We get to learn more about Nick, his career and the recording of his debut solo album.
What steps have you taken to forge a career in the music industry?
Well, I have just released my debut CD "Storming the Castle." Having a good CD is a big piece of the puzzle, especially as an independent artist. I have had good response from fans and also from many in the industry. So, all of that is very encouraging and bodes well for the present and future of my career as a recording artist.
In addition to promoting the CD I'm also focused on getting out and playing live...and that will be happening very soon with my new band.
I'm also heavily involved in writing instructional material for guitarists as well as teaching privately.
I think that one's mind set is a critical and often overlooked piece of the success puzzle as well. I have a great musical mentor named Tom Hess (http://www.tomhess.net//). His example and wisdom has helped me immensely in realizing and believing that my success does not depend on others. I don't need someone to give me a record contract to "make it" in the music business. What I need is a good work ethic, specialized knowledge and skill, a good network of musicians and people, and a belief and passion in what I'm doing. I have taken some positive steps already and will continue to move forward each and every day!
During your formative years, what sort of practice regime did you have?
I was self taught so I had to learn a lot of stuff by trial and error. But back when I was learning to play I was obsessed right from the start. I would literally practice and play all day. I bought books on technique and theory...bought all the guitar magazines and devoured them from cover to cover, etc. I learned to play in the late 80's...so there was no shortage of inspiration for great guitar playing.
The Vinnie Moore, John Petrucci, and Paul Gilbert instructional videos were big for me.I would practice exercises and licks from those as well as learning tunes by ear all day long. I also improvised a lot. Something in me needed to express all the stuff I was learning in my own way. I think that is a critical part of the learning process--application! It doesn't matter how many techniques you can play or how many scales you know. Unless you can apply it and express yourself all of that is utterly useless.
What advice do you have for beginner and intermediate players who are trying to achieve a highly advanced level of playing?
Remember that Rome wasn't built in a day and great guitar playing isn't either. It takes time...and you have to be willing to put in the time necessary and be patient with the whole process. What I have noticed with many beginner and intermediate players is that they become impatient with the process and as a result their progress is stunted. Mastery of anything requires consistent, intelligent work. As an example, I hear a lot of young players these days with some really good chops...but they can't bend strings in tune or apply vibrato to save their life. Why? Because they thought all of that stuff was unimportant and thought they could be great by just developing technique. Being a great musician doesn't work that way. Musicianship involves many things and technique is only one aspect of it.
So my advice is to take your time, work hard and smart, and don't skip over essential skills like vibrato, bending, improvisation and phrasing. You should also have a clear idea of the style of music you want to play and the type of player you want to be so that you don't waste a lot of time on things you don't need to reach your goals.
What is it like teaching other advanced-level guitar players?
For me I enjoy teaching the advanced players the most. Sometimes, with players of that calibre, I become more of a coach or mentor than an actual teacher. Some of them come to me wanting to work on specific things in their playing...but oftentimes they are not sure where to go next with their playing. I usually end up steering them towards developing their own voice on the instrument, if they haven't already. That leads us back to things like phrasing, note choice, greater self expression, etc. Most of these type of players already know the advanced scales, arpeggios and techniques, so we focus on actually making music with all of that stuff.
What gear do you use and (more importantly) why?
I'm currently endorsed by AMT Electronics http://amtelectronicsusa.com//They make some great pedals.
I use a combination of amps depending on what I'm doing. For small gigs I love the Tech 21 Trademark 60. Beautiful amp with perfect tone for me...fat and warm. I hate trebly amps. I have also used a Carvin Legacy 100 watt head recently...pretty cool amp with a very unique sound. On the record I recorded 90% of the guitars direct with a POD 2.0, and 10% with the Trademark 60.
Guitar-wise I'm a Carvin guy. I'm left handed and play lefty so it's hard finding pro guitars sometimes. Carvin does it right! One of my guitars is made with Hawaiian Koa wood and has an ebony fingerboard, neck through construction. Looks killer and the tone is incredible. I use DiMarzio pick-ups in all my guitars. My favorites are the Super Distortion(Bridge), Tone Zone(Bridge), PAF Pro(neck) and Air Norton(neck). I'm mainly a dual humbucker guy although the sound of a single coil strat is unbeatable for some things.
Tone wise I like a pretty clean sounding distortion...I like to hear the wood and the hands make the music and not cover it with a ton of distortion.
Effects--not much really. I use a boss SD-1 to boost the signal for solos but the gain is usually on zero, level all the way up....and of course the AMT Dt-2 Distortion Station is a part of my arsenal now. A touch of delay and/or reverb and sometimes a Crybaby wah is about it for me.
What are you trying to achieve compositionally?
For me, music, guitar playing, and composition is all about expression. I have to "feel" something or it doesn't interest me. So when I'm composing that is first and foremost--it has to move me in some way. Many of my heroes certainly influenced these tunes, indirectly...and I'm actually quite pleased with that. Why hide it? I never spent much time copying other people's licks or tunes but I certainly listened to a lot of great music that inspired me big time. I think you can hear traces of Vinnie Moore, George Lynch, Criss Oliva, a little Yngwie and John Sykes (especially the vibrato), and maybe some Queensryche/Maiden as well. But I think what you get is my voice coming through the loudest...just a nod here and there to my heroes.
I ended up having a lot of sweep picking sequences as part of the tunes...and that's a technique that I've really only mastered in the last year or so. Probably my favorite sound is smooth legato so you hear lots of that on the record as well.
