Update

First entry in a while, I've been really busy at school doing lots of work. I'm learning a lot this semester and growing as a musician. For most of this semester, my focus has been on jazz. I'm not really a jazz player yet, but i think studying it has improved my ear and technique. I've improved my "rig" as well. I finally have a job so i can make money and get some things i need to put a good setup together. That was one of my main goals this semester. So i'll talk about my new setup just a bit. 

1. Ernie Ball VP junior Volume Pedal-Ever since i started listening to Jimmy Herring i've always wanted to be able to do some volume swell technique. Playing a strat, i was able to get the volume swell down with my pinky pretty well. It works well for single notes and longer, sustained chords. But i always wanted a way that i could be more articulate with the volume control and play some more complicated things in a swell. Well, the answer to that problem was a volume pedal. Now i can do some really interesting swell technique combining the use of my pinky and the pedal. 

2. MXR Carbon Copy analog delay pedal- This is a great and subtle effect for playing some chords or lead. The actual delay effect of this pedal is excellent because it doesnt change the tone of my guitar at all. I can get anything from slap-back echo to the U2 like delay that they are so famous for. I've also had a bit of fun trying to do the Pink Floyd delay settings from the song "Run Like Hell". There is also Modulation switch. This switch is the reason why i gravitated toward the Carbon Copy. It can emulate the old "tape echo" sound that i'm really into. Its this swirling effect where you hear the note move around a bit after you play it. Again, this is a subtle effect, but can be really effective. 

3. Boss TU-2 Tuner Pedal- this probably isnt the most interesting pedal, but it has really helped me out. I can use the pedal to tune my guitar or bass quickly in a live situation. I had a gig a few weeks ago, and having this pedal made me feel very confident about staying in tune the whole time. For some reason, when i play live, i usually think that i'm constantly horribly out of tune. Even though that's usually not the case. So having this pedal on my board can help me relax on stage. 

4. Maxon OD-9 Overdrive- I've had this pedal for a long time and i love the tone i get from it. Its a great lead tone that really screams. For a long time this was my only pedal. I'm happy with it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a traditional overdrive sound. 

So, that's my current setup. Its fairly simple and gets the job done. I've only got the chance to use it live once, but i was very satisfied with my sound. I'm also happy with how easy it is to use all my pedals. Of course these pedals are used in combination with my Fender Stevie Ray Vaughan strat that is my only guitar. Ive been looking to add another guitar to my setup as well. Something that offers a different option. I've thought about so many different guitars, that if i wrote them all i think this blog would be 50 pages long. I change my mind every day about what guitar i want next, so its good to know that i still love my No. 1. 

I'll be writing another entry very soon...

Thanks for reading,

-MD

What I'm working on

8/8/2009 

So i've decided to start a practice journal where i can write about what i've been practicing each day. I think this will help me be more goal oriented when practicing. It will keep me organized and will be a good way to look how i progress over time. Basically the entries will be me writing about what i'm working on, as well as goals for the next day. I'll make one every day and put a few up here every now and then just so people can check out what i'm working on. I'll also be doing more music talk, review etc. So here's my first entry into the practice journal. 

 8/7/2009

 My goal today was to study some Allan Holdsworth. I've been trying to work out some Holdsworth style chord voicings to spice up my comping. My hands arent big enough to do some of the voicings i discovered, but i enjoyed listening to the tunes and figuring them out anyway.

I also was tinkering with my gear to see if i could get a lead tone like his. Kind of tough to do when all you have is an SRV strat. The tone i ended up with wasnt really a Holdsworth sound, but it was much different to the straight up, bluesy fender tone that i usually use. Definitely a tone that i can use now when i want something different.

 I also was trying to figure out what i could of his lead playing, taking an idea here and there. It all goes by very fast. I figured out the chord progression to the song i was working on and i played lead over it for a while, focusing on using Lydian and Melodic Minor. There’s a few patterns I noticed that he repeated quite a bit, these really fast chromatic ideas on adjacent strings

 Also played along with Freddie the Freeloader from Kind of blue trying to employ a holdsworth like style. Got to learn more about Legato playing.

