I’ve heard and read many artists state that some of the best performances that they have given were ones that can’t even remember.  By this, I mean they give into the music/performance and go into a sort of trance, I guess you can say.  I’ve seen this in many guitarists that I admire from Eddie Van Halen to Bruce Cockburn and the result is usually a performance that strikes awe in my heart.  I say to myself, “how can I play like that?”

Let the music take control:

I’ll be honest, this is something that I still struggle with.  Two reasons:
1.  I want to remember my performance so I actively think about it while playing.  This hinders me because then my mind isn’t doing what it’s supposed to do; play the guitar.  The outcome is that I will either have a brain freeze and forget a passage or my playing because sloppy.  Either way, it’s a performance that I would rather forget rather than remember.
2.  I want it to be perfect so I over think and critique myself as I play.  Same result as above.

Play For Yourself:

Why is it that when we practice, we are at our best?  If I had a dollar for every time I said, “why can’t I play this now?  I was nailing it in practice…”  The reason is that when practicing, I’m playing for myself and no one else.  It’s just the three of us: Me, my guitar and the music.  Throw a crowd in there and the nerves kick in and all of a sudden the piece is harder than expected.  Why can’t we play for ourselves when we are in front of people?  For me, it’s that I don’t want to come across rude or narcissistic and I fear that the audience is judging me harshly.  But these notions are all conjecture and speculation that I have put out there with no real proof that it is true. I’m hindering my ability to play to my full potential.

Let the Music/Life Guide You:

A dear friend of mine Robin Easton (blog here), recently wrote a post suggesting that we should trust our hearts and trust life to teach us in life.   This can be applied to our playing as well.  Trust our experience, our training and our hearts when we play. Play for yourself and let your heart and music guide you into a great performance.  Note, that doesn’t mean that every note will be perfect,it might even be a bit sloppy but some of the best performances that I have ever witnessed weren’t technically great but the passion; the emotion was there.  The musician let go and let the music guide him/her into something that I felt privileged to watch.  This I suggest to you sounds scary to even me because this requires an act of faith and to embrace the unknown and dare I say relinquishing control.  But the idea of control is a myth because we can’t control things like if the PA goes out or if a crying baby is in the audience, etc… Giving in and letting go of the control is probably the biggest act of control that you will do.

Like that old cliche’ I’ve heard over the years: “Play like no one is listening.”

*Note: Thank you Robin for inspiring this post!

If you have followed Guitar Musings in the past, you have probably stopped reading the blog because there hasn’t been a post in months.  This has been for a number of reasons; some personal and others professional. Anyway, I’m trying to get myself back on track;  with my playing and my writing.  

Surround Yourself:

I have found that, even though I play for many hours, I don’t practice.  I’m just noodling on the guitar but not learning or polishing my craft.  Some of that has to do with me being a bit lazy/uninspired and not knowing what to do.  That is why I signed up for lessons with a local teacher and am completely excited for my first lesson.  I have heard great entrepreneurs say that if you want to keep the energy of your new venture going, surround yourself with other entrepreneurs.   Doing this will keep the energy up and you will be more likely to succeed.  I’m doing the same by surrounding myself with other guitar players.  Just the thought of playing on a regular basis has gotten my creative juices flowing.  I can’t wait.

Are you surrounding yourself with other players to keep you going?  Reading this blog or going to a guitar related forum isn’t the same.  We need to have the contact of other musicians.  Whether it’s a lesson, jamming with friends or just going to a concert, try feeding your guitar soul a bit and the music will begin to flow.

So everyone keeps asking me how the Guitar Contest went. In a nutshell, it was mixed. I did everything exactly the way I wanted to. I made some contacts, met some stars, I turned in a performance that the crowd got into, and I distributed over 600 copies of my CD to guitar fans. The one bad part was that while the judges all agreed that I had the chops (“I’d have to practice for 100 years to get those kind of chops” – Earl Slick) , they weren’t quite ready for the intensity. Their critiques sounded like something my parents would have said (which I’m actually OK with, rock and roll ain’t for the parents).

