The Participation Factor - Part 2

In the 'Participation Factor' (Getting to the Next Level - Part 1) I highlighted that the main stumbling block to developing as guitarists and musicians is in the lack of any consistent realtime playing opportunities. Opportunities that tend to keep us sharper, steadily improving, and applying all the stuff we learn in lessons and private study. Unlike sports there is no league of musicians organizing gigs and jam session and 'keeping score' and creating the 'competitive like' situations needed to elevate our playing to higher ground. I will attempt to outline some solutions that can be be modified and customized to fit your unique situations and playing abilities.

Be Willing and Available

The secret lies in being available for all things that are related to music. Whether your roadying for a friends band, singing in the church choir, playing folk songs at an old-folks home, performing for family functions, volunteering for local concerts, bringing your guitar to campfire situations, starting a lunchtime jam session or a guitar club at school, atteneding local music workshops, joining an A/V team, hosting a jam session at you home, or altering your expectations or style to get in a band. It's about your willingness to put yourself in music's way and get involved. 

Jamming

Anytime musicians play together, whether making noise, noodling around, rehearsing, performing or recording, jamming can happen. Jamming is a term that simply means, making music together. This is probably the simplest and most laid-back way to get 'in the game' of playing. Try making an appointment with a fellow musician friend or two and improve your 'chops' through jamming. There are also local jam sessions going on in homes, pubs, and other public meeting places that you can discover through some digging and networking.

Gigging

One thing the modern technological world has failed in is in it's promise to expand opportunities and work for musicians. The amount of musicians gigging and performing for a living has noticeably declined in the last few years. Today, your rig can act like a super computer with bells and whistles that would make Jimi Hendrix's head spin and you've got the world at your fingertips but there's very few opportunities to let the 'fingers fly'. The ARTS are dying and being replaced by cheap entertainment,  fadism, and a sad societal state of 'undisciplined abundance'. The problem is that in our communities we tend to 'consume' more than we 'produce' and that seeps into our personal worlds as well, creating vast amounts of wasted time - time we could be producing our personal art. This is a troubling problem for established player and extremely deflating for young talented player looking to break into the scene.


The good news is that the creative minority can impact change. Try doing some home-concerts, playing outdoor events in your town, teaming up with other local bands (musical co-ops), letting other artist know your talents are available, and create projects and bands for specific local events.

The Participation Factor (Getting to the Next Level) - Part 1

I've had quite a growing number of students in the past few years having a tougher time getting to that 'next level' in their guitar playing. It's seems to be mostly in the areas of technique, creativity, and the practical theory(know-how) needed to be an effective live player and performer. In my opinion, the problem is a clear and simple one but the solution is more complex and illusive. As live playing opportunities dwindle in the age of electronic and canned music it's harder than ever for guitarists to sharpen their skills and keep in game shape.

Getting in the Game:

Imagine if you practised with your hockey, soccer, football, or baseball team but never got to play in a single game. Over the course of time you would improve in your skills and know-how but without the competition and intensity of a game situation your skills would eventually stagnate and never reach their full potential. In this situation, most people would lose their interest in the sport along the way, and with it, all the reasons why we play and compete; for a fun, challenging and healthy physical activity that can build fitness, character, friendships and self-confidence.

An athlete gains so much knowledge by just participating in a sport. Focus, discipline, hard work, goal setting and, of course, the thrill of finally achieving your goals. These are all lessons in life. -Kristi Yamaguchi

Getting 'In the Game' for musicians is by participating in a real live musical situations like a; concert, recital, jam session, church worship, camp-fire singing, open-mic night, choir, or any event where you share and/or combine your talents with other musicians for or within a small or large group of people. How this gets us to the next level of our playing is easy to see. To share and communicate music well, we need an increase in our preparation (more practice), know-how (application of theory), commitment (faithful participation) and experience (long-term musical activity).