 Also, i want to become more comfortable with the Melodic Minor scale, and the chords that are in the harmonized scale.

 I Found some really cool Major 7 voicings with the 5^th in the bass. Sounds really deep. Come back and check these out eventually.

 Goals for Tomorrow:

 

1. Continue to study Holdsworth. Find more Voicings. Listen to solos. Figure out whats going on a little bit. Try and experiment more with Legato playing. 
2. Learn chords to “Proto Cosmos” play over it. Experiment with Comping trying to use the voicings I learned.
3. Work with Melodic Minor more
4. Experiment with comping and soloing over standards. Play over the songs that are on “Kind of Blue”
5. Explore the possibilities of the Maj 7 voicings with the 5th in the root that i found. Possibly write a progression involving them. 
6. Study Comping and lead on “Cause we’ve ended as lovers” cover by jimmy Herring. As well as “Utensil Oceans”. 
7. Select a few Metheny songs to learn. Trio or group. continue playing over "Midwestern night's Dream". experiment with comping over that. Loop it, take a bass solo. Study Jaco Pastorius' playing on it if i can. 
8. If time allows, listen to the entire Metheny album "Bright Size Life". 

So these entries arent going to be really formal. But it really helps me to write this stuff down. 

-So if anyone reading this is working on anything, whether its musical or not, I'd love to hear. Anyone else have any goals they're working towards?

I'll be back with a more traditional entry next time. 

Thanks for reading 

-MD

 

Artist

I'd like to write about an artist that i've been listening to a lot lately. 

Bruce Hornsby- Simply put, an incredibly talented person. 

As a kid i remember hearing "The Way it is" sitting in the backseat of my parents car, those great eighties drum loops and that silky smooth synth-bass tone. Up until recently, i pretty much thought that "The Way it is" was the extent of Bruce's work. I didnt even know if he still was around playing music. So, a friend of mine who is really into Bruce's music showed me a few of his songs and I was instantly hooked. I got a copy of his 5 disc "Intersections 1985-2005" to do some further research, and was completely blown away with what i found. Most of the tracks on this album are recent, and live performances of Bruce's music. No 80's synth tones or loops to be heard. There are so many great qualities to the this collection of 53 tunes spanning Bruce's entire career. There's so much to say about his qualities as a musician. An incredible list of songs he's written, the ability to play piano in so many different settings, technical ability on piano as well as accordion, and a unique soulful voice on top of all that. He really is the complete package. I'd like to highlight some of my favorite Hornsby songs. 

1. "Mandolin Rain"-Without any question this is my current favorite song. Particularly the live version off of the "Intersections" CD. Although i do really enjoy the 80's version which is more widely known. To me, this song is a perfect combination of beautiful melodies and meaningful lyrics. Bruce's voice is the highlight of the song, his soulful singing sounds so genuine that it takes the song to another level. Its been a song that i cannot get out of my head for around 2 months straight. 

2. "Look out Any Window"- The version that I have is the old 80's version from "Scenes from the Southside". One thing i really love about this song is that it has a HUGE sound. The big pulsing drums, the vocal harmonies, the synth chords sustaining in the background, all of it. This song just sounds like an excellent live recording. It also has an excellent piano solo by Bruce. I also believe that the lyrics to this song remain relevant today, especially with the state of the world/economy etc. 

3. "Walk In the Sun"- This song has an excellent 1990's sounding drum loop. Features some great background vocals and more excellent piano playing from Bruce. 

There's many more songs that i could write about, but I think these three are a good representation of Bruce's music. I think everyone has heard "The Way it is", which is another fantastic song. Listening to this music has helped me develop my ear and also helped me to recognize great lyrics. 

