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...