Did you bum rush the charts? I was going to, but I forgot. The idea was that last Thursday everybody who supports podsafe music was supposed to buy this certain song off of Itunes so that it would move up the charts and prove the power of podcasting. I don't if it proved anything, but it did get the song into the top 100.
Like I said, I was going to do my part, but it slipped my mind. Sorry about that. Anyways, at this point in time I don't know if podcasting or podsafe musicians have anything left to prove. Podcasting has established itself as a viable alternative to traditional radio, and music sites like Garageband.com and Podshow have proven that they can help independent artists find their audience. Of course there's still plenty of room to grow, but the model is working, albeit on a small scale.
"Bum rush the charts", however successful or unsuccessful it may have turned out to be, did point out a couple of things. First, the hegemony of the traditional music industries over the music market is gone. Declining CD sales show that, if nothing else, and if you consider all the choices we consumers now have in the music marketplace it's clear that there's nowhere for the old business models to go but down.
Just think of it. We can still buy CD's and listen to over-the-air radio as we've done in the past, but we can also stream internet radio, or subscribe to services like Napster or Rhapsody, or listen to satellite radio, or download podcasts, or purchase digital downloads from online stores like Itunes, or download from various BitTorrent sites, or download from social networking sites, or download podsafe music from independent artist sites, or just trade songs with our friends. There's no need to listen to traditional radio or buy CD's from the record store anymore, and now whole new generations are coming along who think it's kind of weird to actually pay for music. That can't be work very well for the old business models either.
Which is just to say that podsafe or non-podsafe, indie or big label - it doesn't make any difference to me. The consumer is holding all the cards now, and that's just fine as far as I'm concerned. If I was a working musician I might be a little confused, though. Used to be that you got discovered and signed a big record company contract, and they made you a big star, and if you were a big enough star you might even make some coin out of the whole deal. Now that's all changed, and a musician's gonna need to be a little more creative to make it in this environment. Ah well, so be it.
On the other hand, what scares me a little about "Bum rush the charts" is the kind of power that Apple now has over the music market. I mean, they don't have a monopoly or anything even close, but as CD's sales continue to decline and digital downloads continue to increase, their power just grows and grows. That will make it a little easier for the record labels, I suppose. When Apple finally does own the entire music franchise then the labels won't have to travel the country dishing out payola and greasing the palms of every program director between Miami and Seattle anymore. They'll just have to grease the palm of the guy who runs Itunes, whoever that may turn out to be. Now that will be a position of power. Just imagine having the final say over what artists make the front page of Itunes - you could write your own ticket. Hmmm, I wonder where you send your resume?
Anyways, I'm slowly coming to the opinion that with the arrival of the digital age we don't need to buy music anymore. Why should we when we have all these tools to make our own music with? I've been surfing a lot of musician sites lately, and I know I've said this before but it's true: there's never been a better time to learn music or at least learn a musical instrument than right now. It's incredible what you can buy these days for very little money.
You want to put together your own recording studio? You can do it. Everything you need is out there and available - from mixer/recorders to audio interfaces to preamps to microphones to acoustic tiling to studio monitors to...well, doodads that I don't even know what they do. Guitars, synthesizers, drum machines, modeling amps (with built-in DSP's), pedal effects, software...it just goes on and on and on. So what I say is "who needs to buy music, just make your own." Check out a magazine like Electronic Musician or Recording if you don't believe me. I read both of them, and I didn't understand what the hell they were talking about.
But it was fascinating.
I'd like to put together a little recording studio myself. Nothing fancy or expensive, but just something to fool around with. As you know I've been trying to get back into music, and I'm pleased to say that my guitar muscle-memory is starting to come back. I still can't remember any songs, but with what I'm learning I think I should be able to pick up the songs again pretty easy. In fact I need to go practice now, but I'll just mention a couple of sites before I go.
