End of the Year

It's the end of the year 2010. So many things have changed, for the good and for the bad. I would like to do a little year end wrap up and thank everyone who has made this blog a success. This blog is something I started for my students as a place where they could get a little extra something with their lessons and learn about things that go with being a fresh musician.The blog has done very well and has readers well beyond the 40-50 students I have. We regularly get 300-400 hits per week and on lots of occasions we will have 400+ hits a day and in the case were T.C. Electronics picked up on the product review of the Polytune 1000+ a day. We have regular readers all over the globe. I would like to thank the guys who write here. Stoney Cannon, he has wrote about how to get your butt in gear with promotions and press packs, something I would have never even thought of doing and its a VERY IMPORTANT part of being a musician. Micheal "Dork" Dinkins has brought on incite into being original and how bands work and how the people interact with each other, again something I would have never thought of writing about that has benefited my students and many others. Mr. Eric Rinker who has given an insight into how things sound and come up with an awesome multi Media "Spotlight Lick." Thanks to all the guitar players who have contributed to "spotlight Licks" so far. There are people and press who have helped spread the word of the blog Jordon Zeh, Coco Rubio, Verge , Metro Spirit and everyone who "shared" on facebook. Look forward to many new things in the coming year, more guest writers, product reviews, more rock star interviews and many many new things. I would also like to thank Rock Bottom Music and Jonathon Karow for being ultra supportive of students and their musical education. As a student you should also make some New Years Resolutions to become better players and reach for your goals. You students have achieved alot this year and 2011 will be even better! Most important I would like to thank my students. All of you have been very loyal and hardworking. You guys make doing all this fun and exciting. I look forward to working with you all in the coming year. Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spotlight Licks: Eric Rinker

I've been noticing a lot of cool guitar "licks" and "riffs" here on JohnJohn's blog, so here's my contribution.


This is a guitar line I wrote for my band Artemia. The song is called "Love you Crazy". It's fun, interesting, and probably a bit challenging.
Each section has something a little different in it, so pay attention to details! It's what brings a little style to the table when you play.


To make it even more fun, I'm including the drum tracks for the song so you can play along with it by yourself.
I've also included one with me playing it so you can get an idea of what the final outcome should be.
The tabs are in PDF format, so hopefully you have a reader. You do. But If you don't,


http://adobe.com


This may not be just a lick, but I promise you'll have a lot of fun playing it once you get it down.
Wanna hear the rest of it? Of course you do, and you can if you come see Artemia play!


The song with me playing it...

http://www.divshare.com/download/13500463-741

Here's just the drums. ( 4 count on the hihat and then start rockin')

http://www.divshare.com/download/13500462-2ce


And finally the TABS:
http://www.divshare.com/download/13500464-d22



I really don't like putting my 2 cents on someone's "Spotlight Lick" but i have to on this one. What Eric has done here is simply amazing. He supplied a track of what it should sound like ( he wrote, recorded, mixed, and EVERYTHING!), he supplied a drum backing track for you to play along with ( which he also did everything on) and he supplied the TABS and STANDARD NOTATION for his piece. I am floored and you guys should be too. I am gonna get working on this along with you guys! Thank you very much Eric Rinker!!!

p.s. Eric is known around our area for being an incredible drummer. This piece shows how talented a guitar player, writer, audio engineer and all around amazing musician he is. He doesn't even try to be badass, he just is.

p.s.s. this lick is in standard pitch tuning with a drop D low string (in other words...DROP D)

The Importance Of..................Proper Picking Technique Part #1

The "Importance Of" having a proper picking technique can not be understated. I was having a conversation with a musician buddy this weekend, one who's opinion I greatly respect, and he was talking about someone he knew who needed help with some picking techniques. The way that they were picking in a particular song or two was making it difficult to get the passages played cleanly and evenly. This happens to alot of players. When a guitar player first starts reading about inside, outside, alternate, etc. picking being used by their favorite players, they want to apply it to all aspects of their playing, even when it might not be called for. I am gonna go over some different picking techniques, give examples and do my best to explain them. First let's go through and give definitions of each.

1. Downstroke- picking only going downward
2. Upstroke- picking only going upward
3. Alternate Picking- using upstrokes and downstrokes together
4. Outside Picking- using two string runs so called because as you cross from one string to another the pick strokes come from the outer side of each string pair
5. Inside Picking- using two string runs, so called because the pick, when crossing from one string to another, strikes the area between or inside the two strings
6. Hybrid Picking- using a pick and your fingers
7. Finger Picking- using your fingers to strike or "pick" the strings
8. Sweep Picking- used most of the time with arpeggios. you use the pick to "rake" the strings; the pick "sweeps" the strings. think of the pick falling up and down the strings
9. Legato- means tied together:picking the string one time then doing hammer ons or pull offs on the string smoothly: going note to note only picking once.

example #1 is an example of using downstrokes only. Metallica are the kings of using only downstrokes in their playing. Used with palm muting it can make a riff more powerful. This is a riff that is kinda Metallica-esque. Use all DOWNSTROKES.

example #2 is using only upstrokes. It's based in A minor diatonic. Use all UPSTROKES.

example #3 is using alternate picking. Try and play any Slayer without using alternate picking. Try it . I dare you. You cant do it! This is a Slayer-esque riff. Use ALTERNATE picking.

Just "Click" on the tab paper to make it bigger, if you have trouble reading it.


This is just Part #1 of a two or three part series on Picking Technique. I will have more examples and uses of each kind coming up and a special "Sweep Picking" article in the future by a surprise guest writer. Even though my picking examples so far have used heavy metal type example the techniques described apply to all and every style of music. Have fun with this and see you soon for part #2!!!

Finger and Joint Pain

Anyone who has known me for any extended period of time knows i have rheumatoid arthritis. At times it can be crippling. Walking and moving, let alone playing is impossible. I have had more than normal the amount of students ask me about what to do for their pain. I am gonna give some answers the best i can.

If you are suffering from finger cramps sometimes its just low potassium. Eat a banana or take a supplement. It will help in most cases. Eating a multi vitamin cant hurt either. If you keep your body vitamin levels up your brain works better which lets you play better, your body has its nutrients and it performs better.

I have alot of students who are not kids and/or are senior citizens who have some form of arthritis. If you fall in this category make sure you consult with your doctor for some good meds. Celebrex, prednisone and various drugs are great for relieving inflammation. Some great over the counter advil or Tylenol arthritis can help too. There are some great glucosamine supplements that can get your squeaky joints moving. Wall Mart carries them on the cheap.

Another thing for finger stiffness is those bell sounding "chinese" balls. Whenever i feel stiffness starting to set it i roll these things around in my hand. They have no pressure being put on your hand and they feel like they are massaging it. You can get them at any flea market. Another thing that is great for working your fingers are those "finger grip" finger exercises you can pick up at any music store.

Doing finger exercises regularly help keep your fingers and hands limber too. Stretching your arm muscles help your hands too.

If you are experiencing any pain and it becomes severe you just need to stop playing. It will only makes things worse if you push it too far. The more you try things the better you know when it is time to lay back and let your body get the rest it needs to get back in shape. I made the mistake of doing 2 hours of finger exercises after i felt an IMMENSE sharp pain in my forearm. The arm swelled up the next day and i could not play for 3 weeks. The doctor said i tore a tendon.

Alot of musicians do some form of construction work where they put their hands at great risk. Be careful on the job. I cant tell you how many times i smashed a finger with a hammer while doing a roof job back in the day. It always happened the night of a big show too. If you have one of these jobs, be careful.

Other musicians have jobs where they type on a computer all day and get "carpal tunnel" type symptoms from typing all day. These can be greatly painful. The only thing i can tell you here is to go see a doctor.

The best advice i can give is to eat right, treat your body right and listen to your body. It will tell you what you need to do. A good doctor is a must. A good doctor can get you fixed up and back to playing in no time (if thats what you need). Alot of times eating right, exercise and regulating what substances go in your system can make you go from "crampy" and "tight" to loose as a goose and playing all you want. Be safe and happy holidays.

