An oft-applied method of relieving some financial hardship in this industry is to acquire an endorsement deal. In a nutshell, you get easier access to your favorite products and services in exchange for some form of advertising to the supplier.

Everybody knows that celebrities help sell stuff. Television commercials are nearly plagued with appearances from actors and athletes confessing their love for some kind of a sports car or cold medicine, and the viewers aren’t ignorant to the rewards paid out for these cameos.

Musicians, however, often enter the world of sponsorships from a different angle. In the time leading up to their chart-topping success they can be found spending their last penny on that piece of gear, signature outfit, or stage prop that allows them to charge on and break new ground in this industry. Though they effectively mean the same thing, the music industry tends to prefer the word “endorsement” to “sponsorship,” something that hints to a feeling of support and passion rather than charity or corporate image. Musicians are quite vocal about the brands they trust, whether they partner with them or not; you won’t usually find an actor tweeting about their favorite toothpaste or eye cream without some hidden motivator.

What It’s All About

It’s pretty clear how an artist benefits from an endorsement, but there are more lenses to use from the manufacturer’s standpoint. “The feedback that we get from players using our pedals helps us refine what we do and improve our products,” says Aimish Wallace, Director of Operations at Diamond Pedals. Fans of bands become fans of the brands they use and this Nova Scotia based company has attributed a lot of its sales to its association with Buddy Miller (Band of Joy/Emmylou Harris). “He’s known as a real ‘tone guy’ and I think the people that are aware of that look pretty closely at the stuff he’s using to achieve his sounds.”

When you’re looking to get free gear you’ll probably think you have to be famous. SABIAN Cymbals’ Sales and Artist Relations Manager, Terry Ryan, describes it as visibility. Drummers like Daniel Adair of Nickelback and Neil Sanderson of Three Days Grace are keeping brand recognition alive when they beat their splashes and crashes in front of thousands of fans every night.

Image credit: steviep187 on Flickr

That being said, Ryan also thinks it’s very important to foster the relationship at an early stage when you find the right act. “Artists tend to need you more when they have no money,” he says, outlining the importance of fostering loyalty in order to keep your advertising economical. “You hope they elevate their career.” Assuming they do, a band that becomes an international success will prove a worthy investment for any endorser. “If you’re in Spain and Rush performs, our logo is the same… It gets us a wider visibility at a minimum cost.”

Ask Fred DiSanto of Godin Guitars what matters most and he’ll say: “Heart! All of our artists have played a Godin even before we were aware of it.” The company’s artist program is a vital part of its success as a manufacturer and goes hand-in-hand with media coverage and a great dealer network.

Rarely do reps like Wallace, Ryan, or DiSanto find themselves scouting for new artists when they get so many sponsorship requests from bands all over the country, but it can happen. When it does, the terms of the relationship are quite varied. Dan Hay, guitarist of Amost The Transparent, cites how his deals with Empress Pedals and Wicked Guitars came together: “When [we] started touring more and playing some bigger shows, they asked me if I’d like to use some of their gear on stage.” While working with these suppliers, Hay can happily play whatever piece of equipment he likes on stage. “They’re pretty easy going about my obligations. Unlike other companies, Wicked doesn’t require me to only use their guitars… same with Empress.” Amost The Transparent’s latest album features many tones shaped by his Empress pedals, including one that sounds like “a backwards spaceship.”

Advertising requirements are usually a big concern for somebody considering an endorsement deal – everything comes at a price, right? Simple Plan guitarist Jeff Stinco says it’s circumstantial but it can happen: When they weren’t busy recording, touring, and releasing their latest album, Get Your Heart On!, they were doing ads for manufacturers like Sennheiser, DiMarzio, T-Rex, Mesa Boogie, and Fender. “It’s a case-by-case thing and we always make sure that the company understands our desire to expose a product that we love in a very organic way. We don’t wish to become sales people; we are here to help spread the word.”

Image credit: katrinalopez. on Flickr

Being on the roster for a gear company comes with other perks than discounts and promotional outlets. Occasionally you’ll be privy to new products or services. Stinco explains: “We have access to some special tweaks that are not necessarily useful or available to the general public but help us out on the road.”

The other issue you might face with an endorsement is your ability to continue using the other brands you enjoy. Vans – well known in the music industry for their annual Warped Tour – expect a certain degree of exclusivity from their athletes but like to keep things more organic with their artist roster. Chris Overholser, Senior Marketing Manager for the company, says: “One of our main tenants is to support creativity. By being heavily involved in music we get to be front and centre.”

