YouTube Channel and TikTok Surprises

It’s been a year since I resurrected my YouTube channel, I’ve posted almost 300 videos. I was certain that the internet crossed with that guitarist sh@t talk, I would get some interesting comments. However, I’m pleasantly surprised how nice everyone has been. I was expecting a few cynical or negative comments but all I’ve received 100 percent positive posts; minus the bot comments….

“The idea is top notch This deserves recognition.” Makes no sense on a music post. SMH

TikTok, where there are countless trolls, I have received nothing but positive feedback. It’s refreshing and nice to see that the internet isn’t completely full of negative energy. I’m sure, if my channel gets more popular, I’ll get my fair share of negative comments. But that is a tradeoff I’m willing to make.

The Infamous Thumbs Down

Technically, getting a thumbs down on a post is negative feedback but it’s a right of passage of sorts. I even wrote a tongue and cheek post about receiving my first thumbs down. There are some posts where, I get it. It wasn’t that good and don’t blame them. There are other posts where, I’m like “What the?!?!” Either way, it’s interaction and I’m enjoying it all.

After about 2 months of working on this arrangment of a Genx\Grunge classic, I finally completed my fingerstyle arrangement of Stone Temple Pilots’ “Plush”. Melody is key when arranging a song for instrumental guitar – need something that is recognizable and memorable. From the iconic guitar intro to Scott Weiland’s melody lines, there is not mistaking Plush for any other song. It must have sounded enough like the original because YouTube flagged me for a copyright violation. I challenged it with the reason of fair use (cover song). We’ll see where that goes. I’ll keep you all posted.

Arrangement Notes:

In case you’re interested, here are some details on the song.

• Key: The original song is in G and I kept it there. I prefer to keep the song in the original key. No particular reason, just a preference. Since I’m not singing there really isn’t a need to transpose.
• Tuning: Standard tuning – I rarely do any alternate tunings besides a drop D; which I feel isn’t an alternate tuning since it’s used so much.
• Form: Kept with the oringal form and didn’t try to change anything about the song. Except making it an instrumental that is.

For my second full arrangement for guitar, I’m quite pleased with this one. It’s fun to play and those who have heard it, seem to dig it. Let me know what you think in the comments or better yet, visit my YouTube channel and give the video a like and subscribe. More content to come and if you have any ideas on what my next arrangement should be, let me know.

Calling all Gen Exers who loved their hair metal, you will know this song. I loved White Lion (mainly Vito Bratta’s playing) and like every band worth their hairspray, they had their power ballad.

When the Children Cry

You couldn’t turn on MTV or listen to the radio for any extended period of time and not hear this song. Was a popular request from friends when I would break out the guitar. Thirty plus years later, I still knew the chords and lyrics. One day I was playing along with it on Pandora and noticed that the melody was strong enough to maybe be an instrumental. In order to arrange a solo acoustic guitar song, a strong recognizable melody is must.

The beginnings of the arrangement

More noodling away and I had a rough draft; a basic structure of what I wanted this song to be. Keeping it simple and then adding embellishments here and there. The arrangement was coming into focus. Now this was the first time I attempted arranging a complete song so it was slow going. Almost four months of messing around, taking a break, trying different types of fingerings, etc… This song was a ear worm for many weeks after I posted it on my YouTube channel.

Recording and getting the right take

Lots of attempts to record. Many times, I almost had it only to mess up the end and have to start all over. I wanted to get it perfect. But one can find themself never releasing anything because it “wasn’t perfect” Eventually, I did find a suitable take that I liked and uploaded it into the ether. I’m proud to share this with you all and I’m happy with how it turned out.

What’s Next? My next arrangement slated for the next week or so is “Plush” by Stone Temple Pilots. Great song, great melody and really fun to play. Can’t wait for you to hear it.

Related Articles:

• Arranging for fingerstyle guitar.

