Post: #51

Music is fucking great. I songwrite and I'm learning audio engineering.

Rosca Music Story
I'll just start with a story about me in a recording studio.

Long story short: I was outside of the recording studio throwing up and passing out. Within 30 minutes later, I got back up and was able to record my first song. It felt fucking amazing.

But anyways, music is fun.

Post: #52

(07-14-2016 12:25 PM)General Stalin Wrote:  

(07-13-2016 08:25 PM)Rigsby Wrote:  *snip*

Very thorough, Rigsby. Thank you.

I will check out that clipper plug tonight and see what I can do with it. Also, if you're offering, I could send you a drum and guitar wav and see what you can do to clean it up and give it more room with clipping?

In my masters I generally use the limiter for functions similar to what you are talking about. I use to smash the track down to -0.1 DB and maximize everything. I'll use the limiter on each of my mix stems then use it on my master chain too... but as I said I still experienced muffled guitars and weak drums though I have gotten good loudness.

I've also recently transitioned to Reaper DAW from Pro Tools and there are a few built in functions and plugins from Avid that I've grown really accustomed to that I'm trying to find equivalents for in Reaper. Specifically a limiter that doesn't sound like garbage.

Sure.

I say we both use the GClip plugin to start with.

Kazrog just updated their clipper, charging like 50 bucks for it I think. It's good though. It's interesting that Kazrog are a bit of standard in the guitar amp sim world, and they've taken such time to specifically code a CLIPPER.

I'll tone it down a bit.

Sometimes I forget this is not my living room.

I'm pretty sure I could grab you a few dB of dynamic range by using a CLIPPER on it.

I've got quite a few of them.

I'll just run your file through a track on my DAW with a CLIPPER on the insert.


A really great, free LIMITER, would be LoudMax - http://loudmax.blogspot.co.uk/

You can even 'gain-reduction' by 6dB and it stays transparent. It's very good. I just use it for catching 'overs' and maybe doing a 1-2 dB of gain reduction. This is good for putting on tracks as well, due to it being very simple. You could use it on the master though.

I've got quite a collection for mastering. But that is another question. It's not like anyone is short of options, free or paid for.

Post: #53

(07-14-2016 05:15 PM)R Smoov Wrote:  Music is fucking great. I songwrite and I'm learning audio engineering.

Rosca Music Story
I'll just start with a story about me in a recording studio.

Long story short: I was outside of the recording studio throwing up and passing out. Within 30 minutes later, I got back up and was able to record my first song. It felt fucking amazing.

But anyways, music is fun.

Music can be the greatest buzz. It is visceral. It is there with us when we are born. And it there with us when we bury our dead. It is there through the celebrations, the trials and tribulations.

I envy those who have never played an instrument, do not know what a 'note' is. Truly, I do. Such musical innocence. And they can listen to music through an ear some of us can only dream of. To have studied frequencies over and over, breaking it down...

But it's possible to recover. I have. Musical abstinence is painful but necessary sometimes.

Music hits you on a personal level when you create something yourself.

It hits you when you do it with some one else.

It works when you play that for a crowd/audience.

It's infectious. It's never been studied, and dull words like mine only serve to blunt it.

It's a major world though. And one that is very wide open at the moment. The opportunities are immense. There is great crisis. Something could change very quickly here. Just needs a spark.

It won't come from people who are trying to be pop-stars though, is one certainty.

Damn, the possibilities are almost endless. People need to start waking up and realise that there is a big door that is very wide open. Maybe.

I can feel it, coming in the air tonight.

Post: #54

I'm not big into electronic music, but these little units look like a lot of fun.

Post: #55

(06-09-2016 03:32 PM)Rigsby Wrote:  

(06-08-2016 09:10 PM)General Mayhem Wrote:  Every now and then I pick up my guitar just to see what comes out but there is still some mental blockage in my way. I've had AB's how to write a rock song advice stuck in my head for days and I'm trying it out. Like tonight I'm strumming and I write down two cool lines but then my cynical brain takes over and I smack into that wall. It's frustrating to have this problem when it used to come so easy to me. Maybe someone has some advice.

I went through many blocks, until the deluge came. Be prepared for the deluge. Prep for the blocks too of course - that is the majority of the time for most 'composers' - but be prepared for the outpouring that sometimes comes, when you have 'paid your dues'.

