WillSegravesministries

Guitar Stuff

                  

I like to help young aspiring musicians when I can. I do not know a lot but I'm willing to share what I have with you

Need some inspiration? Listening to up and coming guitarists who are much better than myself helps me to expand my musical ability without giving up.  It also keeps my feet on the earth when my head gets in the clouds. You cannot enjoy another persons playing if you are jealous of them. A good acid test is to see if your smiling inside or out when you listen or being critical. It's much more satisfying to be able to listen without being critical.

These tab charts helped me more than anything else over the last 45 plus years of guitar playing. Except having to put myself in situations playing live where I had to be spontaneous or listening to records slowed down to 33 or 16 rpm's over and over to learn one little flurry of notes.

 

Here are two entirely different approaches to guitar, attack, tone, but both work well. This young guy is fired up and nails every note like it will be his last chance to ever hold a guitar. He inspires old dogs to try some new tricks. He motivates me to learn and work harder. When you play a song, it may not sound exactly like the original but if it sounds and feels good to you; go with it.

 

Check this two minute video out by Guthrie Govan and click here.

Guthrie Govan

Now watch this two minute video by Chris Cain kicking off the 2007 Greeley Blues Festival What he lacks in education, he more than makes up for in inspiration.

The first time I heard Derek Trucks it threw me for a loop. He had mastered slide guitar before he was twenty. He tunes to an open E, then plays the mixolydian scale and others over it. So he not only mastered the slide, he also relearned every scale as it was in the open E tuning.He also does not use a pick. Here is a four minute solo by Derek. Derek Trucks Band:

FREE SOFTWARE

Here are some free software downloads that may help you in learning licks by slowing them down that I got from Telecaster Player, Terry Downs:

We are now in the world of digital signal processing. The tempo of a song can be changed without changing its pitch. There are several software tools especially made for this application that work really well, and are worth the money if you do this frequently.

There is a free software application called Audacity. It has an amazing amount ofPr capability for free. A free copy can be downloaded here.

Practice every day. Find a lick you can do and do it over and over and over.

                                                                                          

Tone tips

The processing of the audio is comprised of three steps.

1. The song length is trimmed down to part of the song that has the lick you are trying to learn. This makes for a smaller archival size, and allows you to set your audio player to loop mode so it can be played over and over.
2. Slow the tempo down. The further slowed it is, the more "choppy" the sound is. I often find that 30% of the original tempo renders audio that is generally useable for learning the lick.
3. Filter out the unwanted spectrum of the audio. The guitar is in the midrange of the audio spectrum. The bass and high treble can be filtered out so it is not distracting. The slowed down lick does not sound that good, but it is plenty adequate to learn from. To watch a demo click here.

You can teach an old dog new tricks! I guess I'm considered by some as an old dog, but I can learn new tricks. There are licks I learned 40 years ago that I will never forget. There are licks I learn now, that I document. I believe anyone should archive licks. Once learned, it is good to go back and rehearse it. 

There are numerous music score and/or guitar tablature editors. Early forms of guitar tablature had a major flaw, since no time notation was included. Most of the current tablature editors allow the user to input the notes in tablature, along with the duration of the note. The software will simultaneously generate conventional music score, and use a MIDI player to playback the notes. Having the ability to playback the music is most valuable. The user can confirm the correct notes and the correct timing.

Here is a concise webpage on tablature.

Here is Power Tab, and free tablature editor application. It has a few bugs and issues I don't like, but it's FREE. The free download can be found here.

Here is a video demonstrating how to use Power Tab, documenting the slowed down lick above.

Tip: Practice bending strings. Determine where the best sounding bends are in a scale. Notice this guy is squeezing the neck as he bends up on the b string. He is using his ring finger to bend it but his index finger is lending support while his thumb and pointing finger keep him in place. Start out slow.

Stage Presence

I started out playing guitar in my room. Then I moved to the back yard. Then I was comfortable enough to play in other people's houses and that built up my confidence to play on stages. I hung out with guitarists who were better than me. This kept me sharp and gave me goals. Here is a short video and more tips on improving your stage presence. 

                                           Gerry McCann                                           

You can move a crowd of thousands with 1 or 2 notes. It is not how fast you play them (that will increase with practice) it is the WAY you play them that pierces the listener's heart.

Relax when you play. Let the music build up in you and breathe or rest in between notes. Own your phrases*. Play your notes deliberately with purpose. At the same time throw caution to the wind and be spontaneous. Don't force it but if you feel it let it show in your body language and expression. Be yourself. Sometimes I use my fingers or a pick or a slide or an open tuning. There is no need to get stuck in one spot. Have fun with it.

* A phrase is part of a scale that you play

over a groove or background music.