Holding a global perspective has allowed Vans to give back to those in need. An effort between the shoe company and Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament will see the proceeds from a signature sneaker help build a skate park on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota – a community with a tragic past and high rates of poverty. Overholser says that working with musicians has opened doors to these types of opportunities and is a very important bi-product of endorsement. “We want people to wear Vans because they care about what we’re doing.”

Originally posted in the September/October 2011 issue of Canadian Musician magazine. Chris Gallant is a singer-songwriter and touring musician from PEI who likes to write about the things he wished he knew before entering “The Industry.” He can be reached at chris.s.gallant@gmail.com.

Do you have a difficult time deciding what guitar exercises to practice despite sifting through countless guitar practice materials daily? Are you feeling confused about which guitar learning method to turn to as you seem to be pulled onto many different paths with dozens of guitar books, websites and videos? Do you want to find out once and for all which guitar exercises to focus your practice time on in order to achieve your musical goals?

Image credit: allaboutyou16 on Flickr

From teaching hundreds of guitar players over the last 25 years, I have found that most musicians do not have a shortage of “things to practice” on guitar. The problem that I see many guitar players run into is not knowing how to organize all of their guitar exercises into an effective guitar practice schedule that moves them towards becoming better musicians. If this sounds like you, then I want to show you how to determine what you need to practice on guitar to improve your musical skills in the fastest way possible.

The first significant mistake that guitar players make with regards to guitar exercises is practicing “too many” of them. As a result, too much energy is spent trying to decide (at random) what exercise to play next, instead of concentrating on getting the most benefit out of each exercise being practiced. In reality, you can very often achieve a lot more by intelligently focusing on a smaller, targeted list of guitar practice materials than you can from a longer list of guitar exercises that are put together at random (more on this in a moment).

Another reason why guitar players struggle to make progress with all of their guitar practice materials is because they make the mistake of starting to look for “things to practice” before becoming clear on why they need to practice guitar exercises in the first place. Keep in mind that guitar practice materials can only make your guitar playing better when they are practiced with a specific objective in mind. Mindlessly playing through guitar finger exercises will not make your guitar playing any better until your mind is clear on several things:

1. The long term guitar playing goals you want to reach and how a given exercise fits into the big picture of developing your musical skills.
2. The exact guitar playing challenge(s) you want to overcome by using a particular guitar practice exercise.

Above all, you must remember that the only reason why guitar exercises are needed in the first place is to help you solve various guitar playing problems. As simple as this concept is, most guitar players do not practice with this understanding in mind. The more specifically you can define your guitar playing problems, the easier it will be to find the most effective exercises to overcome them. For instance, rather than saying: “I want to increase my speed with scale sequences“, you need to identify an exact problem such as: “I need to practice the picking hand motion that happens when my pick is caught inside the strings“.

In order to determine whether or not a specific guitar exercise should be included into your practice schedule, ask yourself this question: “what guitar playing challenge will I be able to overcome by working on this exercise and will this exercise move me closer to my guitar playing goals?” To help you with answering this question, here are several important points to follow that will make your guitar practicing a lot more productive:

1. Identify (in specific terms) your guitar playing goals.
2. Work backwards from your final goal to prepare a list of steps that you need to go through to reach the objectives from Step 1. Check out this free resource about improving your musical skills if you don’t know what steps go into the process of reaching your musical ambitions.
3. Put together a very targeted list of guitar practice exercises that is specific to developing the skills (and/or solving guitar playing problems) that you identified as important to your goals from Step 2.
4. Learn how to create the most effective guitar practice schedules. To do this, you must know how to efficiently divide your guitar practice time among the exercises that you have selected in Step 3. This will help you to avoid wasting valuable practice time and will enable you to make faster progress. If you don’t know how to do this, read this page about how to make your guitar practicing more effective.

Keep in mind that ultimately it is you who is responsible for the results you experience in your guitar playing. Even after you have correctly put together the list of effective guitar practice exercises, you must remind yourself to stay focused at all times on the specific problem you are trying to solve while practicing. Don’t allow your hands (or your mind) to go on autopilot. As you get better at doing this, you will likely realize that you don’t need to practice as many guitar exercises as you imagined before. In fact, many guitar exercises can often be used to develop multiple skills simultaneously (see an example of how to practice guitar in this way in this video about the best way to learn to play guitar).