So needless to say I didn’t win the contest. But I accomplished what I set out to do and made a splash. To quote the editor of Guitar Player Magazine – “Yours will be the most watched video from the contest once we post them on Youtube.”

Here’s a video my wife shot of my performance.

For the record -

Judges:

Earl Slick (David Bowie guitarist)

Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson guitarist)

Elliot Easton (The Cars guitarist)

Steve Lukather (Toto guitarist)

Greg Hampton (producer, Alice Cooper, Lita Ford)

Host:

Brendon Small (Creator of Adult Swim’s Metalocalypse and Home Movies)

Prizes:

A bunch of gear and a magazine profile, no contracts or studio time

LInks

Hercules Guitar Superstar Vid
Unedited version of the performance (contains offensive language)

For Immediate Release

Hercules Castro of Colorado Springs Named a Finalist in International Guitar Competition Guitar Player’s Guitar Superstar Competition Centerpiece of Guitar Player Live! Weekend Celebration September 11-13

• Brendon Small to Host Competition; Judges Include Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson’s guitarist), Elliot Easton, Greg Hampton, and Steve Lukather
• San Bruno, CA (August 11, 2009) — Now in its fifth year, Guitar Player’s Guitar Superstar competition will be the centerpiece of Guitar Player LIVE!, a 3-day celebration of guitars, music, and gear presented by the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center in Livermore, California, east of San Francisco, on Saturday, September 12, 2009.
• Ten finalists have been selected from among hundreds of entries to battle for the international title of “Guitar Superstar.” Across the globe, hundreds of “unknown” guitarists of all ages and styles answered the call to post their best performances at sonicbids.com. Ten finalists were chosen to perform onstage in front of a live audience and a panel of world-famous guitar stars that includes Elliot Easton (The Cars), Jennifer Batten (guitarist for Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck), Steve Lukather (Toto), and Greg Hampton, (producer of Alice Cooper, Ronnie Wood, Lita Ford). Host of this year’s big event is Brendon Small, (co-creator of Adult’s Swim’s Metalocalypse animated series).
• The celebrity judges will evaluate each original performance, and rate each contestant on technique, creativity, charisma, and overall vibe, and, at the end of the night, the 2009 Guitar Player’s Guitar Superstar will be crowned, along with two runner-ups.

• Guitar Player’s Guitar Superstar Competition 2009

• Jim Fuselli, rock critic of the Wall Street Journal wrote about last year’s competition: “…I admired the contestants. With their reputations on the line in front of Mr. Satriani, Mr. Vai and the other judges, they performed with conviction.”,
• Vicki Genfan, the reigning Guitar Superstar, will perform at the competition before handing over her crown, and will also play on Sunday, September 13 at 3 pm along with Laurence Juber and Jennifer Batten.
• “It’s a dream to launch a weekend-long celebration of guitar with Guitar Player LIVE! and our fifth Guitar Superstar event,” says Guitar Player Editor in Chief Michael Molenda. “If you’re a guitar zealot, it’s like some 6-string Woodstock—total badass madness, from Friday night’s opening Shrapnel Records concern starring Richie Kotzen, Michael Lee Firkins, and Chris Duarte, to bands rockin’ hard all along the Livermore plaza, to Guitar Superstar on Saturday, to Sunday’s Triple Threat Guitar show with GPGS 08 champ Vicki Genfan, Jennifer Batten, and Laurence Juber.”
• The ten finalists, representing a wide range of guitar styles ranging from rock to country are: Dave Benzinger, Brodie Cumming , Brian Davidson, Hercules Castro, Danny Jones, Steve Langemo, Steve Senes, Krisz Simonfalvi, Doug Towle, and Jeff Zampillo. The contestants will perform with the GPGS house band Thud Factor, music directed by Bass Player Editor Jonathan Herrera.
• All ten contestants receive an all-expenses paid trip to the San Francisco Bay Area. The winner, First Runner-Up and Second Runner-Up of the event will receive custom trophies and complete gear packages. The champion will receive a feature article in Guitar Player magazine and prizes from event sponsors—including Harman International–Digitech, Mesa Boogie, Taylor Guitars, D’Addario, Planet Waves, GBase, Line 6, Sennheiser, Washburn, Randall and Gallien Kruger.
• The competition takes place Saturday, September 12, 2009, 8:00 p.m. at the Bankhead Theater, Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center, 2400 First Street, Livermore, California. Admission $23.00. Tickets can be ordered online at www.bankheadtheater.org or call 925-373-6800.