Spotlight Licks: Chris Livingston

This "Spotlight Lick" comes from Chris Livingston. He is a salesman and professional guitar instructor at Rock Bottom Music. He is also the guitar player for local band 48 Volt.This lick is built off the 3rd position of your a minor pentatonic scale. It is short sweet and to the point. It sound cool slow and it sounds cool played fast and repeatedly. 48 Volt is slated to play at the 12 Bands of Christmas this year and just had a new cd come out. Check out 48 Volt here http://www.myspace.com/48volt

For info for guitar lessons from Chris, stop down to Rock Bottom and see him or call at 706-589-2112.

Christmas Time = Musical Gifts

Every year around this time I get alot of questions for parents and significant others about what to get their loved ones for Christmas. I get that so much this time a year I decided I should write a little bit on it. For someone just getting interested in music I would recommend on of the Strat, ESP, Banjo, Acoustic and Bass "packs" that we carry. They are packs that range from $99-$200 that have the guitar ( or whatever instrument), amp, strap, picks, cords etc. that you would need to get started. They are a great idea! A Fender Mustang amp is a great step up for the guitar player who is ready for that next step up amp or someone looking for a great practice amp. We got them for $99 for the smaller one. Instrument stands, Rock Bottom T-Shirts and stools are great. Some great "stocking stuffers" are strings, harmonicas (everyone should have one), guitar polish and fast fret, guitar slides, the snark clip on tuner and metronomes. For the gigging musician you could never go wrong getting them the TC Electronics "Polytune" floor tuner for only $99, mic stands are great (you always seem to need one ), a nice new guitar strap and a string winder\string clipper tool sets. These are all great ideas! For the parent who needs some peace and quiet we have the 800 TV Headphones that plug right into most amps. They let the player here what they are playing without everyone else hearing them! These are some of the items i recommend. There are tons of ideas for every price range to keep your musician loved one rocking out and happy. Another great idea is gift certificates for lessons for the budding musician or for a loved one who just wants some new licks. I will be glad to accommodate anyone with a lesson gift certificate! So get on down to Rock Bottom Music and get that Holiday shopping done !

Spotlight Licks: Michael Baideme

This "Spotlight Lick" is one from local guitar hero Michael Baideme. He has played in a ton of bands for years here in Augusta.He has won countless Lokal Loudness "Favorite Guitarist in Augusta" awards too. He is currently in Sibling String, The Endalls and Famous Last Words. He is a salesman at Rock Bottom Music during the day. He regularly plays 3-5 gigs a week here in town. Check him out on Mondays at the Loft with Famous Last Words and Wednesdays at Joe's Underground. His week end gigs are at various places. He is an encyclopedia of licks. Here is a bluesy lick that is one of his favorites based in E. Click on the tab to make it larger.

Dear Rock Star: Stacey Blades

This is a new thing I am doing. When ever I get to work with a "real" rockstar I am going to ask them a couple questions to help inspire and guide up and comers. The first one that I am doing is the lead guitar player from L.A. Guns. While he is filling Tracii Guns , the original guitarist and founding member of Guns, he has also [played in alot of other bands like Super Cool ans Smack(amongst others). He is from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He has played on the last three L.A. Guns releases and has toured the world with them since becoming a member in 2002. He also released a book in 2009 called "Confessions of a Replacement Rockstar." He has been a go to guy for many a 80's metal band as a replacement guitar player. He and L.A. Guns were just in our little Augusta, Georgia this past friday, November 19, at Coyote's. Rock Bottom Music brought them here. Rob Boggs, from Quest Sound, mixed them. I got to be the right hand man to both Rob and Jonathon on this show (which is no easy task) and provide the amps that both Phil Lewis (lead singer and rythym guitar player) and Stacey Blades used. My amps have been used by many a rockstar but this was heads and tails above all the rest for excitement for me! After getting everything set up, and before soundcheck, I got to shhot the breeze with Stacey Blades.

Me: What got you into music?
Stacey: I come from a musical family.Everyone was way into piano and always played it.

Me: Did you take any lessons?
Stacey: I took piano lessons at age 9. I got my first guitar, an acoustic, for christmas when i ws 11. I started taking guitar lessons at age 15. After that it was on!!

Me: Who is your guitar playing hero?
Stacey: Randy Rhodes. He was my guy and still is.

Me:Did you ever get to see him play live?
Stacey: No I didn't. I wish I did.

Me:You have any advice for any up and coming guitar players?
Stacey: Listen to as many different players and styles as you can and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!!!!

Me: What advice would you leave a musician wanting to be in a band?
Stacey: Love what you do. Give it hell> there is absolutely nothing you can't accomplish if you try.


Stacey Blades and all of L.A. Guns were a joy to work with. World class pros with a great attitude. They tore the roof off the place. The musicianship was amazing. If you get a chance to go see them do it. here is a video of one of my favorite songs, Rip and Tear

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvh0n3Gfq7c

here is some of stacey rippin it up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXsJtjpKpBY

Learn From.............. Led Zeppelin

This edition of "Learn From" is on the band Led Zeppelin. In the history of music there is not too many bands as influential and important as them. They combined blues, folk, heavy metal, jazz, country and every other type of music....and did it flawlessly. Every single album sounded different. Every song sounded different. They did that all the while sounding like Led Zeppelin. The members- John Bonham on drums, John Paul Jones on bass, keys, mandolin and a host of other instruments, Robert Plant on vocals and harmonica and the guitar god Jimmy Page. While they have admitted they "borrowed" alot of their songs, it does not diminish how great they are. You can start by just learning Jimmy's guitar parts. You can work your butt off learning every riff and every note of every solo. You can do that for years and one day you will be listening to a Zep song and hear a part you never heard before. Their songs are perfect examples of how dynamics work. Light and shade. I can't really tell you how to learn it. Just that you should learn it. They have some of the greatest songs- Stairway to Heaven, Rock and Roll, Communication Breakdown, Whole Lotta Love, Rain Song.....basically everyone of their songs is a classic. They have influenced so many bands- Tool, Rush, Black Eyed Peas, any band that has come along has been touched by them musically. Go get some of their cds, don't just download single tracks. Led Zeppelin 1, Led Zepplin 2, Led Zeppelin 3, Led Zeppelin 4, Houses of the Holy, Physical Graffiti, Presence,In Through The Out Door and countless live ones. Not only is the musicianship something to learn from, learn from the guitar tones, song writing and structure, the production and just the presence of such a great band. Led Zeppelin was not only a force in just the music scene they were a force( and still are) in popular culture. Go out and get yourself started on a Zep album. I did and it made me not just a better guitar player but a better musician.here is some zep for you to check out !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luDgb5vVHuA


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8ZeZ_VO8AU&feature=related



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKPo8ierAnc&feature=related

Spotlight Licks : Brian Thrift

This week's "Spot Light Lick" is a Jake E Lee inspired lick from Rock Bottom Music's very own Brian Thrift. Brian is an Augusta music scene veteren guitar player. He has played in countless bands and is a great player. He is a premeire salesman too. He has worked at many an Augusta music store. His lick is based on the 4th position of the A minor pentatonic scale. It is a great example of pull offs. Just click on the tab picture to blow it up bigger. Have fun!