There will be no one around to hear it. So make sure you have a zoom digi recorder or something to hand. The worst thing is (and I mean the worst thing) when you have a great idea, and the juice is flowing, but damn, you ain't gonna remember that song in the morning, are ya?

So get it down. Be prepared.

Some people write songs just coz they want to be a songwriter - nothing wrong with that - you don't really know until you try. And you can't blame a fella for trying. Some people write songs coz they know they have something inside they want to get out. Again, what they want to get out might not be so great.

The act of 'getting out' and the act of 'appraising whether it is any good' are two very different matters.

Your first job is to get it out, in a format and feel that you are not just happy with, but lightens your whole being, lightens your whole day, just lightens you generally. Then you know you have hit the motherlode. Anything after that is a bonus. Girls, money, drugs, fame, all count for nothing compared to the deepest Gold you can mine here. This is Alchemy. When it is done properly. If it isn't Alchemy, you are approaching it wrong.

No one even needs to hear your songs. This isn't about them, it's about you. If your own songs can not lift and elevate you to a higher place, then don't expect others to be enamoured very much either.

There is a special place you go when you throw caution to the winds. It's the same place you go when you are on a fast motorbike, inches away from death (not recklessly). I don't know. I imagine it is the same place that people who try to climb Mount Everest get to, when they are in the 'zone' - whether they reach the summit or not.

Don't listen to anyone else. I'm just bulshitting you. Just giving my version of events as I see it. A little bit of rabble-rousing goes a long way.

I'm talking a good fight here as best I can. But I know, if I was to meet up with even half of you that have responded to these threads, you would put me to shame - be it voice, guitar playing, studio ability etc. - but that's ok too. It's about getting the team together.

You get yourself together first, then you get your team together. You can't get your team together if you don't know what you are about.

I don't know what the hell I am about lately, musically, but I like that. And anyone who comes on my team would appreciate that. Just for kicks.

But General Mayhem, don't sweat it. I've had rough patches that lasted years. It just makes it all the sweeter when the 'Eureka' comes.

Thank you for this.

I think I'm just busy sorting out my thoughts on life, maturing, and coming into a new headspace that I haven't been into before. I'm starting to find out the thing that interests me the most in life is just other people and the way they behave.

I'm starting to find this new perspective through my relationship with my girl that has caused me to see the people of the world differently. I see how she behaves around me and I know when she goes to work and is around other people how different she acts. Everyone has that split. That crazy split personality that people exhibit when they go out into the world that is so far off of how they behave behind closed doors. People put on these fronts that hide all of the truly interesting things that go on. I saw a girl in my office today that just chopped all of her hair off and she puts on a front acting like she likes it but you know she looked in the mirror and cried at least once.

I think that's one of the reasons we have such great conversations on this forum is because we talk about all of the dark fucked up shit that happens behind closed doors, the way people really behave.

I think that I will get back into writing more once I digest this all a little more and my thoughts become more coherent.

Post: #56

Ive decided Im going to learn to play the guitar. I have no clue how, and it looks hard to do. I really want to play David Gilmour's solos. From my research I think a Fender Strat will give me the sound Im looking for.

Any advice for a newb? Lessons are assured...

Post: #57

(07-15-2016 09:17 AM)Windom Earle Wrote:  I'm not big into electronic music, but these little units look like a lot of fun.

Hadn't seen this before. But Teenage Engineering do some great stuff. It's not cheap, but it's good. They've made a name for themselves.

I'm all controllered out. I've got controllers under the bed, in the wardrobe, still in boxes from when I bought them six months ago.

These days it's about buying old controllers before they stop working and stop being available. I'm thinking the last Kore system I bought. Need to buy another one soon to back it up.

I'm good with a generic midi keyboard and an Akai MPC type of drum machine controller (be that an actual Akai, or Korg, or Novation, or Maschine). All you need to write hits and make music to change the world!

But yeah, it's good to see the bods moving forward with all of this. I just don't need it is all.

Post: #58

(07-15-2016 01:22 PM)General Mayhem Wrote:  

(06-09-2016 03:32 PM)Rigsby Wrote:  

(06-08-2016 09:10 PM)General Mayhem Wrote:  Every now and then I pick up my guitar just to see what comes out but there is still some mental blockage in my way. I've had AB's how to write a rock song advice stuck in my head for days and I'm trying it out. Like tonight I'm strumming and I write down two cool lines but then my cynical brain takes over and I smack into that wall. It's frustrating to have this problem when it used to come so easy to me. Maybe someone has some advice.

