We reviewed Paul's shred filled album "Machined" late last year, and now he's back to tell us about his passion for guitar and share some secrets about forging a career in music.
What steps have you taken to forge a career in the music industry?
I had to ask myself, “What is it I really want to do?” I think one needs to have some pretty specific goals to start with, and then you can work backwards to fill in the steps with the things you need to do in order to reach those goals. There is so much I want to do—both from an artist/composer/guitarist perspective and as a music teacher/guitar instructor.
What advice do you have for people looking to get into the music industry?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help from people that have been there—and don’t take advice from people that aren’t qualified to give it. And be willing to pay for the best advice and help. Once you have some goals and have a good idea of what you want, find the people that can help you figure out how to get there—people that have already done what you want to do.
Look at your goals often and be persistent. Do something every day that helps you get closer to reaching them. The combination of time and taking small steps on a regular basis is what will get you there—both as a guitar player and in your music career.
What are the pressures in the industry and how do you cope with them?
I think the biggest pressures are the ones we put on ourselves. You have to be able to find that motivation within and find ways to keep it going on a day to day basis. There are so many great musicians out there.
During your formative years, what sort of practice regime did you have?
I got serious about guitar when I was in high school—when I was about 15 or so. I practiced and jammed with friends a lot and picked people’s brains for information. So most of my early years were spent learning songs and parts of songs and solos. Most of the time, I tried to emulate the feel and phrasing of the guitar players I liked. I was never really good at totally copying solos and playing stuff note for note.
I learned some theory and scales from books and tried to apply it—stuff like the modes and different scales. I studied music and majored in classical guitar in college and that was where I formally learned a lot about music theory. I never took lessons on the electric guitar back then and I’m sure that held up my progress a lot. So much of what I did on the guitar was a trial and error kind of thing.
So I practiced and jammed with other people a lot the first couple years. I started teaching guitar about four years after I started playing. When I was in college, I was pretty much immersed in music—between school, teaching and playing in local bands. Music was all I did then—and that was when I made a lot of progress as a musician.
What advice do you have for beginner and intermediate players who are trying to achieve a highly advanced level of playing?
Figure out what it is you want to be able to do and then find someone who can help you get there. Don’t be too proud or whatever to take lessons—find the guitar teacher in your area that can do what it is you want to be able to do and take some lessons—that will save you a lot of time and eliminate the time wasting “trial and error” effort. There’s so much info out there on the internet, some of its good and some is not so good. Find someone who can help you learn to do what you want to do.
If you’re a beginner, you can start off right, get a good foundation and advance much more quickly. No matter what style of guitar you want to play, whether you want to shred or just learn to strum some chords and play songs, you can learn what you need in order to be able to do what you want to do and not waste time on things that aren’t going to help you.
For an intermediate player, a teacher can help you refine things and show you ways to improve much more quickly than if you stumble around looking for the solutions on your own. Sometimes very small adjustments or changes to your technique or the way you are doing something can give you big results or a breakthrough in a relatively short amount of time. This is where a good teacher is most helpful. You can learn a lot from books, videos and the internet, but there’s no substitute for what you get from a good teacher—they are going to help you the most. They will be able see and hear things in your playing and how you are doing things that you won’t be able to see and show you how to improve the fastest. You might struggle with something for weeks on your own that can be fixed in the course of one lesson—it’s definitely worth it.
Like I said, I didn’t take lessons at first and ended up having to “unlearn” some things that were holding me back as I went along. If I could do it all over again, I would have taken lessons from the best teacher I could right from the beginning.
What gear do you use and why?
I’m not all that picky, really. I’ve played everything from Gibson to Kramer to Ibanez to Carvin over the years. But, I’ve played the Strat-style body guitars for so long now that it feels really weird to play a Les Paul or something like that. My two main guitars are a Carvin DC127 and an Ibanez PGM 301. Between those two, I get the best of everything. The Carvin has a Floyd Rose and the Ibanez is a hard tail.
What parts of your playing reflects your personality and self expression most accurately?
I was influenced and inspired by so many different guitar players and bands so there are a lot of sides to my musical personality and self-expression that I try to get out. To me, a guitar solo is more like a mini-composition within the song and I try to approach it like that, rather than just trying to string some licks or technical stuff together and calling it good. Technical skills are really just a way to add more expression to your playing—the more things you can do on the guitar, the more ways you can express yourself—you’re not as limited.
Vibrato is really important to me. I love players that have that wide, singing vibrato. Most people, when they start playing guitar, they get so hung up on trying to shred, sweep pick, etc., that they forget about vibrato and how important it is to developing your own sound. People listen to players like Yngwie or Paul Gilbert and get so hung up on learning all the technique involved in the styles of guys like that, that they forget that these guys have absolutely killer vibrato. You don’t hear that mentioned that much—listen to Yngwie’s vibrato. Man—it just sings and it’s just as important to his sound as all the technical stuff in there. George Lynch, John Sykes and guys like that—great players and great vibrato, too—smooth.
