Sound System Of The Future

Hahahaha!

The Music

The Music is an outlet
The music is a living thing
The Music is everything
The music is heart and soul
The Music also has its toll
The music is a creature
The music takes time
No matter your life or rhyme
The music is variety
The music can also heal
No matter you calamity
The music is a way to be found
No matter the music’s sound.

Music Poem II

Music makes me cry
Music makes me laugh
Music makes me smile
Music makes me tingly
Deep inside
When i hear music
Life comes running after me
Music is the only reason
Why i can stand on earth
Music makes cry
Music makes me laugh
Music makes me smile
Music makes me tingly
Deep inside
Music brings me back to life
Music is the only reason i live

by Naani Aslam

Guitar Hero #3: John Petrucci

John Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist and songwriter born on July 12, 1967. He is well known as one the founding members of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. He has appeared in G3 tours together with Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Paul Gilbert several times. GuitarOne magazine has ranked him as the 9th Greatest Shredder of All Time.

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, speed is not the only determining factor for a guitarist to be called “great”. Though Petrucci is well know for his speed much like Paul Gilbert, the thing that I like the most with his style is his wide harmonic vocabulary. This gives him the ability to write melodramatic pieces. I like listening to his solo album, Suspended Animation, for these reasons. I’m not really a Dream Theater fan: but I really have to say they are damn good! In terms of the mood of his compositions, I like to compare Petrucci with Paul Gilbert. I think Petrucci mostly has melodrama and anger in his music while Paul Gilbert has humor and joy. But of course, this is subjective. I’m living in a free country right?

Movies about Musicians

Besides listening to music, one if the things that I like to do for stress relief is watching movies. Sometimes I even forgot that I was just watching a movie. It almost felt like I was a spectator who follows the people on the scenes. But after I see the empty pop corns and the scrolling credits, it’s back to reality!

It’s easy for me to be “in” the movie. It involves a lot of imagination and I really have to convince myself that it’s not a movie. Well, this is what a movie experience should be (at least for me). It could be easier to have this euphoric sensation if we are in a movie theater with those “Dolby digital surround sound” and “wide movie screens”. Just yesterday, I watched this movie called “Mr. Hollands Opus”. It’s a very inspiring movie about a music teacher who changed the life of his students without even knowing it. How I wish that I can put the movie theater experience at my own home.

We are lucky enough to be living in the digital age! Home Theater Systems are not the thing of the past. This technology comes in different price ranges. You can check out online stores to look for something that suits your budget. This would probably be one of my priorities when I do find a decent job!

If I have the money today, I’d definitely buy a plasma television and watch my favorite movies all over again. And since I’m a musician, some of these movies involve a lot of music. These includes:

The Pianist - Based on a true story of a Polish pianist during the holocaust.
Amadeus - Based on the life story of Mozart. Some of the scenes are fictitious.
Immortal Beloved - The Life story of Beethoven
Il Castrato - An Italian movie about the life of a male soprano named Farinelli.
The Red Violin - A fictional story about a red violin.

Some of these movies are already released in Blu-Ray. We still have to wait before other titles are released in this format. As of now, we have to rely on its predecessor – DVD. But if you’re like me who only watch movies on my laptop: why would you get the Blu-Ray format? You won’t appreciate the Blu-Ray technology if you don’t have a high resolution screen and a high fidelity audio system!

Dora The Explorers New Daring Image

My little cousin was so disappointed when she saw this. She almost cried. Oh well… I guess people do change. But don’t you think Dora is too young for this? Hahaha! Hey guys! Grab a copy now!

I can’t wait to see all of the 69 Dora moves. Maybe she’s “doing” her backpack in one of those. I learned a lesson today: Don’t be fooled by innocent looks. LoL!

World's Most Expensive Guitar

The world’s most expensive guitar was previously held by Jimi Hendrix’s Stratocaster; Then by Eric Clapton’s Blackie -- another Stratocaster. And in 2004, the record was broken by yet, another Stratocaster! Are you seeing a pattern here? Haha!

This Fender Standard Series Stratocaster was auctioned in Qatar and now cost a whopping $2.8 million! That’s about $1.84 million more expensive than Eric Claptons Black Strat that cost about $959,500.

Physically, there’s nothing really special about this guitar. It’s your regular Stratocaster in construction and materials used. What made it that expensive is the fact that it contains signatures of guitar music legends and icons. The proceeds for this guitar were aimed to help victims of the 2004 tsunami disaster.

