Cubs Win

12-1 today! This isn't the same Cubs team that sucked in April and May. They are fun to watch. This could get interesting in the next couple months. I guess 2003 really made me more cautious about what to expect so I am not jumping up and down. For now though, this is real good.

And Sox fans, you had your championship in '05. That was great, Cubs fans can't say that (when will we?). But please, stop living in the past before you start to sound like those Bears fans who still talk about 1985 . It gets a little old.

Lights

Last weekend I got to do lights for our Sunday service. Lighting is my second most favorite art form (to music of course). It is my one way to perform visual art. I am a horrible artist (stick figures are the best for me) and don't even go there with graphic design or sculpting, etc. It is just cool to be able to visually complement what is going on the stage. I attended an arts conference at Willow Creek a few weks back. One of the sessions I attended was lighting for music and I really got a lot out of that. I coincided so much with how I play music, write songs, and design set lists. I learned how to create settings based on how the song is constructed: a verse may have its own look while a chorus is another, and so on. They really discouraged the excesses of flashing lights. Flashing lights do have their place but it can be the most overused thing that lighting artists do. The idea is to complement the song (or anything else on the stage) and not take over. Draw the audience into the moments and not distract them.

I really wanted to test some of that out last weekend but of course there were 5 lamps out! Couldn't do much! Well, I am back on board in a couple weeks - with all lights working! We will see how things go then.

Order of the Phoenix

Last week I attended the midnight premier for the newest Harry Potter movie: "Order of the Phoenix". I went with my family and Katrina's boyfriend (who might as well be family too). I am not one of those Harry Potter nuts - my daughter and wife are! :) I did go because it would simply be a fun thing to do...and it was! It was late and the place was crowded but I really did enjoy the movie. Now I should say, unlike others whom I will not mention, I did not read the book 50 times, nor even 5 times. I read it once a couple years ago. So basically the movie was a refresher for me. I didn't notice things that were left out or done differently. It gave me a unique perspective. The movie did have a faster pace to it but it was good. I personally don't understand all the hoopla but then again, no one understands why I am a big Doctor Who fan (more about that another time). So I would recommend going (to me, it was the best one so far, but that is only me).

Au revoir....

Dumb Lead Player

Loved that bad music in the earlier post! Played some good stuff this past weekend, however. Here was a case where I played with a group that wasn't a trio and it was a blast! At Montgomery it was still bass, drums, electric but we also had a solid acoustic player. I tell you what, it was fun for me. I didn't have to lead anything so I got to play dumb lead guitar player! One great thing about having a solid rhythm player is that I can open up to do more creative, "artsy" things. It was fun doing that.

Amen!

Awesome Tunes

I thought that I would share with you a link to hear some of the most refreshing music that I have heard in a while. Many thanks to that great source of cool music...my daughter, Katrina.

http://www.purevolume.com/albums/predatoryhomeloans/majesticpony

Guitars and Sounds

Last weekend I was in a trio that played at Romeoville for services. Trios are such a different approach to play as a guitarist from any other setup. I played in a real good one about 7-8 years ago called Trailer Park Palace. On guitar, it is you and only you covering those melodies and chord arrangements. I love that. It really forces you to stretch as a musician. As the only guitar, you learn to fill spaces. One thing to pay attention to is in the equipment you use. It depends on the music but I think certain guitars and amps work better than others (unless it is a punk band then all bets are off!). For example, my Martin electric is far better for that arrangement than my Charvel. It just has a fatter sound when needed but also can go very clean. It is quite vesatile: I can cover metal and jazz in one set if need be (although that would be one weird set!). I play a little faster on the Charvel - it has a faster neck. But the Martin can get me any sound. I used the Charvel Saturday night and the Martin on Sunday and it was a noticeable difference. I know we had different venues but the type of guitar used did make an impact. It ended up being a more full sound. Versatility is a must for a trio. It allows you to be more creative.

Also, when you are the only guitar, it would be good to use your effects wisely. Note I said 'wisely' and not 'abundantly'! Effects can really get overused. Back in the 80's, the chorus was used to death (of which I was a guilty party for a while!). Nowadays, the delays are really used heavily. None of that stuff is bad. They can provide quite interesting sounds. Just use them in the right places: have your play dictate your sound and not the other way around! It gives you control over your creativity. That being said, when you are in a trio, effects can fill gaps in sound where need be. I personally like to go to the chorus, phase, and delay to help create a more complete sound. Last weekend, on a song that originally had a Leslie organ and acoustic, I kept a slightly overdriven electric with a rotary effect to simulate the Leslie. It seemed to have turned out quite right!

Trios will of course affect how I play. Unless it is a metal or punk rocker, I will often add various arpeggio patterns in my rhythm arrangements and forego any lead fills that might originally have appeared in the song (although one can do that in metal too). Anyone who knows me would agree that I love soloing with the best of them! However, you need to pay attention to how the song goes, and how it is being executed by your band. Sometimes restraining from going to that solo bit is a better idea for the song to sound good to your audience! Then, when you play "Cliffs of Dover" or "Satch Boogie" you can let loose!

So that is my guitar article for the week!