I went through many blocks, until the deluge came. Be prepared for the deluge. Prep for the blocks too of course - that is the majority of the time for most 'composers' - but be prepared for the outpouring that sometimes comes, when you have 'paid your dues'.

There will be no one around to hear it. So make sure you have a zoom digi recorder or something to hand. The worst thing is (and I mean the worst thing) when you have a great idea, and the juice is flowing, but damn, you ain't gonna remember that song in the morning, are ya?

So get it down. Be prepared.

Some people write songs just coz they want to be a songwriter - nothing wrong with that - you don't really know until you try. And you can't blame a fella for trying. Some people write songs coz they know they have something inside they want to get out. Again, what they want to get out might not be so great.

The act of 'getting out' and the act of 'appraising whether it is any good' are two very different matters.

Your first job is to get it out, in a format and feel that you are not just happy with, but lightens your whole being, lightens your whole day, just lightens you generally. Then you know you have hit the motherlode. Anything after that is a bonus. Girls, money, drugs, fame, all count for nothing compared to the deepest Gold you can mine here. This is Alchemy. When it is done properly. If it isn't Alchemy, you are approaching it wrong.

No one even needs to hear your songs. This isn't about them, it's about you. If your own songs can not lift and elevate you to a higher place, then don't expect others to be enamoured very much either.

There is a special place you go when you throw caution to the winds. It's the same place you go when you are on a fast motorbike, inches away from death (not recklessly). I don't know. I imagine it is the same place that people who try to climb Mount Everest get to, when they are in the 'zone' - whether they reach the summit or not.

Don't listen to anyone else. I'm just bulshitting you. Just giving my version of events as I see it. A little bit of rabble-rousing goes a long way.

I'm talking a good fight here as best I can. But I know, if I was to meet up with even half of you that have responded to these threads, you would put me to shame - be it voice, guitar playing, studio ability etc. - but that's ok too. It's about getting the team together.

You get yourself together first, then you get your team together. You can't get your team together if you don't know what you are about.

I don't know what the hell I am about lately, musically, but I like that. And anyone who comes on my team would appreciate that. Just for kicks.

But General Mayhem, don't sweat it. I've had rough patches that lasted years. It just makes it all the sweeter when the 'Eureka' comes.

Thank you for this.

I think I'm just busy sorting out my thoughts on life, maturing, and coming into a new headspace that I haven't been into before. I'm starting to find out the thing that interests me the most in life is just other people and the way they behave.

I'm starting to find this new perspective through my relationship with my girl that has caused me to see the people of the world differently. I see how she behaves around me and I know when she goes to work and is around other people how different she acts. Everyone has that split. That crazy split personality that people exhibit when they go out into the world that is so far off of how they behave behind closed doors. People put on these fronts that hide all of the truly interesting things that go on. I saw a girl in my office today that just chopped all of her hair off and she puts on a front acting like she likes it but you know she looked in the mirror and cried at least once.

I think that's one of the reasons we have such great conversations on this forum is because we talk about all of the dark fucked up shit that happens behind closed doors, the way people really behave.

I think that I will get back into writing more once I digest this all a little more and my thoughts become more coherent.

Ah, I'd forgotten I'd written all that. I had my mystic guru's hat on that day for sure. "Don't listen to me" was the best advice I gave!

I hear ya about the push and pull between people and where you are at. Sounds to me like you just would like to get your head down and play about a bit. But it's not so easy sometimes. Personal space, personal politics.

The observations about your environment are grist to the mill and the best fodder a writer or composer can ever have. Sounds like you have something you would like to get out there. You seem a bit stunted by your situation, musically at least, to express fully what you are only sublimating here.

This is a great test as well to know if you got a good gal! You put your fucking foot down coz tonight is music night and you don't knock on that door unless it is my dinner at '8', bitch!

Dinner always comes on time, hot. And they're waiting up for you when you finish. "Do you want to hear what I did in the studio tonight, little darling?", "Why, sure I do!", she says. Of course she does.

