Are you desperate enough?

There you are, for a few days, a week or two, or perhaps a month or more. You’ve tried and tried and tried, but no matter what you try – all of the great Fretterverse advice you’ve taken and given a shot – you just can’t get out of the rut.

It’s a terrible feeling, and we’ve all been there. The worst part is that it’s not even a case of lack of motivation; you have the desire, you pick up the guitar all the time… you just can’t get things started.

All of those riffs you have sitting on your computer, that elusive chorus that just won’t click for you, that kick-ass monster heavy riff that doesn’t seem to go with anything else, you just can’t seem to finish them.

So what do you do? Give up? Hell no! That’s not even a possibility.

There is something you can do, if you’re up to it.

You could always steal someone else’s song…

Now hopefully you’re not stupid enough to think that I’m actually suggesting you plagiarize another musician’s music. (If you did think that, and you’re a regular reader of my blog, please go stick your head in the microwave for a few minutes.)

No, the point I’m making is that if you’re having a ton of trouble working on your own music, perhaps it’s time you study how other people do it. There is no better way to do that then to do a cover song.

Two Ways to Do a Cover

The first way is to do a strict interpretation of the song. Lots of people have done it, and lots of people have done it very well. It’s a great way to really get into the deep meaning of a song, to tear it apart, break it down, and dig into it like a musical archaeologist. The lyrics, the rhythm, the chords, the arrangement, the mood… all of these things, when studied the right way, can provide you with an innumerable amount of good ideas to use.

But… to be honest it’s not my favorite way to cover a tune.

What I like to do is analyze the song, do all of the things I just mentioned, but instead of doing a strict cover I like to change it up; to make it my own in a sense. What’s great about this approach is that you’re slowly working your way back by putting your own touch, your own musical style, into the framework of someone else’s song. You’re taking the hard part (most of the originality) out of the song.

Of course, this is not a sure-fire way of getting out of your rut, but it’s a sure-fire way of taking some of the pressure off. Mark and I have been working on a song for a Yes tribute CD coming out soon. Even though we have (thankfully) not had any problems lately with writer’s block, it’s still been a very exciting and fruitful project. The song sounds amazing (we’ll post it when it’s done) and it’s given us some ideas that we can take and use in our own music. If you’re having trouble, I highly recommend you try this.

As for what songs you should do; well, that’s really up to you. But you can’t go wrong with The Beatles if you can’t think of anything. It’s also a good idea to take a song from a group or genre of music that is not something you typically do.

So if you’re in a rut, I suggest you steal someone else’s song and make it your own. Just make sure that you don’t try to publish it or claim it as your own. (I know y’all are smarter than that.)

Good luck!

(P.S. It’s really nice to be back.)

In a Rut? Steal Someone Else’s Song! is a post from: Fretterverse.com: Guitar Blog | guitar news & reviews, amps, effects, guitars, music theory, guitar lessons. If you are reading this on a site that is not Fretterverse.com, it's been ripped. Please come to the real Fretterverse.com.

This is one way of making the song your own...

A conversation over the weekend got me thinking about cover songs. A group of people were talking about bands/singers that record covers and release them as singles or put them out on their CDs. I remember back in the 1990′s it seemed like the only way to get noticed was to put out a cover as a single. “Blue Monday” by Orgy, “Smooth Criminal” by Alien Ant Farm, “Tom Sawyer” by The Bad Plus, “Sweet Dreams” by Marilyn Manson… the list goes on, of course.

The gist of the conversation was a discussion of whether or not, when deciding to do a cover, if it’s better to cover it straight – make a strict by-the-book reproduction – or if you should “make it your own” and put your own special twist on it.

I think the general consensus among the group was that when you are doing a cover you should make it your own and put an original twist on it. I think this is definitely a valid point; why listen to an exact replica when you can listen to the original?

My band mate Mark and I are currently working on a cover tune for a Yes tribute CD. On the suggestion from another friend we decided to do a lesser-known song and absolutely put our own interpretation on it. I think we can be successful at it with this song because it wasn’t one of their monster hits. But I don’t know if we had to cover “Roundabout” or “Owner of a Lonely Heart” if we would be able to play with the arrangement as much.