Artists who signed:

- Paul McCartney
- Sting
- Noel Gallagher
- Jimmy Page
- Eric Clapton
- Mick Jagger
- Brian May
- Liam Gallagher
- Jeff Beck
- Bryan Adams
- Tony Iommi
- Mark Knopfler
- Angus Young
- Malcolm Young
- Keith Richards
- Ronnie Wood
- Pete Townshend
- Ray Davies
- David Gilmour

This guitar is pretty cheap considering you’ll be getting a piece of guitar history. That’s true only if you have a billion dollars in your pocket! :-)

How To Increase Alexa Rank

First of all, what is Alexa Rank? In simplest words, it is a ranking system in which the ranking scheme is based on the number of people visiting a website with an Alexa Toolbar installed on their browser. You can go to alexa.com for more details. Bloggers would want to increase their alexa rank for monetizing reasons. The higher your ranking, the better bargaining power you’ll have in ad pricing. Well, some people say that it is an unreliable ranking system. But since the majority of people rely on this, you should increase yours as well. These methods are very effective for me. When I followed these steps with my new blog, my Alexa Rank jumped from 10,000,000+ down to 565,076 in just two months!

1. Install the alexa toolbar and set your blog as your homepage.

2. Put an alexa widget on your site.

3. Visit web forums with topics about alexa. Make an interesting comment and don’t forget to leave your URL. People who are visiting these forums probably have an alexa toolbar installed. They might visit you back if you have an interesting comment.

4. Post in social networking website or forums located Asia. Asians are big alexa toolbar fans!

5. Join Entrecard and gain traffic.

6. Write articles that are keyword rich. You’ll have better chance of getting traffic from search engines if your articles contain high ranking keywords.

7. Join in as much social book marking sites as you can such as “Digg”, “Del.ic.ous” or “Stumbled”. These sites usually bring massive number of visitors which has alexa toolbar installed.

8. Lastly, write something about Alexa. People who are looking for ways to increase their alexa rank might find your site in search engines. They might already have alexa toolbar installed.

You’ll find a couple of methods on the net. But here’s a list that that actually worked for me.

Guitar Hero vs. Rock Band

I have mentioned these two video games in my previous posts. So what now? It’s time to buy and test it! So which should you buy? That’s a good question. Both games promise arena-filling rock-god dreams, and both are good. The first thing to look for is where these two games are set apart. Hmmm? It’s pretty hard to answer since both games can give you a rock star gaming experience.

One of the latest versions, “Guitar hero World Tour”, has added a feature -- It has a six-drum kit. That’s a big jump from previous guitar hero versions which is made for guitar acts alone. That’s why it’s called “guitar hero” right? Now with the Rock Band, it can be played for solo guitar acts as well. But they won’t call it Rock Band for nothing. It’s is primarily designed to be played with fellow wannabe’s since it has the capability to be played with microphones and drum-kits. hahaha!

Probably, if you really wanted to throw a party with these kinds of games, here’s where Guitar hero is left behind. You have to unlock all the songs! You need to have a Guitar Hero marathon and unlock all the songs by yourself before you can call out your friends. This way, you won’t disappoint them with just a few choices of songs. Rock Band’s songs are easier to unlock because you have the option to have a “No Fail” mode. Let’s put it this way. Rock Band is made for the musical enjoyment, and Guitar Hero is made for the game experience itself. Yeah? Yeah? I know… You’ll have more sense of accomplishment when playing Guitar Hero.

To sum it up, both games are excellent. They all come in several game console formats. But when it comes to the integration of microphone and a drum kit to this game format, Rock Band is a winner since they’ve been doing it for years. I’m afraid there might still be glitches with Guitar Hero’s. BTW, guitar hero also has a version for Nintendo DS.

Whaaat?!

This picture needs no further elaboration. I won't mind if such a subculture doesn't exist. Yuck! I think I need to puke!

Top 10 Shred Albums of All Time

Here's a list from guitarworld.com. I can say, this is one great list. I personally listened to most of these albums. It's not just speed that put these albums in this list, it's also about excellent melodic taste.

10) Greg Howe (Shrapnel, 1988) Greg Howe A funk-savvy speedster, Greg Howe injected the shred scene with some much-needed shake and soul. The funkdafied “Kick It All Over” kicks off the festivities, and the following track, “The Pepper Shake,” offers a spicy display of Howe’s legato and alternate-picking chops.

9) Speed Metal Symphony (Shrapnel, 1987) Cacophony Speed Metal Symphony, a mighty opus featuring first-chair guitar virtuosos Marty Friedman and Jason Becker, uses “speed metal” rhythm beds and shifting time signatures to help break up the cacophonous onslaught of all-out shred.

