Hey guys, anyone checking the blog? I so, could you please head over to the SA Forums and let us know what you htink of the blog and how it could be improved?
http://www.shredacademy.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1297&pid=10613&st=0&#entry10613
Thanks. Adji
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
A Moments Silence For One Of The Greatest
Today -September 26th - is the five year anniversary of the death of the great musician Shawn Lane. For those not familliar with his playing (and why not?) Shawn was a fantastic guitarist (still hailed as one of the greatest both musically and definitly technically) in the Fusion realm. He was also a fantastic keyboard/piano player and those who met him say a great and humble guy.
May he rest in peace.
If your not familliar with Shawn i highly reccommend the Powers Of Ten album although its a little hard to source down nowadays but well worth it if you can find it.
You can find Shawn's official site (run by his mother and nephew) here - www.shawnlane.com
Here is a fantastic tribute video to mark the occassion by a guy known over the net as WillJay. WillJay is probbly the biggest Shawn Lane fan and is fighting to help keep his memory alive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CZLfzrmsQI
May he rest in peace.
If your not familliar with Shawn i highly reccommend the Powers Of Ten album although its a little hard to source down nowadays but well worth it if you can find it.
You can find Shawn's official site (run by his mother and nephew) here - www.shawnlane.com
Here is a fantastic tribute video to mark the occassion by a guy known over the net as WillJay. WillJay is probbly the biggest Shawn Lane fan and is fighting to help keep his memory alive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CZLfzrmsQI
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Another Bellas Album!
George Bellas is hard at work on his latest album, Step Into The Future, which is scheduled for a January 2009 release. Does this man ever stop working!?
The album will feature Marco Minnemann on drums and what is special about this album, which is now in the final stages of mixing and mastering, is that on the album there is only one track, but its 76 mins long!
Here is the word from the official Bellas site. - www.georgebellas.com
The new album "Step Into The Future" by George Bellas is complete and in the final stages of production. This new album is the most massive body of music that George will have ever released. It was composed in an intense frenzy of inspiration between December 9th, 2007 and January 12th, 2008. The writing process took place every single day with George frantically composing note by note with only paper and pencil. The album once again stretches the boundaries of the composer's prolific abilities and utilizes compositional elements not found on any of his other releases.
"Step Into The Future" is ultra-modern and progressive in style and very elegantly displays a vast dynamic range of sound. There are melodies on the album that are pin-drop soft, subdued and spine-shivering, and then there are moments of bombastic explosiveness that reveal an entirely different madman type character. There is a big surprise to the album that will be revealed just prior to it's release and will instantly set it apart from the current trend.
AND ON A PERSONAL NOTE...
Sorry i havent been bringing much news to the blog recently, ive had a lot of going ons in my life to contend with but i feel osme of the other guys have held the fort well so thanks to the rest of the blog team.
The album will feature Marco Minnemann on drums and what is special about this album, which is now in the final stages of mixing and mastering, is that on the album there is only one track, but its 76 mins long!
Here is the word from the official Bellas site. - www.georgebellas.com
The new album "Step Into The Future" by George Bellas is complete and in the final stages of production. This new album is the most massive body of music that George will have ever released. It was composed in an intense frenzy of inspiration between December 9th, 2007 and January 12th, 2008. The writing process took place every single day with George frantically composing note by note with only paper and pencil. The album once again stretches the boundaries of the composer's prolific abilities and utilizes compositional elements not found on any of his other releases.
"Step Into The Future" is ultra-modern and progressive in style and very elegantly displays a vast dynamic range of sound. There are melodies on the album that are pin-drop soft, subdued and spine-shivering, and then there are moments of bombastic explosiveness that reveal an entirely different madman type character. There is a big surprise to the album that will be revealed just prior to it's release and will instantly set it apart from the current trend.
AND ON A PERSONAL NOTE...