If you take guitar lessons from a proven guitar teacher (who has helped many people to become great guitarists), he/she should be familiar with the concepts I explained above and should be structuring your guitar lessons with these ideas in mind. However, if you have had a hard time with making progress on guitar up to this point, implement the ideas from this article into your guitar practicing and you will see your musical skills start to improve at a much faster pace than ever before!

Tom Hess is a guitar teacher online, composer and a touring musician. He plays guitar in the epic metal band Rhapsody Of Fire. He teaches guitar players in his rock guitar lessons online. Go to tomhess.net to get more guitar playing resources, guitar playing eBooks, and to read more guitar playing articles.

Read an excerpt below.

You first started playing guitar in 1957, during the birth of rock and roll in Britain. What was it like being around guitarists at that time many of whom went onto to become icons; Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page to name a few?

Albert Lee

It was a wonderful time. We used to always meet up with each other around over in the west end of London. At the time, the music scene was relatively small, so you would run into everybody. And because we would also play the same number of clubs, word would get around where people would go, ‘wow this band has got a great guitar player’. So from that we would all end up knowing each other. I first knew Eric [Clapton] in the mid Sixties, while I had known Jimmy Page since 1961 when I was seventeen and Jimmy was sixteen. We would kind of just hang out together and play music.

Even after all these years, you continue to play countless shows, how important is the performing aspect to your success?

I think it is very important because one needs to play. I know it is a poor excuse, but I feel fortunate that I didn’t become a superstar where I could have a year off and not play which happened to so many guys. And because of that, I don’t think they have progressed.

But I have had to play constantly and I think it has paid off. I generally get my ideas and practice on the road and if I am off the road for a week or so, I’d probably play a local bar or local gig in Los Angeles [where Lee resides today] with friends of mine and so I get my practice on my feet. I am on the road more now than I have ever been so I cherish any moments I get to stay home and do domestic things and spend time with the family.

And when it comes to the amount of years you’ve been in this business, what advice could you offer?

Certainly don’t expect to make a fortune in this business. You have to do it for the love of it, though there have been people who have been totally dedicated to making money in this business and it works for them, I never was one of those.

I was always motivated by the music. And subsequently I never really made a lot of money but I have always worked quite comfortably.

Read more in the original UG article.

At this point in the articles, we’ve established a project, written a few songs, got some cool words to sing (if that’s what we’re into), and we’re ready to rock, right? Hold on, soldier! We need some gigs, fans, and downloads.

Trouble is…

People need to hear you. Unless you’re a strolling minstrel, you need the capability to record your tunes and give them to people in the form of a CD or mp3. You can build your fan base, book shows, and even send one to your great aunt who is a nun and really hope that she’s not offended by the story about nuns in the radio track in your CD… wait, that last bit only applies to me. Sorry!

Musicians are lucky to be living in this day and age. Recording technology is readily available, cheap, and sometimes even free. In the past, the only choice we had would have been to spend hundreds of dollars to record in a commercial studio.

Although the matter is fiercely debated, it’s probably still the best way to get that million-dollar sound, because of that million-dollar equipment and acoustic space they have!

For example, when I got my new CD mastered, I calculated the sound ran through over twenty thousand dollars of processing gear in a sonically-optimized room.

That being said, a lot of us starting out don’t have the budget to spend on studio time, or, if you’re like me, prefer to buy some basic equipment and spend as much time as needed on the project without having the pressure of the clock ticking your cash away. So, let’s find out how to…

Set Up Shop

Image credit: dethjunkie.tumblr.com

Here’s some of the things that I found out in experimenting with gear as a solo musician. Keep in mind that it’s only a very basic overview, and recording is it’s own art form that can and should be seriously studied for maximum results. View the following as what I used, not the be all and end all of recording.

I needed to record, and had some special considerations for a soloist – drums. Maybe you can play them, but I haven’t gotten the hang of it yet. With that in mind, here’s what I found:

Getting The Sound Recorded

There’s two main types of recorders we can use:

• Stand alone recorders
• Computer systems

If I only had to pick one, I prefer the second option. But, I actually use ‘em both.

To be fair to other types of technology, there ARE other recording systems out there, but I’m outlining the ones most useful for my purposes. If you happen to have a tape machine sitting around, great.

