Call me Alice

I have fallen down the rabbit hole of electric guitars [and my, what a bazaar rabbit hole it is]. The good news is that there seems to be a shit load of resources for guitarists, the bad news is that I have no idea where to start.

Judging by [what seems to be] the major influx of non-bassist musicians joining TB, it's the web's awesome-est resource [no bias here]. I going to have to spend a long time digging.       

So Many Option

I looked up the A# chord that's been running around my head, there are alot of options. I found this one that seemed easy to remember, so I tried it out on Lula: [pardon the fact it's written in my log.]

The x means you don't mean the string and the dots mean you do. I just copied down what I found on the internet so I have no idea which string is which [farther confused by the fact I'm dyslexic and I'm playing Lula upside down].

What I did discovered is that what guitarists do is physically wicked hard. See those three dots in a row I underlined? I can't figure out how to play them together. Your fretting hand [and thus your fingers] are sitting vertical while these are all on a horizontal line. I can't get my finger where they need to be, so there is no fret buzz. Each finger pad ends up alittle higher then the finger before it, and I can't get a clean sound.

There's also the question of how to play five notes together when you only have four fingers. I thought guitarists only moved their fretting hand when they changed chords, but I guess this proves me wrong.  

I picked up a pick [again]

This time I tried picking on Lula, and I found I kinda don't mind using a little plastic pick with her. The kinda refers to how I have to hold the pick in order to be happy. [I'm using the same picks that inspire this post.] Normally your fingers hold the wide part of the pick, while the string makes contract with narrower corner of the triangle.

I've found that if I pick with one of the wider corners hitting the string, it makes a more solid sound which I can totally stand.

Stamp Review

I broke out the stamp I got so that I could get Lula's strings and the Steepenwolf CD with free shipping. It's a stamp of a four fret portion of your six string guitar [or as I cleverly discovered, turn it on its side and you have a bass stamp].

It's abit on the small side, but you really should have a problem seeing it. [Says a 20-year-old] My biggest complaint is that you have to watch pressing the stamp evenly so that all of the lines show up. You also shouldn't plan on trying to make a whole fret board by repeating this stamp in a row, you just can't get them to line up easily, as you will notice below: [But fear not! They make a stamp for your whole fret board!]

A New Step Forward

I have another song running around my head [another solid blues tune, if this ends up being my one trick, I am 100% okay with that]. I found the root note on Igor [A#] but I found it super hard to focus because no matter what Lula sounded like an acoustic guitar, which was too far from the sound I wanted in my head.

As it stands now I have no potion but to power through and figure out some different A# chords.  

Tuners Wars

BSO.com has started selling different types of tuners. Previously they only offered one kind of clip on, a planet wave brand [even though I've learned to not trust a brand, even if they make one stellar product--I'm looking at you Rotosound] but now they have quite a few options.

My snark is being to crappy that even the TB members agree, the told me to try repositioning the clip, being careful of other noises in the room, and to try and squeeze the head and steam of the tuner together. The last one took the tuner from totally dead to kinda working [as in it would read the bass, but nothing above the 5th fret] but it was impossible to use when you're pinching the tuner with one hand, and it still won't read open strings.

  

Lula's Fret Markers

Have I said Lula came from the Toys R US? Probably her shortest coming is that fact that her fret markers are in the wrong spot. Moving up the neck from her body you notice that her first fret marker is on the 12th fret [and it's only one marker] and they alternate every two or three frets.

This annoys me to no end so I tried to properly mark them with a gel pen [staples of 90s childhoods for females] It just ended up scratching the fret board. Maybe the ink was all dried up, but I tried. 

Bronco 40 Tuner Note

The tuner will not work unless you have a working 9-volt battery in your active bass [battery is on necessary for passive bass].

Musical Debates

I got one of the best compliments, after the show at the post show Denny's trip. One of my friends is a One Direction fan [I know they have one of those cute fandom names, but I'm too lazy to look it up] and apparently they had dropped a single earlier that day; as a result she was begging someone with a smartphone to play the new song.