• Guitar Player’s Guitar Superstar Competition 2009

  About the 3-day Festival:

• Guitar Player LIVE! includes concerts at the Bankhead Theater and free performances by well-known regional bands and exhibitor endorsees on four outdoor stages. Another highlight will be an exhibition of Bill Owens’ photographs commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Altamont Raceway Free Concert. To cap off the festival evenings, several local taverns and restaurants will also host local band performances, and the Vine Cinema will feature a special run of classic and cult guitar films.
• • Shrapnel Records Guitar Night Friday, September 11 at 8 p.m.
  • Guitar Player’s Guitar Superstar Competition Finals Saturday, September 12 at 8 p.m.
  • Triple Threat Guitar – Featuring Laurence Juber, Jennifer Batten, Vicki Genfan Sunday, September 13 at 3 p.m.

  For packages, call the box office at 925-373-6800.

  About Guitar Player magazine:

• The Music Player Network of publications for musicians performing and producing music includes Guitar Player, Bass Player, Keyboard, and EQ magazines and related websites, TV, enews and events. For more information please visit www.musicplayer.com. Music Player Network is a division of NewBay Media, LLC.

If you follow Guitar Musings on Twitter, you know that I recently purchased a Larrivee OM-03RE guitar. I have been in wanting for a Larivee for quite a while, since I tried one out at a local guitar shop. The wait was finally over and I wasn’t disappointed.

Specifications - From Larivee’s web site

Lower Bout: 15.375″
Upper Bout: 11.75″
Waist: 9.625″Depth: 4.25″
Depth: 4.25″
Scale Length: 25.5
Nut Width: 1 & 3/4
Fretboard Radius: 17″ to 21″ Compound
Setup for Light Gauge Strings
Frets: Nickel/Silver
Frets Width: 2.5mm (0.0985″)
Frets Heigth: 1.0mm (0.00394″)
Satin finsh neck and body
Tusq Nut and Saddle by Graphtec   

Look and Feel:

This is not a fancy looking guitar with elaborate inlays and exotic wood grains but it’s a simple and elegant design that perfectly suited my needs. What caught my eye immediately was the rosewood back and sides and the African ebony fingerboard. What can I say, I’m a sucker for dark wood and the satin finish really compliments the beauty of the wood.

A bit smaller than my other guitars, the OM-03RE felt natural either using a guitar strap or playing it sitting on my lap. This was important for me because I have problems with tendentious and the smaller form factor feels more comfortable/ergonomic. I’m a big fan of 1 and 7/8″ necks but the width of 1 and 3/4″ meets my minimum requirements for a fingerstyle guitar. The action was a bit high, making it harder to play when moving up the fretboard but that is easily remedied by a few adjustments to the bridge. That will be in a future post.

Sound:

If I had to chose one word to describe the tone of the 03RE, it would have to be warm. I immediately noticed the the mid and bass coming out clearer on this instrument, which is something that I wasn’t expecting because I’ve read other reviews/opinions that stated it favored the high end. Compared to my other guitars the bass response was much better. Maybe some larger body guitars have a more low end response but I was pleased with the Larrivee’s performance.

Final Thoughts:

What can I say, I am happy with my purchase of the Larrivee OM-03RE. It’s smaller form factor feels great in my hands without compromising tone and range. A nice upgrade to an all wood guitar without breaking the bank.