8) Michael Lee Firkins (Shrapnel, 1990) Michael Lee Firkins A unique shredder, Firkins employed hybrid picking, subtle whammy wobbling, and country-flavored intervallic leaps to craft some surprisingly listenable tunes.

7) Powers of Ten (Warner Bros., 1992) Shawn Lane From his debut, the now out-of-print Powers of Ten, to his fusion work on Tri-Tone Fascination, the late Shawn Lane exhibited a tremendous sense of melody, even while melting picks with his incendiary technique. If Eric Johnson were a pure shredder, this is what he might sound like.

6) Surfing With the Alien (Relativity, 1987) Joe Satriani Just how badass is Joe Satriani? Well, his list of students includes Steve Vai. And “Satch Boogie” was (and still is) the only shred tune that FM radio would touch. But the real highlight of this release is Side 2, which contains the gemini-like clean and distorted tones of “Circles” and “Lords of Karma,” as well as the clean-toned two-handed tapfest “Midnight” and the hypnotic “Echo.”

5) Passion and Warfare (Relativity, 1990) Steve Vai Remember the cute MTV video for Vai’s “The Audience Is Listening”? What school-age guitar player didn’t want to live out that fantasy? Melodic, flashy, humorous, and filled with hooks, Passion and Warfare is the bar by which all other instrumental guitar albums are measured.

4) Edge of Insanity (Shrapnel, 1986) Tony MacAlpine The album that launched Mike Varney’s Shrapnel Records, Edge of Insanity shows off Tony MacAlpine’s fearsome shred chops not only on the six-string (“Quarter to Midnight”) but also on the ivories (“Chopin, Prelude 16, Opus 28”).

3) Mind’s Eye (Shrapnel, 1986) Vinnie Moore Only one year after Yngwie unleashed his fury on U.S. shores, Vinnie Moore responded with the “Oh yeah? Check this out” release Mind’s Eye. On “Daydream,” Moore demonstrates his grasp of classical themes and motifs; then, on “The Journey,” he shows he can do it with “feel.”

2) Live: Extreme Volume (Shrapnel, 1988) Racer X In the mood for a steaming bowl of notemeal? Check out this 1988 live release from shred poster boys Paul Gilbert and Bruce Bouillet. The best part? There was no pretense of cultural significance with these guys; Racer X was simply speed for the sake of speed.

1) Rising Force (Polydor, 1985) Yngwie Malmsteen I’m laying it on the line right now: Yngwie J. Malmsteen was, is, and always will be the greatest shredder of all time. Hell, he invented the genre with his 1985 debut. The standout track “Far Beyond the Sun” was far beyond what any guitar player had ever imagined possible.

If you really want to train your ears to listen to some kind of really good shred albums, try looking for these albums on record stores or ebay. Please don't try to look for MP3's on the net! You don't want to be fined $1.9 million for illegal downloads. Rigtht?

Say Goodbye To “Guitar Hero”. Say Hello To “The Beatles: Rock Band”

OK! Guitar Hero may be the leading rocker mockup game. But for those who want to try a different twist to this game genre, you can try this game called “The Beatles: Rockband”. It is the third major console release in the Rock Band music video game series and, like other games in the series, it will allow players to simulate the playing of rock music by using controllers shaped like musical instruments.

So what’s the twist? Up to six players can play the game. (Wait? Did I just say six players? Hahaha!) So how’s that possible? The game includes three game controllers and three microphones. Fans will surely enjoy this since the controllers were modeled after those used by the The Beatles: a Rickenbacker 325 guitar, a Gretsch Duo Jet guitar, a Höfner bass and a Ludwig drum set.

What made this different from previous Rock Band games is that it allows three players to sing vocal harmonies. The game will include 45 master tracks chosen from twelve of The Beatles albums recorded during their 1962–1969 tenure with EMI Records. Besides that, additional songs will also be available as a downloadable content.

This game is almost complete. I hope they also include four suits and neckties. What would The Beatles experience be like without those?

LoL!

I’m not sad that Michael Jackson died

Why should I be sad? I never actually met him. He doesn’t even know I exist. We all know him as a black guy trying to look like white a guy. Well, excluding his illness, Vitiligo, that caused his whiteness; we are all aware that his appearance is the result of all the cosmetic procedures he has gone through.