You’re dedication to the guitar is unmatched. You’ve practiced and practiced; yet it seems like you play the same old lick, the same old song over and over again. You’re time with your instrument is just a waste of time lately. Sound familiar? I’m coming out of a stint where my playing was pissing me off to be honest. I felt stuck and frustrated and when I’m in this state of mind, I am left uninspired and not wanting to pick up this six string addiction. I have found ways to break free from the repetitive guitar playing rut and thought I would share with you and maybe you’ll find them helpful.

Record Your Guitar Playing

This suggestion sounds cliche and it works! I’m going to throw a bit of a curveball here and suggest not to record just the audio but video as well. Why you ask? I have found that seeing me playing the guitar gives me insight on more than just what I’m playing. It’s giving a view of how I’m playing it. Do I look comfortable playing or do I look strange? How’s my posture? Do I look cool? These questions will give you insight and inspiration in your guitar playing.

Grab your phone, record yourself and then get a notebook and take notes. Critique and compliment yourself in the process. You’ll be surprised on what you will get from this. I usually come to find that I’m playing better than what I give myself credit for.

Jam With Pandora and Train Your Ears

Yes, I said Pandora! Yes It’s still a music streaming service and for this purpose my go to. I don’t want you to play along with songs that you know but also with songs you don’t.

• Pick a song on Pandora and seed it with a song/style your like. This will start an interactive playlist where you have to listen and play.
• Play along. Take note of the progression, minor/major and how the melody works with it.
• Do whatever you like but try not to look up the tab because this is to train the ears. If I’m truly stumped, I’ll look up the tab.
• You don’t have to know the song completely. Let the playlist guide you like a teacher would if you were in a lesson. If you like something, make a note and add it to your repertoire.
• Extra Credit: record yourself doing this.

I chose Pandora because in my experience, the song suggestions are more diverse than Spotify. Even though Spotify is the #1 streaming service, their dynamic playlists tend to play songs you have already heard or the same old stuff you already listen to. They goal here is to get outside the box and Spotify really sucks at that.

Walk Away For a Couple of Days

Maybe you’re just burned out and setting down the instrument might be the best choice. When you come back, your head will be fresh and new ideas will come. Take notes mental and physical on what you might like to work on once you get back on the horse. Technique, songs, theory, etc.. You’re hands will also benefit from a rest as well.

Getting out of a playing rut is a frustrating thing to overcome. However, it’s doable and finding ways out of the slump is a good way to improve in the process.

I’ve been playing guitar for close to 40 years and have played many arrangements of popular songs, but I had never fully created my own arrangement until now. The process came naturally once I dove in. The song I chose was White Lion’s “When the Children Cry,” and after many months of working out the arrangement, changing voicings, and practicing it over and over, I finally posted it to my YouTube channel. Along the way, I uncovered some insights about arranging for guitar that I thought I’d share with you.

My Steps in Arranging Songs for Fingerstyle Guitar

1. Know the song forward and backward

• Listen to the piece over and over until you can play the whole song in your head. It helps with arranging/voicing and gives you the ability to work on it without having a playback device with you; you won’t always have your phone handy when inspired.

2. Learn the chords first

• Just stick with the base chords and recognize what they are and where they go in the songs. This is the foundation of your arrangement. Learn the root. Once you know the base chords, then you can move to alternate chords like adding a 6th, 11 or a borrowed chord, etc.. to add some color.

3. Be able to play the melody in more than one way

• This is the essential part of your arrangement so the listener will be able to identify the song. It’s a good idea to learn it in different positions as well; more options for when you bring it all together. Once you are know the melody forward and back, you can then add your own flair to the song and make it your own

4. Mess around and keep it simple at first

• I’ll go through the chords and start to incorporate the melody. Kind of like a jam session of sorts; playing it by ear and along with the original song.
• Playing the melody with only the root of the chord as the accompaniment. Keeps it simple and a good base to build from there.
• Once I get that base I’m happy with, I start building upon it; different chord types, variations on the melodies, etc… I want to make it my own without taking away or losing the vibe of the original. Tommy Emmanuel is the king of arranging a song that you recognize but when he plays, you know it’s him and the song stays true to the original sogwriter.

