So... this is probably the last post of this L2 year
At the begining of this year,i set myself some targets, some of them where just about improving my guitar playing.
- Learning a new playing technique
I learned a playing technique called,alternate picking, which is based on a up and down movement of the hand when picking, this is very important for the development of a guitar player,it makes things a lot easier, specially to gain speed,now i can play pretty much anything if i practice enough.
-to improve my skills on logic
When i started this course, i didn't know much about Mac computers,certainly not about logic.
Now,i know how to use logic,composed two song and more than 7 drafts,learn many short cuts on logic ,like if you want to see the Score,you gotta press "cmd+3" and many other like this.
Wednesday, 5 June 2013
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
technical and musical improvements
guitars are more complicated than i though, initially because guitar playing is not mainly about how fast or how loud you play,is more about how good you make the guitar sound,for this i had to learn techniques that are not in my usual playing style,Metal.
Immortal is a Norwegian Black metal band, my favourite of the genre, Tyrants was one of the first songs that I've learned, the guitarist ( Abbath ) uses a playing technique call "tremolo picking" that consists in fast alternate picking and loads of distortion. I often use this technique when playing, but after a while i struggled to keep on learning new songs because the structure of many metal songs can be way too complicated for a beginner,the amp and guitar settings can be difficult to understand sometimes, so i decided to explore new styles and apply them to my playing techniques.
To start with i though about my gear, I've got a Jackson flying V guitar, it is very light,has a jumbo fret board which forces my hand to stretch and my soloing improve, i bought two EMG active pick ups(85,81) to improve the sound of the guitar,they sound amazing,they are the perfect combination for metal as they give a very warm and fat sound, and even in distortion when i play a chord,it will sound clean.Also i installed new size of guitar strings, Dunlop 12-54 Heavy Core Strings, these are very good for drop tunings, i usually play in standard tuning but is very nice to play on other tunings ( Drop D,One step down,Half step Down,tuning in C etc..)
EMG 85 & 81 active pick ups
After this i started practising new techniques,and ways of playing, pentatonic scales are very useful for learning how to use the alternate picking (up and down picking), i use it a lot, but then i heard some jazz musicians playing, and they often use the "blues scale" . The difference between this two is that the pentatonic is composed of five notes, where the blues scale has an extra note between each octave.This two techniques have helped me so much through my practising, specially for developing my both hands strength and skills.
Now days every time i play guitar i practice this scales,on different positions on the fret board,and with different tempo too, it has made my understanding of guitar a lot bigger, and my playing a lot better.
An example of the sort of style i practice sometimes to get the timing right on my guitar playing
Immortal is a Norwegian Black metal band, my favourite of the genre, Tyrants was one of the first songs that I've learned, the guitarist ( Abbath ) uses a playing technique call "tremolo picking" that consists in fast alternate picking and loads of distortion. I often use this technique when playing, but after a while i struggled to keep on learning new songs because the structure of many metal songs can be way too complicated for a beginner,the amp and guitar settings can be difficult to understand sometimes, so i decided to explore new styles and apply them to my playing techniques.
To start with i though about my gear, I've got a Jackson flying V guitar, it is very light,has a jumbo fret board which forces my hand to stretch and my soloing improve, i bought two EMG active pick ups(85,81) to improve the sound of the guitar,they sound amazing,they are the perfect combination for metal as they give a very warm and fat sound, and even in distortion when i play a chord,it will sound clean.Also i installed new size of guitar strings, Dunlop 12-54 Heavy Core Strings, these are very good for drop tunings, i usually play in standard tuning but is very nice to play on other tunings ( Drop D,One step down,Half step Down,tuning in C etc..)
Jackson V Randy rhoads red
Dunlop heavy core strings size 12-54
After this i started practising new techniques,and ways of playing, pentatonic scales are very useful for learning how to use the alternate picking (up and down picking), i use it a lot, but then i heard some jazz musicians playing, and they often use the "blues scale" . The difference between this two is that the pentatonic is composed of five notes, where the blues scale has an extra note between each octave.This two techniques have helped me so much through my practising, specially for developing my both hands strength and skills.
Now days every time i play guitar i practice this scales,on different positions on the fret board,and with different tempo too, it has made my understanding of guitar a lot bigger, and my playing a lot better.
An example of the sort of style i practice sometimes to get the timing right on my guitar playing
Solutions to issues arising during rehearsals and performances
REHEARSALS ( group rehearsals/performance)
One of the biggest issues is the lack of attendance and practice from some of the members of the band, it makes the whole band progress go slow,also, this makes every rehearsal more difficult for everyone if the drummer is not there,or the guitarist etc. When a song is being rehearsed, the main point is to get everything sounding good,by working on dynamics,structure, and development of the song.
