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Backup singers for those who have none

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The DigiTech company has created this tool that can help you with your singing. No, it cannot improve the timber of your voice, it can help you construct a nice layer to it though with their Vocalist Live 4 foot pedal.

In my early days of playing guitar, we didn’t have all the racks of electronics that they have for today’s guitar player. There was a couple of staple pedals out there with limited capacities. KISS (keep it simple stupid) was the rule of the day. In today’s musical environment, it’s a whole new ball game.

I tend to do mostly solo playing when I perform live, due to the fact that I’m the only one on stage at the time. My voice is not the greatest but, it works for the most part. When playing most songs, I attempt to produce that full sound that I hold so dearly to my heart. During some songs that require chording in certain parts, I let them come out in my mind … unfortunately this doesn’t come out over the PA.

In one of my many monthly music magazines I subscribe to, I came across this device from DigiTech that helps you form harmonies on either you home computer or live. This product is called Vocalist Live 4.

Basically the foot pedal works on what your instrument is playing. It follows the chords you are playing and it then formulates that appropriate harmonies that you can use. You can tailor fit it to your own parameters, for you to ultimately control.

You can either create the pre-set patterns on your computer with a Midi sequencer (I would highly recommend this one) or you could do it through faceplate in real time (I’m not that coordinated, how about you?).

Of coarse there are the endless add on’s to any modern day devices that can drive you out of your mind! If you are a simple performer like myself but, your not into all the technical rings that you have to jump through while playing live, it’s still nice to know that their if you need them.

Here is an example of how it works and it seems really neat and helpful for this guy on stage. It seems simple enough and I can’t hear the traditional hissing sound that is normally associated with products like this.

Has anyone out there used this product OR something similar to it now or in the past? I’d love to find out more about this and other devices like it. To everyone else reading this post, if you know someone who is a musician that might find this item useful and your looking for a gift for them then, do your homework and see if it’s in your price range. It would be a GREAT donation to a musical friend that will have a big effect on their performances today and in the future for sure!

FYI: if you have more dollars then sense/cents, then I’m looking for a really good friend too!

Keep on Jammin’





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’

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