Guitar Licks and Tips

Jacob Moon’s acoustic Subdivisons by RUSH

Chris — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:01:16 +0000

The guitarist Jacob Moon has found the best way to play Subdivisions by RUSH that I’ve heard ever heard! He performs it with such simplicity and grace that it strikes a certain chord in your heart that moves you. His striped down version is a master piece!

In this video he uses a Larivee Acoustic, Godin Montreal acoustic/electric, Gracie Guitar Stand, Porchboard Bass (kick drum sound), RCA Dictaphone, Lexicon JamMan looper, Fender Vibrolux Amp, Danelectro Daddy-O Distortion Pedal, Electro-Harmonix Memory Man Delay, Shure Beta 58 Mic, Pendulum PreAmp, G7 Capo, ZOOM H4 handeld digital recorder, Lexicon LXP-1 Reverb (modified).

He also uses this neat device called a JamMan. It’s basically a live digital looping device. I just heard about the product and I’d love to hear back from some of you who have tried this thing out.

At one point in the video, the camera shows Jacob tapping this weird piece of wood. It’s called Porchboard Bass (kick drum sound) and it sounds great! I had the chance to try one out in the 12th Fret and man was it neat! An old buddy of mine Sue should check this thing out, I think that it would compliment her style perfectly.

So I hope that you enjoy this video.

Keep on Jammin’

Some great tunes from Rick Santers band

Chris — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:01:21 +0000

My wife and I were up late last Saturday night and we happened to come across this video titled Road to Morocco from the 80’s power rock trio Santers. It was on Much Music and just watching it brought back a flood of memories of the days playing in a band with Domenic N., Jon P and Eddie S. down in Domenic’s parents basement!

The band only played one show and we performed You Turn me on, Winter Freeze at a St. John’s College talent night in 1984 I think. Anyways, it was a good show and we had some fun as well. I think that Eddie was suspended from school for a couple of days before the show and we had to do some sweet talking to the principle at the time to get permission to let him back on the school property to be part of the show. If anyone out there remembers who else played that night I’d love to hear from ya!

The original members of Santers were Rick (guitar/vocals) and Mark (drummer) Santers with Rick Lazaroff (bassists). They started playing together in 1981 and played in and around southern Ontario, Quebec and up and down the eastern US sea board. Later on they were performing in the UK for a while to some rave reviews. After that I lost track of them and didn’t notice them again until this past year.

Some other fabulous tunes were Racing Time, Mistreating Heart and Can’t Shake You.

So here is a neat video of them performing at Massey Hall in 1983, so sit back and enjoy!

Road to Morocco

Keep on Jammin’

The new Brantford SJC School Band

Chris — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 05:01:46 +0000

I attended St. John’s College high school during the early to mid 80’s and I was in the school band but these kids take the cake! I wonder if this is a credited coarse band? Just kiddin’ … I think?

I came across this video that someone posted up on Youtube and I am very impressed. The sound and visual effects that these player’s have was certainly not around when I went there. I wonder if they realize how lucky they are to be growing up during these highly advanced technical times?

So hats off to the school band and I’d love to hear from anyone out there that was in it. Enjoy, I sure did.

Also check out their version of Time as well.

Keep on Jammin’

Just met the musical icon Nash The Slash

Chris — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:48:45 +0000

I just met the legendary Nash The Slash the other day at a patio in my neighbourhood! Holy crap, it left me speechless for a second! Imagine that, another musical icon living in my neck of the woods?! My hand s are still shaking a bit believe it or not.

It all started off as just a regular outing. My wife and favorite brother in law Terry were coming back from taking our dog midnight for a swim at Cherry Beach. After the walk we wanted to get a little something to eat on a patio, trying to take full advantage of the current warm spell that we we experiencing in our area. Going to Cherry Beach we drove along Queen St E. taking in all the pedestrian traffic just wanting to shake off some of the winter blues.

We drove past this legendary restaurant that has a great patio that was originally called Stratengers. Now it’s called Stratengers Bar & Restaurant. When it was a bar, we went there to check out the great line up of bands that were always playing there. This is the bar that I did some fabulous video work of a band called The Big Kahuna.

After Midnight’s swim and walk along the beach, we decided that this would be the best place to have a late snack. When we finally arrived there, we quickly located a prime location on the patio and sat down. After we ordered a menu and a drink I went up to the little boys room. While walking upstairs, I noticed this tiny cut away in the wall that had some glass covering it. When I stopped to investigate it I realized that it was a shrine to great Nash the Slash! It had some neat pictures, media/website info and a collection of his work.