The first is Break Down Way. If you're old enough to remember The Jefferson Airplane then you probably remember a guy named Jorma Kaukonen. Turns out that he's still around and teaching a little guitar on the side, and if you go to this site and pay the $19/mo subscription fee you can get some online lessons from him. They're not really lessons but he does show you how to play a few tunes. Probably not for the beginner, but if you're interested in fingerpicking it might be a site you want to check out.
The second is Guitarschool.net, a site run by Guitar Center stores. I don't know if it's the best online guitar tutor out there (probably not), but it's free and they do show you some licks. It's good for the beginning guitarist as well.
Anyways, time to get back to my scales.
Showing posts with label guitar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guitar. Show all posts
Monday, March 26, 2007
Sunday, March 18, 2007
More Boring Guitar Stuff
F G A B flat C D E F
Oh, hello. I hope you don't mind if I practice my scales while I post tonight. The weather's been so nice that I haven't felt like staying inside and practicing my music, so I have to do a little multitasking if I want to blog and still get in my scale work.
F E D C B flat A G B
As you know I got this book called "Beginning Jazz Guitar" so I could bone-up on my music theory, and exercise my fingers at the same time. The book is called "Beginning Jazz Guitar", by the way, and not "Jazz Guitar for Beginners" because you have to know the basics before you can start in with it. Anyways, it starts you off with scale work (the chromatic scale, for those following along at home), and the first lesson was learning the chromatic scale with what is called 6-2 fingering.
G flat A flat B flat B D flat E flat F G flat
So all last week I practiced the 6-2, and when I finally had it down I put the DVD back in the machine and played back the lesson, and, wouldn't you know it, I had been playing the fingerings all wrong. That's the problem with being self-taught; if there had been a live teacher then he/she would have pointed out the problem immediately. Instead, I went the whole week doing it wrong and now I've got to go back and learn it all over. Grrrr.....
G flat F E flat D flat B flat A flat G flat
But I really like the book. In fact it's part of a series put out by the National Guitar Workshop and published by Alfred Music. There are other supplemental books that go along with it on theory for guitar, fretboard knowledge and ear training that provide more in-depth material on the concepts covered. I got the theory and fretboard books, and I learned the best trick yet for learning the guitar fretboard.
G A B C sharp D E F sharp G
Yeah, I know, who cares, but listen, people pay 50 or 60 bucks an hour to learn this stuff, and I'm giving it to you for free. Besides, if you're learning the guitar you'll want to know this, and if you have a child that's learning then it's important for you to sit down and talk to them about this. Believe me, they'll be glad you did, and, let's face it, practicing scales gets a little boring so I need something to keep my mind busy.
G F sharp E D C sharp B A G
The concept is called the "Warped W", and it is handiest thing I've ever seen for learning the guitar fretboard. As some of you may know, because of its system of white keys and black keys, it takes about 5 minutes to learn the names of the keys on a piano. All you have to do is learn the pattern and you instantly know the name of any key on the keyboard. Unfortunately, on a guitar you don't have any white keys and black keys, so that makes learning the notes a little more difficult.
A flat B flat C D E flat F A flat
The "Warped W" is a pattern on the fretboard that allows you to visualize the notes, just as the white and black keys do on the piano. The system is easy. You start with string 6. Hopefully you know the notes going up the fretboard on string 6 just from playing your basic barre chords, but if you don't it'll only take you a few minutes to memorize them. So, you start with string 6, at, say, fret 1, which would be an F.
A flat F E flat D C B flat A flat
Now, to find the other F's on the fretboard going across all six strings you just need to know these four shortcuts: 4(2), 2(3), 5(2), 3(2), 6(2). Since string 1 is just 2 octaves above string 6, you don't really need to worry about that one. If you can find the note on string 6, you can find it on string 1. So what do the funny numbers mean?
A B C sharp D sharp E F sharp G sharp A
Well if string 6, fret 1 is an F, then to find the next F up the neck you up 2 frets and it will be on string 4, then go up 3 frets and it will be on string 2, then up 2 frets to string 5, and up another 2 frets to string 3, and finally up 2 more frets and back to string 6. If you draw that out on a fretboard diagram it will look a little like a "W" tilted to the right, hence the name "Warped W". Now, if you've got that memorized you can start to do some advanced note finding.