SOLUTIONS
Some of thee musicians can play several instruments,thing that is very useful in this cases, as we could keep on progressing without one of the and members,also we always recorded as much as we could from the rehearsal so we could practice outside college,voice recordings,videos,music sheets among others were some of the techniques used during rehearsals. All of this was very helpful also for the day of the performance,listening to the recordings in the tube or any method of transport in the mornings just before the performance gives you and idea of how do you want to perform, just the last little but important things,like amp settings,volume etc.
REHEARSALS (individual rehearsals/performance)
Practice is what makes musician progress,sometimes i didn't have enough time to practice during the day/evening, plus my headphones broke so it was very difficult for me to practice in the evenings,this made my progress to slow down,and made me struggle during rehearsals at the moment of playing.
SOLUTIONS
After a few weeks i managed to buy headphones,then i started practicing in the evenings in order to make my guitar playing smother,to achieve this, i practice no more then an hour an a half, so my muscles weren't too tired for next days rehearsals, i searched online for warm up techniques so i could play for longer hours during rehearsals.
These warm ups are very useful for the day of the performance too.
One of the biggest issues is the lack of attendance and practice from some of the members of the band, it makes the whole band progress go slow,also, this makes every rehearsal more difficult for everyone if the drummer is not there,or the guitarist etc. When a song is being rehearsed, the main point is to get everything sounding good,by working on dynamics,structure, and development of the song.
SOLUTIONS
Some of thee musicians can play several instruments,thing that is very useful in this cases, as we could keep on progressing without one of the and members,also we always recorded as much as we could from the rehearsal so we could practice outside college,voice recordings,videos,music sheets among others were some of the techniques used during rehearsals. All of this was very helpful also for the day of the performance,listening to the recordings in the tube or any method of transport in the mornings just before the performance gives you and idea of how do you want to perform, just the last little but important things,like amp settings,volume etc.
REHEARSALS (individual rehearsals/performance)
Practice is what makes musician progress,sometimes i didn't have enough time to practice during the day/evening, plus my headphones broke so it was very difficult for me to practice in the evenings,this made my progress to slow down,and made me struggle during rehearsals at the moment of playing.
SOLUTIONS
After a few weeks i managed to buy headphones,then i started practicing in the evenings in order to make my guitar playing smother,to achieve this, i practice no more then an hour an a half, so my muscles weren't too tired for next days rehearsals, i searched online for warm up techniques so i could play for longer hours during rehearsals.
These warm ups are very useful for the day of the performance too.
Monday, 3 June 2013
Roles & Responsibilities
Roles &
Responsibilities
Name:
Felipe Perez Sama
Who played in your band and what did
they play? (P)
Kipros
Erika
Zak
Andre
Felipe
|
What did you play in the band? (P)
I played, initially the electric guitar,
but we wanted to improve the sound, so i played acoustic.
|
What were the roles of each band
member? (P)
Kipros:
Backing vocals
Erika:
Lead vocals
Zak:
Lead guitar
Andre:
Drums
Felipe:
rhythm guitar
|
Describe how each member took
responsibility for their role? (M)
Kipros:
he decided to do vocals so the song would have a male voice on it.
Erika:
she wrote the lyrics ,and sang the lead parts
Zak:
he composed the song and the melody.
Andre: he composed the drum bits, fills,
and created the dynamics
Felipe:
i made the rhythm guitar, and the bridge solo.
|
What happened when people didn’t
fulfil their responsibilities? (D)
It was very difficult for us when
certain members of the band didn’t turn up for rehearsals, with made our
progress go slower, therefore we couldn’t work dedicatedly to arrange the dynamics
and structure of the song.
|
Why were each of the roles
important? (D)
Kipros:
he had to cheer up the song with his lyrics, they were there to bring the
audience into the song
Erika
: She was the lead vocals, guitar
followed her voice when playing and rehearsing
Zak:
he was the spine of the song, his riff where the main melody thorough the song.
Andre:
André played the drums on a way that the dynamics were meant to sound
perfect, the drums sounded different on the intro, verse, chorus, bridge.
Felipe:
the rhythm came with the idea of supporting the lead guitar so the overall
sound was richer.
|
Did you change any of the roles
around during the rehearsal process?
(D)
No, we didn’t we used a some
improvisation when playing live, just simple stuff like clapping when appropriate.
|
If so, why and how did it help? (D)
It let the audience participate on
the performance, and made them enjoy more.
|
End of year performance evaluation
✠ What could you have done better?
The performance's planning was good,but the communication between our group and the other ones was poor,so i could of have used many resources like internet websites like Facebook,twitter,blog posts or simply by emailing each other
✠ Did you get your task completed on time?
Yes, all the planning was send out to Grant almost a week before the performance so he could have everything done for that day.
✠ How did you work as a team?
between our group, Stage manager group,everything went well,we came up with ideas very fast,and the stage designs were done within the group,Codey made the online graphics on google drive, i believe. Before hand we asked all the performers about what equipment they needed for the performance,such as instruments,chairs,and other accessories used during the performance, then the stage plan was made.
✠ Did anything go wrong?
