Guitar Licks and Tips » Songs to Play

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’

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!

80’s band Zon and Put on the Show

Chris — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:01:15 +0000

A Canadian band called Zon, was a theatrical band that was ahead of it’s time. Although I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing this band, it does hold a special part in my rock and roll heart!

While playing in Pylis, we played this song as an opening number. It got my heart just a pumping at break neck speed! The great keyboardist Tony F., recorded this circus like pipe organ sounding song that was followed by a keyboard solo that helped us lead into this tune! Ah, the memories!

Another tune from these guys that we did was called Time for your Love. It had lots of fun openings for me to jam on stage and boy was that fun! See CounterPoint, there was a time that I could pull off some free jamming/soloing on my axe! Too bad that I couldn’t reach deep into my little bag of tricks and show you what I mean.

If you are a fan of this band and you are looking some of their tunes to download, then check out this site for more info.

Enjoy.

Canadian pomp rockers Zon, which were originally released at the end of the 70s. What set them apart from other Canadian bands at the time, was their theatrical approach. Anyone who saw them performing live 25 years ago, will tell you how impressive they were. With special costumes and masks, it was indeed something you had to see at the time. Musically the band played keyboard orientated rock and have always been compared to Queen and (especially) Styx. As a matter of fact, one of the highlights of their (rather short) career came when they were asked to support Styx on their “Grand Illusion” tour. CBS took them under their wings and released “Astral Projector” in 1978 and “Back Down To Earth” a year later. In my opinion, the former is the better of the two, because it’s Zon from start to finish. On “Back Down To Earth”, CBS tried to push them into a more ‘commercial’ direction and the guys didn’t get enough time to write (enough) decent songs. Negative publicity and a corporate cleanout saw CBS dropping them from their roster. A (rather weak) third album was released on the small Falcon Records in 1980 before the band called it quits.
Rock Report

Keep on Jammin’

Bruce Cockburn’s Life Short Call Now album

Chris — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:01:33 +0000

I just ran into a Bruce Cockburn album that I was not aware of until right now! The album is titled Life Short Call Now (2006).

The song that caught my eye and had my feet a tapping is called Different When It Comes To You.

It has a hint of pop and the regular challenge that he regularly provides us is not here in this song. He’s still better then most out there in the industry today!

I find this video quite appealing, visually that is. Some folks out there may think that he is selling out, but as in the past, that is not his end game! The singer/port Ani DiFranco does a guest appearance on this tune as well!

I just thought I’d share it with you all, enjoy!

Keep on Jammin’

The band Toto

Chris — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 04:01:54 +0000

Toto is one of those bands from the late 70’s to the present day that has produced one or two certain song(s) that everyone attaches some fond memories to or just really like the band! The level of musicianship, the jelling of the band members, that sound and rhythm they had was truly unmistakable. Toto was such a polished band that some people may have viewed them in too harsh a light. Their first self titled album, Toto, was the best one they ever put out.

I had all these musical emotions fly directly into my mind the other day by an unexpected force, my god-son Jeffery! He had been talking about this TOTO Greatest Hits (Steel box collection) that he just picked up and he talked about some of the tunes that he liked on it.

The songs he was referring to were some of Toto’s newer releases. They were the ones that I had heard over and over again on the radio. They were nice and all that but, not always as complex and intricate as I liked in comparison with their first project.

So yesterday a few of us went off to help my cousin, Jeffery’s aunt and her husband, put in a retaining wall in their back yard. On the drive over there, Jeffery told me he brought his Toto CD and asked me if I wanted to hear it, so I sheepishly said ok?!

When he placed it in the car CD player and hit play, a few of the songs on it instantly brought me back to my early years as a young progressive guitar player. I honestly love how they formed all their chord/vocal progressions in each of their songs. All though I could not for the life of me figure them out back then, I could certainly appreciate the talent that was needed in performing these difficult pieces live on stage.

Does anyone out there have their self titled album Toto in their collection? If not, then here is what they played on this classic album in order!
Child’s Anthem, I’ll Supply the Love, Georgy Porgy, Manuela Run, You are the Flower, Girl Goodbye, Takin’ it Back, Rockmaker, Hold the Line and Angela.