Bruce Hornsby's music is a great example of not over-performing, which I think is a common problem in today's music. A man with endless chops, both with piano and voice, that plays to what the song needs and not to what HE needs. A great lesson for any musician. 

As a kid, Bruce was just the soundtrack to going to Stop & Shop with my parents to get the groceries. And i think he might be that for many people. But, he is still around and writing great songs. 

Thanks for reading,

-MD

Phinally

I saw a reunited Phish on saturday night June 6th at the Comcast center in Mansfield, MA. Phish has been one of my favorite bands for such a long time, and seeing them is a very unique experience. It's so different from different from going to other concerts. There's been times when I thought that i kind of moved past them, but i can never really stop listening to Phish. I've been wondering why i'm so addicted to them. 

I first heard Phish at a time in my life when i had no direction musically. I was 14 years old, had been playing music (bass) for almost two years. I spent a most of that two years discovering the great rock bands of the 90's like Pearl Jam, Alice & Chains, Nirvana, Tool, and Rage Against the Machine. As well as really exploring the classic rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. These bands helped me get a solid foundation in my bass playing. At this time, i thought i had a pretty good idea of what i was doing on bass, and how bass functions in a band.  I then started to listen to get into the more flashy, technical side of bass playing. Listening to shred guitarists like Stevie Vai and Paul Gilbert, and idolizing the Yamaha wielding bass wizard Billy Sheehan. I would stay up all night trying to play bass with four fingers on my right hand, working on two handed tapping techniques, and wishing i could play with distortion (haha). So after i got into the shredding and stuff, i really had nowhere new to go. I thought i had reached the pinnacle of music, because i was so impressed with the bass gymnastics of Sheehan.

So the summer of 8th grade, i went to a music camp, and i met a few kids who were very into phish (i'm still friends with them now). They gave me a few CD's to check out.  So I got my first Phish CD and listened to it the whole way home. Then the next day i came back and asked if they could burn me another CD. I think at some point after that i watched Todd Phillip's documentary about Phish called "Bittersweet Motel". The documentary follows Phish around on their tour in 97 and ends with the Great Went festival that happened in August of that year. That first viewing of the DVD completely changed my life. These guys were total rockstars, but they seemed like normal guys, with a passion for music and a good sense of humor. They were living the dream. Getting to play gigs almost every night of the year, and playing in Madison Square Garden. 

From that day on, i was totally hooked. Phish opened so many doors for me musically. Here's a band that can go from playing jazz to blues to funk to bluegrass all in one song and end it with an extended section of improvised grooves incorporating any style that they feel like. Mike Gordon's bass playing completely changed my view on bass. His ability to play so many different roles in the band was so shocking to me, He can sit back and hold down the root, he could walk, he could play the blues, he could slap, solo, groove, use effects, play with a pick, play with his fingers, had great a great unique tone, could lead a jam, play "out" and so much more. From then on, i spent the majority of my bass playing time studying everything Mike did. Learning most of what i know now from his style. 

But it wasnt just Mike that changed my approach to music. Phish's music basically showed me that there is no limits, and it was the beginning of my interest in improvisation. I'll always be able to appreciate what phish did for me changing my approach to life and music, even if I'm not listening to them, they're a such a big part of my musical identity. 

How could i write this big entry without giving recommendations for those who read the whole thing? For listening, i'd recommend checking out the live material, because Phish really is a live band, and in order to really get a good idea of what Phish is, you've got to hear them Live. You've also got to know that Phish has evolved a lot over time, so the Phish you hear in '93 is so different from the one you hear in '98. Both have great characteristics. 

CD's

1. A Live One (this is the CD i recommend everyone gets first)

2. Live Phish 18

DVD's

1. Bittersweet Motel (The documentary i mentioned earlier, this is a look at the band off the stage as well as on.)

2. Live In Vegas (a complete live show, Performance from September 30th 2000).

3. Clifford Ball DVD set ( This thing is expensive, but really shows Phish at their best).

Ok so that's that...I think everyone already knew that i was obsessed with Phish, but i've enjoyed trying to figure out why. I'd love to hear anyone else's story on bands/music that has changed their life. 