It's great having a muse. And a good girlfriend can be the best muse a man/musician ever gets. She supports him with love. She supports him with refreshments. She supports him by not fucking bothering him until he's finished his job. Good girls know this. They love this. They love to play the role. Whether muse or not.

When you get to the right place with the right people (© Easy Rider) - then you will know and it will start happening for you.

Post: #59

(07-15-2016 04:05 PM)Adonis Wrote:  Ive decided Im going to learn to play the guitar. I have no clue how, and it looks hard to do. I really want to play David Gilmour's solos. From my research I think a Fender Strat will give me the sound Im looking for.

Any advice for a newb? Lessons are assured...

An American Standard Strat is the way to go, for a long term investment. They are bomb proof, and last forever. The '93 Strat I bought in high school has been my go to guitar since then. Its been modded out, but a Standard off the shelf is all you need to play.

The Mexican Strat is a good low cost alternative, if you want to spend less to start off with.

To sound like Gilmour, buy a small practice amp with decent overdrive. Orange is a good option. Buy a Delay and Sustain pedal, and Wah if you want to get funky.

I am a strong advocate for lessons. But there are a ton of teachers. Do your research in your town, and find the best one. Then go to them and tell them exactly what you want to do, "I want to play like Dave". A good teacher will be able to do that. Even as a complete newb, I could teach you a few licks from Comfortably Numb. A lot of teachers are geeks and will say that you have to learn the boring basics first. Fuck that. As a new player, you have to get some early satisfaction by playing a few lines from Animals, to keep you motivated to learn more. Learning your favorite songs first will help you do that, and keep you interested in your axe. Find a teacher like that, who will teach you the basics by teaching you your favorite songs.

Post: #60

(07-15-2016 04:05 PM)Adonis Wrote:  Ive decided Im going to learn to play the guitar. I have no clue how, and it looks hard to do. I really want to play David Gilmour's solos. From my research I think a Fender Strat will give me the sound Im looking for.

Any advice for a newb? Lessons are assured...

Well, if you want to play like Gilmour, then a Strat is a good place to start. But not necessary. You could use a Telecaster.

But eh, if you want to step into Gilmour's shoes, then do the whole experience. There are many sites on the net that show you his exact rig, what guitars and FX units he uses, what amps.

Off the cuff, I would say, if you really want to sound like Gilmour, then a Stratocaster for a guitar and a Fender Twin for an Amp will get you far. Fender Twins are a bit expensive. Consider Vox AC-30's as well - they just started doing a new range. And don't forget the delay pedal.

Seriously, there are many many websites out there with photos of Dave's rig. He actually has quite a large pedal board with random Boss units and whatnot all hooked up. Still, you don't need any of that. He doesn't need any of that. It's just fun.

You don't even really need the Strat. Any out of phase or tapped humbucker type of pickups on the guitar you choose will get you close to that sound.

One word of warning. Do not listen to people who say "oh it's all in the fingers man" - fucking bollox it is. It's your amp and your guitar and your FX units, is what it is. Sure, playing comes in to it, but that whole 'it's the player, not the equipment' bullshit is just that.

One of my favourite players, and a guitarist's guitarist of some note, is Pat Travers. Fucking insane that guy. He has a preference of about 3 or 4 amps, and he tries to hire those when he is in town and touring. If he gets one of those amps he can make it sound good enough. Good enough is all you need until you are a master. Travers is a master, but it's good enough for him.

I love to rock a strat, I love the les paul. I can play clean, dirty, loud, quiet, whatever. Sometimes I use 0.9 strings sometimes I go .10, sometimes I like to go Hybrid and have the lower .10 set with the higher .9 highs.

I own one pitiful little Fender amp.

............

This is my advice to you.

Find a store that sells a genuine Fender Stratocaster, if you can, and if you can afford it. If not, find one that sells a reputable copy. Believe me, as a beginner, you will NOT know the difference. I don't even know the difference these days. Squier are totally kicking it out of the park with their sanctioned copies. In fact, some of them are more expensive than the actual low-end Fenders. They look, play, feel and sound superb.

Once you got your guitar, get an amp. The one I got is about the best bang for buck. It's a genuine Fender Mustang. Get the little one. A hundred bucks. Can't go wrong. It will include all the DSP FX such as delay and compression which you want to emulate Gilmour. Best part is, it digitally models and emulates the Amplifiers he used: Vox, Fender (of course) etc. etc.