Links:
Larrivee Guitars
Tejon Streen Music – This is where I bought my guitars. They were awesome to deal with and always have the guitars setup properly.

United Breaks Guitars Lyrics

I flew United Airlines on the way to Nebraska
The plane departed Halifax connecting in Chicago’s O’Hare
While on the ground, the passengers said from the seat behind me
“My God! They’re throwing guitars out there.”

The band and exchanged a look, best described as terror
At the action on the tarmac and knowing who’s projectiles these would be
So before I left Chicago, I alerted three employees
Who showed complete indifference towards me

Chorus

United, United
You broke my Taylor guitar
United, United
Some big help you are
You broke it, you should fix it
You’re liable, just admit it
I should have flown with someone else or
GONE BY CAR…
Cause United Breaks Guitars!

When we landed in Nebraska, I confirmed what I suspected
My Taylor had been the victim of a vicious act of malice at O’Hare
So began a year long saga of pass the buck don’t ask me
And I’m sorry sir your claim can go nowhere

So to all the airlines people from New York To New Dehli
Including kind Miss Irlweg who says the final word from them is no
I’ve heard all your excuses and chased your wild gooses
And say this attitude of yours, I say, must go

Chorus

Bridge:
Well I won’t say I will never fly with you again cause maybe
To save the world, I probably would but that won’t likely happen
And if it did, I wouldn’t bring my luggage
Cause you’d just go and break it
Into a thousand pieces
Just like you broke my heart
When United Breaks Guitars!

Chorus
Yeah United breaks guitars – End

Links:

http://davecarrollmusic.com/story/united-breaks-guitars (back story by the artist)

LA Times story on how Carroll might get some satisfaction from United.

A couple of days back; I attended a service celebrating the life of a friends son. I never met this person, yet I felt a connection and found myself getting emotional from time to time.   Throughout the service I heard how much he loved the guitar and music and was surprised by how we enjoyed the similar musicians and songs.  One song that particularly grabbed me was Joe Satriani’s “Always with you, Always With Me” that the played early on. This is my absolutely favorite Satch song and whenever hear it, I will now think of Jeff; a fellow guitarist.

The connection is that six string wonder that can frustrate the hell out of you and comfort you in times of trouble.

First Impression:

Opening the kit, I found 20 DVDs, five audio CDs and an instruction booklet; a bit intimidating seeing so much information and potential.  I could see someone thinking to himself or herself that this is way too much to learn and being overwhelmed.
As I examined the contents, I began to see the system.

Sessions:

Each DVD contains two of what are called “Sessions.”  A session goes over an aspect of learning the guitar.  IE, scales, chords, styles, etc… and is about twenty to thirty minutes long.    Steve Krenz, the course creator and instructor, walks you through each session with examples and explanations.  At the end, a review and assignments from the book are given and then you are expected to practice.  If you need help practicing, that’s where the “Bonus Workshops” come in.

Bonus Workshops:  (Expanded Edition)

The bonus workshops are meant to as a companion to your session discs.  They are an in depth review of what you have learned.  Krenz will go over the exercises that were assigned and give tips and pointers on how to move forward.  An aspect I liked in the bonus workshop was the “And your ready to move on when” section.  This is where the instructor gives you a checklist of measurable goals that you need to accomplish before you can move onto the next session or disc.  Goals like, memorize the string names and/or know a certain scale in any position.  Anyway this is a good way to keep an impatient learner on track.

Jam Along CDs:

These are audio CDs that contain the audio of the assignments and accompaniment tracks.  I like the instrumental tracks because I would jam and solo over them.  I guess that’s where the name “Jam Along” comes from.  These CDs are a valuable tool in ensuring that the assignments are played properly.

What will you learn:

If you follow the course exactly how Krenz designed it you should have a solid foundation in guitar that will help you move forward into more intermediate/advanced playing.   Throughout the course, the sessions and assignments will address cores skills that I believe are important in learning the guitar:

• Knowledge of the many different types of guitar playing (fingerstyle, blues, jazz, flatpicking, Rock, etc…)
• Reading music (Theory, Scales, Chord Types)
• Musicianship  (Interpreting the music and making it your own)
• Improvisation (Jam Along CD’s)

This all depends on your patience and discipline to not skip around the course and follow the course to the T.