What are you trying to achieve compositionally? – You can mention your influences, techniques you’ve spent a lot of time with, concepts, etc.
I’m really a huge music fan and have been influenced by so many artists—everything from the Beatles and Led Zeppelin up to newer metal stuff coming out today. When I started playing, I was really into the 80s style and all of those players—everything from the NWOBHM, the LA bands and guitarists as well as all the shred stuff that exploded during that time period.
So, compositionally, I was really influenced by songs that have a great melody and usually some sort of a hook in there. Whether it is an instrumental or a vocal tune, having a hook and a melody that sticks with you has always been an influence on me and I think that comes out in both my songwriting style and approach to soloing.
Talk about the process of recording your album. Are there any tips and tricks that you could pass on? How did you choose the other instrumentalists (if you did).
“Machined” was written and recorded over about a two month period in the summer of 2008. I was getting ready to go on a tour doing some guitar instructional clinics and wanted to have a CD to be able to take out with me and promote. So it came together pretty quick. When I started working on the album, I was debating whether I wanted to go instrumental guitar-oriented music or a vocal melodic/heavy rock format. So I compromised and did two songs of each.
Technology and amp modelers really make it easier to get a half way decent sound for writing and recording and with the computer you can do so much on your own now. So many people do albums right in their home studios today. Having that flexibility really allows you the time to write and record your own material at a relatively low cost. You don’t have to worry about the studio meter running and you can record at 3 in the morning without waking anybody up.
Right now, the band is myself and my good friend Jerry Keyzer (vocalist.) We've known each other a long time--we played a lot of shows together and did some recording with one of our old bands in the past. Even though we live in the same city, we lost track of each other for awhile and then reconnected. We've known each other for so long we've almost got a sixth sense musically when we work together. Our musical tastes run similar and we complement each other well.
We are currently writing and demoing material for a full length CD which will be out by fall 2009. I plan on adding a drummer and bassist later this year and then some live shows will follow—probably by some time early in 2010.
Thanks, Guy!
http://www.paulkleffmusic.com/
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Interview - Shred Teacher Paul Tauterouff
New York guitar teacher and all-round nice guy Paul Tauterouff shares some amazing insights from the perspective of a shred teacher.
How long have you been teaching guitar?
I have been teaching guitar steadily for about 4 years now. I taught guitar for a short time back in my late teens too, but things were a lot different then. For example we didn't have computers or notation software. I have always been a natural teacher; always showing things to my friends.
Why do you teach guitar?
Two reasons that drive most people - Love and Money! I love helping other people to reach their goals. It is very rewarding on a personal level. You truly feel like you make a difference in people's lives. The money is also good, but it is secondary to the emotional rewards. I feel like teaching guitar is what I was put on Earth to do.
Where is your teaching practice based?
I live and teach in the Binghamton area of New York State in the US. I teach private lessons in a nice professional studio.
As far as teaching goes, what is your specialty?
I focus mainly on rock, metal and blues-rock guitar. As far as techniques goes, I teach lead and rhythm guitar beginner to advanced. I really love teaching improvisation.
What level of player do you prefer to teach?
There are challenges to face when teaching people at the various levels and I don't really prefer one level over another. An intermediate or advanced student may be able to move their fingers really well, but depending on their prior training they may also have deeply ingrained bad habits. A beginning student is more like a blank slate to work from, but often they lack confidence, so the challenge with some of them can be to get them to believe that they can become good at guitar.
What makes a player a virtuoso?
I think a true virtuoso is someone who has full command of the instrument and the ability to express themselves and their emotions as they want to. A virtuoso has a combination of mastery of technique and musical knowledge.
How fast is too fast, if such a concept exists?
I don't think that there is any such thing as too fast, or at least I haven't heard it yet. It really comes down to what someone wants to express.
From a Teacher’s point of view, what is the number one roadblock to becoming a better player?
Number one - inefficient or not enough practicing!
What makes a good student? Describe the student who progresses really quickly.
A good student to me is someone who puts in their practice time at home, pays attention and focuses on what they are doing while practicing, and enjoys the process. I think a student will progress quickly if they have these traits and believe that they can become as good as they want to be.
Do you find that older or younger students progress faster/learn quicker?
It's a popular myth that younger people learn more quickly. I don't agree with that. It really depends on the person. If they are passionate about learning older students can advance just as quickly. The bigger issue with adult students is a lack of time to practice.
What is your teaching format?
I teach mostly private lessons. My format varies because I find that it gets boring for most people if you keep things the same. I try to create a nice balance of knowledge, technique and enjoyment. I think it is important for the student to enjoy the learning process.
What models of learning benefit the student the most?
There is no single right answer here because all people are different.
Is there one piece of advice that you can give the readers to improve their playing right now?
Two pieces of advice:
1. Take a portion of your practice time and really focus on the little details in your playing. Look at your hands! Be aware of any inefficiency of movement in your hands and make sure you are not squeezing too hard with your fretting hand.
