So it is June

Wow, so that happened - Classical Guitar. Apparently trying to balance work, classical guitar lessons, electric guitar lessons, band practice and general family/friend hang out time is nearly impossible. As you can tell, writing suffered quite a bit and this blog has been silent. I didn't really go anywhere, I've just been extremely busy and a little stressed out.

So Classical Guitar - I think that was something like 20 or 25 weeks of lessons and it was tough! Take all the years that I've been playing guitar and throw it out the window. My overall impression is this: skilled classical guitarists are very talented musicians; however, to be a master of that instrument, that means one thing - classical guitar has to be your only focus (none of this hybrid classical/electric guitar).

It was odd, I remember having trouble playing electric guitar after a few weeks of classical guitar. I had to set down the electric guitar to focus on just the classical material, doing so, caused my fingers/hand to remap the string locations (a classical guitar neck is much wider than a standard, electric guitar neck). After a few weeks went by, I had a lot of trouble playing electric guitar; my precision failed.

Lessons were stressful and my teacher expected a lot, but I'm glad I took the lessons. It's been just over a week since my lessons ended and I've already adopted a new daily, practice schedule that includes classical guitar. I really enjoyed working out of the book that I mentioned in an early post, Noad's book. There is a lot of good material that is found within the pages of that book, it's challenging and fun, but it definitely is focused on guitar duets for the most part. If you try to play the exercises by yourself, they will lack a lot of the charm (and musicality) that is brought out through two guitars.

It's good to be back to what I know, but I'm definitely not the same guitarist I was at the beginning of the year. Classical guitar has allowed me to re-focus on learning, it challenged the knowledge I have and has forced me to try harder at understanding music theory and even the basics of guitar. Classical guitar is worth studying.

Rock 'n Roll

I'm back! Ha, it's not that I've been slacking on guitar, it's just that I don't have much time to write daily - which is quite unfortunate.

Yesterday was interesting, I was hanging out with one of my good friends who is the lead guitarist in a well-known, local band. He's "deep in the scene" as I call it. He filled me in on some of the news regarding bands from the local scene that have gone national...well if you can call it national. It's pretty pathetic at how much drama goes into bands. In my professional life, I don't see that type of drama, but in a band situation - an alternative work environment - it is amazing to see how personal everything is; it's the nature of music.

Anyway, one of the (name-withheld) bands that I haven't heard from in a while, is in a crappy situation; kind of sad. Long story short, they are signed to an indie label that does nothing, they haven't released a record in over a year, they had to change their name because of a lawsuit and the name sucks. They are on tour with some well-known national acts, but I can't imagine they are having a great time.

There are a lot of bands out there that want to "make it," but there nearly just as many indie labels out there. Don't fool yourself. You can only depend on your own skills, not others, to make it in the industry. Networking is important, but your product (your music) is more important.

Words of advice I was given from a Grammy-winning big shot, "focus on bringing in crowds to your shows. If you can draw people, the record companies will find you." You may have heard this before, but it's the truth!

A lot of bands in your local scene, take a business approach to their music. This is not wrong, but, they end up focusing more on the business element, than they do on their music. This is a fatal mistake. I don't care if your band can draw 800 people to a show, if your music sucks, your band sucks.

I know for a fact, having been there with industry folks, when they listen to your demo they give you about 10-30 seconds per song to win them over. If your can't grab their attention immediately, you're done. So, you might love your middle-eight break-down or the sick solo you have about two and half minutes into the song, but don't count on anyone at a record company hearing it.

Just focus on your music and you'll be fine. Besides if you're not in it for the music, if you're in it to be a rock star, you've already failed. And remember, if you do land a record deal, don't let it get to your head! You might have overcome the local scene you came from, but now your in the big leagues. You might feel like a rock star, but you now have to compare your band's music and influence to say Led Zeppelin/Nirvana/The Beatles/etc. Get it? Keep your head, be nice to people, work hard and you might last more than two years.