This lead to some mocking from others in the group and I felt [punch drunkenly] compelled to point out that they might become The Beatles one day. My statement got under the skin of one member of the group who replied with an irate "What?!"

I pointed out how so many rockstars got their start as British Invasion boy bands [The Beatles, Then Animals, The Rolling Stone, The Who...] He brashly pointed his finger at me and started "You are--" but then thought about what I said, changed his demeanor and said "You have a good taste in music, but I disagree with you."

[And that world wide internet is the best compliment I have ever received.]    

How Many Guitarists Does it Take?

Beyond being a really chill band, there was something about The Maine's stage present that didn't sit right with me. It should be a no brainer by now that I pay attention to the bassist in bands, but I also take note of where my ear and eye are drawn to. With The Maine my ears didn't notice, and my eyes couldn't keep up with the bassist.

I mean it makes some sense, [somewhat] all of the other band members were anchored to a mic stand, so the bassist was making up for it, by running around the stage. It might of come off better if he was actually bouncing around the stage in time with the song, but in reality they were just pulling off a backwards The Who performance. [Which is the opposite of my personal taste.]

Did I mention that three guitars on stage at all time? [And no I don't count the bass as a guitar in this sense.] It just looked bazaar to me, and didn't sound good to me either. I was grateful when my friends wanted to leave, just when they invited a band member from the opening bad on stage, with guitar in hand. [And no other band members made any move to hand off their guitars to a waiting roadie.]   

I'm Old

Half way though the show it hit me, I love music; I love it enough to try and care for my hands so I can play as long as possible, so I might as fuck take care of my ears so I can hear it all.

I need to get ear plugs.

Maybe it's because I've had several people comment on how mature I am recently, but this realization hit me with a feeling of melancholy. I can still hear that teenage part of myself saying "earplugs are for dorks" but I know my mature self is saying the right thing. I even had to make a post about it on TB.com for a pep talk. [They said listen to my mature self, rather shockingly.] I figured that I can get them in a flesh tone [I'm talking custom earplugs here, I refuse to half ass this] and with my hair down, no one will notice them in besides me. My amazing mother has already okay this to be my big Christmas gift this year, so all that's standing in the way is my immature self.    

With Knowledge Comes Gult

Have I brought up the opener band Lydia enough? If you can't tell, I was very impressed. This was my first real show in over a year I have been to. [By real I mean with opening bands.] In that year I got the majority of my music fix from Youtube, and spending way too much time on TB.com

I spend alot of time in the "Band Management" [no, I'm not in a band] sub-forum, I'm just easily entertained by the drama. One thing I have learned is that touring bands don't make shit. They tour for the exposure, and if the band didn't have a big enough nest egg, merch sales dictates whether or not the band eats. The tickets for that show was only $20, so this was definitely one of those tours. I thought about it during the show in passing, but I totally forgot it when I was debating getting a Lydia CD for only $5. [I didn't bite] the result was loads of guilt that still follows me.

Sure I could buy it online for more money, but most of that money would go to the record company instead of the band's pocket.  

"He's Cute!"

I went to Anberlin with a couple girl friends, as I result I watched them eye a gaggle of guys, and pick out the cutest to 'marry' [this is all said in unquestionable jest]. I don't understand the fun of this at all, but I suppose it evens out the gender imbalance so I let it be.

Not what they mean

I've never played along before, but after being impressed by The Lydia's drummer skill I had something to say on the ride home. Come to find out my friends are totally willing to let me steal their imagionary husbands when I want to do some rhythm section pratace.

Who Made the Line Up?

I like music, live music, even though I don't get to shows much. This recent show and some of my favorite artists announcements have lead me to ask: Who [The Hell] is making these line ups?!?!

When I was growing up [all of ten years ago] the energy level of the band went up as the night got later. Now a days Skillet [read Christian metal] is opening for Nickelback [...yeah...they haven't come out with a solid rock song in what, five years?]. Anberlin was pretty much the same deal, the headliner was The Maine who from my five minutes of Youtube searching, played nothing but slower love songs. Every single person who knew Anberlin thought they were playing last, but they didn't I some people [including me] left early.     