2. Learn your scales and theory. Knowing what your options are musically will enable you to more fully express yourself.
How can prospective students contact you for lessons?
Send me an email at lessons@paultauterouff.com or visit my website at http://paultauterouff.com
How long have you been teaching guitar?
I have been teaching guitar steadily for about 4 years now. I taught guitar for a short time back in my late teens too, but things were a lot different then. For example we didn't have computers or notation software. I have always been a natural teacher; always showing things to my friends.
Why do you teach guitar?
Two reasons that drive most people - Love and Money! I love helping other people to reach their goals. It is very rewarding on a personal level. You truly feel like you make a difference in people's lives. The money is also good, but it is secondary to the emotional rewards. I feel like teaching guitar is what I was put on Earth to do.
Where is your teaching practice based?
I live and teach in the Binghamton area of New York State in the US. I teach private lessons in a nice professional studio.
As far as teaching goes, what is your specialty?
I focus mainly on rock, metal and blues-rock guitar. As far as techniques goes, I teach lead and rhythm guitar beginner to advanced. I really love teaching improvisation.
What level of player do you prefer to teach?
There are challenges to face when teaching people at the various levels and I don't really prefer one level over another. An intermediate or advanced student may be able to move their fingers really well, but depending on their prior training they may also have deeply ingrained bad habits. A beginning student is more like a blank slate to work from, but often they lack confidence, so the challenge with some of them can be to get them to believe that they can become good at guitar.
What makes a player a virtuoso?
I think a true virtuoso is someone who has full command of the instrument and the ability to express themselves and their emotions as they want to. A virtuoso has a combination of mastery of technique and musical knowledge.
How fast is too fast, if such a concept exists?
I don't think that there is any such thing as too fast, or at least I haven't heard it yet. It really comes down to what someone wants to express.
From a Teacher’s point of view, what is the number one roadblock to becoming a better player?
Number one - inefficient or not enough practicing!
What makes a good student? Describe the student who progresses really quickly.
A good student to me is someone who puts in their practice time at home, pays attention and focuses on what they are doing while practicing, and enjoys the process. I think a student will progress quickly if they have these traits and believe that they can become as good as they want to be.
Do you find that older or younger students progress faster/learn quicker?
It's a popular myth that younger people learn more quickly. I don't agree with that. It really depends on the person. If they are passionate about learning older students can advance just as quickly. The bigger issue with adult students is a lack of time to practice.
What is your teaching format?
I teach mostly private lessons. My format varies because I find that it gets boring for most people if you keep things the same. I try to create a nice balance of knowledge, technique and enjoyment. I think it is important for the student to enjoy the learning process.
What models of learning benefit the student the most?
There is no single right answer here because all people are different.
Is there one piece of advice that you can give the readers to improve their playing right now?
Two pieces of advice:
1. Take a portion of your practice time and really focus on the little details in your playing. Look at your hands! Be aware of any inefficiency of movement in your hands and make sure you are not squeezing too hard with your fretting hand.
2. Learn your scales and theory. Knowing what your options are musically will enable you to more fully express yourself.
How can prospective students contact you for lessons?
Send me an email at lessons@paultauterouff.com or visit my website at http://paultauterouff.com
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Interview - Shred Teacher Nick Layton
This is the start of series of interviews with teachers from around the world, who can shred and teach others how to shred. Although the interviews are relatively brief, these guys have loads to teach, so lookout for the great tips they give.
Nick Layton kicks off the series. Let’s see what he says.
How long have you been teaching guitar?
Professionally for about 7 years, although I taught friends informally for years before that.
Why do you teach guitar?
Several reasons: (1) I’m not cut out for the typical 9-5 day job thing and teaching is a great way to make more money in less time….which results in me having more free time to work on other music related things like recording for example. (2) I can set my own schedule. (3) I get to spend my working hours with guitar in hand. (4) It’s great helping others reach their musical goals.
Where is your teaching practice based?
Vancouver, WA.
As far as teaching goes, what is your specialty?
Rock and Metal styles involving lots of technique work, improvising, and theory.
What level of player do you prefer to teach?
I prefer intermediate to advanced.
What makes a player a virtuoso?
Hard question to answer really. Based on the musical styles I listen to it could be defined as: “Able to fully express oneself musically without technical barriers or other restrictions”.
How fast is too fast, if such a concept exists?
It’s only too fast if it’s (unintentionally) sloppy. “Too fast” is totally a matter of opinion in terms of just sheer speed. But speed without clarity and precision is not true speed in my opinion.
From a Teacher’s point of view, what is the number one roadblock to becoming a better player?
I’d say an inner drive and desire to put in the necessary work to get better. Some people seem to think getting better is just going to “magically happen.” It takes work to be good, always has and always will. From a student’s perspective this means realizing that it all takes time. Consistent work over time=consistent results!
What makes a good student? Describe the student who progresses really quickly.
