Guitar tabs,electric guitars,acoustic guitars

One of the things we all tend to forget is that the artists on stage are, well, real people, and of course, as any real people, they have parents. I stumbled upon these few pictures while reading noiseaddicts.com and I said that it should be cool to share them with you!

So, here we go:

Fank Zappa and his parents, Francis and Rosemary

Credit: John Olson, Life

Or, how about David Crosby with his father Floyd

And if this didn’t get you interested, how about Eric Clapton and his granny?

Well, I guess these pictures value for these guys more than all the pictures on the cover of Rolling stone, don’t you think?!

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Lately I have listened Finger Eleven’s album Them VS. You VS. Me a lot, usually in my car, on my way to the office. While listening it I had a lot of ideas crossing my mind, because, you see, at one moment in time, we (me and my band) also tried to find another approach to out classic pop-rock music, and we started to play alternative rock.

I can tell you that it’s not an easy thing to do, especially when you come from outside that area. It is not easy to do because your creativity works in the cultural area you were educated in, meaning that if you listened a lot of hard rock, well, you will have a lot of musical ideas in that particular area of music while trying to compose a song in another style, jazz, let’s say, would not be that easy, because your mind does not have the habit of thinking the jazz way.

It’s the same with alternative rock. Even if for a classic rock musician alternative rock may sound simple, or simpler that the heavy riffs or the complex bluesy licks he’s used to, it is not this way. Try to cross the border and come up with a song in a style that you are not very familiar with. Oooh, trust me, it ain’t easy. I know because when we tried to cross over to alternative, we struggled to put up a few songs, even if in the end, some of them are quite good, I’d say (I am also a modest person)

So, I took Finger eleven as a case study of an alternative rock album from a band that has roots somewhere deeper than this and I was surprised to see the variety of ideas that I haven’t thought about.

I can tell you that personally I enjoyed listening this album, even if in the beginning I had the idea it has a bit too many acoustic songs. After a short while I’ve got used to it.

While listening a record for more than one time, you will come to like some particular songs more than others. Personally I’ve got hooked by Paralyzer, but that’s no surprise because it’s the main song of the record and it is supposed to hook up the listener, but also by Them VS You VS Me and Change the world.

Change the world is a beautiful song that I found myself searching on the CD almost every time I was driving home in the evening. It is, I guess, an evening song. Not something to make you happy, but clearly something to bring a bit of peace to your heart. Clearly can be played on acoustic guitar cause well, it is an acoustic song, after all.

I can also tell you I liked the bass sound and the drums, but I consider the acoustic guitars a bit too tensed and dry, but probably it wouldn’t fit any other way, cause it’s alternative rock with hard rock influences, after all, it’s not 80′s hair rock, so an acoustic guitar like in To be with you (Mr Big) would not be appropriate for this.

Bottom line, I liked it, and even if it is not something that I’d listen at home everyday, I would recommend it as a window to a brand new world.

Buy Them VS. You VS. Me from Amazon now!

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You probably know already that I love Satriani’s music and that I can’t find any other guitar to be more fashionable and more good looking than Ibanez. OK, I think I follow a pattern here, but hey, I can’t help it.

So, today when I found out about the new JS model from Ibanez, the new Black Dog guitar, I rushed to see it. The Black Dog is the first JS guitar, what Joe calls it, the JS 1, a guitar that has been stolen and recovered and now it belongs to Joe’s collection again. I must admit, it’s a bit strange looking with all those drawings on it, but it’s hip. I think.

I don’t know how many new things it will bring, probably not many, it’s probably targeted to fans that die to have every little gadget that Satriani ever thought of, it’s a marketing thing, probably just to boost sales, but again, it’s cool and hey, I would like one for myself.

I say this because if you look at the specs you will only see marketing features like “exact replica of Joe’s guitar”, “special goodies”, “autographed CD”, etc.

But, because it is a JS guitar, man, it’s cool…

Also, something that I always find interesting, pictures from the manufacturing process. Man, I love those pictures, when the guitar us barely shaped, without pickups, paint or anything…

So, if any of you would care to make me a gift for Christmas, at least you know what I wish, not necessary this guitar, but a JS model will do just fine.

Eh…better go and talk to my own Santa…

By the way, here’s the web page for the guitar, on Ibanez site.

Buy from Amazon
Ibanez Prestige JS1600 Joe Satriani Signature Silver Guitar w/ Case
Vox Satchurator Joe Satriani Distortion Effects Pedal
Planet Waves Joe Satriani Signature Guitar Picks 10-Pack, Black Medium

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I didn’t know about it, but thanks to Stratoblogster, I know now.

66 years ago, on 27 Nov  1942 Jimi Hendrix was born.

Happy birthday, Jimi Hendrix!

