Learn From: Alice In Chains

This edition of "Learn From" is from the 90's alternative/metal/grunge band Alice In Chains. Alice In Chains formed in 1987 in Seattle Washington. They came into prominence as part of the 90's grunge movement along with Soundgarden, Nirvana and scores of other flannel wearing rockers. The original band consisted of Layne Staley on vocals, Jerry Cantrell on guitar and vocals, drummer Sean Kinney and bass player and current "Celebrity Rehab" alum Mike Star. Star was replaced in 1993 with Mike Inez. I guess they just wanted someone with the same name so they couldn't forget what the bassist name was! The band has sold over 35 million albums. They released the albums Facelift, SAP, Dirt, Jar of Flies, Alice in Chains and the new album with new singer Black Gives Way to Blue. Their music was worlds different than their contemporaries in grunge. They were to metal to be grunge and mellow to be metal. Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell wove beautifully dark and melodic vocal harmonies. The likes of which had not been heard since bands from back in the day like the Beach Boys and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. They did them in a way all their own though. It seems like every hard rock band out today has ripped off the way A.I.C. did their vocals. Just listen to any modern rock station and you will hear it. Godsmack, Taproot, Shinedown and way way too many others to list. None can do it quite like Alice and none ever will. There is years worth of vocal study in these A.I.C. albums. The songs take you on a journey. They go from the snarling heaviness of a song like We Die Young http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XtZUWeADM0 to the seductive and hypnotic-ness of a song like "Don't Follow." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBB2OS4IoTs&feature=related
.They have made some of the best most original songs ever.period. Not since the likes of Led Zeppelin has a band been able to be heavy as hell and mellow at the same time. The lyrics were second to n one also. Layne could make you feel what he was singing. Growing up were I did my friends and family were living his lyrics. We related to him. Even if you could not relate, Layne wrote so well you felt his story. The band was amazing together. Tight as any in music history. Jerry Cantrell could play his ass off to. Not only a monster riff writer but a soloist up with the best. Here is some of his licks I am diggin at the moment. The song "Got Me Wrong." While there is no official solo for the song, he weaves some hellfire licks throughout the whole song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkI2W52ut-4
Alice In Chains is one the bands from the 90's that will go down in musical history much the same way as Black Sabbath, Led Zep and the Beatles. They are that damn good. Check them out. Layne Staley died in 2002. Singer William DuVall has replaced him. He is not Layne but is doing a great job. Their last album, Black Gives Way To Blue, is as good as any Alice album. In 2011 original bass player Mike Star passed away. The re-united Alice is everyone but Layne from the 1993 line-up. Do yourself a favor an get all the Alice In Chains albums and get to learning everything you can from them. It will make you a better player, songwriter and singer!

Learn From: The Beatles

This edition of "Learn From" is from the most popular band of all time, the Beatles. It is hard to imagine the world without the Beatles let alone the music business. The Beatles changed the way music sounded, was recorded, marketed, was wrote and had an impact on the world that went beyond music. They formed in Liverpool England in 1960. They started their professional career as a boy band.....yes a boy band. They had pop songs, dressed the same and were marketed just like a New Kids On the Block or 'N Sync was in our time. The big difference between the Beatles and those crap boy bands? The Beatles wrote, played on the recordings of their songs and played them live. Some of the early Beatles songs like "Please Please Please" and "I wanna hold your hand" were very poppy and catchy but they have stood the test of time. Every young boy and girl everywhere was a Beatle-mainiac. Those early pop songs grabbed ahold of people like Ozzy Osboarne and Tom Petty. The Beatles also grew as a band as time went on. The more mature they got they produced more mature and complex music. You can hear as each album was made how much bigger each one sounded. They had songs like "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" that featured blues master Eric Clapton just ripping it up. Songs like "Come Together", while not a blues song, has a blues influence in the main riff. Songs like "Strawberry Fields Forever" are about as psychedelic as any 60's band could be. There is incredible musicianship throughout all of their albums as well. Paul McCartney was an accomplished multi-instrumentalist who could play just about every instrument well. Every member of the band had the gift of songwriting too. Every member of the band also sang as well. They have some of the greatest vocal harmonies on record. Now while the members of the Beatles may have been born with the gift of music you can tell how they worked and honed their craft. With every album being different from the other they were always looking for something new to learn and make them better. The Beatles also changed the way music was recorded. So many new technologies had to be developed to make their albums sound the way they did. While these things might be considered primitive now, they changed the game back then and led the way for the way studios are now a days. The Beatles also led the charge in marketing. They had everything from lunch boxes, t shirts, key chains, pillows, you name it and they had it with their name or faces on it. Those things seem common place today but bands did not do that on a big scale until the Beatles did it. The Beatles broke up in in 1970. All four Beatles released amazing solo records and went on to great things. Their influence is just as big and strong as at anytime in their history. They still continue to sell millions upon millions of records and songs. They still continue to inspire and influence tons of great new artists.(they have probably influence more world class musicians than anyone) Paul McCartney sounds as good as ever in concert and his last studio cd was outstanding. John and George are of course no longer with us and Ringo is ........well......he is Ringo! Go out and get any of their albums or songs and get to learning them. Their songs are part of any musicians learning. If you are plan on playing out you should have a Beatles song or two ready! Go out and "Learn From" the Beatles.