A good student is one who listens, thinks and then asks questions. A good student also is hungry enough to study on their own, away from the lessons, because they want to get better and because they love to play.
Do you find that older or younger students progress faster/learn quicker?
I think, in very general terms, that students in there mid teens and older tend to progress faster than early teens and younger. This has to do with several factors but I think it’s largely because older students really want to take lessons and have a sense of what areas they want to improve upon, whereas some younger students really have no idea and can sometimes lose interest a lot quicker. There are always exceptions though.
What is your teaching format?
Usually a 60 minute lesson once per week.
What models of learning benefit the student the most?
A combination of technique, theory and creative applications such as improvising, songwriting and recording seem to work best. The student’s needs and interests will determine which areas are emphasized at any given time.
Is there one piece of advice that you can give the readers to improve their playing right now?
Stop comparing yourself to other players. Although it’s good to be inspired by others and learn from them, you have a unique voice on your instrument and your goals should include developing that voice and getting it out to the world so we can all enjoy it!
How can prospective students contact you for lessons?
You can simply email me at : nick@nicklayton.com
Nick Layton kicks off the series. Let’s see what he says.
How long have you been teaching guitar?
Professionally for about 7 years, although I taught friends informally for years before that.
Why do you teach guitar?
Several reasons: (1) I’m not cut out for the typical 9-5 day job thing and teaching is a great way to make more money in less time….which results in me having more free time to work on other music related things like recording for example. (2) I can set my own schedule. (3) I get to spend my working hours with guitar in hand. (4) It’s great helping others reach their musical goals.
Where is your teaching practice based?
Vancouver, WA.
As far as teaching goes, what is your specialty?
Rock and Metal styles involving lots of technique work, improvising, and theory.
What level of player do you prefer to teach?
I prefer intermediate to advanced.
What makes a player a virtuoso?
Hard question to answer really. Based on the musical styles I listen to it could be defined as: “Able to fully express oneself musically without technical barriers or other restrictions”.
How fast is too fast, if such a concept exists?
It’s only too fast if it’s (unintentionally) sloppy. “Too fast” is totally a matter of opinion in terms of just sheer speed. But speed without clarity and precision is not true speed in my opinion.
From a Teacher’s point of view, what is the number one roadblock to becoming a better player?
I’d say an inner drive and desire to put in the necessary work to get better. Some people seem to think getting better is just going to “magically happen.” It takes work to be good, always has and always will. From a student’s perspective this means realizing that it all takes time. Consistent work over time=consistent results!
What makes a good student? Describe the student who progresses really quickly.
A good student is one who listens, thinks and then asks questions. A good student also is hungry enough to study on their own, away from the lessons, because they want to get better and because they love to play.
Do you find that older or younger students progress faster/learn quicker?
I think, in very general terms, that students in there mid teens and older tend to progress faster than early teens and younger. This has to do with several factors but I think it’s largely because older students really want to take lessons and have a sense of what areas they want to improve upon, whereas some younger students really have no idea and can sometimes lose interest a lot quicker. There are always exceptions though.
What is your teaching format?
Usually a 60 minute lesson once per week.
What models of learning benefit the student the most?
A combination of technique, theory and creative applications such as improvising, songwriting and recording seem to work best. The student’s needs and interests will determine which areas are emphasized at any given time.
Is there one piece of advice that you can give the readers to improve their playing right now?
Stop comparing yourself to other players. Although it’s good to be inspired by others and learn from them, you have a unique voice on your instrument and your goals should include developing that voice and getting it out to the world so we can all enjoy it!
How can prospective students contact you for lessons?
You can simply email me at : nick@nicklayton.com
Friday, February 27, 2009
Lee Carlson Interview - Music career, recording, and a new band
Lee gives us some valuable tips on forging a career in music and becoming a better guitarist, as well as telling us some of his latest news.
What steps have you taken to forge a career in the music industry?
Well apart from the old trial and error method, which I had been stuck in
since I was about 18, I started devouring any books or articles and stuff
like that I could find on the business side of music. I had been in a lot
of different scenarios that presented opportunity, but I didn’t really
know how to take advantage of them so progress was quite limited.
So although I had learned a lot from my trial and error, it was time to
move ahead and that is when I found Tom Hess’s Music Careers Mentoring
Program back in 2007. The course was invaluable in that it added what was
needed to my experience up till then, how to build a career, sustain a
career and create opportunity, not wait around for some magical
opportunity to fall from the sky! And of course a lot of hard work and
perseverance. Never give up, educate yourself!
What advice do you have for people trying to get into the music industry?
As I mentioned, educate yourself, but also apply what you have learned!
And realize luck has nothing to do with it, some people will say they are
waiting for a big break or to be discovered, but although that does
happen, it is very rare. The reason we hear so much about these type of
big break stories is exactly that, they make a good story for the media.
What would be so exciting about an artist who worked his butt off and built
a successful career? Media wants hype and emotion, rags to riches. My
advice, don’t wait to be the rare exception, take control of your own
career!