It's has been almost two weeks since he died. You might be wondering why there’s no trace of Michael Jackson in this music blog before now. And do you think it’s because Michael is a pop star? Not a Rock star? For your information, Michael has been inducted in the Rock and Roll hall of fame twice! Do you think I hate him? I hate his music? The answer is a big NO! As a matter of a fact, I love his music.

The question still lingers: Why am I not sad? The truth is I’m just trying not to! I grew up with his music. I’m not referring to the Jackson 5 era because I was born in the mid-80’s (I’m not as old as Obama!). Ever since I was a kid, I really enjoyed watching his music videos together with his “moon walk” and his “crotch-grab” action. I’m not much of a dancer but c'mon’? Who wouldn’t enjoy watching his moves? And probably my favorite MJ songs are “Heal the World”, “Black or White”, and of course, “Man in The Mirror”. I specifically like these song’s because it’s MJ’s channel for delivering the message for the good of mankind. (I think I’m gonna’ start to cry. LoL!)

Oh well, I guess we just have to accept it. Michael Jackson’s memorial service is televised and people from all the four corners of this planet are in grief. The king is dead but his spirit is still within us. His music brought joy into people’s life. We all have to die in God’s time someday. What makes me sad is not his death: It’s the fact that this poor little boy never had the chance to be a kid.

Music Quotes by Famous Musicians II

1. "I'd rather be a musician than a rock star."
-George Harrison

2. "All the good music has already been written by people with wigs and stuff."
-Frank Zappa

3. "A band ought to have a sound all of its own. It ought to have a personality."
-Glenn Miller

4. "A composer knows that music is written by human beings for human beings and that music is a continuation of life, not something separated from it."
-Hanns Eisler

5. "A good composer does not imitate; he steals.
-Igor Stravinsky

6. "A good composer is slowly discovered a bad composer is slowly found out."
-Ernest Newman

7. "A lot of people are singing about how screwed up the world is, and I don't think that everybody wants to hear about that all the time."
-Mariah Carey

8. "A lot of pop music is about stealing pocket money from children."
-Ian Anderson

9. "A musicologist is a man who can read music but can't hear it."
-Sir Thomas Beecham

10. "After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music."
-Aldous Huxley

Guitar Comic #3

Here's another comic I've found. This might insult metal fans (people who listen to metal music), but I'm afraid that this is somehow true! Hahaha! I love metal music but I have a pretty huge brain! Unlike those on this comic.

Music Poem

When music sounds, gone is the earth I know,
And all her lovely things even lovelier grow;
Her flowers in vision flame, her forest trees
Lift burdened branches, stilled with ecstasies.

When music sounds, out of the water rise
Naiads whose beauty dims my waking eyes,
Rapt in strange dreams burns each enchanted face,
With solemn echoing stirs their dwelling-place.

When music sounds, all that I was I am
Ere to this haunt of brooding dust I came;
And from Time's woods break into distant song
The swift-winged hours, as I hasten along.

by Walter de la Mare

My Opinion:
Music is so powerful. The emotion that lurks in our soul is really something beyond logical reasoning. Music is full of mysteries and it has inspired generations; And will continue to inspire for all eternity.

Guitar Hero #2: Paul Gilbert

Paul Brandon Gilbert (born in Illinois, USA on November 6, 1966) is an American instrumental guitarist. He is a well known lead guitarist for the bands, Racer X and Mr. Big and has recorded several solo albums as well. He also joined the G3 tour with Joe Satriani and John Petrucci on the 2007.

When we talk about Paul Gilbert, we are definitely talking about speed! Paul is very skillful in producing thousand-notes-per-second compositions (of course this is an exaggeration) which helped him be named as one of the "Top 10 Shredders Of All Time" by Guitar One Magazine. Gilbert composes music in a wide variety of styles including pop, rock, metal, blues, funk and classical. Gilbert stated that he does not have perfect pitch but has a "pretty good relative pitch."

What I like about Paul besides his speed is his excellent gift for teaching guitar techniques. He has made about four instructional videos that beginners and pros can take full advantage of. I’m glad to say I have all four of them! Paul is so talented that he makes playing his guitar look so easy. What sets these instructional videos apart is that Paul has a lot of sense of humor! I think you'll enjoy watching the videos even if you're not a guitarist. (Take that Marty Friedman and John Petrucci!)

Optical illusion

Hey! I know this is not related to music. But c'mon! It's really fun to look at. I just like to share it!

Guitar Comic #2

Here’s another comic I found while googling. I don’t really quite understand what a smoker is going through while trying to quit. But this gave me an idea. It equates as:

“Trying to quit smoking” = “heartbreak, pain, & lost love”

It’s a good thing I’m not much of a smoker. Is it true that smoking gives you pleasure and satisfaction? I remember one of my friends told me, “If you don’t smoke, you will still die. But if you smoke, you’ll die happy”.