-MD

My Schedule for Next Fall Pt. 2

So i've finally got my schedule all set for next semester.

Monday

9-10:50 am= George Benson Lab. Studying the music and playing of George Benson. Its going to be great to get to learn some of Benson's music, i'm a big fan of his playing. 

11-1=Songwriting 1. I'm going to be studying songwriting, as well as preparing my own stuff for the class to see. This is going to be great for me, because i'll be able to get immediate feedback on my material from my peers. There are going to be kids in my class that have far more experience songwriting than i do, so its going to be good.

Tuesday

9-11= Tonal Harmony. We study classical music. Its going to be challenging but probably really helpful for me.

Wednesday

9-9:50= Harmony 3. I really enjoyed Harmony 2 so hopefully this gets better. Hopefully we'll have more chances to apply the stuff we're learning. In the form of composition or transcription. 

11-11:50=Guitarmony .This is a class that i'm really looking forward to. I've heard that a lot of it is about exploring different interesting chord voicings, and learning how to use them while comping. I feel like this is something that is really missing from my playing, so i'm excited to study it. 

2-3:50= Contemporary Jazz Lab with Tim Miller. One of the best players i've seen, so i'm really excited to have a class with him. I want to learn more about Miller's approach to improvisation as well as maybe some practice methods he uses. Its going to be a great class. 

4-5:50- Counterpoint. I dont know much about counterpoint, its another one of our required traditional studies classes. Its going to be pretty challenging i'm guessing. I've also heard that my teacher that i picked has a thick russian accent which should be interesting.

Thursday

3-3:30- Private Lesson W/ Mark White. Mark White is known as a really versatile player, who has endless chops. Also i've heard that he's great for people who want to improve their sight reading. It says on the website that he focuses on "improvisation in a contemporary jazz setting" which is kind of what i'm going for. 

6-7:50PM-Lyric Writing 1=This is a subject i've never studied, and i'll probably be with a lot of kids who take this very very seriously. So this is going to be a great class for me. 

Friday

9-9:50am-Harmony 3

11:00-1- Pat Metheny Ensemble. This is going to be my most fun class. Get to play metheny's music. Its going to be great for my reading, as well as soloing in a more jazzy setting. 

But i still have to go through summer before i get to those classes. On May 12-21 i'll be in Ireland. Its going to be such an awesome trip, after that i hope i can get a job and make some cash so i can try to buy a new guitar. 

an Eastman T185 MX.

-MD

Songs to check out #2

4/21/09

More songs to check out, i've been into these lately. The first few are mainly guitar oriented, the others are not. Please comment and let me know what you think. Or if you have songs you want me to check out, let me know somehow. 

1. Allan Holdsworth "Things You See"- I dont know much about Holdsworth's music, but this is an excellent composition that features some insane guitar playing. According to what i usually listen to, which is a usually less "in your face" guitarists, i feel like i wouldnt be into this guy. But I love that he has a very unique style unlike a lot of guys that are chop-monsters. I'm suprised that he isn't more popular among guitar players. 

2. Jimmy Herring "Scapegoat Blues"-from "Lifeboat". Just picked up this CD recently and I am blown away by Herrings ability. I've always been a huge fan, but i've never got to listen to him as a solo artist. This didnt let me down in any way. Herring's tone is probably my favorite of all time, and just gets better with every song on this CD. His mix of PRS and Strat tones is just incredible. He has all these little subtle things involved in his improv that make him really stand out. Like his impeccable pinky volume swell technique, legato style, and ability to play "outside". Add the fact that he's now a legitimate composer, and you've got a total beast of a musician. "Scapegoat Blues" combines blues and fusion to make an great mix of both inside and outside feels. The fusion section is both fun to listen to and play over, due to the symmetrical scale that is used. Once you think that the band is going off into fusion land, they come back into familiar territory with some straight up blues shredding. Herring in any form is worth checking out, his combination of tasteful licks, incredible tone, and chops make him one of my favorite guitar players ever. If you want to listen to him, he's involved in the band Aquarium Rescue Unit, Project Z, Jazz is Dead, and has taken over lead guitar for jam band Widespread Panic. 