Peaks and Valleys

Band drama. That says it all, doesn't it? I realized today that if you haven't been jaded by the music scene and everything that it comes along with it, then you don't understand music. People who haven't lived it, don't understand how ridiculous being in a band truly is; all most of us know is the music from bands we like, but many of us don't know the story behind the band.

I can make you this promise right now, if the current band I am in were to actually go anywhere, I'd have one hell of a story to tell ... well, it might be boring, but it is an extremely frustrating one! People who live for their dreams are sometimes blinded by the nightmare the dream has become. Those people who stick through it and don't give up, that is admirable, but borderline crazy. No sane person can willing want to live that type of life. I guess it is all for the live shows, nothing is better than that.

Anyway, classical and electric guitar practicing is starting to mix as well as vodka and a stomach already full of beer. It's hard to find the time to get everything done, especially when you throw work, band, friends and family into the mix. It is getting stressful, but I need to keep pushing through the hard times. The following video always cheers me up though, ha.

This is my all time favorite product video, courtesy of our friend Chappers!



Yes, I do own the Orange Tiny Terror and let me tell you, it is freaking rad!

Weekend

Taking the weekend off.

Wes Montgomery

Wes Montgomery was a highly influential, American jazz guitarist who had quite the ear for picking up licks and melodies. He used octaves often and strummed his guitar with his thumb, creating a very mellow, smooth guitar tone. I believe Wes was a man who really just loved playing guitar and, unfortunately, passed on during the early stages of his commercial career. His song, "Tear It Down," was the first jazz song I ever learned.

Wes Montgomery came up in conversation with my electric guitar teacher; it made me write this post. If you are unfamiliar with Wes, you should remedy that. His music really influenced a number of people, maybe you too?

Song of the day: "Tear It Down" - Wes Montgomery

Let's Rock

Adelitas Way, I just recently discovered this band and decided to check out some of their music online; it's cool. I dig any band that rocks a half-stack, Les Paul and GnR-influenced riffs; ha.

Anyway, even though their music is quite different, Adelitas Way really reminds me of the band Acceptance for some reason. I don't know why, but they do! Acceptance was a good band with a solid record, they just didn't get promoted too well, but I'm definitely partial toward Seattle bands. I'm going to write some more grunge-based rock; I also need to find my Candlebox album.

Keep your sick thoughts to yourself, but my wrist is hurting; ha. Seriously, too much guitar, can you really have too much guitar? It's this classical stuff, but I'm addicted, it's just fun to play.

Song of the day: "So What If You Go" - Adelitas Way

Come Waltz with Me

Today was a cool day. We had a team outing at work, in which we spent the time volunteering. We packaged up over 12,000 meals, enough food to feed 34 kids for an entire year; we went to Feed My Starving Children. Afterward, I had to run out to my classical guitar lesson, which was also cool.

I learned a few things about notation for guitar, which is not something I am able to really describe here, but the complexity of "intermediate" level pieces is enough to give me a headache; what have I got myself into here?

I worked on the first part of a Waltz by Ferdinando Carulli (1770 - 1841). He was a very skilled guitarist who became a sought-after teacher. His teaching methodology is still in practice!

Song of the day: "Lessons Learned" - Alice In Chains

Hey man, you shred?

Monday night band practice! Things went "okay." I think we weren't really feeling it tonight, well at least I wasn't. However, I came up with some harmonies on the fly for one of our songs and it, well, it was pretty damn awesome. I think our bass player wet himself, though I can't confirm it.

Man, I'm struggling with sight reading right now. I'm trying to play a beginner piece that is geared toward a student/teacher duet, but I'm trying to play both parts on my own. I can read the notes just fine, but there are two ledgers (is that the right word?). I can play each piece relatively smoothly on their own, but as soon as I try to combine them, I fall apart. This makes me wonder, is it my poor sight reading or is it my poor finger-picking/open hand technique? Probably both!