Student Spotlight: Jeramie McCloud

This months student spotlight is on a 25 year old self professed "army brat" Jeramie McCloud. Jeramie has been playing guitar seriously for 11 years now. He has been taking lessons from me since February 2010. He is an accomplished metal player. He is part of a band from Texas called "Shadow Kill Clan." The band has released a full length cd and it is brutally terrific! I will send you links at the end to check it out. Some of his influences are Slayer, Korn, Slipknot, Pink Floyd, Micheal Jackson and Sade. Being a military brat he has lived all over the country. His dream guitar would be a custom 7 string Gibson Les Paul with Seymour Duncan Blackout pick ups. I asked Jeramie with all the places you have played what places would you like to play? He told me he would love to play in Antarctica because its a cold desolate place, Japan because that's a stop for every one that's a metal great or even space!!!! If he could play guitar for anyone that's ever been around in history it would be Micheal Jackson. He is a self professed Micheal Jackson freak! If he could tour the world with any band it would be Prodigy. Jeramie got into playing guitar because his grand dad played. He wanted to play metal because there are not too many black people represented in metal. Another thing that got him into playing was seeing Hall and Oats on a TV Christmas special playing Jingle Bells and the white stratocaster being played mesmerized him. The Van Halen video "Hot For Teacher" was also a turning point. Seeing the close up of guitar god Eddie Van Halen got him the guitar bug. Why did Jeramie want to come get lessons? He wanted to unlearn bad habits and be more than just a "metal" guy. He just wanted to get better and be able to convey more emotion in his music.The things Jeramie have gotten the most out of lessons? He has had alot of his questions answered and it is just plain exciting to come. The most embarrassing thing on his ipod? Britney Spears and other bubble gum pop!! Jeramie is an accomplished metal player with the desire to expand his musical horizons. I am pleased to be his teacher. Shadow Kill Clan is a great band. I enjoy it .If you like metal you will too. He is an easy going guy with awesome musical aspirations and hopes to be part of our countries armed forces. So here is to you Jeramie....Keep Rockin.....Keep Playing.......and Keep Having Fun!!!!!!!

to check out Shadow Kill Clan go to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdC6isMCKuA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R749RMwdzQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58qUXwvmqv4

http://www.youtube.com/shadowkillclan.com


http://www.myspace.com/shadowkillclan

The Bizz with the Buzz:'Ear It Is Mate by:Stoney Cannon

The Biz with the Buzz: 'Ear It is Mate...


So I know it's been a while since our last get-together kiddies and by now you should have, in addition to a smoking hot band, a choice visual representation of your group for promotional purposes. You and your band buds have marked your spot in time with a great photo usable for any promotional opportunity that may come your way including ink press PLUS you've created a cool bio that's somehow short and to the point yet chock full of information on your soon-to-be drawing band! You've even managed to take all of that, toss in an easy to decipher logo and spread it across the interwebs just in case a prospective booker or journalist prefers to fetch your info online. It's all there. Right? Hmmm...seems that something might be missing. You have all the tools to get those first "in the trenches" gigs but you're already thinking ahead...thinking about the bigger clubs, festivals, county fairs, even maybe submitting to try and get a spot during a music conference or one of those online battle of the bands contests that are sponsored by some beer or liquor company. You're thinking - "well dang we need to record that next modern rock hit that we have in our musical arsenal!" You've got a nifty batch of original tunes. You have a need to get 'em out to the world and make ears bleed! You think your bands' tunes are bad ass enough to rock faces off? Well...OK...so what are ya gonna do about it?




Over the years young up and coming bands have taken many routes to record their material. In the sixties you had reel to reel recorders, seventies saw the arrival of cassette tape decks, the eighties took those up a notch with inexpensive 4-track cassette recorders, the nineties upped the anti by taking the technology and going digital and of course all along bands could simply fork out some cash and venture into a recording studio. By the time Y2K hit just about any musician with a good computer and a bit of software could track their next opus in the comfort of their own bedroom, garage, kitchen, even bathroom. The dawn of this period unfortunately also led to some of the most God-awful recordings being hoisted on indie music scenes all across the globe ever. Now any yahoo who just happened to have a slew of clueless friends blowing constant smoke up their ass could take that new found false bravado and record and put out 5-star recordings based on the best buddy rating system. Too bad other rating systems usually gave these same recordings a "suck" rating. Hey I know, it's tough. Quality recording on a shoe-string budget can be tough, but there are ways to make do in the beginning.




Before you are quick to decide that you can be the next Mutt Lange over night because Santa brought you a new PC and cheap recording software for Christmas...don't. Ask around. The good part about the D.I.Y. (do it yourself) PC recording revolution is that for every 100 wannabe's, there are at least a couple of bedroom engineers who have figured out how to make above-average recordings. Chances are, you find one of these guys and you can get a decent demo for a low price, heck maybe even free. Further investigation could turn up some underground studios, places that record top notch stuff but don't really push the fact that they record. These places, like say Sector 7G, offer up great prices in the $15 - $30 per hour range and for those who are good at pre-planning, further discounts for reserved blocks of recording time. An underground studio that charges low rates will always be a better bet over an actual fully functional studio offering similar rates. The part-time studio will be able to relate with your love of music while the big studio probably will just see you as a chance to make some change between their big money commercial jingle accounts. More studio equipment and a snazzy room is great but nothing beats an engineer that is sincerely interested in what you are trying to get on tape. These cool dudes are usually found at the smaller studios. Heck, why do you think the Jam Room in Columbia, SC is so popular? Great rates (the punk rock special is a long-time Jam Room fave) and guys that will go militant to get your band a cool recording.




So, you're ready to commit that first real original masterpiece to tape...so you can spam the interwebs with it...well good luck and good hunting!




Here are a few great options to look into:

"Bat Cave Productions" in Evans Ga 706-830-3537

"Sector 7 G" in Augusta Ga nick7g@gmail.com

"The Jam Room" Columbia SC


http://www.jamroomstudio.com


You can check out more about Stoney at http://www.lokalloudness.com

and at

http://www.confederationofloudness.com

Acoustic vs Electric: What Should I Start With?

As an instrument teacher I am asked very often, " I am wanting to start playing guitar, what should I buy? An acoustic or electric guitar?" I never really thought about it too much at first. I would just reply " What ever you want." I thought about it real hard about a year ago how i should answer this. I came up with a couple of good answers. I will break them down. That way any people who have just picked up my card and are thinking about playing or purchasing a guitar can get an answer.

1) What type of music do you want to play? This helps me decide what to say. If you are into Nirvana or Slayer why would you want an acoustic? If you are into Jack Johnson or Joni Mitchell why would you want an electric? You pick the guitar based on what you want to play. If you are a rock, metal or grunge person you want the guitar that's going to give you the sound of the music you want to play. That guitar is an electric one. If you are into singer song writers or acoustic music in general you want to get an acoustic guitar. Basicaly you look at the type of guitar the bands that you are into are playing and get the same type. If Toby Keith is playing an acoustic and you like him, you get an acoustic. If Tom Morello is playing electric, you get an electric.

2)What is your budget? If you have around $150 and up and you want to rock out with an electric get one. If your money situation at the time has your budget below that get an acoustic. If you are into the metal and rock you are going to need an amp and that is extra money. If you want to get playing on a low budget go ahead and get the acoustic and then save up for the electric and amp. You can get a good acoustic for $150 and lower. We have tons of them at the store that are great.

Those are the two main factors I look at when answering " Should I get an acoustic or electric to start with?" I have heard a million times that people are told they should with acoustic then go to electric. Really it is up to you. The guitar is set up the same for both. All the theory, chords, scales etc.,you use on one you will use on the other. It is really just based on what kind of music you want to play. I can say that when you start it is EASIER to play an electric because the strings are lighter. Some of the acoustic guitars coming out now a days are alot easier on the hands then they were 10 years ago. So if you are wanting to buy a guitar and start playing think about what I just wrote and then go buy one. See you down at Rock Bottom Music!!!