I’ve read on line before that this was one of his favorite haunts but that was it. Before going back out to the patio I ran into someone who worked there and inquired about Nash. He told me that he came in quite frequently around this time of the day and that he’d love to chat with me if I wanted. He also said that he’d probably talk to me for hours if I had the time. Holy crap, he shouldn’t of told me about that!

With a skip in my stride, that of a little kid just before Christmas, off I went to tell my clan about what I had just found inside. I was now on the hunt for the illusive Nash the Slash on the exact same patio that I was in.

The sun was just starting to set below the top of the roof of the house across the street and we knew that very soon it would be getting cold so we asked for the bill and began to get ready to leave. BUT I HADN’T SEEN NASH YET, in a child like voice in my mind but my wife knew what was going on inside my old brain box!

As I began to untie my little dog Midnight from the patio railing, the owner came up and tapped me on the back and shook my hand. He said, so you’re the one that wants to met Nash? Well here he is! I then turned around and THERE HE WAS! I stood there speechless for the first time in a long while.

He said Hi, I’m Nash. I immediately took off my sun glasses and started babbling something to him. I was in shock.

During a gig at The Edge in the late ’70’s to raise awareness of the threat from the Three Mile Island disaster, he walked on stage wearing bandages dipped in phosphorous paint and exclaimed: “look, this is what happens to you”. The bandages became his trademark.

Imagine that, right there in front of me was the guy that in my mind, made the band FM so fascinating to listen to. Playing an electric violin and mandolin? I had never thought about electrifying instruments like that before. Remember this was in the late 70’s mind you. I understand that he is such a force of musical nature in his own rite but it was with the band FM that exposed me to his musical genius.

As a impressionable young guitarist, I can’t remember how many times that I placed my parents stereo speakers out the front windows of their home for all the neighbourhood to hear. Blasting the entire album Black Noise through it and literally soaking up all their musical prowess. Often while listening to this album I tried to focus in on individual tracks to pick out what it was that each member from the band was playing. It was so foreign to me at the time. I ate it up whole and then attempted to spit it out through my guitar playing. Most of my buddies thought that I had either left the planet or that I was really on to something here.

So thanx for listening to me ramble on for many a paragraph. I know that I have not been all that active on this and on my other blogs but I guess that after many years of playing and blogging it can burn you out after a while. I hope to have re-energized my battery’s engine and resume more work

Keep on Jammin’ Nash The Slash (RIP Digger)

Why I’m not writing that many posts lately

Chris — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:01:22 +0000

Hello there everyone! I’ve been a busy boy as of late attempting to help kick start our fragile economy back into shape. No it’s no that we won the lottery but it’s due to just plain bad luck, it had to happen sometime, AHHH!!!!

We’ve been hit by the everything must break down all at once syndrome. Our washer, God bless it’s soul, was made in 1974 and it had it’s last spin a couple of months ago. It was a Kenmore washer and it worked great! It obviously not Energy Star rated by any stretch of the imagination but it worked. It came with the house and it did look well … rather dated? Like all older appliances it had some weird quirks. You gotta talk nicely to it or it produces a wild grinding like sound.
I had to lift the washer up on one side and drop it to get it going from time to time.

For around 4-5 months I had to head on over to our local laundromat and did the wash there and then came back home to use the dryer. It was great meeting people and talking about the neighbourhood and sharing stories. My wife thought that I was bent, as usual but it was fun! I just love meeting new people … maybe that’s why I love my job so much! Not many people can say that.

So now we have a new washer and dryer! It cost a few bucks but in the long run we will save money. We purchased a Inglis front loader washer & dryer. The reviews in most of the forums we read were great. The only problem was with mold in the washer. You have to dry the washer down after using them and some people thought that they were too loud. My wife got a steam cleaner with this in mind but we haven’t had to use it yet. We found the exact opposite when we fired ours up. I have to say that going through forums to find out the pros and cons about products before you get them is A MUST to do. I realize their are so many forums out there to check out but take your time it’s really worth it.

We received them on Saturday and had lots of things to do to prepare before using them. We got the risers for both and had to level them before placing both appliances on top them. This is VERY DIFFICULT to do in the basement where the floors are not level. We plan on finishing it later on when we have the house payed off in a few short years. Why go in more debt when you don’t have to right?!

