http://lcps.org touch many lives. The program is understandably vibrant and appealing to many students. We are able to take in many young people who don’t quite fit into the traditional music classes of marching/concert band and choir classes.  I fell very fortunate to be in an area of the United States where s a major guitar program for students from seventh to twelfth grade exists. That has had a direct impact on the Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, D.C. area where I work. There are countless examples of students (at least 40% of them female) contributing to the music culture of the this multi-racial and wealthy areas. To give you an idea of the impact this has consider that over the last twelve years I’ve taught and directed around 2,000 guitar/music students. When you realize that they are now out in the world in locations from here to anywhere, you begin to see the impact of that this could be having as the years progress. It’s a female equality victory of sorts without a cause, or, for that matter, a fight. It just happened.

Add to all this the “Taylor Swift” syndrome http://taylorswift.com/ (not negative at all) and you wake up to the reality Girl Guitarthat music will never be the same once the full impact begins to manifest itself. Miss Swift has influenced countless young girls to pick up the guitar and play (no pun intended Who fans). But, not just to play, but to sing also. She is a powerhouse in so many ways. Say what you will you naysayers, Taylor Swift will go down in music history as one of the most powerful women in the business, and rightly so.

But, I digress. Of course, the question inevitably comes up, that is, what do females do on guitar that differs from a the male approach? Do they play softer? With more feeling? With more emotion? Oh God, did I say that? Luckily, these tendencies are not limited to female players as these qualities can also be true with males. Not all males approach the instrument like a possession to be lorded over. Moreover, not all women play the guitar softly and tenderly. So the discussion of differences becomes, in a sense, muted.

Whatever the differences are, there is no doubt that the gender difference does produce two differing approaches to the “vision” of and approach to the instrument. If men and women see the world in apinkggtr way that differs from each other than that will translate to other areas of life and art.

Finally, let me state that if there is one area that is a definite hurdle for some women, it is hand size. That is a topic that I am currently researching. I will have some preliminary results for you very soon.

As for the issue at large, keep the girls coming. The guitar was sorely in need of a female overhaul and damn if we don’t have one right at our front door!


http://www.thecreativeguitar.com/new-original-song-new-spring-new-direction/Screenshot 2015-04-20 14.40.35