For example, if someone were to mash up “Yesterday” by The Beatles, I think the chances of failing miserably at it would be very high. Even if the band did something very unique and interesting, I fear that the original is just too perfect to warrant being messed with. Granted, most musicians would be smart enough to leave a song like that alone.

In the case of “Smooth Criminal,” Alien Ant Farm really didn’t do much to change the Michael Jackson song. They added different instrumentation and made it heavier with distortion and a more rockin’ backbeat, but the song structure and everything else was essentially the same. In that case, I guess the change in sound was enough to do the trick; it’s a great version of a great song.

Both Ryan Adams and Brad Mehldau recorded brilliant covers of “Wonderwall” by Oasis. The former being a free-floating acoustic fingerpicked version with great vocal work, and the latter being a jazz trio, odd time signature instrumental that just destroys! Whereas Adams kept things a little more in line with the original and Mehldau picked it apart, both versions are fantastic and worthy of listening above and beyond just the Oasis version (which is also amazing).

When you come to think about it – well, when I do anyway – I don’t think I’ve really ever heard a cover song played straight that I really liked. I think it really comes down to why should you listen to a cover that sounds just like the original? Though Adams’ version of Wonderwall was very close, the instrumentation and vocal melody changes were enough to make it new and interesting.

I’m glad that every band nowadays doesn’t feel like they need to record a cover song in order to try and break through (Hollywood seems to have this taken care of, unfortunately), but for those that do want to honor their musical heroes it’s probably a good idea to mix it up a little and put a fresh spin on a classic song.

Cover it Straight or Make it Your Own? is a post from: Fretterverse.com: Guitar Blog | guitar news & reviews, amps, effects, guitars, music theory, guitar lessons. If you are reading this on a site that is not Fretterverse.com, it's been ripped. Please come to the real Fretterverse.com.

Meisel COM-90 Clip-On Tuner

Having a good tuner is a must. I think we can all agree that there is nothing worse than a guitar player whose guitar is out of tune.

When I first started learning jazz guitar (still learning…) I went on this mad search for the be-all clip-on tuner to use with my jazz box. It’s not like there were a ton available on the market, but there were enough to make me do a bunch of research before buying one.

I initially ended up getting the Intellitouch PT1 tuner, but I have to be honest and tell you that I didn’t like it. It simply wouldn’t tune my guitar accurately. The one single job it was supposed to perform, and it failed. So the search began again.

And then I had a conversation with my band mate Mark of Gollihur Music, and he told me to check out the company Meisel. They were a clip-on tuner manufacturer that produced what he thought to be excellent tuners. I told him to bring one home for me, I tried it, and instantly fell in love with it.

The problem was, Meisel had stopped making that tuner so although I was able to procure two, if they broke I was going to be SOL.

So you could imagine my surprise – if you are a geek like me and get excited about tuners – when Mark told me that Meisel had come out with an updated tuner called the COM-90.

So I don’t drag this out too much longer, I’ll tell you up front that I love this tuner. First, the display is much clearer than the old tuner (and most other tuners in general). The display is very large and changes color when you are in tune, eliminating the need to focus on the needle display.

The “neck” of the tuner is longer and much more flexible, and allows you to really position the display where it’s convenient for you to see. Lastly, the rubber they use for the clamp has been replaced with silica, which is much more sensitive to vibration and therefore produces a much more accurate tuning picture.

The tuner also has presets for commonly-tuned instruments to help you tune faster and with less hassle.

Here is a video demonstrating the tuner on an upright bass:

If you are looking for a new tuner, I highly recommend the Meisel COM-90. For the price ($25.00 at the time of writing) it simply cannot be beat.

Meisel COM-90 Clip-On Electronic Tuner is a post from: Fretterverse.com: Guitar Blog | guitar news & reviews, amps, effects, guitars, music theory, guitar lessons. If you are reading this on a site that is not Fretterverse.com, it's been ripped. Please come to the real Fretterverse.com.

For me, Spock’s Beard is such a band, and I am most certainly a fanboy.

The California-based progressive rock band recently released their 10th CD – appropriately titled “X” – and it’s a doozy. I’m not even going to try and create suspense and mystery like I usually do to get you to click the “Read More” link. This CD kicks ass outright and needs no more explanation.