And boy, what a wonderful emulation the Fender does of the Fender. Instant Gilmour. Hundred bucks. Costs less than your guitar probably.

Don't buy any FX units, yet.

The guitar is really the most important thing. You hold it. You love it. You cherish it. Don't be afraid now, this is your new baby, that you paid for. Get her in any colour you like! Just make sure she looks purdy on your lap. You will polish her and put her to bed every night to start with, but you will always look after her, even when the romance dies down.

Get a nice strap that feels comfortable for your neck and posture. No shit. It's a small point, but an important point. Get a selection of picks and plectrums to play about with. You may just decide to stick with one. Lucky you. I just can't make my god damned mind up and have a box of the things and I love them all. I have a few favourites mind you. Experiment. You won't need a certain size pick or string gauge to sound like Gilmour.

Gilmour gets his sound by the combination. That is the reaction between the guitar and the amp. Like people, you have to find a combination that works for you. Some high-end guitars just sound terrible when put through just about any amplifier known to man (Alembic), but some guitars sound ok put through whatever. You have to suck it an see with this one.

I'm blahing on now, but suffice to say, find a guitar that you love, a guitar amp you can work with, and the rest is just practice. If you have a mate that understands this stuff, then get him to help you make the decision. Don't trust the guys in the guitar store. They are great most of the time. But don't trust them for an opinion on what YOU need. They are there to sell guitars and always under pressure in a low margin market. Really, you have never known 'buyer's remorse' until you bought a guitar you 'almost' loved. You gotta be head over heels with this one.

This is the cheaper end of the Strat market:

http://intl.fender.com/en-GB/guitars/str...?price=100

Not sure how the price relates, but any of those guitars will knock your socks off.

This is the sort of amp you want to be considering:

http://intl.fender.com/en-GB/series/must...30v-uk-ds/

It has a headphone socket for you to practice on and not annoy the rest of the house. It has a usb for sticking into the computer to record stuff. You will NOT find a better practice amp/first amp for the money anywhere! It's not perfect, but for you it might be. You also get software that simulates the amp if you want to record it in a computer. This is another discipline again, but just be mindful of this fact.

Don't forget a guitar tuner too. You can get one for a tenner.

Pro-Tip: An electric guitar is NEVER in tune. The minute you tune one end of it, the other bit goes out. It's just impossible. Just don't worry about it. But get a tuner though, at least for some reference.

Learning to play like Gilmour will be easy with a setup like this. Just do it by ear. You can get into all the Dorian and Aeolian scales he uses, and there is lots of info out there on that, but, you know...

Really, save your pennies. Go into the nearest big guitar shop you got and go in there on a pilgrimage! Choose the sexy sucker that takes your eye, take her off the shelf, quickly get to know her - first impressions do count. It has to be love at first sight! Nothing else will do. If you don't get that feeling come back in a few weeks time. There'll be another guitar for you.

Once you get that Strat, there's no turning back.

Post: #61

Awesome advice gents appreciate it. Im going to head into the city tomorrow to check out a very reputable guitar shop, Ill write down these notes and bring with me to stay focused.

Post: #62

(07-15-2016 09:17 AM)Windom Earle Wrote:  I'm not big into electronic music, but these little units look like a lot of fun.

Pretty neat little gadgets, but even after watching the entire walkthrough of how they work and how to operate them, they still seem confusing as fuck to use.

Post: #63

Spent 2 solid hours at the guitar store this afternoon, I knew which one I wanted the moment I walked in. Still tried every strat they had, even the Elite model which was a damn fine instrument. Turns out the salesman and one of the instructors they contract with are gun guys, that ended up being a nice 30 min sidebar afterwards. My fingertips hurt like hell already, but I have the chord from Shine on You Crazy Diamond down pretty well. Appreciate the advice.

Since I want to play Gilmour, this was the obvious choice. American Special Strat HSS.
[attachment=32614]

Post: #64

(07-17-2016 01:10 AM)Adonis Wrote:  Spent 2 solid hours at the guitar store this afternoon, I knew which one I wanted the moment I walked in. Still tried every strat they had, even the Elite model which was a damn fine instrument. Turns out the salesman and one of the instructors they contract with are gun guys, that ended up being a nice 30 min sidebar afterwards. My fingertips hurt like hell already, but I have the chord from Shine on You Crazy Diamond down pretty well. Appreciate the advice.

