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What is a Prepared Guitar anyway?

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Have you ever heard a guitar that creates such a incomparable sound, that it makes you sit up and take note of it? How and what does the guitarist do (ie:place something physical on the strings or do it through electrical means) to achieve new sounds? Well it could be anything at his/her disposal.

Some call this guitar styleNoise music (think new age or abstract/avant-garde jazz). Noise music is an acquired taste to most lovers of music. Now for a bit of background information.

It took me many, many years to understand abstract jazz, but in the end it was really eye opening and definitely worth it. Finally one day it hit me like a ton of brinks!

When listening to it, you have to unlearn everything you know about modern music making with all of conventional chord progressions. You have to force you mind to disregard familiar melody lines and watch out for rhythm patterns instead, at least that is how I came to this understanding of it. To me it was like holding back raging lion with a spool of knitting thread.

Imagine an radical poet/lyricists trying to make sense of a modern day song. If the sound of music itself infuriates them, they would have to put on musical sound plugs, in order to get what they would be naturally interested in (words/lyrics)! They would have to filter out all the sounds in their mind and then concentrate completely on the words being brought forth to them. This would tax their sanity to the max.

Yes, to most of us beauty is in the eyes of the beholder … but at least give it a try!

There are many levels of this music. First there is the just kinda having fun with it guitar player. Then there is the extreme lover of Prepared Guitar performing! I tend to lean towards the first.

I just had my subscription to Acoustic Guitar arrive in the mail the other day and I saw a piece titled Prepared Guitar. While reading it, all the above came to mind. Near the beginning of the article, I thought how in the hell can you do this technique on an acoustic? Well you are only limited by the number of things around you.

When goofing around on your axe (or watching someone play guitar) just pick up the closet thing to you and try you best to alter the sound in anyway you can.

You could place a chop stick under some strings, but not all, and strum the unaffected strings? You might want to lay some paper over all the strings and proceed playing a simple song, let the vibrating strings bounce the paper up and down? Hey, whats that I see? A paper clip … here … through it over! For all you song writers out there, this might be that missing bridge in a song your currently working on … your welcome!

A Prepared Guitar is simply one that has had a foreign object of some sort added, usually to the strings, to alter the sound
Bill Horvitz Acoustic Guitar Magazine

So kidz, here is today’s lesson. Go out there and start experimenting with any object at your disposal and get back to us with what you came up with! Then, get back to us right away and tell us all here of your results … we’ll be waiting for your response!

Keep on Jammin’





Kickin’ it Rhythm Stompbox style

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I came across an article from acoustic guitar magazine, May 2009 edition, that talks about a device called Three Rhythm Stomp Boxes. I’ve never heard of such a device before. This equipment simply plugs into an amp or PA system and takes no batteries at all. Just plug it in and starting jammin’!

As we all know, when you see a guitarist playing, you see some of us tapping our feet to help us keep the rhythm of a song. Stomping Tom Connors is Canada’s best example of this technique. With this piece of modern wizardry, it provides us with more then just a simple aid to use when we’re playing.

The Stompbox is made up of wood, or some other wood composites, that have a built in mic system that sends a signal to an amp. Some of these units have 1/4 guitar jacks or low impedance XLR jacks. The XLR jacks are to be used in systems that are specifically made with heavy bottom end equipment, ie: bass amps or sub-woofers.

Some are as simple as plug and play, with a straight forward use, and some are created quite complex thus meaning guys you have to really check out the manual to understand it’s full potential!

The three models shown in this article are Ellis Guitars Original Stompbox (Straight forward approach), Porchboard Bass (both complex and great give), and the Shadow SH Stompin’Bass (has a great Wood like intonation/sound).

Acoustic guitar has this great video that can help you understand stompboxes in greater detail so check it out!

I must admit that I don’t tap my feet much when I play. When playing I tend to bob my head very lightly, but I do have this weird accented breathing while performing intricate pieces. This might be a good thing for me come to think of it, it might just cover up this horrible sound that I make? Just thought of it right now … really!

Being a guitar player who hates to have any dead sound, I think this would be a very important addition to my arsenal. I know the price maybe steep, but the first one seems decent enough.

So the question I have for you would be, is this something that you’d buy for yourself or possibly for someone you know that plays guitar?