Duh?!

Guitar Idol 2009 Winner

Guitar Idol is an online talent search for the world’s most talented guitarist. Competitors submit their performances to Youtube and it will be voted by guitar fans all around the globe through the Guitar Idol site. There have been a total of 12 finalists who battled out for the top spot at the final showdown held at the massive London International Music Show. This year’s winner is Jack Thammarat from Thailand.

I’ve checked Jack’s performances on Youtube and this guy is fantastic! Hearing him play reminds me of some guitar legends such as Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson and Guthrie Govan. His playing style is a perfect convergence Rock, Blues, Jazz and Progressive genres. He has the ablitiy to play with stunning speed and accuracy. When Jack covers a songs, he makes it sure to stay loyal to the original: from the notes played, down to the tone of the guitar. Other than that, he's also an excellent composer. He implements both melodic and harmonic beauty to his compositions.

There are no cash prizes for the Guitar Idol competition. But the winner will take home any or all of the thousands of dollars worth of Guitars and Amplifiers!
Here’s the list:

1. Blackstar HT-5S Amp
2. Mayones Regius 7 Guitar Idol Custom Model Electric Guitar ($3400)
   
3. Ernie Ball Music Man Silhouette Electric Guitar ($2200)
4. Rob Williams Set Neck Standard Electric Guitar ($3200)
5. PRS Custom 24 Birds Electric Guitar ($4000)
   
6. Marshall JVM410H Full Stack Amp ($2900)
   

It was not clearly stated in their website which of these cool gears will go to the champion. But any one of these is already a dream come true for me! :-)

Check out their site for more details. http://www.guitaridol.tv

What The F***?! A Guitar You Don't Need To Pluck Or Strum?

This odd looking guitar can give you the range and tonal diversity of any type of modern guitar you can think off. It may not look like it at first, but this thing is as cool as your everyday Ibanez or Fender guitars. It’s called a “Chapman Stick” named after the person who invented it in the 70’s, Emmet Chapman. This piece of instrument is specifically designed for “Free Hands” tapping method which is devised by Chapman himself. “Free Hands” is a two-handed tapping technique of parallel hands. Watch the video to have a better look on this technique.

The Chapman Stick looks like the fretboard of an electric guitar but has a wider playing area. It is considerably longer and has 8, 10 or 12 strings. And unlike the electric guitar, it is usually played by tapping or fretting the strings instead of plucking. Both hands sound notes by striking the strings against the fingerboard just behind the appropriate frets for the desired notes. Because of this, it can sound many more notes at once compared to most stringed instruments. This is more comparable to a keyboard instrument. Professional stick players can make it possible to perform bass, chords, and melody lines simultaneously just like a piano.

This is not limited to jazz music only. With the right guitar effects, the stick is capable for rock music. But before playing this next video, please try to close your eyes. I really have this belief that rockers shouldn't wear pajamas.

See what I mean? :-)

Adam Lambert Admits He's Gay!

Actually, I was not shocked when I heard this. There were performances by Adam that makes you think twice about his sexuality. I was a big fan of Adam Lambert during the American Idol Season 8. All I'm concerned about is the music that he makes. A vocalist of his style and caliber is pretty hard to find.

"I don't think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I'm gay," Lambert said in an interview for a music magazine that was released on Tuesday.

Adam may have lost the American Idol battle, but not the war in the music industry. Queen’s guitarist Brian May has expressed interest in trying him out as their front man, Reuters reports. Of course Adam is very qualified. There are many similarities with the vocal prowess of Adam and the former vocalist of Queen, Freddie Mercury, who apparently died in 1991 because of AIDS.

Adam and Freddie has something in common. They are both gays! But as I have said, I don't really care. I hope Adam accepts Brian May's offer to be the next vocalist of the Queen. I would love to hear Adam singing Bohemian Rhapsody with the band that made that song. Adam could be the next Queen of the Queen. hahaha!

Guitar Hero: A game for "wannabe guitarists"...

I'm not discouraging those who cant play a real electric guitar to stop using this Guitar Hero thing. I myself is a victim of this addicting rocker game! I'm a real electric guitarist but I'm having so much fun with this stuff! The idea behind Guitar Hero is not original. I once played a game called Guitar Freaks in arcade games and they are very very similar.

