Fireside Chat: Larry Carlton

 submit to reddit

Larry CarltonIt stands as no reminder that a guitar is made of wood, glue and metal. It is not a living thing. But when the 18-time Grammy nominated legend of guitar, Larry Carlton picks up his iconic Gibson ES-335, it certainly seems alive. In fact, it seems magical.

I saw it first hand a few years ago. Sitting three feet away from him, Larry picked up his guitar and played a single note. For the following three minutes and thirty-two seconds our raging planet was at peace. Not a single shot was fired, not a last breath was exhaled and not a belly shuddered with hunger. I wish that happened when I played the guitar.

Being able to suspend your disbelief through music is just one part of Larry Carlton’s magic, and it’s also what has made him one of the most recorded and celebrated guitarists of all time. Whether you believe it is Larry Carlton or his beloved guitar that holds the magic, to hear him play you cannot deny there is something bigger involved. That’s why I asked him to share some insight and to talk about his new 335 Improv course for this month’s featured chat by the fire.  - Charlie Doom

1. First off, if you weren’t a musician, what would you be and why?
I hope the questions get easier than that, because as you probably know I started playing the guitar when I was so young; I was 6 years old when I started taking guitar lessons. It’It’s all I’ve ever done. I never had another kind of job – even in high school – I always played guitar. There was never a consideration of what I might be if I weren’t a musician. So honestly, I have no answer for that!

2. Honestly, how many hours a day do you practice?
Wow, this is really going to be truthful isn’t it? That’s a tough question because I hate answering it “honestly,” but I don’t have a practice regimen and I never have – at least since I was in my 20’s doing session work. I really feel guilty about that because I know I could improve my chops if I took more time to practice. But I tour and play the guitar over 150 days a year and so that really helps keep my chops up pretty good. And I’m always listening and thinking about things that I know are not as strong in my playing as I would like them to be, and I try to work on those when playing live. I do notice improvement every year in my playing, but it’s without a practice routine. Please do not follow in my footsteps regarding that.

3. What are you listening to lately?
I just returned from a five week tour in Europe and found myself listening to a lot of Joe Pass from the early 60’s in my hotel room. He always inspired me with how melodic his solos were and just how much chops he had (I don’t have those kind of chops at all!). I get inspired listening to how cleanly Joe could play his solos and how much sense they made. So, yeah, I’d say I’ve been listening to Joe lately.

4. How would you describe the music business today?
Obviously, the music business has changed in many major ways. One example is how the music business used to be run and motivated by radio airplay. You would make a record, if the program directors liked the song, they would play it. If the audience liked the song and it became a hit, or even somewhat of a hit, you would go on tour to promote the album. Today Radio has very little to do with most artists’ careers today. It’s mostly live gigs that promote an artist and their music. Today I advise younger artists to promote their CDs by going out and doing as many live gigs as possible to build their following and promote their music.

5. Stranded on a desert island, which guitar would you take?
I would take a very small bodied acoustic guitar with me, as I would probably not be playing a lot of lead guitar. But with a small acoustic guitar, I could explore more beautiful guitar voicings and maybe even experiment with alternate guitar tunings. I also love the sound of piano voicings when they’re played on the guitar, but they’re very difficult to voice on the fretboard and so we’re very limited to which ones we can play that will sound as tightly clustered as they do on the piano. I’d spend a lot of time on the island working out voicings!

6. Let’s talk about what’s going on with you right now, your new course, and what’s next?
I am very excited about the new TrueFire course, 335 Improv, which is the deepest I’ve ever gone into the subject of improvisation and I’m very happy with the way the course presents my approach. I also have a live DVD with my trio in the can, which I’m really excited about because we had a great show that night and I think friends and fans will really enjoy it. We also have another DVD filmed in HD featuring myself and my good buddy Robben Ford playing acoustic guitar “unplugged” in Paris.

Questions submitted to TrueFire via Facebook, Twitter, and our Forum.

7. What was it about the 335 that called to you? – Hutch82
When I first started getting calls in 1969 for recording sessions, I was carrying at least three different guitars to the session – a Tele for country music, a Les Paul for rock n’ roll and pop oriented things and my ES-175 for more jazz or legitimate guitar playing for the sessions. I never knew what they were going to ask me to do. Truthfully, picking the ES-335 as my main guitar was just a practical decision at that time. I’m a very versatile player and I needed a guitar that was likewise versatile to cover all of the bags that I was working on at the time. The 335 fit the bill perfectly for me!

8.  Any advice for session musicians? – Leedelta
Put your ego away! When you go into a recording session – be a servant. You’re there to help someone make their music. The session isn’t really about what you think, although you want to give all you can as far as your ideas are concerned, but it’s up to the producer and the artist to decide how they want their song to be presented to the world. So be humble and be a servant.