Now for a few songs not on the guitar shredding side. 

3. "Something's Missing"-John Mayer-from "Any Given Thursday"-One thing i really like in a song is when it can actually put you in a certain mood, really make you feel a certain way Mayer manages to do this perfectly with this tune. As with most Mayer songs, the lyrics and music match up perfectly. This song is also really fun to play, because of the alternate tuning, you get some great droning sounds. This version is much better than the studio version. Big props to Mayer's touring guitar player on this CD who takes an excellent solo. Its simple, straightforward and does a perfect job at displaying some of the emotions in this song. This solo takes this song to another level. It almost seems like a composed part included in the song. 

4. "Go Let it Out"-Oasis-from "Familiar to Millions"-Oasis is known for writing really catchy "Beatles like" melodies. This song is no exception. The chorus of this song is the highlight, featuring some great melodic ideas and solid rhythm guitar playing. I think Oasis just know exactly what notes to include in the melody which make people feel good, and want to sing along. Particularly in the chorus when the lyrics "Is there any wonder why Princes and Kings..." section turns into the "We're the keepers of their destiny" section. 

5. "We Own the Sky"-M83-from "Saturdays=Youth"-First heard this song in a soundtrack to a snowboarding video called "That's It That's all". It fit in so perfectly with the guys up on those gigantic mountains doing impossible tricks. This song feels so big and epic when i listen to it as a part of the snowboarding video. There's some great harmonies in the vocals and a pulsing bass line that is always pushing the song forward. The end of the song has a building up of a lot of layers which ends up being pretty powerful. This reminds me a lot of the Mayer song i mentioned earlier called "Somethings Missing". They both have a distinct mood to them, and because of that, you can really get inside the song. 

That's it for now, more to come soon. Thanks for reading!

-MD

Picking Classes for Next Semester

I've picked a few classes for next semester that i'm really excited about.

1. Private Lesson with Thaddeus Hogarth. I've learned a lot from Thaddeus, he's a great teacher and really tells it like it is. I think we have similar taste in gear and music, so he's a great match for me. He's taught me a lot about guitar techniques, and so much valuable info about living as a musician.  Check him out on youtube, he's got his own account. 

http://www.youtube.com/user/thaddeushogarth

2. George Benson Lab with Richie Hart. To be honest i dont know much about the teacher, but what could be better than studying George Benson?

3. Contemporary Jazz Lab with Tim Miller- I'm very lucky to have got a spot in this class. Miller seems to be one of the most popular teachers for guitar at the school. He is a total beast, one of the best guitar players i've ever met. Having him for two hours a week is going to really improve my playing. 

4. Pat Metheny Ensemble with Tony Gaboury- I'm hoping that this ensemble will totally kick my ass and make me practice more. I'm going to look like an idiot going in there with my SRV strat haha. I've been really getting into Metheny's music since being here so its going to be great to get to play it. I hope that its going to improve my soloing and rhythm playing in a "jazzier" setting. 

5. Harmony 3 with Mitch Haupers- Mitch is one of the best teachers i've had at the school. He's a musical genius. He's made a subject that i'm sure a lot of people dont like become my favorite. His lectures are soooo good. He presents these topics in a real way, in a musical way and shows you how to apply them, rather than just babbling on and on. 

I'm also really hoping that i can get into the Jam Band ensemble. basically we play Phish and Grateful Dead songs in a small band. I fall just short of the rating requirement, but i'm really really hoping i can get in. Phish is the reason i started playing guitar, learning Trey Anastasio's licks and compositions is the thing that motivated me to pick up the guitar and give the bass a break. I think i've got a freakish obsession with Phish. but, its better than being obsessed with crack i suppose. Hoping to see them May 31st at Fenway Pahhhhk.