The Importance Of..........Knowing Your Fretboard

This installment of "The Importance Of" is about the importance of knowing your fretboard notes. It does any bass or guitar player good to know where any note is at any given time. Knowing the notes helps you find chords when you want and find the root notes of any scale you want. Its also a big plus to know where everything is at when it is time to rip a solo. When you first look at a guitar or bass it can be over whelming looking at all the frets and strings and wondering how many notes you have to learn. In all reality there really isn't much to learn. If you are good at picking up patterns it's especially a breeze! To help you learn them lets get a couple ground rules first. The first one is knowing that the musical alphabet goes A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Once you get to G it all starts back over at A. What you wind up with is a constant cycle of ABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFG. The second rule is every note is a whole step away from every other note except for two notes - E to Fand B to C are half steps (reminder- half step is going up or down 1 fret, whole step is going up or down 2 frets). The third thing is know the name of your strings - (6)low E, (5)A, (4)D, (3)G, (2)B and (1) high E. Knowing our rules you can go up each string without even having a chart.We are going to do natural notes only, meaning NO sharps (#) or flats (b). For both E strings you start out with the open E, go a 1\2 step to the first fret for F, whole step G, whole step A, whole step B, half step C, whole step D and a whole step to the 12th fret to bring you back to E. On your 5th or A string you start out with open A, whole step to 2nd fret B, half step C, whole step D, whole step E, half step F, whole step G, and whole step to A. Your D or 5th string, open D, whole E, half F, whole G, whole A, whole B, half C, whole back to D. The 3rd or G string, open G, whole A, whole B,half C, whole D, whole E, half F and whole G. Your 2nd or Bstring is open B, half C, whole D, whole E, half F, whole G, whole A and whole back to B. We only go to our 12th fret because once you get it down up to your 12th fret you realize its the same from the 12th fret upwards as it was from open to your 12th fret. I am including a fret board diagram in this. It goes along with what we just went over. I have had students get the fret board down by doing what we just did and others get it down by using the diagram and still others by just memorizing what I say in lessons. Any way that works for you is the best way. As long as you get it down it does not matter how you do it or how long it takes you. Learn it front wards,back wards across and any which way you can. It is a very very valuable piece of knowledge and it crucial to becoming a guitar master.To see the fretboard diagram bigger just click on the picture and it will blow up to full screen size.Also for the 4 string bass guitar just get rid of the high E and the B string andthe string numbers change to E-4, A-3, D-2, G-1st string. Hope you get the fret board down and realize "The Importance of Knowing Your Fretboard!"

Spotlight Licks

I am gonna start something new called "Spotlight Licks." It might not be every week but will be close to it. I am going to include myself and other guitar players I come across. It's just little nibbles and bits to expand your lick vocabulary. It might help you or it might not. It is something I think will be fun and give you an insight into a players mind. The first one is one of my licks with the first partbeing from something Micheal Baideme showed me. It is based of the A minor blues scale and the A dorian mode. You will want to use a downstroke for the first notes and an upstroke on the next notes. I am talking about the notes where it is fret 7 on the b string and 8 on the e as the first notes and the up on the 5th fret b and 5th fret e string notes. The rest you can kinda feel how you want to pick it. I just use alternate picking. The first notes ( 7&8 fret one) there is a 1/4 step bend on the 7th fret note on the b string. Just hit the two notes together and bend the 7th fret b string note a 1/4 step, let it ring for a second and proceed to the rest of the lick. You can make the timing however you feel. I can bet once you play it you will make it your own. You can click on the picture of the lick to make it bigger.I got some great licks from great players coming in the future. Have fun and hit that woodshed!!!!

Product Review: TC Polytune

This months product review is on TC Electronics Polytune floor tuner. I know I have been writing alot about tuners but they are so vital I feel it is necessary. I came across this product and felt it needed to be talked about. I review products I believe in and believe will be an asset to players. This Polytune pedal is one of the most amazing pieces of technology I have come across in a while. I am gonna get the specs out of the way first.

The tuning accuracy is +/- 0.5 cent. The power supply is a 9 volt battery or 9 volt dc adapter. The input impedance is 500kOhm with the pedal on. Reference pitch is A4=435 to 445 Hz (1 hz steps). The current draw is 45-50 mA.

Lets get down to the tuner itself and its features. It is a true bypass pedal. I put the pedal in many areas of my pedal chain to see if it messed with the sound any. I had a Cry Baby wah, Boss d-3 delay, Boss eq, Digitech Whammy pedal, Boss super Chorus, MXR Phaser and an Angry Troll linear boost pedal ran in my board. I put the Polytune before and after every signal pedal to see how it did. It had no effect at all no matter where I put it in the chain. I dug that. I HATE floor tuners because they normally mess with my sound. This one did not. First big reason I liked it. Next is what it can tune. It can tune your guitar and any 4, 5, and 6 string bass. There is a button on the back on each side of the pedal. You hit the button right under where is says Polytune to select guitar or bass. It also lets you pick if you want the display to read the typical "needle" or if you want it to stream. This is a chromatic tuner and a POLYPHONIC tuner. Polyphonic is a fancy way of saying IT TUNES ALL THE STRINGS AT THE SAME TIME!!!!! I had seen the ad for this tuner in a guitar magazine and was very intrigued. Now that I had one to try I was excited to do it. First though I had to set it to the tuning I wanted. The button on the back lets you pick if you want standard, 1/2 step down, whole step down and then some. I picked 1/2 step down and went for it. I strummed all the strings and damn if it did not read them all. It was easy to read. Its got double dots to represent each string, almost like mini side ways needles. I tuned up and then just hit each string individually. If you just hit a string it automatically switches to a chromatic tuner. That works the other way too. If you want to check all the strings you just strum and it automatically switches to polyphonic. It is just as accurate weather its in chromatic or polyphinic modes. You can not only pick if you want standard, 1/2 step down , etc for your tuning, you can also calibrate if you want it to be down to A=435 or up to 445. You just hold down both buttons on the back and use each individual button to go up or down with the pitch. Simply amazing. I tuned up three different guitars with it. My Berkshire, my Gibson Explorer and my acoustic/electric Taylor 810. It tuned each one with ease. I then checked each guitar against two other tuners- an intellitouch clip on tuner and my $300 Korg rack tuner. The TC was dead on. The intellitouch gets you close. The korg gets you there too. The TC was the first tuner that I ever used that I DID NOT HAVE TO DO ANY ADJUSTING TO!!!I have always hated floor tuners, and most clip tuners, because even after I tune I have to sit and still do adjustments. The Polytune was perfect. I used the Polytune at my gig this weekend and also found out two more interesting features. One is that if you use the adapter feature it also has a power out so that you can use it to daisy chain pedal power off of!!! It also has an ambient light sensor on the front of it that automatically adjusts the brightness of the display depending on how bright the area the pedal is in. You will always be able to see the display!!!! This pedal is more than good enough to set up your intonation on your guitar too. I set up my Gibson Explorer with it just to test it out and my ear told me the tuner was dead on.

I know this has been a long winded review. I can not help myself on this one. I actually got goosebumps using this tuner. I got hyped up. I know its a dorky guitar player thing to do but I want everyone to know how great this is. It is a must have for any bass, acoustic/electric and electric guitar player. Rock Bottom Music has them on sale for $99. There is no floor tuner that can compare and it is just as good as any high dollar rack tuner. For $99 you can not beat this. It is a must have for any serious player. Get down to Rock Bottom and check it out. I am very much thanking Jonathon Karow for letting me get my hands on this pedal. The TC Electronics Polytune is beyond a homerun!!

