king of the blues

I just bought a new issue of guitar world sept 09...i came across the contest for king of the blues 2009. It's my first time listening to tis contest. In the guitar centre's contest website there are 25 backing tracks to be downloaded and played over. The tracks are either created by a grammy-strudded Pete Anderson or by the musically inclined employees of guitar centre. Mostly drawing inspirations from muddy waters, chuck berry, duane allman and stevie ray vaughan.

Too bad it's only a american competition or else it's these kind of things tat will let other countries musicians put their country on musical map of pop music derived from western cultures no matter how you look at it.

However the consolation is tat we can download the 25 backing tracks for free(yes!) and work out our own composition or interpretation of the blues...

Late night thoughts

Recently got a few new songs, one of them which caught my attention was "Still got the Blues" by Gary Moore. After listening to it, I didn't like it at all, it wasn't calling out to me. It had great technique and sounds but it wasn't the type of blues i was wanting to play. It didn't make me feel what jimi hendrix did when he played just the intro of hear my train a-coming in acoustic. Maybe it wasn't the so-called delta-blues.

I guess as much as i'm influenced by Jimmy Page and Slash(for bending), the roots of the music i play is mostly delta blues, but really not much people can even differentiate blues from jazz or lounge music.

I'm gonna start covering them as much as I can, playing it well is my best way of paying tribute to those who created such great music and feeling. Although it is not popular, but I'm sure it will be one day. Just awaiting for a really catchy blues song to go on pop radio.

EFFECT-ive?

i was nv really a user for pedals for various reasons mainly being the fact tat my amp is a modelling amp and wif a unimaginable amount of drive(for a blues player it's alot, but not for metal). I didnt always get how people can get so into effects, if it's delays n wah i can understand, u're getting a different sound but i think some people should really try their best to understand pedals and effects before buying them by the endorsement of their favourite celebrities. Some just use pedals for the convienence sake of adjusting the amp to stepping on a medal box on circuitry. Many guitarist don't really know the difference of how similar sounding effects affect their signal differently...

1) Distortion and Overdrive (even some guitar reviewers on youtube don't know the difference)
2) Tremolo and Vibe (Hendrix dun use tremolo, he uses vibe)
3) Chorus and Phaser and Flanger and Harmonizer (i don't know what each really sounds like)

There you go, learn the effects or else if you put it through recordings and mikes, if u use a tremolo it affects volume and a noise gate in chain will kill the sound abit and sound totally different from what u intend to hear.

Publicly speaking...

I was working at a electronics store today and my boss told me that I could put watever music i wanted. HAPPINESS!! So i quickly ran a shuffle through it. Songs from AC/DC, Johnny Rzenik, Joe Perry, Beatles, Led Zeppelin n a few others. When The Rain Song and Stairway to Heaven was playing, the staff asked me about these 2 songs(particularly interested in these 2 also got ask other songs).

Then I realised one thing, these song being more than 7 mins each and concerts version lasting 8-10 mins, did they ever made it to the radio to be played for the public enjoyment? Many people don't know about Led Zeppelin the others because they didnt enter mainstream pop culture. Or perhaps because led zeppelin refuse to let others access their mastertapes.

I guess that's why only people who really follow rock music would come about these range of musicians which weren't played into the wireless...If one day, i can master(really play the shit out of the song) I'll set up my gear in public and play it off. Really gotta get these music out into the world even it is 30 years too late.

World's favourite crouch grabber (allegedly children's too) Michael Jackson rushed to the hospital after collapsing in front of somewhere, i think his house. Apparently he died of a Cadiac Arrest(cadiac: heart, arrest: captured by sumthing usually police).

1958-2009. greatest 50 year old the world ever seen, really the greatest.

He's so great, if he's british, he'll enter knighthood alrdy. Think about it, how many people can sing songs and build a amusement park or to be known by children from the age of 3?

Ironically, since it happened, I'm glad i lived to see a famous guy die and feel the sadness of the community. Call me sadist if u want.

So there you go, greatest pop star in the world dead+upcoming tours(wat happens to tix bought?)+connspiracy theories+books+music compliations+movies about him (and the homealone kid will get interviewed like crazy)+another crazily decorated tombstone...who says when u die it's over?

The Rose

come about tis song from bette midler(very nice name) still alive tho. titled The Rose, it's one of those melodies tat you listen to it and weep on the inside, touching ur heart saying, "It's beautiful..." You then listen to it over and over again.

Heard: main melody, C, F, G...simple...it's a 3 verse, no chorus song, b4 the last chord sequence, it has a Em n Am...so damn simple to play along to...

it ends with a C chord...u can strum it rhythmically to make it sound "ended" or u can do a simple pinky trick to capture the feel...

either (V for downstrum, A for upstrum)
V V
----0----0~--
----1----0~--
----0----0~--
----2----2~--
----3----3~--
----0----0~--
Tis here is really easy, just lift ur index, strum half speed and shake the entire guitar.

or
V A
----0----0~--
----1----3~--
----0----0~--
----2----2~--
----3----3~--
----0----0~--
Some might find going higher abit weird to end but it covers up nicely as the B string is at a different set of intervals. Think of tis ending as if wif piano accompanied or if wif drums, it ends wif a roll on the cymbals, whereas the first ending is for those bassier drum endings or voice shouts.

Quickie
Another tip i picked up from Mr Justin Sandercoe from youtube. When u play songs on chords, try this tuning

f---
C---
G---
D---
A---
E---
And play barred chords instead of open tunings. when you are playing where the root note is on the low E string(eg: F to B chord usually), let the bottom 2 strings ring. and when you are playing wif the root note on the A string(eg: B to E chords) play it tis way...
g c
f-0--0-
C-0--4-
G-4--5-
D-5--5-
A-5--3-
E-3----

This way, the notes will have a nice acoustical ring to it.

Back to Our Roots

Looking back in the past has been something I've always done in my tonal pursuits. Although I try to be as Bluesy as possible, I've always look into licks deravated from Surf (wipeout, walk don't run, rock lobster), Rockabilly(bill haley).

I've been really enticed by the fact tat the music we hear today are infact taken from bits and pieces of the past really no matter how hard u try to sound new. Which is why, music is always best sounding when simple.

To those who created the music, thank you.