I guess there could be a million and one things I could do on vacation but getting my priorities straight was the first on the list. With my priorities organised, it was only clear that I should spend my time relaxing and doing the things that really matter. A chunk of my trip home has been literally spent at home with the family so far and I wouldn't change a thing.
When you're relaxed, you'd just wanna kick back on the couch with a guitar. This is my brother's most recent purchase, the Ibanez Artcore which has been seen in many An Honest Mistake gigs.
There were heaps of new things for me this Chinese New Year. First, checking out my brother's new guitar then getting introduced to his dog Cleo. I've only had two short stints with pet dogs and it's refreshing this time round to get to play with one without the baggage of really taking full responsibility for it. Vacation pet?
Walking Cleo was quite funny. Myself being inexperienced with pets, at one point I asked myself, "Am I walking the dog or is the dog walking me?". Notice how Cleo's walking in front of me, leading the way?
When you're relaxed, you'd just wanna kick back on the couch with a guitar. This is my brother's most recent purchase, the Ibanez Artcore which has been seen in many An Honest Mistake gigs.
There were heaps of new things for me this Chinese New Year. First, checking out my brother's new guitar then getting introduced to his dog Cleo. I've only had two short stints with pet dogs and it's refreshing this time round to get to play with one without the baggage of really taking full responsibility for it. Vacation pet?
Walking Cleo was quite funny. Myself being inexperienced with pets, at one point I asked myself, "Am I walking the dog or is the dog walking me?". Notice how Cleo's walking in front of me, leading the way?
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All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
Lick My Pick #7
1 Comments Published by Kevin Broken Scar on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 10:56 PM.
Please pardon the quality of this video as I did not record it with the usual set up. I was playing my old Ibanez RG470 through a tiny Fender Frontman practice amp. The RG really feels like a shred guitar and I feel I'm playing a little better already. The reach for the upper register is a lot easier due to its deeper cutaway and the 24 fret neck.
I've always admired how Paul Gilbert incorporates different techniques into his licks and playing, making the licks come alive with great melody. This lick incorporates hammer-ons, pull-offs, tapping and slides. The best part is I don't even need a pick for it! If you're a Paul Gilbert or Mr. Big fan, you'd know that this lick is inspire by their song, Green Tinted Sixties Mind.
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--t12--p7--p5--h7--t12--s14--s12--p7--p5--h7--t12--7b9--(t12)-----
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t = tap
p = pull-off
h = hammer-on
s = slide
Okay, I hope the video, the tab and my explanation will do this lick some justice. The letters in front of the numbers indicate whether it is a tap, pull-off, hammer-on or slide into the notes.
You can either tap with your index finger or your middle finger. Whichever works best. If I play this lick with a pick already in my hand, I would use my middle finger to tap the notes.
I think the first note is pretty straight forward. I tap it and then move on to do standard pull-offs and hammer-ons with my left hand. The only bit that is different here would be the sliding done with the tapping finger from 12 to 14 and back to 12, as you can see in the video.
The other bit that is difficult to describe in tab form as my tabbing skills are limited, (Az, care to correct me here?) is the last note where I tap 12th fret. While holding down the 12th fret with my tapping finger, I bend the 7th fret towards the 9th fret. An alternative to this would be to simply slide the 12th fret to the 14th with my tapping finger but I think by doing it this way, it creates a bit of tension. It was really fun playing this lick! Enjoy!
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All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
Labels: Hammer On, Ibanez RG470, Lick My Pick, Paul Gilbert, Pull Off, Slide, Tapping
I was looking for my Paul Gilbert instructional video that I had at home and after turning the place inside out, it looks like it's gone missing. I might have to buy another copy on DVD this time around as the old copy I had was on VCD. I mean, who watches VCDs anymore these days?
