john berret music

What Cha' Doin' with Miss Shauna Price

2012-02-12T19:45:00.005-05:00

This edition of What Cha' Doin' is with a young lady named Shauna Price. Shauna is 7 years old, almost 8 ;), and has been takin lessons of me a while. She is a super student at school and is involved in all kinds of activities. She is as bright as they come and has a great personality. One of the coolest things about her is how much she loves music. One of her favorite bands is Panic At the Disco! and she loves listening to them with her mom. Her GaGa helps her with her guitar playing and her everyday practicing. Her mom and GaGa are her biggest supporters and fans. This is what Miss Shauna price has been up to, click on the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGhuu-cNDfE&feature=youtu.be

Spotlight Licks: Chris Livingston

2012-02-08T20:41:00.002-05:00

This Spotlight Lick is brought to you by Rock Bottom Music guitar instructor Chris Livingston. Chris teaches all ages, styles and levels of guitar. He is going to show us how to do some cool pedal steel like bends on the guitar. These things can spice up your solos. They are very popular to be used in riffs too, think Honky Tonk Women by the Rolling Stones. I am not writing out any tab for this because he does a great job showing you in the video. Have some fun with this. I f you or anyone you know is looking for lessons call Chris at 706-589-2112.

Product Review: Marshall Headphones Minor

2012-01-25T20:44:00.008-05:00

This product review is on a name most associated with legendary guitar amps, Marshall. Everyone in music knows the name and every guitar player has wanted an amp that was a Marshall. Nothing has more balls than a Marshall stack! This is not a stack I am reviewing, it is headphones. Headphones?????? I did a double take too when I saw them come in at Rock Bottom Music. I got a pair and have tried them out for 2 weeks now and I have to say I love them. They have uses that go past just a musicians use. They are good for the average person for alot of their uses. Lets get into what they are and what I discovered over these past two weeks.

There are two kinds of Marshall headphones. The first kind are kinda big like old school 70's headphones. They are called "Major". The next kind, the kind I had, are called the "Minor." The first thing you notice when you get the box they come in and open it , they are set in there and pop up like your are getting some expensive jewelry from Windsor jeweler or something. The box is sturdy as can be too and can be used for storage after removing the headphones for guitar slides or picks. The minors are more like the ear buds you see today. These ones look like amp knobs from a Marshall amp on the outside. They also have an "ear click" system that secures the in ear piece to your ear. These things click in your ear in the direct part above your sound hole are. These ear click thingys come in small, medium, large and extra large sizes to fit any size ear and provide maximum comfort. They come loaded with mediums right out the box and are easily changed by just pulling off and putting what ever size you want on. These things make the in ear system feel really good in your ears. Most in ear or ear buds make my ear raw and make my ear hurt. These don't. I can wear them for hours on end and have them feel awesome. The box also has this thing called neutral stereo plug adapter. You hook it to you headphone end when using the headphones on an older listening device that is not compatible with today's technology. Example: an old cassette walkman.
These things are very good to use with amps like the new marshall and fender's that have that headphone jack so that you can play and not disturb anyone. I used these headphones with the Fender Mustang and they sounded great! I actually experienced alot of the effects the amp has to offer better with the headphones. The delays and reverb sounded huge and you could hear the delay go on longer and better than with just the speaker. I also used the headphones on my cell phone to listen to music. I tried these out on every type of music. Marilyn Manson sounded mean and in your face. Dr Dre and Snoop Dog had the bass and hi hat boomin on "still d.r.e.". I listened to Korn and when that low end came in my head shook from the bass. I had never had an in ear system make my head feel like i could feel the bass (granted i had it cranked!!!!). Listening to some jazz, Joe Pass, every note was clear and articulate. These things make music sound great. Listening to Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon.....forget about it. That album was meant for headphones like these. Headphones where it sounds like the music surrounds you. Like you are inside the music player. Every effect that is super psychedelic shines. The lows , mids and highs, they all come through like you would want in a set of ear phones. What is cool about these is by the clip to attach the phones to you there is a "remote" thing. This thing lets you stop , play, fast forward or rewind the tracks you are listening too. While i was listening on a Black Berry Curve I could get the stop and play feature to work I could not get the rewind/fast forward to work. I am sure it will work on a Driod, Ipod, Iphone or any other listening device, Black berrys just suck. This headphone also lets you use it on your cell phone to take and make calls. I was happy with how it sounded making calls. Clear as a bell. Makes driving and talking on the phone safer too. It is also as clear as any blue tooth device I have used too. The button that let you play/stop/ff/rewind when listening to music lets you mute your sound receiver when talking. The person cant hear you but you can hear them. It also shows up on your phone with a "muted" sign so that you can see that it is muted. The last thing I used these head phones with, it is also what got the most use for, was listening to talk radio. I listen to Howard Stern hours and hours a day. It made listening awesome. Howard's voice, Robin's voice, they both sounded like they were right next to me. When Fred hit a sound effect it was like he was sitting right beside me. Killer.

These Marshall Minor Headphones have a ton of uses. If it's making a call on your cell phone, listening to your Ipod, jammin on your amp or listening to your favorite talk show these things rule. Marshall is a name made of quality and so is this product. I am sold on them now. While they cost around $59.99 they are worth every single penny. The sound quality is second to none and they are incredibly comfortable. They sound like a $300 set of headphones. They have that cool timeless always in style Marshall look too. Do your self a major favor and get yourself a set of Marshall Minor in ear phones.

What Cha Doing? With Will Setzke

2012-01-14T22:01:00.006-05:00

This is a new on going section of the blog called "What Cha Doing?" It will focus on a student, past or present, and show off some of their skills or just what they have been up to. This first piece is on long time student, former student spotlight and Davidson Fine Arts student Alex Cooke, A.K.A. Will Stezke. He has been a song writing machine for a while now and if you remember back to the first article I wrote for the new year I challenged students to set a goal for themselves in the new year to push themselves and get better. Alex or Will Setzke, got a challenge from me to write a song a week for a month. He upped it to a song a week for a year. This has been done by a few people i know and have read about. Most notably former local musician Will McCranie. I challenged Alex/Will Setzke after he came into lessons last week with two songs he blew me away with. I really liked the 2 new songs so much I wanted to hear more. So here he is . Mr. Will Setzke. Here is what he has been doing....................

here is a link to see mr will setzke in action. make sure you watch the video. he kills it!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05C9WbabxXg&feature=youtu.be

Student Spotlight: Taylor Temples

2012-01-10T20:18:00.003-05:00

This "Student Spotlight" is another one of the amazing jammers coming from North Augusta Middle School. He is 13 year old 8th grader Taylor Temples. He started playing guitar around 4 years ago, quit for 3 years and started back up. He started his lessons with me 9 months ago. He has been hooked and a daily guitar player ever since! Taylor wanted to play guitar because of his love for rock music and he thought it would be cool to hear a song and go " I can play that!" He doesn't come from too much of a musical family. He has a cousin and an uncle who have dabbled in guitar and a little cousin who has started singing. Taylor's favorite guitar player is Jimi Hendrix. The reason why? He told me " Really????? It's Hendrix. Do you really need a reason why he is awesome? Come On." I laughed my butt off when he said that and could do nothing but agree with him! If he could play guitar in any band in history it would be a tough choice between two bands, Motley Crue or Guns and Roses. I asked Taylor if he could play anywhere in the world, where would it be? He said at the top of the Empire State Building. He would take speaker cabinets and line all the outside walls with them with the speakers pointing out and just sit there on the top of it jammin. Very, Very cool. Taylor would like to possibly go to school for music when he graduates high school. Where does he see himself in 5 years musically? He hopes that the band him and Carter Kight have started is out there playing gigs around the CSRA just getting their names out there and playing their butts off. He hopes to someday be ina band that makes a living playing but at the same time never sold out. His dream guitar is a U.S.A. sunburst Fender Stratocaster. Taylor has 3 big pointers for someone who is just starting out playing. #1- Practice. #2- Practice. And #3- PRACTICE!!!!!!!! What is the thing he feels has been the most important that he has got from lesson so far? Doing finger exercises. He says they have gave him the ability to get down everything that he needs to get down. What song is getting the most play on his IPod right now? All Along The Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix. Taylor is a student that has caught the musical bug hard. He plays everyday and really works hard on his playing. he takes it serious and has showed a huge improvement and love for music. I have been very proud of the player he has become and am really looking forward to the player he is gonna turn into. He is to you Taylor Temples........Keep Rockin'........Keep Playing.........and Keep Having fun!!!!!!!!

New Year= New Goals

2012-01-06T21:11:00.003-05:00

It is the first post of 2012. I am starting out the year with some words of encouragement. Get a new goal set for your self and kick it in the butt! I think every student ( and reader ) should pick a new thing and go for it. I have set a challenge to my student Alex Cooke to write a new song every week for a month. He came into his last lesson with two of the best songs I have ever heard him write. Some goals you can set for your self would be to learn a second instrument, learn a song or two from a style of music you don't normally play, get a band started or even play your first open mic or gig. Make sure once you set your goal think about what you have to do to achieve it. Example- Say your goal is to learn the song "One" by MetallicA. You know that the song is played at a speed that is out of your range of playing at the moment. What you will have to do is buckle down, get a metronome and do exercises until you get faster. It won't happen over night. You will have to do exercises everyday to get there. Another example- You want to start a band. With a band you are going to have to spend time finding people to play with, time for practice. You will also have to find the time to learn the songs you are going to play together. It takes discipline to get what you want out of your goal. When something takes skill to do it takes time to master it. It does not happen overnight. Everyone who has been playing for any time knows this, has accepted it and has worked for what they want. I urge all of you to think of a goal and let me know what it is this week at your lesson. We will get to working on it. Hope you set your goal and make 2012 your break out year for playing!

"The johnny's"

2011-12-25T23:52:00.015-05:00

I have decided by my own accord, to recognize some musicians, bands and people in our scene. I have tons of praise for the jammers in our area. Here are my own categories and who I have chosen. No order or anything.

Coolest CD cover: This one goes to Artemia. I believe their singer Blaine is the one who painted it. It's very cool and original. They also win for coolest fliers too. Look at the one picture from them on Artemia's Spotlight Lick. Pure awesomeness.

Musician to look out for in 2012: This is a tie for me. Both people I have choose are brilliant at several instruments. One is Evan Miller. I met him a while ago. I heard him playing drums and was FLOORED. Heard him play bass, my jaw dropped. Heard him play guitar and was FLOORED again. I was so impressed I hooked him up with Rob Boggs to work with us at Quest Sound. The second person is Greg Warnier. The same goes for him as went for evan. Amazing drummer, bassist and guitar player. The kid has the chops and the passion. Expect great things from these two in 2012.

Band your going to have the most fun seeing: This band is False Flag. You will always have fun going to see them. They gave me the pleasure of sitting in with them once. They released a cool cd this year too.

Coolest "New" Band: She and She. If you have been in the scene you have known Brandy Dougless from her solo work. This is what she is doing now. Greg Warnier on drums, a Kate Anderson on bass and the biggest singing secret in Augusta, Drea Suarez. The band plays with a love for what they do, have great harmonies and have a great sound.

Best Sounding CD: Aretmia. Bar none Eric Rinker has the best ear for recording in our area. If you like their music or not there is NO DENYING how well that cd sounds. He has a gift. He would corner the market for a studio in our area if he wanted too. I have listened to a bunch of tracks coming from our area. There are some good things coming from other people, Eric just takes it to a new level.

Band Whos Time Has Come: Radar Cinema. I have watched these guys for years work their asses off to get a solid line up and sound. They achieved that in 2011. They released a killer and ambitious cd , Bird meets Worm, and really hit their stride this year. Congrats guys. Your hard work paid off.

Band who I am glad did a re-union: JJ Maj. Although I missed it due to being sick, they are a local band that did a re-union that actually should have did one. One of the best local bands ever.

Favorite Place to Play and Hear a Band: The Cork and Bull in Aiken SC. Check it out and you will see why. People pack the place out and LOVE live music.

Best promoter of local music or their own band: Michael "Dork" Dinkins. He promotes, promotes , promotes and does it without over hyping or annoying the hell out of you. He puts his money where his mouth is too. He will go to shows just as much as he asks you to go to his. his bands always kick ass too. he never makes a false promise about "how badass his show is gonna be" or load up your facebook with crap. He does promotion well and actually makes you want to come out to a show.

Best Writers of Augusta Music: Tie between Stoney Cannon and Brian "stak" Allen. Stoney knows the local scene better than anyone and just plain writes good. he keeps you interested in his piece, even if you dont know about local bands. Brian writes well too. His best writing quality to me is his honesty. Most local music writers write only good things about local bands ( i can see why, its a small town and everyone is friends or wants to be) but Brian is honest. If he tells you something it's because he is really thinking it. He doesnt go out of his way to write crap on someone just to fling it. Good or bad he tells you his opinion. I like that. Not everything is good.

Band i Like to See: Electric Voodoo. Riley williams is a great guitar player and his band plays some killer tunes. Big props to them. Go see them. Do it. I tell you, Do It NOW!

Most Original Sound: Sibling String. They are made up of guitar/vocals Jacob Beltz, Bass Deveron Roof, Guitar Mike Baidime, drums Dave Mercer and multi instrumentalist Henry Wynn. They play alot downtown and go see why. No other band plays the instruments that they do and make them cool. Killer band with some of the best players in our area.

These are what I think was the tops for 2011. At least at the moment I was writing this. There is SO MUCH good music in our area. These bands and people are just what tickled my fancy for the past year. I am excited to see what comes out in 2012. Cheers!

Happy Holidays!!!

2011-12-25T23:15:00.003-05:00

Here is to another year of great musical happenings. There has been a ton of new students start with me this year and a ton of new readers to our little blog. We have more than doubled our reader ship from last year! The product reviews are, on occasion, getting picked up by the companies they are done on and used on their web sites. We have seen the addition of videos to go along with things this year and had a lot of very cool "Spotlight Licks" done by some very cool people. I would like to thank those people now: Al Moore, Artemia, L.I.E., Ken Gabriele,Michael Baideme, Dave Mercer and Bruce Pennigton. Thank you guys very much for the blazing licks, my students (and many others) have been playing the snot out of them. I had ALL of my students make great strides this year and are very proud of all of you! The student spotlights from 2011 are Christina Naomi, Carter Kight, Grace Dickins, Zeb Shepard, Brian Yonn, Oscar Ystenes, Shane Waldun and Chris Marks. I also had some students in the military that are proudly serving our country and had our lessons cut short due to deployment. Students like Shane Waldun, Rob Cornwell and Robert Wirth. I would like to say thank you to them and all the servicemen and woman i have worked with over the year. I also want to send a shout out to a longtime student named Danielle Parker who's family made the move to New Orleans last month. Keep rockin kid! Our website had some guest writers this year too that did a fine job. "The Bizz With the Buzz" by Stoney Cannon, "The Sound of Music" by Eric Rinker where incredible articles written by music lovers. We had Rockers like Brad Davis, Steven Adler and Chip 'Z Nuff be gracious enough to lend some time for interviews and inspiration. We have some more in store for 2012 too! I am looking forward to 2012. We are going to have some more great guest writers, new subjects to discuss, loads more licks and learnin' and lots more fun to be had. In 2012 I will have a little baby girl born and I am way excited to meet her. Thanks all for reading this year. Have a safe New Year and keep your eyes peeled for the new stuff coming!

Student Spotlight: Christina Naomi

2011-12-06T21:14:00.004-05:00

This, the last Student Spotlight of 2011 goes to Miss Christina Naomi. She is a 13 year old Merriwether Middle School student. Christina got into guitar not too long ago when her Grandmother got her a guitar for Christmas. She got the guitar and figured "why not give it a try." Even though her Grandma got her the guitar, that doesn't mean she comes from a musical family. Christina says she can't think of anyone in her family who plays. That just makes it that much cooler that she is playing! A Day To Remember is Christina's favorite band. She cites how well the lyrics are written as one of the things that makes them her favorite band. If she could play guitar for any band in history it would be the Beatles just on the basic fact of how legendary they are. You can not argue with that! If she could play anywhere in the world it would be at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. She choose that because when it comes to playing at a venue nothing tops Madison Square Garden. I can agree with that too. Christina'a dream guitar would be either a Taylor or a Gibson acoustic. Where does she see herself musically in 5 years? Still jammin', being a better player than she is today and having a ton of fun! If Christina could create her "dream" concert line up it would include, in no certain order, A Day To Remember, All time Low, Lady Antebellum and Taylor Swift. Her favorite guitar player is Alex Gaskarth from All Time Low. After Christina finishes high school she hopes to go to school in New York City for fashion. Anything to do with fashion is her passion. She is kicking butt in school right now and is a STRAIGHT A student!!! YOU GO GIRL!!!! The thing she feels is the most important thing she has learned in lessons? She says learning all the chords in a bunch of different voicings. With that she says she can learn and play just about any song she wants. She doesn't really have anything she is embarrassed by on her Ipod. I can dig that. Christina has a great personality and is smart as a whip. She is kickin butt and takin names! Here is to you Christina.......Keep Rockin.....Keep Jammin.....and Keep Havin Fun!!!

Jammin Gift Ideas for Christmas

2011-11-29T22:25:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year again......The time when you spend quality time with loved ones and buy gifts for them. Every year i get asked what would be some good gift ideas for the musician in some one's life. I am gonna give you some good ones.

For the guitar and bass player in your life some good under $10 gifts would be pick holders that attach to the guitar and look like over sized picks. Also some picks, guitar cleaners and cleaning rags are cool. Some cool gift ideas under $20 are guitar stands. You can always use a guitar stand. Instructional and music song books are always a great idea, there are even some for drummers too! Some head phone and ear buds are an awesome idea for parents who want their kid to play but could use some piece and quiet too! There are a Marshall set of ear phones but they are over $20. Also in around the $20 range is guitar slides, glass and metal ones. They are so much fun to use. A couple packs of strings and capoes are always use full. Close to $20 bucks are some cool old school looking Fender tins. They have awesome pictures of Fender guitars and amps of old and ooze old Americana. They look great hanging in any jam or practice room and are even good looking enough to go in any room of the house! For $14.99 Rock Bottom has some really cool 3 pack of Fender strings that come with a cool fender collector baseball. It is very unique and a present that will make anyone look cool who gets it for someone. Prices from $20 up are some really good guitar/bass cables. We carry top quality Fender and Dimarzio brands. For a big gift for the musician in your life are any T.C. Electronic floor pedals. They are top quality pedals. They have many kinds like delay, phaser, etc. Always a winner are the fender Mustang amps. They hook up to your computer and have a million effects and sounds that are down loadable. The Mustang 1 starts at $99. For the electric guitar player the hot new guitar is the Charvel DC series. They are hot rodded goodness that look incredible and sound killer. They start at $349. They have a finish on them to die for. Also I have heard that Jonathon bought out a music store that was going out of business and we are the only store that has the amount of these that we do. They are not available to retail again until after the new year. Rock Bottom has scored a bunch and they will go really quick so get down and get one! For the acoustic player the new E.S.P.s are really hot. That company has really upped their game and come out with a great product. We also have some good quality guitar packs that have everything you need to get started. Depending on the kind of guitar it has a guitar, amp, strap, picks, tuner and dvd that come with it.

Foe the bass player lots of stuff listed above works plus the hot bass amp right now is a little practice amp called the Ampeg BA112. It is small but packs a ton of power and boom. It has that classic Ampeg sound too! There are also bass packs that got everything you need to get started playing. One thing that is good for a bass or guitar player is a cool new strap. They come in leather, have your favorite bands name on it and come in tons of colors and are made from a ton of different materials too.

For the drummer in your life his favorite type of sticks is always a winner. There is also some cool double stick set holding stick holders that clamp to a drum stand or cymbal stand. That way they can always have a stick within reach when playing that gig! They come in at under $20 too! Any drummer can always use "more cowbell." Cowbells start at $14.99 and go up from there. There is also tons of cool percussion stuff that adds color to any drummers playing. Things like Cabasa or a Guiro.

For any musician a ukulele is a cool little gift. They seem to be real popular right now. Rock Bottom has them starting at $39 and have soprano, baritone and concert sizes! Rock Bottom also has an assortment of hip T-Shirts and Hats that sport your favorite amp, guitar, drum, musical brand and even Rock Bottom!

These are some of what I think makes cool gifts at all levels of price range. Something I think makes a great gift too is GIFT CERTIFICATES for lessons! I got them and they make great stocking stuffers ;) Rock Bottom offers them for the store as well. So while your out Christmas shopping this year come hit Rock Bottom!

Hey Turkey: Maintain Your Instrument!!!!!!!!!

2011-11-19T23:48:00.006-05:00

This is a special "Thanksgiving" post. It's called "Hey turkey: Maintain Your Instrument!!!!!!!" There comes a time in every players life when a string breaks or something falls off your guitar. You need to be a little handy with tools and do some "preventative" maintenance along with learning your chops. Let's start with your guitar strings. In research I have done into string companies it seems the average life of a pack of strings is about 20 playing hours. That means when you play your guitar for 20 hrs its time to change strings. I say if your someone who plays everyday for about an hour or 2 change your strings every 2-3 weeks. If you play more adjust it to a shorter time between strings. You can let them go as long as you can stand it too. If the strings are all black, rusted and grimy , change them. If they start not staying in tune and sound stale, change them. I will do a whole piece later on to show you how to do string changing. String changing is a whole article itself. Another thing to check every time before you plug up and play is your input jack. Your input jack is that thing you plug your guitar cable in that goes to your amp. On the input jack is a little nut that comes loose very easily. Before you plug up just check and see if it's finger tight. Even if there is a lock washer on it and your guitar cost $1,000,000 they come loose. It will drive you turkey mad. Another thing that tends to come loose as a thanksgiving goose is your strap pegs. Those are the mysterious things that your guitar strap goes on. They tend to have screws in them. You wanna check them every once in a while. Take your fingers and grab them. if they are loose tighten them up with a screw driver. Be careful not to over tighten, just make them snug. With any screw on a guitar, just make sure they are snug. When you over tighten a screw going into wood you can strip the screw hole. It can be fixed but it is a pain. Next let's move to your tuners. Alot of tuners come loose too. There are 3 spots they come loose. Not every guitar has all 3 spots. On top of the peg ( where your string is attached) is a nut. Grab it with your finger (easiest when your changing strings and they string as already off) and if it's loose tighten it snug with a proper set of pliers. On the back of the head stock the pegs are attached with screws, take a small screw driver and make sure they are snug. On the tuner itself alot of guitar tuners have little screws on the side of them too. Grab the tuner and if it wiggles, tighten the screw. Don't make it too tight or the tuner will be hard to turn. While we are on the subject of screws there are others all over the guitar that vary from guitar to guitar. Just check them, tighten snugly on a regular basis. On your guitar neck you want to check to make sure it stays straight. Look down the neck and if you see a bow take it to a tech who can adjust the truss rod before it gets real bad. Check your frets and make sure they are staying put and are not worn down too bad. Check your nut and make sure it has no cracks and isn't coming off. Check your toggle switch and make sure it still properly moves and is not coming off. Sometimes there is a nut on it too. If it's loose just tighten it. Your volume and tone knobs should turn smoothly and not be loose. Your can normally take the knob itself off and there is a "pole" that sticks up typically with a nut on it too. Take the old gravy fingers and make that nut finger tight. Also when you are playing and turn the knobs there should be no crackling. Next check your pick ups and make sure they are the right height you want. They adjust with screws. Check your bridge area out. Make sure it is the right height and your saddles are in good shape and not worn down or worn themselves to a point where they wiggle. Now to the last thing I can think of is to check the body out. Make sure it is still staying in one piece and all that cranberry goodness. All the things I have went over are for an electric guitar or electric bass. An acoustic guitar has alot less to check over but you can apply most of the things we have went over. Regular maintenance can keep your guitar in rocking shape for may years. If you love your guitar you will take care of it <3. If you have any major problems take it to a qualified repair person. We have a couple great ones in our area. I can point you to them. Have a great Thanksgiving and write me a darn Thanksgiving song!!!!!! I don't know of any!!!!!!

