Guitar lesson - what are you saying?

After watching Guthrie Govan's professor shred lesson, which I wrote about here and this fantastic lesson by Paul Gilbert. It really has struck me that one of the failings in my playing is the ability to say something new and different sometimes. I think we can all fall into a rut of saying the same thing when we are speaking as well, so this isn't just about guitar playing, but in life too. It is also possible to draw on that analogy and look at the similarities between guitar playing and speaking/writing/singing. One thing you could try is to record yourself speaking with a dictaphone or computer etc and then analyse the way you speak and then do the same with your guitar playing. Do you say things the same way? Do you play the same licks, with the same emphasis in similar places, same words, same sentence structure?So what does this have to do with gutar playing you ask?Well, I am starting to think, and this may just be a personal thing, that because when I speak, I tend to say and phrase things similar with in my comfort zone, that this is coming across when I am playing guitar too, so I am trying to slow down, think more about what I am saying and the key...what I want to say and how I want to say it. Then I am applying this to the guitar, trying to say things in a different way, trying to phrase things different, different 'sentence' constructions, different emphasis on different words. And of course, longer words in longer sentences for those shreding moments!!Looking at guitar playing, we could perhaps draw these example analogies

• A shredding lick could be seen as being similar to saying a very long, complex sentence perfect, precise and fast.
• A rock lick could be seen as being similar to saying an exclamation or sentence in a chatty or colloquial way.
• A blues lick could be seen as being similar to saying a chatty, colloquial sentence with emotion.

And so on....If we consider the situation where someone gets some chewing gum in their hair, the following might be examples of the structures described above....

• "There seems to be some chewing gum stuck in my hair, could you please help get it out?" - might be the shred version
• "Aaarrggh arrrrghhhhhh....gum in my head....arrrgh get it f***ing out!!!!!!!" - might be the rock version
• "Damn..... got some gum stuck....stuck in my hair.....get it out will ya" - might be the blues version

Thinking of these sentences and then thinking of how they might sound if you played them on the guitar gives you an idea of where I am coming from. I would recommend trying it perhaps with each of the sentence above and see what they sound like. Then taking that to your playing and seeing if you can say the the same thing, but in a different way, or should I say take the same thing and see if you can play it in a different way.Be interested to hear you comments! Please add them to below!Enjoy!PeaceNeil

Gigging life saver - Neil's top tip I

Here is another top tip for those gigging musicians out there. This tip is something which has proved extremely useful on many occasions and has the potential to save a gig.With the advent of smartphones, iPads, iPods etc it is possible to store and read documents such as pdf or word documents on the phone.The top tip is to download the user manuals for all the pieces of equipment you are using and have the stored on your mobile device, so if something goes wrong you can easily open the manual up and find out what it going on. You can also keep documents of various settings etc and have them easily to hand. An easy solution is to download something like Dropbox and store them from your computer and sync with your phone. Of course you can store all manner of useful things that way!I know you can always download manuals via a smartphone, but my experience has shown that when you end up gigging in the middle of nowhere, you may not have a wifi or 3G signal and thus can't get online. Having them locally on a device could save your life :)Having the manual for my TC Nova System on my phone was extremely useful recently in finding out how to fix a problem I was having with level anomalies!PeaceNeil

Fantastic guitar lesson by Guthrie Govan

Guthrie Govan is fast getting a reputation on the internet (and deservedly so) and being the best guitarist out there, not just because of his ability to play in an style (well!) and shred (as is evidenced by this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUZK9dasP8s). But because he is also a fantastic teacher as well! There are so many clips out there on youtube thankfully, but I find this one a brilliant lesson to all us guitarists that I just had to share it!! I have certainly taken a lot from it!!Enjoy!!PeaceNeil

Daily Creation Challenge | Day 95 - Tribute to Jim

I had already done today's piece when I heard the news, so instead I decided to whack on my Marshall and play a few chords as a tribute to Jim Marshall who sadly passed away today.He may not have played a note, but his amps were responsible for all those notes, all those sounds, all those memories!Rip JimEnjoyPeaceNeil

Rip Jim Marshall

Totally shocked, devastated and gutted to hear that Jim Marshall has passed away :( Marshall amps have been such a big part of my life and the music I love for decades......my first amp was a Marshall, and so was my second, third and forth, to the point where I was interviewed for a job there, best interview ever (!!).....as I got to play guitar in the interview...My first amp was a Valvestate combo, quickly followed by JMP1 which I have been using for 20 years without fail. Gutted and lost for words. Marshall amps have been such a massive part of my life, from being on all the posters of all my heros growing up to being behind me at thousands of gigs.lost for words...RIP JimPeaceNeil

Top Ten Gigging Tips

I thought I would put together a little list of tips to help you all be prepared for when gigging!