early beatles "twiaat and shout" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA9maAERDAs

mid era "help" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU7JjJJZi1Q

some psychdelic "strawberry fields forever" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3jrWVp2L7U

end era "let it be" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0714IbwC3HA

Learn From: The Rolling Stones

This edition of "Learn From" is on the greatest rock and roll band on earth.....the Rolling Stones. They have been around since around 1962. They are constantly the biggest tour on earth every time they tour. They are one of the few remaining bands on earth today that can consistently fill stadiums. The song writing team of Keith Richards and Mick Jagger is second to none. They have brought us many jems such as Sympathy for the Devil, Brown Sugar, Start Me Up, Miss You, Wild Horses and way way too many to list. They came to America in the 1960's via the British Invasion and were kinda marketed as "the bad boy beatles." They were highly influenced by American blues and r&b music. You can hear alot of that in their songs. There have been a few line up changes over the years. Once they got really huge you would always see a big band on the stage with them. Horns, congas, back up singers. I saw them in concert a few years back and they put on a hell of a show. If you ever get a chance to see them live do your self a favor and do it. It is well worth the inflated ticket price to see a band like the Stones. They have influenced so many other really huge bands over the years. Bands like Guns and Roses, Aerosmith, The Black Crowes and just about any band out there. They used alot of open tunings on the guitars when they played too. In fact Keith Richards would often leave his low E string off the guitar completely. They have a "swing" to them that is due in large part to the drumming of Charlie Watts. When you listen to their songs you think "Hey these drums are east, I can do it!" but then you try to p[lay them and you realize there is actually something unique going on with them. There is a certain "tight looseness" to the band too. I have read where jazz players say the Stones are more jazzy then most jazz bands. The guitar sounds and tones are sick. Listen to any of their songs, electric and acoustic sounds have been so good it makes you jealous. Every bar band in history plays Stones songs. The songs are son ingrained in world culture that they are standard songs for almost any bar band in the world. They have released too many albums for me to give you a discography. They are also a testament to how a band is a business. They set the bar for marketing for a band. They made smart moves business wise and are some of the richest rock stars ever. Their "Lips" logo is a recognizable as a countries flag. Just go out and download some songs or buy the cds and "Learn From" the Rolling Stones.

here are some cool videos of a couple of my favorite songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fa4HUiFJ6c cant ya hear me knockin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOf0FsA0Fio
miss you