After taking for what seemed like an eternity, we had both risers leveled off and had to make sure that we placed them exactly in the correct area of the floor after we attached both washer and dryer on top of them. I had to call my cousin to help us out on that one and here’s to you Jeff, thanx again!

I also had to install a dryer receptacle which was a piece of cake but going all over the place for some parts was a real pain in the ass.

In total it took use about 15 1/2 hours from start to finish. I didn’t count all the time spent on forums and going to stores to get a better look at what it was that we were going to spend a good chunk of change on. Damn I’m tired just thinking about what we did!

So that is only a small part of what was taking up all of my precious time on. Next thing to talk about is our old 52″ DLP TV, AHHH!!!

Keep on Jammin’

If I was only born with four hands

Chris — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:01:19 +0000

Imagine if your a guitar player with four hands? I know if your a guy, some women may either be afraid or intrigued by you? Think about the unlimited tunes that you could pull off (no pun intended)! Well I know that from time to time everyone comes across weird and wacky things that guitar player do but this one will help put a smile on your face and a little more hop in your walk, I guarantee it! These two guys take the cake … for now that is. Enjoy!

Keep on Jammin’

Do we really need guitar teachers?

Chris — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 19:25:55 +0000

Do people, those who want to learn how to play guitar for the first time, honestly need teachers to show them the way? Well most new guitarists feel that they can learn this very tricky art form on their own. On the internet there are some fantastic sites out there that can steer you in the right direction. Locating good guitar sites is the first big obstacle to overcome in this process. To those of you who just want to pick up the guitar for their own enjoyment, then this is the way to go and hats off to ya!

After a while of checking out sites and finding which one that works well for you at the beginner level, you should then start to think about getting a guitar teacher that is right for you. I think that you should search for great instructors in your area on line or better yet, ask some of the guitar players that you know where they took lessons from and get their true feelings about their teacher.

I was fortunate enough to be blessed with a natural ability to both play and picking up songs by ear at an early stage in my development as a guitarist. I was also blessed with having FABULOUS parents, who both supported my love of guitar, that gave me the financial backing in which to do so. They honestly watched my progression and my level of interest very closely. After proving to them that I could advance to the next level of playing they/we proceeded forward.

Everything came to a head for me when they found the best and most influential teacher that I ever had in Brantford. His name was Chris Peterson. He didn’t push me too hard, he saw the flaws in my techniques and was not afraid to tell me. He had this great quiet demeanor about him that I really respected.

The best starting point in finding a proper mentor for you is to get one that shares the same style of music that you both like. If you choose to sign up for lessons at a local music school, then go and talk to some of the guitar players who are just waiting around for their lesson to start and ask lots of questions about how they like the teacher and if the teacher shows a genuine interest in the students well being as a player! This will really pay off well for you later on down the road.

Plan a meet and greet with the perspective teacher, always money well spent. This will show them that you are interested in their ability to teach and this is also something that a good teacher likes to see in a student. Tell them what you want to get out of lessons and what little things they will show you that will help you out in your journey.

Having a good teacher correcting your path to becoming a good/great guitarist is very essential! If this person does not show you tons of technique then get ride of them! What I mean is not only finger but hand positioning of BOTH HANDS for example. If they just fly through lessons with you, always looking at the clock waiting for their break before starting the next lesson then F–K THEM! (hope my mom isn’t reading this post or out behind the shed I go!!!) Find a teacher who challenges you in nice ways. MOST IMPORTANT, never let teachers talk down to you! Your guitar ego is very sensitive during this phase of your development, so don’t wait too long to turf this clown if this is the case between you and your instructor! If you wait too long in an abusive relationship like this, you will give up because you feel like a failure and that is not what you’ve signed up for!

So I hope that I was helpful for some of you new guitar players that are serious about taking it to the next level of guitar playing.

If your interested in guitar lessons at the level that I am referring to in this post, then write me back and I’ll see what I can do. I tend to have 5 students at one time. If I have too many then I feel like some manufacturing plant for guitar players! I use this approach because I also love to watch the learning progression of people. The best thing about teaching to guitarist his the look in their eyes when they finally pull off a song that they never thought that they could play! It’s just good karma baby!!!