Songs from High School

I've found that  looking back on what songs I liked growing up, I can point out two clear themes. A heavy or fun bassline, or the lyrics spoke to me as an angst filled teenager. There are three songs I will always remember for lyrically being my rock: Suddenly by the late [great] Superchick, and The Resistance and A Day Late both by Anberlin.

I've been wanting to see Anberlin for years but have never had the opportunity, until now. I was alittle worried because I didn't know their new stuff, and I found myself singing along to a song off their least favorite album [song was The Resistance, album was New Surrender]. When they broke into the exact song three songs in, I concert sang [other wise known as screaming] as loud as I could. That moment made this one of the top 8 concerts of my life [I've been to conversationally three hundred shows]. A hand full of songs later they played A Day Late.

[So let me get this straight

say now you loved me all along

what made you hesitate?

to tell me with words how you really feel?]

If one song could sum up my love life in high school, it would be this one. Five years down the road I laugh at my teenage self, but yelling those lyrics at the top of my lungs had to be one of the most joyous and therapeutic moments of my life. [Wow going to uni is getting to me.]                 

My Uncle [Part II]

Tangled up in knowing the songs, is having the stamina to perform it acutely. Beyond the well known stick toss [that's well known right?] the other way to be flashy is to be quick. The drummer's sticks should either still or a blink and you miss it blur [if the drummer is moving to position his sticks over the next drum that's fine]. Something about this quick drumming is always eye grabbing.

Maybe it's because it's been ages since I've seen a band [and that last band was Rush] but I was really impressed with all the drummers I saw at the Anberlin show. [But The Maine's drummer might of just had me with his hair, it's gained another foot since this photo.]           

 

My Uncle [Part I]

When I was four years-old when I got a child size drum set. My uncle is [or was, his drum set has been collecting dust for close to ten years now] a drummer. And judging by vast number of middle age locals who talk about seeing my uncle in shows, he was pretty good. Inspired by Neil Peart, my uncle took my family from it's long standing history from music lovers to musicians.

My uncle's days of performing was over by the time I was born, but I remember watching him drum along to the radio every time we were in the car together [he was who I got the drum set from]. From him I learned what makes a good drummer.

I've found several saying on the internet stating that the drummer is the backbone of a band, and it's true. If any other band never sucks, it may take a minute to realize it, and even then you can sometimes just blame it on a bad mix from the sound guy. For drummer, you either know how to play to play the song or you don't. There's no masking a crappy drummer, I've been utterly blown away how unrecognizable my favorite band's songs were when the original drummer left. To tell this all you need is a set of ears, or a body that can pick up vibrations.

[This is getting insanely long, and I'm nowhere near where I want to end it, also did you know when I Googled Neil Peart it told me his height? How weird is that? I've never seen that when I've Googled anyone else.] 

I Made Pictures!

Play down, following the white path.

I don't know the differences between Riffs and Grooves. I know they're both short collections of notes that flow in some form, but I don't know the difference [or if there is one]. Regardless I've been playing one [or both] of them. I've just been noodling around, but I've made pictures of what I did!

As you can see I didn't pay attention to what [frets/notes] I was playing, but was more interested in the feeling of the [thing, see above] and how the notes were related to each other via their location on the fret board. [Hindsight is telling me that was a dumb idea.]

Same deal as the other picture.

The first one seems sharp, or had more of a cutting feeling to it. The second combination had a softer feeling to it.  I think the latter had a softer sound because on the G string I was [probably] playing around with the same note, only natural and sharp, instead of jumping a full step as I did with the first. 
   

Fretboard Colors

I went to my second live show of the year [which is a very low number by my standards] so prepare for a bombardment of concert related post. This one goes out to the awesome mother accompanying her daughter, who told me where to stand to get a full view of the stage:

There are two main woods used for fretboards: Dark rosewood and pale maple. I prefer rosewood because that's what I started out with, I like darker colors and I'm inclined to believe what they say about fretboard wood changing the sound. I realized another pro to fretboard color at the concert. I've made no secret that I like watching bassists at show so that I can steal a riff from them. Well I've found that it's alot easier to do when the player's skin tone contrasts to the fret board. This doesn't sound good [says the anthropology student] but most bassists I watch are white, so rosewood gives me a better idea where the bassist is fretting.         