Since I want to play Gilmour, this was the obvious choice. American Special Strat HSS.

Great purchase, I have a Black Strat as well. And that guitar is infinitely modifiable, you can put different types of pick ups in it, change the pick guard, the bridge, etc etc. I have done this with mine many times over, when I am into different styles and sounds. One of my favorite ways to practice, is to play along with songs I love. It helps to develop your ear for staying in tune, and its a great way to practice your chords, soloing, timing, strumming, etc, while entertaining yourself. If I were you I would just sit down with Shine on You Crazy Diamond, and play along with the whole record.

Post: #65

(06-11-2016 07:56 PM)Rigsby Wrote:  

(06-11-2016 07:27 PM)General Stalin Wrote:  I'd love to be passable at classical/finger picked guitar as well

This is the best guitar lesson you will ever get for free on this subject, by the mighty Mark Knopfler:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_8dDaPsSmg

It's a very quick simple lesson, but it may take you years to get down (bit like patting your head and rubbing your tummy).

Still, the lesson's a good 'un.

Maybe not classical as such, but the principle is the same. If you can't do what he doing here, you'll never be able to go deep with classical.

Even if you can learn to do what he's doing to a small extent, it will elevate you above the rest of many guitarists.

I certainly would never be able to do it, but that's just me. I'm a hack.

Great video; I actually studied that one in depth back when it was first posted, as Mark Knopfler is a personal hero of mine. Having studied classical guitar for a few years as well though, I'd have to say it's an entirely different skill-set.

The amount of counterpoint in classical guitar work really demands so much dexterity and finger independence in the left hand, it's difficult to adequately describe how alien the mechanics of playing classical guitar are to steel-string players. You will find a small amount of fingerpicking mechanics from folk/bluegrass/etc. playing transfers when you start learning, but that's about it unfortunately. Your left hand is on its own. At least you'll be able to take what you learn on classical guitar and introduce more polyphony into your other guitar playing.

To General Stalin: my advice is to watch the video Rigsby posted, because Knopfler is a legend, and if you want to get into real intricate fingerpicking, find players that do it well and break down what they're doing. You may get more mileage out of watching videos, slowing them down and using your eyes and ears to transcribe than using internet tabs as, in my experience, they're horrendously inaccurate. Guys like Merle Travis, Chet Atkins, Tommy Emmanuel and Lenny Breau are a great place to start and could keep you busy for the next 20 years alone, but there's so many more.

Take things section by section, bar by bar if you have to, really break down what's going on until you can replicate it (even if it's only at 10% of the original speed), then it's just a matter of burning right and left hand patterns into your memory and bringing things up to tempo. Fuck, you listen to Tosin Abasi, I'm sure you know the drill.

As for classical guitar, the techniques are actually quite standardised and it's worth either getting some books on the subject, doing some heavy net-reading, getting lessons, or preferably all three (and I generally encourage autodidactic methods, just bite the bullet in this case). If you love classical music, go for it, it can be very rewarding.

(07-15-2016 04:05 PM)Adonis Wrote:  Ive decided Im going to learn to play the guitar. I have no clue how, and it looks hard to do. I really want to play David Gilmour's solos. From my research I think a Fender Strat will give me the sound Im looking for.

Any advice for a newb? Lessons are assured...

(07-17-2016 01:10 AM)Adonis Wrote:  Spent 2 solid hours at the guitar store this afternoon, I knew which one I wanted the moment I walked in. Still tried every strat they had, even the Elite model which was a damn fine instrument. Turns out the salesman and one of the instructors they contract with are gun guys, that ended up being a nice 30 min sidebar afterwards. My fingertips hurt like hell already, but I have the chord from Shine on You Crazy Diamond down pretty well. Appreciate the advice.

Since I want to play Gilmour, this was the obvious choice. American Special Strat HSS.

Sweet buy. You chose well, you won't find a more versatile instrument than an HSS strat, and given the sizeable investment I'm sure you're serious about learning, so good luck. A good guitar is a better early-investment than amps and effects any day of the week.