for more on the polytune go to http://www.tcelectronic.com/polytune.asp

Student Spotlight: Blake Sloan

This "Student Spotlight" is on an up and comer named Blake Sloan. He is 13 years old and is in 8th grade at North Augusta Middle School. He has been playing guitar for around 5-6 years now. He has been taking lessons from me since April 2010. He started playing guitar because he has a brother who got him into it. His brother is a former student of mine named Aaron Sloan who was in a local band called the J man Band. There are several musicians in his family from his brother Aaron to cousins. Blake also plays saxophone and piano. I have had the pleasure of watching Blake really improve in the last two months. He practices regularly and it shows in his playing. I have witnessed his fingers and hands getting faster and stronger and his timbre improve greatly. His favorite band out there is Weezer. His dream concert bill to be a part of would be Metallica opening the show, Weezer in the middle and his band closing it out. He would love for his band to be a nice mix of Metallica and Weezer. If he could get a guitar lesson from any guitar player in history it would be Eddie Van Halen. Why Eddie Van Halen? "Eruption......that's enough said....if someone can create a song like Eruption I would love to know how his mind works" is what Blake's response was. If there was one place in the world he could play a gig at it would be Times Square in New York City. Blake said playing there and being around all those people would be a thrill. Blake's dream guitar would be a Gibson Les Paul Gold Top. I asked Blake where he sees his self musically in 5 years and he told me " Playing in a band regionally around the south east." The most embarrassing song on his ipod is Fur Elise. That's not really that embarrassing, I love that song!!! When Blake gets out of high school he wants to attend the University of South Carolina. He hopes to grow up to be a neurologist. He certainly has the brains and work ethic to be one. I have witnessed how smart he is first hand. He is a bright kid. Blake told me the most important thing he has gotten from lessons so far is a life lesson that if you learn to read music it takes you a long way with other instruments too and that as far as guitar goes finger exercises get you precision and quickness. So here is to you Blake........keep rockin...keep playing.....and keep having fun!!!!

The Importance Of..................Practicng at Standard Pitch

This installment of "The Importance Of" focuses on practicing at standard (440=A) pitch. I'm not talking about band practice or free jamming, I'm talking about when you are going over scales, chords or anything from our lessons. It's important for a variety of reasons. One is that when you hear, say for example, an A note, that you know that it is really an A note. I practiced for years tuned to the tuning i used for my band, 1/2 step down ( low to high- Eb, Ab, Gb,Db, Gb, Bb, Eb), and it made my sense of pitch all whacked out. When i would do my ear training i would always get the note a 1/2 step off!!! Knowing what a note sounds like and being able to tell what it is, is a great tool to have. When you can listen to a song and not have a guitar in your hand and figure it out is awesome!!! I do it alot when i have songs to learn for a fill in gig. Once I started doing all my practicing in standard pitch my ear got nicely fine tuned. When I practiced my scales tuned to 440 I was able to learn solos alot easier. Granted, when I play with my band I still play a 1/2 step down but, I know the note i want to hit that I hear in my head because I know what that note is now!!! So a word to the wise, get yourself a tuner and do all the things I give you to do tuned up to standard pitch!! We have so many tuners at Rock Bottom Music at low prices there is no excuse for you to not be tuned up!!! We have some incredible Seiko tuners, Korg tuners, and the new "snark" and some others i know I am missing. So get a tuner and get to getting that ear and your hands in shape!!

Music 101 with Dr. Dork : Originality

Songwriting is crucial for an original musician. However, when you stop to reflect on the last 50 years not to mention the last 500, it appears as if there is nothing new under the sun that one can do. At what point are we simply just regurgitating what we heard someone else do? I bring this up because I see it all around me and struggle with it myself when contributing to music that my bands write. The other day, I popped in a CD I hadn’t heard in a few years—Dream Theater’s ‘Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence’ and noticed that the drum intro on the track ‘The Test That Stumped Them All’ was very similar to something I had used as an intro fill for the L.i.E. song ‘Normal Rockswell’ – Of course, my part was in 7/8 while Portnoy was playing alternating 7/8 and 6/8 and he used the snare more … but who cares about the details, right? My idea stemmed from his ide so did I rip him off? At least I can honestly say it wasn’t done consciously.

But that’s just me, and I’m only one person… and that example is fairly innocuous. However, the other day, a friend recommended I check out this band. I did, only to find that the song to which he linked me essentially contained a carbon copy of parts lifted right out of Green Day’s ‘Basket Case’ and Blink 182’s ‘All The Small Things’ except with bad guitar tone. Granted, said band listed Green Day as a major influence, but I found it hard to believe this band could consider this to be their original music and not only make a music video to go with the song, but they’re also selling it online.

Where do you draw the line? Indeed, there are only so many chords and keys and time signatures available… and we can’t possibly know every phrase from every song ever written. In the age of the Internet, it seems more people have bands than have flown in airplanes. We have what seems to be an exponential rise in the amount of music available and with it, ever more things that are hard to distinguish from anything else you might run across. I try my best to listen to most of the bands that play live in Augusta if I have not heard of them because you never know when you’ll find something really interesting. However, it has long been past the point that I can tell with a modicum of certainty what a band sounds like just by looking at their photo… but now I’m almost to the point that I can guess the average number of single-note chugga-chugga breakdowns per song or whether the singer will sound like Scott Stapp or Aaron Lewis.

John Berret encourage me to put together a show featuring bands that I think exemplify well-crafted music that stands apart from what we might would call ‘run-of-the-mill.’ In doing so, my band mates in Artemia decided to go with a pair of bands that we all really found entertaining in their live show as well as just being extra creative in their artist endeavors. For all intents and purposes though, both bands are instrumental with vocals used sparingly. I thought about how that could be considered “odd,” but then again I always found it odd when others would tell me thought some band was awesome when I couldn’t even hear the vocals over the guitar hiss and distortion… so… why not? Sinister Moustache http://www.sinistermoustache.com/
and Kings of Prussia (asheville nc)http://myspace.com/kingsofprussia
are the two bands in question, and honestly… in 20 years of playing music and seeing bands, I’d put these guys up against anyone in the business and strongly suggest everyone listen to several songs from each group before deciding whether or not you’re ready to move on to the next thing. Both of these bands held my attention the entire time they were on stage the last time I saw each of them, and that is a rarity for most people no matter what. Like every other artist/band out there, these bands are also borrowing ideas, but it is how those ideas are executed that is the salient point here. Genre-crossing is another feature that keeps you on your toes…

The take-away message is pretty simple… originality may not earn you quick popularity as an artist, but at least you won’t end up like this (and I don’t mean very wealthy!!) -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs4tNeGyTyI&feature=related

(You can see Kings of Prussia and Sinister Moustache at Sky City on Friday, October 8 at Sky City with Artemia and The Radar Cinema. You can also see Artemia at Sector 7G with L.i.E., Suns Collide, Roselyn, Rusty Shackleford and Nine Day Descent on Saturday, October 2. Feel free to criticize their songwriting.)

The Importance Of...........Finger Exercises

In this segment of "The Importance Of" we are gonna focus on something very specific......finger exercises. It doesn't matter if its your first day playing or you have been playing for thirty years, they are a huge benefit. The first one I start my students off with is the classic "1,2,3,4," exercise. Its where you start with your first finger on the first fret of your low E string, pluck it, go to your second finger second fret, pluck it, then third finger third fret, pluck it, then fourth finger fourth fret, pluck it. You continue this exercise across every string. Once you have made it across go back to your low E string, move up to the second fret and repeat the process. Do this all the way up your neck to the twelth fret.You want to do this and all exercises evenly and smoothly. Make sure every note is clear. You also need to do this with a metronome. Set the metronome to a speed where every "click" is on your one beat.That means every time you hear a click you are moving to the next string. Nothing will get your hands moving better than proper finger exercises that are done properly. They will get you playing better very quickly and are great for warm ups before a gig , band practice or when you are just jamming in your bedroom. I have my exercise sheet posted here for all to see. Feel free to use them. Just remember to start off slowly. Make sure you do them clean. There is absolutely nothing worse than hearing a sloppy player. These will get you un-sloppy. Everyone starts slow. Dont feel like you have to be all macho and play them at a super speed and sloppy. I cant say it enough...DO THEM CLEAN AND IN TIME!!!! You will eventually get them to a fast speed. Remember to have fun with them and never forget "The Imporatnce of Finger Exercises!"

The Bizz with the Buzz:Pleased To Meet You by:Stoney Cannon

The Biz with the Buzz: Please to Meet You...