What are the pressures in the industry? How do you cope with them?
For me the pressures are usually deadlines. So I have had to develop a
strong work ethic and fight the evil of procrastination! I am an indie
artist so a lot of the pressures other artists might have I really don’t
have. But there is always going to be tough decisions to make and
difficult people to deal with, so be aware and treat others how you want
to be treated, be professional. And don’t take all things too personally!
During your formative years, what sort of practice regime did you have?
Skipped school and practiced instead... LOL Actually, I did do that a
lot, but I don’t suggest it. I just did the usual type exercises and
stuff everyone else does, but I was one of the people who would do it for 8
hours a day, not because I thought that that amount of time was necessary
but because I was completely obsessed with guitar! I also studied music a
lot, I had a stack of theory books up to my knees. Also being a big Steve
Vai fan I was beside myself with excitement when in the early 90’s he
published his 10 hour workout in a guitar magazine, then when I bought it
I realized that my regime was very much like his already, so I stuck with
it.
What advice do you have for beginner and intermediate players who are
looking to achieve a highly advanced level of playing?
A good teacher is always beneficial. And I stress GOOD, one that knows
guitar, knows music theory and doesn’t just want to show you the latest
song on the radio. And of course put in the time, lock yourself away in
the woodshed and practice your butt off! Keep track of your progress and
don’t stop until you have mastered whatever it is you are working on,
whether it is a technical exercise or a new theory concept. Be organized
and practice, practice, practice!
What gear do you use (and more importantly) why?
I am one of those people who are very specific about gear. For guitars I
can’t play anything other than Ibanez RG or Jem models. I have used them
since 1991, I have tried others brands but I love Ibanez too much and I
find their floating bridges far better than any other. With amps I am a
little more flexible. My favorite up till now has been my Carvin Legacy.
It is smooth and has great clarity. I am not very into a lot of the new
amps geared towards metal, they seem a little too abrasive sounding. For
FX I use a TC Electronic G-System, it is great, I can even use it to
switch amp channels. I like simple, not into tap dancing on 20 different
stomp boxes. Picks are 1MM, strings 9-42 and a Morley wah pedal.
What parts of your playing reflects your personality and self expression
most accurately?
I would say something like the main melody for The Eternal of my Essence
Of Time album reflects my personality. A simple yet epic sounding melody,
it has got a nice smooth flow. Also the improvisational side of my
playing really reflects what I try to express. I love having long
extended sections to improvise over where you can take time to develop
ideas. In fact a lot of Essence Of Time was improvised.
What are you trying to achieve compositionally?
It might sound like a cliche, but I am just trying to tell a story, of
course without words. If I can get the listener to connect with the mood
then I would feel I achieved the purpose of a song.
Talk about the process of recording your album. Are there any tips and
tricks you could pass on?
The recording was done all in my home studio. A nice simple setup with
Pro Tools LE and an MBox2. The first thing I did was write the songs then
lay down a scratch track which I could build the drum parts around using
EZDrummer. For the guitars I mic’d my cab, I still am not sold on any
software amps yet. I used an SM57, sometimes on axis, sometimes off,
depending on the sound I wanted. And recorded dry, I added reverb and
delay in Pro Tools. Bass guitar was recorded direct with just a little EQ
and compression. The keyboard parts were all Korg Triton, again played
direct. The only Midi was EZDrummer. All the songs were built this way.
As for any advice. Take your time! But if you are paying to use someone
else's studio, be WELL rehearsed, it can get expensive!
And listen to other recordings that have the sound you are going for and
work to get as close as you can. Experience is going to make each
recording you do that much better. Of course educating yourself through
articles and stuff will also big a big help.
You've joined a new band, tell us more about that.
The new band is pretty cool! I met this guy while I was buying some gear,
he was the salesmen. We got talking and soon realized we would work great
together. He is a fantastic folk singer/songwriter, his name is Kevin
Phillips and the band is called Redhead Mack. During our conversation he
mentioned he loves blazing guitar and was looking for one to add to his
lineup. The sound is kind of a folk-rock-fusion sound. We have done some
demo tunes already and we start gigging this month. Hopefully we can put
out a full album soon, there is enough material, it will just be a matter
of making the time.
If readers want to contact you, what is your email address and website?
They can go to:
lee@leecarlsonmusic.com
www.leecarlsonmusic.com
And a huge thanks to you, Guy!
What steps have you taken to forge a career in the music industry?
Well apart from the old trial and error method, which I had been stuck in
since I was about 18, I started devouring any books or articles and stuff
like that I could find on the business side of music. I had been in a lot
of different scenarios that presented opportunity, but I didn’t really
know how to take advantage of them so progress was quite limited.
So although I had learned a lot from my trial and error, it was time to
move ahead and that is when I found Tom Hess’s Music Careers Mentoring
Program back in 2007. The course was invaluable in that it added what was
needed to my experience up till then, how to build a career, sustain a
career and create opportunity, not wait around for some magical
opportunity to fall from the sky! And of course a lot of hard work and
perseverance. Never give up, educate yourself!