Thinking of guitars and music, I just wished I had a teleport machine of some sort so I can teleport myself back to Melbourne on Thursday to be at The Limelight at Miss Libertine. It's such a massive line up! I mean there's Kieran Christopherson, Next Dimension, Shafro, Jakk's Azimuth, The Vulpine, Low Speed Bus Chase, Asami and Tim McMillan! The line up is just too good to miss out on. Wish I was there!
Thinking of guitars and music, I just wished I had a teleport machine of some sort so I can teleport myself back to Melbourne on Thursday to be at The Limelight at Miss Libertine. It's such a massive line up! I mean there's Kieran Christopherson, Next Dimension, Shafro, Jakk's Azimuth, The Vulpine, Low Speed Bus Chase, Asami and Tim McMillan! The line up is just too good to miss out on. Wish I was there!
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All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
Labels: Miss Libertine, Paul Gilbert, The Limelight, VCD
Oh man, Chinese New Year is fast approaching. Have you bought new clothes yet? Bought anything red? Well, I don't really have to worry. Even if I don't have new clothes, I'll never be short of red shirts for the occasion!
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All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
Dan showed me this and I'm going nuts over it now. I've gotta get a mac first before I can get this sick sticker!
The link below says it all:
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/02/amazing-iron-man-macbook-sticker/
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All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
Lick My Pick #6
1 Comments Published by Kevin Broken Scar on Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 10:00 AM.
Since I've hurt my arm over the weekend from too much mixing, I decided to go easy on my playing and do a small easy lick instead. I don't think this is very Paul Gilbert sounding and I think it's more John Mayer inspired. It's a little more bluesy and I use it a lot to connect licks. It's also pretty cool to cycle these notes and play each note in this lick in different patterns to get really cool sounds. Explore and have fun with it!
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----------------------12h14~p12------------------------------------------
----------9h11s13-----------------13s11~---------------------------------
--9h11---------------------------------------------------------------------
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h = hammer on
p = pull off
s = slide
~ = sustain
The video and the tab should explain it all. I played it on the neck pickup, just to give it that fat and warm tone to create a fluid and easy flowing sound.
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----------------------12h14~p12------------------------------------------
----------9h11s13-----------------13s11~---------------------------------
--9h11---------------------------------------------------------------------
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h = hammer on
p = pull off
s = slide
~ = sustain
The video and the tab should explain it all. I played it on the neck pickup, just to give it that fat and warm tone to create a fluid and easy flowing sound.
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All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
Labels: John Mayer, Lick My Pick, Paul Gilbert
A friend of the wife and I bought this for us from Japan! I've always loved lego but nano blocks take it to another level of difficulty. The blocks are so tiny they make my fingers look like giant blobs of fat.
A comparison between a lego block and the nano block! The nano block truly lives up to its name!
The finished product. We took our time to put this together over a few days, savoring the process. We had to redo a few steps too as the instructions were all in Japanese but it was heaps of fun.
A comparison between a lego block and the nano block! The nano block truly lives up to its name!
The finished product. We took our time to put this together over a few days, savoring the process. We had to redo a few steps too as the instructions were all in Japanese but it was heaps of fun.
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All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
Labels: Nano Blocks
Lick My Pick #5
2 Comments Published by Kevin Broken Scar on Wednesday, February 03, 2010 at 2:05 PM.
This lick is really cool because you don't need to play super fast to achieve a cool sound. Picking the notes on their own may not sound like much, as you can see in the first part of the video but turn on the delay and it brings this lick to life. The delays actually make it sound like you're playing really fast. The catch though is that you need to play very consistently in time so that the picked notes don't clash with the delayed notes.
Paul Gilbert calls the repeats caused by the delay effect the dotted 8th notes because you are playing the line in 8's and the delayed notes fill the gaps. I guess the best way to understand this whole concept is to watch a video of the man himself explaining it. Check it out!
This is my version in the key of C#m.