Learn From: Alice In Chains

2011-11-13T20:58:00.003-05:00

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!

Student Spotlight: Carter Kight

2011-11-04T10:14:00.003-04:00

This edition of "Student Spotlight" is on 13 year old, North Augusta middle School student, Carter Kight. Carter has been playing guitar about 2 and 1/2 years and started lessons with me back in the beginning of January 2011. Carter originally wanted to play drums at first, but drums take up a ton of room in a house, so his parents got him a guitar for Christmas instead. Carter is the only one in his family who plays an instrument. His family loves music, they just dont play and are very encouraging to him about his playing. Carter's dream guitar is a vintage K Archtop. He doesn't really have a favorite band or player, he likes to many to choose just one, but if he had to choose one on the spot it would be Son House. If he could be a guitar player for any band in history it would be the White Stripes. Carter loves Jack White's slide work. If he could play any where in the world he would play in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on a ship. It would just be really cool. After he goes to high school he would like to go to college and major in music. Carter is regularly jammin with his buddies, two of which are fellow guitar students of mine, Taylor Temples and Brian Yonn. Musically in 5 years Carter sees himself jamming in a band and writing songs, getting out there and performing so he can reach people that would like his music. What is he most valuable thing Carter has taken from lessons so far? He says learning all the chords in all the voicings has been the most valuable. Gets him able to play all over the neck. Carter loves guitar so much he plays before he goes to school and plays everyday from the time he gets home from school until he goes to bed, taking a break only for homework and chores! The most embarrassing thing on his Ipod? It's a bunch of Hannah Montana and Jonas brothers songs that "accidentally" got put on there fro his sister. Carter has some advice for someone wanting to play or just starting. The advice is don't give up. When you first start it's really hard and can get boring. Play every day and you'll get better, have more fun things to play and you will get good. Just stay with it. Carter has really been working hard lately. He has improved a ton over the past couple months. It is obvious that he has a tremendous love for music and guitar. He has shown me a great work ethic on his guitar. he has learned and completed all work I have gave him. His is going to turn into a hell of a player and is sounding good now. He has a love for great music that lets him have really broad musical tastes. He just doesn't like one style of music, he likes music that is good, be it Avenged Sevenfold or Son House. I look forward to seeing good things from Carter Kight as he grows up. So here is to you Carter......keep rockin'........keep playin'.........and keep having fun!!!!!!!!

Rock Bottom Presents: NBC 26 Drum-A-Thon

2011-10-31T15:16:00.002-04:00

At 10:00 a.m. on Friday November 11,2011 until Saturday November 12,2011 at noon, NBC 26 and Jay Jefferies will be doing the 26 hour "Beat Cancer" Drum-A-Thon. It will be at Television Park-1336 Augusta West Parkway, down by the Augusta Mall. All proceeds of the event go to benefit the 12 Bands of Christmas, which helps pediatric cancer patients. Everyone is welcome to participate and here is how:

1)Register. You can register by email- director@12bands.org . by fax at 866-626-4148 or by getting a registration paper (at rock bottom) and mailing it in to 12 bands p.o. box 12623 augusta ga 30914.

2)set a goal for how long you think you can play.

3)ask friends, family and co-workers to sponsor you. there is a pledge form on mail in sheet or online.

4)turn in the pledge sheet prior to drumming.

5) the top 10 drummers who raise the most money will get entered into a drawing to win a limited edition Pearl Drumset to be drawn at the conclusion of the Drum-A-Thon. (12 noon on saturday 11/12)

12 Bands, NBC 26 and Rock Bottom Music are doing as much as they can to "Beat" cancer away this holiday season. The drumset that is up for winning is not the run of the mill cheap starter kit. It is a kit a seasoned drummer would love to have. The kit comes with high quality birch shells and heavy duty hardware. Its a Pearl VSX set in strata black. We have a VSX kit in stock at rock bottom that you can come look at(its in gold though and NOT the one up for winning) that can give you an idea how it looks. So do what you gotta do and sign up, get some sponsors and drum! Or sponsor a drummer that is doing it so you can do your part to "Beat Cancer."

Diatonic Major Scale Part 3: Connect The Dots La La La La

2011-10-27T21:02:00.006-04:00

In this, the 3rd part of the series on the major diatonic scale, we are going to be connecting the patterns. By now you have built the scales, played them up on one string and then did the 7 three note per string patterns we had to death. Now we are going to connect the scales. What you are going to do is start on pattern 1. Start on the 1st fret (F Note) on the 6th, Low E, string and play through the pattern up to the last note on the High E string (the 7th fret, B note), slide up to the highest note of the next pattern on the high E string. Play this pattern backwards all the way down to the lowest note of the pattern on the Low E string (3rd fret, G note). Slide up to the lowest note of the next pattern(pattern 3) which is the 5th fret, A note. Play this pattern all the way up to the highest note of this pattern. You will repeat this process for every pattern. Going up one pattern, sliding up to the next highest note of the next pattern and playing it backwards. Doing this will get you knowing how all the patterns connect and how to weave in and out of each one. Once you get use to doing this all the way up all 7 patterns, start on pattern 7 and do the whole thing backwards. Become a master at this. Doing this needs to become 2nd nature. Become a Jedi young Skywalkers. Attached is a copy of the patterns. Follow the arrows that help illustrate what I explained for going from pattern 1 up to pattern 7. Have fun you will young Jedi you must. Click on the pictures to make them bigger.

Spotlight Licks: Al Moore

2011-10-15T13:39:00.000-04:00

This "Spotlight Licks" is brought to you by guitar chicken picker extraordinaire Al Moore. Al currently plays in a band from Atlanta Ga called the Joe Olds Band. They tour around Atlanta and south Georgia at the moment. Their new cd has currently been finished and will be out this fall. Check on ITunes or go to http://www.joeolds.com to get a copy.He has been playing guitar for 16 plus years now. He has played in local bands Shiloh and the Jeremy Graham Band and has played with Hank Williams jr, Lou Brian and Dierks Bently. He has toured the country playing to thousands of people over the years. I have not tabbed anything out because the video he does does an excellent job of demonstrating his lick. Have fun with this chickin pickin lick!

Spotlight Licks: Artemia

2011-10-12T21:05:00.000-04:00

This edition of "Spotlight Licks" is brought to you by the band "Artemia" by way of their super musician drummer Michael "Dork" Dinkins. Gonna let Dork take it from here.

Greetings from Artemia-land. When we were recording our song "Ghost of the Avalanche," we decided to add an impromptu keyboard lead to the latter half of the instrumental bridge. It was written and recorded in about an hour--- however, because I played drums on the song and there were two guitar parts, we never incorporated into our live set until recently. Because the members of Artemia all play multiple instruments, we decided to play some musical chairs where we would do acoustic/clean/piano versions of our songs to open ourselves up to playing different venues... with our guitarist Eric playing drums and myself on keys. So because the lead was written and recorded on the fly and then never revisited, I had to sit down and learn what I had played. Once that was done, I decided to tab out the lead for guitar so that we could add it to our live set on guitar.

If you listen to the song, you'll hear the main theme which is a melody based off the D minor 7 chord. For the instrumental bridge, we thought it would be cool to modify the main theme and play it in various keys and modes first soft and clean and then repeat it hard and heavy. So the lead actually follows each of these key/mode changes every four bars and eventually works back around to the D minor 7 theme for the final chorus.

For the music nerds, the lead begins at time 4:09 and follows this progression: D minor 7... A minor 7... B minor 7... C dominant 7... F dominant 7... E flat major... F# minor 7... C# minor 7... and then the chorus comes in with the D minor 7 again.

As I am not a guitarist and the lead was initially written on keyboard, I have no practical knowledge of how this will actually translate to guitar--- parts of it may be very easy, but other sections may be extremely difficult. Couple that with the fact that, while the song is actually in 4/4, there is a poly-rhythm occurring to give the impression that there's a loop of 5/4 - 5/4 - 6/4. So if you're looking for a challenge or an experiment or are simply interested in jamming what some of the locals have come up with--- here it is.

First half: http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c324/HeirToRuin/Avalanchelead1.jpg

Second half: http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c324/HeirToRuin/Avalanchelead2.jpg

The song: http://artemia.bandcamp.com/track/ghost-of-the-avalanche

SIDE NOTE: The guitars are tuned to standard pitch with a "drop d" tuning.

On a side note Dork's band L.I.E. is retiring for now and are playing a farewell show at Sky City on 11-11-11 (national metal day). If you are 21 and up you should go check it out. Artemia is Dork's baby now. Check out their new cd.

Jeramie McCloud: Shadow Kill Clan

2011-10-04T19:39:00.000-04:00

This is a special piece on a long time student, Jeramie McCloud. He is in a band called Shadow Kill Clan. I like to promote as much student doings as possible. Jeramie is a very promising student and musician. He was a "Student Spotlight" of mine back in October 2010. He has been very busy since then. His band is a hard rock/metal band that is a take on classic, modern and industrial type metal. He and his band mate, Matt Green have been working on the new Shadow Kill Clan cd. I sat down with Jeramie and talked S.K.C. and music.

John Berret: How long has Shadow Kill Clan been together?

Jeramie McCloud? About 9 years or so.

JB:Who all is in the band?

JM: Myself and Matt Green.

JB: Why and how did you two get together?

JM: I enjoy music and growing up and high school and being an angry kid music was my outlet. The band started with many members at first. Matt originally came in as a replacement player. Matt was in the band a year and we never spoke. Never talked at all. We would come to jam and the most we ever said was "hi." After a year we started talking music and just got closer over time. We both figured out we paid for everything and did all the work so we might as well just do it our selves. Now we live apart, he lives in Washington D.C., and we just do all the songwriting and recording online.

JB: How is the new cd different than the 1st cd?

JM: Matt is more involved now. He plays keyboards and dj's so there is alot more keyboards and synths. The songs are more epic, with a more electronic/industrial feel.

JB: What's your goals with the new cd?

JM: To get people who aren't into our style of music listening. Break down more walls and get people into more metal.

JB: Will there be a new cd in the works once this one is done?

JM: We have 40 plus songs wrote and 1/2 are completed. We will have another one for sure.

JB: Any advice for any students looking to release a cd someday?

JM: Have as few people involved as possible. Get yourself involved in the recording process. Don't limit yourself to just one style of music. And also get your self involved in as much of everything else involved with your music as you can. Strive to be as independent as you can.

Here is a link to their website http://www.shadowkillclan.com/

Here is a link to their new song...it is killer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ft0DXBZcxU

The "Ah-Ha" Moment

2011-09-30T10:31:00.000-04:00

I wanted to get this little post written before I forgot about it. This is the "ah-ha" moment. I was talking on Thursday to my 430 student Alex Cooke about it when his lesson ended and my next student, Steve Champlin, over heard and actually named this piece for me. The "ah-ha" moment is when something you have been working on and trying to figure out finally comes to you and you get it. You finally understand it and go "Ah-Ha", I got it!. Lots of things we will go over in lessons you wont fully understand until way after we have parted ways. The same thing happened to me. In all of my musical education I had when I was younger I had lots of things I did not get until way way after my schooling was done. One of the big things I never got was modes. I just could not grasp what they did or how to use them , how they worked or any of it when I was getting taught them. I was driving in my car one day many years after having been taught them, not even thinking about them or even music when it finally dawned on me what they did and how to get to them easy. The whole time in between my "ah-ha" moment and the time I was taught them I still did work with them. Still did all my "homework" over and over to try and understand them. It was the countless work I did with them that finally paid off so that I could understand them in an "ah-ha" moment. I had Alex Cooke finally have an "ah-ha" moment in lessons Thursday. We have been working on various licks, changing their keys and "milking" them over and over. We have been doing this for around 4-5 months now. He finally got it in that last lesson. Everyone of you students are going to have these "ah-ha" moments for the entire life of your musical endeavour. You got to keep pushing with "the drive" to keep wanting to get something and understand it. It might take a month or two or even years for you to finally get it. You keep on truckin until you do though. Keep working until that "Ah_Ha" moment occurs.

The Importance Of: " The Drive"

2011-09-28T21:54:00.000-04:00

This edition of the "Importance Of" is on "the drive." What is "the drive" you ask? It is that inner feeling of pushing yourself to get better. The feeling of wanting more for yourself as a musician. Every player is going to come across this. It's almost like an addiction. You wake up every day and all you can think about is playing. This is a great thing. Its a healthy release. Every day you will wake up and want to do better and you go for it. I see it in alot of my students and in alot of musicians I encounter. One of which is former columnist Michael "Dork" Dinkins. When you get to practice with him you see it. He gets up early on a Sunday, ready to jam, ready to create something new and ready to improve on something that he has been playing for a while. This drive has made him a hell of a musician. i have watched him over the years go from an ok drummer to a musician with the abilities to hang with the big boys. He could very easily be a professional musician. Another person with the kind of drive is Rob Boggs from Quest Sound and Productions. He has a love for music and mixing like no other. I have watched Rob over the years go from an ok mixer and a weekend warrior soundman to a full blown sound company that mixes for tons of national bands that come to Augusta and around the south east. He is always working to improve his mixes and make a band sound like heaven from a speaker. He does this sometimes with no sleep and nothing but "The Drive" to kick some ass and make a show spectacular. I have watched my students do the same. One example as of late is Blake Sloan. He came with not a song he could play. Through his hard work he is tackling Randy Rhoades solos and improving every time I see him. "The Drive" is something every person must harness and use to make them the best they can be as a player or in any musical endeavor they choose to take on. There might not be a single thing more important than "The Drive" you have. It will make you learn songs, scales, do finger exercises and anything else it takes to be a champion player. The best get to be the best because they put in the time and effort. I have given you a few examples of people with the drive. Its your turn to get it and roll with it.

Student Spotlight: Grace Dickens

2011-09-19T17:54:00.000-04:00

This edition of "Student Spotlight" is on 14 year old West Side High School student Grace Dickens. Grace is a mild mannered shy girl who is really kicking some butt as of late. She comes from a very musical family.Her Grandma plays banjo, her aunt plays guitar, hers sisters play piano, her uncle plays guitar and thats just to name a few! I asked Miss Grace why she chose to play guitar. She told me she just wanted to learn an instrument and the guitar was it. Her favorite bands right now are Black Veil Brides and My Chemical Romance. I would say that Grace is the biggest My Chemical Romance fan I have ever seen. Grace's dream guitar is a vintage Fender Stratocaster. She just happened to get her dream guitar too! Her aunt (who must be amazingly awesome) gave her a 1973 Fender Strat! If Grace could play a gig anywhere in the world it would be anywhere in California. Why? Because California is just awesome! Right now Grace enjoys learning new songs and jammin with her best friend and jam buddy Sydney. They jam on My Chemical Romance songs together. If she could play in any band in history it would be .....you guessed it.....My Chemical Romance!!!! My Chemical Romance is also the home of her favorite guitar player, Ray Toro. She loves the way he plays and says "He is just a beast!" In 5 years she hopes to be playing in bands, jammin around and playing a gig or two. In the long term she hopes to be a professional musician. She plays guitar everyday, around 1 to 2 hours everyday. The thing Grace said she has most got out of lessons is how to play the guitar in general. The advice Miss Gracie has for any new players or new students..."Practice everyday, try hard and have fun. And have fun because it is fun." The most embarrassing thing on her Ipod? It's the First Piano Adventures Cd! Grace Dickens is a smart girl with a ton of raw talent. She works hard and is on her way to being a good player. She is makin me proud. Here is to you Grace.....Keep Rockin......Keep Playin'.......and Keep Having Fun!!!!!

The Art of Ear Training: Part 2 Hum In Uh Hum In Uh Hum In Uh

2011-09-12T22:40:00.001-04:00

This is part 2 of the ear training series. In part one we discussed putting on the radio and trying to learn a song in the time it plays on the radio. Hope you all read it and had a good time with it. In part two we are going to go over humming a note to pitch and humming the notes of a chord.

Tune your guitar/bass up to standard pitch. What you want to do is play a note and hum that note to pitch. A good note to start on is your 5th (A) string's C note. It is on the third fret. Play the note and hum it to pitch. Once you have hummed it to pitch, sing the note, saying the name of the note as your singing word. Example: You are on the C note, sing the letter C to pitch. You can tell your in tune by listening for the "waves" to go away. You can also use any tuner that has a built in mic to help you too. After you have it right, just start working your way up the string, humming then singing every note. Do it on every string from the low E to the high E that you can. This will get you use to the way a note sounds. Doing this enough will help you be able to identify notes when you are listening to a song in your car or anywhere else you listen to music. It will "pump up" your ear. It will exercise the snot out of it!

The second thing you can do is play any chord, start with the lowest note , hum it. Go to the 2nd note , hum it. Play and hum every single note in the chord. This will get you use to the notes of a chord and how they sound. Do this one enough and you will be able to identify chords in songs like you will the notes from the previous exercise. Play major, minor, dominant 7, diminished or whatever kind of chord you want to do or that you play. This also will "pump up" your ear.

This is it for "The Art of Ear Training Part 2: Hum In Uh Hum In Uh Hum In Uh. work this one for a while and see you soon for part 3!!

Learn From: Guns and Roses

2011-09-08T21:43:00.000-04:00

This edition of "Learn From" is on the bad boys from L.A., Guns and Roses. Guns and Roses formed in 1985. They rose to prominence around 1987-88 with the Appetite for Destruction album. This album in my opinion is their best. It and the next one "Lies" were the only two with original members. Use Your Illusion 1 and 2 followed, then Spaghetti Incident and what ever else after that. Appetite broke ground and was an amazing album for songwriting, musicianship, aura and everything else that is important to making a world wide smash and all time historic album. Guitarist of the time Slash and Izzy Stradlin wove beautiful and nasty rhythm's together. They were so in touch with each others playing it is mesmerizing at times. The guitar lines they constructed are some of the best of all time. The lead lines they shared together were like one unit playing. Slash's leads on the album will go down in history as some of the best, most melodic in guitar playing history. Songs like Sweet Child o Mine have instantly recognizable guitar lines. Steven Adler's drumming had a groove like no other and he used a cowbell awesomely! Duff McKagen made memorable bass lines jumped in and out of the pocket and had a snarly bass tone like no other. Every song on the album is a classic and utterly amazing. The second album Lies Lies Lies, was a great acoustic album. Showed them stripped down and sounding like a very different band. It also had cuts oif songs they wrote and played while they were coming up. get both of these albums. They are a must have for any up and coming musician to have, learn and listen to. The next two albums , Use Your illusion 1 and 2 had some good songs but in my opinion had alot of fluff and crap too. You could take and make a mix cd of the Good songs. Slash's solo and tone in November Rain make that song. Estranged, Cival War, You could be Mine and Dont Cry are the best songs of the 2 cds. The band members were on the down slide after this and you can listen for yourself on the new Axl Roses cd that came out 2 years ago. The first 2 albums of G nR are two of the greatest of all time. Get them, listen to them, live them and learn them. It will make you better.

here is sweet child o mine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oobDQ0vdm8M

here is patience http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMmX9G8JP38

here is estranged http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpmAY059TTY&ob=av2e

Diatonic Major Scale: Three Note Per String Patterns

2011-09-03T15:09:00.000-04:00

By now you probably have down doing the major scales on one string. You are more than likely bored with it and are ready for the next step. The next step is the scale patterns themselves. I like to teach the three note per string patterns. There are also the generic patterns. We will save them for another day. With the three note per string patterns we end up with 7 patterns. One pattern for every note of the scale. What you want to do with these patterns is attack each one without worrying about the root. Just start on the lowest note of the tab and go up the pattern to the highest note and then back down to the lowest note. This will get you familiar with the patterns. Do it for each pattern. We will do more with them once you get these down. Holla and have a great Holiday weekend! Click on the picture of the sheet to enlarge it.

What's This??? A Grandpa Guitar?

2011-08-21T22:41:00.000-04:00

This one is just a little thing for the guys and gals who have never ever picked up or let alone played an acoustic guitar, also known as a "Grandpa Guitar." Sometimes people over look the power of playing an acoustic and think it's wimpy. If you pick up an acoustic and just have yourself and the guitar, you can sound balls to the wall powerful, sad, happy, mean and every emotion known to man without an amp or any effect pedals. Playing an acoustic makes you use your hands to make feelings. Having just the pure sound of wood really makes you make a note count. Your left hand vibrato can sing and scream. Your right hand and make it delicate or make it scream. Even some of the best known electric players had some great acoustic moments. Even the the makers of metal had some beautiful acoustic moments. Black Sabbath's Toni Iommi had songs like "Laguna Sunrise" and nothing is like the acoustic end to "Symptom of the Universe." Guys like Bob Dylan make a career of acoustic songs. Some great delta blues can be played with nothing more than a slide and an acoustic guitar. Check out some of the great blues tunes by the great Robert Johnson. Playing an acoustic can toughen up the ole finger tips too. Playing those thicker strings will make man calluses appear (after some blisters) on the tips of your fingers. Tons of great old time country songs are on acoustic too. Name any Willie Nelson tune. Listen to it. You will hear Willie *cough cough* smokin up that acoustic. You can hear an acoustic sound heavy too. Proof of that is Alice In Chains. Listen to their unplugged album and tell me it doesn't sound heavy. With all these examples of how awesome an acoustic guitar is go get one and get to playing it!!!!

Here is Laguna Sunrise by Black Sabbath http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psm13jUwULo

Here is some Robert Johnson Hell Hound on My Trail http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UVgH9JqSnQ

And Alice In Chains Sludge Factory http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxxtesggCuY

Major Diatonic Scales:Part 1 Whole Whole Wholey McWholerton

2011-08-19T10:21:00.000-04:00

One thing we have yet to touch on here in the blog is the major diatonic scales. There are two ways I teach them to the students. One is the generic patterns and one is the three note per string patterns. All of our examples will be the three note per string kind. Major Diatonic scales are 7 note scales. With our 3 note per string patterns that will leave us 7 patterns/positions to learn. The make up of a major diatoninc scale is whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half steps. Here is an example of this in C major:

C
>whole step
D
>whole step
E
>half step
F
>whole step
G
>whole step
A
>whole step
B
>half step
C

You can use this formula for any key. Just change your root. What you want to start out doing is find a C note on your guitar/bass/any stringed instrument, go up that string going whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. You are playing the scale on one string. You repeat this process for everywhere you have your root. Once you play the scale in said key everywhere you can, switch keys. This is going to get you use to hearing how a major scale sounds and get you use to moving around the neck and knowing where all your roots are. Once you get this down we will move on to part 2 next time.