Most of my songs start out as small ideas. Maybe a riff or chord progression. Sometimes a melody. It's usually one or the other and the initial seed usually comes pretty quickly. Then I go about crafting the song, much like a writer would go about writing a novel. A little here, a little there, etc. And all along I have to be happy with each "draft" of each section or it gets revised or dropped. So, I'm always trying to express some feeling, or some idea and a song is never "done" until I'm satisfied. A song like "Storming the Castle" or "Snake Charmer" happened in many different sections over quite a bit of time. If I got stuck I just moved on to something else. Other tunes come quickly and easily. "Daybreak", for example, just sort of rolled right off my fingers...but even that took a lot of work before I was completely happy with everything.
Talk about the process of recording your album. Are there any tips and trick that you could pass on? Who are the guests on it, where was is recorded, how long did it take to compose and record, etc?
I knew very little about recording when I started this album. I had to basically teach myself how to use Pro Tools from scratch. I did get help from some cool people like my buddy Paul Tauterouff and also Rob Perez. That helped immensely when it came to things like panning and mixing.
The best advice I have is to take your time and learn your equipment/recording software. Even if you have the greatest tunes in the world, and the most insane guitar playing , a bad sounding recording will kill it. So take the time and learn how to record and mix your own stuff. And you don't need a million dollar set up either. My entire CD was recorded using Pro Tools and an MBox 2 in my house. I'd say the whole process took a couple years from start to finish. Of course next time should be much quicker but the learning process was invaluable.
I had some talented friends play on my CD.
Paul Tauterouff (http://www.paultauterouff.com/) played bass and also did a guest guitar solo on "Deceiver." Dave Cardwell (http://www.cardwellmusic.com/) sang lead
vocals and co-wrote two songs and also tracked the drums on the whole CD.
I'd also like to mention Rob Perez (http://trinityrecords.net/Mastering.html) who mastered the CD. I consider mastering an essential part of finishing a CD and Rob did a killer job!
Thanks for the cool interview and to everyone reading this. The Shred Academy is a great site and I'm honored to be a part of it. If anyone has any questions about guitar playing, phrasing, recording, composing, etc please email me at: nick@nicklayton.com
If you'd like to know more about what I do including instructional products, articles and of course my CD please visit http://www.nicklayton.com/
Nick Layton
http://www.nicklayton.com/
www.myspace.com/nickolaslaytonproject
Monday, August 18, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Album Review - Zack Uidl "Insomnia"
Zack Uidl’s solo album, Insomnia, is a show stopper for anyone into progressive music and a high level of musicianship. Oh yes, there is also a truck load of shredding. The record is a mind bending aural assault that is simultaneously pleasing and terrifying.
The entire album is essentially one song, broken into 8 tracks, perhaps for easier navigation to the listener’s favourite part, or maybe it's a map of Zack's own experience suffering from insomnia. My favourite track is the near-on 15 minute epic “The Crossing”. Crazy time signatures, brutal rhythm guitar, razor sharp leads, chilling melodic break-downs and insane harmony sections, it’s all there, and it’s all great.
Zack is well known as an instructor and for his instructional material, however, he is fast becoming just as well known for his astonishing technical prowess as well and Insomnia is a great show case of his playing skills and melodic ideas.
I hear a strong Dream Theater influence in the heavier songs, though not so much the Petrucci style solos, but rather the rhythmic stabs, climaxes and crescendos.
I’m not going to break the album down track by track, because it’s meant to be listened to as a whole.
The track listing is as follows:
1 Insomnia
2 The Crossing
3 Reverie-The Aspiration
4 Disillusion Theory
5 Reverie- Seize The Accolade
6 Turmoil
7 Reverie-Reminiscence
8 Collapse Of The Depraved
The 3 tracks called Reverie serve as mellow and contemplative transitions between the heavier feel of “The Crossing”, “Disillusion Theory” and “Turmoil” (where Zack’s playing really comes alive) while the last track “Collapse Of The Depraved” revisits and completes the musical themes introduced in the opening track “Insomnia”.
This is an excellent one-man album, and a fantasic debut for Zack as a solo artist. I have listened to the album a lot and I'm sure I will continue to do so.
Zack has also recently received his new 8 string guitar through his Conklin guitar endorsement, which should yield some interesting results, so watch this space.
The entire album is essentially one song, broken into 8 tracks, perhaps for easier navigation to the listener’s favourite part, or maybe it's a map of Zack's own experience suffering from insomnia. My favourite track is the near-on 15 minute epic “The Crossing”. Crazy time signatures, brutal rhythm guitar, razor sharp leads, chilling melodic break-downs and insane harmony sections, it’s all there, and it’s all great.
Zack is well known as an instructor and for his instructional material, however, he is fast becoming just as well known for his astonishing technical prowess as well and Insomnia is a great show case of his playing skills and melodic ideas.
I hear a strong Dream Theater influence in the heavier songs, though not so much the Petrucci style solos, but rather the rhythmic stabs, climaxes and crescendos.
I’m not going to break the album down track by track, because it’s meant to be listened to as a whole.
The track listing is as follows:
1 Insomnia
2 The Crossing
3 Reverie-The Aspiration
4 Disillusion Theory
5 Reverie- Seize The Accolade
6 Turmoil
7 Reverie-Reminiscence
8 Collapse Of The Depraved
The 3 tracks called Reverie serve as mellow and contemplative transitions between the heavier feel of “The Crossing”, “Disillusion Theory” and “Turmoil” (where Zack’s playing really comes alive) while the last track “Collapse Of The Depraved” revisits and completes the musical themes introduced in the opening track “Insomnia”.
This is an excellent one-man album, and a fantasic debut for Zack as a solo artist. I have listened to the album a lot and I'm sure I will continue to do so.
Zack has also recently received his new 8 string guitar through his Conklin guitar endorsement, which should yield some interesting results, so watch this space.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Album Review - Nick Layton "Storming the Castle"
Nick Layton is a professional guitarist, composer and teacher living in Washington State. He has worked in a variety of professional music settings including teaching private and group lessons, as well as having been the Music Coordinator at both Chorus church in Southern California and Discovery church in Oregon.