The members of the band for this album were Bobby Kimball, Steve Porcaro, David Hungate, David Paich, Steve Lukather and Jeff Porcaro.

These bunch of musicians were everything that I could ever want in a band’s style. They guitar, keyboards, bass, drums and percussion are all seasoned studio players. Just imagine how many ways they could come up with in playing a song?

I used to listen to them everyday in my early years. The only song I ever played of theirs was Hold the Line, with a Brantford band called Duece. No other musicians wanted to venture off in that direction. I used my sister’s old stereo a QueOn some much that I went through 3 stylists! I listened to each song taking it apart instrument by instrument in my mind. It’s amazing how much time a young kid can have on his hands isn’t it!

BTW the word toto means all encompassing in Latin! This is so great because it really represents the true essence of the band because of all the contrasting musical styles that they cover.

Keep on Jammin’

Whole Hearted by Extreme

Chris — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:49:54 +0000

I’ve told you now that I am currently in a little acoustic project with a buddy from work. When we got together for the second time, I started playing Hole Hearted by the the 90’s band called Extreme. It went so well that we both started singing it perfectly!

I have played this song many times before with numerous bands in the past and got great response from this song. The first was with a guy named Guytano. I’ve got an old cassette version of us somewhere and it was awesome!

So fast forward to today and it seems like we’ve gonna resurrect it once again.

Going through youtube, searching for unique versions of songs, is a favorite past time on mine. Looking at different chord phrasings of songs fascinates me. My way of playing, at the risk of sounding like an old broken record, is to challenge a listener to hear different ways in which a song can be performed.

Today I found an acoustic version of this song by Extreme. It has sounds like the original, but with a little subtle twist to it.

This version of the band has original members Gary Cherone (Lead Vocals), Nuno Bettencourt (a Canadian Guitarist) with guests Steve Hackett and on slide guitar John Paul Jones(ex-bass player from Led Zeppelin). To tell you the truth, I didn’t even notice him until the end of the song. Speaking of Led Zeppelin, we’ll doing Ramble On as well!

So here is the version that I will attempt to add little parts from, to their original rendition of the song. What do you think about it?

Keep on Jammin’

Jose Gonzalez – Heartbeats

Chris — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 04:02:34 +0000

The song Heartbeats by Jose Gonzalez is one of those great songs that just keeps looping over and over in your mind.

The picking that he does on his classical guitar, is both haunting and beautiful.

The key to pulling off this song is patience. The articulate sequence he uses on his picking hand (right) seems simple enough at first. The average guitar player might just assume that he is using effects to create that lofty sound but, the truth of the matter is in HOW HE PICKS the strings.

I found this THE BEST instructional video on how to play this masterpiece – Heartbeats, take a look.

I can’t stress enough that you figure out this song in SUPER SLOW MOTION! If you choose to blow through it, you will get the overall way to play this song but, people will notice. I first wrote about this tune on my other blog Guitar Licks many months ago. While watching a TV show with my wife, I instantly fell into it’s power! I had to figure it out but had no time to. Now I found this video and I just have to share it with all of you.

I figure that, in order to get the natural flow of the song, it will take me about 2 weeks of playing it over and over again. This will no doubt drive my wife up the wall, it will allow me time to get re-acquainted with Mr. couch and put my marriage to the test(for the 10 zillionth time) … but it’s worth it’s soooo worth it to sound perfect!

So best of luck with figuring it out and I’ll say hello to Mr. couch for you all!

Keep on Jammin’

Guitar Licks and Tips » Songs to Play

Jacob Moon’s acoustic Subdivisons by RUSH

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Some great tunes from Rick Santers band

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The new Brantford SJC School Band

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If I was only born with four hands

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Chuck Berry is the Father Rock and Roll

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80’s band Zon and Put on the Show

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Bruce Cockburn’s Life Short Call Now album

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The band Toto

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Whole Hearted by Extreme

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Jose Gonzalez – Heartbeats

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