So now that you've reaped the benefits of knowledge handed down from from your best friend, your music instructor, and of course whichever influential music gods have tickled your ears, it's time to get out of that little rehearsal cubicle whether it's your bedroom, a friends garage, or your instructor's room in back of the music store. You and your buds have a band...now all that's left is to take on the world...right? You've seen the movie: kid picks up guitar, plays a show, gets seen, makes a record, and becomes the next biggest thing since that Justin Bieber kid. (OK bad example...if he can make I guess anyone can). Well unfortunately life doesn't always play out like in the movies otherwise, we'd all be rock stars. Not everyone can just sky rocket to the top like the Wonders from the movie "That Thing You Do."
So like I was saying before getting sidetracked - you and your buds have a band...and you're pretty good...getting better everyday but still...pretty good. You're working on getting a gig and excitement is starting to swell for you and your bandmates but slow down...don't forget - first impressions are everything. You can create the biggest hype in the world...but if you can't live up to it...well I'll leave the onstage prep to the pros who write those type of columns here...my job is to talk about the hype...just make sure you're ready for that point before you jump into it. But first impressions in the way you promote yourself is pretty important too. Do you want to step out into the world as the next up and coming band or just a bunch of kids out to make some noise? (Don't answer that, I still like to make noise too!) Your band sounds good, plays good, has all the moves down...now you just have to get your future fans interested in actually coming out to see you play. That starts with how you want to present yourself to the public. Things that will come into play from everything to flyers, posters, promo kits, even how the press presents you. Sure you want to record the next rock classic...but right now, who's gonna buy it outside of your releatives, friends, and slightly significant others?
One thing that irks me is a band that is impossible to get any information on. I can't count how many times I've had to work on an article and have gone to a band's MySpace only to find a confusing bio, a bunch of very badly taken live photos, and a band logo that looks like a page from an ink blot test. Incomplete names of band members doesn't help much either. When you're rich and famous you can do whatever you want...but out of the starting gate...there's nothing more important that getting your point across. Artistic license comes only after people care what you have to say.
So you decide that your next step to getting your band out to the masses is to create a web presence. For young bands this usually means a free site involving MySpace, Facebook, Reverbnation, etc. or all of the above. When it comes to logo art only MySpace leaves you room to really flex your artistic muscles and there's a reason for that. In the early stages most prospective fans bookers, promotors, venue owners, etc. are only concerned about a few things, the name of the band, the music of the band, a direct visual of the band, a contact, and possibly your story. They could care less about your logo until you're booked and they want to put your posters up then they still probably won't even hardly notice them alongside the many others they have to put up around the venue. You have a name, you're working on music, so how about we work on two things that every promo and press pack, whether in print or digital, should have, a good promo picture and a well written band biography.
Now for a new band a good bio should contain a few very important elements - the members of the band (with correct first and last names please, you do want the lokal paper to write about you don't you?), a short to the point history with a few unique tidbits, good grammar/spelling, and whatever you do please try to avoid any words that sound like they come straight out of a comic book. No one cares that your guitar player might "have the fiery intesity of a young Steve Vai." That may be true but they will either find out via your demo (more on that next time) or if and when you play their venue. Keep in mind, not every venue booker books bands they like or are familiar with. Bobby Booker at Club Rock My Sack Off might not have the first clue who Steve Vai is based on the fact that while he books hard rock, his guilty pleasure listening ipod is filled with tracks by Air Supply and Culture Club. Stick to the basics and remember, keep it short and simple. Oh yeah, and remember to include a contact name and number. Someone who is NOT in the band.
So you have this bio that tells your story and now people are reading it and are interested. Interested enough to ponder "Gee I wonder what these guys look like?" Well seeing how it's always good to make a venue booker or music writer's life easier, you just happened to also send a great photo of the band with your great bio. But what's this? The picture is of the band from a distance in a field or...is that a cemetary? There's four or five guys, I think, but you can barely tell what they look like! The guy working on what couple be great free press via an article of your band to promote an upcoming show loves your bio, wants to maybe talk to the band, but...scraps the article in favor of another band. Why? Because your photo taken at a distance will not reproduce in black and white screen and to top it off, with the smaller size the paper wants to run of your photo, readers will barely be able to make out the band. Sounds far fetched but trust me, the paper is more concerned with a good looking product than your rookie band. They can always find another young band with a cool story yet with a GREAT picture! You might be asking "Stoney? No field of trees? No cemetary? Well how about a brick wall or maybe even the train track bridge that goes over the Savannah River?" Well in response I will say that those are all fine ideas but...FOR THE LOVE OF GOD NO! This is your first promo picture so let me toss some great rules out for you that will work every time (even well known bands have been known to consistently use these throughout their careers)...
1. Close tight knit shot of your band from the waist or shoulders up.
2. Make sure everyone relatively is dressed like they belong in the same band. (A guy in pink Izod looks odd surrounded by dudes in black leather and spikes)
3. Please try and refrain from wearing shades or baseball caps. Unless you're Hootie and the Blowfish, this just makes you look like the next hobby band.
4. Get someone with a decent camera to take several shots. You're bound to get a good first promo shot without going to Olin Mills.
So there you go...you now have the means to show and tell people about your band...soon you will blister them with your demo...but for now...get to plastering that info on your MySpace, Facebook, Reverbnation, whatever page...your takeover of the music world has begun...


John "Stoney" Cannon

you can check more about Stoney out at his all things lokal music website at
http://www.lokalloudness.com

and check out his lokal musicinternet radio show at
http://www.confederationofloudness.com/

Check This Out: Mark Schulman Drum Clinic

On September 9, 2010 at 7 p.m. at Rock Bottom Music Augusta world class drummer Marc Schulman will be doing a clinic. He is well respected in the rock, pop and jazz communities. Along with being a drummer , he is a classically trained cellist. When he was a teenager he played with the Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic. He is currently the drummer for world wide recording artist Pink. He played drums for her " I'm not dead" and "Funhouse" tours. He also plays a little cello for her too. Some of the other bands\artist Mark has played for are Sheryl Crow, Foreigner, Stevie Nicks, Destiny's Child, Billy Idol, Cher (on her Believe and farewell tours), Udo Lidenburg and Eikichi Yazwa, he was Velvet Revolver's drummer when they did Ozzfest ( I was at that Ozzfest!!!) and he was the drummer for 80's hit makers Simple Minds. He got to play the Glastonbury Music Festival for over 200,000 people when he played with Simple Minds!!! That right there is a musicians dream come true!

Marc is an educator as well. He taught at the Los Angeles Music Academy. A guy with this much life experience and worldly knowledge who is an educator has alot to offer up and coming musicians as well as a seasoned musician. Being a drummer and a cello player he will have a lot of insight into how music is put together and what it takes to become a master at both. With the world class players he has [played with he will have wisdom to share that he learned from working with them. Mark will have stories of being on the road all over the world. With him being an educator he will be able to put it into terms we will be able to learn from. He is also music producer trained audio engineer and is part owner of West Triad Recording Studio in Venice California. He will have vast knowledge on how to achieve desired sounds in a studio environment.

So make sure all you students of mine or anyone looking for something cool to go to, or anyone looking to learn something new, get yourself down to Rock Bottom Music , located on the corner of 8th street and Broad street, in downtown Augusta Georgia on Thursday September 9, 2010 at 7 p.m.This is a FREE and ALL AGES EVENT!!!!! Rock Bottom's address is 758 broad street. the number is 706-724-1172 if you need any more info. Stop down and tell me hi!!! I will be there.

Product Review: Egnater Rebel 30 Head and Cab

This product review is going to be on an outstanding amp....The Egnater Rebel 30. Lets start with a little history....30 years ago Bruce Egnater wanted the tones of his favorite players and could not get it with off the shelf amps.He was an electronics graduate from the University of Detroit's Engineering School. He opened his own repair shop in 1975 to help players get their own tone and to make amps with More distortion and louder volume. For 30 years Egnater has been a benchmark of quality and tone. The particular Egnater amp I am going to give a review on is the "Rebel 30." There are many great Egnater models, such as the Rebel 20, the Tweaker, the Renegade and Tour Master series.