Layton has also released a major instructional course called: Phrasing Concepts for Rock Lead Guitar Soloing-- a powerful new instructional course for guitarists who want to learn highly effective soloing concepts to help better express themselves.
In addition, Nick has co-authored the E-Book “The Next Step: Serious Improvement for the Developing Guitarist.” This book is for guitarists who want to learn to play better, faster, technically more efficient, and much more.
Nick has an endorsement with AMT Electronics and he is currently using the DT-2 Distortion Station.
Inspired by the great artists and virtuoso guitarists of the late 70's and 80's, including Yngwie Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore, George Lynch , Michael Schenker, John Sykes, Dio, Queensryche, Savatage, TNT, Dream Theater, etc; Nick became obsessed with the guitar in 1987 and never looked back.
Layton's musical education includes advanced studies with virtuoso Tom Hess in his Music Careers Mentoring program as well as private studies with recording artists/virtuosos James Byrd, Slav Simanic and Howard Hart.
Nick graduated from George Fox University in 1998.
Lets dive in:
The opening track “Storming the Castle” is a hard rock track with an interesting opening melody based on the Japanese pentatonic scale. Nick says that the title of the song was inspired by a scene from the movie “The Chronicles of Narnia”, where a storming charge is lead by the Lion character, Aslan. Nicks solo’s are blazing right off the bat.
The second track “Fire” is one of two vocal tracks on the album. Both the lyrics and the vocal lines were contributed by Dave Cardwell. The song has a chilled out intro incorporating wind and chime sound effects. The rest of the song is all about the driving rhythm guitars and some great phrasing in the solo.
Track three, “Valiant One”, sees the influence that Nick draws from Yngwie Malmsteen. Nick is by no means a Yngwie clone, though he does have a good grip on his neo-classical styling’s.
“Daybreak” is based around the G# minor 9 chord. It’s extremely melodic and shows a hint of Vinnie Moore with a massive slice of Nick Layton. The solo is full of incredible ideas, probably my favourite on the album.
On to the fifth track “Snake Charmer”. Well, with a name like that, you’re expecting something with a Middle Eastern flavour and Nick’s Phrygian Dominant ideas deliver.
The other vocal track “Deceiver” sees all lyrics and vocals delivered superbly by Dave Cardwell again, as well as a guest solo by Paul Tauterouff. Nick says that Chris Oliva of Savatage came through as an influence on this track.
Track seven “B and Me” is dedicated to Nick’s friend Barb who always encouraged Nick to pursue a career in music. The song is very uplifting (well, to my ears at least) and Nick’s unique musical voice comes through strongly in this track.
“Tears of Gethsemane” is probably one of the most emotionally charged instrumental songs I’ve heard in a long while. According to Nick, the song follows the biblical account of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion.
The sombre feel of the previous track is completely lifted by the ninth track “Alive Again”. Nick commented that he really likes the way the outro melody and improvised solo came out.
The final track “Palm 91” is different to all the other tracks in that there are no drum or bass lines, just a little synth. Nick explained that the biblical passage of the same name had helped him through some tough times in his personal life. A great ending to an album full of Nick Layton Signature licks.
Nick’s ability to express himself on his two Carvin DC’s is something that not many guitarists ever acquire. In short, he’s a great player and I’m sure you’ll like his music. 9/10.
Pre-Orders of the CD directly from Nick, made before July 21st will get FREE shipping. Pre-ordered CD's will ship no later than July 22nd, one full week before the official release date.In addition all pre-orders may request a free copy of the 16 track compilation album Chronicles: City of Sound.
As of 29 July, Storming the Castle, will be available at outlets such as CD Baby, I-Tunes, Guitar Nine, and several others in both hard copy and digital download versions.
Layton has also released a major instructional course called: Phrasing Concepts for Rock Lead Guitar Soloing-- a powerful new instructional course for guitarists who want to learn highly effective soloing concepts to help better express themselves.
In addition, Nick has co-authored the E-Book “The Next Step: Serious Improvement for the Developing Guitarist.” This book is for guitarists who want to learn to play better, faster, technically more efficient, and much more.
Nick has an endorsement with AMT Electronics and he is currently using the DT-2 Distortion Station.
Inspired by the great artists and virtuoso guitarists of the late 70's and 80's, including Yngwie Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore, George Lynch , Michael Schenker, John Sykes, Dio, Queensryche, Savatage, TNT, Dream Theater, etc; Nick became obsessed with the guitar in 1987 and never looked back.
Layton's musical education includes advanced studies with virtuoso Tom Hess in his Music Careers Mentoring program as well as private studies with recording artists/virtuosos James Byrd, Slav Simanic and Howard Hart.
Nick graduated from George Fox University in 1998.
Lets dive in:
The opening track “Storming the Castle” is a hard rock track with an interesting opening melody based on the Japanese pentatonic scale. Nick says that the title of the song was inspired by a scene from the movie “The Chronicles of Narnia”, where a storming charge is lead by the Lion character, Aslan. Nicks solo’s are blazing right off the bat.
The second track “Fire” is one of two vocal tracks on the album. Both the lyrics and the vocal lines were contributed by Dave Cardwell. The song has a chilled out intro incorporating wind and chime sound effects. The rest of the song is all about the driving rhythm guitars and some great phrasing in the solo.
Track three, “Valiant One”, sees the influence that Nick draws from Yngwie Malmsteen. Nick is by no means a Yngwie clone, though he does have a good grip on his neo-classical styling’s.
“Daybreak” is based around the G# minor 9 chord. It’s extremely melodic and shows a hint of Vinnie Moore with a massive slice of Nick Layton. The solo is full of incredible ideas, probably my favourite on the album.