Portable Recorders

Flip through any music catalog, and you’ll immediately see a multitude of snazzy little recorders with faders, blinky lights, and even the capability to burn a CD from the unit! So shiny! I had an old Boss BR-532 with a whopping 32 megabyte card. (It held one song.) Thankfully, the storage has improved. The units are cool because you can move them around easily, and record tracks at gigs, band practices (if you’re not doing a solo gig), etc. There’s actually two main types of these: There are multi-track recorders, which are more desk units, and the true portable field recorders, which can be hand-held. Several disadvantages of both of these units are, compared to a computer, editing can be clumsy, and not nearly as powerful as the systems I’m about to talk about.

Of course, it all comes down to taste. I’ve even heard of a band recording a song on an iPhone. (The app is called Four Track, and yes, I own it – it’s cool!) Despite their editing limitations, they really shine for capturing ideas on the fly.

Digital Audio Workstations

My favorite system is the DAW, or Digital Audio Workstation. I find it to be the the most flexible, powerful, and surprisingly, in one case, the cheapest. The setup consists of two to three parts:

1. The Interface

The interface is what converts the signal from the microphone placed in front of a guitar amp, or a direct line in, into a format the computer can understand. Technically it employs devices known as A/D Converters – Analogue to Digital converters. The mic plugs into the unit, and the signal is routed to the computer. Interfaces come in three main flavors: Firewire, USB, and PCI card (sound card.)

2. (Optional) Pre-Amp.

Some interfaces already contain a pre-amp, but you can easily spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a separate pre-amp. It boosts the level of the incoming signal, and can add a warmth and special flavor to the sound. Each preamp sounds different, much like guitar amps all have their own voice.

3. Software

THIS is where the fun happens! The signal arrives at your computer – now what?

Process it, baby! Digital Audio Workstations, or DAWs for short, are where the magic happens. You can start out with a free open-source program called Audacity (google it) to see how cool recording software can be. If you decide to upgrade, there are many options available, from the industry-standard Pro Tools, to Cubase (what I use), Acid, Cakewalk, Logic, and the list goes on.

A Word About Multi-Tracking

Muti-tracking refers to capturing many sounds (such as a drum set) simultaneously, and having the capability to mix them later. For example, if an interface only has one input, and I go to record a drum set, I’ll have to either use one microphone, or mix the signal from several together before it hits the computer (I could use a small mixer that a live sound engineer would use.)

The problem with that is: If I mix the signals wrong (say, the snare’s too loud), I can’t undo it later. I’ve got one track recorded for all of the drums. Multi-tracking lets me track everything individually, and mix it later.

What if you only have one input on the interface or recorder? You can record in a Track At Once fashion. Put the rhythm guitar track down, go back, and record the lead guitar as you listen to the rhythm track play back, and do the same with the vocals, etc. If you’re a one-man band like me, that’s what you do anyway. Keep this in mind when you’re shopping for recorders or interfaces. Do they have enough inputs to multi-track for your recordings?

In Plain English…

There are many different systems available. I started with a stand alone recorder. I prefer DAWs for their power and ease of use. I do use portable recorders to capture ideas on the fly, sounds of the city, and the like. The DAW signal chain consists of (sometimes) a pre-amp, an interface, and the software to process everything. Interfaces are great because they have low latency and clear sound.

One Man Band Info

If you’re like me, and trying to cook up the sound of a rock band all by yourself, you might have an issue with the drums. I was able to put down guitar tracks, vocals, keys, bass, and the occasional classical noise without a hitch, but the drums took me a little while. Here’s my story. I hope it helps you.