What advice do you have for people trying to get into the music industry?
As I mentioned, educate yourself, but also apply what you have learned!
And realize luck has nothing to do with it, some people will say they are
waiting for a big break or to be discovered, but although that does
happen, it is very rare. The reason we hear so much about these type of
big break stories is exactly that, they make a good story for the media.
What would be so exciting about an artist who worked his butt off and built
a successful career? Media wants hype and emotion, rags to riches. My
advice, don’t wait to be the rare exception, take control of your own
career!
What are the pressures in the industry? How do you cope with them?
For me the pressures are usually deadlines. So I have had to develop a
strong work ethic and fight the evil of procrastination! I am an indie
artist so a lot of the pressures other artists might have I really don’t
have. But there is always going to be tough decisions to make and
difficult people to deal with, so be aware and treat others how you want
to be treated, be professional. And don’t take all things too personally!
During your formative years, what sort of practice regime did you have?
Skipped school and practiced instead... LOL Actually, I did do that a
lot, but I don’t suggest it. I just did the usual type exercises and
stuff everyone else does, but I was one of the people who would do it for 8
hours a day, not because I thought that that amount of time was necessary
but because I was completely obsessed with guitar! I also studied music a
lot, I had a stack of theory books up to my knees. Also being a big Steve
Vai fan I was beside myself with excitement when in the early 90’s he
published his 10 hour workout in a guitar magazine, then when I bought it
I realized that my regime was very much like his already, so I stuck with
it.
What advice do you have for beginner and intermediate players who are
looking to achieve a highly advanced level of playing?
A good teacher is always beneficial. And I stress GOOD, one that knows
guitar, knows music theory and doesn’t just want to show you the latest
song on the radio. And of course put in the time, lock yourself away in
the woodshed and practice your butt off! Keep track of your progress and
don’t stop until you have mastered whatever it is you are working on,
whether it is a technical exercise or a new theory concept. Be organized
and practice, practice, practice!
What gear do you use (and more importantly) why?
I am one of those people who are very specific about gear. For guitars I
can’t play anything other than Ibanez RG or Jem models. I have used them
since 1991, I have tried others brands but I love Ibanez too much and I
find their floating bridges far better than any other. With amps I am a
little more flexible. My favorite up till now has been my Carvin Legacy.
It is smooth and has great clarity. I am not very into a lot of the new
amps geared towards metal, they seem a little too abrasive sounding. For
FX I use a TC Electronic G-System, it is great, I can even use it to
switch amp channels. I like simple, not into tap dancing on 20 different
stomp boxes. Picks are 1MM, strings 9-42 and a Morley wah pedal.
What parts of your playing reflects your personality and self expression
most accurately?
I would say something like the main melody for The Eternal of my Essence
Of Time album reflects my personality. A simple yet epic sounding melody,
it has got a nice smooth flow. Also the improvisational side of my
playing really reflects what I try to express. I love having long
extended sections to improvise over where you can take time to develop
ideas. In fact a lot of Essence Of Time was improvised.
What are you trying to achieve compositionally?
It might sound like a cliche, but I am just trying to tell a story, of
course without words. If I can get the listener to connect with the mood
then I would feel I achieved the purpose of a song.
Talk about the process of recording your album. Are there any tips and
tricks you could pass on?
The recording was done all in my home studio. A nice simple setup with
Pro Tools LE and an MBox2. The first thing I did was write the songs then
lay down a scratch track which I could build the drum parts around using
EZDrummer. For the guitars I mic’d my cab, I still am not sold on any
software amps yet. I used an SM57, sometimes on axis, sometimes off,
depending on the sound I wanted. And recorded dry, I added reverb and
delay in Pro Tools. Bass guitar was recorded direct with just a little EQ
and compression. The keyboard parts were all Korg Triton, again played
direct. The only Midi was EZDrummer. All the songs were built this way.
As for any advice. Take your time! But if you are paying to use someone
else's studio, be WELL rehearsed, it can get expensive!
And listen to other recordings that have the sound you are going for and
work to get as close as you can. Experience is going to make each
recording you do that much better. Of course educating yourself through
articles and stuff will also big a big help.
You've joined a new band, tell us more about that.
The new band is pretty cool! I met this guy while I was buying some gear,
he was the salesmen. We got talking and soon realized we would work great
together. He is a fantastic folk singer/songwriter, his name is Kevin
Phillips and the band is called Redhead Mack. During our conversation he
mentioned he loves blazing guitar and was looking for one to add to his
lineup. The sound is kind of a folk-rock-fusion sound. We have done some
demo tunes already and we start gigging this month. Hopefully we can put
out a full album soon, there is enough material, it will just be a matter
of making the time.
If readers want to contact you, what is your email address and website?