On to the fifth track “Snake Charmer”. Well, with a name like that, you’re expecting something with a Middle Eastern flavour and Nick’s Phrygian Dominant ideas deliver.
The other vocal track “Deceiver” sees all lyrics and vocals delivered superbly by Dave Cardwell again, as well as a guest solo by Paul Tauterouff. Nick says that Chris Oliva of Savatage came through as an influence on this track.
Track seven “B and Me” is dedicated to Nick’s friend Barb who always encouraged Nick to pursue a career in music. The song is very uplifting (well, to my ears at least) and Nick’s unique musical voice comes through strongly in this track.
“Tears of Gethsemane” is probably one of the most emotionally charged instrumental songs I’ve heard in a long while. According to Nick, the song follows the biblical account of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion.
The sombre feel of the previous track is completely lifted by the ninth track “Alive Again”. Nick commented that he really likes the way the outro melody and improvised solo came out.
The final track “Palm 91” is different to all the other tracks in that there are no drum or bass lines, just a little synth. Nick explained that the biblical passage of the same name had helped him through some tough times in his personal life. A great ending to an album full of Nick Layton Signature licks.
Nick’s ability to express himself on his two Carvin DC’s is something that not many guitarists ever acquire. In short, he’s a great player and I’m sure you’ll like his music. 9/10.
Pre-Orders of the CD directly from Nick, made before July 21st will get FREE shipping. Pre-ordered CD's will ship no later than July 22nd, one full week before the official release date.In addition all pre-orders may request a free copy of the 16 track compilation album Chronicles: City of Sound.
As of 29 July, Storming the Castle, will be available at outlets such as CD Baby, I-Tunes, Guitar Nine, and several others in both hard copy and digital download versions.
Monday, June 30, 2008
London International Music Show Part 1
Hi All,
The 12-15th of June was all lined up to be a high point of the year for musos, and gear addicts in particular, with the London International Music Show taking place at Excel in Dockland's.
LiMS is in fact an amalgam of previous music trade fairs focusing individually on guitars, drums and music tech, so the question was... was it really bigger, or did it just have more stuff that I didn't want to look at?
Well the answer to that questions was simple, it 'felt' smaller than last year's Guitar Show and for some odd reason, no doubt to do with local councils, you couldn't even buy anything priced above £25! This latter fact had some types looking like extras from a Sam Raimi film...wandering round looking but not touching with credit cards hanging uselessly in their hairy hands. Eeek!
In these days of the on-line retailer it did make me wonder whether the show was there to further encourage people to ignore their local guitar shop in favour of the faceless .com. We'll all regret it when it's too late!
Another odd side-effect of the 'sales ban' was that there seemed to be far fewer people actually trying gear out than last year - was this for fear of wanting to buy something and being told 'guitar denied!' in true Wayne's World style? Maybe, but surely it doesn't help the industry does it?
But the LiMS is not just about the gear, it's about performances too and Shredders...we were well catered for! I was there on the Saturday which meant Jamie Humphries, Dave Kilminster and the outstanding Guthrie Govan set the stage on fire as a Cornford Amplifiers endorsee billed 'C3'. We were later treated to the incredible and legendary Billy Sheehan doing crazy things on a bass further assisted by Mr Govan.
A real chemistry showed through with these two and the mouth watering prospect of a future collaboration between Sheehan and Govan was left hanging in the air! I've got my fingers crossed!
If that wasn't enough, next up was a man well known to Shred Academy...Paul Gilbert. Paul is of course responsible for more shredders taking to the strings than any other guitarist as a result of his terrifying teaching videos and outstanding recording career with Racer X, Mr Big and his solo work. Paul played a jaw dropping clinic style set with backing tracks and you could hear people breaking their own fingers in disgust! Strangely he didn't join former band mate Sheehan on stage...
Phil Hilborne hit the stage next but I've seen Phil before, and he's a real entertaining guitarist with top chops, but there was only so much time in one day, so I hopped out awaiting the headliner...
Yngwie J. Malmsteen!
What is there left to say about this guy? His influence is everywhere and his playing grossly underrated in my opinion. I particularly love his interpretation of classic rock and blues style solos that most people never hear - check out his version of Carry On My Wayward son for example - amazing!
So the opportunity to see the legend was top of my 'not to miss' list. BUT...
The organisation had been a mess...all the timings were well over an hour out of sync by the end of the day (perhaps they had a drummer organising it LOL) and people were drifitng out early (nothing to do with the price of parking, beer or food..RIGHT!), so Yngwie exploded on to stage to a half empty auditorium. To make matters worse, his tone was awful!
I know we say it's all in the fingers, but if your amp sounds rough and the FOH sound is poor there's nothing really you can do even if you're YJM. It looked as if Yng was playing through a DSL, but it sounded like a cheap combo out front. To top this he was playing along to backing tracks in a very 'OK where's the cheque?' sort of way, hilariously shouting 'Track 1, 2, 3, 4 etc' to the sound engineer between numbers! Great...by the time I heard Yngwie bark out the order 'Track 5' I'd had enough and went back to try out more gear. I'm sorry but I'd rather keep good memories of Yngwie than this performance. I'm certain his live tour next month with a real band will see him back to majestic form...let's hope so!
Sunday had a performance from Joe Satriani that I couldn't make, so tell us all about that if you were there.
I'll be back with LiMS Part 2 to share some of my thoughts on the gear I tried out...yum, yum!
Now stop wasting time on the net and go and shred!
Shred Bloggs
The 12-15th of June was all lined up to be a high point of the year for musos, and gear addicts in particular, with the London International Music Show taking place at Excel in Dockland's.
LiMS is in fact an amalgam of previous music trade fairs focusing individually on guitars, drums and music tech, so the question was... was it really bigger, or did it just have more stuff that I didn't want to look at?