1. Josh hears about drum replacement: I was talking to a buddy, and he mentioned the programs EZ Drummer and Superior Drummer (there’s many others, too.) I looked around, and what I found was this: The company hired a great drummer in a great studio to play a lot of sounds. They then chopped up the sounds, and wrote a program that could call them up at will. Writing a drum loop file would trigger the sounds and rearrange the pieces to sound like a drum beat. With further investigation, and a bit of disbelief as to the musicality, I found that lots of people use drum replacement technology. Often they’ll use a real drummer to capture the timings, convert the sounds to MIDI, and replace the sounds with the samples. The sounds are incredibly high quality, and very editable. No more stuffing the bass drum with a pillow! I was sold.
2. Josh tries to play drums: I ordered the software, as well as a Korg PadKontrol to trigger the drums. I figured I’d try to be a finger drummer. Stupid folks on YouTube – they made it look easy. The controller was awesome, but my ineptitude got the better of me. I couldn’t put down a solid beat. (If you CAN, this is a great option.) I did end up using it to write some drum fills, though.
3. Josh discovers he needs more software: To record with the MIDI drums, I needed a DAW that would support MIDI. I was using Adobe Audition at the time, and it didn’t. I ended up getting Cubase 5.
4. 4.Josh goes programming: I said “if I can’t play drums, I’ll program them!” I tried to use the free software Hydrogen to program the beat of the century. It’s got the best arranger screen I’ve seen, and it’s very intuitive to use. Unfortunately, after hours of research, I couldn’t get it to export the right type of drum map to Cubase. After trying many different programs, I found a neat, cheap program called Rhythm Rascal. I was able to build the beat to Workaholic Blues with it. Fruity Loops also looked promising, but I was baffled by it. Lame excuse, I know. I’d like to go back and check it out.
5. Josh discovers what was right in front of him: Superior Drummer came with a program called EZ Player Pro, which has a bunch of drum fills and beats played by a real drummer. I had great luck arranging these, and used them on a few songs on Signalman. The loops were MIDI files, and dropped right into Cubase, triggering the Superior Drummer plugin. Awesome sounds, and fully editable. I could change the qualities of the drums and keep the same beat. I loved it.
6. If Josh went old school: I would have written the MIDI notes right in the file. Cubase (and many other programs) have a place where you can click to build a drum beat. It DOES take some time, though.

There You Have It!

Well, folks, there’s my not-so-brief account of my continuing journey through the world of recording and cooking up a band sound. I hope it will be of assistance, and maybe save you some money in the process. I urge you to start recording! Get that CD out there, and hey, send me an mp3 of your efforts! I’d love to hear them.

As ever, be sure to check out the full version of the article (with much more useful tips) over here!

Josh Urban is a solo guitarist and vocalist living near Washington, DC, USA. When he’s not attempting to blow up stages with his iPhone backing tracks and brightly colored guitars, he’s busy teaching guitar to over thirty students per week, adding zany videos to his youtube channel, or blogging about music. He just released his first “real” EP, Signalman, and is responsible for every single sound on it. Check out his website at www.joshurban.com, and say hello!

Last time we talked a bit about the different frameworks for such acts, as well as the benefits of adding vocals to your shows. This installment furthers the cause of what I call the evolution of teaching. Mainly “Zurg, don’t fall in sinkhole! Hurts! Zurrrrg! Zurrrrrg!” Yes, yes, that’s right – learning from my Neanderthal mistakes puts you further along the path of musical evolution and enlightenment. After singing, this next topic was my biggest obstacle as a musician!

And what cliff did I tumble off, only to emerge with some newfound skill cleverly disguised as a goose egg on my head?

Songwriting!

But first, a story… (As always)

I had decided I wanted to try a solo gig. I had just wasted a few months in a basement rehearsing with a go-nowhere band, and I wasn’t quite sure what to do. I thought “Hey, I’ll record a demo CD, and get some gigs playing jazzy stuff at restaurants!”

A great idea in theory, but it didn’t quite work out.

I dusted off a little digital recorder (I think it was a Boss BR-532), and started putting some tracks down. And then I hit that proverbial brick wall – HARD! I was a halfway decent guitarist, making a living teaching guitar, and had played live professionally, but… I couldn’t write any songs. Everything I did turned into a formless blues jam. As I write this on Stevie Ray Vaughan’s birthday, let me be the first to say that blues jams rock – But not the ones I was putting down. The lack of any structure, and the absence of vocals made my first “studio” effort something I’d rather not discuss. Well, I got several neat ideas, but all in all, it was a very weak venture. Sure, sure, I could do covers, but to be the artist I wanted to be, I really needed some originals as well.

I shopped the CD around, and only got one or two gigs. Mannnn! After tumbling off that metaphorical cliff of ignorance, I was able to see something that I had missed during my years of practice:

Typewriter on Flickr

Songwriting is a skill vital to a musician of any style.