Thanks Mom

Remember when I said I got Lula in tune with less than two turns of extra strings around her tuners? Well I showed her to my mom who promptly started rewinding the strings. The next morning I find Lula's strings twisted around the tuners six plus times, and all the excess strings pointed out of the back of the headstock [making Lula look like she has a rockabilly hair style going on].

Mom even got two of the strings in the proper tuning without trying! [Although I promptly messed one up because I forgot which string was on which tuner, damn too many strings.]   

I FOUND ANOTHER EXCUSE!!!

While asking the masses of TB.com where to find new screws, one of the [lovely, truly lovely] members said it might of happened from using an old screwdriver. The one screwdriver I've been using is ass old! Now I understand why Craftsman's has a life time replacement policy!

[Now pardon me while happy dance to this news.] 

This is so nuts [it's more screwy!]

 Since my screw contact fell through I went to the next best source I could think of, TB.com. I have several more options now including trying some local chains. I also had several people suggested that I head to [a certain chain that that I'd rather avoid] or that I go to my local trusted luthier. I wish people could understand that not everyone has those kinds of friendships.    

I forgot again...

My paper and ink bass log didn't make it back to my bass HQ [read bedroom] this week; so the next few posts are going to be super short and rather despondent. It may not seem like it [when I make posts like this] but I'm actually getting a fair amount done.     

Dulcimer

I dragged out my mother's dulcimer out of the dusty corner the other day [week]. I remember playing around on that thing ten years ago, learning how to strum it before getting board and replacing in the corner where it has set evermore. [Even back than I wasn't interested in picking.]

Dragging it out again has allowed me to look at it with new eyes: The frets vary in sizes along the whole neck [body?] and the strings are thin but flexible, so they aren't painful [but that might be because the strings are probably fifteen years old]. I have a new toy, I need to look up the tuning, but it's awesome to get another item in your arsenal for free. 

Hey Mr. New Guy

When I finally got my hands on New Guy to winterize him I was surprised to find he was bowing back, where Igor was arching forwards. I took a few days tweak him straight, then I remember something someone said on TB about not having the neck rod straight.  

I [of course] forgot which way there was suppose to be a little give, so I decided to to tweak a little both ways, and see which way made more on tune notes [I've found that the notes get a little more off tune with each lower fret I play down the neck]. When I checked the neck with the ever reliable Snark Tuner [from hell] I found that even rather high up on the neck, the tuning varied alot.

String Trees

It hit me like a truck, the [lack of a] string tree, where I stripped the screw head, was totally fucked up because of my doing.       

Pictures of Paul

Paul McCartney has released new music recently, and this has given me an unexpected amount of joy. I have respect for the man, I mean his ability to compose is awesome, and he's the guy that I think of for support [or rather the idea of him] when I'm getting crap for being a southpaw bassist who actually plays southpaw; I don't want to think about all the shit he's probably gotten over the issue.

Look at the neck!

That said, I not a real fan. His music is pretty low on the list of what I'd want to listen to, if I want relax or have fun. So when I heard McCartney was making more music [beyond the hope given to me that someone in their 70s can still play] I didn't really care. Yet I found myself staring for far too long at all the promotional material I've found scattered across the internet.

Great Profile!

It took me awhile to realize why I was so enthralled with these photos. [Okay, there was like five seconds comparing how much people really don't change when they get older.] I found myself absolutely giddy at the fact there are all these pictures of left handed guitars--and a bass guitar at that!         

It's not just me

I was chatting with someone in one of my classes, and he became one of the few who didn't say anything stupid when I said I play bass. That launched me into a much unneeded abridged history of music in my life.

When I got to my failed attempt at learning to play piano, he interjected that learning to play with both hands [where I called it quits] is the hardest part. Normally I'd feel embarrassed being corrected, but instead I felt oddly relief.   