Like Guitar Freaks (released in 1998), Guitar hero is played using a guitar shaped controller. One difference is that Guitar Hero has five buttons while Guitar Freaks only has four. These buttons are pressed using the left hand just like pressing the frets of a real guitar. But instead of forming chords, you have to press the buttons and at the right time. There are no stings attached here to pluck! But you have a small clicky flipper to strum on. This game is more like a rhythm playing toy. Well, its not as easy as it sounds. Remember "Dance Dance Revolution"?

The game screen consists of a scrolling fret board that has various colored notes on it. Each color corresponds to one of the buttons on the guitar, which you must hold down while strumming on the flipper. You could play Guitar Hero using a standard PS2 controller, if you like, but i think thats stupid. You'll waste all the fun you can have if you don't use the cool guitar hero controller.

I know its just a toy. Its not a real guitar. But you'll feel like you are really rockin' while playing it! Sometimes, it's harder to play Guitar Hero than the real thing. Which is quite embarrassing for a toy that mocks an electric guitar.

Guitar Comic

I've found this comic while searching Google. And it gave me a smile. :-)


Do you need to sell your soul to the devil before you can be a great guitarist? I don't think so! But I'm afraid it works for some people.
Hahaha!

Music Quotes by Famous Musicians

1. "Rock & Roll is feeling, and after you know most of the basics ... chords, rhythm, scales and bends ... getting that feeling is just about the most important aspect of playing guitar"
- Eddie Van Halen

2. "... I don't want you to play me a riff that's going to impress Joe Satriani; give me a riff that makes a kid want to go out and buy a guitar and learn to play ..."
- Ozzy Osbourne

3. "Playing scales is like a boxer skipping rope or punching a bag. It's not the thing in itself; it's preparatory to the activity"
- Barney Kessel - Jazz Guitar

4. "music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand"
- Stevie Wonder

5. "He who writes and composes without feeling spoils both his words and his music."
- Guillaume de Machaut

6. "Rock and roll ain't noise pollution".
- AC/DC

7. "I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music."
-Billy Joel

8. "One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain."
-Bob Marley

9. "Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music"
- Sergei Rachmaninov

...and my favorite

10. "Without music, life would be a mistake."
-Friedrich Nietzsche

More to come...

I'm not pretending to be a rocker just to write a rock blog

If your blog is about a certain topic, lets say like my blog about music, you should really be a musician. I have seen blogs without their own content. But me? I write my own things. I don't just copy an article on the net and then paste it in my posts. It's really not bad to research on other websites. As long as you put citations when directly copying it into your blog. I believe I have the right to say "I'm a real rocker who plays real rock music" and "I'm a real blogger who writes my own stuff". As a proof, here's our rendition of Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns & Roses during a band competition in our school... And guess what?? WE WON!!!

In this video, you can see me playing a white electric guitar. I did all the guitar solos and sang on the "where do we go now" part. We raised the pitch a half step higher making the first chord a D natural instead of a D flat.

Can you see now? I don't really have a badge that says "Im a genuine rocker". But if such an item does exist, I'll probably have one.

Guitar String Rust Prevention

The number one enemy of iron is rust and your typical electric and acoustic guitar string is made from steel. And guess what? steel is primarily made up of iron! Your guitar strings are very prone to rust. Some guitar strings are coated with a thin layer if rust-preventing chemical. It costs more than your average strings but in the long run, you'll be saving a lot more since you won't be replacing your strings that often. These strings does work for some people. But if you are like me, who has very acidic sweat, it's a pain in the pocket! The acid in my sweat probably just melts away that anti-rust coating!!! But following my few simple tips can prolong your string life and maintain a high quality tone.

1. Always wipe your strings with a clean dry cloth after playing.

2. Keep your strings away from moisture. Humidity can pretty much hurt your strings so always keep it inside your gig bag or guitar case.

3. Wash your hands with soap and water before playing. Of course, let it dry first! Water + Iron = Rust!!!

4. Buy some string cleaner. I personally prefer "Dunlop 65 Ultra Glide String Cleaner and Conditioner". Apply it before and after playing. It doesn't just clean and protect your strings, it also lubricates the string surface so that you can play easier and faster.

5. Never use WD40 on your strings! WD40 is specially formulated for rust. But it might damage the wood on your guitar.

So that's it. My steps for prolonging your strings. If you have your own tips, just comment on this post.