Spotlight Licks:Michael Baideme

2011-08-14T22:37:00.001-04:00

This edition of "Spotlight Licks" is from Rock Bottom Music salesman and guitar player for Sibling String Michael Baideme. It is a lick based in A minor pentatonic. It goes through 3 positions of the scale. It has some whole, half and 1/4 step bends in it. Make sure you execute them well. When I tabbed out his lick I broke it into 5 sections to make it easier to learn. Work on one section at a time then start doing them one after another. Have fun with it and when you got it come down to Rock Bottom Music and play it for him!!!! Click on tab pic to make it bigger.

here is the video to hear it and play along to : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aXz_CPRodY

Getting Your First Amp

2011-08-07T19:16:00.000-04:00

Picking an amp is really hard to do when you first start playing. There is so many choices out there and alot of them cost a good bit of money. I am going to tell you about two that I recommend for the new player that are decent and cost effective. In your early years of playing your ear is most likely not developed enough to be able to tell one amp from another or even be able to tell a sound you like. When I have a new student interested in an amp I steer them to one of the Line 6 Spiders or the new Fender Mustang amps. Why? Because those amps have decent sounds from the touch of a button. While they are not as killer as a tube Marshall Plexi or a Fender Twin, they are easy to get a sound out of and they are cheap to buy. When you are first starting to play you cant tell the difference between a $2,000 amp and a $100 one. The Line 6 and the Fender Mustang have good clean tones, sounds with a little crunch all the way to blistering distortion. They also have a ton of effects built right in. Delays, chorus, flanger, reverb, tremalo and tons of others. Pedals are another thing you need to know what you like before you start spending tons of money on pedals you don't want. That is another big plus of the two amps I am talking about. They get you use to the different effects and what they do and you can practice on how to use them. It will do you good starting out on either of these two amps. Once you develop an ear for what you want, after a year or two, you go out and try out your tube Marshall, Fender, Peavey, VHT, Rivera, Soldano or any of the other great companies out there making amps right now. We will get into those kinds of amps later on. I have a ton of great tube amps at home and love them. The Fender Mustang and Line 6 Spiders sell for around $100. Get out and check one out.

Product Review: Boss PS-6 Harmonist

2011-07-31T13:22:00.000-04:00

This product review is from a company I have believed in for many years....Boss. I have found over the years Boss makes some of the best sounding and reliable pedals. Up until T.C. Electronics started making kick butt pedals, the majority of the pedals I used were Boss. One pedal I have sworn by that is not Boss or a T.C. pedal is the Digitech Whammy pedal. The Whammy revolutionized the way pedals sounded. The pitch shifting capabilities and the note harmonization was never done as good or as amazing as the Whammy did. The only problem with the Whammy Pedal???? It cost a ton of money. Many a company has come along since the Whammy and tried to make pitch shifting and harmonizing pedals. To me they all sound like crap and were horrid reproductions of the great Whammy. Since the Whammy came around 15 or so years ago technology has advanced a ton. Now companies are making some better Whammy-esque pedals. The Boss PS-6 Harmonist is one of the new crop of pedals that does a great job of it. It does so at a fraction of the price and it also does so in a pedal that is the normal size of a pedal. Anyone that knows what a Whammy pedal is also knows how big it is. We are going to get into the Boss Harmonist right now.

The Specs-
1) it is the size of any normal Boss single pedal
2) the current draw is 45 mA, dc 9 volt (can be powered by an adaptor)
3) Blue colored pedal
4)has two 1/4 inch out for stereo outputs
5)has one 1/4 inch input
6)has one 1/4 inch input for an expression pedal (make it work like a whammy)
7) four control knobs
from left to right
knob 1- controls balance. lets you control the direct signal versus the effect sound. when you have the pedal in "s-bend" mode this knob controls the amount of time it is to take to transition to the set pitch
knob 2- when in the harmony mode of the pedal it sets the pitch of the harmonies. when in pitch shift/detune/s-bend it sets the amount of pitch shifting.
knob 3- key knob/fall time it sets the key to play in when using harmonies. when in s-bend mode it adjusts the amount of time it takes for the pitch to transition from the set pitch back to the original pitch (the fall time)
knob 4- mode knob used to switch among the harmony (major and minor), pitch shifter, detune and s-bend modes.
8)the light to tell you the pedal is on.
9) the pedal is turned on with a hit of the foot just like most normal Boss pedals

Now we are get into how a little of each setting sounds. I will break it down by function- Harmony,Pitch Shifter, Detune and the S-Bend effect. I am going to use the setting samples from the owners manual.

First up-Harmony Function.
I had the balance knob straight down the middle, I went through all the 2 part functions on the voice knob (3 part harmonies have an orange around them and are located with the knob all the way to the left, then again all the way to the right) had the key bounce between Eb and I bounced the mode knob between major and minor. The harmony knob takes you through (from left to right) an octave lower, next turn is a major 3rd an octave lower,turn again then a major 6th an octave lower, turn again then a major 3rd, next turn a perfect 5th, next turn a major 6th, last turn before 3 part mode is an octave up. These were all with the mode switch on major by the way. One thing I notice is how clean the pedal sounds. It most companies attempts on a harmony pedal the faster you play the more "soggy" the notes sound. In every harmony switch no matter how fast I played I could always understand the notes. I am more partial to the 5th and octave up harmonies. There is a great reproduction of the notes being harmonized and the original notes stands clear and clean as well. Keep note that the harmony goes with the key. So if you move through the notes of the scale with a say, 5th harmony it will be harmonizing through the scale and wont stay a perfect 5th away from all notes. As you hit the 7th degree of the scale it will naturally be a flat 5th because thats what happens in the scale. This function is cool, you just need to be aware of that.

Next is the Pitch Shifter Function.
I love the pitch shifter mode!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!This is where you can get your harmonies without worrying about the key. This function is awesome. The notes are clean. Has all the same characteristics of the harmony mode but without having to worry about what key you are in. Home run on this. Love it.You don't have to worry about if its major or minor key. You just go for it and rip it. This pedal would be worth it if it did only this.

Next is the Detune Function.
On the detune function stick the balance on 12 o clock, on the shift/harmony knob you can use the orange spots that are for 3 part harmonies to get different levels of detune. Detune is alot like a chorus effect. I love detune. I like it alot more than chorus. On this pedal the detune sounds rich and full. I love it. Sounds great. Another great feature on this pedal.

Next and last is the S-Bend Function.
On this your pedal works like a wah or a whammy. The effect is only engaged when your foot is on the pedal and is controlled by how much or how little you press down. This function has to many possibilities so I am just gonna tell you about some of the sounds I got. In one knob settings I was able to produce that guitar intro part to Black Sabbath's Iron Man. You know the part where you bend your string behind the nut the raise the pitch on the intro of the song. Another switch of the knobs and I hit a natural harmonic and hit the pedal and it makes the sounds of the space ship doors opening on the original Star Trek show. This function and make it sound like you are bending your string a whole step or a 100 steps! LOL! Your guitar can sound like a space ship or anything your imagination can think of. This function is far out.

The Boss PS-6 Harmonist is a great pedal. Better than most the pedals of its kind out there. You can also get an expression pedal (sold separately) that can make it like a Whammy pedal. I loved this pedal. At only $159.99 at Rock Bottom Music it is a far cry from the price of a Whammy pedal but with most all of the awesomeness of a Whammy. If you are looking for something different with endless possibilities then this is your pedal. Get on down to Rock Bottom and check it out. Imagine hooking up a violin or some other instrument than guitar to this. It will blow your mind. Awesome pedal, great price and Boss quality!

here is the boss demo of it on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu1k2CFcojU

The Art of Ear Training: Part 1....The Shizzle...The Nizzle..... Fo' Shizzle My Nizzle...

2011-07-21T22:47:00.000-04:00

This is going to be a series on something very important to a musician, your ear. Having a good ear is at the top of the mountain of things you need to be a good player. Being able to put what's in your head out into your instrument, pick up on a jam without knowing the key, being able to learn songs quickly, being able to know what chord you want to use and how to figure out what you want to solo with are all very well dependant on your ear. We are going to look at a bunch of ways to exercise your ear and get it into shape!

The first thing we are going to exercise your ear with is what I call "shuffle zone." We are going to use being a guitar player as the instrument of choice on this. You can use any one you like though. As a guitar player tune up to standard pitch, plug in and get near a radio. Put the radio dial on shuffle. Whatever station it lands on crank up the music. What you want to try and do is play along with the song and try and figure it out. There is no rewind or start over. You only have the time the song is playing to work with. What you want to do is try and figure out the chords by just doing single notes on your guitar. Once you get an idea of where your at and where to go, start trying to incorporate the major, minor or whatever chords are actually being played. Don't worry about soloing yet. Just try your best to learn the song that's going on at the time. It does not matter what style of music the radio lands on when you shuffle. It can be the crappiest bubble gum pop or a type of music you hate. Your goal is just to be able to get your ear to figure out the song. Once the song ends just start on the next song that comes on. If a commercial jingle comes on just try and play with it too. After a while hit shuffle again and start the whole process over again on whatever station it lands on. You also don't have to use a radio. Pandora, Sirius XM of put random music on from YouTube will work just as well. The point is to get something you are not familiar with and work your ear trying to learn it. It might take a bunch of times doing this to be able to pick up songs quickly but after a while you will be playing along with songs you never heard before! You will also find out most songs sound the same! The same order of structure and beats and a ton of other things! I have used this technique many many times. It has benefited my ear and taught me a ton of songs and also turned me on to a bunch of new music that I would never have found otherwise. So listen playa..... Go get your gitfizzle and git to strumming and pazickin with the "shuffle zone!" Fo' Shizzle my nizzle!

sidenote: and for anyone who has never seen the movie goonies, the picture is of the "truffle shuffle" that the character "chunk" does in that movie....i needed some kind of picture for shuffle and that is the funniest thing i could find!

Learn From: The Beatles

2011-07-19T11:39:00.000-04:00

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

The Importance Of: Youtube

2011-07-09T23:26:00.000-04:00

In this edition of "The Importance Of" we are going to focus on the "new wave" of technology that has come into prominence....Youtube. Youtube is a site where you can see funny videos, movie trailers, music videos, most importantly people playing music and tons and tons of other things. Back in the long long ago, circa the 90's, if you wanted to learn some new licks, a new song, some new technique you had to seek out other musicians and pick their brain. While I still recommend doing this, Youtube has made it as easy as you can get. If you want any song to listen to and learn you type it in and it pops up. Along with your version is a ton of other versions of the song. If you want someone to show you how to play a song you just punch that it. You can even get musical instruction from everything on how to hold your instrument to how to make chords. This has gave any aspiring and seasoned musicians access to many ways to learn songs and about your instrument of choice. I even use it, as you already know, to post the videos used on this site. Your choices and education with the site are almost endless. As awesome and powerful as Youtube is it has its drawbacks too. While using the site to learn songs from other people, sometimes they are teaching you the wrong thing! As you develope as a musician you will be able to tell what is wrong and what is correct. Sometimes when you are learning something about your instrument it too can be wrong. Another drawback is when you put in a song to learn from an artist the pitch of the song can be altered. I have learned this the hard way by learning a song for a student on Youtube and then at lessons they brought in the original song and the pitch did not match. I have even had some people that you can tell really need instruction for an instrument say "I dont need lessons, I got youtube and the Internet for everything." While these are useful tools sometimes you still need instruction for the reasons, at a minimum, listed above for the drawbacks of Youtube. While there are some drawbacks of Youtube the benefits FAR OUTWEIGH the drawbacks. It is a way to access other musicians and get new ideas and learn a ton of new things. Go check out Youtube, most of you have for sure, and get some new ideas and songs. The best yet, Youtube is free!

here's some examples I find cool, usefull or a drawback.

learn some chords for beginners
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHNvUkeREKM

zakk wylde licks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwBox7hJNgU

something wrong, if you were to learn this way you would end up a little off
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aodql0oOviU&feature=related

Student Spotlight :Zeb Shepard

2011-07-07T17:32:00.000-04:00

Student Spotlight: Zeb Shepard

Zeb Shepard is a 15 year old student of mine who has been playing about a year of guitar. He is starting Aiken Christian School next year. He plans on going to college for aeronautical engineering. Zeb comes from a very musical family. His dad is a bass player, all his uncle’s on his dad’s side, all his cousins (one cousin even majored in guitar at UGA) and basically everyone he can think of plays! I asked Zeb what got him into playing and he said that there was just a guitar lying around and he decided to pick it up and go for it. His favorite players are Slash and Eddie Van Halen. He cites some of his favorite bands as Guns and Roses, Led Zeppelin and the Eagles. His dream guitar is a Gibson Les Paul. He just had the pleasure of getting his dream guitar not that long ago from Rock Bottom Music, a Les Paul Special!!! The amp that Zeb desires more than any is a Marshall stack! He will be killing some neighbor’s ear drums then! I asked Zeb if he could play anywhere in the world where would it be. He said “The White House. Just to get to play there and play for the president, who could say they ever did that! Not too many!” There is also a song that one day, with enough hard work, he is striving to play…..That is “Eruption” by Van Halen. He says “One day I will get there.” That’s what I love to hear a student say. Where does Zeb see himself musically in five years? “Hopefully being able to play Shenandoah!” he says with a laugh “and maybe playing in a band and doing some gigs” he says on a serious note. Zeb sites learning where all his notes on his guitar are and learning how everything connects together as the most important things he has learned from lessons so far. He is currently listening to a lot of good ole classic rock and says there aren’t too many bands that are currently out that he likes. The most embarrassing thing on his Ipod? “Shake it” by Metro Station!!! Hahahahahaha!!! Zeb is a great kid, smart and a hard worker. His is carrying on his family’s tradition of music in a good way. He is oozing with raw talent. He is going to be a monster of a guitar player. I am proud to have had a hand in molding him. Here is to you Zeb….Keep Rockin’…..Keep Playing……and Keep Having Fun!!!

here is video of zeb playing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn50A2tFZCY

Time For a Jam, Buddy!

2011-06-25T23:23:00.000-04:00

I have a number of students now who are ready, and need, to get out and jam with some people. There comes a time in every new musicians life when you just WANT to jam with someone. I bet close to 75% of all new students I get say the same thing....I am not really looking to be jammin with people, just entertain myself. While that might be your true intention when you start, the natural progression of your improvement leads you in that direction. What happens is when you first start you get that thrill of making your first notes and chords, then after a while that is not enough, so you start pushing yourself to learning a bunch of songs you like. You jam on them for a while, cranking your amp and stereo as loud as possible. Your rockin out with your favorite bands. After a while that leads to you wanting more. Your not quite ready to be doing the whole band thing or not ready to play gigs maybe. That's when a jam buddy or jam buddies come in. Someone to take that step to the next level, someone to get that next musical thrill from. Once you get some people to jam with you can share ideas, try writing songs, show each other some new licks and riffs. Sometimes finding people to jam with can be hard, even harder if your a musician who does not yet have a drivers license. No matter what you got to find someone to jam with. Places like music stores, school, music venues bands are playing at and now a days, facebook are great places to look. I think Facebook is a great way for people to find like minded musicians to jam with. On my student page I have added all my students I have found so far to the group to try and help you guys find jam buddies. You can even find people in places like craigslist that are looking for people to jam with. In the case of something like craigslist where you are maybe dealing with someone you don't know, make sure everything is on the up and up and you are with someone safe before jamming with them. Finding a jam buddy and taking your playing to the next level is great and rewarding on one hand and agitating and frustrating on the other hand. Those are things you will always encounter when it comes to jamming with people.Many a great band started out as jam buddies in school or answered an ad to find ech other. Bands like the Rolling Stones, Pantera and MetallicA are just a few examples. Take that chance, find a jam buddy and get rockin!!!!

2011-06-09T13:09:00.000-04:00

The Bizz with the Buzz: Attack of the Killer P’s…

Yeah I know it’s been a while since we last congregated on the subject of getting that first gig…but that’s cool…plenty of times music can be a waiting game…actually plenty of times I can just be slack…just remember to do as I suggest, not as I do…take this as a lesson…being slack will get you nowhere. With this is mind, it’s time (well, sorta past but screw it…) to get ready for that first gig and as a lover of fine cheese…well actually fine cheesy ala hair metal…I would like to totally cheese out and offer to you a great guideline to follow known as the “Five P’s.” So grab a drink to go with the cheese…here we go:

PREPARE: While you’ve been working hard for this first moment, there is no such thing as putting TOO MUCH work into a gig. Yeah your tunes are tight as all get out but just tossing a buncha tunes together doesn’t make for a tight set. Your set’s gotta have good flow and work well for the gig you’re playing. Now being that this is your first gig, you may not really know who you’re playing for so first off, seeing that this IS your first gig the chances are pretty good that you’re opening for at least one established band. Check that band out online or anyway you can and get an idea what type of people will be coming out to see them and why. This can help in figuring out what to play and how to play it. For example – if you’re a kicking hard rock band and you’re supporting a heavy band it’s always a good idea to come out of the gate with your most thumping, head-bangin’ stuff. Good rule of thumb is a pair or three smokin’ fast tunes back to back (to back) before stopping to give the audience a chance to figure out what just hit ‘em. If you’re only working with a short set (20-30 mins) work up and rehearse a ferocious set of kicking tunes. A little longer allows a chance for more of a rollercoaster ride and even to slip in a ballad about ¾’s of the way into the set. If you’re planning half original and half covers, flip flop them to keep the crowd interested. Most importantly, if the crowd is sparse or doesn’t seem interested early on…be prepared to keep firing as hard as you can. You’re there to hold up your end of the gig and if all you do is impress the venue or the other band or even one or two patrons, it will go a long way as you progress as a band. A legendary singer once said “It doesn’t matter if 100 or 100,000 people pay to get in, each and every single person paid full price to get in and deserve full return on their money.” As a new band you build a following one person at a time…besides…impress one and they will talk you up to their friends which can turn into a few more at your next gig.

PROMOTE: While you may get lucky enough to open for a local band that pulls in fans in droves, the last thing you wanna do is be complacent and just rely on the other band’s drawing power. Sure your promotion may only add a couple of more faces but once again, showing effort goes a long way. Besides, sometimes people miss the memo when their fave band is playing and you may just happen to alert one of them to the fact that their fave local band is playing. It also doesn’t hurt to show other bands and the venue that you’re willing to work hard to get peeps out. Even 2-4 friends can mean extra revenue for the venue which at the end of the day, is what it’s all about for the venue not to mention it never hurts to have a few people in your corner right off the bat. Interest is contaguous, your friends cheering you on may help the first timers get more interested in what you have to play.

PUNCTUALITY: You’re not Axl Rose…if load-in time is at 7pm…be there at 6:50 and not with a “our drummer will be here at 7:30” explanation why your band and equipment are not all there. Why create tension the first time out? The soundman will appreciate it and that could turn into better sound for your set. I’m not saying to kiss butt…just to do your part. The show is a team effort from venue to bands to sound guy to even door person and you’re just a part of the machine for the night. Piss off the sound guy and no matter how hard you rock…you may not be invited back. No one digs a primadonna…especially one playing their first gig. Once you’re all set up…you can chill. Just make sure the entire band is in the vicinity of the stage at least thirty minutes before you’re scheduled to go on. Things can change in a heartbeat. I was once about to put out merch at 9pm while waiting for a 9:30 time slot when I was told “you guys go on in five minutes. At that point there’s no time to haggle, question, argue, and especially hunt down members of your band. You just have to suck it up, get onstage, check your tuning, and roar into your first tune.

PLAY: The time has finally arrived to show what you can do. Yeah there may be some nerves but you have to shake that off and push forward. If you just happen to blow a note, screw it and move on. Dwelling on a mistake can shake confidence and lead to way more mistakes. No one is perfect. Rock your hardest to the best of your ability. It’s your first show and honestly, no one expects you to be all that great so by playing a good, solid, energized set you’ve already exceeded expectations. That’s a win and anything above that is super sweet frosting.

PACK: You’ve worked hard and come a long way since that first music lesson or music book. You’ve just played a solid set…but the job ain’t over just yet. Sure you’re tired and sweaty but now is when you have to step past that and GET THE F**K OFF THE STAGE!!!! Forget about packing every little nut, bolt, etc. Get your gear off the stage so things can stay on schedule. You can tear stuff apart once your gear is offstage and you’ll have plenty of time to relax and bask in the glow of your first show once you’re clear and out of the way. The last thing you wanna do is wear out the welcome you’ve so graciously been given. Everyone will appreciate the extra effort and it will show just how serious you are about wanting to be a serious band.

Congratulations…you’ve just played your first show and can now look forward to many more. What do you do next? I can sum that up in one more word…just not a “P” word.

REPEAT.

Your Brother-in-Arms,

Stoney

check Stoney out at http://www.lokalloudness.com

and be sure to tune into his lokal radio show at http://www.confederationofloudness.com

Practice Makes Perfect

2011-06-08T13:47:00.000-04:00

We have talked about making a practice schedule a long time ago on this blog. It was called "The Importance of a Practice Schedule." I am talking about practice now because I have seen students progress at a rapid pace when they practice regularly and not progress at all when they dont. I understand some people come to lessons for fun and /or just dont have alot of time to practice. The fact is though that when you first start, that first year in particular, you need to stay consistent with your practice. Your hands and fingers were not meant to do the things you have to do to play guitar. You have to train them. Give them stregth and get the muscle memory going. In all the student spotlights and all the rock star and professional musician interviews I have did they all have one thing that gets said in all of them.......that is to practice, practice, practice. I would recommend around a half hour a day if you are wanting to be a serious player. Thats just for starters. In my opinion though that 1/2 hr a day can work really well for you. There are many years I played 4-12 hours a day. For many, many years (all you students have heard me tell this story) I did 2 hours a day of just exercises, everyday, every week, no matter what. It did me well. Once you get into the routine of practicing everyday it will become easier and just another part of your day, like eating and sleeping. Get yourself on a practice schedule and get to playing that instrument!!!

Learn From: The Rolling Stones

2011-06-03T13:19:00.000-04:00

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

Dear Rockstar: Brad Davis

2011-05-25T22:47:00.000-04:00

This edition of "Dear Rockstar" is with multi instrumentalist/guitar player extraordinaire, Brad Davis. Brad has played with a ton of legendary artist such as,Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow,David Lee Roth, Pam Tillis,Marty Stuart and Johnny Cash to name just a short list. He is a grammy award winner. He is endorsed and endorses Takamine, Gretch and GenzBenz to name a short list as well. He has played the world, played on movie soundtracks, produces other top artists and does the occasional guitar clinic like the one he just did at Rock Bottom Music this week. To be honest I had never even heard of him until it was announced he was coming to Rock Bottom. I have heard of him now and a converted fan now. I got to pick his brain for a while before the clinic and he was a total professional and down to earth. Here is what we talked about.

John Berret: Brad, why did you want to even start playing guitar?

Brad Davis: I saw alot of people like John Denver, Eddie Van Halen and Earl Scruggs playing and I wanted to do what they were doing. It looked like a lot of fun.

JB: What players inspired you to play?

BD: Classical guitar/music was what I was into at first then it went to the Eagles then bluegrass. Players like Tony Rice and Doc Watson engulfed me for a while. Those guys were like lighter fluid that lit the fire for me. Playing bluegrass when I started out was awesome because just having an acoustic guitar and not needing any other equipment but the guitar made it easy for me to want to play at first.

JB: What is your dream guitar?

BD: I have it. It is a Takamine copy of my 1937 Martin. I have used this guitar when working with guys like Pearl Jam and the Black Keys. When recording with it it sounds so good all you need is two microphones, you don't even need the pick up.