Lets get the amp specs out of the way. It's a 30 watt all tube amp. The clean channel has volume, bass and treble knobs. Wattage control from1-30 watts. It has "tight" and "bright" switches and on the back a reverb control knob with "spillover."The overdrive channel has volume, gain and a 3 band eq knobs. Wattage control from 1-30 watts and "tight" and "bright" control switches. There is a tube mix knob to select your taste of a mix between 6V6 tubes and EL84 power tubes. There is also a reverb knob on back with "spillover."There is a xlr direct record out with play and silent mode recording mode. There is a buffered effects loop and a spot for a footswitch to change channels and turn on and off the reverb. the wood that they are made from is birch plywood. The last spec is there is a 100v\115v\230v voltage selector. There is a very classy\timeless look about this amp too. Black and off white with a beautiful black and white speaker grill cloth with a very tasteful, cursive, Egnater logo on top of the grill cloth.

Now let's get to how they sound. I played few different guitars for a good bit of time each on this amp. I will break it down guitar by guitar. On all guitars i used the same settings for each. On distortion channel the gain was all the way up, low at 3\4, mids at 3 and treble all the way. On clean channel had eq all set at 12 o clock. I messed with the tube mix a little on each but always started it right down the middle. Tube watts was always in the middle.

The first guitar I played was Micheal Baideme's 2003 Les Paul Custom Shop Historic Art '59 Re-Issue. This guitar is amazing in it's own right but through the amp it had a full and rich sound. Pinch harmonics took on a new and exciting tone for me. There was a tight low end and was a perfect mix of vintage and modern guitar tones at the same time. With gain 1\2 way it lost no sustain, all the way up it was endless. The distortion was nice and gritty. I turned the tube mix all the way to 6V6 side and it was very Fender sounding. I messed with the "tight" switch and it made a difference. It made playing a "metal chug" sound very clear at any volume. It really does make it sound "tight." For that reason I kept it on for all guitars. No matter how loud I put the amp the notes and chords very very articulate. I was very pleased with this guitar and the amp. They were a perfect match.

The next guitar was my Berkshire "John John" model. This is my main guitar so i know how this normally sounds in comparison to "my sound." With my pick up selector in the mid position and single coil on it sounded very bluesy. Gritty and dirty, just how i like it. I put my "double' coil on it it had a very 90's alt rock sound. Very awesome.Very Pearl Jammy. I stuck the tube mix on all the way EL84 and it sounded very Black Label Society "Stillborn" tone. On the clean channel on my bridge pick up it was very twangy, chicken pickin, git-r-done ish. Pick up's both on it was very 80's ballad, "Nothing Else Matters" tone. Pure money. I loved it. This amp on clean and overdrive was so crisp...so clean. Bass notes clear asa bell on this channel. The pick ups in my guitar are seymour duncan jv and the jazz.This amp was a perfect mix of the Peavey 5150 and VHT classic 6 that I use to get my tone.

The next guitar was an ESP Viper 300 M right off the shelf at Rock Bottom. It has active EMG 81 and 85 pick ups. On the dirty channel it was a terrific monster of modern metal guitar tone. It sounded like a mesa triple rec on steroids. It was Breaking Benjamin and Avenged Sevenfold tone depending on how hard you played. This guitar with these pick ups just growled!!!No matter how fast or how loud i got every note was crystal clear and shimmering. On the clean channel there was still some grit on the sound because of the high out put pick ups.

The last guitar I used was also Micheal Baideme's. This time it was and amazing ORIGINAL 1963Fender Stratocaster.Of all the guitars, I loved the sound of this one the best throughout this amp. They ALL sounded amazing, this one was just it on this day and time for me. Plugging straight in with the same settings on distortion, this thing had huge balls. ACDC Back In Black all day long. With gain halfway it sounded more Hendrix than Hendrix. I listened to Micheal play on it while it was on clean. So much chicken pickin snap. The mids shined, the trebled shined, the bass shined. Freddie King would give his right arm for this sound, as would I. I think this guitar sounded like gold on the clean channel on this amp.


The Egnater Rebel 30 head and cab are just plain godly sounding. Egnater has been around for over 30 years perfecting amps. This one could be called damn near it. They are priced at the Rock Bottom price of $749.99 for the head and $279.99 for the cab at Rock Bottom Music. Jonathon Karow has a wide selection of tube amps at our store. You need to get down to the corner of 8th and Broad and check these out. They are selling quick at that price. We also have the Egnater "Tweaker" in. Micheal Baideme, who graciously let me play his awesome guitars for this review, bought a "Tweaker" head and is in love with it. An Egnater at this price is a done deal for me. We also have an insane deal on the all tube Peavey XXX amp.$900. That's for the head and a 4\12 cab. If your guitar player you need a good tube amp. Get down to Rock Bottom and at least check this out. Tell 'em John John sent you.

Passing the Torch: Brint Lollar

In this first edition of "Passing the Torch" I am focusing on a former student of mine named Brint Lollar. Brint is 21 years old and plays guitar in the band L.I.E. He was 16 years old when he started playing guitar. Boredom and a compulsion to do something is why he started playing. Hearing his moms Van Halen records is what got him inspired and its also what he pulled his first riffs from. I remember the meeting that got Brint started taking lessons from me. I was walking down 8th street in downtown Augusta and this kid with wide eyes and kind of nervous came up to me and said "Hey John John, you givin guitar lessons?", I told him yes and gave him my number. He said he had been at 95 Rock when Zakk Wylde had came through and was there when I was jammin with Zakk. The first lesson I gaveBrint I noticed he was extremely smart. He knew alot of theory and tons about the guitar, we needed to work on the execution. Any of my students wondering by now, yes he is the one I tell you about that knew tons about theory, tons about everything, the one that impressed me with that, we just had to get him playing it! The love of prog music and finding new, obscure bands to learn from , is what keeps him playing. He hasbeen in the band L.I.E. for 3 years now. I remember putting Brint on stage for the first time. He played a student concert at the Barnes and Noble bookstore at the Augusta Mall. I also brought him to the open mic nights i use to do at the mission.(yes he was too young but his mother brought him!!!) I remember helping him out with video auditions trying to get in Chairleg, lending him guitars and amps when he go tin L.I.E.back when LIE had Davis as a drummer.He played his first gig with L.I.E. after just one week of practice. He loves the challenge of learning the parts that fellow LIE band mate ( and contributing writer on this blog) Micheal "Dork" Dinkins writes on the keyboard that he then has to play on the guitar. He says it can take weeks to learn them. He has had the pleasure of opening up for national acts like OTEP, MOTOGRADER and Metallica tribute band BATTERY. This year L.I.E. will be on the 12 Bands of Christmas cd and concert.The concert will be in December this year and once again at the Imperial Theatre. The band is doing "Granda Ma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" for the cd. A couple shows they have coming up is October 2 at the all ages venue Sector 7 G and a halloween show October 30 at the Hard Knox in Columbia South Carolina. I askedhim what his dream guitar would be,get this, he told me it is my red 1980 Gibson Explorer that was my main guitar for many years. He would of course do his own modifications to it. He is currently playing his dream amp, the Bogner Line 6.I also asked him what he got out of taking lessons with me. His response was " A card catalog of applications of use. I came into lessons with pieces of the puzzle and came out with all the pieces and how to use them.I learned application of knowledge and a routine practice schedule." Some advice Brint has to pass on to new players and up and comers: Buy a mp3 player, fill it with music, listen to it religiously and change the music out every week. Also find as many ways as possible to transcribe music. Learn how to read standard notation. Brint would one day like to score a movie and in 5 years sees himself still playing but expanding to other instruments. I am extremely proud to have worked with him. Here's to Brint......Me Passing The Torch........

here is a video of live L.I.E.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijn-pF41N_Y