Guitar Hero #1: Joe Satriani

Joseph "Satch" Satriani (born July 15, 1956 in Westbury, New York, United States) is an American multiple nominated Grammy Award multi-instrumentalist, best known as an instrumental rock guitarist. Early in his career, Satriani worked as a guitar instructor, and some of his former students have achieved fame with their stellar guitar skills. Some of his notable students are Kirk Hammett(Metallica), Marty Friedman(Megadeth) and student turned colleague Steve Vai. Satriani has been a driving force behind other musicians throughout his career, as a founder of the ever-changing touring trio, G3, as well as performing in temporary positions with other musicians. Satriani is not just an outstanding guitarist but also an outstanding mentor.

Joe Satriani is probably my greatest influence amongst all Rock Instrumentalists. When we are talking about shredding (playing very very fast), speed and accuracy is always the primary requirement. Satriani has that and a lot more! Other than his "thousand-notes-per-second" ability, he is very skillful in creating very catchy melodies with the use of conventional and exotic scales. No wonder why some of his songs has the titles, Belly Dancer, Oriental Melody and Mountain Song. Boy! back then, I never knew you can turn Arabic Music into Rock Music!!!

He is heavily influenced by famous music icons such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck. Since 1988, Satriani has used his own signature guitar, the Ibanez JS Series, which is widely sold in stores. He also has a signature series amplifier, the Peavey JSX, and a signature Vox distortion pedal, the Satchurator.

My favorite Satriani song is, "Always With You Always With Me" and "Mountain Song".

I'm sleeping with another girl

A letter to my girlfriend:

Dear honey,
Im really sorry for what I have done. It was never really my intention to fall for someone who I thought would be as wonderful as you. It was just an accident. I was alone with her in my room doing some work. I've been alone with someone else before, but this one is different. She dragged me into this. I'm just a man with weaknesses. It's just that, her body and the sound of her voice, captivates me almost the same way as you do. I never really wanted this. It's pretty hard to explain why this happened. But someday, I hope you'll understand. After what happened, I've realized that no one can replace you. I love you honey and I hope you can forgive me.

P.S.

Her name is Ibanez S470

Waking up with my Ibanez S470

Stop!!! or i'll shoot!!!



World's most advanced tremolo system.
Zero Resistance Tremeolo.
Mahogany Body.



I'll slice you with my axe!!!

The Choir and I

Here's my attempt on a Swedish pop song. It was performed during our concert last May 10,2009 in the Philam Life Auditorium located at Manila, Philippines. The name of our choir is Coro de San Sebastian and I've been in this group since 2006.



Our conductor gave me the male solo parts. I really liked the song during the first few rehearsals. But after they raised the pitch about two semitones higher, I was not really comfortable with it anymore. But what the heck?! The show must go on so I just have to deal with it!!! I think I did a pretty good job.

Do rockers need to learn music theory?

One should not disregard the importance of learning music theory. Why? Because music theory is one of the essential tools needed to be learned in order to fully understand how music works. I know it's quite boring if you don't know its importance. But take it this way... Learning music theory is like learning the A,B,C's and the 1,2,3's of music. When I first opened a music theory book, I thought I was going to learn how to write music and how to harmonize a melody. Well, it's partly true since you'll be dealing with a lot of music lingo.

Music theory is just an introduction to a very broad world of music. It doesn't teach you how to harmonize a melody or what chord goes best after another chord etc... etc... But it does teach you how chords are formed and where do scales come from and a few dozen other things. You might be asking if you really needed to learn music theory to be a rock star.. My answer is Yes and No..

YES because before you can learn the subjects Music Harmony (art of harmonizing a melody using chords) and Counterpoint (art of interweaving melodies), you need to have a solid foundation in music theory.

And NO because some rock stars are just full of crap. So it really depends on what direction you are willing to take. If you are thinking about writing some good music of your own some day, then you should start learning some music theory. But if you are just one of those who would like to play some of the latest licks without actually asking how did the artist came up with that, you don't really need music theory. You just needed a guitar tab downloaded from the internet and go on with your thing.

I know a very helpful site for those who wanted to learn music theory. Go to http://www.teoria.com/tutorials/index.htm. Each topic here is presented in flash animations with sounds. It also has some exercises so that in a few days or few weeks time, you'll have a solid foundation in music theory depending on how much time you put into it.

Can a deaf person be a composer?... Guitarists, beware...

Musicians always consider their hearing as the most important among all of their senses. But a deaf person writing some music? This may sound crazy but there is one person in history (you may already know) who lost his hearing but still writes music. And he's not just an ordinary musician.He's one of the most prolific classical composers of all time and his name is Ludwig van Beethoven. Still can't remember him? "Moonlight Sonata"? "Fur Elise"? Can you remember now? No? Hahaha! If you have a Casio keyboard or any portable keyboard, I'm very sure some of the built-in songs are his compositions. It's really hard to believe for him to write music without actually hearing his work. He's probably just imagining all the notes, the sound of the violin, chords and other stuff all in his head? Pretty amazing right?