 

Tone Mysteries

Tone is in the ear of the listener. Tone is made up of not only amps and guitars but feel, timing, and response. Tone is highly subjective.

 

Tubes and Tube amps

A "class A" amp means that they run wide open all the time and a "class AB" (most tube amps) react to your playing and run hotter the more you drive them as a general rule.

 

There is not a substitute for a tube amp. There are some very good affordable amps out there today. There are many different sounding amps mainly because of the tubes and transformers that are used. Most tube amps use 12ax7's in the preamp stage. The number or stages of preamp tubes have a lot to do with the final sound. There are various types of power tubes and each one has a definite sound of its own.

 

Here is a generalization of the tone put out by some power tubes:

   Skip Frye Sr                    Bluesman  Larry Howard

 

EL34 hot midrange.                                           

EL 84 - gutsy chime

6L6 - lots of lows and highs

6V6 - low power 6L6

 

 

Speakers are a major factor in tone. Expensive or popular is not always best. I had a 12" speaker that retails at $280. It was not to my liking. I put a $120 speaker in its place and was extremely satisfied. Speakers and tubes can sag after years of use and need to be replaced. Guitarist Derek Trucks blew his speakers out one Saturday night and was scheduled to perform the next night. He could not find a store open that sold speakers so he went to an auto parts store and bought 4 "pile driver" car speakers.He liked the sound so much that he uses them still today.

 

Pickups

I use mostly single coil pick ups because I like the sound and feel. Hendrix, Clapton and SRV used these type pickups. They are not as strong as humbuckers but have a sound all their own.

Leo Fender invented single coils.

 

Humbuckers are more powerful because basically they are two single coils wired together. They have more growl and sustain. Again it's all a matter of taste. Gibson invented humbucker pickups.

 

Cords and pedals

Always use good quality guitar cords. Good quality to me costs about $34 - $80 a cord. They usually have a life time warranty and they sound better. Nothing is worse than an amp buzzing like a chainsaw in a performance. Except maybe a mad man with a chainsaw on stage in a performance.

 

When it comes to pedals, in my opinion, the less you have the better it sounds. I mostly use one over drive pedal for a volume boost when I'm live but never more than three pedals. I've noticed this difference in signal quality and pedals over the past 40 + years.

 

Equipment vs. Signature sound

I once described a guitarist to a friend by saying he was a world class guitarist. My friend asked me what made him world class? I said, when you hear a song on the radio that you've never heard before and after two or three notes you can identify the guitar player, that is what sets him or her apart. That is his signature sound.

Joe Bonamassa

 

Your Licks

It is good to learn seasoned guitar players licks but eventually you'll need to fuse them with your own. Build up your own bag of licks and that way you can't make a mistake. Your significance is not in how much you are like someone else but in your differences to everyone else. Music should be fun. When it starts being a burden take a break and do something else for a while. Your guitar will wait for you. Be yourself.

Do a lick over and over and over. Have I already said that? O then I'm saying it again. Your speed will increase. Confidence and muscles will grow until you don't have to think about it anymore. It becomes second nature, like breathing.

 

Find Someone to Jam With

A great way to learn fast and build confidence is to find another musician and eventually play live for a crowd. It maybe someones living room but the most I ever grew was when I played for a living. I had to get it right on the stage with other musicians. They may not be anything like you but they could be the person(s) that help complete and fulfill your dreams. Two or three musicians can make a lot more noise than one. There is a bass, drummer and rythym section for every lead guitarist. No matter what genre, hey may be right in front of you.

 

Sound like You

I read a story about a local club band who were playing one night and Eric Clapton walked in. The band asked him to sit in but the guitarist was concerned that his equipment was sub quality. His regular amp had broken down earlier and he was playing through a different head (power amp) into an old beat up cabinet with no cover and the well worn speakers showing. When Clapton got up and played it didn't sound like worn out equipment. It sounded like Eric Clapton. It's in the way you play and not so much the high end guitars and amps that make the difference.Hey, thanks for visiting and have fun with it. Check out Crazy Uncle Ernie on Facebook to learn some new scales and licks: Crazy Uncle Ernie

Last but certainly not least: BE GOOD TO YOUR SOUND MAN!

Don Overybey; sound man, equipment procurator, promoter, manager, agent, food provider, paycheck man, Apostle, band organizer, smooths over strife and puts out fires. He will get you there, feed you and get you back home safe. He makes sure that everyone is courteous and plays well together. This is a monumental task when dealing with musicians or ministers with big egos. Yes, this includes pastors. :) Don is one of a kind. I've never met anyone like him and he is always obedient to God no matter what. He takes God's direction one step at a time.

Rev. Don Overbey (I know he kind of looks like Moses but Don is taller). Don used to be an enforcer for the Mafia.