Sorry i havent been bringing much news to the blog recently, ive had a lot of going ons in my life to contend with but i feel osme of the other guys have held the fort well so thanks to the rest of the blog team.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Album Review - Dave Cardwell "Gone"
Machine gun guitarist and prolific recording artist, Dave Cardwell, hails from Indianapolis, Indiana. His first three albums were released in 2006 and 2007 under the bandname Raise the Shield, and in the summer of 2007, Dave teamed up with Chicago shred master, Zack Uidl, to release the album “Recollection” in early 2008, as Thoughts Betrayed.
Dave released his solo album, “Gone”, in the summer of 2008, and is currently working on several album projects to be released in late 2008 and early 2009.
While having a well-stocked arsenal of uber-shred techniques, Dave’s albums are never a vehicle for his guitar chops alone. Instead, he exhibits his plethora of talents, including mature songwriting skills, a strong production technique, and decent vocals.
Having listened to Dave as Raise the Shield, I fully expected the songs on “Gone” to be shred-heavy and packed full of Dave’s old-school and modern thrash metal influences, and I wasn’t disappointed.
“Gone” is made up of 11 tracks crammed with all the double kick drums, razor-sharp rhythm guitars, and lightning-quick solos you could shake a pointy headstock at.
What I liked about each track:
Get Me Fired: Massive intro to the album, evil chorus vocals, super cool solos, and excellent old-school ending.
Ages: Head-banging riffs, top-class vocal vibrato, and face-melting solo.
Maya: Very European-sounding atmospheric bridge with a nice guitar and keyboard harmonized outro solo.
Fate: More fantastic harmonized guitar and keyboard.
Echoes: Crazy Rusty Cooley-inspired intro, and driving rhythm section.
Liars: Great neo-classical-inspired intro and outro.
City: A great showcasing of Dave’s ability to produce modern metal mayhem.
Gone: Great vocals and harmonized solo intro, and possibly the album’s single.
Jade: Old school heaviness, twisted riffs, and a blazing solo.
Why: Scary piano intro and awesome breakdowns.
Stranger: Heaviest vocals on the album, with haunting keys in the background.
“Gone” is a great album for both shredders as well as metal fans who don’t play music themselves. In short, get it.
www.cardwellmusic.com
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Album Review - Paul Kleff "Machined"
Paul Kleff is a rock/metal guitarist based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, and has over 20 years of experience as a musician, instructor, composer and performer. He was originally inspired by artists like Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and The Who, which got him started on acoustic guitar, learning some chords, songs and the basics of guitar playing.
Paul was soon drawn to the fire, expression and speed of artists like Edward Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, George Lynch and Yngwie Malmsteen. He then set out to learn the styles of his heroes and began practicing and developing a lead guitar style based on both blues-influenced rock and the neoclassical shred styles of his newer influences.
Paul was featured on the 2008 compilation CD, “Guitars from the Shadows,” along with 12 other musicians from all over the world.
In mid September 2008, Paul will be participating in a seven city instructional clinic tour through the Midwest USA, along with six other guitarists and international touring and recording artist Tom Hess. The clinics will be held at Guitar Center and local music stores in each city.
Paul teaches private lessons at his studio in Grand Rapids. Having successfully helped hundreds of students, he continues to develop specialized programs of study for each individual student based directly on their musical goals. Paul has also featured as an instructor on cyberfret.com and shredknowledge.com, and will be featured on additional guitar instructional websites in the future. He is also developing new instructional products set to be released in late 2008. A full-length CD is also planned for release in 2009.
Paul’s debut solo release is a four-song EP called “Machined”. It was written during late spring and summer 2008 and recorded during July 2008. The CD is made up of two instrumental songs and two songs featuring guest vocalist Jerry Keyzer.
Paul was soon drawn to the fire, expression and speed of artists like Edward Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, George Lynch and Yngwie Malmsteen. He then set out to learn the styles of his heroes and began practicing and developing a lead guitar style based on both blues-influenced rock and the neoclassical shred styles of his newer influences.
Paul was featured on the 2008 compilation CD, “Guitars from the Shadows,” along with 12 other musicians from all over the world.
In mid September 2008, Paul will be participating in a seven city instructional clinic tour through the Midwest USA, along with six other guitarists and international touring and recording artist Tom Hess. The clinics will be held at Guitar Center and local music stores in each city.