My Jackets

I noted awhile back that I've broken out jackets because it's gotten cold. I love when the weather is just getting cold best, I can break out my leather [*cough* pleather *cough*] jackets. I've been wearing this one jacket for years, and this year I've noticed that the material around my upper arm is tight.

Either my college five pounds have gone to upper arms, or my bass playing has gotten to me. It is awesome to get toned from something I don't consider 'working out', but man, that was my first adult leather jacket! It was originally over $100! [And no, I did not pay that.]

  

[Now I know why Rock Stars are known for their leather pants] 

How to Make the Music Sway

I've always wanted to repeat a moment [or the feeling of a psychical place] with music; from the first song I ever tried to compose was the moment my dogs got excited when my mom came home from work. [I still have the notes written on a button envelop somewhere.]

Since my awesome trip this past summer, there's one moment that ha been haunting me, begging me to immortalize it in music: On the train from CDG to The City [Paris] the ride was this incredible period that I think music could convey [if anything could, but that might be the jet lag talking]. The train swayed side to side, and the train clacking along the track like most trains do, a lone accordion player walking up and down the train.

The movement of the train would obviously be replicated by the bass [in my head] but it's been months and I couldn't figour out how make the swaying sound. Playing up and down the neck seemed to move in a different dimension then what I wanted. Than I found it: Hitting the string with my fingernail made a sharper sound [akin to a pick] while hitting the string with the tip/pad of my finger gave off that familiar bass sound. Alternating these two techniques give me the swaying motion I want!             

Winterizing Time

I pulled out my jackets last week, and with it I've noticed that Igor is somewhat out of tune. I live in an area with high humidity and very varying [hahaha] temperatures, this results in me having to tweak my basses' truss rod [Lula doesn't have one] every spring and fall.

You'd think I'd know which way to twist the truss rod by now, [but alas] no. It took me two nights to make sure I got Igor heading in the right direction, and New Guy was a whole other matter which I'll post about later.  

A Note on the Gel Pad

If you are the type to play your bass in the rain [seriously message me, I want to know who would do that, and with what] don't buy this pad. The gel in the pad holds water incredibly well. I wish I was lying when I say it added pounds to my book bag. The good news is that it drys out over night without me having to take the bathing suit dyer [a hair dryer] to it.   

Wisdom with the Drink

Oddly enough, I finally remembered what to tune Lula to without using Google. And I was Punch Drunk at the moment, which enabled me to have to courage tighten the strings enough get them in tune.[I didn't break any strings!]

Sometimes I wonder if I had the same amount of courage in the daylight, what I would be able to accomplish? 

This is Why I Hate Strings

I remember why I hate changing strings: it's the fear of snapping a string. This fear has resulted in Lula sitting in her little blue case, under the bed, for over a week, untuned. [The strings are tight enough to sit in the nut.] I just can't bring myself to possibly break $5 strings. [At least the Boys are getting some attention-- actually it's just Igor.]   

Ba-Di-Dum

I've tried to write songs before. They've all started with a story I want to tell, then I write a poem but I could never get notes to weave around it.

Well I started to just noodle around, making these riffs, when I started mumbling [AKA singing] along. I've done this with a few different grooves and I've liked what came out [but I haven't bothered writing them down, or recording them]. They've all turned out bluesy which is cool as hell.   

For the Sake of Sanity

This next-week-or-so's posts will be horribly disjointed. The lesson I learned was that I need to pick up a stringed instrument every single school night [or my school work will suffer] to remain sane.

I was way stressed with my school load, and I decided it was better to get an extra ten minutes of sleep then to play something. [A totally bad idea] The result was three failed Latin quizzes, and rather unrelated tears. [I should say here, that I have the best, most forgiving Magstier ever; dear Lord may he never find this blog.]

This week I've been manhandling someone [that I realize is an inadament object] every night and I pulled off a 88% on a Latin quiz!   