This is just a small list of what I’ve found useful in tackling guitar arrangements. As I continue developing this skill, my approach will evolve—but the key to creating original arrangements is consistent practice. Arranging is a craft that must be honed and polished over time. I know I’ll look back someday and cringe at my earlier work, but that’s okay—each arrangement represents the best I could do at that moment. Keep playing, and let me know what you’re working on right now!

My First Complete Guitar Arrangement:

It’s a grind! That’s what I’ve heard and I’m experiencing just that in getting my YouTube channel back on track. Over a decade ago, I orphaned it, sort to speak and am finally picking it back up. Going to be retiring in the next couple of years so why not focus on my music and have a couple of years to get it going before that happens.

YouTube Shorts Are My Main Source of Content

I have found with my long form videos, I don’t get as many views and in turn, not as many subscribers. My short attention span needs a bit more stimulation and YouTube shorts gives it to me. I’ve created a series of shorts called “QuickLicks” which is me ripping a fast lick in 10 seconds or less. I have found that no matter how good I think the guitar lick is, the shorter the better for retention and subs. This method keeps me engaged and I treat it like a video game to where when I get a sub, it’s like leveling up so I’m always motivated. As of this writing, I have 106 subscriptions on my channel. For context I had 12 4 months ago so I feel like I’ve made some decent progress.

I need to make more long form content to really build my channel

YouTube shorts are good but in no way sustainable. There are only so many guitar licks I can come up with and the well is running dry. PLus to monetize, you have to have over 3 Million views (90 day span) to qualify after you get to a certain level of subs. At about 900/1000 views each short, on average, that’s nearly impossible. So I’m working on the long form videos; mostly covers and some arrangements. I have to buckle down and start recording them.

Why start a Youtube Channel?

Every musician wants there stuff heard, right? I’m no different but I also started it because it holds me accountable to where I’m practicing regularly and learning new stuff every day. Being in a band and working on my channel have been the best tools in my progression as a guitarist. I’m literally leveling up and having a great time at it! So if you’ve come this far in reading this post, please take the time to check my YouTube channel out and subscribe. I can use all the support I can get.

https://www.youtube.com/@realmac5150

If you have followed Guitar Musings in the past, you have probably stopped reading the blog because there hasn’t been a post in months.  This has been for a number of reasons; some personal and others professional. Anyway, I’m trying to get myself back on track;  with my playing and my writing.  

Surround Yourself:

I have found that, even though I play for many hours, I don’t practice.  I’m just noodling on the guitar but not learning or polishing my craft.  Some of that has to do with me being a bit lazy/uninspired and not knowing what to do.  That is why I signed up for lessons with a local teacher and am completely excited for my first lesson.  I have heard great entrepreneurs say that if you want to keep the energy of your new venture going, surround yourself with other entrepreneurs.   Doing this will keep the energy up and you will be more likely to succeed.  I’m doing the same by surrounding myself with other guitar players.  Just the thought of playing on a regular basis has gotten my creative juices flowing.  I can’t wait.

Are you surrounding yourself with other players to keep you going?  Reading this blog or going to a guitar related forum isn’t the same.  We need to have the contact of other musicians.  Whether it’s a lesson, jamming with friends or just going to a concert, try feeding your guitar soul a bit and the music will begin to flow.

For Immediate Release

Hercules Castro of Colorado Springs Named a Finalist in International Guitar Competition Guitar Player’s Guitar Superstar Competition Centerpiece of Guitar Player Live! Weekend Celebration September 11-13