Student Spotlight: Danielle Parker

This month's Student Spotlight is on Danielle Parker. She is 14 years old and attends Grovetown High School. She started taking guitar lessons from me February 20, 2010. She is a very quiet, shy young lady. She is extremely smart and is well mannered. She does very well in school and caught on to my teaching program quickly. She works very hard at the guitar. She wanted to start playing guitar because her mom likes guitar. It's very obvious that Danielle likes it as well. Her current favorite band is Paramore and she would love to see Taylor Swift in concert. If she could play in any band that's around today it would be Maroon 5. She hopes to be writing her own songs in the future. I believe she is well on her way to doing that. She has what it takes to be on her way to writing some great songs. She listens to and plays a wide range of music, from Poison to Taylor Swift to Paramore. She really enjoys music. That's what drives her to keep playing. If she could go back to any point in time and see any performer in history it would be Micheal Jackson. She says there are not too many musical people in her family except her brother who plays piano. That is nothing to deter her though, she is from the musical mecca city of New Orleans Louisiana. Growing up seeing the parades and bands there had a profound impact on her. There isn't a person alive who grew up in New Orleans and doesn't have some sort of music running through their veins. Seeing the drummers in New Orleans is what got her into music. In 5 years she sees herself a much better musician. She wants to be an optometrist and go to the University of Southern California for college. She is having a blast learning music at Rock Bottom Music. So here's to you Danielle.......keep rockin.......keep playing........and keep having fun!!!

Product Review: Guitar Stands

This is a little bit of product review and a little bit of YOU NEED TO HAVE A STAND!! I was in a band previously where the player with me for 7 yrs. never got a guitar stand. Basically any stand is a good stand. I have yet to see a stand where i would say " I will never use this stand!" Down at Rock Bottom Music we carry three types of guitar stands. The first is a Stagg stand. Its a fold able stand that you just set your guitar on. It comes in a style for acoustic guitars and a style for electric guitars\basses. It's a reasonable $19.99. They are great for when you have an out of town gig. They fold up small and get the job done. The next stand is the On Stage Stand. Its a tripod stand with adjustable height with a neck fork.These stands are everywhere. They to get the job done. I could not tell you how many have been left behind at gigs. I have seen near a hundred left over the years while i am packing up mics and speakers on sound gigs. They are at the cheapest price anywhere at $14.99 at Rock Bottom. The last stand we carry is the $39.99 Hercules stand. These stands are the Cadillac of guitar stands in my opinion. I got one that someone left on stage (at a sound gig i was doing) and have been very impressed with it. It doesn't really support the guitar any better than the other stands, its just better built and has more adjustments for guitar height and fits any guitar or bass. Now that you know how cheap the prices are on stands you need to get one. Nothing is worse for your instrument than laying it on the floor at a gig.It looks unprofessional too. Your guitar deserves the protection of a stand. Leaning your guitar on a wall is no good for your neck. So do yourself and your instrument a favor and get down to Rock Bottom Music and get a stand!!! p.s........i hold guitar stands for many months when i find them at sound gigs, i also put out the word that i have found them.NOONE ever claims them!!!

Rock Bottom Music

To check out more about rock bottom music go to
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=183519925292&ref=ts

or go tohttp://www.rockbottommusic.com/

check this out!!!!

In this edition of "Check This Out" I am telling you about a big change for me. I am changing my teaching store from Big City Music to Rock Bottom Music. It is not a change happening for any ill wills or bad feelings, its just a change for the opportunity to reach more students. I have had an amazing three years at Big City. The staff has been great to work with and Adam Tolar is a stand up guy. Adam and I have had some great success there, our student concerts and Rock Band Camp has been very successful and it was an immense pleasure working and molding the students. Big City will always offer great customer service and Good teaching program. I am handing off my teaching reigns to Darrell Cliett. He is qualified and will be using my program for the students there. At Rock Bottom I will be continuing what I did at Big City. My students will continue performing student concerts and I also will continue with Rock Band Camp in one form or another. There is a great stage at Rock Bottom where the students can do in store performances. The same stage where great artists like Duff McKagen,of Guns and Roses, and many many other national and world wide performers have did in store performances. The same stage where world class musicians like Greg Koch , writer of the Hal Leonard books i teach from, and on September 9, 2010 Mark Shulman, drummer for world wide recording artist Pink, will be doing a drum clinic. Rock Bottom has other great teachers like Devron Roof. Devron is an amazing musician and teaches the bass like nobodies business. Henry Wynn is a fixture on the Augusta music scene who also teaches guitar, mandolin and banjo. The staff is amazing. Guys like Joel Hodges, the award winning Micheal Badamie. Micheal is a great guitar player who is very knowledgeable about music. Jason Morris, who is a former student ofmine, is also on staff and is very musically inclined himself. Joanthon Karow, the owner, was alocal musician just like us before he took Rock Bottom from an online store to the growing successful franchise it is today. He is an all around great drummer, bass player and singer. He is also a work-a-holic likemyself. Jeannie is always by his side, kickingbutt while working at Rock Bottom. I am leaving out alot of the staff but i will be doing a write up on all of them soon. For those who don't know, Rock Bottom is located in downtown Augusta on the corner of 8Th street and Broad Street. I am excited about starting there. So keep our local businesses flourishing. Stop down and see me at Rock Bottom and when you go to Big City tell Darrell, Adam and the rest of the staff hi for me.This change will not change the teaching on this blog either. It will help the site reach more people. See you all soon!

"The Sound of Music" with Eric Rinker

Let’s talk about distortion. It's that knob on your amp or pedal that screams for attention. We can call it the "instant satisfaction" knob if you'd like. Some guitarists use distortion for saturation, sustain, tone, but some just because it's all they know and the salesman at the music store told them "TURN THIS KNOB ALL THE WAY UP FOR THAT GREAT DIAMONDBAG DARRELL SOUND"...
Let's get a little science out of the way, and figure out just what exactly distortion does to your guitar's signal/sound.
Distortion. It makes older folks cringe and the younger guys play endless arpeggio sweeps at music stores over and over. I’d like to hear them play them with no distortion. Distortion can be a smooth and warm overdrive to a loud wall of sonic HISSSSSS. There are many factors to getting different sounding distortions. Are you using your amp or a pedal for distortion? Is it a tube or solid state amp? Regardless of what method you use to get distortion, what you are hearing is called clipping. And to understand clipping, you need to understand what a waveform is.
It looks like it sounds:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Distortion_waveform.png







http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Clipping_compared_to_limiting.svg

In the second photo is a great example of clipping/distortion in action. You'll see the blue dotted parallel lines or the “threshold”. This is the voltage limit of the signal. In the digital realm (computers, 1’s and 0’s, etc), the limit is 0db. Anything past that and it’s just nonsense hissing. This threshold is where the equipment will not let the signal go above, and anything that goes above this threshold will be truncated or “clipped”, resulting in the crests of the sound wave being square. This is what we hear as distortion, the truncating of information past a set threshold. This is extreme of course, and the clipping makes amplifiers need to use more juice, and sound very harsh with lots of high frequency harmonics.
With tube amps this clipping is done with a lot more finesse. The tubes amplify the quiet part of the signal to get them closer to the threshold, while leaving the already louder signal relatively the same. This is called compression. And a lot of people seek this guitar tone because of the even-order harmonics it makes, giving it a warmer and fatter tone. Yes, compressors can make distortion.
Now that we’ve talked about what distortion is and how clipping works, next time we’ll talk about distortion, EQ, and gain in a live setting, and the contrast you should make with the other instruments you may be accompanied by, and making space for them. Whether you’re playing death metal, the newest “core” band, or jazz, sounding good live is all about contrast.
Oh and why practicing with high gain distortion is doing you a disservice…
Some terms you should get familiar with:
Harmonics and overtones. (not “pinch” harmonics or “artificial” harmonics)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonic

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Distortion_waveform.png