A G sharp F sharp E D sharp C sharp B A
For example, your playing the 6th fret of string 4, what note is that? Well, if you look at the diagram you'll see that all you have to do is subtract 2 frets from string 4 and then read the note off of string 6. In this case, 4 minus 2 equals 2, and the 2nd fret on string 6 is an F sharp, so you're playing an F sharp. With a little practice you can find the notes very quickly. On string 4 you subtract 2 frets, on string 2 you subtract 5 frets, on string 5 you subtract 7 frets, and on string 3 you subtract 9 frets. So, if your playing fret 6 on string 3, you subtract 9 frets which gives you a negative 3, which is the same as 3 frets below fret 12 (think about it) or fret 9. Fret 9 on the 6 string is a C sharp, so you know your note is a C sharp.
B flat C D E flat F G A B flat
It's sounds complicated the way I explain it, but it's very simple. Just remember 4(2), 2(3), 5(2), 3(2), and 6(2), and you'll see what I mean. It also makes it easy to do things like chord inversions because you can always find the nearest alternate finger position for any given note. Very handy, and I'm giving it to you free of charge.
B flat A G F E flat D C B flat
Sorry for such a boring post tonight, but this is what's on my mind. I feel like a kid again learning all this music stuff that I should have learned years and years ago. I even went out and bought a copy of Guitar Player Magazine the other day. I haven't read that Mag since I was about 13 years old, and it's still as useless as ever, but it's like I'm reverting back to my teen years. That's not necessarily a good thing, but it has me feeling young again.
By the way, they now have 2 versions of Guitar Player Magazine - one is the same old rock 'n roll magazine it's always been, the the other is called "Guitar Player Magazine Acoustic". The difference between the two is that the regular "Guitar Player" talks about musicians before they've entered rehab, and "Guitar Player Acoustic" deals with musicians after they've left.
It's true. You look at "Guitar Player" and it's all these rock 'n roll, party animal, trash the hotel room types, and you look at "Guitar Player Acoustic" and it has these old gray-haired guys who've showered and shaved and are into organic foods and herbal supplements.
Oh well, we all get older don't we.
Oh, hello. I hope you don't mind if I practice my scales while I post tonight. The weather's been so nice that I haven't felt like staying inside and practicing my music, so I have to do a little multitasking if I want to blog and still get in my scale work.
F E D C B flat A G B
As you know I got this book called "Beginning Jazz Guitar" so I could bone-up on my music theory, and exercise my fingers at the same time. The book is called "Beginning Jazz Guitar", by the way, and not "Jazz Guitar for Beginners" because you have to know the basics before you can start in with it. Anyways, it starts you off with scale work (the chromatic scale, for those following along at home), and the first lesson was learning the chromatic scale with what is called 6-2 fingering.
G flat A flat B flat B D flat E flat F G flat
So all last week I practiced the 6-2, and when I finally had it down I put the DVD back in the machine and played back the lesson, and, wouldn't you know it, I had been playing the fingerings all wrong. That's the problem with being self-taught; if there had been a live teacher then he/she would have pointed out the problem immediately. Instead, I went the whole week doing it wrong and now I've got to go back and learn it all over. Grrrr.....
G flat F E flat D flat B flat A flat G flat
But I really like the book. In fact it's part of a series put out by the National Guitar Workshop and published by Alfred Music. There are other supplemental books that go along with it on theory for guitar, fretboard knowledge and ear training that provide more in-depth material on the concepts covered. I got the theory and fretboard books, and I learned the best trick yet for learning the guitar fretboard.
G A B C sharp D E F sharp G
Yeah, I know, who cares, but listen, people pay 50 or 60 bucks an hour to learn this stuff, and I'm giving it to you for free. Besides, if you're learning the guitar you'll want to know this, and if you have a child that's learning then it's important for you to sit down and talk to them about this. Believe me, they'll be glad you did, and, let's face it, practicing scales gets a little boring so I need something to keep my mind busy.