Song of the day: "Last Goodbye" - Jeff Buckley

Music is the Key to World Peace

Has anyone every really thought about that? Is there any culture that doesn't have its own musical voice? It's a shame really, to see so much hatred out there, when it seems that nearly everyone can find happiness in common things such as music; shouldn't this commonality bring us together?

Today has been a day for reflection and my thoughts have, partially, been focused on the Premier Guitar Magazine series that I posted about earlier. I really have been thinking a lot about scaling down my rig and getting rid of all the extra guitars, amps and gear that I rarely (if at all) use.

In my head I picture a simple rig - my Strat, an up to 30-watt class A 112 combo (maybe a Cornford?) and a few pedals, including the Rockbox Boiling Point. The main idea is simply one amp and one guitar.

Of course this starts me thinking about playing gigs, "what if I break a string or my amp goes out?" Hell, my Strat has active pickups in it, what if the battery dies? I think having a well-built, quality amp should reduce the risk of any issues, but you never know. Maybe I'll hang on to one of my extra amps and electric guitars? Maybe I won't get rid of anything, we'll see.

Anyway, I was working on country and blues licks today. As well as my first duet on a classical guitar, not what you think as I just started, it was only four measures. Yet, it was still challenging!

Keep up the rhythm work and start sight reading!

Song of the day: "Grace" - Jeff Buckley

Time to study!

I received my copy of "Solo Guitar Playing, Book 1" by Frederick Noad and I cracked into it today. It'll be a long journey, I can tell already. The book contains 2 years worth of material (so it says), so it should be a good challenge.

The most difficult part of learning classical guitar, for me, will be finding the patience to basically re-learn guitar from the beginning, but living with the knowledge that I am not a beginner to guitar (in general). However, I am definitely not the first person to make the jump from electric guitar to classical. With the popularity of electric and steel string acoustics, it seems like a great opportunity to develop a passion for guitar with one of those types, before picking up classical. If I were to have started on classical, chances are, I would have dropped guitar. Why? Because guitar is already complex enough, adding classical training into the mix may be too overwhelming for a beginner. If you are in this situation, stick with it! You won't regret it.

So far, with the little surface-scratching that I have done with classical guitar, one name keeps popping up - this person is important! Let me introduce you to Andres Segovia!

I do not know much about him, yet, but Segovia seems to be the person to thank for the popularity of guitar in the modern age - all guitar. Now, I could be mistaken, but it sure sounds like he was quite the player and very influential. I look forward to learning more about him over the course of my classical studies.

Alongside Segovia, I plan on looking more into another legend. That is J.S. Bach! Bach is not an unknown to me, or anyone I'm guessing, but I am just recently discovering how important he is to anyone who studies music and music theory. Apparently, this guy knew his shit, very well. I hear he encoded messages within his music, that's pretty damn awesome.

Learning is fun; never stop experiencing new things.

Song of the day: "Sweet Dreams" (Don Gibson) - Roy Buchanan

Meh, it's a Friday

Yeah, it's Friday and I went out for some beers and pizza with my buddy tonight ... no guitar! I know, it's a rough, but it happened.

Short and sweet, good night!

Song of the day: "Gimme Shelter" - The Rolling Stones

Time to Clean House!

Are you addicted to gear? I sure as hell am and I never really understood this until I came across the Premier Guitar Magazine's Gear Addiction Recovery series online.

So far the series is great and trying to bring you back to your roots; to add perspective to your unusual desire to buy more gear! I guess I have to be honest, I began to worry about why I couldn't be content after completing my Warmoth custom Strat. As I said before, it took me two years to plan, buy parts and have the Orange Beast built. You'd think after that type of dedication, I'd lose all desire to buy another guitar, but guess what? Yep, I didn't. So the question I began to ask myself is this, "what the hell am I looking for?" ANSWER: technique. The gear isn't the issue, it is the player.