• Brendon Small to Host Competition; Judges Include Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson’s guitarist), Elliot Easton, Greg Hampton, and Steve Lukather
• San Bruno, CA (August 11, 2009) — Now in its fifth year, Guitar Player’s Guitar Superstar competition will be the centerpiece of Guitar Player LIVE!, a 3-day celebration of guitars, music, and gear presented by the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center in Livermore, California, east of San Francisco, on Saturday, September 12, 2009.
• Ten finalists have been selected from among hundreds of entries to battle for the international title of “Guitar Superstar.” Across the globe, hundreds of “unknown” guitarists of all ages and styles answered the call to post their best performances at sonicbids.com. Ten finalists were chosen to perform onstage in front of a live audience and a panel of world-famous guitar stars that includes Elliot Easton (The Cars), Jennifer Batten (guitarist for Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck), Steve Lukather (Toto), and Greg Hampton, (producer of Alice Cooper, Ronnie Wood, Lita Ford). Host of this year’s big event is Brendon Small, (co-creator of Adult’s Swim’s Metalocalypse animated series).
• The celebrity judges will evaluate each original performance, and rate each contestant on technique, creativity, charisma, and overall vibe, and, at the end of the night, the 2009 Guitar Player’s Guitar Superstar will be crowned, along with two runner-ups.

• Guitar Player’s Guitar Superstar Competition 2009

• Jim Fuselli, rock critic of the Wall Street Journal wrote about last year’s competition: “…I admired the contestants. With their reputations on the line in front of Mr. Satriani, Mr. Vai and the other judges, they performed with conviction.”,
• Vicki Genfan, the reigning Guitar Superstar, will perform at the competition before handing over her crown, and will also play on Sunday, September 13 at 3 pm along with Laurence Juber and Jennifer Batten.
• “It’s a dream to launch a weekend-long celebration of guitar with Guitar Player LIVE! and our fifth Guitar Superstar event,” says Guitar Player Editor in Chief Michael Molenda. “If you’re a guitar zealot, it’s like some 6-string Woodstock—total badass madness, from Friday night’s opening Shrapnel Records concern starring Richie Kotzen, Michael Lee Firkins, and Chris Duarte, to bands rockin’ hard all along the Livermore plaza, to Guitar Superstar on Saturday, to Sunday’s Triple Threat Guitar show with GPGS 08 champ Vicki Genfan, Jennifer Batten, and Laurence Juber.”
• The ten finalists, representing a wide range of guitar styles ranging from rock to country are: Dave Benzinger, Brodie Cumming , Brian Davidson, Hercules Castro, Danny Jones, Steve Langemo, Steve Senes, Krisz Simonfalvi, Doug Towle, and Jeff Zampillo. The contestants will perform with the GPGS house band Thud Factor, music directed by Bass Player Editor Jonathan Herrera.
• All ten contestants receive an all-expenses paid trip to the San Francisco Bay Area. The winner, First Runner-Up and Second Runner-Up of the event will receive custom trophies and complete gear packages. The champion will receive a feature article in Guitar Player magazine and prizes from event sponsors—including Harman International–Digitech, Mesa Boogie, Taylor Guitars, D’Addario, Planet Waves, GBase, Line 6, Sennheiser, Washburn, Randall and Gallien Kruger.
• The competition takes place Saturday, September 12, 2009, 8:00 p.m. at the Bankhead Theater, Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center, 2400 First Street, Livermore, California. Admission $23.00. Tickets can be ordered online at www.bankheadtheater.org or call 925-373-6800.

• Guitar Player’s Guitar Superstar Competition 2009

  About the 3-day Festival:

• Guitar Player LIVE! includes concerts at the Bankhead Theater and free performances by well-known regional bands and exhibitor endorsees on four outdoor stages. Another highlight will be an exhibition of Bill Owens’ photographs commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Altamont Raceway Free Concert. To cap off the festival evenings, several local taverns and restaurants will also host local band performances, and the Vine Cinema will feature a special run of classic and cult guitar films.
• • Shrapnel Records Guitar Night Friday, September 11 at 8 p.m.
  • Guitar Player’s Guitar Superstar Competition Finals Saturday, September 12 at 8 p.m.
  • Triple Threat Guitar – Featuring Laurence Juber, Jennifer Batten, Vicki Genfan Sunday, September 13 at 3 p.m.

  For packages, call the box office at 925-373-6800.

  About Guitar Player magazine:

• The Music Player Network of publications for musicians performing and producing music includes Guitar Player, Bass Player, Keyboard, and EQ magazines and related websites, TV, enews and events. For more information please visit www.musicplayer.com. Music Player Network is a division of NewBay Media, LLC.