Well the answer to that questions was simple, it 'felt' smaller than last year's Guitar Show and for some odd reason, no doubt to do with local councils, you couldn't even buy anything priced above £25! This latter fact had some types looking like extras from a Sam Raimi film...wandering round looking but not touching with credit cards hanging uselessly in their hairy hands. Eeek!
In these days of the on-line retailer it did make me wonder whether the show was there to further encourage people to ignore their local guitar shop in favour of the faceless .com. We'll all regret it when it's too late!
Another odd side-effect of the 'sales ban' was that there seemed to be far fewer people actually trying gear out than last year - was this for fear of wanting to buy something and being told 'guitar denied!' in true Wayne's World style? Maybe, but surely it doesn't help the industry does it?
But the LiMS is not just about the gear, it's about performances too and Shredders...we were well catered for! I was there on the Saturday which meant Jamie Humphries, Dave Kilminster and the outstanding Guthrie Govan set the stage on fire as a Cornford Amplifiers endorsee billed 'C3'. We were later treated to the incredible and legendary Billy Sheehan doing crazy things on a bass further assisted by Mr Govan.
A real chemistry showed through with these two and the mouth watering prospect of a future collaboration between Sheehan and Govan was left hanging in the air! I've got my fingers crossed!
If that wasn't enough, next up was a man well known to Shred Academy...Paul Gilbert. Paul is of course responsible for more shredders taking to the strings than any other guitarist as a result of his terrifying teaching videos and outstanding recording career with Racer X, Mr Big and his solo work. Paul played a jaw dropping clinic style set with backing tracks and you could hear people breaking their own fingers in disgust! Strangely he didn't join former band mate Sheehan on stage...
Phil Hilborne hit the stage next but I've seen Phil before, and he's a real entertaining guitarist with top chops, but there was only so much time in one day, so I hopped out awaiting the headliner...
Yngwie J. Malmsteen!
What is there left to say about this guy? His influence is everywhere and his playing grossly underrated in my opinion. I particularly love his interpretation of classic rock and blues style solos that most people never hear - check out his version of Carry On My Wayward son for example - amazing!
So the opportunity to see the legend was top of my 'not to miss' list. BUT...
The organisation had been a mess...all the timings were well over an hour out of sync by the end of the day (perhaps they had a drummer organising it LOL) and people were drifitng out early (nothing to do with the price of parking, beer or food..RIGHT!), so Yngwie exploded on to stage to a half empty auditorium. To make matters worse, his tone was awful!
I know we say it's all in the fingers, but if your amp sounds rough and the FOH sound is poor there's nothing really you can do even if you're YJM. It looked as if Yng was playing through a DSL, but it sounded like a cheap combo out front. To top this he was playing along to backing tracks in a very 'OK where's the cheque?' sort of way, hilariously shouting 'Track 1, 2, 3, 4 etc' to the sound engineer between numbers! Great...by the time I heard Yngwie bark out the order 'Track 5' I'd had enough and went back to try out more gear. I'm sorry but I'd rather keep good memories of Yngwie than this performance. I'm certain his live tour next month with a real band will see him back to majestic form...let's hope so!
Sunday had a performance from Joe Satriani that I couldn't make, so tell us all about that if you were there.
I'll be back with LiMS Part 2 to share some of my thoughts on the gear I tried out...yum, yum!
Now stop wasting time on the net and go and shred!
Shred Bloggs
Hello from Shred Bloggs!
Hi Shred Academy Alumni,
My name is Pete (aka Northerngit) but for the purposes of this, and because it's fun, I've decided to call myself Shred Bloggs!
So what are you likely to expect from the blog? Well, as most of you lot, I'm just an ordinary guitarist who enjoys listening to shred and trying to crank up the metronome myself. I have a particular leaning towards jazzy/fusion type stuff (in fact I love Jazz anyway) but also technical metal and Seven string antics (i.e. Nevermore as opposed to Korn if you get my drift).
I'm going to be covering a wide range of topics, mainly to do with the people of shred, the gear we use, or would LOVE to use, reviews of gigs and recordings, fun things that I'm doing with guitar design and bands and any old nonsense that pops into my head.
So if you want to hear about something in particular, get me to review your latest opus or simply wind me up on a Shred related subject (and no...Lily Allen's 'performance' at Glastonbury isn't shred!) then leave a message.
Let's take this up a few more Bpm!
Cheers
Shred Bloggs
My name is Pete (aka Northerngit) but for the purposes of this, and because it's fun, I've decided to call myself Shred Bloggs!
So what are you likely to expect from the blog? Well, as most of you lot, I'm just an ordinary guitarist who enjoys listening to shred and trying to crank up the metronome myself. I have a particular leaning towards jazzy/fusion type stuff (in fact I love Jazz anyway) but also technical metal and Seven string antics (i.e. Nevermore as opposed to Korn if you get my drift).
I'm going to be covering a wide range of topics, mainly to do with the people of shred, the gear we use, or would LOVE to use, reviews of gigs and recordings, fun things that I'm doing with guitar design and bands and any old nonsense that pops into my head.
So if you want to hear about something in particular, get me to review your latest opus or simply wind me up on a Shred related subject (and no...Lily Allen's 'performance' at Glastonbury isn't shred!) then leave a message.
Let's take this up a few more Bpm!
Cheers
Shred Bloggs
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Roo interview – The Frenchman is back to talk about his gear and recording his album
Here is the Roo interview part 2. He’s been up to a lot and had gained some nice endorsements. This dude is going places…
What tips can you give beginner and intermediate guitarists who are trying to become highly advanced players in minimal time?
Sure, hehe, purchase my DVD!
Well, start to analyse the other guitar player’s style. Transcribe some of their solos and you will get even closer to their technique.
