Guitar Lovers

For many seasoned guitarists, playing in Drop D (DADGBE) is a bit of a cheat.  Personally, I find it easier to play my guitar in Drop D, especially in a live setting when I prefer to thrash around and get out my inner Greg Ginn. 

Drop D utilizes power chords better on guitars, particularly for punk rock and metal bands.  Before writing off Drop D as a farce for people who can’t read or play music, give it a try and you might be surprised how it can open up songwriting options and playing.

Whether you like it or not, rock n’ roll is here to stay. What used to be a music that was frowned upon by the older generations is now the music that almost everyone loves. This music has been dominating the charts time and again, thanks to its youth appeal. Rock n’ roll has been an avenue for self-expression.

What differentiates rock n’ roll music from other music genres is the type of instruments being played. Sounds mostly come from electric keyboards, drums, and guitars. It then doesn’t come as a surprise that the number of electric guitars for sale has gone up. More and more music lovers, particularly guitarists, have traded their old guitars for the funkier ones. Knowing how to play an electric guitar is a skill and an art. The arrangements can be quite difficult that it takes talent and a lot of practice to master it.

Digital Audio Workstations

Most home studios these days are based around computer Digital Audio Workstations, which combine tracking (recording), audio editing, effects and processing, and mixdown features into one convenient package. These amazing software tools are superpowerful, but all that power can come with the price of complexity. Here are some tips for getting more out of your Digital Audio Workstations.

22. Custom Templates
Sessions with preset tracks and input assignments will get you started quicker.
Remember Tip No. 1 about making it easy to get your studio recording? The same applies to your DAW. You can set up your own templates—empty sessions with tracks already created and assigned to inputs and outputs—so that all you have to do is plug in a mic, arm the track, and hit Record. This saves time and makes the path from inspiration to recording much faster and easier.

23. Optimize Your CPU
Disable background programs you don’t need.
Computers are complex beasts. Often there is a lot going on that we aren’t aware of. Unfortunately, all of that stuff that we’re unaware of saps power from your computer’s ability to play tracks and run plug-ins. Go through and disable any background programs and processes, such as antivirus, backup, and anything else you don’t need that could sap power away from recording and process audio. In many cases, you’ll be surprised how much CPU power you make available to your DAW.

24. External Hard Drives
Record your tracks to a dedicated hard drive.
In most cases you’ll get better results if you record audio tracks to a dedicated hard drive, rather than to your computer’s system drive. With the system drive, there’s always danger of the system interrupting for some reason. Plus, you’ll generally have more room and a faster response with an external FireWire or USB 2.0 drive. You’ll also want another external drive for backing up all your files for safekeeping.

25. RAM-tastic
Add more RAM for better performance.
The number one way to increase your computer’s power is to add more RAM. RAM is the memory that your machine uses to load the operating system and any programs, as well as data that is being processed, off the hard drive. In my opinion, 1 GB of RAM is the minimum amount you should have for basic recording, and I highly recommend at least 2 GB. If you’re running virtual instruments (software synths and samplers), 2 GB is the minimum, with 4 GB being much better. You’ll be surprised how snappy and fast your computer feels when it has enough RAM to function well. (Always check your software’s minimum system requirements for the amount of RAM the manufacturer recommends.)

26. Sampling Rates
If you can hear the difference with a high sampling rate, use it. If not, save your hard drive.
Should you use a high sampling rate, say, 96 kHz, even if your recording is going to end up as a CD or an MP3? For a rock, pop, or similar recording, I don’t hear much difference. For a solo steel-string or classical guitar piece or an intimate, acoustic jazz recording with great mics, preamps, and converters, there may be a subtle improvement. But don’t take my word for it. Try recording the same tracks with high and standard sampling rates, then compare. If your ears hear a difference, go for the high rate. If you can’t tell which is which, save the hard drive and computer resources

MICROPHONE TIPS

The microphone is where it all starts—the sound is never going to get any better than it does when it is captured by the mic. You can tweak it, twist it, slice it, dice it, and squash it, but the quality of the raw miked sound is essential to the final results. These tips will help you optimize your miked signals.