Would I Recommend Learn and Master the Guitar?

I have to admit that I was skeptical about these courses but after reviewing them, I would recommend them to my friends and to you.  But only if I feel that they were right for you.

Who is LMG right for:

1. If you are someone that really wants to learn guitar but can’t afford lessons or doesn’t have access to them.
2. Road warriors:  If you are on the road a lot and need to kill time in the hotel room.
3. Someone that works well alone
4. Self motivated (It will be you and only you to get you to practice)
5. Someone who is well disciplined:  You must follow the course to get the maximum benefit

Who LMG might not be right for:

1. Someone that is not self-motivated
2. If you like to ask questions.  It’s kind of hard to ask the DVD a question.  However, there is a forum on the LMG website that might fit that need.
3. Young children (ages 6- 10 or so).  There is a quite a bit of information and a child might get overwhelmed.  Although, a parent/adult learning along with a child might be a good application.
4. Already know how to play guitar and looking for advanced lessons.  The last couple of DVD’s might fit that need but probably not worth the cost for just a few DVD’s

The cost, $249 for the expanded and $219 for the original, might seem a bit high but compared to taking lessons; it’s the equivalent of one to four months tuition depending on what the instructor charges per lesson.  *At the time of this writing, there is a sale of $100 off any of the lessons.

Conclusion:

If you follow the sessions and practice the assignments as laid out, you will be rewarded with a solid foundation in your quest to learn the guitar.  Mastering it?  Probably not.  That comes with many years of practice and study.  Even then, I don’t think there is enough time in ones life to truly “master” the guitar.

Links:

Learn and Master Guitar’s Home Page

I hope you enjoy!

Notes:  The tab I used was the same that I wrote about in my Tommy Emmannel Tabs post.    Also, there is quite a bit of flexibility required for this song, especially between the index and middle finger on on your fretting hand.   I found that the stretching exercises in John Petrucci’s Rock Discipline were very helpful.  Are there any you would recommend?

In my last blog entry, I promised that I would offer up an instructional based on the pentatonic scale in my next entry. OK, I lied. Kind of. Turns out, as I began to write the entry, I kept coming up with idea after idea after idea. As it stands, I still plan on writing on this topic, but it’s going to take some time as it’s going to be a big one. In the meantime, I give you Amusing Inconsistencies and Subtle Nuances.

Amusing inconsistency number one: the use of the word tremolo. On a guitar, it’s the thing that changes pitch. On an amplifier, it’s the effect that changes volume. I blame Leo Fender. Mainly because his biographers blame him. Speaking of Leo, amusing inconsistency number two: a radio repairman who didn’t know how to play guitar creates one of the most successful guitar brands in the world. Huh. And to segue into the ‘subtle nuances’ discussion, inconsistency number three: frets.

If I were to say “put your index finger on the 12^th fret of you high E string”, chances are you’ll put your index finger between two pieces of wire over a couple of dots (or a block, shark tooth, etc.). But why would you do that? Technically, the fret is the piece of wire itself. Shouldn’t you put your finger on the wire? Well, hopefully we all understand that that’s not what I mean when I say those words. Any noob knows that you don’t press down on the actual fret wire. It sounds bad. But as a player advances, the distinction between subtle nuances like this becomes important.

For example, harmonics get to be pretty tricky if there isn’t this clear distinction. Let’s say I instruct you to put your index finger on the “2^nd fret” of the G string, then tap a harmonic 12 frets higher. Common thinking would have you tap at the area between the two pieces of wire on either side of the “14^th fret”. But to achieve the cleanest execution of the harmonic, you’ll want to tap directly over the fret wire on the high side of the “14^th fret”.