JB: Of all the places you have played, what is your favorite place to play?

BD: I love playing coffee houses. I like them because they sound less "surgical". The crowd is really there because they want to hear you.

JB: What other instruments do you play?

BD: I also play mandolin, upright bass, electric bass, electric guitar and banjo.

JB: What advice do you have for new players?

BD: Work tons on your right hand. When you do that, practice with your left hand muted.

Brad Davis was more than gracious and a great interview. I was feeling sick and had a head ache when interviewing him and made me forget all about it. He is as enthused about guitar as someone first starting out is. He put on one of the best clinics I have ever attended. It was entertaining and very educational. I will be doing a re cap of the highlights on a separate blog post with videos and such. If you ever get a chance to see him play or do a clinic, do yourself a favor and do it. It will improve you as a musician. Go out and get some of his cd's or download his songs off of I Tunes. Here is a link to his website. http://www.braddavisontour.com/braddavismusic/HOME.html

here is a link to his itunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/brad-davis/id14938278

Student Spotlight: Brian Yonn Jr.

2011-05-17T08:47:00.000-04:00

This edition of "Student Spotlight" is on a 13 year old guitar student of mine named Brian Yonn Jr. Brian is in 7th grade over at North Augusta Middle school.He has wanted to play guitar since he was old enough to know what a guitar was. Some of his favorite bands are System of a Down,Van Halen, Pantera (yeah!!) and MetallicA. His dream guitar is a Charvel SoCal......and he owns it!!!!!! He got it from years of saving up for a guitar. We had one down at Rock Bottom and he got it!!! I asked Brian where he see's himself musically in the next five years. He said that he sees himself being in a band and getting closer to being a professional musician. When he gets his band he would love to be the opening band and be on tour with System of a Down. Why System of a Down? They have an awesome show and they rock!! Brian has been the lead guitar player for Day Spring Church since February of 2011. You can catch him every Sunday there between 11 and 12. The church is located next to Augusta Harley Davidson off of I 520 and everyone is welcome to come check it out. Brian has a dream amp too. That amp is the balls to the wall Marshall Stack! If Brian could be a fill in guitar player for any band in the world it would be Metallica. That would be one of my top choices too Brian!! Brian comes from a very musical family. On both sides he has cousins, uncles and plenty of others that plays bass, piano, guitar and a number of other instruments. The thing Brian has gotten the most out of lessons with me?Learning where all his notes are and learning all the different chord voicings( how to make a chord in many different ways). The chord voicing has helped him in playing lead guitar for his church. Some advice Brian has for someone just starting some lessons with me? Practice a lot and relax be normal and not nervous. The most embarrassing thing on his Ipod? Britney Spears and Hannah Montana!!!!! Brian Yonn Jr. has been taking lessons from me since October of 2010. He has since elevated his self to one of my top students. I have watched him grow at a very rapid pace. He is well on his way to becoming a professional musician. I am a very lucky teacher to have got a student with such raw talent to have a hand in molding him and helping him grow as a musician. Brian is a hardworking , smart and all around good kid. He hopes to go to a college that has a good science department......as long as it's not Clemson!!!! LOL!!! Here is to you Brian....Keep Rockin......Keep Playin'.....and Keep Having Fun!!!

Here is some video of Brian playing with his church http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UOLFQQErC4

Product Review: Pearl Throne Thumper

2011-05-13T12:32:00.000-04:00

This product review is on a drummer's product, the Pearl Throne Thumper. While I am just a novice drummer, I see how cool and use full this product is. What the Throne Thumper is is a device that attaches to your drum stool/ throne. When you hit your kick/bass drum it vibrates your seat. I like it's concept from two points of view. One is from a sound man's point of view. Alot of times a drummer will ask for the kick drum to be blasted through his monitor so he can feel it. While I understand a drummer wanting this is causes two problems. 1- It takes up all the sound spectrum in your monitor, not allowing things you could really need like lead vocals, guitar or keyboards to come through as clean and good as you need them. 2- It causes the amps to clip when you have to run it as loud as most drummers will need. With the Throne Thumper the vibrations give you the feeling of hearing it and gives you the thump you wanna feel when hitting the kick drum.

Let's get down to how this thing works. It is powered by it's own 200 watt amp. You hook up speaker wires very easily to the amp, much like home speakers, and run the other end of the wires to the thumper which hooks up just as easy. The Thumper itself easily just hooks up to your throne, right under the seat with a fast clamp attachment system. Here is where you will have a couple questions...How do I hook it up to the drums? With electric drums you just run your 1/4 inch cable out of your drums into the Throne Thumper amp, then run a cable to either your electric drums amp or to the p.a. you are running to. For acoustic drums you have two options. One is run a splitter cable off of your kick drum mic (you have to have one), run one line to the p.a. and one line to your Throne Thumper amp. The other option is just run off the out of the mixer board into the throne thumper amp. There might be other ways to do it at a gig or practice but these are the best ways I can think of. If you are just jammin at home or practice just stick a kick drum mic on your bass drum and run the line straight to your Throne Thumper amp. On the Throne Thumper amp you have a level adjustment for volume and low pass. You just adjust those to get how much you want to feel it.

The amp and the Throne Thumper itself are not that heavy or bulky and is easily carried around. It is very easy to hook up, so easy a drummer can do it !!!! LOL!!! We just got them in down at Rock Bottom Music and the price is $299. We have one hooked up on the stage and you are more than welcome to come give it a try. Once you get on it you might not want to get off. Not only is it very functional and serves it's purpose well, it just plain feels cool. Anyone that has tried it so far has not wanted to stop playing. The Throne Thumper is made in conjunction with Buttkicker. They are the ones who make the things that vibrate your seat in your home theatre. So get your butt on down and try the Buttkicker Pearl Throne Thumper!!!

check out the video of randy carver jr demonstrating it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fk1p1lY2zg&feature=channel_video_title

The Importance Of: Finding New Music

2011-05-10T21:33:00.000-04:00

This edition of "The Importance Of" is dealing with how important it is to discover new music. New music does not necessarily mean find the newest, latest band out there. It means finding something that is new to you. It can be something that was released before your parents or grandparents were even born or something you just found on youtube or Pandora. I am someone, that for many years between ages 15-20 years old almost always listened to an hour or two of Pantera everyday. That is not a bad thing, Pantera is awesome! If I would have kept only on Pantera though, I would not have grown as a musician. Listening to and learning songs from something that is new to you can teach you some new tricks. It can inspire you to write songs different. If you only listen to say, country music, it would benefit you to try and listen to some rock. If you only listen to rap , it would benefit you to listen to some prog rock. I have the pleasure of students constantly bringing me lots of new to me music that I would have never thought to listen to. I have a bass student that turned me on to Lakeside. Lakeside has opened up my eyes. It has improved my bass playing. Here is a great Lakeside song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTAqTt2Jjrk

I have also had the pleasure of being turned onto Paramore. This is the song that got me hooked on them http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J7J_IWUhls

The only exception is a great song. Discovering new music can get you out of a rut and open your eyes. I love seeing a student discover Bob Dylan or Black Sabbath for the first time. I can see, from the look in their eyes, the look of excitement and joy of hearing masters at work. Go out and discover the "Importance of Finding New Music!"

Double Your Pleasure: Learn Another Instrument

2011-05-04T20:44:00.000-04:00

This little tid bit is going to be called "Double Your Pleasure" because i believe once you get comfortable with playing your instrument you should start learning a second one. It will benefit you in way too many ways. If you play guitar, learn how to play bass. Really learn how to play it. Just don't play guitar on your bass. When you actually start learning bass it will improve your guitar playing. If you are a bass player learn some drums. As a bass player you get locked into the drums anyway so you might as well learn some drum patterns to help you learn how to lock into it better. Every school that you go to for music has you learn another instrument. It makes you more "well rounded." Learning a second instrument is not something I recommend if you are a beginner. It's hard enough learning in the beginning with one, let alone two things. All the theory you learn on your primary instrument applies to every other instrument you learn. I have a ton of students who have been with me a year or more who now play multiple things. Student spotlight Alex Cooke plays guitar, bass, ukulele, harmonica and sings! It is actually easier to learn your secondinstrument than it is your first. Why? Because you already have an idea of what it takes and everything you have to do. Singing counts as another instrument too. It is harder than you think and takes the same time to get good at as anything you can use your hands to play. Lots of Augusta's local musicians are multi instrumental. Take Micheal "Dork" Dinkins who writes for this blog and plays in Artemia and L.I.E., he is a drummer, singer and keyboard player. Eric Rinker, who also writes here, plays guitar, bass and drums and is good at all of them. So is Dork! Expand your musical horizons and "Double Your Pleasure" and learn another instrument!!

Spotlight Licks: Ken Gabriel

2011-04-24T23:11:00.000-04:00

This "Spotlight Lick" is brought to you from Rock Bottom Music's Aiken South Carolina locations manager, Ken Gabriel. Ken is an accomplished player and plays currently with the band Palmatto Groove and is a former guitar player for James Brown. Palmetto Groove has a release coming out in the next month or so on KHP records. His lick is a chickin pickin lick based in D. Make your d major shape but leave the high E string open. You want to use your pick for the bass notes and pluck the higher string with your middle and ring fingers. As you move to the different bass notes make sure you keep the original D major shape going on. The tuning on the video is set at A=430. So make sure to change your tuner setting or just catch the first open d note and tune by ear. This is a complex lick so start slow and build up speed. If the hybrid picking proves too much at first just use your fingers only, thenbuild up to the pick/finger hybrid. Check out the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ4fQuHG8i0&feature=channel_video_title

check out more of Ken and his music at http://www.reverbnation.com/kengabriel as usual click on tab and it will get bigger

Learn From : Rush

2011-04-22T10:05:00.000-04:00

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

Chris Livingston : Rock Bottom Spotlight

2011-04-21T11:10:00.000-04:00

Chris Livingston has contributed a "Spotlight Lick" before and I thought it would be cool to spotlight another teacher from Rock Bottom Music. Chris has been teaching for 10 years now and has been playing for over 25 years. He currently plays in 48 Volt. Chris started playing because his cousin had an Ibanez Destroyer guitar and jammed out on Def Leapard and other kick butt rock n roll and it gave him inspiration. He started learning from a buddy back in high school when he moved here from North Carolina. It snow balled from there to him learning from anyone he could and by ear. He also had an uncle that showed him some things. Why does he teach guitar? It's what he likes to do. It also makes him learn more by teaching. Teaching re-lit his fire for guitar. Seeing a new players smile when they learn their first song or chord is highly rewarding. His enjoyment helps the kids enjoy it and vise versa! Chris teaches ages 9 and up and a variety of different styles- blues , country, metal, rock and modern popular music. He caters the lessons to what the student likes. He will start a new person with with basic fundamentals and get them playing the songs they like as soon as possible. Anyone out there who thought of learning but has never taken that first step your first lesson is free! Give Chris a call at 706-589-2112 and get started!

Student Spotlight: Oscar Ystenes

2011-04-05T17:15:00.000-04:00

This edition of "Student Spotlight" features 22 year old guitar student Oscar Ystenes.Oscar has been a student of mine since February 19th, 2010. I got to start Oscar right from the start. He is a psychology major at Augusta State and will graduate in 2012. Oscar got into playing because his father played and urged him to play when he was younger. He did not start playing until he was older and developed his own liking of music and wanted to start playing and writing his own songs. Along with having a dad that played, he has a brother that plays drums and has a girlfriend ( Candice Litsey, another of my students) that plays bass, ukulele and sings. He sites his favorite bands as Breaking Benjamin, Five Finger Death Punch and Three Days Grace. He would love to play in Japan or Australia because of his love of both of those cultures. Oscar's dream guitar would be a Gibson Les Paul or a Fender Strat. Right now he has a Yamaha acoustic guitar and a Schector Omen Extreme electric guitar. His first concert was Sick Puppies, Janus and Shotgun Opera right here in Augusta Georgia. If he could ever be a fill in guitarist for any band it would be one of his faves, Breaking Benjamin. In the future when he is out playing gigs his dream bands to be on tour with would be Five Finger Death Punch and Breaking Benjamin. Where does Oscar see himself musically in five years? He sees himself in a band playing gigs locally and having a blast doing it! Oscar sites being persistent and motivated to continue practicing everything he needs to play as one of the things he has got the most out of lessons with me. Some advice for someone thinking of playing from Oscar is "Practice daily. You won't master your instrument and get good unless you put the time in." The most embarrassing thing on his Ipod? The Pokemon Theme Song by the boy band N' Sync!!!! When Oscar finishes school he wants to get into being a crime scene forensics worker and work on criminal and crime profiling. He is a very smart and persistent person. I can very easily see him being able to do that. Working with him has been great. He puts in the time and effort it takes to be a player. It is paying off for him now and will continue to pay off for him in the future. Every week he comes in prepared and having shown progress from the week before. He is a model student. I enjoy seeing him get a song down. He is going to develop into a hell of a player. So here's to you Oscar.....Keep Rockin'........Keep Playin'........and Keep Having Fun!!!!!!

John Berret

Spotlight Licks: L.I.E.

2011-04-02T21:49:00.000-04:00

This edition of "Spotlight Licks" is brought to you by the local favorites, L.I.E., and in particular Micheal "Dr. Dork" Dinkins musician extraordinaire. His band L.I.E. has a new album out and it is neato good. I will let Dr. Dork take it from here......

Greetings. With several licks and tabs being shared from various individuals, I thought it would be neato to share the 'lead guitar' section from my band L.i.E.'s song "Cross Your Arms and Go Outside." The challenge here is not necessarily in the difficulty of any particular passage but in execution of the multiple time signature changes throughout, which makes for a great exercise is rhythm. Below are a two JPG files of guitar tabs that follow the section of the song from 4:02 to 5:56.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c324/HeirToRuin/CrossYourArms1.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c324/HeirToRuin/CrossYourArms2.jpg

You can stream or download the song from our bandcamp site where you can also access anything else that we have released to date. http://liemusic.bandcamp.com/track/cross-your-arms-and-go-outside

Take note the song is in "Drop D" from standard pitch. Enjoy!!!

Micheal "Dr. Dork" Dinkins

Product Review: T.C. Corona Chorus

2011-03-28T12:21:00.000-04:00

This product review is from a company I get super geeked out excited about every time they introduce something new, T.C. Electronics. This time they have got into the boutique guitar pedal market with a whole new series of floor effects. They have they Flashback Delay, Vortex Flanger,Hall of Fame Reverb, Shaker Vibrato, Mojo Overdrive and the one I am reviewing, the Corona Chorus. T.C. is taking on the high end pedal market with these. They are very affordable, as far as top end pedals are concerned, and are very high quality. I am sure most of you remember when I reviewed the T.C. "Polytune" and how blown away I was by it. It happened again with this pedal. Let's get the specs of the pedal out of the way first. I took these from the manual that came with the pedal.

The pedal itself is made of a metal frame, painted awesome green.It has white knobs to control speed, depth, fx level and tone. It has a small toggle switch to switch between chorus, toneprint, and tri chorus. It has a stereo in (which you don't see too often) and stereo out 1\4 inch plugs. You can still just use one for in and out for mono. The back of the pedal has the dc 9 volt 100ma adapter plug and a usb cable in port. The bottom has a thumb/ screw to get to the battery. Inside here there is switches for true bypass, buffered bypass and a kill/dry on and off switch.

When testing the pedal I played through and Egnater Tweeker with a Berkshire guitar. I played with my normal distortion settings first. I also used no other pedals in the chain while testing this. I tried it first with the toggle all the way up on chorus. It sparkled. It is avery clean chorus. I ways playing through a 1 12 cabinet and it sounded like a stack! I had all the knobs at 12 o clock. Messing with the depth and speed knobs changes things alot. The speed seems to have more range than an average chorus pedal and the depth seems to be alot "deeper" too. You can get a wide range of sounds. From a slow sweeping ( and boy does it sweep) to a high paced frantic "alarm" sound. Switching to making the amp clean make the chorus come out even more. I could make the pedal go from a very accurate replication of Metallica's "Welcome Home Sanitarium" sound to anything that I wanted.

I tried the "Toneprint" mid toggle switch next. What Toneprint does is allow you to download via http://www.tcelectronics.com/pedals
to download different superstar guitar players different pre sets to the pedal. I thought at first this would be a task for me. I am VERY bad at doing things like this when companies come out with these things. I found it very easy to do. I just hooked up the usb cable to the pedal and my computer and just followed the instructions and it was a breeze! That's why I love T.C. stuff. They make it user friendly. I did the Bumblefoot, from the current Guns and Roses line up, and a guy I have never heard of called Gutherie Govan Colin (who I know do know....and he is crazy good!). I dug their sounds. The thing for me is I actually got it to work! When you get this pedal try it!

The next setting was the Tri Chorus which is the toggle set all the way down. I tried this one out for a little bit. What Tri Chorus is is a variation of the regular chorus that has three stereo choruses with various off sets for depth, speed, phase and chorus delay time. You get a ton of different sounds from this. So many in fact that in the time that I had the pedal to test, I did not get to all this feature can do. There are some really unique and far out sounds that you can do on this setting. It's not who I am as a player. I can see someone like Will Duckworth, from Radar Cinema, really getting the most from this feature of the pedal.

Let's jump back for a second to what the bypass and kill/dry stuff do that is inside the pedal. I thought these features are great even though I did not use them. According to the manual true bypass is best used when you only have a few pedals and short cords before and after the pedals. Buffered bypass is best used when you have a lot of pedals and long cables before and after the pedals. They say when you use this just buffer the first and last pedal in your chain and it should help improve your tone/sound. Certain factors like active/passive pick ups, cable quality, amp impedance , etc, are a factor. I am curious to hear from anyone who has used this. With buffered by pass you should have kill/dry on. Kill/Dry removes all direct signal from the pedal out put and is the mode to use when the pedal is in a parallel effects loop. Kill/Dry is not an option when using true bypass.

When checking this pedal out I compared it to my favorite chorus, the Boss Super Chorus. Boss to me is the standard for quality. They always last a long time and they are almost always good pedals. The T.C. Corona Chorus is making me retire the Boss. My favorite setting was just on plain chorus. There is so much to this pedal it is going to appeal to a wide range of players is a wide range of playing styles. The pedal is made by T.C. Electronics so you know it is a quality pedal that is going to last a while. Now I am going to have to start comparing the other pedals I review to T.C. ones! We just got a bunch of these in at Rock Bottom and a couple other T.C. ones so come check them out and hear for yourself!!!

check it out from tc electronics youtube page at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC6EcWxCSm0

Spotlight Lick: John Berret

2011-03-23T23:14:00.000-04:00

This edition of "Spotlight Licks" is brought to you by yours truly, John Berret. As a guitar teacher in Augusta Georgia, I figured it was time I added one, so here we go. This is based off the A minor Diatonic scale. It walks up the high E and the B string. This is a very common metal-ish lick. In the vain of Kirk Hammett or Zakk Wylde. It is one measure of each little "position" and it is played as sixteenth notes.In the video I play it slow and then at a faster speed. Start off slow and PICK EVERY NOTE! I will have some later on that use pull offs and hammer ons that are similar to this. Above the tab I have the chords that will go along with it, if you want to have someone play with you or record them. Check out the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUzSuC9dylM&feature=channel_video_title

Just click on the tab and it will appear bigger for you. Have fun and shred it up!

Mic Check 1, 2 .....How to do a Sound Check

2011-03-15T13:45:00.000-04:00

This is something I have been wanting to cover for a while. As a musician AND a sound engineer I see both sides and the mistakes people make when setting up for a show. The first thing you need to know about doing a sound check is when load in time is. Before your gig find out what time you need to be loading your equipment in and get setting up. Once you get your stuff in, find out where you need to set up. Find where your electrical outlets are too. If you are anyone but a singer or drummer you need to bring yourself a multi-plug and \or electrical cord to get yourself power where you need it. Most places should have a place to plug in your pedals but alot don't. I hear time and time again as a soundman " Can I get a electric cord from you?" Sometimes a soundman will, but always have one so that you got yourself covered. Next is to find out when soundcheck is. Once you are told what time it is DO NOT BE LATE! I have seen bands be so late they were kicked off the show. You want to be on time so that the sound engineer can get everything sounding good and iron out any problems that come up. A good sound person wants you to sound good. They take pride in it. Now that you are set up it is normal for you to play a little bit and get your sound right and get a feel of how the room sounds. You DO NOT want to keep jammin like you are playing the show. You get a feel , get your sound right, levels right and be done. Nothing screams "first timer" more than "guy who jams like hes at a show while setting up dude". If you are on stage while the sound tech is running mics and cords it is bad taste to be jammin. It is REALLY BAD TASTE to be jamming real loud or pounding on a drummer while he/she is putting a mic on said cabinet or drum. Save the techs ear drums while he/she is near your instrument. Now everything is mic'd up and your are officially ready for sound check. They tech asks you to do something. If you are a drummer he goes through one by one of every drum that is mic'd up. Example: if they start on your kick drum you play a nice steady beat as hard as you would when you will be playing that night. That gives the tech what he needs to get proper e.q. and levels. He will do that to every drum that's mic'd, then ask you to play the whole kit. When you play the whole kit play something steady and go through everything on your kit. In each of these scenarios you play until the sound tech tells you to stop. For guitars, keys, bass set your stage volume ( the volume you set your amp to play on) and wait and see if that is the volume the sound tech needs it at. Alot of times guitar players put their volume way too loud than is needed. Remember you want the band to sound good as a whole, not just you. If you are asked to turn your stage volume down , do it. Just ask for more in the monitors ( we will get to them soon). For anyone with a vocal mic, when it's your turn to get check, sing like you are going to be singing that night. Don't get up there and yell, be too quiet or do death metal growls ( if you aren't doing them that night). You want him to get you dialed in at a level that you will be heard at your performance. Next you will be asked to play as a band, to make sure everything sounds good as a whole or you will be asked to do a monitor check. When it's time to do monitors you need to think of everything, before you get up there, that you will need to hear. If you don't need to hear everyone sing back ups, don't put them in your monitor. You don't want to clutter up your monitor sound with things that you don't need. Put what is important to you in the monitor. Example: if you need to hear the lead singer you have him sing while you play a little bit so that you can hear it. If its too low a volume ask for more. If you don't play while it is getting sent to your monitor have the level set a little bit past where its loud without anything playing. That way when playing starts it can be heard. You do this for every monitor and for everything you will need in your monitor. You will also come across times where every monitor gets the same thing ran to it instead of each monitor being different. If that is the case you have to compromise as a band as to what will get heard onstage. Only put what is most needed for everyone. If you run too many things through the monitor things will get jumbled up and you will hear nothing. After all monitors are checked run through a song or two and make sure everything is as good as it can get. Make sure you can hear what you need to hear and everyone is happy. Most of the time things won't be perfect. You get it as good as you can. The MOST IMPORTANT sound is the one the audience is hearing. You might think is sounds like garbage on stage but in the crowd it is blazing! Remember a sound tech is like a member of your band for the night. They want it to sound as good as you do. Treat them like a member, buy them a drink and be polite. They will have you rockin the stage like Jimi Hendricks at Woodstock!!! Winning!!! So drink some "Tiger's Blood" get your "Adonis D.N.A.", get a sound check and rock the house!!!!