9. For the tune “Room 335″, what did you come up with first; the chords or the main riff? – jimiclaptoncarl
The chords came from a track I played on for Steely Dan called “Peg” – those chords are the first four chords of “Peg” pretty much. I really liked the sound of them and when the time came to record a new album that sequence of chords came back to me. I wrote the melody on top of that sequence. Then I changed the bridge so it wouldn’t sound like “Peg,” but I do consider those opening chords to be inspired by Steely Dan.

10. How is it different recording in a studio for an album vs. playing live for an album? – 19Echo19
This can be a very short answer because it’s the honest truth – I’ve never worked out a solo in my life. For a record or a live performance it’s always improvised and that’s the part of making music that I probably enjoy the most, the improvisational part.

Visit Larry Carlton online at www.larrycarlton.com for news and updates or watch tons of performances, interviews and lessons on Mr. 335 TV. Below is a clip from Larry’s brand new guitar course, 335 Improv

Comment on this post | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

7 Tips for Working with Substitute Musicians

 submit to reddit

by Rich Tozzoli

Back in school, a substitute teacher usually meant you had a do-nothing day ahead. But if you’re a musician who needs someone to substitute for a gig, well, you’ve got your work cut out. Sooner or later, actively gigging musicians either need subs to fill a spot or get the call to sit in as a sub themselves. Given the realities of busy schedules, scattered locations, and multiple commitments, it’s something everyone should prepare for. Here are 7 ideas to help you get those replacements firing on all cylinders. After all, if they play better, you play better.

1. Record Rehearsals

You don’t need anything fancy — just a listenable recording of each song in your band’s repertoire. Set up a simple lecture recorder or use a voice-recorder app on your phone to record the songs at rehearsal. Then import the songs into your computer so you can email them or burn them to CD for anyone who needs to learn the tunes.

2. Record a Mix Minus

While the band is recording the songs, take the time to do a version with no bass and drums (for example). This way, “mix-minus” versions can be given out as practice tapes for a sub.

3. Notate Key Changes on the Set List

If there’s a chance you will perform a song in a key other than what’s on the chart or the audio you’ve given to a sub, let everyone know! A bass player who learns a song in the key of G when you’re playing it in A is in for a shock when you hit. Not everyone is good at transposing on the fly. If you want flexibility with the key — say, to accommodate different vocalists — Tell everyone they’ll need to know the tune in several different keys.

4. Videotape your live shows

Even if you use a small camera or iPhone, a video clip will help the sub understand how the band performs and flows onstage. Like the audio recording, a clip can be useful for studying arrangements and song forms. Practicing to video is invaluable when there will be no time to rehearse a new player prior to a gig.

5. Back up your loops

If you use loops and the drummer who triggers them can’t make a show, you’ll need a backup plan. The sub may not be accustomed to playing loops live, either, so you may need to trigger them yourself. One option is to record the loops into a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) and then transfer stereo mixes to a playback device — a laptop or even an MP3 player could do the trick. If your hands are going to be busy playing guitar, that device could be routed through a simple volume pedal. Start the loops at the top of the song, then cut the volume off with a pedal, hands free, when the song is done. Not ideal but at least it’ll get you through the show.

6. Have the original songs on hand

If you play covers, make sure to have the original versions available for playback in rehearsal. Ideally you’ll also be able to circulate copies to the replacement players. This may sound like a no-brainer, but many players assume everyone else has the same repertoire at their fingertips. Not true. You can rig up a laptop or MP3 player at rehearsal to play through an amp or PA. Use a simple adaptor (available at any electronics store) that connects a mini-jack output to a ¼” input. With the original song playing loud and clear, everyone at rehearsal can listen and compare notes on the original. (True story: We played with a young jazz drummer recently who had never heard Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady.” He didn’t grasp how to play Bernard Purdie’s classic funky groove, so rolling back the original Aretha for him was essential.)

7. Do a pad rehearsal

Sometimes the subs are brought in at the last minute and there’s no time to book a full-blown rehearsal. But you can still get together in someone’s living room and do an “acoustic” rehearsal. Using pads and a small bass amp, you could play acoustic guitar to even the heaviest electric-guitar songs to get familiar with the feel and form. Don’t focus on the minutiae; review the beginnings, endings, and any unusual breaks. You and the sub will be more comfortable and confident when you hit the stage.

Rich Tozzoli is a Grammy-nominated engineer, mixer, producer and composer. He has worked with artists such as Ace Frehley, Al DiMeola and David Bowie, among many more, and is the author of Surround Sound Mixing for ProTools. Rich is also a lifelong guitarist and composer. His work can be heard regularly on FoxNFL, HBO, and Discovery Channel.