The reason? Although your fret hand finger is pressing between the two fret wires, the string length actually begins (or ends) exactly on the wire at the high side of the fretting finger. This means that the spot on the string exactly 12 frets higher is exactly over the fret wire at the high side of the “14^th fret”.

This can all sound a bit OCD, but it’s like the old cliché, “Tone is in the hands” (yeah, tell that to a guitar builder, amp designer, or effects processor engineer).  For me, this means that you can hand the exact same guitar, pick, strings, cable, effects, and amp to two different players, and it will be the subtle nuances in technique that will produce two unique sounds. Subtle changes in the placement of the pick over pickups can have a big impact on timbre, adding the fleshy part of the thumb during specific downstrokes to create partial pinch harmonics can add bite and attitude to notes/chords, facing the amp at different angles to manipulate feedback, etc. It all adds up to create your own unique sound.

In other words, subtlety can be huge. How’s that for an amusing inconsistency?

HJC

You can find out more about Hercules and his music at http://www.herculescastro.com

The Concert:

Dougie’s performance was a pleasure to witness.  He performed songs like “Singing Land,” “She Will Find Me” and “Caledonia, to name a few.  He also performed a new piece that he recently finished, new enough to have the lyrics taped to the side of his guitar.  Inspired by the loss of some friends the past year, this song (he didn’t give the name), was touching and made me fondly think of loved ones I have lost.  I hope he includes this on his next release,  so I can find out what the name is.  

As Dougie said, this wasn’t a concert where you sit, cross your arms and just listen.  He wanted us to be a part of the evening as well.  Dougie engaged the audience; sometimes making us laugh and many times, having us sing along with the chorus.  He wasn’t shy about letting us know when we were off beat or out of tune.  It was all in good fun though.  It was fun, we became part of the concert and this was the beauty of his performance.

After the show, Dougie stuck around, signed my CD I just bought and chatted with us for a quite a few minutes.  I have to admit, I was in awe being in the presence of one of my songwriting heroes so I didn’t say much but just took it in.  It was a please to listen to him sing an then chat for a few minutes and If you ever get a chance to see him in concert, buy a ticket and go.  You will not be sorry.

PS – Gear:

Dougie only played one guitar; his signature model made by Moon Guitars.  Simple and beautiful.  I didn’t see any effects. It was just him and the music; perfect!

Links:

Dougie’s Home Page

Moon Guitars

Dougie’s signature guitar

Get Dougie’s Music

What’s my point, you ask?

I would have normally talked myself out of going and then regretted it later. But that was the old me.  I’m now practicing my guitar new years resolutions by expanding my boundaries in my guitar life; not only with playing but listening to new music and seeing more concerts.   There is something about live music that gets my blood flowing and keeps my motivated to become better at my instrument every day.  If it does me good, I guess I should do it more. 

What are you trying to expand your guitar/musical life?

Bruce’s Set

• Slow Down Fast
• Pacing The Cage
• Interview with host Nick Forster
• (Joan Osborne Played Her Set)
• If a Tree Falls
• Beautiful Creatures
• Jerusalem Poker
• The City is Hungry

Bruce walks out on stage with a new hairstyle; grown long and pulled  back to a pony tail, samurai style.  He made a joke that he needed to put a bone in his hair to complete the look.  Bruce played two small sets with an interview placed in the middle.   Nick Forster (etown host) asked Bruce questions about his accomplishments, influences and intentions regarding songwriting.  A common theme in Bruce’s answers was that he didn’t want to look back but just live in the moment.  He said, at one point, his greatest achievement was being on “this stage at this time.”

His performance of Jerusalem Poker was incredible.  It never ceases to amaze me how he can keep that thumb going while he plays the ridiculously hard solo for that song.  His last selection was a new piece called “The City is Hungry.”  He mentioned that it was inspired by New York City where has spent quite a bit of time visiting his girlfriend. 

Even though this was a shorter performance that I’m used to, Bruce was in great form and I can’t wait to see him for the “Slice of Life Tour.” 