11. Mono Miking
One mic will give you a tight, punchy track.
Should you use one or two mics on your guitar? The answer depends on the result you want. For a driving, hard-strummed track in a band context, one mic will create a tight, punchy sound without taking up too much room in the mix.

12. Stereo Miking
Use two mics for a complete picture of your guitar.
For a solo guitar track—fingerstyle or picked—two mics will give a broader, deeper, more spacious sound, with width that fills both speakers. Two mics can also be positioned to capture a more complete “picture” of the guitar than a single mic can.

13. Multiple-Mic Solutions
Make sure your tracks are in phase.
If you’re using more than one microphone on a source, or if you’re recording more than one instrument at a time and the sound from one instrument is getting into another instrument’s mic, you could have phase issues caused by the different arrival times of the sound waves at different mics. “Out-of-phase” tracks have a hollow, empty sound when combined. Most mixers (software or hardware) include a phase switch for each channel; try it both on and off. One position will usually sound noticeably better than the other.

14. Tracking Guitar and Voice
Use mic polar patterns to isolate tracks.
Tracking someone who plays and sings at the same time can be a real challenge—it’s difficult to isolate the guitar from the vocal so that each can be treated differently during mixdown. There are several things you can do to increase isolation between the two. Place the mics as close as possible to the guitar and the singer’s mouth. Take advantage of the mic polar patterns—cardioid, figure-eight, hypercardioid; all these mic patterns have “nulls” where they don’t pick up sound well. Try to position the nulls for the guitar and vocal mics so they aren’t picking up the other source. Depending on the song and performance, I prefer to just go with it—either live with the bleed between the guitar and vocal or use one well-placed mic pulled back a bit to capture both. The result will be a natural, “you are there” recording of the performance.

15. Recording More Than One Player
Make the performers comfortable.
As a recording engineer, my goal is to capture a great performance. When recording more than one player simultaneously, I make sure the performers are set up so they are completely comfortable, then I’ll place my mics to capture the sound as well as I can. As in Tip No. 14, try to place the mic “nulls” so that there is as much isolation between the performers as possible, and consider putting something between them—a sofa, a divider, whatever you have, in order to improve isolation. Or, again, just go with it: place mics in front of the performers and capture a “you are there” recording of the performance where everyone happily bleeds into everyone else’s mic.

16. Size Matters
Experiment with different mic types.
Should you use a large- or a small-diaphragm mic to record? For vocals—and vocal-like instruments, such as wind instruments—large-diaphragms are the standard. For acoustic guitar, in general, small-diaphragm mics will give you more detail and clarity while large-diaphragms will provide a fuller, punchier sound. Having said that, experiment! Try each type and see which you prefer.

17. Omnidirectional Mics
For natural sound and room ambience, try an omni.
Omnidirectional microphones mics pick up sound well from all directions. The advantage is that they will give you an even, balanced sound and good dynamic response, with no proximity effect (bass boost), even with the mic very close to the guitar. You also get some room ambience, resulting in a more natural sound. The disadvantage is that there is no isolation—the mic will pick up everything in the room to some degree. And if the room doesn’t sound all that great, you may not want its ambience in the recording. I love omnis for stereo “live” recordings of classical, acoustic jazz, and similar styles. They aren’t as common for multitrack recordings, but I’m using them more and more for their natural sound quality.

18. Give It Some Space
Pull your guitar mics back a few feet.
No one ever hears an acoustic guitar from a foot away—which is where we often place our microphones. As listeners, we always hear the instrument from some distance back in the room. For most instruments the sound “develops” and comes together a few feet away from the instrument. With guitar, for example, the main source of the sound may be the soundboard—though the sound quality will vary depending on the spot on the soundboard you are listening to. But vibrations from the neck, back, sides, even headstock, all contribute to the overall sound to some degree—and a close mic will never capture all that resonance. Try pulling your mics back a few feet, or use distant mics placed five or more feet away in conjunction with close mics, to really capture what your guitar sounds like.

19. Laser Accuracy
A laser pointer will show you exactly where your mics are pointed.
Want to know exactly where your mics are pointing? Use a laser pointer alongside your mic to see exactly where it is aimed.