Comment on this post | Tags: , , , , , , , ,

7 Tips for Writing Great Guitar Songs

 submit to reddit

By Matthieu Brandt

Writing songs on guitar can be easy. Writing great songs on guitar can be nigh impossible. We asked veteran songwriter, recording artist, and guitar maestro, Matthieu Brandt to offer up the skinny on how you can start writing better songs now.

1. Songs Start in Silence

Writers are observers. They watch, absorb, and in silence, reflect. The result of that creative reflection is their song.  Find a spot in your life – a location, a day or time during the week – where there is silence. No noise, no disturbances, no children running amok, no spouse yelling, no dishes waiting- nothing. Just you, your guitar, a notebook, and a recorder.

2. Write it Down and Record it

You think you’ll remember that great hook, keep tabs on that funky groove, recall those hip chord changes, and retain those insightful lines? You wont. Writing guitar songs is a state of mind, and sometimes a way of life. Support it with a notebook, or a small recorder if you can and have those handy – always. Write your ideas down and record them. If you record musical ideas, make sure you explain to your future self what you played. Even brilliant ideas can be forgotten.

3. Cut and Paste

Think about songs in sections. If you have a verse-like section, go look in your archive and see if you have a section with a chorus feel. Stick them together and see if it works. Many hit songs with interesting energy changes were created like this (see Strawberry Fields, by The Beatles)

4. Use the Internet

Lyric writing is often a creative puzzle. Sites like rhymezone.com and masterwriter.com are phenomenal sources that can assist you in putting together your puzzle. Aside from the obvious rhyming dictionary, they can help you do many things to, and with, your lyrics. Even if you’re not in a rut, I’d suggest you visit at least a few of the many lyric sites out there for ideas and reference.

5. Write About Things that Matter to You

Avoide cliches. Nobody’s waiting for another song featuring, ‘river deep, mountain high, the way I feel inside, I woke up the morning, dream come true, like the stars above…’ Try to be original by coming up with creative connections, alliterations, places, things that happened to you. And it won’t hurt to read poetry and lyrics from other writers for inspiration. Just remember that your life is rich enough to be an inspiration to others. Use your own experiences, views, words and insights.

6. Watch the Hands

YouTube is a great source for learning guitar tricks. When searching for chords, tabs, grooves, and song ideas, always check out live performances of the guitar players you like. Closely watch their left and right hands. Pay attention to where they are playing on the neck of the guitar, what strumming pattern are they using, are they using original chord voicings, odd shapes, or are there any open strings ringing etc,. Often their complex chord grooves, lighting fast hooks, and impossible finger stretches are easier to play than you think. Use that info in your writing and fill your toolbox with these tricks.

7. Disregard Other People’s Opinions

The most frightful, exciting, and nerve wrecking moment in a song writer’s life is when they proudly present their new baby to an audience. Often, these are close friends, relatives, and fellow musicians. You’ll ask them for an opinion and sometimes they’ll give you just that. They will either like it for the wrong reasons, or hate it for the wrong reasons.

You can’t expect an audience to be involved in your song as much as you. This means that they’ll judge your creation based on almost random elements they percieved during your presentation. The song might need to grow on them (or not). But don’t let your creative energy be bogged down by what other people think. Art is not democratic. Idols, Popstars, and TV shows have nothing to do with creativity and everything to do with making money. And they do it with middle of the road horse manure, in my opinion.

So What’s Your Excuse?

Let me leave you with a song lyric I wrote back in 2009. It’ll be on my next (fourth) album, to be released in the summer of 2011. I was fed up with a few artists in my surroundings giving me all kinds of reasons why they couldn’t write. The truth is that if you’re a writer you write. If you’re a creator, you create. If you’re an artist, you make art. You don’t do those things because you have to or want to, but because you can’t not do it.

LISTEN: “Not My Fault” by Matthieu Brandt

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Matthieu Brandt is a guitarist, songwriter, recording artist, and bandleader based in Amsterdam, Netherlands where he has a highly successful teaching practice that emphasizes songwriting. Visit his site to learn more about Brandt, his music, and to check out his line of TrueFire video lessons, including the monumental Songwriting On the Guitar.

Comment on this post | Tags: , , ,

The Clinical Condition

 submit to reddit

by Debra

For most guitarists, playing face-to-face with a musician you worship is the stuff of daydreams.

But what if someone gave you the opportunity to take a guitar lesson from a master guitarist like jazz guitar legend Pat Metheny, or from Scott Tennant, one of the greatest classical players in the world? Would you take it? Or would you hesitate, wondering if you were good enough?

Well, the best way to find out is to attend a guitar workshop, where you can actually study and mingle with top guitar players. Worshops, clinics and music camps, which frequently host world-class professionals, are a fantastic resource for students. And once you’re in the same room with these guys, you’ll find it’s not so intimidating after all.