They can go to:
lee@leecarlsonmusic.com
www.leecarlsonmusic.com
And a huge thanks to you, Guy!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Album Review - Lee Carlson "Essence Of Time"
Lee Carlson is an Instrumental Rock guitarist from Calgary, Alberta. His unique, epic style of composing and playing takes the listeners on an aural adventure. He has been likened to players such as John Petrucci , Steve Vai and Joe Satriani.
Born & raised on Vancouver Island, Lee started playing guitar at age 12 taking private lessons and playing in the school band. After graduating, Lee attended Malaspina College for one year where he studied Jazz Theory and Composition. He moved to Vancouver after college and studied composition with music producer David Malecot of Malecot Music Enterprises.
A year later, Lee began teaching guitar lessons and joined the metal band, Acropolis. The band was a great musical outlet, he was with this band for a year and enjoyed many great shows. After Acropolis, Lee joined a band called Friday's Cry, toured Western Canada and recorded 5 albums.
Shortly after moving to Alberta in 2002 he joined Da Capo, a jazz quartet and recorded one live CD. A year passed and Lee moved on to form a heavy rock band called Critical Day. With this band, he enjoyed a host of great shows which included opening for Jars Of Clay, Starfield and Riley Armstrong. He has also studied music business under guitar virtuoso Tom Hess.
As well has having recorded a self titled EP, Lee has recently released his debut solo album, ESSENCE OF TIME. This marks the 8th album to his credit.
Kicking off the album is a straight-up, epic rock track called The Eternal. Lee told me that he really likes the solo section which has a Phrygian Dominant tonality! This song also appears on the compilation album, Guitars From The Shadows. The track is full of great ideas, but stays accessible enough not to make Lee sound like some kind of shred snob. Influences on this track range from the obscure to sounding like Satch himself wrote some sections. The hook is very singable too.
Track 2, For Evermore, is another rock instrumental. “This song kind of wrote itself,” says Lee, who had the basic chord progression and improvised on it until he heard the rest of the song in his head. There is a dramatic change of feel for the solo section, which is a lesson in virtuosic picking.
The title track, Essence Of Time, evolved over a couple of years and was originally written with many alternating time signatures, but Lee decided that it worked better in 4/4. The Steve Vai influence on Lee is most apparent in this track. Fortunately Lee isn’t just another Vai clone and exhibits his own tastes and style while playing on the edge (or is that the ultimate control?). The emotive bridge section creates an interesting contrast to the driving of the rest of the song.
Beyond is a lesson in song writing and imagination. “I wanted to write a song that just cycled the same chord progression from start to finish, but each section would have a different interpretation, so to speak, of the progression”, says Lee. Well, apparently, Lee has a bottomless bag of tricks. The solo on this song is my favourite part of the entire album.
The last track, Smooth Waters, is “Your basic guitar ballad”, according to Lee. However, Lee has definitely taken the time to acquire full control of that mystical 6-stringed beast called the electric guitar, and I can assure you that there is nothing basic about this track.
All-in-all, this is a great album for those who enjoy a good amount of feel/emotion on their shred records. You’ll be seeing and hearing more of Lee Carlson, that’s for sure.
http://www.leecarlsonmusic.com/
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Finger Picking Fundamentals
…and now for something completely different.
Right, so we usually feature news, reviews and interviews concerning the use of many notes, played at incredible speed, to convey emotions, (in other words, this place is all about shredding your face off). Not today...
Elmore Music has put together a fantastic guide to Finger Picking. Now before you go back to practicing your arpeggio runs at 250bpm, go here and have a look at Finger Picking Fundamentals.
If you’ve always wanted to learn finger picking on your guitar but didn’t know how or simply failed in an attempt to 'Finger Picking Fundamentals' is surely the quickest way to get yourself in the Tommy Emmanuel/Andy McKee vibe.
The course aims to equip you with the tools necessary to perfect the technique of finger picking so you won’t be tearing your hair out with frustration during the learning process.
An advantage of finger picking notes is that it allows you to play multiple parts of a piece of music, instead of just the blazing solo and crushing riffs.
Imagine being able to play the bass, harmony, melody, and percussion all on your own. You’ll never have to deal with tardy, prima donna band mates ever again.
'Finger Picking Fundamentals' follows a step-by-step instructions, tabs, audio and video layout, to make the learning process simple and easy for everyone.
Topics covered include Scale application, Groove style slap percussion, Groove style finger strumming, Groove style finger muting, Groove style popping, Harp scales, Arpeggio fingerings, Adding the 4th finger, Slap harmonics, Harmonic exercises, Chord harmonics exercises, Harp harmonics exercises, Examples of guitar percussion, Maj, min, dom, 5432 form, Maj, min, dom, 6432 form, and a complete and original song to learn using all your new skills.
There are a lot of great ideas in the Finger Picking Fundamentals course, even for us shred heads. Check it out.
Right, so we usually feature news, reviews and interviews concerning the use of many notes, played at incredible speed, to convey emotions, (in other words, this place is all about shredding your face off). Not today...