I suggest practicing on an acoustic guitar because the strings are heavier and you don't focus on the effects. Practice with a metronome. Buy a decent one, with volume control otherwise it drives you crazy, hehe.
Remember to play standing up, using your strap, because in a real situation nobody performs on a chair, at least in rock music...
Don’t be fooled by expensive gear, especially if you don’t have specific use for it.
Focus first on getting the most out of yourself. Find a good guitar instructor, someone that is established and is a model for you, who will push you.
What gear do you use and (more importantly) why?
For amps, I rather like cabinets/head or combos than racks systems. Mostly because I get lost with all the possibilities of too many elements put together. I have been very impressed by Mesa-Boogie amps, especially their amazing clean sounds and warm distortions, they do anything you want. Today I play a PowerBall Engl (amp head with cabinet) it sounds just perfect for metal.
I like different kinds of guitars of course. My main guitar is a Carvin DC127. I like the neck thru, the very light swamp ash body, and the ebony fingerboard. The neck scale length is 25' which fits my fingers well. I'd like to own more Carvin guitars, my dream would be to work with them, visiting the San Diego factory. There's something about this brand that appeals...
I don’t play with floating bridges anymore, it takes to long to tune the guitar, and it’s hell changing strings. I can also switch easily to drop D tuning with a fixed bridge.
I love to try different pickups, I played with many brands (actives and passives) and they all have something special. Basically, I like to have a single coil in the neck position and humbuckers for the bridge. I already tried 5 different bridge pickups in the same guitar!
To conclude, I'd say that the sad truth is that gear is more the reflection of budget than a matter of pure personal taste. It's always a compromise.
As for strings, I’m endorsed by Elixir Strings and I use them exclusively. I’m also endorsed by Brossard Picks which I like very much.
What are you trying to achieve compositionally?
As a guitarist, I really try to achieve a good crossroad between something technically respectable, yet melodic and original enough. I try to mix different styles I like such as country/blue grass with heavy tones, funky grooves and aggressive BlackMetal riffs.
I also use a lot of finger-pickings with distortion, I’m a bit into Michael Lee Firkins, and open strings of course.
Today I practice some 8 fingers tapping and some jazz phrasing but it's quite new for me so it doesn’t influence my playing in compositions yet.
Rhythm is important as well. I want people to be able to beat their foot to my music. It took me years to realize that compositions must be songs first. If it's guitar oriented, there must be enough melody to catch a non-shred listener’s attention. It's always tempting to play technical and fast in order to impress but it's also very rewarding to touch people who don’t listen to the same stuff that you do. Basically when I compose I tend to take as much of each genre I like until it becomes something of my own.
What parts of your playing reflects your personality and self expression most accurately?
Wow, man that is the question, hehe. Well, we're also working on this idea with the graphic designer who works on my album cover. The visual identity must reflect the music...
I told him that I see myself as a funny guy, who is enigmatic and somehow dark... I guess I’m a complex person.
It would be pretentious to say that I can express all my personality on my guitar. Everyday, I learn something new at guitar. It's a process in perpetual motion you know...
Today, I see my playing as a mishmash of techniques and styles that adapt themselves to the musical context. In my compositions, I don’t enjoy playing minor natural & harmonic minor scales in an overly emotional musical context. Maybe I don’t feel comfortable baring my deepest feelings in a sad song. I prefer a bluesy legato phrasing with a syncopated feel, cutting a groovy guitar theme with a weird riff or arpeggio. Something happy…but a bit scary. So I will use diminished scales (that you hear commonly in classical and neo-classical for instance), more in order to create tension at some point, rather than having a genuine neoclassical feel. I try to surprise myself. I sometimes use minor tonalities in my guitar lessons but it's different then. I could say, my song "Double Trouble", as modest as it is, reflects my personality somehow. (Watch the video demo on my myspace profile.)
Talk about the process of recording your album. Are there any
tips and trick that you could pass on? How did you choose the other
instrumentalists (if you did)?
Oh it's me who need tips. It's new for me to work on a solo, instrumental, rock guitar project. Of course it's the same process as with a band, except I handle most of it myself. So basically it will be the drummer and I for the studio work. I had some difficulties with the line up. People sometimes burnout and can't handle more than a few rehearsals, then give up. I lost some time like this. I will record in a professional recording studio. There's a possibility that the drums will be recorded and mixed in a different place.
I wrote and pre-recorded all the instrument parts at home. We'll just have to sit down and do our best. Some people record themselves but I don’t have the money and the knowledge for a home studio. I rather like to leave this task to people who know their job. I also have a lot of admiration for sound engineers. It's always a learning experience to watch them working.
I can only advise people to know their material very well. Prepare a list of the gear. Adjust the intonation of your guitar, or bring it to a luthier for a neck and fret job. Remove the strings two days before recording, not the same day that you’re going into the studio because the guitar will go out of tune a lot. I also recommend writing down the guitar leads note for note to prevent last minute improvisation, which can put pressure on you. Anyway after 10-15 hours of recording, your ears are exhausted and they lose clarity. Then there's the risk of recording something you feel great about at first, but then it totally sucks on mixing day.
That's it. Thanks for the interview.
http://wwww.rooguitar.com
http://wwww.myspace.com/rooguitar
http://wwww.youtube.com/rooguitar
http://www.elixirstrings.com
http://www.brossardpicks.com
What tips can you give beginner and intermediate guitarists who are trying to become highly advanced players in minimal time?
Sure, hehe, purchase my DVD!
Well, start to analyse the other guitar player’s style. Transcribe some of their solos and you will get even closer to their technique.
I suggest practicing on an acoustic guitar because the strings are heavier and you don't focus on the effects. Practice with a metronome. Buy a decent one, with volume control otherwise it drives you crazy, hehe.
Remember to play standing up, using your strap, because in a real situation nobody performs on a chair, at least in rock music...