But if you’d like to hear more about the CD, then follow me…

Spock's Beard - Nick D'Virgilio, Alan Morse, Dave Meros, Ryo Okumoto

One of the great things about progressive rock is that, when done well, the music can have hints of everything from rock to classical, jazz, electronica, pop, and metal. (A good supply of cowbell never hurts, either.) One of the great thing about having a band full of ridiculously talented musicians is their ability to seamlessly integrate all of those elements into great songs. While most prog bands and spending their time working out the most complex riffs and “bet you can’t play this” nonsense, the boys in the Beard and busy crafting songs. Yes, actual songs that groove, have great vocals, and essentially blow the mind.

From the first notes of the opener “Edge of the In-Between” I knew I was going to be in for a treat. “Epic” is certainly a good description. Quickly moving into a an awesome verse groove, one thing I was pleasantly surprised with were the lyrics. Yeah, I know, this is a guitar blog. Deal with it! SB have typically been somewhat hit-and-miss with lyrical content in the past, so it was really nice to hear some well thought out concepts.

Guitarist Alan Morse shines with his solo over a rockin’ 7/4 pattern, mixing quirky figures and nuanced mastery of his Sustainer guitar. At 10:30, this song is the quintessential prog epic and they could not have picked a better song to lead off the CD.

The Emperor’s Clothes is a cross between the Beatles, Ben Folds, Gentle Giant, and Jellyfish. Strings, french horn, sitar, and their trademark contrapuntal vocal lines add a great contrast to the first song. Keyboardist Ryo Okumoto gets to stretch out and show why he’s such an in-demand player. I also absolutely love drummer/lead vocalist D’Virgilio’s vocals on this record. Brilliantly sung!

If you’re a fan of old-school instrumentals like those from ELP, then Kamikaze will be right up your alley. Written by Okumoto, Kamikaze grabs you by the nethers from the first note and doesn’t let go until it’s over four minutes and fifteen seconds later. Morse also shines once again with a fantastic (albeit quick) solo. This is one of the coolest instrumental songs I’ve ever heard a prog band write. Period!

At close to seventeen minutes, From the Darkness finally settles the listener in after three songs of progressive bliss. This is a bit more of a “rock” song compared to the previous three, but to simply call it a rock song would be somewhat misleading. The song mellows into an almost ambient trance while it builds back up again. D’Virgilio again sings beautifully in this section, leading to some solos and building into yet another kick ass 7/4 riff that Morse gets to solo over. (It makes me wonder if he actually prefers to play solos in complex time signatures.)

The Quiet House is perhaps my least favorite song on the CD, though it has a very cool chorus. It’s not a bad song, but it has not – as of yet – knocked me on my butt like the others. Though there are some proggy moments, this is perhaps the most straight-ahead rock song of the lot.

Danny Elfman comes to mind with the opening of Their Names Escape Me. I felt like I was about the watch the beginning of a new Tim Burton movie. I love the concept of this song, if you’ll allow me a quick aside.

SB decided with this CD that they were going to produce it independently. Their record label went under and rather than try to “get signed” again they decided to go it on their own. To help finance the project, they reached out to their fans and asked them to contribute to the production costs by placing a pre-order sale while they were still recording. The benefit for them? Well, the guys wrote a very cool bridge section of the song and proceeded to sing/name all of the people who contributed.

At first you may think the concept will fall flat on its face, but it’s actually quite brilliantly conceived and executed. If you missed the idea of naming all of these people in a song called “Their Names Escape Me” this is where you go back and read it a few times and then slap yourself in the forehead. As some of my business associates say, “That one will catch you on the way home.”

If they had simply named everyone over the same riff it would have gotten old very fast. But they were smart enough to keep the music moving forward (dare I say, progressing) and it turned out as not only a great piece of music but also an innovative and very cool tribute to their fans.

The classic Spock’s sound returns for the next song – The Man Behind the Curtain. I can’t help but think that D’Virgilio’s close friendship and musical relationship with songwriter extraordinaire Kevin Gilbert has rubbed off on him here. “Curtain” is at the same time both chaotic and controlled, melodic and cacophonous, but it all works very well together. There is a balance to it all, and the closing acoustic guitar/vocals is the perfect ending.