A couple of days back; I attended a service celebrating the life of a friends son. I never met this person, yet I felt a connection and found myself getting emotional from time to time.   Throughout the service I heard how much he loved the guitar and music and was surprised by how we enjoyed the similar musicians and songs.  One song that particularly grabbed me was Joe Satriani’s “Always with you, Always With Me” that the played early on. This is my absolutely favorite Satch song and whenever hear it, I will now think of Jeff; a fellow guitarist.

The connection is that six string wonder that can frustrate the hell out of you and comfort you in times of trouble.

The Concert:

Dougie’s performance was a pleasure to witness.  He performed songs like “Singing Land,” “She Will Find Me” and “Caledonia, to name a few.  He also performed a new piece that he recently finished, new enough to have the lyrics taped to the side of his guitar.  Inspired by the loss of some friends the past year, this song (he didn’t give the name), was touching and made me fondly think of loved ones I have lost.  I hope he includes this on his next release,  so I can find out what the name is.

As Dougie said, this wasn’t a concert where you sit, cross your arms and just listen.  He wanted us to be a part of the evening as well.  Dougie engaged the audience; sometimes making us laugh and many times, having us sing along with the chorus.  He wasn’t shy about letting us know when we were off beat or out of tune.  It was all in good fun though.  It was fun, we became part of the concert and this was the beauty of his performance.

After the show, Dougie stuck around, signed my CD I just bought and chatted with us for a quite a few minutes.  I have to admit, I was in awe being in the presence of one of my songwriting heroes so I didn’t say much but just took it in.  It was a please to listen to him sing an then chat for a few minutes and If you ever get a chance to see him in concert, buy a ticket and go.  You will not be sorry.

PS – Gear:

Dougie only played one guitar; his signature model made by Moon Guitars.  Simple and beautiful.  I didn’t see any effects. It was just him and the music; perfect!

Links:

Dougie’s Home Page

Moon Guitars

Dougie’s signature guitar

Get Dougie’s Music

Below is a clip from The Unanswered Question – Six Talks at Harvard by Leonard Bernstein.  In this clip Bernstein discusses what might Beethoven might have been feeling or what story he might want to convey when writing the piece featured on the clip.  After watching this, I had a different/deeper appreciation for the music.  So I ask you, what feeling are you trying to convey when you write a song?  More to that, what feelings do you think a songwriter is sharing when you play his/her song?  Think about that next time you play, you might find a new, maybe better way to approach a song.

About a month ago, I met again with my friend and we broke out the guitars and played.  Success!!!  We both got into that zone where you couldn’t make out whose guitar was whose and the melodies and chords filled the room.  This is one of the reason why I play, for moments like this. 

I spent many days thinking about what was different between the two sessions. What I came to realize was the success came from me staying true to my ability as a guitarist instead of trying to match my friends style.  He and I have played together for 20+ years and know each others ways very well.  We can anticipate each others progressions and ideas in while playing.  It’s a beautiful ting.  As guitarists, we are two sides of a coin when it comes to our style.  I’m a fingerstyle acoustic player and he’s an progressive electric guitarist/shredder. 

In the past, my problem has always been that I try to play in they style of my friend instead of mine.  I grab a pick and attempt to play fast and even though, I’m not bad with a pick, I’m much better using my fingernails.  I struggled in past jams because I was featuring my weakness instead of my strengths.   Our last successful jam, I utilized my strengths and funny thing happened;  I played pretty damn well.

It’s a great thing to be flexible and well-rounded as a guitar/player musician.  I try to expand my boundaries as a guitarist everyday and will continue to do so.  I have become a better player not because I practiced more, I became a better musician because I learned to embrace and be true to my style.

Highlights include:

• Studio footage of Bruce working with Andy Milne and Dapp Theory in his pursuit of overcoming writers block.
• Concert footage from when her got his first break to the Breakfast at New Orleans, Dinner at Timbuktu tour.
• Witnessing the birth of  “Postcards from Cambodia”  from “You’ve Never Seen Everything.”  He was working through the lyrics and music for this song and tried out the chorus for the first time on camera.  Truly moving to watch.