A solid player, who has great chops, will sound good on any guitar. Why? Because a solid player will sound the same on any rig. For example, take Steve Vai - if he was over at your house, using your rig, he'd still sound like ... STEVE VAI! That means that gear is (nearly) irrelevant in what is actually the source of the sound and tone all of us are pursuing.

The Gear Addiction Recovery series is a great read, that may get you to think twice before dropping hundreds of dollars on the next piece of gear for your rig. The simple rule is to look at all the gear you have and dump all non-sentimental/rare gear that you haven't touched in the last six months. Well, I have a number of things that come to mind already: numerous pedals, a couple amps and a couple guitars.

Check out the series by Steve Ouimette and Premier Guitar Magazine:

• Are You a Gear Addict?


• Gear Addiction Recovery, Step 1: Your First Guitar


• Gear Addiction Recovery, Step 2: Your First Amp


• Gear Addiction Recovery, Step 3: What You Value

Song of the day: "Your Decision" - Alice In Chains

Mission Complete

I'm going to keep this post short, mainly because I'm tired and it is getting to be a late night. Anyway, mission accomplished! I have completed the two tasks that my classical guitar teacher asked me to do before next week: 1) order the book we'll be working from and 2) re-string my guitar!

I can throw new strings on an electric guitar very quickly, but a classical guitar ... now that's a whole new game. I mean, you literally have to twist the strings into a knot, a foreign approach. It only took about one-and-a-half hours, but I was able to do this with the help of the good old internet - big thanks to hago.org.uk!

I have my long-standing, normal guitar lessons tomorrow night, it should be a great time (yes, I now have guitar lessons two days a week. No, lessons aren't just for beginners! If you play an instrument, find a good teacher, make that teacher your mentor, be his/her's apprentice and never stop learning. It's a life-long journey).

Song of the day: "Guitar Concerto" - Antonio Vivaldi (yep, the song I heard happened to have a really generic title, sorry about that).

Finger Pickin' Good

Today I started Classical Guitar lessons! This is a big thing for me, as I have been wanting to do this for over a year now. In fact, I bought my first classical guitar around that same time (a year ago) and so far, it has seen a lot of the inside of its guitar case.

I am really looking forward to these lessons. My guitar teacher seems quite knowledgeable and plays often, he has chops! We spent the first lesson getting to know each other and determining my goals - which involve classical training, reading notation and more music theory. Afterward, we rocked out on some blues riffs. Unfortunately, I'm not accustom to the inlay-free, larger classical neck and I ended up just falling apart - I fear that I looked like a novice player (which is the case for classical guitar); stupid pride - or would it be ego? Who cares, anyway? It was still a good time!

I have two assignments to do before next week. The first is to acquire this book: "Solo Guitar Playing, Book 1" by Frederick Noad. The second is to re-string my classical guitar, which is a night and day difference from the way an electric guitar is strung!! It'll be a daunting task until I get used to it. I'm estimating 2-3 hours for this first venture, I just hope I don't screw it up.

Song of the day: "Cliffs of Rock City" - Brad Paisley

So you think you can rock?

Well, apparently I do as Mondays are band practice days! Unfortunately, our drummer had to take a personal day, which I completely understand. Instead, my fellow ax-wielder (aka "guitarist") and I grabbed coffee, talked video games, then wrote some wicked music.

It is an interesting feeling you get when you play alongside someone who clicks with you, musically. You are able to transcend to a new plane of thought, sharing in similar ideas and able to know what the other person is going to do before they do it. There are so many players out there, but you don't always get the same vibe from these people. When you do get that vibe, hang on to player - try to make things work, even when times become challenging. Ha, it sounds like I'm giving marriage advice ... I guess I should take my own advice, all is not always well in the house of rock from time to time; certain aspects of life can get in the way of a good thing.

Anyway, what is it about gear? Are all musicians doomed to constantly be drooling over cool gear? I priced out another guitar on Warmoth.com today, I think I might pull the trigger. My current Warmoth guitar took two years to plan, acquire the parts and build; if I do this again, I will do it in less time. I think it's time for a Tele.