Choosing a Guitar Pick

2011-03-05T14:22:00.000-05:00

A guitar pick is not something you would put at the top of your list in importance. The truth is it is very important. You ask any professional player and they will tell you it is. Your pick is as important as your guitar and amp. I know when I dont have my Dunlop "Gator Grip" 1.5 mm picks, I dont play as well. I tried many picks before I came to the conclusion that those were the right picks for me. I started out with Fender Medium picks. After I got somewhat good, I would shred these picks to pieces. I would also wear a hook into them. Playing metal music I was constantly using fast alternate picking and alot of tremolo picking in my leads. I needed something that could withstand the punishment. I tried going to Fender Heavy picks, Dunlop "Turtles", the big triangle picks and many others before I got to the Gator Grips. Once I found the gator grips I found something that felt good in my fingers. I started out using the .75 mm. I tore through them. I kept going up in gauges until I settled at the 1.5 mm. I even went up to the 2 mm. They were too thick. I have used that same style pick now for 12 years. I would recommend to any player to go out and buy a bunch of different gauge, different material, different brand and different shape pick. Try each one for a while and pick what feels best to you. There are many different brands to choose from like Fender, Dunlop, D 'Andrea to name a few. They are made from many different materials like plastic, rubber, felt,wood, metal, glass and stone. Plastic is the most common material used and there are many types ofplastic used like celluloid, nylon,tortex, acetel,ultem, lexan and acrylic. They come commonly shaped in rounded base triangles but can come round or as big triangles. They come in different gauges as well with "extra light " being less than .44 mm, light being .45-.69 mm, medium being .7-.84 mm, heavy being.85-1.2 mm, and extra heavy being anything above 1.2 mm. Go out and get yourself a bunch of different brand, gauges,material picks and see what works best for you. You will see it making playing better for you when you find " The One" !! Heck, you can even go and get your own personalised picks with your name and logo on it and feel like a rock star! So go and "Choose A Guitar Pick."

John Berret

The Sound of Music: Finding a Studio Part 1- by Eric Rinker

2011-03-01T07:42:00.000-05:00

Finding a studio

Part 1

Over the past couple of years, I've noticed a number of area bands hitting up local/regional studios to record their music. More than once they have come out with a sub-par product, having paid too much for a service they could have undoubtedly done themselves. However, just because you can do it yourself, doesn't necessarily mean you should.

Let's begin with what you expect the outcome to be. What is a reasonable goal? Don't think to yourself, "I'm going to record locally and it's going to sound like a million bucks drenched in the warm thick sounds of Europe's most prestige studios such as Abbey Road Studios." It’s NOT happening here. I’ll repeat, it’s not going to happen here. There are no studios in Augusta, GA that produce elite, high fidelity recordings. In order to get that kind of production, it requires far more money than 99% of area bands will ever make in sales to recover their expenses. This is largely because there just isn’t that kind of demand here for studios like in Atlanta or Nashville. The most successful business model here for a studio is for doing voice overs, radio commercials, and perhaps even recording local church groups. Recording a local band’s 5 song demo or even a full-length album won’t pay the bills. They just can’t charge enough. No one would bother because there’s always Guy Man Dude down the street with a computer and will do it for a fraction of the price.

So how much does good studio gear cost?

1. Microphones-- An excellent quality vocal mic can cost near $10,000. How many mics does it take to mic a full drum kit correctly? Depending on the genre of music, it could take 12-14!

2. The building, room, and acoustics-- One aspect that makes most professional recordings sound so great are the rooms they are recorded in. I’m not talking about throwing up some egg-crates or that cool looking foam you see all the time. I mean you design and build the room from the ground up to have the best sounding acoustics. It’s expensive, by design.

3. The heavy gear (preamps, etc)-- This is where you plug all those expensive mics. The mixing desks in a studio are not the same ones you use for live sound. These are designed to perform well in a controlled environment. The preamps have tons of headroom, a high signal to noise ratio (meaning you can turn the gain up and hear even quiet breaths without picking up much noise), and they might even “color” the sound in a certain way. The consoles you might see in a great studio probably cost over $100,000.

4. Monitors-- These are the main speakers you mix on. They are extremely expensive. Great monitors can run up to $20,000 per pair. What could be more important than the speakers on which you are making every decision while mixing a band’s album?

5. Accessories-- Good headphones, headphone distribution amps, cables, and miscellaneous instruments are all necessary in even the most basic studio. And let’s not forget about the guy behind the board.

Now all this expensive gear will do nothing without someone that knows how to use it. The same goes for the small studios, and there are a lot of them. Some sound amazing considering the equipment they have, and that’s because the person running the show knows what they are doing. You can definitely make great sounding records on equipment that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. However … (and this is very important for anyone thinking of going into the studio) … THE BAND/PERFORMER ALREADY SOUNDED GREAT BEFORE HE/SHE/THEY STEPPED INTO THAT STUDIO. That goes for your performance and your equipment. Most high-end studios have great gear on hand that they can use because they don’t trust that the musicians gear will be setup properly for recording, and most of the time it won’t be. We’ve all heard it a million times, and it’s very true when it comes to recording... you can not polish a turd. Moreover, a small project studio WILL NOT fix all your mistakes for the amount of money you are paying them. The people recording Shinedown or Dream Theater go through a lot of time editing and fixing mistakes. This is actually common knowledge. These guys are good, but they are not flawless. The studio engineers make them sound perfect, but you aren’t paying a project studio enough money to fix all your mistakes. So they’ll leave them. There’s no incentive whatsoever to get you to redo it or for them to spend the time fixing it. Why not? You are probably paying them per song (or some sort of package deal) instead of by the hour. If you were paying by the hour, they would probably have you do as many takes as it takes to get the parts right.

But there’s a great solution! Remember I mentioned you most certainly CAN get a great album without paying a ridiculous amount of money? You can do that by LEARNING YOUR CRAFT. Before your band goes into the studio, each member should be able to play those songs backwards and forwards without mistakes. The studio is not the place to learn proper technique to be able to play what you’re intending to play. Do that on your time when it’s free, not in the studio!

That is all for now... later there will be more detail on finding a project/small studio that fits your needs. This was mostly for perspective. Stay tuned... or in tune.

By:Eric Rinker

Rock Bottom Music Month: Inventory

2011-02-24T21:45:00.000-05:00

This edition of "Rock Bottom Music Month" is going to focus on our store itself. Rock Bottom has two locations, one in downtown Augusta on the corner of 8th and Broad, and one in Aiken South Carolina on Pine Log Road behind Blockbuster. Rock Bottom has grown from a mail order store to a franchise. We carry more inventory than any store around. We carry tons of brands of every instrument. We have just started carrying Epiphone/Gibson. I came in this week to find around 100 of them being delivered! The new Fender Mustang amp has been a big hit, along with all the starts, teles and everything else Fender. Jonathon has made RBM the biggest Pearl drum dealer in Georgia. Line 6 amps, Egnater and Marshall are just a few of the amps you will see. There are more drums and cymbals than anywhere within 200 miles. Cables, picks, strings, drum heads,you name it its there. Jonathon and the staff will beat any mail order or advertised price. If its not in the store it can be ordered. Just ask. Along with being a a music store Rock Bottom is like a rock and roll museum. There are tons of signed guitars, drum heads and other things. Tons of cool posters and albums everywhere. Even if you dont play there is tons of cool stuff to look at, like you are at a Hard Rock Cafe. We have a teaching staff that can teach you about anything you want to learn. There is also tons of Rock Bottom gear you can get, like hats shirts and hoodies. We got techs to work on guitars amps and everything that can need fixed. Everyone that comes to Rock Bottom already knows this stuff, but all the out of state readers dont ;) Come down and check us out sometime. Check out the Rock Bottom website at http://www.rockbottommusic.com
or call at 706-724-1172
Check out some pics of Rock Bottom at http://www.flickr.com/photos/48717650@N06/?saved=1
there are a couple pages of pics. go to the bottom and click through all the pages. see you at Rock Bottom!

R.B.M. Month: Brian Thrift

2011-02-19T01:47:00.000-05:00

In the next article to be written for "Rock Bottom Music Month" I will be honing in on Rock bottom salesman and "Dr. Downtown" , Brian Thrift. Brian has been a fixture in the Augusta music and music store scene for 18+ years now. He has played in bands like Uncle Woody, Tokyo Joe,Dancing Green, Wire,(his first band) Burning Bush and did three amazing cd release parties with Keith Gregory. His first guitar was an Ibanez Roadster 2 that was white with a black pick guard. He got that guitar because he thought it looked like Jake E Lee's guitar. His two favorite guitar players are Jake E Lee and Eddie Van Halen.He has been playing guitar for 25 years and has been into music his whole life. The things that got him into music are 1)The soundtrack for Smokey and the Bandit movie. The song "East Bound and Down" by Jerry Reid made him obsessed. He could not listen to it enough. 2) Was "Cinnamon Girl " by Neil Young. The sound Neil Young's amp made in that song made him wonder how someone could make a guitar sound like that. 3) And this is MOST IMPORTANT, was hearing Eddie Van Halen for the first time. Hearing Van Halen changed his life forever. He knew when he heard Ed that he really wanted to play guitar. His dream guitar is even a replica Eddie Van Halen " Frankenstein" guitar made by Fender. He played out heavy from the years 1989-2008. Brian is such a fan of guitar he named his kids Zakk, after Zakk Wylde and another Edward Jacob, after Eddie Van Halen and Jake E Lee. Having worked a lot years in music stores Brian has seen alot of trends in music and music gear. He says he has sold more Fender guitars and products than anything else. He says some of the craziest trends and products are guitar synths and those little plastic Danelectro pedals. He says after seeing all the trends in music, from glam to grunge, metal to rap metal and everything in between, the common thread between all of them is rock and roll. No matter what style, it leads all of them to the same thing- loud rock and roll guitars. I agree. He can spot a new player a mile away. The advice he would give them? If you are into rock music get an electric guitar, if you are into Garth Brooks or folk music, get you an acoustic guitar. If you are getting your first guitar, get yourself a hard tail. Do not get a floyd rose whammy bar. I asked him how the Augusta music scene has changed since he first started in it back in the 80's. He says it seems like it hasn't changed at all. He says there is always a group of kids playing whatever is popular at the time, be it grunge, metal or whatever and it's what everybody is doing. The scene doesn't change, just what they are playing. Brian is a very knowledgeable and helpful salesman. He has been an asset at Rock Bottom Music.He has worked at all the big Augusta music stores and says "A World of Music" was at one time the best music store ever and says being at Rock Bottom is the same way. Rock Bottom IS ROCK AND ROLL and will go down in Augusta music history the same way as World of Music and that he is proud to be a part of Rock Bottom. He says Rock Bottom is not a corporate machine and he has found his home. I agree Brian, it's a blast getting to work with you! Next time you are in the store make sure you say hi to Brian and ask him about Eddie or Jake!!!!!!!!!!

check out some more pics of brian at http://www.flickr.com/photos/48717650@N06/

Student Spotlight: Shane Waldun

2011-02-17T21:11:00.000-05:00

This "Student Spotlight" is on 18 year old, Hephzibah High senior, Shane Waldun. Shane has been taking lessons from me since October of 2009. He got his first guitar at three years old from his Grandfather, who also played guitar and released his own music. He has an Uncle who plays too. Shane really got serious on playing around 2-3 years ago. He also plays the piano, took 1 yr of lessons and the trombone, 3 years of instruction. I asked Shane why he even decided to pick up the guitar. He told me "The bands i loved sounded so cool, I thought it would be worth the adventure to learn!" That is a very cool reason. His guitar heroes are Kirk Hammet and Zakk Wylde. His favorite bands are Metallica and Breaking Benjamin. If he could be a fill in guitar player for any band it would be metal legends Metallica. Shane's dream guitar would be a silverburst Gibson Les Paul and his dream amp is one of the new revolutionary Fender Mustang amps. Shane is a member of the J.R.O.T.C.. He is going to attend North Georgia for college and hopes to major in music or computer programming. The thing Shane has gotten the most of from lessons is playing by ear sometimes just isn't enough and to practice as often as you can because practice really can make perfect. The most embarrassing song on his ipod? Sexting by Blood on the Dance Floor. Shane has been really working hard and I have enjoyed watching him progress as a student of mine. He has great things in store for him as he gets older. He has great taste in music and loves music from any style. Some advice Shane has for anyone new to the guitar is "If you are not really into it it's going to be hard to learn. It takes a lot of desire to get yourself to were your going to be able to play, alot of practice....and if you do go for it, shoot high." So here's to you Shane....Keep Rockin......Keep Playin.....and Keep having fun!!!!!!!!!!!

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

2011-02-13T23:13:00.000-05:00

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!!!!

RBM Month: Kevin Ellis

2011-02-07T15:13:00.000-05:00

The first person we are going to spotlight in "Rock Bottom Music" month is Kevin Ellis. He is one of the repair techs at the store. He is a native of Long Island New York. He works on anything that gets brought into Rock Bottom. From guitars and basses to violins and banjos. He does any kind of repairs, paint jobs, set ups and anything that needs done. He went to Atlanta Guitar Works in 2009 to get his certificate in guitar building but has been working on guitars since he was a kid in New York city. He started building and working on guitars because he was wanting to do his own thing. He wanted to improve and customise the instruments he played. The Fender Strat and Gibson Les Pauls that were in Sam Ash music were also an inspiration. He is a big fan of the Les Paul binding. Though he builds for love and not money, he really started getting serious a couple years ago, as far as the business side is concerned. He sold his 1970 SS Chevelle with a 454 in it to get the seed money to start up. He has converted his garage into afull guitar building workshop. Complete with a paint room, tools and a stockpile of wood. His goal for his business is quality, not quantity. He admires the old time craftsmanship were quality came first. Kevin hand works alot of the wood and parts for guitars. Sandpaper and chisels are used alot by him. He got hooked into Rock Bottom Music with his persistance. Hanging out and showing Jonathon Karow his evolving work got him the job. Kevin believes how theneck feels on a guitar is the most important thing about a guitar. He is also a guitar player and sites Eddie Van Halen as a big reason he gotinto the guitar in the first place. Kevin's guitar repair company is called Dream Guitar Works. You can check them out at http://www.dreamguitarworks.com/

I am gonna profile one of his builds. Its called the "Tone God" and is modeled after the Peavey Wolfgang.The body is canary wood. The body top is flame maple. It has a 7 piece binding. The neck and headstock is one piece coco boa. Its a 2 way truss rod with the adjust at the heel. Abolony shell inlays. Stumack jumbo fret wire. 25 and 1/2 inch scale.Wolfgang usa model pick ups.3 way toggle switch. its a go tow floyd rose with alocking nut. Its all hand made.
here is a link to check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EFb1tpDXuc

here is an acoustic he has built http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkhgTb-g_E0&feature=related

more pics of ellis and his shop at http://www.flickr.com/photos/48717650@N06/

Kevin is an honest hard working guy. He is someone who takes pride in his work and loves doing it. I hope you had fun checking this out and stay tuned for the next person to meet from Rock Bottom Music!

Spotlight Licks: Dave Mercer

2011-02-07T12:12:00.000-05:00

This "Spotlight Lick" is brought to you by multi band\ multi instrumentalist\ vocalist Dave Mercer. Dave Mercer plays bass in Suns Collide, sings lead in Shotgun Opera, plays drums in Sibling String and plays guitar in Chairleg. This lick is based in E minor and is a good jammin riff. On Febuary 26 Dave will be playinghis farewell gig with Shotgun Opera at The Vue opening for national act Taproot.

Rock Bottom Music Month

2011-02-04T21:44:00.000-05:00

I am declaring the month of Febuary "Rock Bottom Music" month. This month I am going to dive right in to all things Rock Bottom. From the people that work there to products we carry and services we offer. I will also get into the concerts, in store appearances, and clinics that get held there. These things have everything to do with getting inspired to play and knowing what products you are going to be playing, plus it gives me something new to write about. I will also get into the head of Jonathon Karow and see what makes him tick and find out what it takes to keep all the things he has going successful. I have had some students over the years want to be performers, concert promoters and talk about opening their own store one day, so Jonathon will have some insight for them. There are quite a few characters at Rock Bottom so I will have alot of good things to write about. First up will be Rock Bottoms instrument repair tech Kevin Ellis. His piece will be up the beginning of next week. So keep checking in and keep reading!

The Bizz with the Buzz: Setting The Stage

2011-01-26T13:35:00.000-05:00

The Biz with the Buzz: Setting the Stage

By John “Stoney” Cannon

Last time we spoke kiddies you were knee deep in getting together that great demo to go along with your top notch promo picture, straight to the point bio, and eye-catching logo. Now in the old days this would make up what we oldsters call a promo/press pack. Toss all this cool stuff in a folder with pockets and you have what, even in this day and modern age, some places accept for information to write about your band. Sure many places now find it easier to just follow the link you email them to find all this info online but look at it this way – you’re now covered on both ends as you can use this same info for your actual print material or for your online version. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves…what’s the point of getting press if you don’t have anything to promote? Luckily you can use this same information (if needed) to try and get that debut gig. You know the one of which I speak - that first magical night where you introduce yourself to the public by blowing the audience completely out of the water. OK so chances are good that it won’t be that incredible but still, you and your band are well rehearsed, have some cool tunes, and are hungry for some stage time. To top it off, you have all the proper promotional tools to present your band to prospective bookers. So let’s go get that gig.

Now first off, there are some good things you should know. Simple rules that you may not all find in a book but are still good to follow. First off…make sure you and your bandmates are on the same page and get a good idea of everyone’s availability for a couple months ahead of time. You want to come across like playing out is what you do. Many a band have missed out on great gigs because a booker was eager to fill a slot and was told by someone in the band “sounds cool but I gotta check with the guys to make sure everyone can do it.” There’s always a band right behind you who is desperate enough for the gig to say yes immediately. And while I’m on the subject of talking to a venue booker, I need to stress how important it is to build a relationship with the booker at the venue you’re looking to play at especially if you’re looking to return again or maybe play at the venue on some sort of regular basis. The best way to do this is a simple one and can be done using this simple rule – “first contact-permanent contact” meaning the person representing your band who makes initial contact with the venue should be the one who handles continuing dialogue with the venue going forward. Of course this can be made easier by designating one person to handle all the booking arrangements period. Even if you happen to get the gig through a band inviting you to play, it is never a bad idea to visit the venue ahead of time and introduce yourself. This will not only show that you value the gig but also give the booker at least a small level of assurance that your band has been contacted and arrangements have been made for you to play. Besides, a visit to the venue ahead of time is also a good opportunity to find out a few things to make the big night easier for you (if you haven’t already) like what time to show up for load-in, where to load-in, and maybe even what time your band will play and for how long.

Many of the points mentioned above might seem like no-brainers for the well weathered musician and once you’ve built a reputation as a drawing artist some may even eventually not be needed but for now, you’re on a mission to get that first gig under your belt. The date is set…there’s nothing left to do but show up and melt some face. Or is there?

Next time: Prepare and Promote aka How to Look Good in AND Out of the Gig

Check out Stoney's long running website http://www.lokalloudness.com

"Dear Rockstar" with Steven Adler and Chip Z Nuff

2011-01-21T19:54:00.000-05:00

This edition of "Dear Rockstar" is with original Guns and Roses and current Adler's Appetite drummer Steven Adler and Enuff Z Nuff, current Adler's Appetite ( and legendary Howard Stern Show Guest) bass player, Chip Z Nuff. I caught up with them at Rock Bottom Music after their meet and greet and before their Augusta gig.

John Berret: What inspired you to start playing?

Chip Z Nuff: My fathers old records. They were always on. The Don Kirshner show was also a big inspiration.

Steven Adler:The passion and love of music and wanting to be able to create it myself. To get there I had to practice, practice, practice!

JB: How long did you play before you played your first gig?

Chip: A couple of years.

Adler: I think about 2 years.

JB: What was your favorite gig?

Adler: It was Castle Donnington ion England in 1988. We played with Iron Maiden, Kiss, Megadeth and David Lee Roth. Playing with the Rolling Stones too.

JB: Who is your favorite player?

Chip:Too many to list but I would say Paul McCartney, Jim Beacon and Geddy Lee.

Adler:Roger Taylor of Queen.

JB: Whats your favorite piece of gear?

Chip:My 1963 Fender P bass and my 12 string waterstone bass.

JB:Whats your favorite currentband?

Adler: The Foo Fighters.

Chip:A band from San Diego California called Louis the 14th.

They were a very gracious band and greeted the fans very well. Until next time guys keep reading and see whos next on "Dear Rockstar."

Meet Guns and Roses Drummer Steven Adler

2011-01-19T14:15:00.000-05:00

This Friday at Rock Bottom music, the drummer from one of the greatest bands in history (Guns and Roses) will be doing a meet and greet and signing autographs for fans. Be there around 5-530. He was part of the team that wrote songs like Sweet Child O Mine, Welcome To The Jungle and many other classics. You will not have too many times in your life to meet a true rock legend....and its free and all ages!!!!! He will also have some members of his band, Adler's Appetite, there too. Chip Z Nuff from 80's glam band Enuff ZNuff will be there. Chip is a legendary radio guest on "The Howard Stern Show." If you heard him you know what I mean. Other band members, who are all very well known in their own right are Rick Stitch, Alex Grossi and Micheal Thomas. Get down to Rock Bottom Friday. The band is also performing at Sky City that night. Tickets are on sale at both Rock Bottom locations.

Getting Ready For A Gig

2011-01-17T11:30:00.000-05:00

This little tid bit will be called "Getting Ready For A Gig." Once you get yourself to the point where you are ready to play a show, with a band or solo, there are some things you need to do to be prepared. There is nothing that reeks rookie more than not being prepared. You want your show to go smooth. You need to have your energy focused on the performance, not worrying about having guitar or amp issues.

If you are a guitar player make sure you have a fresh set of strings on. You will, at some point, break a string while playing. Sometimes even if you put new ones on, one will still break. New strings make that happen alot less. If you have pedals that needs batteries, have good ones in them and ALWAYS carry back ups. Make sure your guitar cables are in working order and you have back ups. Have your self a tool box with some screw drivers, pliers, wire cutters, soldering gun with solder, a knife,allen wrenches, string winder and any other tools you might need. You can also keep your batteries and strings in there. If your guitar amp has fuses in it make sure you have back up fuses. Also its very good to carry your own multi plug/ extension cord to power all your stuff. You would be surprised how many places dont have that for you, they are not really required to have them. As a sound man I get asked so frequently " Hey man, where's the power?" and " Dude, you got a power strip?" If you are playing any stringed instrument, have a tuner!!! Make sure everyone in the band that needs one has one. When you are on stage use the tuner to tune. Kill the stage volume when you do tune. NEVER have the audience hear you tune if you can help it. That reeks of garage player when you do. These things apply to bass players too.

Drummers need to make sure they have plenty of sticks. I actually had a drummer (who will remain un-named) that "forgot" about his sticks at a gig we were playing in Myrtle Beach SC. It was 1 o clock in the morning and we were about to get started and he broke a stick and did not have any back ups. Where are you going to get drum sticks at 1 in the morning???!!!?? No where. Have a drum key to tune your drums. Have back up heads. Have any tools you will need to work on your drums. Have a drum rug. Thats another thing I get asked a million times as a sound man. Any time I am doing any city sound job, there is no rug to put the drums on (the rug stops them from sliding every where). We are not required and the city is not either, to supply it. Make sure you have one.

Singers........well........just be on time!!!!

