was listening to my iTouch, in shuffle mode, today and came across an old friend. It was Eric Johnson’s “Ah Via Musicom.” That’s what I love about having all these songs on my iTouch. It’s the ability to mix it up and stumble on songs that I haven’t listened to for quite a while. Anyway, time sure does fly and I find it hard to believe that this CD was released almost 18 years ago. A must have then and a must have now. Highlights: Cliffs of Dover: The best song on the CD and probably the most recognizable. Fast runs, great phrasing and that incredible violin like tone sets the stage for a terrific listening experience. When I was in High School, I learned how to play the into to this and it wasn’t too bad. If you asked me to play it now, I am afraid how much damage I would do to myself and to your ears. High Landrons: A great guitar song where Eric throws lick after lick and there never seems to be a place to rest until the end. Trademark: A smooth, easy listening song where Eric doesn’t show too much flash but the …
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I was on the Acoustic Guitar Magazine forum the other day, sharing my thoughts on the Guitar Tool Kit for the iPhone. One mentioned that this program was yet another reason to buy the new iPhone. I wouldn’t go that far but if you have an iPhone or iTouch, the Guitar Tool Kit is a handy program to have around. Features and Thoughts: Tuner: Has many different tuning modes from standard tuning to modal or open tuning. Initially, I tried the tuner on the 1st Gen iPhone and it didn’t work so well. The response was terrible and wouldn’t register the low E string and was rendered useless. I now own the 3G iPhone and the tuner is working much better. I’m thinking that the 3G has a better microphone. Any thoughts on this? As a test, I set my Korg tuner next to the iPhone to see how close they responded and the tool kit did very well. The tuner does not work on the iTouch because of the lack of a microphone. But you can use the “Tones” option which is a graphic representation of the six strings and you can run your finger over each string to …
Haven’t had much time to play this past week because I decided to paint the room I practice in. I needed change. The nice thing about tooling around the house is that I turn on the iPod and jam on some tunes. I’ve had Colin Hay’s “Man at Work” CD on my mind a lot lately, so it’s my next in my “what’s in my CD collection” recommendation list. If you are a fan of the 80’s, you are probably familiar with Colin Hay and his band Men at Work. With songs like “Overkill,” “Down Under” and “Who Could it be Now,” I remember watching them on MTV back in the day when MTV actually played music videos. The 80’s were over and Colin Hay seemed to have disappeared. Maybe Not… A couple of years ago, I was watching an episode of Scrubs and Hay played an acoustic version of “Overkill” and it was amazing and much better than the 80’s version. Which leads to the “Man at Work” release which such acoustic versions of some of the 80’s Men at Work classics like “Overkill” (my favorite) and “Down Under”. He also has some new stuff that is reflective and …
If you are like me, you probably own quite a few guitars. With all of those guitars in your arsenal, do you own your dream guitar yet? The one that you long for and would buy it if you had the money and the chance. My dream guitar is a made by Canadian Luthier, Linda Manzer and I’m afraid that it will remain just that…. a dream. I first discovered Manzer guitars about five years ago I saw Bruce Cockburn in Boulder, Colorado. I have heard many times that when it comes to guitars, we listen with our eyes. Let’s just say that with a Manzer guitar your eyes won’t be disappointed. They are beautiful! The tone is exquisite and a joy to listen to. I also helps that Bruce really knows how to make it sing. Other notable Manzer lovers are Pat Methany and Carlos Santana. Methany owns the famous Pikasso(Pictured right), which is an intimidating instrument to look at it, let alone play it. As you can see, the craftsmanship on these guitars are first rate and with such high quality of guitars made, the popularity and demand increases. When I first dreamt about owning a Manzer, there …
The Internet has become a wealth of information for any subject and I am so grateful for what I’ve learned from its contents. I have found gear, books, and lessons for a decent price, delivered right to my home. This convenience is wonderful but with budgets tightening a bit, buying a book or services on the Internet may not always be an option. It would also be nice to get out of the house every once in a while. I would like to remind everyone of a resource that is free, full of information and is usually within minutes of your home. I’m talking about your local public library, a wonderful resource that many in the Internet age forget. I had the day off and found my way to our local branch that is only a few blocks away, with the goal of finding some books to help me with my playing and broaden my musical knowledge. When I arrived at my branch, I was pleasantly surprised by how many were waiting to get in. A scene that contradicts my earlier, “Internet age has forgotten libraries” statement. Lots of moms and their kids and people like me looking for little …