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Today I have listened Chinese Democracy on MySpace (the 6 songs that are there, I presume the best on the record), after my friend and band colleague Costin (GNR dedicated fan) victoriously told me on instant messaging that GNR’s latest record is officially the most listened record on MySpace and that the record was already awarded platinum in Finland for the sales in the first day…

OK, I admit, that made me a bit curious since I haven’t listened more than the track that gives the title at that moment, so I ran to MySpace to see what’s the buzz all about.

Remember that article about a Fm chord on the latest ACDC record? Well, I’ve heard, I think, the first official sweep picking (on the song “Better”) and if I’m not mistaken, also the first tapping (I don’t think I’ve heard tapping on Slash’s records, did I?)

Axl’s voice sounds the same and at the same time different. I think he loses his scratches here and there but all together it’s mean and…it’s rock. I also noticed electronic drums and modern synthesized sounds. However, it’s still pure rock, brought in today’s world.

But did the world as we know it change with this new album?

Well, I am not happy to say it, but I am not thrilled, it didn’t blow me away. It is a nice album, but really, it didn’t blow me away.

All together, it’s a new release of an artist with a great voice, somebody who was the idol of a generation, of somebody who personally I pitied for disappearing in such a way from the musical scene, but…you know what?

The sun will rise again tomorrow.

Ah, yes, and finally Axl released his long waited album. Thank God!

By the way, you can buy Axl’s Chinese Democracy from Amazon

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Yep, it happened to a 8 years old blues guitar player, Tallan Latz!

So young, so talented and already has a few enemies!

No, how about supporting a talented little guy? Huh?

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Following the recording I did a couple of weeks ago, last night I started to fool around with Clapton’s song, Layla, in front of my computer. It didn’t take me much to want to record it to see how it sounds. Once that the first notes were recorded, of course, I wanted more. However, it was late, the acoustic guitar sounds kind of loud so I didn’t go too far.

However, something came out of it, a refreshing take, unplugged, a bit faster than the original recording (this is how I hear this song, by the way) based on the unplugged version. Maybe I could give it a bit more air in some parts, but if I will have the time, maybe I will clean it later.

Those of you familiar with the unplugged album will recognize probably parts of the unplugged solos, the tempo and the general feeling, I guess. It’s not a one on one take, since I haven’t listened that song in a while, so it’s just what I remembered, without trying to follow the exact structure of the song.

At the end I wanted to make a video out of it, to upload it on YouTube, but each time I compiled the movie, I don’t know why, some notes ended up scrambled, out of tempo, because of the compression, I guess. So, I stopped and I decided to put the song here as audio only.

So, here it is! Enjoy my personal version of Layla!

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

Later edit: I managed to have a good quality video, so here it is on YouTube. Enjoy!

Buy Eric Clapton’s Unplugged concert from Amazon!
Record your own songs at home with Line 6 GearBox Silver Bundle with Toneport D.I. USB Recording Interface!

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Today I’ve been to a supermarket to buy some groceries. When I returned to my car I took a small break to eat some chips, I’m a sucker for chips, I know they’re not healthy, so I try to eat as less as I can but when I do…I want to enjoy every piece.

So, here I was in my car, in the parking lot, eating my chips, light was low, the radio was playing Sunrise Avenue with Fairytale gone bad. This song is (still) in heavy rotation in Romania, after a summer when I heard it every day on every possible radio station.

I like the song. I don’t know if I did in the beginning, but I do now, probably I have been intoxicated by so many times I have heard it.

So  here I was, eating my chips and thinking…is it rock? Is it pop? WTF is this song? If I judge by the drums, in the first half of the song, it’s so kind of pop, I’d say. Man, I would love some Skid Row now… The second half has rock drums, some overdriven guitars, open high-hats, what it’s needed to jump around in the crowd, I guess it’s some kind of rock after all, modern rock …

And there it started…I guess it’s because of the chips…modern rock, WTF is modern rock? Music that is in trends today. 80′s rock is not in trends anymore. Guitar solos are not in trends anymore, screaming it’s not in trends anymore. Today something else is in trends.

Why?

Did you ever ask yourselves why?

What it is that makes a style of music to be in trends? Why “hair rock” is not in trends anymore? What makes it old fashioned today?

I remembered my teacher of philosophy from high school (yep, I had classes of philosophy) telling us about I can’t remember what philosopher (I think it was Nietzsche but I won’t bet my life on it) that started his work on denying the work of EVERY OTHER PHILOSOPHER BEFORE HIM. Man, he must have been one busy guy, cause a couple of hundred years before him, philosophy was, well, let’s say…in trends, so everybody was doing it.

Now, also some lyrics from N’oubliez jamais (Joe Cocker) come to my mind, some lyrics that I’ve always considered the essence of a good children-parents relationship:

Papa, Why Do You Play All The Same Old Songs
Why Do You Sing With The Melody
Cause Down On The Street Somethings Goin’ On
There’s A Brand New Beat And A Brand New Song

He Said: In My Life, There Was So Much Anger Still I Have No Regrets
Just Like You, I Was Such A Rebel So Dance Your Own Dance, And Never Forget

N’oubliez Jamais, I Heard My Father Say
Every Generation Has Its Way A Need To Disobey

I guess it’s just the need of a new generation to disobey the one before. I guess being in trends doesn’t mean being better or newer, maybe just DIFFERENT, different that what has been before you.