I have left out what are considered "miscellaneous" instruments, like congas/keyboards/etc., because other than repeating what I have mentioned for the other instruments, I cant think of what else you would need. When you have to be at a gig know what time load in and sound check are. Be prepared and try and think ahead. Your first bunch of gigs will take you to school. You are going to have bad ones. Get them out of the way and "pay your dues." These things will help you be able to concentrate on your performance and not on your gear. Get to that gig, rock it out and kick some arse!!!

The Rules of a Jam

2011-01-13T10:25:00.000-05:00

There will come a time in every up and coming musicians life when he/she gets to be a part of a "Jam." Jams can be a great expirience. They can also end up as a big train wreck that leaves everyone with a bad taste in their mouth. At some point you will have a bad jam. You want to expirience this. It will end up making you better and teach you tons. With that said there are some "rules" of the jam that might help you, particularly if you are at a jam that takes place in public.

1- You should known some common "standard" songs. Every musician knows there are certain songs that everyone plays, like Sweet Home Alabama, Crossroads, Teen Spirit, For Whom The bell Tolls, etc. Jams are the times to be doing these songs. Almost any blues song , aka 12 bar blues, fits here too.

2-Everyone plays. If you are part of a jam you do your thing and pass the torch. Jams are fun for evryone. Thats why everyone who is capable should play. There should be a certain competance level though. The competance level should be determined by the majority of people there.

3- Everyone gets a chance to solo. That should go unsaid.

4-Dont solo unless its your time. Nothing worse than two or more people trying to battle it out for the solo. It sounds like a crying animal when this happens. Also feel out how long you should solo. Too much is a no no.

5-Dont play louder than anyone else. The only time you should be louder than anyone else is when you are soloing.

6-Call a song. Again try and stick to the standards and make sure everyone knows the key. A jam is not the time to show your a hipster by picking some indie song or Dream Theatre song that you know noone will know.

7-When your not part of the jam, applaud and show support. You want that when its your turn.

8-If you are the one who picked the song, kind of lead it. Give head nods and looks to help show cues.

9-Watch the "leader" if you did not call the song. That way you pick up cues.

10-Let the drummer keep the beat. He is the one who is suppose to be doing it.

11- Drummers. Playing all kinds of off time off kilter stuff during a jam can be bad. Remember to keep the beat. Go solo when its your time.

12-Dont get all drunk or messed up and try and play at a jam. Thats a quick way to make a train wreck.

13-If you are a singer , bring abook with lyrics in it of some standards, heck, have one there anyway so that someone will be able to sing.

14-Use common sense.

These are just some of the rules I could think of. These will help you when it comes time for you to be in a "Jam." You will have fun doing them and they are a great time! If anyone has rules they would like to add, leave a comment with them and I will ammend the rules.

John Berret

The Importance Of..................Proper Picking Technique Part #2

2011-01-10T18:45:00.000-05:00

Here we are at part #2 of "The Importance of Proper Picking Technique." Hopefully you have had time to digest part one and are ready for the next part. In this one we are going to go over "inside" and "outside" picking. These are two techniques that can really put you over the edge speed wise. For many, many years I ignored these two things and relied soley on alternate picking to achieve speedand precision. I had a practice routine for 7-8 years that had me doing two hours of exercises everyday. No matter how hard and long I practiced I could only get so fast using alternate picking only. It was like I had hit a ceiling or something. Don't get me wrong, I got really fast, I just hit a point were practice was useless. As a refresher, "outside picking" is using two or more string runs, the pick, when crossing from one string to another, the pick strokes hit the outside of each string. "Inside Picking" is using two or more string runs, the pick, when crossing from one string to another strikes the area between (or inside) the strings. I like using inside picking when going from lower notes to higher notes (like example 1). I like using inside picking when going from higher notes to lower notes (like example 2). Those are just my preferances. They are not the rule. I do have times use them completly opposite. Really it depends on the run. You want to use what works best for you. All of my examples are in A minor.

Example #1 is an "outside picking" run that just works the high E and B strings with three notes per string, going right up through different positions of the scale. Make sure you pay attention to how it's picked.

Example #2 is an "inside picking" run that again works the high E and B strings, with three notes per string and goes down through different positions. Again make sure to pay attention to the picking.

Example #3 is an "outside picking" run that takes you through the third position of the A minor scale. I have it seperated by bar lines, not for proper rythym division but for when you start the "inside picking" over again. Think of each seperation as it's own two string run.

Example #4 is an "inside picking" run that takes you through the second position of the A minor scale. Again Ihave it seperated to see the "two string" runs.

In all of the examples make sure you pay close attention to how it is picked so that you are really doing the inside and outside picking correctly. The key is to have them clean and clear. Start off slowly and build up speed over time. Adapt them to your own style. Try and figure out how to use them in the solos you have already beenplaying. Remember: If it ain't clean, it ain't nothin'. See you all for Part #3.
click on thetab to make it bigger

John Berret

Product Review: Guild GAD-M20 Acoustic/Electric

2011-01-04T21:57:00.000-05:00

This product review is going to be on a guitar company I never gave a second thought to, Guild. I never thought bad or good of them until the Guild rep was in Rock Bottom a couple months a go. He pulled out one of the newer revamped models. I played it and was floored. Last week I walked into the store and saw this beauty staring right at me....the GAD-M20. It was small and stunning. I picked it up and was in love. I had to have it. I have been playing on it and decided to write a review on it and the new company I "discovered" as of late.

First let's get the specs out.

The body style is concert.
The top is made of solid mahogany.
The bracing is scalloped spruce.
The back and sides are solid mahogany.
The scale is 24.75"
The neck is one piece mahogany.
The fretboard is rosewood.
The finger radius is 16"
It is a 20 fret guitar.
It has mother of pearl dot inlays.
The nut and saddle is bone.
The bridge is rosewood.
It has Grover Tuners.
It is designed for optimal sound with gauge .12-.53 strings.
It has Fishmen pick ups/electronics.

With the specs out of the way lets get to how it sounds, you can see how it looks from the picture.It has a full, rich sound. It is very "natural sounding. A lot of newer acoustics just don't sound real to me. This one does. By real I mean like a live sounding acoustic, not something with cheap wood or plastic. It puts out way more non amplified volume than it looks like it should,When you play the guitar softly and lightly it sounds just as crisp and even as it does when you are jamming hard and loud, the same as it does when you are playing just normal too. When you are playing open chords you can hear each individual note shimmer and sing.When playing lead up high on the neck the sound is also clean AND it can be heard. On a lot of acoustics when you play single note lead lines the volume drops and the notes get lost really easy. This one did not. When playing with other acoustic instruments it was heard easily. The overall sound of it reminded me of the great old 70's era folk/country rock music. Think of "Can't You See" by Marshall Tucker. For a guitar made in China it will blow your mind. It can keep up and surpasses alot of American guitars I have played as of late. I played it through a Fender acoustic amp and it sounded just as good as it did unplugged. Same with running it through a P.A. system. It sounds great no matter how you stack it. When you put a strap on it and put it on it sits as perfectly as you would want a guitar to sit. My hands and arms were in a very natural position to be playing. Sitting with it was just as comfortable. Even taking a slide and hitting some old delta blues sounded awesome. It still had volume and the notes still sang, even though in my opinion the thick glass slide sounded best. The glass slide sounded nice and warm on it. The guitar sustains really well too. No matter how hard you get into playing this guitar, you will hear no rattles or buzzes. You just hear the guitar. I know that sounds like something you should expect on a new guitar, that is not always the case. Even in a lot of new acoustic guitars you can hear the tuning keys buzz, some bracing buzz or a battery compartment rattle. This one is clean. In fact the battery is housed in a little "pouch" that Velcros inside the guitar, up at the neck, thus removing any possibility of it rattling. The volume and tone control are inside the sound hole at the top. Invisible to the eye but easy to get to. The input jack is on the bottom strap peg. The guitar is classy and timeless looking.Just the way I like it.

Guild has come a long way in it's 57 year history. This guitar and every model that has come into Rock Bottom Music is top quality at VERY REASONABLE prices. We have got a bunch of them in the past week. Get down and check them out. They will compete with any of your time tested legends like Martin or Taylor, hell it might surpass them. Guild did for me. I got a very top quality Taylor and the guild kills it. Get down to Rock Bottom and play one for yourself. Take my word, you will fall in love just like I did!

John Berret

Spotlight Licks: Bruce Pennington

2011-01-03T11:37:00.000-05:00

This "Spotlight Lick" is brought to you by local guitar guru Bruce Pennington. He has been a top guitar player in Augusta for a good time. He has played in local bands like Catboy, Hunter and Captain Trips, to name a few. He is a master of technique and is a very well versed guitar player. He came to me with a F# minor pentatonic lick. The lick involves string skipping and wide stretches. The idea is to go up and comeback down backwards. You can pick every note or use hammer ons going up and pull offs coming back. Practice it slowly and cleanly at first, making sure you hear the notes and are not sloppy. Once you get moving on this thing you will love it!!! Thanks Bruce!!!

Student Spotlight: Chris Marks

2011-01-01T23:35:00.000-05:00

This edition of "Student Spotlight" is on 12 year old, 7th grader, Chris Marks. Chris attends school at Davidson Fine Arts Academy. Chris plays drums, guitar, bass and piano. He is well seasoned for a musician of all of 12 years old. He has been playing cello for many years. He got into music at around the ripe old age of 7 years. He wanted to play guitar at that age but to prove his interest in playing guitar his mom made him start on piano first. He did the piano for a couple years and his mom and dad got him a guitar along the way. He started teaching himself from various websites and youtube. A couple of years later he started getting his first guitar lessons. While he was taking guitar lessons, and cello at school, he also started taking drum lessons. From what i hear he can play drums good too. He says he has a "somewhat" musical family. He has a brother who is a very promising drummer ( who takes lessons at Rock Bottom) and a Grandfather who also played the cello. While his parents are not musicians themselves, they provide all the support and encouragement a kid could want in a parent. They also have a great taste in music, LOL! Chris's dream guitar would be a Gibson Les Paul Custom. If he could play anywhere it would be the world famous Staples Center, located in Los Angeles California. If he was in a band and could be the opening act for any band in history it would be Guns & Roses. He cites Guns and Roses and Led Zeppelin as his favorite bands. His favorite guitar player is Led Zeps Jimmy Page because he likes his style. If he could be one guitarist for aday it would be Eddie Van Halen. Who wouldn't want to play those songs with Van Halen????? Where does Chris see himself musically in the next five years? He sees himself preparing to go to a good music school to study the cello. He site his improvement in technique as one of the biggest and best things he has taken from my lessons so far. The silliest thing on his Ipod? Techno music, he says his brother loaded it on there. Chris Marks has the ability the become a professional musician and play at the national level in the coming years. I am very pleased with his work ethic. If he chooses that path he very well could become huge. He can play things you don't expect from a 12 year old. If he practices and puts the dedication of a champion in, he will become one. He, as well as all my students who choose this path, will get everything I can do to help them achieve that. Keep your eyes and ears ready to hear Chris as he evolves as a musician. Here is to you Chris......Keep Rockin.....Keep Playing......and Keep Having Fun!!!!

End of the Year

2010-12-27T10:11:00.000-05:00

It's the end of the year 2010. So many things have changed, for the good and for the bad. I would like to do a little year end wrap up and thank everyone who has made this blog a success. This blog is something I started for my students as a place where they could get a little extra something with their lessons and learn about things that go with being a fresh musician.The blog has done very well and has readers well beyond the 40-50 students I have. We regularly get 300-400 hits per week and on lots of occasions we will have 400+ hits a day and in the case were T.C. Electronics picked up on the product review of the Polytune 1000+ a day. We have regular readers all over the globe. I would like to thank the guys who write here. Stoney Cannon, he has wrote about how to get your butt in gear with promotions and press packs, something I would have never even thought of doing and its a VERY IMPORTANT part of being a musician. Micheal "Dork" Dinkins has brought on incite into being original and how bands work and how the people interact with each other, again something I would have never thought of writing about that has benefited my students and many others. Mr. Eric Rinker who has given an insight into how things sound and come up with an awesome multi Media "Spotlight Lick." Thanks to all the guitar players who have contributed to "spotlight Licks" so far. There are people and press who have helped spread the word of the blog Jordon Zeh, Coco Rubio, Verge , Metro Spirit and everyone who "shared" on facebook. Look forward to many new things in the coming year, more guest writers, product reviews, more rock star interviews and many many new things. I would also like to thank Rock Bottom Music and Jonathon Karow for being ultra supportive of students and their musical education. As a student you should also make some New Years Resolutions to become better players and reach for your goals. You students have achieved alot this year and 2011 will be even better! Most important I would like to thank my students. All of you have been very loyal and hardworking. You guys make doing all this fun and exciting. I look forward to working with you all in the coming year. Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spotlight Licks: Eric Rinker

2010-12-14T14:09:00.000-05:00

I've been noticing a lot of cool guitar "licks" and "riffs" here on JohnJohn's blog, so here's my contribution.

This is a guitar line I wrote for my band Artemia. The song is called "Love you Crazy". It's fun, interesting, and probably a bit challenging.
Each section has something a little different in it, so pay attention to details! It's what brings a little style to the table when you play.

To make it even more fun, I'm including the drum tracks for the song so you can play along with it by yourself.
I've also included one with me playing it so you can get an idea of what the final outcome should be.
The tabs are in PDF format, so hopefully you have a reader. You do. But If you don't,

http://adobe.com

This may not be just a lick, but I promise you'll have a lot of fun playing it once you get it down.
Wanna hear the rest of it? Of course you do, and you can if you come see Artemia play!

The song with me playing it...

http://www.divshare.com/download/13500463-741

Here's just the drums. ( 4 count on the hihat and then start rockin')

http://www.divshare.com/download/13500462-2ce

And finally the TABS:
http://www.divshare.com/download/13500464-d22

I really don't like putting my 2 cents on someone's "Spotlight Lick" but i have to on this one. What Eric has done here is simply amazing. He supplied a track of what it should sound like ( he wrote, recorded, mixed, and EVERYTHING!), he supplied a drum backing track for you to play along with ( which he also did everything on) and he supplied the TABS and STANDARD NOTATION for his piece. I am floored and you guys should be too. I am gonna get working on this along with you guys! Thank you very much Eric Rinker!!!

p.s. Eric is known around our area for being an incredible drummer. This piece shows how talented a guitar player, writer, audio engineer and all around amazing musician he is. He doesn't even try to be badass, he just is.

p.s.s. this lick is in standard pitch tuning with a drop D low string (in other words...DROP D)

The Importance Of..................Proper Picking Technique Part #1

2010-12-13T10:32:00.000-05:00

The "Importance Of" having a proper picking technique can not be understated. I was having a conversation with a musician buddy this weekend, one who's opinion I greatly respect, and he was talking about someone he knew who needed help with some picking techniques. The way that they were picking in a particular song or two was making it difficult to get the passages played cleanly and evenly. This happens to alot of players. When a guitar player first starts reading about inside, outside, alternate, etc. picking being used by their favorite players, they want to apply it to all aspects of their playing, even when it might not be called for. I am gonna go over some different picking techniques, give examples and do my best to explain them. First let's go through and give definitions of each.

1. Downstroke- picking only going downward
2. Upstroke- picking only going upward
3. Alternate Picking- using upstrokes and downstrokes together
4. Outside Picking- using two string runs so called because as you cross from one string to another the pick strokes come from the outer side of each string pair
5. Inside Picking- using two string runs, so called because the pick, when crossing from one string to another, strikes the area between or inside the two strings
6. Hybrid Picking- using a pick and your fingers
7. Finger Picking- using your fingers to strike or "pick" the strings
8. Sweep Picking- used most of the time with arpeggios. you use the pick to "rake" the strings; the pick "sweeps" the strings. think of the pick falling up and down the strings
9. Legato- means tied together:picking the string one time then doing hammer ons or pull offs on the string smoothly: going note to note only picking once.

example #1 is an example of using downstrokes only. Metallica are the kings of using only downstrokes in their playing. Used with palm muting it can make a riff more powerful. This is a riff that is kinda Metallica-esque. Use all DOWNSTROKES.

example #2 is using only upstrokes. It's based in A minor diatonic. Use all UPSTROKES.

example #3 is using alternate picking. Try and play any Slayer without using alternate picking. Try it . I dare you. You cant do it! This is a Slayer-esque riff. Use ALTERNATE picking.

Just "Click" on the tab paper to make it bigger, if you have trouble reading it.

This is just Part #1 of a two or three part series on Picking Technique. I will have more examples and uses of each kind coming up and a special "Sweep Picking" article in the future by a surprise guest writer. Even though my picking examples so far have used heavy metal type example the techniques described apply to all and every style of music. Have fun with this and see you soon for part #2!!!

Finger and Joint Pain

2010-12-07T21:43:00.000-05:00

Anyone who has known me for any extended period of time knows i have rheumatoid arthritis. At times it can be crippling. Walking and moving, let alone playing is impossible. I have had more than normal the amount of students ask me about what to do for their pain. I am gonna give some answers the best i can.

If you are suffering from finger cramps sometimes its just low potassium. Eat a banana or take a supplement. It will help in most cases. Eating a multi vitamin cant hurt either. If you keep your body vitamin levels up your brain works better which lets you play better, your body has its nutrients and it performs better.

I have alot of students who are not kids and/or are senior citizens who have some form of arthritis. If you fall in this category make sure you consult with your doctor for some good meds. Celebrex, prednisone and various drugs are great for relieving inflammation. Some great over the counter advil or Tylenol arthritis can help too. There are some great glucosamine supplements that can get your squeaky joints moving. Wall Mart carries them on the cheap.

Another thing for finger stiffness is those bell sounding "chinese" balls. Whenever i feel stiffness starting to set it i roll these things around in my hand. They have no pressure being put on your hand and they feel like they are massaging it. You can get them at any flea market. Another thing that is great for working your fingers are those "finger grip" finger exercises you can pick up at any music store.

Doing finger exercises regularly help keep your fingers and hands limber too. Stretching your arm muscles help your hands too.

If you are experiencing any pain and it becomes severe you just need to stop playing. It will only makes things worse if you push it too far. The more you try things the better you know when it is time to lay back and let your body get the rest it needs to get back in shape. I made the mistake of doing 2 hours of finger exercises after i felt an IMMENSE sharp pain in my forearm. The arm swelled up the next day and i could not play for 3 weeks. The doctor said i tore a tendon.

Alot of musicians do some form of construction work where they put their hands at great risk. Be careful on the job. I cant tell you how many times i smashed a finger with a hammer while doing a roof job back in the day. It always happened the night of a big show too. If you have one of these jobs, be careful.

Other musicians have jobs where they type on a computer all day and get "carpal tunnel" type symptoms from typing all day. These can be greatly painful. The only thing i can tell you here is to go see a doctor.

The best advice i can give is to eat right, treat your body right and listen to your body. It will tell you what you need to do. A good doctor is a must. A good doctor can get you fixed up and back to playing in no time (if thats what you need). Alot of times eating right, exercise and regulating what substances go in your system can make you go from "crampy" and "tight" to loose as a goose and playing all you want. Be safe and happy holidays.

Spotlight Licks: Chris Livingston

2010-12-03T18:12:00.000-05:00

This "Spotlight Lick" comes from Chris Livingston. He is a salesman and professional guitar instructor at Rock Bottom Music. He is also the guitar player for local band 48 Volt.This lick is built off the 3rd position of your a minor pentatonic scale. It is short sweet and to the point. It sound cool slow and it sounds cool played fast and repeatedly. 48 Volt is slated to play at the 12 Bands of Christmas this year and just had a new cd come out. Check out 48 Volt here http://www.myspace.com/48volt

For info for guitar lessons from Chris, stop down to Rock Bottom and see him or call at 706-589-2112.

Christmas Time = Musical Gifts

2010-11-25T20:06:00.000-05:00

Every year around this time I get alot of questions for parents and significant others about what to get their loved ones for Christmas. I get that so much this time a year I decided I should write a little bit on it. For someone just getting interested in music I would recommend on of the Strat, ESP, Banjo, Acoustic and Bass "packs" that we carry. They are packs that range from $99-$200 that have the guitar ( or whatever instrument), amp, strap, picks, cords etc. that you would need to get started. They are a great idea! A Fender Mustang amp is a great step up for the guitar player who is ready for that next step up amp or someone looking for a great practice amp. We got them for $99 for the smaller one. Instrument stands, Rock Bottom T-Shirts and stools are great. Some great "stocking stuffers" are strings, harmonicas (everyone should have one), guitar polish and fast fret, guitar slides, the snark clip on tuner and metronomes. For the gigging musician you could never go wrong getting them the TC Electronics "Polytune" floor tuner for only $99, mic stands are great (you always seem to need one ), a nice new guitar strap and a string winder\string clipper tool sets. These are all great ideas! For the parent who needs some peace and quiet we have the 800 TV Headphones that plug right into most amps. They let the player here what they are playing without everyone else hearing them! These are some of the items i recommend. There are tons of ideas for every price range to keep your musician loved one rocking out and happy. Another great idea is gift certificates for lessons for the budding musician or for a loved one who just wants some new licks. I will be glad to accommodate anyone with a lesson gift certificate! So get on down to Rock Bottom Music and get that Holiday shopping done !

Spotlight Licks: Michael Baideme

2010-11-21T17:52:00.000-05:00

This "Spotlight Lick" is one from local guitar hero Michael Baideme. He has played in a ton of bands for years here in Augusta.He has won countless Lokal Loudness "Favorite Guitarist in Augusta" awards too. He is currently in Sibling String, The Endalls and Famous Last Words. He is a salesman at Rock Bottom Music during the day. He regularly plays 3-5 gigs a week here in town. Check him out on Mondays at the Loft with Famous Last Words and Wednesdays at Joe's Underground. His week end gigs are at various places. He is an encyclopedia of licks. Here is a bluesy lick that is one of his favorites based in E. Click on the tab to make it larger.

Dear Rock Star: Stacey Blades

2010-11-21T15:50:00.000-05:00

This is a new thing I am doing. When ever I get to work with a "real" rockstar I am going to ask them a couple questions to help inspire and guide up and comers. The first one that I am doing is the lead guitar player from L.A. Guns. While he is filling Tracii Guns , the original guitarist and founding member of Guns, he has also [played in alot of other bands like Super Cool ans Smack(amongst others). He is from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He has played on the last three L.A. Guns releases and has toured the world with them since becoming a member in 2002. He also released a book in 2009 called "Confessions of a Replacement Rockstar." He has been a go to guy for many a 80's metal band as a replacement guitar player. He and L.A. Guns were just in our little Augusta, Georgia this past friday, November 19, at Coyote's. Rock Bottom Music brought them here. Rob Boggs, from Quest Sound, mixed them. I got to be the right hand man to both Rob and Jonathon on this show (which is no easy task) and provide the amps that both Phil Lewis (lead singer and rythym guitar player) and Stacey Blades used. My amps have been used by many a rockstar but this was heads and tails above all the rest for excitement for me! After getting everything set up, and before soundcheck, I got to shhot the breeze with Stacey Blades.

Me: What got you into music?
Stacey: I come from a musical family.Everyone was way into piano and always played it.

Me: Did you take any lessons?
Stacey: I took piano lessons at age 9. I got my first guitar, an acoustic, for christmas when i ws 11. I started taking guitar lessons at age 15. After that it was on!!

