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The Canadian Piano Man – Burton Cummings

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Well I must admit that this guy in my eyes is Canada’s answer to Billy Joel. The way Burton Cummings makes tunes that still to this day brings goose bumps to the back of my neck! The way his songs are built up in such intricate voicings is pure genius. His songs flow in and out of pop one minute then followed up with such rocking force is a real gift from God.

One of my favorite nurses at work is just gaw, gaw over him. She always Burton Cummings him when he blows through our fair city with her husband no matter the cost of admission. Her music appreciation is similar to mine and we’re the same age.

The other day her, a doctor and myself got into a discussion about if they would see Led Zeppelin if they went on tour and to my amazement, they said they would not! I still respect her music tastes but with a little bemusement in my eyes!

So this posts for you “Y”!

Keep on Jammin’





The “B-bender”

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I realize that some people who view this blog are not guitar players but just bloggers who happen to come across my page from time to time. For those few, I want to bring different insights about guitars and techniques that us players use that are invisible to most eyes and ears of music lovers! This topic may just bend your mind! (ok, that’s a bad one)

The tool that I wish to talk about is the “B-bender”. Basically, this devise bends a string a full tone (going from one note to the one directly above or below it) without having to use your fingers. It is also known as “The Third Hand”.

Ok, now imagine this if you will. Have you or have you ever watched someone pick any string on the guitar and then with another finger go to the head of the guitar (the part that you tune with) and push down on that same string that they hit? You would hear a bending or a sliding of a note, it would have sounded like a wah, wah like sound, didn’t it? Now that is what the B-bender device does but on the fly. The Pedal or Slide guitar is where the sound originates from.

This sound is just so relaxing to play. When I do through this lick in somewhere in a song, it has this calming effect on me and others as well I guess! The most popular song that show cases this is on the Eagles tune called “Peaceful Easy Feeling”, it’s the beginning guitar lick. Although I’m not a country player, I just love to throw this sound in just for some dramatic flare whenever I can!

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The list of guitarist who use this type of device is a literal who’s who of guitar legends! Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards …

You get the picture now don’t you. BTW The image above is the schematics of this device.

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This device was made by a man named Gene Sez in around 1966, but the main idea for this came from Clarence White. Clarence wanted to be able to deliver this effect but having it tied up to his guitar strap and soon it became guitar history! The first recording of this sound was when they were the house band at the Nashville West in El Monte in 1966. This CD is now considered by Guitar Player Magazine, “One of the top 20 essential country albums of all time.” Not bad of an idea now is it!

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Keep on Jammin’ (or should I say bendin’?)

Peter Schmidt

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Good old Peter has been one of those great friends growing up in my early moving to Toronto period! We lived together at this dorm called Co-op Housing in the late 80’s.

petejeffheally.jpg Peter and Jeff Healey.

We soon found out that we were both guitar players early on and really liked our own playing styles. he was a lover of the blues then and now has taken it to a higher level today!

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He use to be in a band with a few other high school and fellow Co-op students in a band called “The Big Kahuna”. They played mostly Stones, Red Hot Chilly Peppers and my favorite band that they covered perfectly was The Black Crows.

While gigging one night at a bar at 1130 Queen St East, called Stratengers, and I videoed them live and it was the start of my love affair with the video camera! I found a copy of it on a old “C tape” and when I can, I’ll throw it up on youtube for you all. Oh those were more simpler days. I don’t think that they have bands playing there but according to most T.O. pizza critics they have the best pizza on Queen St not to mention some awesome east Indian food!

He has played in numerous great blues bands, has toured extensively in Canada and the US and lives around 4-5 months of the year in Cuba! He teaches out of his condo in North York and just lives and breaths the blue 24/7. I STRONGLY SUGGEST that if you are looking for a serious blues teacher then he would be the be all and end all of your search! If you choose to contact him pleas tell him to “Do it up BIG TIME” and you’ll get a free first lesson!

peteincuba.jpg Peter with his band in Cuba.

Please go to his site and check out for yourself his playing and PLEASE LEAVE a comment or e-mail him, it would be a favour for me if you did! If you do so, I’ll give you a free lesson off line and make it worth your while!

As Keith Richards would say “Love Ya Live!”

Keep on Jammin’ (Peter Schmidt)

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