Since I had been playing electric lead guitar, I was able to get away with not writing my own stuff. One of my teachers looked at me one day and said “If you don’t write your own stuff, you’ll always be playing somebody else’s songs.” Well DUH, but it actually sank in that time. I had always thought guitarists who sang and wrote their own songs where… gasp!… Singer-Songwriters! I considered my arpeggios to set me far above those saps who played Ben Folds covers and stole all my girls. (OK, sorry, but I’m STILL burned about that) It slowly dawned on me that a lot of the heavy songs I liked were actually very well written, too. Another DUH, but hey, I guess I needed to learn this stuff the hard way. Another thing that had always made me think twice about songwriting was that when people said the song was very well written, it usually didn’t rock. It wasn’t a logical train of thought, but it still seemed to be the case. My dad would put on some lame song, and I’d promptly state that the band’s guitarist was lousy. “Yeah, but they’re such good songwriters!” he’d say. Hence my trepidation with setting foot into the arena of songwriters. Would I lose my magical rock powers? Once again, Ozzy Osbourne has a lesson for us.

Listen to any of his tunes, and notice how they’re structured, coherent, and interesting without losing any of the power of rock. Indeed, the structure only adds to the ferocity! Bark at the Moon is a great example of what I’m talking about. Not only are the songs well written, but they’re arranged snazzily too. For those scratching their heads in puzzlement, arrangement refers to what instrument plays which part, and when. Listen to Green Day’s Wake Me Up When September Ends for an idea of how arrangement plays an important role in a song. They take two or three themes, and repeat them on acoustic guitar, electric guitar, drums, and even bells! It keeps things interesting and fresh.

Good songwriting equals good songs, and we have no excuse not to learn this unique skill. And a skill it is, just like alternate picking or string skipping. The more we practice it, the better we get. “But Josh!” you say, “I should just be inspired to write a great tune!” Sure! But practicing the skills make it easier to express the inspiration, and can sometimes show you where to go when you’re at a loss for notes. “But Josh!” you pipe up again, “My wicked awesome sequence of diminished arpeggios will blow the crowd away with the sheer skill required to play it!” It probably will! But here’s something I noticed, and maybe it will help you:

There seem to be three camps of musicians:

• Camp 1 includes great writers who might not be top flight musicians, or if they are, don’t usually show it. A lot of country, pop, and alternative rock artists fall in with this crowd. Even if they can play their butts off, they usually don’t for the sake of the song.
• Camp 2 consists of the super shredders like Yngwie Malmsteen who are phenomenal guitarists, and absolutely own the top of the technical mountain. Their songs almost always feature their dazzling fret work, but usually aren’t as catchy as Camp 1, and hence not as popular (ever wonder why it’s called “pop” music?)
• Camp 3 consists of folks who recognize the following: Camp 1 has it’s brilliance in the set up and the writing (think Smells Like Teen Spirit: Simple, and devastating; a bullet doesn’t have to be complex to kill you, and neither does a hit song). Camp 2 is jam-packed with the best guitarists ever, and they can play absolutely anything. Their skill is in the execution, but not in the planning stages.

So the folks in Camp 3, like Ozzy Osbourne, Rammstein, Van Halen, etc, are well versed in both planning (writing), and execution (playing.)

Starting Off

1. I was a bit puzzled at how to start songwriting, but here’s a few things that helped me:
2. Realize songwriting is a skill, just like sweep picking.
3. Realize that (most) songs have a clear, identifiable structure – verses, choruses, a bridge, and so on. Listening to your favorite tunes, and picking out which parts are which can go a long way toward understanding composition.
4. Don’t try to write an epic tune on your first try. Pressure kills creativity!
5. Just like other guitar skills, daily practice is very helpful.
6. Education is important! I bought a few books, and attended a local songwriter’s group. I got inspired to give it a good shot. Maybe these ways will help you, too.

If interested, be sure to check out the full version of the article over here!

Josh Urban is a solo guitarist and vocalist living near Washington, DC, USA. When he’s not attempting to blow up stages with his iPhone backing tracks and brightly colored guitars, he’s busy teaching guitar to over thirty students per week, adding zany videos to his youtube channel, or blogging about music. He just released his first “real” EP, Signalman, and is responsible for every single sound on it. Check out his website at www.joshurban.com, and say hello!

Ahh, the scary reasons we don’t fly alone.

Speaking from personal experience, and from talking to other guitarists, there are a few “phantoms of the opera” that keep us from getting on stage with a one-person show.