Song of the day: "Check My Brain" - Alice in Chains

Hey you! Read. My. Rhythm.

The "Encyclopedia of Reading Rhythms" by Gary Hess is the workbook that makes up for part, more like half, of my daily rhythm practice. It's a great book for absolutely any instrument! To benefit from this book, you will need to be disciplined and practice (nearly) daily.

The book starts you out with some basic rhythms and breaks them down from quarter notes, to eighth notes, to sixteenth notes and so on. You will need a metronome! You begin each exercise at a slow tempo (such as 40-44) and gradually speed up to a much quicker tempo (such as 136-140); however, this does not apply to all exercises, it does change as you progress through the book.

The challenge is to master the basics at a medium tempo, before you move on. For those of us who are experienced musicians, it's a mental battle to trudge through the slow tempos, but you need to do your best, it will pay off when you get to much faster tempos.

I practice this for about 10 minutes a day, in addition to my other rhythmic work.

Song of the day: "Minor Swing" - Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli

The art of Zen ... guitar

I started reading "Zen Guitar" by Philip Toshio Sudo. The book is about finding The Way and the music inside yourself, through the study of guitar. So far it is an interesting read as the book does not focus on teaching technique, but rather, Philip teaches you how to learn and encompass Eastern Zen teachings into your life while using the guitar as the medium to understanding The Way. Will this book enlighten my life? I have no clue, but it can't hurt.

I've been working on a rhythm and it's rough. Guitarists, in my opinion, are good at faking rhythm. We can get along with fellow musicians just fine, but for us to nail a complex riff with complex rhythm at a speed of 120bps or more, well it's game over for a lot of us.

Rhythm is essential for distinguishing the different styles. You can use the same lick in blues, jazz, country or even metal, but it won't sound the same. This is due to the rhythm, or phrasing, of the lick. If you think about it that way, that's pretty amazing. Hell, even Slash uses country licks in his songs!

The point is, musical genres aren't real. They don't apply to guitarists, to well-rounded guitarists. Don't let pride get in the way of learning a country lick if you are a metal player (or vice versa). There is a lot of information out there to learn, don't be afraid to try something new, it'll only make you a better player.

Brush the dust of the old metronome (or buy one) and practice rhythm for a minimum of 15 minutes a day, that's what I'm doing.

Song of the day: "Back in Black" - AC/DC

Hi, welcome to my blogging project!

I'm Brandt and I'm a guitarist. I have played guitar for nearly 10 years and I've recently made the decision to push my skills to the limit, to pursue a path toward virtuosity. Why? Because I want to accomplish something in my life that is quite difficult, in hopes that pursuing this goal with all my energy, will allow me to find my purpose in this crazy world.

So, what is this all about? I guess this is a quarter-life crisis that is surpassing my "quarter-life." Or perhaps it's the fear of 3o looming over my head - which happens in 1.5 years (sigh) - combined with a feeling of "what the hell just happened to my life since high school?" I'm not really sure to be honest, but I am sure of one thing: I'm not who I want to be and I'm no longer in control.

I'm sitting here on New Year's Day, writing this blog post, taking my first step toward my theme of 2010, which is to re-structure my life and (hopefully) find myself through the process. The question is how should I do this and can I even do this? I'm not really sure on both counts, but I think this blog might be a good start.

They say it takes 10,000 hours to master something. I'm going to master guitar and use this blog to track my journey.

I'm armed only with...
- my will to learn
- my gear and custom Warmoth Strat called the Orange Beast
- my guitar heroes: Eric Johnson, Eric Clapton, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen, Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery, Brad Paisley and (of course) Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page.
- and my guitar teacher, Craig, for guidance

I figure, to be a well-rounded guitarist you need to be able to master all the basic styles: rock, jazz, blues, country and classical. To master these styles I'll need great chops, a foundation in music theory, a solid understanding of composition, great rhythym and the ability to read notation.

This is my journey, my quest to find myself through the study of music and guitar.