Elmore Music has put together a fantastic guide to Finger Picking. Now before you go back to practicing your arpeggio runs at 250bpm, go here and have a look at Finger Picking Fundamentals.
If you’ve always wanted to learn finger picking on your guitar but didn’t know how or simply failed in an attempt to 'Finger Picking Fundamentals' is surely the quickest way to get yourself in the Tommy Emmanuel/Andy McKee vibe.
The course aims to equip you with the tools necessary to perfect the technique of finger picking so you won’t be tearing your hair out with frustration during the learning process.
An advantage of finger picking notes is that it allows you to play multiple parts of a piece of music, instead of just the blazing solo and crushing riffs.
Imagine being able to play the bass, harmony, melody, and percussion all on your own. You’ll never have to deal with tardy, prima donna band mates ever again.
'Finger Picking Fundamentals' follows a step-by-step instructions, tabs, audio and video layout, to make the learning process simple and easy for everyone.
Topics covered include Scale application, Groove style slap percussion, Groove style finger strumming, Groove style finger muting, Groove style popping, Harp scales, Arpeggio fingerings, Adding the 4th finger, Slap harmonics, Harmonic exercises, Chord harmonics exercises, Harp harmonics exercises, Examples of guitar percussion, Maj, min, dom, 5432 form, Maj, min, dom, 6432 form, and a complete and original song to learn using all your new skills.
There are a lot of great ideas in the Finger Picking Fundamentals course, even for us shred heads. Check it out.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Album Review - Jeff Treadwell "Nightmare"
Jeff Treadwell is a professional guitarist, composer, and instructor from the Chicagoland area. His musical style ranges from progressive rock to extreme metal, although he is best known for his ability to write extremely dark and heavy music. While primarily self taught, Jeff has studied guitar with fellow Chicago guitarist Zack Uidl to further improve his musical skills. He is co-authoring a book with Zack on Vibrato, which will be released soon.
Jeff has recently released his first solo album "Nightmare" in September of 2008. It's dark, it's gloomy and you probably won't make it out alive.
Let’s look at the tracks:
The first track, “Prologue”, starts off with a haunting orchestral intro which flows into an eerie arpeggiated acoustic guitar section. A crushing 7 string riff enters at 1:21, introducing the main guitar theme. A quick guitar solo cleaves the heavy section in two, like the Grim Reaper claiming another soul, while the augmented arpeggios in the outro serve to further freak the listener out.
The second track, “Walk through the graveyard”, revisits the orchestral theme from the first track, but this time it’s all creepy clean guitars. The songs tempo is somber and the guitar melodies are sorrowful and scary. The epic solo starts off in the neoclassical realm, but shifts into more accessible rock style-phrasing. The song then quiets down before another climax of spine tingling shredding, and explosive swept arpeggios.
“Nightmare”, the third track, certainly lives up to its name. Starting off with the freakiest clean riff on the album, and moving to a nightmarish verse section, I nearly checked under my bed for monsters. The main theme is held down by a scary synth motif which is the canvas for Jeff’s terrifying solo’s and trademark, wide vibrato. I would peg this track as the single on the album.
“No More Will” starts out with some counter point guitar melodies (jazz metal anyone?) while the middle section sees Jeff sticking to tried and tested soloing strategies before the song emerges in a hell-fire of furious chugging guitar riffs, multiple guitar harmonized leads, and a huge guitar solo.
Track five, “Silent”, is lighter (though not brighter) than any of the preceding tracks. It is lead by tragic clean guitar riffs and a heart-wrenching solo. At 4:00 the song build up and introduces my favourite riff on the record, followed by another emotion filled solo.
“Intermission” comes out of left-field with a dreamy clean guitar intro and some bluesy leads. But just as you think that light has broken the darkness, a piano section straight out of the most frightening horror movie you ever saw, sends you right back into the nightmare.
The seventh track, “The Ferryman”, is all about the gloomy acoustic guitars and haunting sweeps which fade in and out like ghostly apparitions. A dramatic guitar solo and three-part harmony setup another horrifyingly aggressive, demon slaying shred-fest.
Track eight, “The Gatekeeper”, is the longest and most dynamic track on the album. Starting with a dark acoustic riff (which appears many times later in the track) and building into the heaviest section of the album, this track goes through several moods ranging from furious outburst to silent rage. The odd time signature at 3:35 is not for the skittish or faint-hearted, and neither is the shredfest at 3:45, where Jeff and guest soloist Zack Uidl duel it out. The song lets-up for a second, before the rising-up of a huge melodic section which includes another solo by Zack at 8:47.
The final track is called, “Halloween”, because Jeff wrote the whole song on Halloween of last year. The track is huge, crushing, and as spooky as the rest of the album. In this track, Jeff really lets loose the ferocity of his playing with blazing riffs and scorching licks, ending the album on a high.
Jeff’s playing is full of fire and passion. His lead guitar tone, control and phrasing is often far beyond that of a debut record. Terrifying.
www.jefftreadwell.com
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