Don’t be fooled by expensive gear, especially if you don’t have specific use for it.
Focus first on getting the most out of yourself. Find a good guitar instructor, someone that is established and is a model for you, who will push you.
What gear do you use and (more importantly) why?
For amps, I rather like cabinets/head or combos than racks systems. Mostly because I get lost with all the possibilities of too many elements put together. I have been very impressed by Mesa-Boogie amps, especially their amazing clean sounds and warm distortions, they do anything you want. Today I play a PowerBall Engl (amp head with cabinet) it sounds just perfect for metal.
I like different kinds of guitars of course. My main guitar is a Carvin DC127. I like the neck thru, the very light swamp ash body, and the ebony fingerboard. The neck scale length is 25' which fits my fingers well. I'd like to own more Carvin guitars, my dream would be to work with them, visiting the San Diego factory. There's something about this brand that appeals...
I don’t play with floating bridges anymore, it takes to long to tune the guitar, and it’s hell changing strings. I can also switch easily to drop D tuning with a fixed bridge.
I love to try different pickups, I played with many brands (actives and passives) and they all have something special. Basically, I like to have a single coil in the neck position and humbuckers for the bridge. I already tried 5 different bridge pickups in the same guitar!
To conclude, I'd say that the sad truth is that gear is more the reflection of budget than a matter of pure personal taste. It's always a compromise.
As for strings, I’m endorsed by Elixir Strings and I use them exclusively. I’m also endorsed by Brossard Picks which I like very much.
What are you trying to achieve compositionally?
As a guitarist, I really try to achieve a good crossroad between something technically respectable, yet melodic and original enough. I try to mix different styles I like such as country/blue grass with heavy tones, funky grooves and aggressive BlackMetal riffs.
I also use a lot of finger-pickings with distortion, I’m a bit into Michael Lee Firkins, and open strings of course.
Today I practice some 8 fingers tapping and some jazz phrasing but it's quite new for me so it doesn’t influence my playing in compositions yet.
Rhythm is important as well. I want people to be able to beat their foot to my music. It took me years to realize that compositions must be songs first. If it's guitar oriented, there must be enough melody to catch a non-shred listener’s attention. It's always tempting to play technical and fast in order to impress but it's also very rewarding to touch people who don’t listen to the same stuff that you do. Basically when I compose I tend to take as much of each genre I like until it becomes something of my own.
What parts of your playing reflects your personality and self expression most accurately?
Wow, man that is the question, hehe. Well, we're also working on this idea with the graphic designer who works on my album cover. The visual identity must reflect the music...
I told him that I see myself as a funny guy, who is enigmatic and somehow dark... I guess I’m a complex person.
It would be pretentious to say that I can express all my personality on my guitar. Everyday, I learn something new at guitar. It's a process in perpetual motion you know...
Today, I see my playing as a mishmash of techniques and styles that adapt themselves to the musical context. In my compositions, I don’t enjoy playing minor natural & harmonic minor scales in an overly emotional musical context. Maybe I don’t feel comfortable baring my deepest feelings in a sad song. I prefer a bluesy legato phrasing with a syncopated feel, cutting a groovy guitar theme with a weird riff or arpeggio. Something happy…but a bit scary. So I will use diminished scales (that you hear commonly in classical and neo-classical for instance), more in order to create tension at some point, rather than having a genuine neoclassical feel. I try to surprise myself. I sometimes use minor tonalities in my guitar lessons but it's different then. I could say, my song "Double Trouble", as modest as it is, reflects my personality somehow. (Watch the video demo on my myspace profile.)
Talk about the process of recording your album. Are there any
tips and trick that you could pass on? How did you choose the other
instrumentalists (if you did)?
Oh it's me who need tips. It's new for me to work on a solo, instrumental, rock guitar project. Of course it's the same process as with a band, except I handle most of it myself. So basically it will be the drummer and I for the studio work. I had some difficulties with the line up. People sometimes burnout and can't handle more than a few rehearsals, then give up. I lost some time like this. I will record in a professional recording studio. There's a possibility that the drums will be recorded and mixed in a different place.
I wrote and pre-recorded all the instrument parts at home. We'll just have to sit down and do our best. Some people record themselves but I don’t have the money and the knowledge for a home studio. I rather like to leave this task to people who know their job. I also have a lot of admiration for sound engineers. It's always a learning experience to watch them working.
I can only advise people to know their material very well. Prepare a list of the gear. Adjust the intonation of your guitar, or bring it to a luthier for a neck and fret job. Remove the strings two days before recording, not the same day that you’re going into the studio because the guitar will go out of tune a lot. I also recommend writing down the guitar leads note for note to prevent last minute improvisation, which can put pressure on you. Anyway after 10-15 hours of recording, your ears are exhausted and they lose clarity. Then there's the risk of recording something you feel great about at first, but then it totally sucks on mixing day.
That's it. Thanks for the interview.
http://wwww.rooguitar.com
http://wwww.myspace.com/rooguitar
http://wwww.youtube.com/rooguitar
http://www.elixirstrings.com
http://www.brossardpicks.com
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Album Review - Thoughts Betrayed "Recollection"
Thoughts Betrayed is heavily influenced by such luminaries as Nevermore, Dream Theater, Symphony X, and Outworld. Core members Dave Cardwell (vocals, guitars) and Zack Uidl (guitars) formed Thoughts Betrayed in the summer of 2007 and set to work on what would become their self-released debut album “Recollection”, a thundering, bone crushing album with laser precise guitar work, complex rhythms and strong melodic sensibility.
Dave did all the vocals, rhythm guitars, bass programming, production and mastering, while both Zack and Dave programmed the drums and keys, and shared guitar solo duties.
Lookout for tour dates for the summer of 2008 as well as a music video.