No prog CD would be complete without an epic to close things out. At 16:22, Jaws of Heaven acts as almost like a summary of everything that came before it. Like “Edge of the In-Between” as the opener, “Heaven” is the perfect closer. It all builds up to the last few minutes where the melody soars high above, thanks once again to Morse’s incredible guitar work.

I’m tellin’ ya, you guys gotta check this band out.

Spock’s Beard‘s “X” could not have come at a better time. It’s been a while since a truly great prog band has put out a truly great prog CD. And with my band Din Within (shameless plug) currently working on the music for our sophomore release, I am feeling re-energized and inspired thanks to four guys from California keeping the torch well lit and shining bright!

Spock’s Beard – X is a post from: Fretterverse.com: Guitar Blog | guitar news & reviews, amps, effects, guitars, music theory, guitar lessons. If you are reading this on a site that is not Fretterverse.com, it's been ripped. Please come to the real Fretterverse.com.

I remember back in the late 80′s the Stylus Pick came out as the answer for all of our shred guitar needs. (Didn’t really live up to the hype; sorry, guys!) Since then I haven’t really seen many new pick ideas come out. To be honest, I haven’t really seen much of a need to try and improve on the concept. Traditional guitar picks serve their purpose — and serve it well — and I’m hard-pressed to think of a reason why I would want to switch.

Then last week I got a small package in the mail from a company called Pointless Picks. As you can see from the picture, they have come up with a radical concept and design. The question, however, is whether or not there is a “point” to the Pointless Pick.

Stop Dropping Picks!

Pointless Picks were developed by designer Doug Larsen to address the problem of picks being dropped while playing. After years of development and countless prototypes he came across the solution of a round shape and raised center. The raised center (on both sides) allows you to keep a more firm grip on the pick, and the round shape allows you to not worry so much about having to attack the string with a specific portion of the pick each time, namely the tip.

Pointless Picks come in three sizes – .58mm (the red ones), .72mm (the green ones), and 1.0mm (the blue ones).

How Do They Feel?

I tried the picks on three different guitars: a jazz guitar strung with .012 flatwounds, a shredder guitar with .009 nickels, and an acoustic guitar with .010 bronze strings. Interestingly enough, I found that each one of the three gauges of picks worked the best for each one of the guitars… the 1.0mm pick on the jazz box, the .72mm on the shredder, and the .58mm on the acoustic.

The grip is very nice. I can definitely see this pick being used for extended periods of time and reducing hand fatigue. Especially for those that constantly drop picks, the large size, raised grip, and even the pick colors (more easily seen on a dark stage) are nice improvements.

How Do They Sound?

Well, of course this is the most important part; how the picks sound. I think I got the best sound on the acoustic guitar while strumming chords and not doing a lot of technical picking. I had some success with the jazz box, but not much success with the shredder guitar. To be honest, I had trouble picking out single lines on each guitar. I mean, very simple melodies were okay, but anything more complex than that was a bit of a task. I don’t know if it would require me to spend more time using them or not, but I wasn’t 100% feeling them for playing jazz or rock.

Would You Use Them?

In a word, yes, with the caveat that I was playing acoustic sing-song tunes. The styles of music that I generally play (prog rock, metal, and jazz) require a bit more precision — or perhaps I should say my personal playing style requires more — and in certain cases the Pointless Picks were not quite suited for the job. That being said, however, I am planning on using them on some acoustic stuff my friends and I are working on. I am even willing to give them a shot on the next Din Within recording session to see how they play.

All in all I think it’s a pretty good product that is worth checking out. For more information, visit the Pointless Picks website.

Does Pointless Picks Have a Point? is a post from: Fretterverse.com: Guitar Blog | guitar news & reviews, amps, effects, guitars, music theory, guitar lessons. If you are reading this on a site that is not Fretterverse.com, it's been ripped. Please come to the real Fretterverse.com.

Absolutely the most frustrating part of songwriting is writers block. Not being able to come up with new material, especially when you had been so productive, is a surefire way to kill your desire to pick up the guitar. In my article “Why I Quit Playing Guitar” I mentioned how there were days, weeks, and months where I would strum the guitar once, know right away that nothing was coming, and put it right down again.

So what can we do when writers block takes over to the point of crippling not only our ability to write music, but also our desire? I’ve assembled a list of eleven things you can do to break out of the slump.