P.S.  I went to this concert only to see Bruce but I have to say that Joan Osborne blew my mind.  Her voice is so strong and her tone is spine tingling.  She put on a great show and I look forward seeing her live again.  Loved her performance so much I bought Relish and Little Wild One the next day.

Links:

• http://cockburnproject.net
• http://etown.org
• http://www.kingkoncert.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=2245

Remember when alternative music was actually an alternative to popular music? As “alternative music” grew in popularity, by merit of terminology, one would have expected the label to change to “popular music”. But it did not. Nirvana, for example, was one of the most popular acts in the world, but they were still labeled “alternative”. Go figure. Now when someone refers to “alternative music”, I have no idea what they are talking about.

Along these lines is the phrase “Thinking outside of the box”. There was a time when this meant to think differently, more originally, from a fresher perspective. These days, it has become more of a catchphrase. It seems that everyone is thinking outside of the box. So if we want some different, fresh and original thinking, maybe we should get back in the box.

I thought that would be an amusing introduction to this entry, although tying the two together will be a stretch, at best.

Today’s topic is two-tiered. First, I’d like to talk about stepping out of your comfort zone, which I guess could qualify as “out of the box” thinking. Second, I’d like to talk about use of the pentatonic scale for blues applications. This one will plant us firmly back in the box. Why a discussion on both? Mainly because I just had a unique experience that got me thinking about both. I’ll share.

My background is heavy metal, shred-style guitar playing. My main influences have names like Van Halen, Vai, Malmsteen, Gilbert, Kotzen, etc… So when a friend approached me to sit in with his country/classic rock band for a party, I said “Oh, Hell no”. Not because I take issue with those styles. I have a lot of respect for players in those genres. My concern was that I would sound silly trying to squeeze in harmonic minor 64^th note runs, sweeps, taps and divebombs over “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” (anyone remember the “Johnny B Goode” scene in “Back to the Future”?)

However, after some consideration, I started thinking that this might be a good opportunity to hone my skills by trying something I never would have bothered with, left to my own devices. Besides, I know the blues scale, and that’s pretty much all you use in country/classic rock, right? Well, I’m happy to say that that is not correct at all.

One of our songs was “Sultans of Swing” by Dire Straits. A quick listen reveals some pretty cool lead work, complete with some quick runs, which is right up my alley. But after diving into it, I found some very unusual tonal structuring, intricate phrasing, and to my horror, finger-style picking. Another song we did, “Smooth” by Carlos Santana, actually featured some extensive harmonic minor work. This surprised me. In both cases, yes there was some pentatonic, bluesy lead playing going on, but there were other things happening that made it very interesting.

Long story short, I learned the songs (more or less), played the gig, it was fun, and I walked away with a new appreciation for musical styles I hadn’t really thought about previously. But best of all, I’ve got some new licks and techniques under my belt.

The moral of the story: It’s a good thing to throw caution to the wind every now and then. Step out of your comfort zone, and you’ll be rewarded with a fresher perspective and some new tools. You don’t necessarily have to love the material, you don’t even have to use what you gain, but it might just be the thing to bust out of a rut or amp up your technique to make you just that much better.

P.S. For all of you more evolved (older) players out there: Yes, I know that Santana and Knopfler influenced all of the guys who influenced me. You can feel all good that you knew that before I figured it out. Good job. Now get off my case or I’ll take your fiber and pill dispensers away from you. : )

Next week: Pt 2 – How to apply the pentatonic scale for happy blues and mad blues.

You can find out more about Hercules and his music at www.herculescastro.com or  his MySpace profile

Below is a clip from The Unanswered Question – Six Talks at Harvard by Leonard Bernstein.  In this clip Bernstein discusses what might Beethoven might have been feeling or what story he might want to convey when writing the piece featured on the clip.  After watching this, I had a different/deeper appreciation for the music.  So I ask you, what feeling are you trying to convey when you write a song?  More to that, what feelings do you think a songwriter is sharing when you play his/her song?  Think about that next time you play, you might find a new, maybe better way to approach a song.