Music is such a vast subject, and guitar is such a mechanically complex instrument, it's easy to not know where to start: shoot me a PM if you want, I've taught quite a few people in the past and am happy to drop links, give advice, or skype when I get the time, to get you on your feet. Gilmour was one of the first guitarists I seriously went to town studying years ago, so I can definitely help you nail his style.

Actually, anyone learning guitar or keys, or confused about/interested in music theory, feel free to PM me. You guys have dropped an immeasurable amount of knowledge on this forum over the years; music is probably the one topic where I'm confident I can give something of value back.

Ocelot

Post: #66

Mark Knopfler, I knew was a fingerpicker. Was surprised to find out Lindsay Buckingham is (I can hear it perfectly in hindsight).

What surprised me is finding out Nokie Edwards (The Ventures) fingerpicked his leads.
Taught myself guitar trying (puzzledly) trying to figure out his leads with a pick (in which the confusion led to a distinctive personal style for me).
I can't over emphasize how much The Ventures can make on improving guitar skills (not even considering their "Learn How to Play (Musical Instrument) With the Ventures" albums.
75 percent of their material was instrumentals of current hits of the time.
If you are able to hum a vocal track viz a viz a guitar track, and find those notes on a fretboard -- hearing vocals becomes but another melodic set, making it that much easier to figure out.
IOW figuring out vocal tracks on your instrument hones your ear that much better.

ymmv
That said, 95% of lyrics are shite, so I just hear vocals as just another instrument.

Post: #67

(07-19-2016 08:55 PM)Sombro Wrote:  Mark Knopfler, I knew was a fingerpicker. Was surprised to find out Lindsay Buckingham is (I can hear it perfectly in hindsight).

'Never Going Back Again' showcases this perfectly. So much talent.

Post: #68

Thanks Ocelot. When I have some free time I'll certainly devote some more time to checking it out.

My favorite finger-pick guitarist is actually Javier Reyes, Tosin's rhythm guitarist in AAL. He has a very neo-classic/spanish guitar sort of style and I actually started to learn one of his songs a while back.

I'm a very visual learner so that's generally how I pick up on things or learn songs; I watch videos and mimic the finger positions.

Post: #69

Guitarist/vocalist here. I did it for a living back before I had kids... no 'fame' to speak of, but I managed to make money and move around the world with just an acoustic guitar and a backpack for a few years. To me, that was 'making it'!

Here's a few of my videos from youtube.. I've done nothing new in years. I look much better now (pretty much gave up music for lifting, actually, and discovered melanotan)!









Rick

Post: #70

^ Major respect, mate. That's some kick-arse playing.

Post: #71

Cheers AB, much appreciated. Love your posts on here (lurked for a while).

Post: #72

Really great stuff Rick, your Richard Thompson cover is excellent also! Man, you work your guitars hard!

Here's a piece I put together and played over from fifteen years ago.

https://soundcloud.com/user-593728589/fender-bender

Post: #73

Love it Zep! Sounds like Steve Vai in places!

I work everything hard, apparently... much as I'd love fine motor skills, I seem to be more energy than finesse in anything I do. I learned to live with it haha!

Richard Thompson is my favorite guitarist, btw... so inventive!

Cheers brother!
Rick

Post: #74

(07-22-2016 09:44 AM)Snorse Wrote:  Cheers AB, much appreciated.

No problem. I recognise advanced singing and playing and understand the skill and work that takes to acquire.

I was halfway to writing you a real string arrangement for 'Hideous Heart' - I love writing in the 'dark and wicked' style and could clearly hear it. Then I discovered it was a cover. Dammit.

Take it as a compliment though: there's was no difference to my ears in the quality of songwriting between your originals and your covers. You're on the same level as your inspirations.

Post: #75

Appreciate all the kind words brother!

Yeah, 'Hideous Heart' was done by a couple of guys who were media students at the time -- they found this cool abandoned holiday camp and wanted to make a video in there. The song kind of suited the building -- I actually met Jake Smith (The White Buffalo) when I was I the USA years ago, and told him I was 'borrowing' that song!

My 'darkest' is probably 'Voice of the Legion', which I wrote in an hour at a friend's home recording studio, for some other media students who were making some kind of possession/zombie film. I dunno if they ever used it.

If you fancy doing a collaboration and see what we can create, I will get back to writing this week, and see if I can come up with something for you to arrange/co-write.

RJ