Eleven Ways to Overcome Writers Block

1. Switch instruments – Try writing something on the bass or a piano. When I was starting my progressive rock project Din Within (shameless plug) I purposely put the guitar down and wrote most of my parts on the piano because I knew I was going to run out of ideas.
2. Listen to something completely different – Pick up a Brad Paisley CD and listen to some country music. How about some electronica from BT, alt rock from Panic! at the Disco, or perhaps even some cookie monster vocals from Opeth. The point is, get away from your comfort zone and give your ears and mind a chance to attack the problem from another angle.
3. Plug in some effects – Not applicable to those of you who have pedalboards the size of small countries, but for people like me who typically run a dry signal it might help to set up a ring modulator or a delay pedal and play around. Experiment and see if you come up with anything.
4. Alternate Tunings – I’m not only talking about the standard D A D G A D stuff. Bassist Michael Manring once told me that he would tune his bass to something completely new, write a quick riff or idea, then tune the bass back up to standard tuning and try to play what he wrote. This will get your fingers (and brain) to look at and interact with the guitar in different ways.
5. Learn someone else’s song – You need to be careful here, because you don’t want to start writing songs that sound like who you are listening to (or maybe you do?) but the idea is to analyze what they are doing and see why it works. Chord progressions, melodies, lyrics, solos… anything and everything you can take away from someone else’s material is a potential lift-off point for inspiration.
6. Exercise – Yes, that’s right, folks. Put the guitar down and go for a jog, do yoga, see if you can do more than one push-up without collapsing, or go for a bike ride. Getting your blood flowing and your muscles working increases oxygen and improves circulation, which helps facilitate extended concentration and energy. It also gives you some time to think about music without the guitar in your hand.
   

   Salvador Dali - Swans Reflecting Elephants (1937)

7. Be inspired elsewhere – Photography, literature, dance, movies. All can provide endless sources of inspiration for song ideas if you are open to looking. Not even just lyrics, but even being inspired to write an instrumental based on something you saw or read. In college I wrote a Contemporary Ensemble piece based on a painting by Salvador Dalí. I showed each musician in the ensemble the painting and assigned each of them a piece of the painting to try and play. One person was the clouds, another was the mountains, and another the central image. Not only did they have to play their interpretation of the part of the image I assigned them, but they also had to listen to the other musicians to try and fit all of the pieces together. I can’t say it was a total success, but it certainly was something new and creative!
8. Practice/Learn something new – Yes, that dreaded “P” word that most of you hate. Buy a book on something completely new to you and explore it. The books by Andrew Green have some incredible ideas to inspire new material, as do products like Pat Martino‘s Creative Force DVDs. If you’re feeling saucy, how about taking on Nicolas Slonimsky’s Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns – the book that John Coltrane worked through before writing his seminal work Giant Steps.
9. Don’t try to be original - Right now we’re working on breaking through whatever plateau you’re on. Write a three-chord song that you have no intention of ever releasing to the public, just to write something. It can be the cheesiest piece of crap ever; it doesn’t matter! Write it, finish it, and move on. It is rumored that Stevie Wonder writes a song every day just to keep motivated.
10. Back to basics – Every January in my martial arts class is basics month. We start from Day One and work through all of the basic techniques and exercises. We purposely clean our slates and empty our glasses so we can approach the new year’s training with a fresh perspective. Try doing the same with your guitar playing. Work on your technique and tone for a while. Maybe there was a scale or chord progression you always wanted to learn; now is the time. Maybe you aren’t happy with your alternate picking (I know I’m not a lot of the time). Turn on the metronome and get going!
11. Be Patient! I saved this one for last because it’s usually the one that people hate to hear and is the hardest to do for all of us. Writers block will pass; it may take a day, a week, or even a year, but it will pass. Your love for playing guitar and writing music far surpasses any mental block that you’ve inadvertently put up, so have faith in yourself and the confidence to know that “this, too, shall pass.” (Hey, I should copyright that!)

Most importantly, Keep Going!

11 Ways To Overcome Writers Block is a post from: Fretterverse.com: Guitar Blog | guitar news & reviews, amps, effects, guitars, music theory, guitar lessons. If you are reading this on a site that is not Fretterverse.com, it's been ripped. Please come to the real Fretterverse.com.