I have a theory that I’ve told to a couple of my friends, some agreed, some didn’t, but hey, here I go again:

I have my own example here, with a Skoda car (I personally like that car so I use it as an example here). We have a Skoda Octavia 1, beautiful car at its time. Then we had Skoda Octavia 2 (next model). Everybody started to go wow, yes, nice one, more beautiful than the first. Now we have Skoda Octavia 3 (or the New Skoda I think, I don’t really care). Even more beautiful than 1 and 2.

Are you sure?

Is it more beautiful? Or just different for the sake of being different? Are you sure that you would have said the same if the models would have been switched somewhere in time, at a higher level, and in 1995, let’s say, Skoda 3 would have been released under the name Skoda 1 and in 2008 Skoda 1 under the name Skoda 3? I am pretty sure you would have said that the most recent one is nicer.

Following the same pattern, if at the same higher level we could change the history of music and put this music that Sunrise Avenue plays now, somewhere in the 70′s, (supposing they would have been successful), and release hard and heavy rock in 2008-2009, I bet hard and heavy would be THE NEXT THING! A FAR BETTER MUSIC!

You know what? Hard and heavy, hair rock, glam, all this kind of music would be in trends in 2008, 2009.

So, actually in this post I have brought up 2 different points to discuss:

1. What makes a song/style in trends?
2. If by a magic switch of musical periods, the music of the 80′s would be released FOR THE FIRST TIME in 2008, would it be in trends?

…or is it because of the chips?

PS: I couldn’t help myself, I added here N’oubliez jamais, one of the most beautiful songs ever written.

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After this last year of blogging here at GuitarFlame.com, one full year when I put everything on the table and you learned to know me with every post I publish, I have realized that I would also like to know more about you.

I already know a bit from the comments you write on my blog and by reading your blogs or RSS each day, but this time I would like to know a bit more.

So, I have created this survey (the banner you see on the top side of my site with “I would like to know you better”) and I ask you to give me like 1 minute from your life to answer 10 simple questions. These simple questions will help me know you better, to create better content for the year to come.

I assure you these questions will not ask email addresses, name, will not ask to recommend this site to a friend, or anything like it.

After enough people will answer it (I don’t know how many, I don’t have yet something to compare to), I will publish the results here, because I think that all of you running blogs about guitars will be interested in knowing what is the general profile of the people reading guitar blogs, isn’t it?

So, how about it? Would you care to help me on this one?

It will only take a minute.

A minute from your life…

Thank you!

Click here to start the survey!

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Lately I have become a fan of smartphones. I don’t own one at the moment, I have a “regular” Nokia phone, but I plan that somewhere in the near future to buy a new phone, maybe an E-TEN glofiish X800, or an Asus P320, but not at this moment.

Now, where are the mobile phones connected to guitars?

I must admit, the idea of this post came to me after reading an article on GuitarNoize.com about Sonoma Wireworks FourTrack, when I suddenly remembered about my lovely and trusty Korg guitar tuner that I recently broke. Well, not completely since those green lights still show where I am relatively to the pitch, but the display is totally dead, black, crashed (one day I put the tuner first and the multi-effect second in my gig bag, on top of the display of the tuner. That was the day when my guitar tuner died! RIP!).

The lights are not enough since the tuner has the capability to tune the bass also, by pushing a button, so I don’t know anymore if the button for the bass has been pushed or not, or if the pitch was altered by 1, 2, 3 half steps (another button). However, I learned to know that if it doesn’t hear the B string, must be on the bass setting, thus I push that button again and I find my way around it.

If at home I can easily tune my acoustic guitar by ear (or using the guitar tuner from the TonePort interface), on stage with all the noise around I’d better have a tuner. So, I definitively must buy a new one.

And now, finally, the connections with the mobile phones. Damn, it took a long time to reach this point, isn’t it?

One of my friends downloaded on his smartphone one of those great little applications, a software guitar tuner. Man, it comes handy for those moments when you want to tune your acoustic guitar and don’t have a tuner around.

Just start the application, get the mobile closer to the guitar and just tune the guitar! Of course this can not be used for electric guitars on stage, because there is no cable connection, only the mic of the mobile phone, but hey, for tuning the acoustic guitar in a relatively quiet place, it does the trick!

There are many options out there, I found a few myself, like 4Pockets Guitar Tuner ($19.95 on Amazon), or HandDee GTuner ($15) for example. You can find more for yourself, if you think they come handy.

By the way, how do you tune your guitar? Do you have one of those small tuners, have a tuner on the guitar processor or by year?

Buy from Amazon

BlackBerry Bold 9000 Smartphone
E-TEN glofiish X800

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