-----------------------------11----------12-------------------------------
------------------9---12----------12--------------------------------------
--------9---11-------------------------------------------------------------
--11-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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There are so many creative ways of using the delay effect and this is just one of them. In this exercise, I used my Marshall Echohead, set to Hi Fi mode (digital delay) and the the repeat function is set to just do one repeat. Similar to what Paul Gilbert did in his video. It's funny how I never knew how to really use a delay pedal until now. Usually, I would just use the tap function on the pedal and tap in the temp of a song I'm playing, set it to have about 40% repeats and at half the volume of the original notes. More on delays in the future.
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All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
Labels: Lick My Pick, Paul Gilbert
Over the last two years, I’ve found that I have a compulsion to try every new thing in sight. It need not be expensive technology toys. It could be simple things like a new flavour of jam or the latest fruit in season. It could even be opening a bottle of wine that I’ve never tasted before. After all, little things are easier to afford and obtain. I can’t be buying new guitars every week right? Although I wish I could. There’s just such a thrill just because the object is new, whatever it may be.
I am prolonging my next string change because as long as I don’t need a string change yet, my Ernie Ball Power Peg, motorised string winder will remain new. I have become quite a bit of a gear nut recently too and I realised the gear I buy need not even be new from the factory. High quality second hand gear makes me happy too. The worst part is, my wish list has not gotten any shorter. I've still got a few things on the "to buy" list.
Okay, I’m beginning to sound a bit too materialistic already. I am a simple man. All the material things I think about is guitars and everything related to it. Is it really that bad? I’m sure everyone loves new things too? Are these signs of me turning into a shopaholic? Errr...
I am prolonging my next string change because as long as I don’t need a string change yet, my Ernie Ball Power Peg, motorised string winder will remain new. I have become quite a bit of a gear nut recently too and I realised the gear I buy need not even be new from the factory. High quality second hand gear makes me happy too. The worst part is, my wish list has not gotten any shorter. I've still got a few things on the "to buy" list.
Okay, I’m beginning to sound a bit too materialistic already. I am a simple man. All the material things I think about is guitars and everything related to it. Is it really that bad? I’m sure everyone loves new things too? Are these signs of me turning into a shopaholic? Errr...
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All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
Labels: Ernie Ball Power Peg
A BV Misconception
1 Comments Published by Kevin Broken Scar on Monday, February 01, 2010 at 3:13 PM.
I worked with an awesome band yesterday morning but the highlight for me was one of the backup vocalists. She was amazing! Backup vocalists are usually called BVs for short and I'm beginning to think that people have misinterpreted that abbreviation. I've heard some people referring to it as "background" vocalist and to me there's a huge difference between the two words.
If you refer to a BV as a background vocalist, it somehow lessens their worth and contribution as if they're just singing quietly in the background while the lead singer takes the spotlight. Backup is the right word because they are the support for the lead singer. I think BVs are as important as any member of the band. It takes skill and an awesome tone to be BV. It doesn't mean that if you're a great lead singer, you can automatically be a BV. There's just such a tremedous amount of control involved. I was reminded about the studio sessions when I was recording the BVs for my songs, especially Shooting Star. Sel, who was co-producing definitely pushed me hard and opened up many doors. Since then, I've realised that BV was much harder than singing the lead melody.
I get excited when I hear a BV who has great tone and holds the harmony down solid. Yesterday morning was one of those times.
If you refer to a BV as a background vocalist, it somehow lessens their worth and contribution as if they're just singing quietly in the background while the lead singer takes the spotlight. Backup is the right word because they are the support for the lead singer. I think BVs are as important as any member of the band. It takes skill and an awesome tone to be BV. It doesn't mean that if you're a great lead singer, you can automatically be a BV. There's just such a tremedous amount of control involved. I was reminded about the studio sessions when I was recording the BVs for my songs, especially Shooting Star. Sel, who was co-producing definitely pushed me hard and opened up many doors. Since then, I've realised that BV was much harder than singing the lead melody.
I get excited when I hear a BV who has great tone and holds the harmony down solid. Yesterday morning was one of those times.
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All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
All Broken Scar's music is available on www.reverbnation.com/brokenscar