...but, unlike sports, for musicians there isn't a coach or manager mandating practice and holding one accountable for participation, preparation and for scheduling the games. We have to instigate our own involvement and be active in the musical and art community around us. This is the main roadblock of developing as guitarists our post-modern times and as I see it, the number one reason why so many students 'spin their tires' trying to reach that next level of playing.

Part 2 will look at some solutions... 

My Personal Electric Guitar Setup

Although I don't obsess that much about gear, I do work hard at searching and researching for the right pieces to keep my gear setup small, easy to use and great sounding. Students of the guitar can benefit from following the advice and footprints of more experienced players gear setups.

Guitars:

For my main electric I use a Fender Hotrod '62 Stratocaster. It a great sounding re-issued guitar made by Fender that takes the features and specifications of a vintage 1962 Strat and "hotrods" it by adding a slightly wider neck and bigger frets for better performance. It's has a the classic sound of a strat, but has a warmth and fatness to it that reminds me of some of the characteristics of a Gibson Les Paul. It allows me to play a variety of styles and contexts from just one guitar, and that's important for the wide range of gigs and teaching that I do.

Pedal setup:

Guitar -into- Xotic EP boost - 1982 Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer - Carl Martin PlexiTone S - Ethos Overdrive/Preamp - T.C. Electronic Flashback Delay - Stymon BlueSky Reverb - P.A.

Ethos Overdrive

Carl Martin PlexiTone

Above is my small pedal/preamp signal path setup. My Hotrod '62 plugs first into an EP Boost pedal. The EP boost is a clean boost that adds a nice boost to my signal and a extra fatness to my tone. I keep this pedal on most of the time. The vintage tube screamer is one of the most sought after overdrive pedals of the last 30 years and I use it primarily as an additional gain stage for guitar solos. It adds a creaminess and sustain that I love. Next is the Plexitone pedal. I have always been a fan of old Marshall Plexi Amps and this pedal really delivers a warm Marshall tone with a nice range of gain for different playing situations. The Custom Tones Ethos overdrive acts as my amp, or more specifically my preamp in that it shapes my overall guitar tone. It has the sound of the famous Dumble Overdrive Amp that has fueled the tones of guitarist like John Mayer, Keith Urban, Robben Ford, Larry Carlton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Santana. Right now, I generally use it for it's great clean amp sound and use my pedals to add the crunch. The Ethos has a clean channel, an overdrive channel and a lead boost built into one. I then go out of the speaker simulated output of the Ethos to the T.C. delay/looper. I generally use the 2290 preset and a fairly long delay time. This pedal has to be the best small pedal delay I've ever heard. Next is the Strymon reverb. Strymon, in my opinion is at the top pedal maker in the world and the BlueSky delivers a quiet and beautifully transparent reverb and a cool shimmer feature that I use as preset favourite. Personally, I always put my boost, wahs, compressors, and drive pedals before the amp and the delays, chorus' and reverbs after the amp - it just sounds cleaner and better to my ears.

Depending on the style of music I'm playing, I might change the pedal order around or make changes and tweaks to my normal preset sounds of the pedals to suite the style of a particular song.

I will feature one or more of these pedals each month on this Blog. Just click on the pedal to get information or a demo of the pedal. My whole setup can fit on a small pedalboard; small enough to fit in the overhead compartment on a plane or carried and setup easily in a local show or session.

Amps?

Sorry! I don't have an amp anymore. I generally plug straight into a PA system and monitor my sound through the stage monitors, in-ear monitors, or a small powered speaker that can fit in my suitcase. On some bigger gigs/shows I have them (promoters/clients) rent me an amp like a Fender Deluxe or a Blues Deville. I have just got tired of lugging a heavy tube amp around in a heavy flight case and hoping it arrives in working order. This also keep the gear budget in balance and relation to my income as a player and the needs and general cost of living in a modern family.

Final Thoughts

If I were to expand things, I would lean towards adding a Stymon Mobius, a Dunlop Wah, and possibly a small Tube amp for a bit more headroom on my sound.