Guitar Licks and Tips » Playing Guitar

Jacob Moon’s acoustic Subdivisons by RUSH

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

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

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

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

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

So I hope that you enjoy this video.

Keep on Jammin’

Some great tunes from Rick Santers band

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

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

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

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

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

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

Road to Morocco

Keep on Jammin’

The new Brantford SJC School Band

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

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

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

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

Also check out their version of Time as well.

Keep on Jammin’

If I was only born with four hands

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

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

Keep on Jammin’

Do we really need guitar teachers?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep on Jammin’

Chuck Berry is the Father Rock and Roll

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

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

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

So here’s to Chuck Berry! Enjoy.

Keep on Jammin’ Canada!

Getting The Most From Your Home Stereo

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

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

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

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

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

Fender Basses – A Rich Legacy

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

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

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

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

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

Acoustic Guitar magazine is 20 years old

Chris — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:25:23 +0000

The Acoustic Guitar magazine is celebrating 20 years of service to all those die hard acoustic guitarists out there everywhere!

I’ve always found some great topics and intriguing issues in this magazine. The way the articles are phrased makes them simple to understand and the writers don’t talk down to you. I find this magazine to be unmatched and highly recommend it to any level of guitarist.

I’ve picked up some real nice little riffs and chord progressions in it that I find myself using without even realizing it! The website is just fabulous! If you have an online subscription, the guitar videos will help you become not only a much better guitarist, but a well rounded musician as well. I can’t say enough about the guys and girls that work there.

Acoustic Guitar’s 20th anniversary issue has what they consider to be the top 240 essential albums from the past 20 years. Some are from albums/guitarist that are familiar and some musicians that are very obscure to most, but in the end will help you expand your playing styles in new and exciting directions.

The anniversary installment, January’s issue, covers some great guitar and gear innovations over the past 20 years. Products like the Trace acoustic TA-100, the Kyser Quick Change capo (I’ve got one and I NEVER leave home with out one in my case), the Fishman Acoustic Matrix piezo pickup, tons of guitars and pedals. It also has a real nice article about how guitar making technology has helped change the sound of modern instruments.

Acoustic Guitar 20th Anniversary collector’s edition is out and I highly recommend that you pick this one up for either yourself or a guitarist that you know.

Keep on Jammin’ Acoustic Guitar!

The How Long Blues in the Recovery Room

Chris — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:01:01 +0000

Here is the video of Dr. Lefkowitz and myself playing at my work. We did a 2nd take of this one because one of my favorite nurses of all time Bev and my favorite anesthesiologist Les missed the 1st one!

I now have a fonder respect for blues guitarist! I find the rhythms to play are difficult to master. The lossie goosie timing takes a bit of getting use to. The coming in and out of time signatures at unfamiliar times are something that I have not tried before. I am more accustomed to straight forward rhythms so I must appear to come off as a spastic rhythm guitarist, ha!

Just a question here for all you musicians out there, have you had certain challenges when you try to play the blues properly when your own style of playing is completely different for the blues? I just want to find out if it is just me who has the problem adapting to this unique genre or is it just me.

Like most guitar players I love attempting different forms of music to broaden my musical horizons and repertoire. It is also an advantage to having a number of tricks in my hand bag to pull out when needed.

This genre of music will take me a while to get a proper handle on it but I feel that I am up for the task. So a practicing I a go!

So sit back and have a laugh at my expense! Cheers!

Update – sorry had to remove the video as the doctor I work with made it private. Darn!

Keep on Jammin’

Guitar Licks and Tips » Playing Guitar

Jacob Moon’s acoustic Subdivisons by RUSH

Related Reading:

Some great tunes from Rick Santers band

Related Reading:

The new Brantford SJC School Band

Related Reading:

If I was only born with four hands

Related Reading:

Do we really need guitar teachers?

Related Reading:

Chuck Berry is the Father Rock and Roll

Related Reading:

Getting The Most From Your Home Stereo

Related Reading:

Fender Basses – A Rich Legacy

Related Reading:

Acoustic Guitar magazine is 20 years old

Related Reading:

The How Long Blues in the Recovery Room

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