20. Sonic Reinforcement
Record a pickup track alongside mic tracks.
If a guitar has a pickup, I always record it to a track, even if I’m using microphones. I then have the option of blending in the pickup sound (with or without EQ to shape it) to reinforce the mic tracks.

21. Tweak the Pickup Track
When recording a pickup signal, use a good direct box and shape the signal with EQ.
If you’re working with just a pickup (no mics), it can be a challenge to get a great recorded sound. First, use a good direct box or instrument input. Consider using something like one of the Fishman Aura processors, which use digital “images” of real acoustic guitars—I’ve done solo guitar recordings using these and had excellent results. Many listeners couldn’t tell I hadn’t used a mic! D-Tar’s Mama Bear is another option, as it uses digital modeling to create more realistic acoustic sounds from a pickup. Otherwise, record the pickup signal dry, then during mixdown carefully EQ the pickup signal to remove any harsh upper midrange. Brighten the top end to open up the sound, and shape the bass to be more realistic. Then, add a small amount of extremely short reverb—1/10 of a second or so—to simulate the resonance of the instrument. You don’t want so much that you hear it as a reverb tail, just enough to add some space and depth to the pickup sound.

I am a self-confessed music lover. I don’t just love listening to music, I also enjoy learning how to play music. The first instrument I’ve tried was the piano. I loved it but my love affair with the piano didn’t last long. Then, I decided to try my luck with a stringed instrument. I started learning how to play a guitar. I realized that strings were my cup of tea. After learning the basics, it was easier to learn the trickier arrangements.

Currently, I’m into playing the banjo. It is also a stringed instrument but is less popular than the guitar. It can come in four, five, or even six strings. This instrument is more often associated with folk music or country music. The songs are mostly upbeat and merry.

by Frederick Burton

Self-discipline.Author Napoleon Hill defines self-discipline as:

“Taking control of your mind, your habits, and your emotions. Self-discipline is the ability to do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you want to or not.”

I think that sums it up, but as a musician, there are things you can do to make the most of your practice time.

I’ve heard a lot of musicians say that they practice while watching TV, listening to music, etc. They claim they need some sort of distraction in order to better concentrate or they become bored. In my opinion, this is a deep pitfall. Sometimes, something is better than nothing, and sometimes it’s not. Remember, what works for one person doesn’t always work for everyone. It’s up to you to find what is right for you. But here is some advice to develop a musical environment that will maximize your practicing.

First off, let’s find a quiet room: a room away from everything that can be distracting, a room without a television or a radio. Let’s make this room very bright, but without blinding yourself. This will minimize unnecessary straining of your eyes, thus causing a headache. Your area should have all equipment necessary for your practice session: guitar, music stand, necessary books and music, a good chair with a sturdy back for support, a foot stool, tape recorder, and believe it or not, a notepad and a writing utensil. It’s also cool to have posters of your influences on the wall. Now, your ready. But wait…

An important aspect of practicing is the all-important goal setting. Do you have a goal when you begin your sessions? I do, and its very important for all to develop one. An example of a goal is: “I have two hours today, I’m going to first work on my I-VI-II-V chord progressions in every key using the 5-4-3-2 string group.” This is a short term goal. A long term goal is: “Man, give me two years, and I’m going to be as good as Jimmy Bruno.” This goal is a bit more unrealistic, but with practicing, who knows… I’m really just throwing out some ideas, but the point is to create a goal, both short and long-term. Write them down and tape them to a wall in your newly created musical room. Recite them to yourself, and let it soak into your subconscience. Another thing you can do is to write down on your notepad all the things you may wish to practice: Scales, Arpeggios, Technical Mechanics, Tunes, Sight Reading, Improvising, etc. In those two hours ,maybe you can touch on all these topics spending 15-20 minutes on each aspect. If you happen to be strong on scales and weak on sight reading, then concentrate more on the sight reading and less on your scales. You be the judge.