1. “I can’t sing!” (I was in this boat, and let me tell you, it’s a crowded one!)
2. “What would I play?”
3. “I need drums!”
4. “Who’s gonna play the rhythm guitar part while I shred?”
5. “I can’t sing!” (Seems like it always comes back to this)

Don’t let the ghosties scare you, foo’. Tell ‘em to step aside so you can plan your act, ’cause we’re gonna tackle the technical and artistic challenges with valor, brilliance, and a loud guitar. Well, at least you are – I’m feeling a little short of these qualities this Monday morning. Ha ha! Anyways, here’s a cool to look at performance styles of solo artists – see which one fits your style:

Three Levels Of Instrumentation

1. The Real Deal

This style uses one guitar to get all of the sound, and it’s strictly instrumental. It can be jazzy, with walking bass lines and chord melody solos, fingerstyle wizardry, tapping and thumping, or anything else you can imagine. Think Joe Pass, Andy McKee, etc. Often stunning in it’s virtuosity, it plays well in musician-friendly venues, talent shows, on the street, and, of course, youtube.

Paramore

2. The Super Duper Looper

This style uses technology to it’s advantage. Loop stations can be a soloist’s best friend, and guitar synthesizers add instrumentation previously only available to keyboard players. For those of you unfamiliar with these way cool gizmos, a loop station usually comes in a stomp box format. With the press of a button, it allows the guitarist to play a musical phrase, chord progression, etc, and then have that phrase played back while he or she then layers another phrase on top of that one. One of the simplest and best uses for it is to record a 12-bar blues progression, and then solo over the loop just recorded. Songs with two guitar parts can be played in this manner, and it allows for further creative options. There are some incredible uses for these units.

The guitar synthesizer consists of a specialized MIDI pickup installed on the guitar, and a unit that converts the MIDI information into any sound you want, much as a keyboard player changes sounds. I’ve used a loop station and a guitar synth together for great effect. I can put down bass and keyboard parts, loop them, and then play lead guitar over the song. Drums are even possible, but with the setup I was using (A Roland GR3), they proved difficult. Actually, I think it was my lack of beat, so I can’t blame it on the equipment.

This style plays well in the same venues as the previous style.

3. The Dave Matthews/Zack Wiesinger camp

This style is what most people think of when visualizing a solo guitar act. The image of a musician with an acoustic guitar and a story to tell through thoughtful lyrics is an icon in music – but only the tip of the iceberg for our purposes. If you’re into playing folk or pop music, this is a fantastic choice. All you need is an acoustic guitar and your voice. It’s portable, accepted, and a proven winner. Just ask Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, Dave Matthews, and the list goes on.

“But Josh!” you say. “Those guys have backing bands!” Yes, but their music stands on it’s own without them, too. They could play a set just fine all by themselves. To be fair, there’s better examples of pure one-person acts, but I choose these names as most people know them.

What if you’re like me, though? You want to play loud electric music, but you’re not sure how in a solo format? Imagine how my mind was blown when I saw a fellow named Zack Wiesinger open for Steve Vai a few years ago.

Let me pause to ask you a question: How would you open a show for Mr. Vai, the wizard of band playing and mega-shred everywhere? I would have never have even guessed at how effective Zack’s style was in presenting something refreshingly contrasting to Steve’s style. He came out with a wild haircut and a Fender Strat plugged straight in to a tube amp. No fancy effects rack for him! I don’t think he even used a pick. He played, he sang, and he had the whole crowd clapping along to keep the beat. He won us over with just a guitar, mic, and some great music.

The advantage of this format is: People really like to hear words to songs. Regardless of if you’re using an acoustic or electric, this style plays well in places the other two styles do, as well as opening up important new niches: Bars, clubs, and places where the focus might not be on how fancy a chord a fellow can invent appreciate this format.

A few special considerations here:

1. The two previous styles can certainly be blended in!
2. Since there’s no bass or drums, a big sound is desirable. I’ve had great success with using two guitar amps run in stereo from a rackmount effects processor. A ping-pong delay makes the rig sound much bigger, and fills up the stage nicely.
3. A large sound can often come from the chord voicings used. Dust off some of those 9ths and 11ths! Big chords fill up the stage. If you’re using power chords, try the three-fingered variation, where the root note is doubled. Fill up that sonic space – there’s no bass to step on with a mega-chord.

4. The Band in a Box

This is where I’ve ultimately settled – the band in the box! I record backing tracks in my home studio, put them on my iPhone, and get ready to rock. When I show up to the gig, I plug my phone into the PA system, and bingo, I’ve got my band all set to go. I first saw guys doing this on clinic tours at music stores. Gary Hoey and Michael Angelo Batio are two musicians I’ve seen using this format. They can shred, the song has distinct parts, and it sounds just like a band. One of the disadvantages of this style is that tracks can quickly sound cold and lifeless. I’m always aware of this when I’m dealing with the songs, and I find that the addition of vocals warms things up nicely. I also love introducing “the band” in my cheesy manner, and yell at “the band” if the tracks don’t cue up right away, etc.