Beethoven suffered from an illness called Tinnitus and probably, you are among the 90% who suffers from it. Tinnitus is the perception of a ringing sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound. So dude, protect your ears. Keep those volume down. Playing great doesn't always mean playing loud. Don't make it a habit to listen to very loud music.If you do this, Tinnitus can get very severe to the point that all you hear is RINGING!!! No more music!! No more Rockin'!! Well... It wouldn't be that much of a problem if you're as gifted as Beethoven. :-)

No Right Arm? But still playing great...

Learn to appreciate what you have. Look at this guy... We have something that he doesn't have. And yet, it doesn't deter him from doing what he loves.



yeah.. yeah.. i know.. his playing is not as clean as Yngwie Malmsteen's (the guy on my 2nd post). But taking his disability into consideration , he really did a wonderful job! I hope this inspires those who are just starting to play and those who got frustrated in learning this cool instrument!

Rock + Classical = Neoclassical

This is a perfect example on how Classical and Rock styles combine. The convergence is called Neoclassical Rock and Yngwie Malmsteen (pronounced as eeng-vei) invented it. Yngwie's guitar playing style is like playing a violin Solo accompanied by an orchestra. But instead of a violin and an orchestra, he uses an electric guitar backed by a band. Below is an example from his first solo album, Rising Force and he composed this during the early 80's. I know it's kinda' "old school". But I really like it!

We have a lift off...

I'm here alone with my laptop. This is my first post. I'm quite new about this "blogging" stuff. All i know is that i do love writing and this is a perfect venue to post all the things that has been rumbling my mind once in a while. But of course, posting all of that here means filling up this site with some childish nonsense. And for that, everything that's going to be written here are only stuff that matters.

Do you know that feeling? When an idea suddenly struck your mind? And there is no pen and paper beside you to write on? And after you do find something that can be as useful, the idea already vanished? Quite frustrating right? It's a good thing I always have my notebook beside me. No idea should be left unwritten. Being very passionate about music, i also have my handy audio recorder. Sometimes its easier to record stuff than writing it on a piece of paper especially when I'm composing a tune or a melody in my mind.But that doesn't mean i don't know how to read and write notes.

I'm a very active musician. And very fond of classical and rock music. Some people do find it crazy to be admiring rock and classical music at the same time. This is a common misconception about this two genres. As a matter of fact, rock music has its roots to classical music! Even modern rock guitar instrumentalist like Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, and bands like Metallica and Dream Theater, has some classical training in one form or another. The funny thing about this is that common people refer to them as Music Geniuses. Well, this is partly true. I have even referred to them as Rock Gods one time. What most of us didn't quite understand is that these "Rock Gods" also have their own sets of Rock Gods. They might have almost worshiped BB king and Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles during their teens. And if we dig deeper, researching about the Rock Gods of the Rock Gods of the Rock Gods of the Rock Gods and so on and so forth (whew!!)... Names like Mozart, Beethoven, Bach will surely pop out. And they are the Rockstars of their era. Music is constantly evolving but certainly, the very foundation invented by classical geniuses remains the same from generation to generation.

Thats the reason why i like Rock and Classical music all at the same time. I have not even mentioned modern songs that are directly influenced by classical music. Classical music is the foundation to every piece of music that we play!! Its a good thing that Popular Culture made a simpler version of it so that common people can have a glimpse of what music can really do.

About the author

There's no day in my life not thinking about music. I'm a singer and a self taught musician able to play classical and electric guitar. I've started 12 years ago when I was just in 5th grade. Now I'm focusing on instrumental electric guitar trying to play like my idols. I've also taught my self how to read and write music and i like to arrange pop songs for A-Capella Choir. My musical influences ranges from classical to modern-age rock. The hardest thing about teaching yourself how to play guitar and learning how to write music... is finding the right direction. Knowledge is everywhere - we just need to know what to look for and where to start. Always take the the opportunity to ask questions to people who are expert in these fields. Musicians are just around the corner. Even if they're not on the Radio, that doesn't mean you can't learn from them. But be careful. Not all musicians are real musicians. Some are just wannabe's. And most importantly, educate yourself: buy some music books, read some stuff, learn some music theory and composition techniques and don't forget to listen to all music that you like.