Keep on Jammin’

Chuck Berry is the Father Rock and Roll

Chris — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:52:01 +0000

Chuck Berry. Wow, what a man/guitarist/god! After saying his name out loud I find myself sitting back and thinking about all that he has done for Rock and Roll music throughout his life. Chuck Berry is Rock and Roll!

I’ve been a huge fan ever since I heard this song at an old friends house, Carl Tessier was his name I think? I eventually bought the album and tried in vain to figure out what it was that he was doing! The licks, chords and phrasings are things that only he can do! A couple of years ago I did a small post about Chuck Berry on my other blog. In it there was a video that shows him telling Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones how to play a certain part of a song that they and his band is playing for a documentary, Hail hail Rockin’ Roll. God it’s so funny!

So here’s to Chuck Berry! Enjoy.

Keep on Jammin’ Canada!

Getting The Most From Your Home Stereo

Chris — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:45:23 +0000

There have been many advances in home sound-systems over the years. From the days of all crowding around the radio to catch the odd note, to blasting out tunes that can cause earthquakes. Volume isn’t everything however, and recently people have been striving better for usability and sound quality. So what are the most important developments and gadgets in modern home sound provision?

Wireless Speakers.These are by no means a new invention but until now the quality of them has left a lot to be desired. Wireless speakers enable you to play music wherever in the house and garden, without being restrained by wires. They are perfect for parties where you can play music in every room without having lots of different tunes playing and the annoying disruption this causes.

Super Sub Woofers. For those of you who don’t know, a sub woofer is the part of a sound system that provides the base. It has previously been that case that the larger the sub-woofer, the larger the base that it can produce, which has always been an issue for car owners who have wanted their vehicles to sound like a live concert in happening inside. The newest subwoofers however take up about half as much room as their bigger brothers, but produce the same bass power, making them perfect for transporting around or fitting in your room without being intrusive. If you are brave, you could even hook one up to your stereo and use it as a very effective alarm clock.

Surround Sound. No true music fan can go back to listening to mono sound once they have experienced surround sound.This is achieved by placing speakers all around a room, but additionally different elements of the sound are played through different speakers, making them all very clear. The sound then combines in the middle of the room to give an unmatched audio sensation.Although surround sound has been available to the mass-markets for almost two decades, so many people are yet to embrace the technology and get the most out of their sound.

Fender Basses – A Rich Legacy

Chris — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:45:17 +0000

In the 1950s, Fender put out the very first mass-produced electric bass guitar that anyone could get to start their music career. The Fender bass guitar was an instant success among professional traveling musicians. The first musicians to tour with the bass guitar were Roy Johnson and William “Monk” Montgomery. These two men collaborated with the broad-minded Lionel Hampton. Together, they debuted the Fender bass guitar triumphantly, making it very popular among their peers. Gibson, soon after the Fender Precision Bass was offered, created a bass that looked different, more like a violin, than Fender’s. From this time forward, electric musical instruments transformed into an crucial component of popular music, and would stay there for the foreseeable future.

The Fender bass still seems and feels the same, other than a couple modifications. The original electric bass guitar models created by Leo Fender in the 1950’s were such fine instruments that they have become classics. Today, those original models, as well as those from the next couple of decades, are in great demand by musicians. Fender experimented with some models that were changed from that basic model, and reviews were unfavorable. This experimenting proved that Fender hit the nail on the head with the original pattern.

While the huge conflict about which makes a better bass guitar, you can now locate bass guitars in many shapes and materials. This choice is solely up to the judgment of the musician playing the bass. Ebony and alder are exotic woods, but other materials along with graphite are quickly becoming the more popular materials to employ for bass bodies. The sound of each different type of guitar varies, and as such you should try out each one in order to know your preference. Additionally, a lot of professionals choose whether or not the neck should have frets. This provides a distinctive effect on the guitar’s sound, as a bass missing frets will have the strings vibrate on the wooden neck itself.

Whether you favor wood, graphite, frets, or no frets, bass guitar playing is a fun and crucial element in music that completes the full sound.

Guitar Licks and Tips

Jacob Moon’s acoustic Subdivisons by RUSH

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Some great tunes from Rick Santers band

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The new Brantford SJC School Band

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Just met the musical icon Nash The Slash

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Why I’m not writing that many posts lately

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If I was only born with four hands

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Do we really need guitar teachers?

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Chuck Berry is the Father Rock and Roll

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Getting The Most From Your Home Stereo

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Fender Basses – A Rich Legacy

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