G F sharp E D C sharp B A G
The concept is called the "Warped W", and it is handiest thing I've ever seen for learning the guitar fretboard. As some of you may know, because of its system of white keys and black keys, it takes about 5 minutes to learn the names of the keys on a piano. All you have to do is learn the pattern and you instantly know the name of any key on the keyboard. Unfortunately, on a guitar you don't have any white keys and black keys, so that makes learning the notes a little more difficult.
A flat B flat C D E flat F A flat
The "Warped W" is a pattern on the fretboard that allows you to visualize the notes, just as the white and black keys do on the piano. The system is easy. You start with string 6. Hopefully you know the notes going up the fretboard on string 6 just from playing your basic barre chords, but if you don't it'll only take you a few minutes to memorize them. So, you start with string 6, at, say, fret 1, which would be an F.
A flat F E flat D C B flat A flat
Now, to find the other F's on the fretboard going across all six strings you just need to know these four shortcuts: 4(2), 2(3), 5(2), 3(2), 6(2). Since string 1 is just 2 octaves above string 6, you don't really need to worry about that one. If you can find the note on string 6, you can find it on string 1. So what do the funny numbers mean?
A B C sharp D sharp E F sharp G sharp A
Well if string 6, fret 1 is an F, then to find the next F up the neck you up 2 frets and it will be on string 4, then go up 3 frets and it will be on string 2, then up 2 frets to string 5, and up another 2 frets to string 3, and finally up 2 more frets and back to string 6. If you draw that out on a fretboard diagram it will look a little like a "W" tilted to the right, hence the name "Warped W". Now, if you've got that memorized you can start to do some advanced note finding.
A G sharp F sharp E D sharp C sharp B A
For example, your playing the 6th fret of string 4, what note is that? Well, if you look at the diagram you'll see that all you have to do is subtract 2 frets from string 4 and then read the note off of string 6. In this case, 4 minus 2 equals 2, and the 2nd fret on string 6 is an F sharp, so you're playing an F sharp. With a little practice you can find the notes very quickly. On string 4 you subtract 2 frets, on string 2 you subtract 5 frets, on string 5 you subtract 7 frets, and on string 3 you subtract 9 frets. So, if your playing fret 6 on string 3, you subtract 9 frets which gives you a negative 3, which is the same as 3 frets below fret 12 (think about it) or fret 9. Fret 9 on the 6 string is a C sharp, so you know your note is a C sharp.
B flat C D E flat F G A B flat
It's sounds complicated the way I explain it, but it's very simple. Just remember 4(2), 2(3), 5(2), 3(2), and 6(2), and you'll see what I mean. It also makes it easy to do things like chord inversions because you can always find the nearest alternate finger position for any given note. Very handy, and I'm giving it to you free of charge.
B flat A G F E flat D C B flat
Sorry for such a boring post tonight, but this is what's on my mind. I feel like a kid again learning all this music stuff that I should have learned years and years ago. I even went out and bought a copy of Guitar Player Magazine the other day. I haven't read that Mag since I was about 13 years old, and it's still as useless as ever, but it's like I'm reverting back to my teen years. That's not necessarily a good thing, but it has me feeling young again.
By the way, they now have 2 versions of Guitar Player Magazine - one is the same old rock 'n roll magazine it's always been, the the other is called "Guitar Player Magazine Acoustic". The difference between the two is that the regular "Guitar Player" talks about musicians before they've entered rehab, and "Guitar Player Acoustic" deals with musicians after they've left.
It's true. You look at "Guitar Player" and it's all these rock 'n roll, party animal, trash the hotel room types, and you look at "Guitar Player Acoustic" and it has these old gray-haired guys who've showered and shaved and are into organic foods and herbal supplements.
Oh well, we all get older don't we.
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