-MD

What I'm currently working on

There's a lot of stuff i'm doing right now, things both school related and not. 

For school, I'm learning a lot of great things. I've got to learn a Bill Frisell solo that is really awesome, its an interesting take on the jazz standard "All the Things You Are". This is a song that i've been exposed to quite a bit in my lab. Frisell plays over this song with great personality. He does a lot of bending and breaking the rules.

For non-school, i'm working on songwriting. This is something that i've always thought would be impossible. But its starting to come together. One of my goals this summer is to take a trip to a remote place and really start thinking about this sort of thing. Although its not possible, i've decided that going somewhere like Alaska or Montana would be ideal. I think that being somewhere like that could help my mind open up, learn how to grasp inspiration and use it. That might sound a little weird, but it will make sense once i do it.

I've also decided that i've got to use some of the money i make over the summer to spend on a new acoustic/electric. I think the acoustic guitar is an important process of songwriting. It can be good for the real "raw" parts of songs. Plus, it will give me opportunities to take solo gigs or open mic type situations. 

-MD

Songs to check out

4/8/09

These are some songs that i'm listening to right now, just some ideas if anyone wants to listen to some new music. In no particular order...

1. "My Stupid Mouth"-John Mayer-off of "Any Given Thursday". I think this might be Mayer's best effort, although he does have a lot of great songs. This is a song where the lyrics and music really match up perfectly and play off each other. He totally nails every part in this live version. 

2. "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker"-D'angelo- from "Live at the Jazz Cafe, London". This is an awesome neo-soul tune from an incredible live album from D'angelo. Its been one of my favorite CD's for a few years now. It introduced me to the genre. There's some great musicians playing on this CD. The song is really relaxed and laid back, despite the lyrical content being the opposite. Features some awesome guitar playing with a little call & response. 

3."Other Side of the Game"-Erykah Badu-from "Live". Another neo-soul tune. An entire eight minutes and twenty-two seconds of Erykah Badu pouring her soul out. So many good things about this song, it was the first time i really recognized Badu's skill as a vocalist. 

4."Reckoner"-Radiohead-from "Live @ the Santa Barbara Bowl 8/28/08". I got the chance to see Radiohead last summer and it was amazing, they opened with this song. This wasnt a song that i was really crazy about until i saw it live. The use of delay on Thom Yorke's voice throughout the song really took it to another level for me. Not something you would normally expect a band to open with, but then again, Radiohead isnt famous for doing things people expect. 

5."Agnus Dei"-Rufus Wainwright-from "Want Two". This is one of the most powerful songs i've ever heard. Rufus' vocal performance is stunning. There's something about his tone that I love, and it keeps me listening. Rufus is such a great composer and a very talented musician. 

6."Song For The Boys"-Pat Metheny-from "One Quiet Night". Metheny is a guitar player who is so well known for his guitar solos. He has the ability to play brilliantly over changes, he also has a very distinct sound. Some of his compositions are so big sounding, very much like a movie soundtrack. But on "One Quiet Night", Metheny recorded with only one instrument. His Manzer baritone acoustic guitar. On this CD, Metheny shows his ability to compose for solo acoustic guitar. "Song for the Boys" is a beautiful song. I think its a little different from most solo acoustic stuff, considering its mostly strummed chords rather than fingerstyle. 

That's it for now. Those are just some of the songs i've been into lately. check them out!

4/8/09

I'm going to be posting mostly about music on this blog, whether it be my music, thoughts on music or anything else i can come up with.

I'm enjoying my second semester at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA and starting to write my own material. As well as improve as a guitar player and musician. So i'll be posting on here while i write songs, so anyone can come on and give me opinions or thoughts. 

-MD