1. Most important thing of all is!! The show must go on...in some form, but the show much be go on and you must be prepared or have some idea of a backup show.This could be an acoustic set, piano only and vocals for example, figure out what combinations you have in the band and if you can make something work! You'll be remembered for it!
2. Always have a backup and always have a backup plan. Obviously it is not possible to take a back up of every piece of gear, but for leads, guitars, mic stands etc always have extras! For bigger items, have a solution, for example I have a simple and cheap amp modelling pedal, which I can stick in in an emergency if my amp blows up. I leave it in the gig bag and it is always there, a simple little solution to get you out of a hole.
3. Be logical in problem solving. Always start at the beginning of the chain when sorting out a problem, for example, if a mic isn't working. Replace the mic first, then the cable, then work back to the mixer. Likewise for a guitar, check the volume pot, the lead, the pedals then the amp! Be systematic and it will save you time.
4. Timings will change so be prepared to be flexible! Especially when playing weddings, where things never go to time, what with extended speeches etc, just go with it, be adaptable to the change and be prepared for it and be ready to get on and play at a moments notice. Do quibble about it, just go with it.
5. Be professional at all times, you will always encounter 'idiots', accept them for what they are and move on. Keep smiling!
6. Turn down, not up. Yes, this might be a controvesial one, but many problems with levels, bad monitoring, people unable to hear themselves, can be solved by turning levels down, not up!
7. Gaffa tape, can be used for anything - never ever ever be without it. There isn't much it can't fix!!
8. Batteries - always take spares, take rechargeable and charger and charge them during the gig!
9. Allocate tasks to band members! Work as a team to get things set up
10. Keep playing! Yes this is a famous old one, just keep playing, things will be occurring all around you, but just keep going, especially if something
11. Be prepared for sound level meters/limiters! This is the big one currently, it is very possible to turn up at a venue only to find they have a sound limited fitted. If possible, contact the venue before hand to check, be prepared for the fact that they may not necessarily know the technical issues and you may get a response like "we had a band in last week and it didn't trip the sound", try and find out as much information as to what kind of band it was, because bands can be very different in their dynamics. If you are confronted with a limiter, it has the potential to ruin the whole evening. You will need to know if it is a peak meter or a averaging meter. Peak meters are the easiest to deal with, as you can try and reduce anything that peaks, perhaps with a compressor/limiter. If it is an averaging meter, then you will need to figure out how you can play quieter, can you direct the sound away from the meter. Be warned that some meters will go off even with a couple of hits on an unmic'd drum kit!

Post your tips in the box below!!PeaceNeil 

Solution to 4 Channel Method (4 CM) using TC Nova System

The TC Nova System is a simply awesome pedal. I love it to bits, you can read my review here, TC Nova System review.

One of the criticisms is that you can't do it 4cm, I mentioned this factor in the review "Whilst I totally understand the reason that you can’t to 4CM (4 Channel Method) with the Nova System (i.e. stump up and buy a G-System), it is a real sadness that the drive pedal (and also technically the compressor too) are lost if you decided to run it in the effects loop.”

It really is such a shame to have to lose the drive pedals (and compressor!) if you want to run the unit in the loop, where it technically should be if you are using a distorted amp, as that method also means that you are also loosing an amp channel if you run the Nova System straight into the front end of your clean amp.

This  is a real shame as the Nova Drive/Distortion are fantastic, and one of the best things about the Nova System, and usually most amps are two channel and you end up loosing what I am guessing is a fantastic amp sound too.

I have to say though that it makes some sense not to have the 4 CM method on the Nova System, because TC would want you to buy a full on G-system at three times the amount! If they allowed you to run the Nova System in 4 CM, I am guessing most people wouldn't buy a G-System!But then I had a thought.....yes I do have them sometimes.....you could actually buy another Nova System....maybe even second hand...to run in the loop....this would still cost considerably less than a G-System, or even if you wanted to go 'Rack' for the loop, the G-Major 2 is still more than a Nova System.

So what are some other plus points?

• You can link the two Nova Systems via midi, meaning you could create a very interesting midi setup

• Because the Nova System only allows you to insert one controller (that is either a G-Switch or Expression Pedal), by having two units, you get back the preset control in one and the modulation control in the other!

• It would look cool!

• You get two of each effect block (one in front of the amp and one in the loop), so you can double up on some of the effects....that is use, for example, an Octaver and pitch shifter or use chorus and flanger together for example!

I think i might start saving up!

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Neil