Paul teaches private lessons at his studio in Grand Rapids. Having successfully helped hundreds of students, he continues to develop specialized programs of study for each individual student based directly on their musical goals. Paul has also featured as an instructor on cyberfret.com and shredknowledge.com, and will be featured on additional guitar instructional websites in the future. He is also developing new instructional products set to be released in late 2008. A full-length CD is also planned for release in 2009.
Paul’s debut solo release is a four-song EP called “Machined”. It was written during late spring and summer 2008 and recorded during July 2008. The CD is made up of two instrumental songs and two songs featuring guest vocalist Jerry Keyzer.
The songs cover elements of rock, metal and shred. All the tracks are melodic, but what I find most pleasing is Paul’s ability do drop an unexpected twist into his riffs and leads.
All music was composed and performed by Paul and all lyrics were written and performed by Jerry Keyzer. The CD was mastered by Rob Perez.
Looking at the individual tracks:
The first track, “Grind”, has one of the best verse riffs I’ve ever heard. Heavy, driving, and mean, with some trademark Kleff twists. The solos are great compositions in their own right and, while showcasing Paul’s awesome chops, they remain fresh and melodic. “Grind” is a great opener to the CD.
Track two, “Last Stand”, is the first of two vocal tracks featuring vocals by Jerry Keyzer. I hear a lot of Iron Maiden and old Queensryche in both the vocals and guitars in the chorus section. The solo is great and fits the song well, as opposed to being a gratuitous flash of skill, and it remains tasteful and nothing sounds forced.
The third track, “Dead Line”, is the second vocal track. Building from just a clean guitar and vocals, it morphs into a mid-tempo metal anthem, bridging the gap between an air punching epic and a metal ballad. Keyzer’s delivery is powerful, emotional and raw. The fast linier runs, pedal-point ideas and swept arpeggios, combined with Paul’s excellent vibrato create another melodic mini-composition for the solo section.
The opening guitar phrase to the fourth track (and second instrumental) “As If…”, is so cool I immediately picked up my own guitar and learnt it. It floats over a piano-based rhythm section which eases off as the lead guitar builds for the chorus. The melody over the opening and verse sections has a vocal-like quality in both the tone and phrasing. The bridge and outro section show a great use of vibrato and harmonized lines to express a great deal of emotion. The song is essentially a hard-rock ballad and it ends the CD off well.
As a whole, the production is clear and balanced, while Paul’s melodic sensibility is fresh and often unexpected. I can’t wait for a full album.
All music was composed and performed by Paul and all lyrics were written and performed by Jerry Keyzer. The CD was mastered by Rob Perez.
Looking at the individual tracks:
The first track, “Grind”, has one of the best verse riffs I’ve ever heard. Heavy, driving, and mean, with some trademark Kleff twists. The solos are great compositions in their own right and, while showcasing Paul’s awesome chops, they remain fresh and melodic. “Grind” is a great opener to the CD.
Track two, “Last Stand”, is the first of two vocal tracks featuring vocals by Jerry Keyzer. I hear a lot of Iron Maiden and old Queensryche in both the vocals and guitars in the chorus section. The solo is great and fits the song well, as opposed to being a gratuitous flash of skill, and it remains tasteful and nothing sounds forced.
The third track, “Dead Line”, is the second vocal track. Building from just a clean guitar and vocals, it morphs into a mid-tempo metal anthem, bridging the gap between an air punching epic and a metal ballad. Keyzer’s delivery is powerful, emotional and raw. The fast linier runs, pedal-point ideas and swept arpeggios, combined with Paul’s excellent vibrato create another melodic mini-composition for the solo section.
The opening guitar phrase to the fourth track (and second instrumental) “As If…”, is so cool I immediately picked up my own guitar and learnt it. It floats over a piano-based rhythm section which eases off as the lead guitar builds for the chorus. The melody over the opening and verse sections has a vocal-like quality in both the tone and phrasing. The bridge and outro section show a great use of vibrato and harmonized lines to express a great deal of emotion. The song is essentially a hard-rock ballad and it ends the CD off well.