Let’s look at the tracks:
Disorder
After 5 seconds, you’re deep into super-technical European-style power metal terrain. Dave’s vocals are incredible, he has a broad range and his vocal vibrato is spot-on. The solo’s from both Dave and Zack are as terrifying as can be expected, but the scariest part of the song is the second half of the intro melody which Dave wrote for keys but Zack decided to play on guitar instead!
Reign
This track is all about these guy’s prog-metal influences, with a nod towards Nevermore in the form of a brutal rhythm guitar assault, and a doffing of the hat to Symphony X in the form of a strong piano melody. Naturally, Dave’s guitar solo is mind blowing.
Recollection
More crushing rhythm guitar and accessible vocal melodies from Dave with blazing solo’s from both maestros after a wicked breakdown.
Long Days
I was almost thrown by the ambient intro to this track, but once the driving rhythm guitar section kicked in, I was back on planet TB. Dave’s vocal harmonies work really well on this track, and the breakdowns reminded me of Dream Theater.
Monument
Diving deep into Symphony X territory here, this tracks intro is my favourite part of the album. The rhythm guitar is also very Mike Romeo. Dave keeps the vocals mellow, but somehow haunting. Zack’s solo stays true to the vibe of the vocal melody, chilled.
Rite
With an interesting strings section on this track’s intro, the guys drop us smack-bang in the middle of the early thrash metal style power ballad. Then, about 2 minutes in, Dave comes out with a deathly snarl, very cool.
Retribution
The heaviest song on the album is all double kick-drumming and sinister riffage. Dave showcases his vocal abilities ranging from deathmetal growls to high pitched wails. Possibly 2 of the most ferocious solo’s ever recorded can be heard at around the 3 minute mark.
Fading Thoughts
This track, the most subdued on the album, is held together by a consistent piano melody, making for the perfect backdrop to a heartfelt vocal delivery from Dave and a stunning solo from Zack.
Vision
A trek into the dark realm of odd meter, this track is not really suitable for background music at your next dinner party. But if you’re interested in some intricate guitaring, this instrumental track is where it’s at.
Time
Another intense and complex rhythm, based on a dominant piano melody, allows dave to launch into a massive vocal ballad while Zack throws down the best, but not the fastest, solo on the album.
Passage
Possibly the most progressive song on the album in terms of form, this track cycles through many different sections without much repetition. The last solo section is in 7/8 time, and the vocal harmonies that follow it recall Lane Staley.
Life
The album finishes off with another rhythmically complex track. I liked the tone of Dave’s vocals on this track the most. It was a fitting end to the album as well.
A lot more influences than those mentioned above are prevalent, but I’m not going to talk about what’s in my record collection, or what might be in Dave and Zack’s. These 2 guys took what they know and love, and made it there own. All in all, a strong metal album. 8.5/10
Dave did all the vocals, rhythm guitars, bass programming, production and mastering, while both Zack and Dave programmed the drums and keys, and shared guitar solo duties.
Lookout for tour dates for the summer of 2008 as well as a music video.
Let’s look at the tracks:
Disorder
After 5 seconds, you’re deep into super-technical European-style power metal terrain. Dave’s vocals are incredible, he has a broad range and his vocal vibrato is spot-on. The solo’s from both Dave and Zack are as terrifying as can be expected, but the scariest part of the song is the second half of the intro melody which Dave wrote for keys but Zack decided to play on guitar instead!
Reign
This track is all about these guy’s prog-metal influences, with a nod towards Nevermore in the form of a brutal rhythm guitar assault, and a doffing of the hat to Symphony X in the form of a strong piano melody. Naturally, Dave’s guitar solo is mind blowing.
Recollection
More crushing rhythm guitar and accessible vocal melodies from Dave with blazing solo’s from both maestros after a wicked breakdown.
Long Days
I was almost thrown by the ambient intro to this track, but once the driving rhythm guitar section kicked in, I was back on planet TB. Dave’s vocal harmonies work really well on this track, and the breakdowns reminded me of Dream Theater.
Monument
Diving deep into Symphony X territory here, this tracks intro is my favourite part of the album. The rhythm guitar is also very Mike Romeo. Dave keeps the vocals mellow, but somehow haunting. Zack’s solo stays true to the vibe of the vocal melody, chilled.
Rite
With an interesting strings section on this track’s intro, the guys drop us smack-bang in the middle of the early thrash metal style power ballad. Then, about 2 minutes in, Dave comes out with a deathly snarl, very cool.
Retribution
The heaviest song on the album is all double kick-drumming and sinister riffage. Dave showcases his vocal abilities ranging from deathmetal growls to high pitched wails. Possibly 2 of the most ferocious solo’s ever recorded can be heard at around the 3 minute mark.
Fading Thoughts
This track, the most subdued on the album, is held together by a consistent piano melody, making for the perfect backdrop to a heartfelt vocal delivery from Dave and a stunning solo from Zack.
Vision
A trek into the dark realm of odd meter, this track is not really suitable for background music at your next dinner party. But if you’re interested in some intricate guitaring, this instrumental track is where it’s at.
Time
Another intense and complex rhythm, based on a dominant piano melody, allows dave to launch into a massive vocal ballad while Zack throws down the best, but not the fastest, solo on the album.
Passage
Possibly the most progressive song on the album in terms of form, this track cycles through many different sections without much repetition. The last solo section is in 7/8 time, and the vocal harmonies that follow it recall Lane Staley.
Life
The album finishes off with another rhythmically complex track. I liked the tone of Dave’s vocals on this track the most. It was a fitting end to the album as well.
A lot more influences than those mentioned above are prevalent, but I’m not going to talk about what’s in my record collection, or what might be in Dave and Zack’s. These 2 guys took what they know and love, and made it there own. All in all, a strong metal album. 8.5/10
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