Keep on Tappin’

Tommy Emmanuel the Guitar Boogie-man

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My old pal Dominic just sent me this link that shows this fabulous guitarist called Tommy Emmanuel performing Guitar Boogie. He does some fine guitar picking on this one tune that is truly worthy of being called FANTASTIC!

The beginning part reminds me of the great guitarist Brian Setzer. Brian has this Bluesy, Jazz, Swing Rockabilly technique that stands apart from the rest of us guitar players. Tommy Emmanuel certainly has this effect in this piece and a whole bunch more.

At 0:18 of the song, he implements both solo rhythm parts perfectly. I have to work on this aspect of playing and now I have something to work work on finally.

He then breaks into wonderful flat picking that makes my tongue hit the ground at 0:34. Some people have this gift and others … I’ve never been one for playing mind bending, speed breaking solo’s because one I can’t and two it’s not me.

Another favorite part of this piece comes at 1:07. It demonstrates the semi-tone slide up to a chord that can’t help but make you tap your foot. The little chops that he puts in there, for good measure, places his musical talent bar a little higher then most of us can reach, but we MUST TRY PEOPLE!

From 1:33 to … he incorporates the use of his two bottom fingers on his right, picking hand for solo/lead phrasing and gives your pick holding fingers a real workout! I cannot emphasis this any more, to guitarist out there, that this is a technique that you should work on. It comes in handy, more often then not, in a song (or while jamming) that will help showcase you guitar diversity! Another song to help persuade you to perfect this picking style is Steve Howe’s The Clap.

I don’t want to ruin it by giving it all away, so please check this work of art out and tell me what you think of it?

Keep on Jammin’

Who says Polka bands don’t rock

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The Schmenge Brothers were a world class polka band played by John Candy and Eugene Levy on the popular Canadian comedy TV show SCTV.

They were the leaders of the polka band The Happy Wanderers. The characters were a polka band twosome, that made you laugh and cry at all their crazy on stage antics and the over the top songs that they performed for us weekly. I can still see our old rabbit eared, black and white television set that I watched them on in my mind.

John Candy played the polka clarinetist Yosh Schmenge, while Eugene Levy was the zany accordion player Stan Schmenge. They were also so very gracious to the little people behind the scenes. This was always the case when they never forgot to say thanks to Mrs Vilve Yachke for the cabbage rolls and coffee. They were so mainstream that Yosh even made it to Sesame Street!

This band first appeared in the May 21, 1982. It was a show within a show. The band played this easy listening style of music, like Lawrence Welk, only thing missing was the bubble machine! At one time they were into even venturing into the New Wave genre… honestly.

The guys were from this mythical country called Leutonia, complete with very thick European accents. They even did a album. On this facetious 2 set disk, they play songs like “Dance, Old Man Dance”, “Just a Schmenge Waltz”, “There’s Rhythm In My Lederhosen”, “Mama Cook Me Cabbage Rolls”, “The Wanderer’s Polka”. A must for any Schmenge collection!

The Schmenge Brothers were a class act. Their act was based upon Czechoslavian-born Edmonton-based polka cable show host Gaby Haas, really! They were both in Edmonton on night and were watching TV and they came across this show. They thought that it would be a neat idea to do a parody of it, but forgot about it when they returned back to Toronto. It took them a couple of years to get back to the idea and when they did it, it was a hit to say the least.

The Schmenge Brothers popularity resulted in the HBO special The Last Polka (a parody of Martin Scorsese’s The Last Waltz). I’ve never seen it, but the reviews are great! Now I’ve to keep my eye out for that one.

When I was growing up watching SCTV, my favorite characters were the Schmenge Brothers, hands down. Both characters combined reminded me of a old friends father. The thing is, he really was the embodiment of both actors together! When I saw him, I saw them on the show. If you ever met him you know exactly what I mean.

Anyways, these guys were pure fun to watch on TV. The way they talked, the way the roamed around on their show and on how they made the Polka band just rocked! Sometimes the band portrayed the real essence of how a polka band would be on stage. Other times … not so much.

I do not have any of their shows on DVD, but when ever I am searching through my PVR(TVO) guide looking for a show and I see SCTV on it, I feel the urge to tape it and go back to those crazy TV viewing days as a kid.

So has anyone ever heard of the The Happy Wanderers, led by the Schmenge Brothers? If you haven’t then what do you think about them now?

Keep on Polka-in’

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