Lula's Tuners

Lula's tuners are odd, where both my basses have tuners that need to be cut to the proper length before you start twisting the strings about the knob, Lula's aren't. Where my basses' tuners are perpendicular to the head stock, Lula's tuners are parallel to her head stock.

Like This

[This is causing potential problems] I've noticed that I can get the strings nearly in tune with less than a full turn around the tuner. That can't be good, so I'm leaving a ridiculous amount of sting on Lula, because I'm too scared to cut it.   

Putting on Strings: The Bridge

It seems like I only really hate changing round wound bass strings, guitars have more strings, but they aren't as painful on my hands.

This is not Lula

With that out of the way I can gripe about Lula's tuners, wait let me start with the bridge: If this was a real guitar it would have a 'string through bridge' [which if it were a bass might need special strings] so the strings were kinda a pain in the ass to get through. The holes were so small that the largest string didn't totally fit [but it's still playable, I think] and there were no real groves for the strings to rest it, just odd notches that are kinda a crap shoot. 
 

Tools Work

I used the bass string cutter and tuner twister while changing Lula's strings [it actually helped a lot]. Since it has a "bass string cutter" the thing went through guitar strings without an issue. I was really surprised to find that the twister fit over Lula's fat little tuners.

Packaged Thoughts

I got some Lula Ernie Ball Acoustic string. [And man they're a different beast.] While bass string packs have to be sent in a manila envelope, guitar strings come in a package that can be slipped into a back pocket [if you wear guy pants]. They even have easy open tear edges like many food product packages.

On the back of the package was a huge list of artists that use these strings, which made me worry. It reminds me alot of the rotos that were [personally] a big let down.  

She Doesn't Need It

On the night between stripping Lula, and putting on her strings I thought of wiping her down with wax, as I would with Igor [the other guitar with a dark fret board] but then I realized that her fret board is just painted plywood, or something of the like.

I want to take decent care of her, and all my other instruments; but I just don't want to ruin the only guitar I have. So I just left her be that night.

Lula's Naked

 I took off Lula's strings on a weeknight, because that's somewhat easy to do, and it was quick. You know how I hate painful bass strings? Guitar strings bite [in particular those tiniest strings]. She looks so sad [as I think all string-less instruments look, well besides a woodwind or something]. I wish I could dress her up that night, but I just didn't have the time.  

Gel Man

[Written after two of use on a school bad used everyday, so I have not yet tried it with a bass.]

I sent two weeks with the Plant wave gel strap pad on my school pad, and I must say it has been a live saver. I bought the version that had gel vs. the foam version which was a few dollars cheaper, and I'm glad I did. Just like the old school bass straps that are wider at the shoulder then the rest of the strap, the weight of the item [in my current case the bag] is dispersed over the larger space and feels great.

I had heard of a few negative reviews on the pad, namely complaining about the weight of the pad sliding down the strap, and in the case of one guitarist [who in no way helped the credibility of guitarist being musicians] said that the pad weighted more then his guitar. I've only had to readjust the pad twice in that sense, but I have had untwist the strap several times because the wait of the pad spun it around.

The pad has two overlapping Velcro straps and there are no way the pad is going to fall off. On the other side there is seven sections of gel that is meant to fit the body of the wearer. I have no idea is this gel design actually makes my shoulder feel better.     

It came early!

Two whole days early, all my amazon stuff came! So it came early in the week, not at the end near the weekend when I can review everything.

I was able to listen to the Steppenwolf CD. It's good, it kinda sounds the same after the first ten songs [but Snowblind is a shockingly awesome keeper]. A myriad of reviews to come!

More Chords

I tried out chords on Igor! It went pretty well [before I got shut down]. I tried out A, C, E because there was no alphabet repeating to worry about. I also discovered that that I need to work on my note placement, I'm letting my fundamental knowledge slip.  

I tried the A chord [I think that's what it would be called] at the top of the neck and at the bottom. I was very comfortable using the open strings [see above] so there might be other places I didn't realize that I could of played.

I also noticed that I had to play the notes that were near each other, for it to sound right. If I say, mixed an open string with below the 12th fret, it sounded wanky.