As a whole, the production is clear and balanced, while Paul’s melodic sensibility is fresh and often unexpected. I can’t wait for a full album.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Summer Song - No Internet
Hey Shred Fiends! I've been away for most of the Summer in France and managed to survive no internet access for a whole month...the first few days of cold turkey were tough, but then I started doing some really weird things...
For example instead of surfing the net looking for new music, tabs, tips, guitar porn and forum chat I treated myself to a Korg Pandora and grabbed my trusty old strat (my first real guitar that I bought in '89) and sat down to actually play! So what was I doing? Well I spent quite a bit of time setting up loops and jamming around neo-classical type phrases using the harmonic and melodic minor and some of their various modes. There's no substitute for practising with a beat and the Pandora is very cool for that! I also explored playing over different types of beat, reggae, hip hop, dance, etc and had some amazing fun using the guitar synth patch. It was loads of fun to plug the pandora in the hi-fi at a post surf party, crank up a hip hop beats and knock some Scott Henderson style licks...nobody complained at all! In fact people were dancing. Wow, why is it when I changed to a metal backing track and started to 'shred' everybody shouted at me...
I met lots of French folks who really love their shred guitar, many of you probably know that guys like the late great Shawn Lane, Ron Thal and Greg Howe are really well known in France, no coincidence that Ron has been playing those awesome Vigier guitars for years, not to mention Shawn Lane. My copy of Guthrie Govan's 'Erotic Cakes' was listened to intently by many French shredders and surfers too. I expect that a few orders from France have been received at http://www.cornfordrecords.com/shop.php
Of course I was spreading the Shred Academy word too, so maybe we have a few new forum members too.
Anyway now that I'm back home it's time to kick off my new covers band, Metropolis, so I'll be sharing some thoughts on that of the coming months.
More importantly, after 9 years from concept to completion, on the 12th Sept I'm taking delivery of my own design guitar from the genius luthier and all round good guy, Colin Keefe http://www.keefeguitars.co.uk/ watch this space! I hope I like now it's finshed - EEEK!
Finally, over the coming weeks and months I'll be recounting my conversations with all sorts of interesting guitar related folk.
See ya
Shred Bloggs
For example instead of surfing the net looking for new music, tabs, tips, guitar porn and forum chat I treated myself to a Korg Pandora and grabbed my trusty old strat (my first real guitar that I bought in '89) and sat down to actually play! So what was I doing? Well I spent quite a bit of time setting up loops and jamming around neo-classical type phrases using the harmonic and melodic minor and some of their various modes. There's no substitute for practising with a beat and the Pandora is very cool for that! I also explored playing over different types of beat, reggae, hip hop, dance, etc and had some amazing fun using the guitar synth patch. It was loads of fun to plug the pandora in the hi-fi at a post surf party, crank up a hip hop beats and knock some Scott Henderson style licks...nobody complained at all! In fact people were dancing. Wow, why is it when I changed to a metal backing track and started to 'shred' everybody shouted at me...
I met lots of French folks who really love their shred guitar, many of you probably know that guys like the late great Shawn Lane, Ron Thal and Greg Howe are really well known in France, no coincidence that Ron has been playing those awesome Vigier guitars for years, not to mention Shawn Lane. My copy of Guthrie Govan's 'Erotic Cakes' was listened to intently by many French shredders and surfers too. I expect that a few orders from France have been received at http://www.cornfordrecords.com/shop.php
Of course I was spreading the Shred Academy word too, so maybe we have a few new forum members too.
Anyway now that I'm back home it's time to kick off my new covers band, Metropolis, so I'll be sharing some thoughts on that of the coming months.
More importantly, after 9 years from concept to completion, on the 12th Sept I'm taking delivery of my own design guitar from the genius luthier and all round good guy, Colin Keefe http://www.keefeguitars.co.uk/ watch this space! I hope I like now it's finshed - EEEK!
Finally, over the coming weeks and months I'll be recounting my conversations with all sorts of interesting guitar related folk.
See ya
Shred Bloggs
Monday, August 18, 2008
Nick Layton Interview - A chat with Nick after his album launch
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
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
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