The Perfect Player Part IV

The Importance of Sound-Check
by Andre Tonelli

What we will discuss today is the importance of doing sound check, and some ideas to make the most out the little time you usually get. Though this does not mean to be a comprehensive discussion on sound-check, it includes some ideas that I think you might find useful when preparing for a live performance.First off, make sure that you do sound-check. This is the very first step (and a crucial one) to any show you will do. It is of extreme importance to all bands, but especially to all of you out there who don’t have a sound man (more on this later). When talking to promoters, club owners, or whoever is hiring you, make clear that you will need to do sound-check in order to perform at your best. More often than not, people won’t like this (it means having people at the venue early, having to pay them, etc.), and try to talk you out of it.

I make sound-check a top priority for my shows, and I feel you should do the same. Hold your ground; explain that a good sound-check makes for a better show and happier customers. This probably won’t work, but will at least show you are professional and you act like one. If you just chicken out for fear of losing the gig and accommodate everything this guy demands, don’t be surprised if you will be abused in the future. This holds true in most cases, but use your own judgment to evaluate different situations. If this is a very important gig for you and the owner of the venue gives you some logical reasons for why a sound-check is not possible (festivals do sometimes present problems), be professional and see what works best for you AND the guy.

So let’s say you are given a chance to do sound-check. Most likely, if you are serious about your music, you will try to get as much time as possible. Just as likely, the venue will try to convince you that 5 minutes is all you need. Again, it is up to you to make the call. I did a show in Italy this summer, and demanded a whole afternoon of sound-check for a 29 minute show. Mixing electric guitar with an orchestra is not easy, and that was what I felt was required for the situation. I was also lucky to find very accommodating people to work with, and to be in a position where I could make requests. If your band is a four piece and you practice 5 days a week, you might need less time, it is really up to you.

Whatever time you get, it is now your responsibility to make sure that you make the most out of it and set the base for a perfect show.

Rule number one is: be nice to everybody.
Rule number two is: be nice to everybody.
Rule number three is: you guessed it, be nice to everybody.

Don’t forget that these guys are getting paid whether they treat you well or not, and whether they make you sound good or not. Always keep in mind that what makes a good show good is not only you. It is all the people who are involved in it.

Remember, though, that sound check is YOUR responsibility. The people you will work with can be more or less cooperative, enthusiastic, and professional, but don’t ever assume that things will get done without your input. This holds true for anything in the music business, really, but especially here. Nobody will raise the high end on the cymbals unless you say so. Nobody will give you more bass in your monitor if you don’t specifically ask for it.

Second, worry about one thing at the time. A good place to start is the drums, then move on to the bass, then the guitar, then the vocals. We all have different ways of doing this, so whatever works for you, go for it. What is important is the sound you get on stage. Monitors placement, which is often overlooked, is key. Really spend some time experimenting and finding what works best for you.

Here is where most bands (I am talking on my own personal observations, of course) commit their biggest sin. Everything sounds good on stage, everybody looks happy, so they just wrap up and go to dinner. What they have forgotten is that the most important thing at a show is not what you hear onstage, but what the audience will hear.

So before you go eat (or whatever you do between sound-check and the show), make sure you walk around the venue, at different spots, make mental note of what sounds good and what needs a little adjustment. Maybe the mix could be better, or maybe that cool reverb you used in the studio for your guitar is just mudding the sound when added to the natural reverb of the hall. This is why you should always have sound-check: every venue is different, with different physical qualities.

It is also true that once the people are in the hall, they will mess up good part of your settings (eq, reverb, and so on), and that’s where a good sound man can make the difference. But at least you did your part of the work (especially if you don’t have, or can’t afford, a sound man).

You might even bring that long chord or wireless system and walk around the venue while playing with the rest of the band onstage to get a better idea.

Oh, by the way, only one person in the band should be in charge of the sound-check. Again, this is one of those universals in music; there should always be one member of the band who has the final say. Especially in this case, when you are trying to accomplish a lot in little time. Put all egos aside, whoever can do it best should do it. It is for the good of the band. Listen to your band members, accommodate their specific requests, but be in charge of the overall sound. This, of course, if you are the best for the job. Otherwise, step aside and let somebody else do it.