Learn From : Rush

In this edition of learn from I am going to focus on one of the forefathers of progressive rock....Rush. Rush is a three piece band from Canada formed in 1968. They are made up of Geddy Lee on bass, lead vocals and keyboard, Alex Lifeson on guitars and drummer and lyric writer Neil Peart. Rush is a band that has NEVER conformed to trends. They are one of the biggest and most influential bands on the planet. They have some simple catchy songs, some hard rockers, some ballads, some 1/2 hour progressive monsters and any other kind of song you can think of. They write music as a band but the drummer , Neil Peart, writes all the lyrics. Geddy Lee is known as a master of bass playing and a pretty good synthesizer/keyboard player. He is also known for having a voice higher than a woman sometimes !!!! Alex Lifeson is known for his unique tone and riffs and searing solos. Perhaps the most famous member of the band is the drummer, Neil Peart. The drummer is hardly ever the most known member of a band. In Rush the drummer is. That should tell you how good he is. Many people consider him the best drummer in the history of music. If you listen to Rush you can see how people can make that argument. There are four main breakdowns to the Rush career, so the hard core fans say. There is progressive rock era from 1977-1981, the synthesizer period from 1982-1989, returning to their roots era from 1990-1997 and the hiatus and comeback era from 1998-present. In those periods there are lots of great records to get. Here are a few to check out- Fly By Night, 2112, Moving Pictures, Signals, Counter Parts,Vapor Trails and the newest album, Snakes and Arrows. There are many good videos of their live performances to check out too. The documentary on the band was incredible. It is called Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage. It will take you on the journey the band has been on. It is a must see for any fan. It will also be good for anyone who does not like Rush also. It is so good it can appeal to a non music fan as well. Here are a couple Rush things to listen to right now. Here is the song YYZ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mR0tzt9XaM

and here is 2112 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDjx6aM-7VM

Learn From.............. Van Halen

This edition of "Learn From" is on Van Halen. Eddie Van Halen inparticular. Eddie and Van Halen were game changers. He is one of the few musicians in history were you can clearly see a before Eddie and after Eddie. Before Ed most guitar players sounded like beefed up blues (not that that is bad, its not). Think of Jimmy Page, Ted Nugent, Toni Iommi. Back before Ed every guitar player sounded similar to them, for the most part. He not only changed how people played, but how the guitar sounded. He added tapping, tremalo picking, speed, finesse, phrasing and many other elements. The song that changed it all was "Eruption." Check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI7XiJgt0vY

While you might not want to start your Van Halen learning with it, Van Halen 1 is a great place to start. Songs like "You Really Got Me","Aint Talkin Bout Love" and "Ice Cream Man" might not be easy, but they are about the easiest of Eddie to start with. Once you get them down you can move on to all the other albums. Another great one is "Hot For Teacher"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0XLKcMoXRE

When you are learning these songs listen to how they sound. His tone is one of the most sought after tones in music. He is not only a great guitar player/ innovator but is just as good at writing songs. What is a great solo without a great song? Nothing. He is a master rythym player too. Nothing makes a solo or song better than a great riff. Eddie has also invented alot of the gear we take for granted. The power break, the D-Tuna, whammy bar improvements....the list goes on. He has his own amp, guitar, cable, pedals, hell even shoes ( and many many other things) that just kick everything eles's ass. You can check out his guitars and amps at Rock Bottom, we got some. He has influenced more world class musicians than you can count. Example- Dimebag Darrel, Zakk Wylde, Kirk Hammett, Steve Vai, every guitar player in the 80's......the list will continue to go on. So go buy some Van Halen cd's, download some songs and buy some tab books (your gonna need 'em) and get yourself "Learning From" Eddie Van Halen!!!!

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

Learn From.....

This is called "Learn From." Basically its just about something that you can use to become a better musician. It can be anything....from a person, to a band, to an experience. The first one I am gonna do is musician magazines. There are alot of ones to choose from, Modern Drummer\Guitar World. They are great to learn from for a lot of reasons. The first one, and my personal fave, is the lessons. There are some real crappy ones, like the flavor of the week ones. Korn guitar players did one in guitar world years back and it was no good, but majority of them are informative. You also got product reviews. They are pretty honest too. You can also look at the little ads in the back classifieds and find a bunch of info on anything from new practice books to new start up company amps. If you need it they also have decent tabs in them for the most part too. If you have to use tabs, guitar magazine tabs are alot better than online tabs. There use to be a ton of guitar mags Guitar World, Guitar For The Practicing Musician, Guitar Player and way too many to list. Over the years some have went under and some new ones have emerged. The best thing to do is get a subscription, a year can cost you as low as $12, and learn all you can from guitar magazines, bass magazines and drum magazines.