Not really,everything went very well,some stuff wasn't planned by members of the other teams that actually affected us,as a good example lead cables were missing for the day of the performance,but there were some in college so it wasn't a big deal.
✠ What went well and why?
Overall everything went well,all the planed came through,the stage design was exactly how we expected it, and it wasn't uncomfortable for the performers or technicians,with this i mean the performers didn't find it difficult to play or to find their positions on stage,and the technicians perfectly understood what we had in mind.
Also there is a copy of the final stage plan,designed by us,posted and send by Codey
Also there is a copy of the final stage plan,designed by us,posted and send by Codey
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
planning for a performance
The end of the year show is upon us,and this has to be epic,but how can we achieve this? there is some questions and answers that will help us to find out.
1. what needs to be planned and why?
we need to plan the advertising,the stage design,the visuals such as lighting,projections,screens, and other effects such as smoke.
the advertising will help us to get people to come to the performance, the stage design will make everything easier for the day of the performance because we will have a plan of what it is needed for the day, this covers a great part of the stuff needed. Also,this is the first step that needs to be taken in order to put up a performance, we need to know who is playing,what are they playing,when are they playing.
2. what will you need and why?
we will need all the available resources, such as Facebook,posters,technicians, and a lot of creativity.
Facebook is a very common social network site now days many people use it and it is free,with this we can create an event and invite as much people as possible to come to the performance, but we don't have everyone's Facebook profile name,so we are also advertising the gig by using posters ( probably leaflets too ) around college.
Now the technical side of it comes,we cannot operate many of the equipment that is going to be used for the performance,plus we are going to be performing, for this we will need to write the plan down and pass it on to the technicians that work at college,it can be either Grant, or Luis.
3. what are you doing how and why?
i am workings as a stage manager,some of my duties are:
✠to ensure that the performers have the necessary equipment
✠to ensure that the performers come on stage on time,at the right time
✠to ensure that the instruments are working, plugged in, and on the right settings for the performance.
✠to design the stage plan or map.
for this,there will be an stage map designed by the stage managing team,plus a set list on the walls at backstage so that everyone will know when to come on stage. At the sound check we will speak to the performers where to go and how to leave the stage so it is not messy making the performance look bad.
1. what needs to be planned and why?
we need to plan the advertising,the stage design,the visuals such as lighting,projections,screens, and other effects such as smoke.
the advertising will help us to get people to come to the performance, the stage design will make everything easier for the day of the performance because we will have a plan of what it is needed for the day, this covers a great part of the stuff needed. Also,this is the first step that needs to be taken in order to put up a performance, we need to know who is playing,what are they playing,when are they playing.
2. what will you need and why?
we will need all the available resources, such as Facebook,posters,technicians, and a lot of creativity.
Facebook is a very common social network site now days many people use it and it is free,with this we can create an event and invite as much people as possible to come to the performance, but we don't have everyone's Facebook profile name,so we are also advertising the gig by using posters ( probably leaflets too ) around college.
Now the technical side of it comes,we cannot operate many of the equipment that is going to be used for the performance,plus we are going to be performing, for this we will need to write the plan down and pass it on to the technicians that work at college,it can be either Grant, or Luis.
3. what are you doing how and why?
i am workings as a stage manager,some of my duties are:
✠to ensure that the performers have the necessary equipment
✠to ensure that the performers come on stage on time,at the right time
✠to ensure that the instruments are working, plugged in, and on the right settings for the performance.
✠to design the stage plan or map.
for this,there will be an stage map designed by the stage managing team,plus a set list on the walls at backstage so that everyone will know when to come on stage. At the sound check we will speak to the performers where to go and how to leave the stage so it is not messy making the performance look bad.
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
rehearsal diaries
hello there, today i am back to college from holiday, it was a nice experience.
I have been learning new songs on guitar and trying to develop new techniques, like improving my soloing and rhythm playing, to achieve this I learned "Seek and destroy" from Metallica's first album, is a really fun song to play,and the song structure is very complex, that leads to an constant playing through the song.It is half melody-half rhythm based, the intro can be is easily kept in the memory,as it the melody is very simple but strong, the time signature changes during the guitar solo.
Also, I have learned how to play "Omerta" from the mighty Lamb of god, ashes of the awake album. This song is very simple,but yet very fun to play and has helped me a lot to improve my alternate picking and my pinch harmonics use .it is riff based.
I have been learning new songs on guitar and trying to develop new techniques, like improving my soloing and rhythm playing, to achieve this I learned "Seek and destroy" from Metallica's first album, is a really fun song to play,and the song structure is very complex, that leads to an constant playing through the song.It is half melody-half rhythm based, the intro can be is easily kept in the memory,as it the melody is very simple but strong, the time signature changes during the guitar solo.
Also, I have learned how to play "Omerta" from the mighty Lamb of god, ashes of the awake album. This song is very simple,but yet very fun to play and has helped me a lot to improve my alternate picking and my pinch harmonics use .it is riff based.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)