If you are an aspiring song writer or just someone who loves the music of Bruce Cockburn, this documentary is highly recommended.  From interviews with friends and family and words from Bruce himself, you will learn just a bit more about this modern day troubadour.

Maybe not….

This year I wanted to do a guitar themed carving but for the life of me, I couldn’t find any stencils at all, except one.  It’s a Les Paul type of stencil and not as hard to do as I thought. Now that I have carved my first guitar, I think I might be able to work out an acoustic version next time.  If anyone has found any good guitar stencils for pumpkin carving, please leave a comment and share where we can get them.

Happy Halloween!

Links:

9.29.2025 – Here are some more pumpkin guitar templates that I have found:

• https://www.etsy.com/listing/1556784895/guitar-pumpkin-stencil-halloween
• https://museprintables.com/download/pumpkin-stencil/guitar/
• Thought this was cool. Pumpkin guitar picks
  • https://amzn.to/46KBkms
• https://www.cabq.gov/youth-connect/documents/guitar-pumpkin.pdf
  • Pretty basic but a guitar none the less
• https://clipart-library.com/clipart/8izknoLip.htm

YouTube Channel:

If you’d like to support me and guitarmusings, please check out my YouTube Channel. There you will find original performances and fingerstyle takes on popular songs. Thanks!!

https://www.youtube.com/@realmac5150

10.18.2011 – Update:  the old stencils I used for this post is no longer valid.  Below is a link to a stencil for not only the guitar but Les Paul himself.  

http://www.carvingpumpkins.com/2009.html (Doesn’t work anymore)

Meet My Friend

I’d like to talk about my good friend, the big red button. By this, I mean the Record button. Now, I’m not talking about recording in the sense of producing CDs, videos or demos. That comes later. For now, I’m talking more along the lines of creating a progress report.

In the Beginning

When I was a young lad, one of my favorite things to do was plug my amp into a dual cassette recorder with a mic input, play anything, record it, then take the tape to school to generally irritate all of my friends. Later, I figured out if I took the tape and put it in the other deck, recorded its contents onto another blank tape with a drum machine plugged in and going, I could multi-track. After I repeated the process with multiple guitar tracks and a borrowed bass, the line noise had built up so much that you could barely hear the instruments. Plus, it was a one shot deal per recording so I learned to either live with the occasional mistake, or just don’t make mistakes. But I had a recording that not only captured a song idea for later use, but also a small snapshot in the development of my technique.

Monitor Your Progress

Now I’ll shift gears for a second. One thing that I find as I practice is that day to day, I never get better. It’s like a body builder who lifts, looks in the mirror, and sees no change. This can be very discouraging. But one thing that body builders are encouraged to do is have pictures taken of themselves periodically during their development. Over time, the changes are more noticeable. The same is true with playing and developing technique. This is why I highly recommend getting a big red button.

Resources are Everywhere

These days, with a computer in every home and a plethora of affordable recording hardware and software, there is no excuse not to push the big red button every now and then. That is, except for one; nerves. Very few things, save for live performance, can bring sweat to palms like knowing that the button has been pushed and it’s time to do your thing. Just remember this; it’s just you and the button. The button doesn’t judge, it just captures. You be the judge. But you have to put something down to judge.

Mistakes are OK

Also with most systems, along with a big red button comes a big Delete button. There’s no shame in using the big Delete button. You want to capture your best effort at that time, so don’t be afraid to try again and again and again until it’s as good as you can get it. If you can’t get it as good as you want it, step away from the button, work it out, come back, and push the button again.

It Gets Easier

The two things that I’m thankful for after years of using the big red button are, one, that I have something to listen to and say “Wow, I actually have progressed since then!”, or “That’s an area I’m still not happy with, I should focus on that”. The other is that I’ve become proficient and confident enough with the recording process that I can create real projects, make my own CDs inexpensively and on my terms, and help others with their projects.

So like The Chemical Brothers say “Don’t hold back, the time has come to galvanize, push the button”.

Links:

www.herculescastro.com  (Home page of our guest writer)