Me: Who is your guitar playing hero?
Stacey: Randy Rhodes. He was my guy and still is.

Me:Did you ever get to see him play live?
Stacey: No I didn't. I wish I did.

Me:You have any advice for any up and coming guitar players?
Stacey: Listen to as many different players and styles as you can and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!!!!

Me: What advice would you leave a musician wanting to be in a band?
Stacey: Love what you do. Give it hell> there is absolutely nothing you can't accomplish if you try.

Stacey Blades and all of L.A. Guns were a joy to work with. World class pros with a great attitude. They tore the roof off the place. The musicianship was amazing. If you get a chance to go see them do it. here is a video of one of my favorite songs, Rip and Tear

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvh0n3Gfq7c

here is some of stacey rippin it up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXsJtjpKpBY

Learn From.............. Led Zeppelin

2010-11-09T21:25:00.000-05:00

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

Spotlight Licks : Brian Thrift

2010-11-01T23:38:00.000-04:00

This week's "Spot Light Lick" is a Jake E Lee inspired lick from Rock Bottom Music's very own Brian Thrift. Brian is an Augusta music scene veteren guitar player. He has played in countless bands and is a great player. He is a premeire salesman too. He has worked at many an Augusta music store. His lick is based on the 4th position of the A minor pentatonic scale. It is a great example of pull offs. Just click on the tab picture to blow it up bigger. Have fun!

Student Spotlight: Jeramie McCloud

2010-10-28T10:56:00.000-04:00

This months student spotlight is on a 25 year old self professed "army brat" Jeramie McCloud. Jeramie has been playing guitar seriously for 11 years now. He has been taking lessons from me since February 2010. He is an accomplished metal player. He is part of a band from Texas called "Shadow Kill Clan." The band has released a full length cd and it is brutally terrific! I will send you links at the end to check it out. Some of his influences are Slayer, Korn, Slipknot, Pink Floyd, Micheal Jackson and Sade. Being a military brat he has lived all over the country. His dream guitar would be a custom 7 string Gibson Les Paul with Seymour Duncan Blackout pick ups. I asked Jeramie with all the places you have played what places would you like to play? He told me he would love to play in Antarctica because its a cold desolate place, Japan because that's a stop for every one that's a metal great or even space!!!! If he could play guitar for anyone that's ever been around in history it would be Micheal Jackson. He is a self professed Micheal Jackson freak! If he could tour the world with any band it would be Prodigy. Jeramie got into playing guitar because his grand dad played. He wanted to play metal because there are not too many black people represented in metal. Another thing that got him into playing was seeing Hall and Oats on a TV Christmas special playing Jingle Bells and the white stratocaster being played mesmerized him. The Van Halen video "Hot For Teacher" was also a turning point. Seeing the close up of guitar god Eddie Van Halen got him the guitar bug. Why did Jeramie want to come get lessons? He wanted to unlearn bad habits and be more than just a "metal" guy. He just wanted to get better and be able to convey more emotion in his music.The things Jeramie have gotten the most out of lessons? He has had alot of his questions answered and it is just plain exciting to come. The most embarrassing thing on his ipod? Britney Spears and other bubble gum pop!! Jeramie is an accomplished metal player with the desire to expand his musical horizons. I am pleased to be his teacher. Shadow Kill Clan is a great band. I enjoy it .If you like metal you will too. He is an easy going guy with awesome musical aspirations and hopes to be part of our countries armed forces. So here is to you Jeramie....Keep Rockin.....Keep Playing.......and Keep Having Fun!!!!!!!

to check out Shadow Kill Clan go to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdC6isMCKuA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R749RMwdzQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58qUXwvmqv4

http://www.youtube.com/shadowkillclan.com

http://www.myspace.com/shadowkillclan

The Bizz with the Buzz:'Ear It Is Mate by:Stoney Cannon

2010-10-22T22:13:00.000-04:00

The Biz with the Buzz: 'Ear It is Mate...

So I know it's been a while since our last get-together kiddies and by now you should have, in addition to a smoking hot band, a choice visual representation of your group for promotional purposes. You and your band buds have marked your spot in time with a great photo usable for any promotional opportunity that may come your way including ink press PLUS you've created a cool bio that's somehow short and to the point yet chock full of information on your soon-to-be drawing band! You've even managed to take all of that, toss in an easy to decipher logo and spread it across the interwebs just in case a prospective booker or journalist prefers to fetch your info online. It's all there. Right? Hmmm...seems that something might be missing. You have all the tools to get those first "in the trenches" gigs but you're already thinking ahead...thinking about the bigger clubs, festivals, county fairs, even maybe submitting to try and get a spot during a music conference or one of those online battle of the bands contests that are sponsored by some beer or liquor company. You're thinking - "well dang we need to record that next modern rock hit that we have in our musical arsenal!" You've got a nifty batch of original tunes. You have a need to get 'em out to the world and make ears bleed! You think your bands' tunes are bad ass enough to rock faces off? Well...OK...so what are ya gonna do about it?

Over the years young up and coming bands have taken many routes to record their material. In the sixties you had reel to reel recorders, seventies saw the arrival of cassette tape decks, the eighties took those up a notch with inexpensive 4-track cassette recorders, the nineties upped the anti by taking the technology and going digital and of course all along bands could simply fork out some cash and venture into a recording studio. By the time Y2K hit just about any musician with a good computer and a bit of software could track their next opus in the comfort of their own bedroom, garage, kitchen, even bathroom. The dawn of this period unfortunately also led to some of the most God-awful recordings being hoisted on indie music scenes all across the globe ever. Now any yahoo who just happened to have a slew of clueless friends blowing constant smoke up their ass could take that new found false bravado and record and put out 5-star recordings based on the best buddy rating system. Too bad other rating systems usually gave these same recordings a "suck" rating. Hey I know, it's tough. Quality recording on a shoe-string budget can be tough, but there are ways to make do in the beginning.

Before you are quick to decide that you can be the next Mutt Lange over night because Santa brought you a new PC and cheap recording software for Christmas...don't. Ask around. The good part about the D.I.Y. (do it yourself) PC recording revolution is that for every 100 wannabe's, there are at least a couple of bedroom engineers who have figured out how to make above-average recordings. Chances are, you find one of these guys and you can get a decent demo for a low price, heck maybe even free. Further investigation could turn up some underground studios, places that record top notch stuff but don't really push the fact that they record. These places, like say Sector 7G, offer up great prices in the $15 - $30 per hour range and for those who are good at pre-planning, further discounts for reserved blocks of recording time. An underground studio that charges low rates will always be a better bet over an actual fully functional studio offering similar rates. The part-time studio will be able to relate with your love of music while the big studio probably will just see you as a chance to make some change between their big money commercial jingle accounts. More studio equipment and a snazzy room is great but nothing beats an engineer that is sincerely interested in what you are trying to get on tape. These cool dudes are usually found at the smaller studios. Heck, why do you think the Jam Room in Columbia, SC is so popular? Great rates (the punk rock special is a long-time Jam Room fave) and guys that will go militant to get your band a cool recording.

So, you're ready to commit that first real original masterpiece to tape...so you can spam the interwebs with it...well good luck and good hunting!

Here are a few great options to look into:

"Bat Cave Productions" in Evans Ga 706-830-3537

"Sector 7 G" in Augusta Ga nick7g@gmail.com

"The Jam Room" Columbia SC

http://www.jamroomstudio.com

You can check out more about Stoney at http://www.lokalloudness.com

and at

http://www.confederationofloudness.com

Acoustic vs Electric: What Should I Start With?

2010-10-20T18:24:00.000-04:00

As an instrument teacher I am asked very often, " I am wanting to start playing guitar, what should I buy? An acoustic or electric guitar?" I never really thought about it too much at first. I would just reply " What ever you want." I thought about it real hard about a year ago how i should answer this. I came up with a couple of good answers. I will break them down. That way any people who have just picked up my card and are thinking about playing or purchasing a guitar can get an answer.

1) What type of music do you want to play? This helps me decide what to say. If you are into Nirvana or Slayer why would you want an acoustic? If you are into Jack Johnson or Joni Mitchell why would you want an electric? You pick the guitar based on what you want to play. If you are a rock, metal or grunge person you want the guitar that's going to give you the sound of the music you want to play. That guitar is an electric one. If you are into singer song writers or acoustic music in general you want to get an acoustic guitar. Basicaly you look at the type of guitar the bands that you are into are playing and get the same type. If Toby Keith is playing an acoustic and you like him, you get an acoustic. If Tom Morello is playing electric, you get an electric.

2)What is your budget? If you have around $150 and up and you want to rock out with an electric get one. If your money situation at the time has your budget below that get an acoustic. If you are into the metal and rock you are going to need an amp and that is extra money. If you want to get playing on a low budget go ahead and get the acoustic and then save up for the electric and amp. You can get a good acoustic for $150 and lower. We have tons of them at the store that are great.

Those are the two main factors I look at when answering " Should I get an acoustic or electric to start with?" I have heard a million times that people are told they should with acoustic then go to electric. Really it is up to you. The guitar is set up the same for both. All the theory, chords, scales etc.,you use on one you will use on the other. It is really just based on what kind of music you want to play. I can say that when you start it is EASIER to play an electric because the strings are lighter. Some of the acoustic guitars coming out now a days are alot easier on the hands then they were 10 years ago. So if you are wanting to buy a guitar and start playing think about what I just wrote and then go buy one. See you down at Rock Bottom Music!!!

The Importance Of..........Knowing Your Fretboard

2010-10-14T20:27:00.000-04:00

This installment of "The Importance Of" is about the importance of knowing your fretboard notes. It does any bass or guitar player good to know where any note is at any given time. Knowing the notes helps you find chords when you want and find the root notes of any scale you want. Its also a big plus to know where everything is at when it is time to rip a solo. When you first look at a guitar or bass it can be over whelming looking at all the frets and strings and wondering how many notes you have to learn. In all reality there really isn't much to learn. If you are good at picking up patterns it's especially a breeze! To help you learn them lets get a couple ground rules first. The first one is knowing that the musical alphabet goes A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Once you get to G it all starts back over at A. What you wind up with is a constant cycle of ABCDEFGABCDEFGABCDEFG. The second rule is every note is a whole step away from every other note except for two notes - E to Fand B to C are half steps (reminder- half step is going up or down 1 fret, whole step is going up or down 2 frets). The third thing is know the name of your strings - (6)low E, (5)A, (4)D, (3)G, (2)B and (1) high E. Knowing our rules you can go up each string without even having a chart.We are going to do natural notes only, meaning NO sharps (#) or flats (b). For both E strings you start out with the open E, go a 1\2 step to the first fret for F, whole step G, whole step A, whole step B, half step C, whole step D and a whole step to the 12th fret to bring you back to E. On your 5th or A string you start out with open A, whole step to 2nd fret B, half step C, whole step D, whole step E, half step F, whole step G, and whole step to A. Your D or 5th string, open D, whole E, half F, whole G, whole A, whole B, half C, whole back to D. The 3rd or G string, open G, whole A, whole B,half C, whole D, whole E, half F and whole G. Your 2nd or Bstring is open B, half C, whole D, whole E, half F, whole G, whole A and whole back to B. We only go to our 12th fret because once you get it down up to your 12th fret you realize its the same from the 12th fret upwards as it was from open to your 12th fret. I am including a fret board diagram in this. It goes along with what we just went over. I have had students get the fret board down by doing what we just did and others get it down by using the diagram and still others by just memorizing what I say in lessons. Any way that works for you is the best way. As long as you get it down it does not matter how you do it or how long it takes you. Learn it front wards,back wards across and any which way you can. It is a very very valuable piece of knowledge and it crucial to becoming a guitar master.To see the fretboard diagram bigger just click on the picture and it will blow up to full screen size.Also for the 4 string bass guitar just get rid of the high E and the B string andthe string numbers change to E-4, A-3, D-2, G-1st string. Hope you get the fret board down and realize "The Importance of Knowing Your Fretboard!"

Spotlight Licks

2010-10-07T19:50:00.000-04:00

I am gonna start something new called "Spotlight Licks." It might not be every week but will be close to it. I am going to include myself and other guitar players I come across. It's just little nibbles and bits to expand your lick vocabulary. It might help you or it might not. It is something I think will be fun and give you an insight into a players mind. The first one is one of my licks with the first partbeing from something Micheal Baideme showed me. It is based of the A minor blues scale and the A dorian mode. You will want to use a downstroke for the first notes and an upstroke on the next notes. I am talking about the notes where it is fret 7 on the b string and 8 on the e as the first notes and the up on the 5th fret b and 5th fret e string notes. The rest you can kinda feel how you want to pick it. I just use alternate picking. The first notes ( 7&8 fret one) there is a 1/4 step bend on the 7th fret note on the b string. Just hit the two notes together and bend the 7th fret b string note a 1/4 step, let it ring for a second and proceed to the rest of the lick. You can make the timing however you feel. I can bet once you play it you will make it your own. You can click on the picture of the lick to make it bigger.I got some great licks from great players coming in the future. Have fun and hit that woodshed!!!!

Product Review: TC Polytune

2010-10-03T21:05:00.000-04:00

This months product review is on TC Electronics Polytune floor tuner. I know I have been writing alot about tuners but they are so vital I feel it is necessary. I came across this product and felt it needed to be talked about. I review products I believe in and believe will be an asset to players. This Polytune pedal is one of the most amazing pieces of technology I have come across in a while. I am gonna get the specs out of the way first.

The tuning accuracy is +/- 0.5 cent. The power supply is a 9 volt battery or 9 volt dc adapter. The input impedance is 500kOhm with the pedal on. Reference pitch is A4=435 to 445 Hz (1 hz steps). The current draw is 45-50 mA.

Lets get down to the tuner itself and its features. It is a true bypass pedal. I put the pedal in many areas of my pedal chain to see if it messed with the sound any. I had a Cry Baby wah, Boss d-3 delay, Boss eq, Digitech Whammy pedal, Boss super Chorus, MXR Phaser and an Angry Troll linear boost pedal ran in my board. I put the Polytune before and after every signal pedal to see how it did. It had no effect at all no matter where I put it in the chain. I dug that. I HATE floor tuners because they normally mess with my sound. This one did not. First big reason I liked it. Next is what it can tune. It can tune your guitar and any 4, 5, and 6 string bass. There is a button on the back on each side of the pedal. You hit the button right under where is says Polytune to select guitar or bass. It also lets you pick if you want the display to read the typical "needle" or if you want it to stream. This is a chromatic tuner and a POLYPHONIC tuner. Polyphonic is a fancy way of saying IT TUNES ALL THE STRINGS AT THE SAME TIME!!!!! I had seen the ad for this tuner in a guitar magazine and was very intrigued. Now that I had one to try I was excited to do it. First though I had to set it to the tuning I wanted. The button on the back lets you pick if you want standard, 1/2 step down, whole step down and then some. I picked 1/2 step down and went for it. I strummed all the strings and damn if it did not read them all. It was easy to read. Its got double dots to represent each string, almost like mini side ways needles. I tuned up and then just hit each string individually. If you just hit a string it automatically switches to a chromatic tuner. That works the other way too. If you want to check all the strings you just strum and it automatically switches to polyphonic. It is just as accurate weather its in chromatic or polyphinic modes. You can not only pick if you want standard, 1/2 step down , etc for your tuning, you can also calibrate if you want it to be down to A=435 or up to 445. You just hold down both buttons on the back and use each individual button to go up or down with the pitch. Simply amazing. I tuned up three different guitars with it. My Berkshire, my Gibson Explorer and my acoustic/electric Taylor 810. It tuned each one with ease. I then checked each guitar against two other tuners- an intellitouch clip on tuner and my $300 Korg rack tuner. The TC was dead on. The intellitouch gets you close. The korg gets you there too. The TC was the first tuner that I ever used that I DID NOT HAVE TO DO ANY ADJUSTING TO!!!I have always hated floor tuners, and most clip tuners, because even after I tune I have to sit and still do adjustments. The Polytune was perfect. I used the Polytune at my gig this weekend and also found out two more interesting features. One is that if you use the adapter feature it also has a power out so that you can use it to daisy chain pedal power off of!!! It also has an ambient light sensor on the front of it that automatically adjusts the brightness of the display depending on how bright the area the pedal is in. You will always be able to see the display!!!! This pedal is more than good enough to set up your intonation on your guitar too. I set up my Gibson Explorer with it just to test it out and my ear told me the tuner was dead on.

I know this has been a long winded review. I can not help myself on this one. I actually got goosebumps using this tuner. I got hyped up. I know its a dorky guitar player thing to do but I want everyone to know how great this is. It is a must have for any bass, acoustic/electric and electric guitar player. Rock Bottom Music has them on sale for $99. There is no floor tuner that can compare and it is just as good as any high dollar rack tuner. For $99 you can not beat this. It is a must have for any serious player. Get down to Rock Bottom and check it out. I am very much thanking Jonathon Karow for letting me get my hands on this pedal. The TC Electronics Polytune is beyond a homerun!!

for more on the polytune go to http://www.tcelectronic.com/polytune.asp

Student Spotlight: Blake Sloan

2010-09-28T20:40:00.000-04:00

This "Student Spotlight" is on an up and comer named Blake Sloan. He is 13 years old and is in 8th grade at North Augusta Middle School. He has been playing guitar for around 5-6 years now. He has been taking lessons from me since April 2010. He started playing guitar because he has a brother who got him into it. His brother is a former student of mine named Aaron Sloan who was in a local band called the J man Band. There are several musicians in his family from his brother Aaron to cousins. Blake also plays saxophone and piano. I have had the pleasure of watching Blake really improve in the last two months. He practices regularly and it shows in his playing. I have witnessed his fingers and hands getting faster and stronger and his timbre improve greatly. His favorite band out there is Weezer. His dream concert bill to be a part of would be Metallica opening the show, Weezer in the middle and his band closing it out. He would love for his band to be a nice mix of Metallica and Weezer. If he could get a guitar lesson from any guitar player in history it would be Eddie Van Halen. Why Eddie Van Halen? "Eruption......that's enough said....if someone can create a song like Eruption I would love to know how his mind works" is what Blake's response was. If there was one place in the world he could play a gig at it would be Times Square in New York City. Blake said playing there and being around all those people would be a thrill. Blake's dream guitar would be a Gibson Les Paul Gold Top. I asked Blake where he sees his self musically in 5 years and he told me " Playing in a band regionally around the south east." The most embarrassing song on his ipod is Fur Elise. That's not really that embarrassing, I love that song!!! When Blake gets out of high school he wants to attend the University of South Carolina. He hopes to grow up to be a neurologist. He certainly has the brains and work ethic to be one. I have witnessed how smart he is first hand. He is a bright kid. Blake told me the most important thing he has gotten from lessons so far is a life lesson that if you learn to read music it takes you a long way with other instruments too and that as far as guitar goes finger exercises get you precision and quickness. So here is to you Blake........keep rockin...keep playing.....and keep having fun!!!!

The Importance Of..................Practicng at Standard Pitch

2010-09-24T23:25:00.000-04:00

This installment of "The Importance Of" focuses on practicing at standard (440=A) pitch. I'm not talking about band practice or free jamming, I'm talking about when you are going over scales, chords or anything from our lessons. It's important for a variety of reasons. One is that when you hear, say for example, an A note, that you know that it is really an A note. I practiced for years tuned to the tuning i used for my band, 1/2 step down ( low to high- Eb, Ab, Gb,Db, Gb, Bb, Eb), and it made my sense of pitch all whacked out. When i would do my ear training i would always get the note a 1/2 step off!!! Knowing what a note sounds like and being able to tell what it is, is a great tool to have. When you can listen to a song and not have a guitar in your hand and figure it out is awesome!!! I do it alot when i have songs to learn for a fill in gig. Once I started doing all my practicing in standard pitch my ear got nicely fine tuned. When I practiced my scales tuned to 440 I was able to learn solos alot easier. Granted, when I play with my band I still play a 1/2 step down but, I know the note i want to hit that I hear in my head because I know what that note is now!!! So a word to the wise, get yourself a tuner and do all the things I give you to do tuned up to standard pitch!! We have so many tuners at Rock Bottom Music at low prices there is no excuse for you to not be tuned up!!! We have some incredible Seiko tuners, Korg tuners, and the new "snark" and some others i know I am missing. So get a tuner and get to getting that ear and your hands in shape!!

Music 101 with Dr. Dork : Originality

2010-09-21T19:52:00.000-04:00

Songwriting is crucial for an original musician. However, when you stop to reflect on the last 50 years not to mention the last 500, it appears as if there is nothing new under the sun that one can do. At what point are we simply just regurgitating what we heard someone else do? I bring this up because I see it all around me and struggle with it myself when contributing to music that my bands write. The other day, I popped in a CD I hadn’t heard in a few years—Dream Theater’s ‘Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence’ and noticed that the drum intro on the track ‘The Test That Stumped Them All’ was very similar to something I had used as an intro fill for the L.i.E. song ‘Normal Rockswell’ – Of course, my part was in 7/8 while Portnoy was playing alternating 7/8 and 6/8 and he used the snare more … but who cares about the details, right? My idea stemmed from his ide so did I rip him off? At least I can honestly say it wasn’t done consciously.

But that’s just me, and I’m only one person… and that example is fairly innocuous. However, the other day, a friend recommended I check out this band. I did, only to find that the song to which he linked me essentially contained a carbon copy of parts lifted right out of Green Day’s ‘Basket Case’ and Blink 182’s ‘All The Small Things’ except with bad guitar tone. Granted, said band listed Green Day as a major influence, but I found it hard to believe this band could consider this to be their original music and not only make a music video to go with the song, but they’re also selling it online.

Where do you draw the line? Indeed, there are only so many chords and keys and time signatures available… and we can’t possibly know every phrase from every song ever written. In the age of the Internet, it seems more people have bands than have flown in airplanes. We have what seems to be an exponential rise in the amount of music available and with it, ever more things that are hard to distinguish from anything else you might run across. I try my best to listen to most of the bands that play live in Augusta if I have not heard of them because you never know when you’ll find something really interesting. However, it has long been past the point that I can tell with a modicum of certainty what a band sounds like just by looking at their photo… but now I’m almost to the point that I can guess the average number of single-note chugga-chugga breakdowns per song or whether the singer will sound like Scott Stapp or Aaron Lewis.

John Berret encourage me to put together a show featuring bands that I think exemplify well-crafted music that stands apart from what we might would call ‘run-of-the-mill.’ In doing so, my band mates in Artemia decided to go with a pair of bands that we all really found entertaining in their live show as well as just being extra creative in their artist endeavors. For all intents and purposes though, both bands are instrumental with vocals used sparingly. I thought about how that could be considered “odd,” but then again I always found it odd when others would tell me thought some band was awesome when I couldn’t even hear the vocals over the guitar hiss and distortion… so… why not? Sinister Moustache http://www.sinistermoustache.com/
and Kings of Prussia (asheville nc)http://myspace.com/kingsofprussia
are the two bands in question, and honestly… in 20 years of playing music and seeing bands, I’d put these guys up against anyone in the business and strongly suggest everyone listen to several songs from each group before deciding whether or not you’re ready to move on to the next thing. Both of these bands held my attention the entire time they were on stage the last time I saw each of them, and that is a rarity for most people no matter what. Like every other artist/band out there, these bands are also borrowing ideas, but it is how those ideas are executed that is the salient point here. Genre-crossing is another feature that keeps you on your toes…

The take-away message is pretty simple… originality may not earn you quick popularity as an artist, but at least you won’t end up like this (and I don’t mean very wealthy!!) -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs4tNeGyTyI&feature=related

(You can see Kings of Prussia and Sinister Moustache at Sky City on Friday, October 8 at Sky City with Artemia and The Radar Cinema. You can also see Artemia at Sector 7G with L.i.E., Suns Collide, Roselyn, Rusty Shackleford and Nine Day Descent on Saturday, October 2. Feel free to criticize their songwriting.)