One of the most renowned programs is the National Guitar Workshop, which holds a summer guitar camp every year in Milford, Connecticut. This summer, NGW partnered with David Feffer (himself a student of NGW) to bring the first annual Crown of the Continent Guitar Festival & Workshop to northwestern Montana. And we weren’t gonna miss it.

From August 28 through September 5th, not only Metheny and Tennant but also Lee Ritenour, Alex DeGrassi and other top guitarists arrived in Bigfork to teach at Flathead Lake Lodge, a four-star dude ranch on the banks of the largest lake west of the Mississippi. That’s Big Sky country, so not only were we surrounded by great talent but by some of the best mother nature’s best, too. Anyone who needed a breather could enjoy a few hours of fly fishing or hiking in nearby Glacier National Park. For music and nature lovers, it truly is the best of both worlds.

Clinics can work in all kinds of configurations, mixing group studies with performances, jams, discussions, and one-on-lessons. Students at COC chose a learning “track,” such as Jazz with Pat Metheny and Jody Fisher, Modern Acoustic with Alex De Grassi, Classical with Scott Tennant and Andrew Leonard, and Classic Rock with Matt Smith.

At his workshop, Metheny had a rapt audience of fifteen students ranging in age from seventeen to seventy, and ranging in experience from beginners to accomplished musicians. He told us, “Jazz is a language, and the better you know it the easier it is for you to tell your story. Show people what’s happening through the melody and they will stay engaged.”

Metheny then offered an encouraging critique of each individual student’s playing. But it wasn’t all pats on the back (pardon the pun). At one point he admonished the entire group: “None of you are playing in time! If you want to play ahead or behind the beat, make sure that is a conscious choice you are making, not just something you’re doing because you don’t know how to play in time.”

A great guitarist joins a workshop’s faculty because he wants to teach, so even beginners can benefit immensely. As David Feffer, the man behind COC, notes, “Scott Tennant solved a problem in 30 seconds that I had been struggling with for months. The two master classes and one private lesson I had with him have already taken my playing to a higher level.”

Lee “Captain Fingers” Ritenour gave one evening clinic, opening with a performance of the Sonny Rollins tune “Alfie’s Theme” and then sharing hilarious stories. He had some tales from his legendary L.A. session days about blowing his cue repeatedly during a full-orchestra film score recording, and waiting all night with Quincy Jones for Stevie Wonder to show. At one point, Rit invited two teenage students to the stage to jam with him. He listened carefully and offered tips, such as minimizing hand movement to play faster. The students walked away beaming.

Here at The Punch-In, we’re all about finding new ways to learn guitar. Treating yourself to a week in Big Sky with the masters at COC is one high-class way to do it. If you want to stay local, ask around at music stores and schools about intensive programs and touring clinics that might be passing through your area.

Of course, right here at TrueFire we’re constantly looking for innovative ways to bring those daydreams alive. We’ve got more cool ideas in store, so keep learning and stay tuned.

Debra is lead singer and guitarist for the rock band Devi, www.devi-rock.com

Comment on this post | Tags: , , , , ,

“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” Clapton Isolated Guitar

 submit to reddit

by Rich Maloof with hat tips to Bobby Owsinski and Rich Tozzoli

Eric Clapton & George HarrisonHere’s an absolute gem. It’s Eric Clapton’s isolated guitar track from George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” off the The Beatles’ White Album. Didn’t know it was Clapton playing lead? It was a loosely held secret for a while, but Eric Clapton was one of the few ringers that The Beatles used on their records. Clapton was brought in because he was a close mate of Harrison’s, and since George wrote the song, he felt he had more say in who played on it.

Here are a few cool things to listen for:

1. Listen for the toe taps as EC keeps time.

2. There’s always been a question as to what gear Clapton used on the song, and none of the people at the session can remember exactly. Ken Scott (who engineered the session) told me that EC didn’t bring any gear with him, preferring to use The Beatle’s gear so he intentionally wouldn’t sound like himself. Regardless, it sure sounds like he’s using some sort of Gibson and a Marshall combo amp, although Ken says that The Beatles never used Marshalls and he never saw one in the studio. I suppose it could’ve been one the Fender’s that they used if it was cranked. At any rate, that’s one of the items that we’re trying to determine for Ken’s new book.

3. What struck me about the performance is how loose it is. It sounds like a single take as you hear EC switch between playing rhythm and lead. He never sounds sure of exactly what he’s playing though, and you can hear the odd flub, especially in the B section and the transition between sections.

Share your thoughts in the comments!

Comment on this post | Tags: , , , , , , ,
Page 2 of 29123451020...Last »