The Importance Of...........Finger Exercises

2010-09-14T19:20:00.000-04:00

In this segment of "The Importance Of" we are gonna focus on something very specific......finger exercises. It doesn't matter if its your first day playing or you have been playing for thirty years, they are a huge benefit. The first one I start my students off with is the classic "1,2,3,4," exercise. Its where you start with your first finger on the first fret of your low E string, pluck it, go to your second finger second fret, pluck it, then third finger third fret, pluck it, then fourth finger fourth fret, pluck it. You continue this exercise across every string. Once you have made it across go back to your low E string, move up to the second fret and repeat the process. Do this all the way up your neck to the twelth fret.You want to do this and all exercises evenly and smoothly. Make sure every note is clear. You also need to do this with a metronome. Set the metronome to a speed where every "click" is on your one beat.That means every time you hear a click you are moving to the next string. Nothing will get your hands moving better than proper finger exercises that are done properly. They will get you playing better very quickly and are great for warm ups before a gig , band practice or when you are just jamming in your bedroom. I have my exercise sheet posted here for all to see. Feel free to use them. Just remember to start off slowly. Make sure you do them clean. There is absolutely nothing worse than hearing a sloppy player. These will get you un-sloppy. Everyone starts slow. Dont feel like you have to be all macho and play them at a super speed and sloppy. I cant say it enough...DO THEM CLEAN AND IN TIME!!!! You will eventually get them to a fast speed. Remember to have fun with them and never forget "The Imporatnce of Finger Exercises!"

The Bizz with the Buzz:Pleased To Meet You by:Stoney Cannon

2010-09-10T00:06:00.000-04:00

The Biz with the Buzz: Please to Meet You...

So now that you've reaped the benefits of knowledge handed down from from your best friend, your music instructor, and of course whichever influential music gods have tickled your ears, it's time to get out of that little rehearsal cubicle whether it's your bedroom, a friends garage, or your instructor's room in back of the music store. You and your buds have a band...now all that's left is to take on the world...right? You've seen the movie: kid picks up guitar, plays a show, gets seen, makes a record, and becomes the next biggest thing since that Justin Bieber kid. (OK bad example...if he can make I guess anyone can). Well unfortunately life doesn't always play out like in the movies otherwise, we'd all be rock stars. Not everyone can just sky rocket to the top like the Wonders from the movie "That Thing You Do."
So like I was saying before getting sidetracked - you and your buds have a band...and you're pretty good...getting better everyday but still...pretty good. You're working on getting a gig and excitement is starting to swell for you and your bandmates but slow down...don't forget - first impressions are everything. You can create the biggest hype in the world...but if you can't live up to it...well I'll leave the onstage prep to the pros who write those type of columns here...my job is to talk about the hype...just make sure you're ready for that point before you jump into it. But first impressions in the way you promote yourself is pretty important too. Do you want to step out into the world as the next up and coming band or just a bunch of kids out to make some noise? (Don't answer that, I still like to make noise too!) Your band sounds good, plays good, has all the moves down...now you just have to get your future fans interested in actually coming out to see you play. That starts with how you want to present yourself to the public. Things that will come into play from everything to flyers, posters, promo kits, even how the press presents you. Sure you want to record the next rock classic...but right now, who's gonna buy it outside of your releatives, friends, and slightly significant others?
One thing that irks me is a band that is impossible to get any information on. I can't count how many times I've had to work on an article and have gone to a band's MySpace only to find a confusing bio, a bunch of very badly taken live photos, and a band logo that looks like a page from an ink blot test. Incomplete names of band members doesn't help much either. When you're rich and famous you can do whatever you want...but out of the starting gate...there's nothing more important that getting your point across. Artistic license comes only after people care what you have to say.
So you decide that your next step to getting your band out to the masses is to create a web presence. For young bands this usually means a free site involving MySpace, Facebook, Reverbnation, etc. or all of the above. When it comes to logo art only MySpace leaves you room to really flex your artistic muscles and there's a reason for that. In the early stages most prospective fans bookers, promotors, venue owners, etc. are only concerned about a few things, the name of the band, the music of the band, a direct visual of the band, a contact, and possibly your story. They could care less about your logo until you're booked and they want to put your posters up then they still probably won't even hardly notice them alongside the many others they have to put up around the venue. You have a name, you're working on music, so how about we work on two things that every promo and press pack, whether in print or digital, should have, a good promo picture and a well written band biography.
Now for a new band a good bio should contain a few very important elements - the members of the band (with correct first and last names please, you do want the lokal paper to write about you don't you?), a short to the point history with a few unique tidbits, good grammar/spelling, and whatever you do please try to avoid any words that sound like they come straight out of a comic book. No one cares that your guitar player might "have the fiery intesity of a young Steve Vai." That may be true but they will either find out via your demo (more on that next time) or if and when you play their venue. Keep in mind, not every venue booker books bands they like or are familiar with. Bobby Booker at Club Rock My Sack Off might not have the first clue who Steve Vai is based on the fact that while he books hard rock, his guilty pleasure listening ipod is filled with tracks by Air Supply and Culture Club. Stick to the basics and remember, keep it short and simple. Oh yeah, and remember to include a contact name and number. Someone who is NOT in the band.
So you have this bio that tells your story and now people are reading it and are interested. Interested enough to ponder "Gee I wonder what these guys look like?" Well seeing how it's always good to make a venue booker or music writer's life easier, you just happened to also send a great photo of the band with your great bio. But what's this? The picture is of the band from a distance in a field or...is that a cemetary? There's four or five guys, I think, but you can barely tell what they look like! The guy working on what couple be great free press via an article of your band to promote an upcoming show loves your bio, wants to maybe talk to the band, but...scraps the article in favor of another band. Why? Because your photo taken at a distance will not reproduce in black and white screen and to top it off, with the smaller size the paper wants to run of your photo, readers will barely be able to make out the band. Sounds far fetched but trust me, the paper is more concerned with a good looking product than your rookie band. They can always find another young band with a cool story yet with a GREAT picture! You might be asking "Stoney? No field of trees? No cemetary? Well how about a brick wall or maybe even the train track bridge that goes over the Savannah River?" Well in response I will say that those are all fine ideas but...FOR THE LOVE OF GOD NO! This is your first promo picture so let me toss some great rules out for you that will work every time (even well known bands have been known to consistently use these throughout their careers)...
1. Close tight knit shot of your band from the waist or shoulders up.
2. Make sure everyone relatively is dressed like they belong in the same band. (A guy in pink Izod looks odd surrounded by dudes in black leather and spikes)
3. Please try and refrain from wearing shades or baseball caps. Unless you're Hootie and the Blowfish, this just makes you look like the next hobby band.
4. Get someone with a decent camera to take several shots. You're bound to get a good first promo shot without going to Olin Mills.
So there you go...you now have the means to show and tell people about your band...soon you will blister them with your demo...but for now...get to plastering that info on your MySpace, Facebook, Reverbnation, whatever page...your takeover of the music world has begun...

John "Stoney" Cannon

you can check more about Stoney out at his all things lokal music website at
http://www.lokalloudness.com

and check out his lokal musicinternet radio show at
http://www.confederationofloudness.com/

Check This Out: Mark Schulman Drum Clinic

2010-09-03T10:15:00.000-04:00

On September 9, 2010 at 7 p.m. at Rock Bottom Music Augusta world class drummer Marc Schulman will be doing a clinic. He is well respected in the rock, pop and jazz communities. Along with being a drummer , he is a classically trained cellist. When he was a teenager he played with the Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic. He is currently the drummer for world wide recording artist Pink. He played drums for her " I'm not dead" and "Funhouse" tours. He also plays a little cello for her too. Some of the other bands\artist Mark has played for are Sheryl Crow, Foreigner, Stevie Nicks, Destiny's Child, Billy Idol, Cher (on her Believe and farewell tours), Udo Lidenburg and Eikichi Yazwa, he was Velvet Revolver's drummer when they did Ozzfest ( I was at that Ozzfest!!!) and he was the drummer for 80's hit makers Simple Minds. He got to play the Glastonbury Music Festival for over 200,000 people when he played with Simple Minds!!! That right there is a musicians dream come true!

Marc is an educator as well. He taught at the Los Angeles Music Academy. A guy with this much life experience and worldly knowledge who is an educator has alot to offer up and coming musicians as well as a seasoned musician. Being a drummer and a cello player he will have a lot of insight into how music is put together and what it takes to become a master at both. With the world class players he has [played with he will have wisdom to share that he learned from working with them. Mark will have stories of being on the road all over the world. With him being an educator he will be able to put it into terms we will be able to learn from. He is also music producer trained audio engineer and is part owner of West Triad Recording Studio in Venice California. He will have vast knowledge on how to achieve desired sounds in a studio environment.

So make sure all you students of mine or anyone looking for something cool to go to, or anyone looking to learn something new, get yourself down to Rock Bottom Music , located on the corner of 8th street and Broad street, in downtown Augusta Georgia on Thursday September 9, 2010 at 7 p.m.This is a FREE and ALL AGES EVENT!!!!! Rock Bottom's address is 758 broad street. the number is 706-724-1172 if you need any more info. Stop down and tell me hi!!! I will be there.

Product Review: Egnater Rebel 30 Head and Cab

2010-08-27T19:20:00.000-04:00

This product review is going to be on an outstanding amp....The Egnater Rebel 30. Lets start with a little history....30 years ago Bruce Egnater wanted the tones of his favorite players and could not get it with off the shelf amps.He was an electronics graduate from the University of Detroit's Engineering School. He opened his own repair shop in 1975 to help players get their own tone and to make amps with More distortion and louder volume. For 30 years Egnater has been a benchmark of quality and tone. The particular Egnater amp I am going to give a review on is the "Rebel 30." There are many great Egnater models, such as the Rebel 20, the Tweaker, the Renegade and Tour Master series.

Lets get the amp specs out of the way. It's a 30 watt all tube amp. The clean channel has volume, bass and treble knobs. Wattage control from1-30 watts. It has "tight" and "bright" switches and on the back a reverb control knob with "spillover."The overdrive channel has volume, gain and a 3 band eq knobs. Wattage control from 1-30 watts and "tight" and "bright" control switches. There is a tube mix knob to select your taste of a mix between 6V6 tubes and EL84 power tubes. There is also a reverb knob on back with "spillover."There is a xlr direct record out with play and silent mode recording mode. There is a buffered effects loop and a spot for a footswitch to change channels and turn on and off the reverb. the wood that they are made from is birch plywood. The last spec is there is a 100v\115v\230v voltage selector. There is a very classy\timeless look about this amp too. Black and off white with a beautiful black and white speaker grill cloth with a very tasteful, cursive, Egnater logo on top of the grill cloth.

Now let's get to how they sound. I played few different guitars for a good bit of time each on this amp. I will break it down guitar by guitar. On all guitars i used the same settings for each. On distortion channel the gain was all the way up, low at 3\4, mids at 3 and treble all the way. On clean channel had eq all set at 12 o clock. I messed with the tube mix a little on each but always started it right down the middle. Tube watts was always in the middle.

The first guitar I played was Micheal Baideme's 2003 Les Paul Custom Shop Historic Art '59 Re-Issue. This guitar is amazing in it's own right but through the amp it had a full and rich sound. Pinch harmonics took on a new and exciting tone for me. There was a tight low end and was a perfect mix of vintage and modern guitar tones at the same time. With gain 1\2 way it lost no sustain, all the way up it was endless. The distortion was nice and gritty. I turned the tube mix all the way to 6V6 side and it was very Fender sounding. I messed with the "tight" switch and it made a difference. It made playing a "metal chug" sound very clear at any volume. It really does make it sound "tight." For that reason I kept it on for all guitars. No matter how loud I put the amp the notes and chords very very articulate. I was very pleased with this guitar and the amp. They were a perfect match.

The next guitar was my Berkshire "John John" model. This is my main guitar so i know how this normally sounds in comparison to "my sound." With my pick up selector in the mid position and single coil on it sounded very bluesy. Gritty and dirty, just how i like it. I put my "double' coil on it it had a very 90's alt rock sound. Very awesome.Very Pearl Jammy. I stuck the tube mix on all the way EL84 and it sounded very Black Label Society "Stillborn" tone. On the clean channel on my bridge pick up it was very twangy, chicken pickin, git-r-done ish. Pick up's both on it was very 80's ballad, "Nothing Else Matters" tone. Pure money. I loved it. This amp on clean and overdrive was so crisp...so clean. Bass notes clear asa bell on this channel. The pick ups in my guitar are seymour duncan jv and the jazz.This amp was a perfect mix of the Peavey 5150 and VHT classic 6 that I use to get my tone.

The next guitar was an ESP Viper 300 M right off the shelf at Rock Bottom. It has active EMG 81 and 85 pick ups. On the dirty channel it was a terrific monster of modern metal guitar tone. It sounded like a mesa triple rec on steroids. It was Breaking Benjamin and Avenged Sevenfold tone depending on how hard you played. This guitar with these pick ups just growled!!!No matter how fast or how loud i got every note was crystal clear and shimmering. On the clean channel there was still some grit on the sound because of the high out put pick ups.

The last guitar I used was also Micheal Baideme's. This time it was and amazing ORIGINAL 1963Fender Stratocaster.Of all the guitars, I loved the sound of this one the best throughout this amp. They ALL sounded amazing, this one was just it on this day and time for me. Plugging straight in with the same settings on distortion, this thing had huge balls. ACDC Back In Black all day long. With gain halfway it sounded more Hendrix than Hendrix. I listened to Micheal play on it while it was on clean. So much chicken pickin snap. The mids shined, the trebled shined, the bass shined. Freddie King would give his right arm for this sound, as would I. I think this guitar sounded like gold on the clean channel on this amp.

The Egnater Rebel 30 head and cab are just plain godly sounding. Egnater has been around for over 30 years perfecting amps. This one could be called damn near it. They are priced at the Rock Bottom price of $749.99 for the head and $279.99 for the cab at Rock Bottom Music. Jonathon Karow has a wide selection of tube amps at our store. You need to get down to the corner of 8th and Broad and check these out. They are selling quick at that price. We also have the Egnater "Tweaker" in. Micheal Baideme, who graciously let me play his awesome guitars for this review, bought a "Tweaker" head and is in love with it. An Egnater at this price is a done deal for me. We also have an insane deal on the all tube Peavey XXX amp.$900. That's for the head and a 4\12 cab. If your guitar player you need a good tube amp. Get down to Rock Bottom and at least check this out. Tell 'em John John sent you.

Passing the Torch: Brint Lollar

2010-08-24T07:33:00.000-04:00

In this first edition of "Passing the Torch" I am focusing on a former student of mine named Brint Lollar. Brint is 21 years old and plays guitar in the band L.I.E. He was 16 years old when he started playing guitar. Boredom and a compulsion to do something is why he started playing. Hearing his moms Van Halen records is what got him inspired and its also what he pulled his first riffs from. I remember the meeting that got Brint started taking lessons from me. I was walking down 8th street in downtown Augusta and this kid with wide eyes and kind of nervous came up to me and said "Hey John John, you givin guitar lessons?", I told him yes and gave him my number. He said he had been at 95 Rock when Zakk Wylde had came through and was there when I was jammin with Zakk. The first lesson I gaveBrint I noticed he was extremely smart. He knew alot of theory and tons about the guitar, we needed to work on the execution. Any of my students wondering by now, yes he is the one I tell you about that knew tons about theory, tons about everything, the one that impressed me with that, we just had to get him playing it! The love of prog music and finding new, obscure bands to learn from , is what keeps him playing. He hasbeen in the band L.I.E. for 3 years now. I remember putting Brint on stage for the first time. He played a student concert at the Barnes and Noble bookstore at the Augusta Mall. I also brought him to the open mic nights i use to do at the mission.(yes he was too young but his mother brought him!!!) I remember helping him out with video auditions trying to get in Chairleg, lending him guitars and amps when he go tin L.I.E.back when LIE had Davis as a drummer.He played his first gig with L.I.E. after just one week of practice. He loves the challenge of learning the parts that fellow LIE band mate ( and contributing writer on this blog) Micheal "Dork" Dinkins writes on the keyboard that he then has to play on the guitar. He says it can take weeks to learn them. He has had the pleasure of opening up for national acts like OTEP, MOTOGRADER and Metallica tribute band BATTERY. This year L.I.E. will be on the 12 Bands of Christmas cd and concert.The concert will be in December this year and once again at the Imperial Theatre. The band is doing "Granda Ma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" for the cd. A couple shows they have coming up is October 2 at the all ages venue Sector 7 G and a halloween show October 30 at the Hard Knox in Columbia South Carolina. I askedhim what his dream guitar would be,get this, he told me it is my red 1980 Gibson Explorer that was my main guitar for many years. He would of course do his own modifications to it. He is currently playing his dream amp, the Bogner Line 6.I also asked him what he got out of taking lessons with me. His response was " A card catalog of applications of use. I came into lessons with pieces of the puzzle and came out with all the pieces and how to use them.I learned application of knowledge and a routine practice schedule." Some advice Brint has to pass on to new players and up and comers: Buy a mp3 player, fill it with music, listen to it religiously and change the music out every week. Also find as many ways as possible to transcribe music. Learn how to read standard notation. Brint would one day like to score a movie and in 5 years sees himself still playing but expanding to other instruments. I am extremely proud to have worked with him. Here's to Brint......Me Passing The Torch........

here is a video of live L.I.E.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijn-pF41N_Y

Student Spotlight: Danielle Parker

2010-08-21T09:22:00.001-04:00

This month's Student Spotlight is on Danielle Parker. She is 14 years old and attends Grovetown High School. She started taking guitar lessons from me February 20, 2010. She is a very quiet, shy young lady. She is extremely smart and is well mannered. She does very well in school and caught on to my teaching program quickly. She works very hard at the guitar. She wanted to start playing guitar because her mom likes guitar. It's very obvious that Danielle likes it as well. Her current favorite band is Paramore and she would love to see Taylor Swift in concert. If she could play in any band that's around today it would be Maroon 5. She hopes to be writing her own songs in the future. I believe she is well on her way to doing that. She has what it takes to be on her way to writing some great songs. She listens to and plays a wide range of music, from Poison to Taylor Swift to Paramore. She really enjoys music. That's what drives her to keep playing. If she could go back to any point in time and see any performer in history it would be Micheal Jackson. She says there are not too many musical people in her family except her brother who plays piano. That is nothing to deter her though, she is from the musical mecca city of New Orleans Louisiana. Growing up seeing the parades and bands there had a profound impact on her. There isn't a person alive who grew up in New Orleans and doesn't have some sort of music running through their veins. Seeing the drummers in New Orleans is what got her into music. In 5 years she sees herself a much better musician. She wants to be an optometrist and go to the University of Southern California for college. She is having a blast learning music at Rock Bottom Music. So here's to you Danielle.......keep rockin.......keep playing........and keep having fun!!!

Product Review: Guitar Stands

2010-08-12T14:12:00.000-04:00

This is a little bit of product review and a little bit of YOU NEED TO HAVE A STAND!! I was in a band previously where the player with me for 7 yrs. never got a guitar stand. Basically any stand is a good stand. I have yet to see a stand where i would say " I will never use this stand!" Down at Rock Bottom Music we carry three types of guitar stands. The first is a Stagg stand. Its a fold able stand that you just set your guitar on. It comes in a style for acoustic guitars and a style for electric guitars\basses. It's a reasonable $19.99. They are great for when you have an out of town gig. They fold up small and get the job done. The next stand is the On Stage Stand. Its a tripod stand with adjustable height with a neck fork.These stands are everywhere. They to get the job done. I could not tell you how many have been left behind at gigs. I have seen near a hundred left over the years while i am packing up mics and speakers on sound gigs. They are at the cheapest price anywhere at $14.99 at Rock Bottom. The last stand we carry is the $39.99 Hercules stand. These stands are the Cadillac of guitar stands in my opinion. I got one that someone left on stage (at a sound gig i was doing) and have been very impressed with it. It doesn't really support the guitar any better than the other stands, its just better built and has more adjustments for guitar height and fits any guitar or bass. Now that you know how cheap the prices are on stands you need to get one. Nothing is worse for your instrument than laying it on the floor at a gig.It looks unprofessional too. Your guitar deserves the protection of a stand. Leaning your guitar on a wall is no good for your neck. So do yourself and your instrument a favor and get down to Rock Bottom Music and get a stand!!! p.s........i hold guitar stands for many months when i find them at sound gigs, i also put out the word that i have found them.NOONE ever claims them!!!

Rock Bottom Music

2010-08-08T16:37:00.000-04:00

To check out more about rock bottom music go to
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=183519925292&ref=ts

or go tohttp://www.rockbottommusic.com/

check this out!!!!

2010-08-08T12:43:00.000-04:00

In this edition of "Check This Out" I am telling you about a big change for me. I am changing my teaching store from Big City Music to Rock Bottom Music. It is not a change happening for any ill wills or bad feelings, its just a change for the opportunity to reach more students. I have had an amazing three years at Big City. The staff has been great to work with and Adam Tolar is a stand up guy. Adam and I have had some great success there, our student concerts and Rock Band Camp has been very successful and it was an immense pleasure working and molding the students. Big City will always offer great customer service and Good teaching program. I am handing off my teaching reigns to Darrell Cliett. He is qualified and will be using my program for the students there. At Rock Bottom I will be continuing what I did at Big City. My students will continue performing student concerts and I also will continue with Rock Band Camp in one form or another. There is a great stage at Rock Bottom where the students can do in store performances. The same stage where great artists like Duff McKagen,of Guns and Roses, and many many other national and world wide performers have did in store performances. The same stage where world class musicians like Greg Koch , writer of the Hal Leonard books i teach from, and on September 9, 2010 Mark Shulman, drummer for world wide recording artist Pink, will be doing a drum clinic. Rock Bottom has other great teachers like Devron Roof. Devron is an amazing musician and teaches the bass like nobodies business. Henry Wynn is a fixture on the Augusta music scene who also teaches guitar, mandolin and banjo. The staff is amazing. Guys like Joel Hodges, the award winning Micheal Badamie. Micheal is a great guitar player who is very knowledgeable about music. Jason Morris, who is a former student ofmine, is also on staff and is very musically inclined himself. Joanthon Karow, the owner, was alocal musician just like us before he took Rock Bottom from an online store to the growing successful franchise it is today. He is an all around great drummer, bass player and singer. He is also a work-a-holic likemyself. Jeannie is always by his side, kickingbutt while working at Rock Bottom. I am leaving out alot of the staff but i will be doing a write up on all of them soon. For those who don't know, Rock Bottom is located in downtown Augusta on the corner of 8Th street and Broad Street. I am excited about starting there. So keep our local businesses flourishing. Stop down and see me at Rock Bottom and when you go to Big City tell Darrell, Adam and the rest of the staff hi for me.This change will not change the teaching on this blog either. It will help the site reach more people. See you all soon!