Many musicians consider this style beneath them, and I did for the longest time. I finally got over my snobbery when I realized that a) all of the new creative options it opened up for me, b) most non-musicians don’t care, and c) I can finally sound loud and rock the house! This format is sure to ruffle the feathers of out of work drummers and bass players, but hopefully there’s always more screaming girls in the crowd than critical percussionists. It’s still a new format for me, but I’m excited with the possibilities, especially with the venues it opens up.

While all four styles can be instrumental, I can’t stress enough the fun that vocals add to a show. Not only do people connect with words and voices, but for me, the entertainment value of the show appreciates greatly with vocals added. More venues will be available to the singing guitarist, and bringing a flighty lead singer in to the picture isn’t needed. Woohooo! Next we’ll see how we can add this most valuable element to our act. Of course, it’s not necessary, but again, it’s fun, and that’s why we’re musicians, right?

Find out more in full article at this location!

Josh Urban is a solo guitarist and vocalist living near Washington, DC, USA. When he’s not attempting to blow up stages with his iPhone backing tracks and brightly colored guitars, he’s busy teaching guitar to over thirty students per week, adding zany videos to his youtube channel, or blogging about music. He just released his first “real” EP, Signalman, and is responsible for every single sound on it. Check out his website at www.joshurban.com, and say hello!

Blue Microphones Drum Kit

Basically, all you are asked to do is to leave a published comment on the band’s Facebook page saying why you should win, or fill up a simple form (better – do both).

One eskimO, who is going on tour starting October 13th, has more cool stuff on their Facebook page. Using this app you can listen to an unreleased remix of the band’s new single by simply “liking” the page. If you want to hear the second track, you will have to “Share” a link to the page, and if you want to download the songs – just leave your email address.

Another contest on the same page gives you a chance to win free tickets to One eskimO‘s show.

You can enter the One eskimO and Blue Mic giveaway right away.

Rock band Helmet have just returned with a new full-length album, Seeing Eye Dog, their first since 2006’s critically acclaimed Monochrome. The record was produced by the band’s leader, vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Page Hamilton, with additional production by Toshi Kasai and vocal production by Mark Renk.

Ultimate Guitar writer Joe Matera spoke to Page Hamilton about the album, career, and the music industry.

When it comes to the business side of the industry, what sort of advice would you impart to a young band?

To hang on to your music and don’t worry about getting signed. Why would you want to get signed to somebody that wants your t-shirt money, your publishing and your records? Why would you want to do that? In this day and age especially, you can do it all yourself. That’s how we did it in the first place and still do.

Read the full interview at Ultimate-Guitar.com.

While the band stayed in Australia, Ultimate Guitar writer Joe Matera sat down with Biffy Clyro singer and guitarist Simon Neil to talk the new album, touring and music business. Read an exclusive excerpt below:

What have been some of the most important lessons you have learned from being in this business?

Image credit: news.bbc.co.uk

The one lesson we learned the most was to just believe in yourself. Just because someone thinks you’re crap doesn’t mean you are crap. And like wise, just because some one thinks you’re amazing doesn’t mean you’re amazing. It’s really about the belief in yourself.

We’ve always had a focus and a drive. We were lucky that we had a start where people didn’t like our band for years and we made small records on indie records. And if we didn’t have the belief in ourselves, we still wouldn’t be doing it. If we were doing this to make money or to meet tons of girls we would have given up after about a year. For us it’s really about the thrill of making music.

What have been some of the most memorable experiences in the band’s career thus far?

There have been quite a few. I guess on a basic level when we got to meet The Rolling Stones that was a real pinch yourself moment. And that was because they are a band that really shaped rock and roll from day one. I probably prefer The Beatles slightly more musically than The Stones, but they have done a lot. That was a moment we’ll never forget, and also having Josh Homme play guitar on the record. He is such an amazing songwriter and guitarist.

Read the rest of the interview on UG next week.

Photo credit: AP Photo/Paul Vernon

Ultimate Guitar’s Joe Matera recently called Dean DeLeo to discuss the new release, and his thoughts on the music industry. Read a brief excerpt below, and check the full interview when it’s posted on UG next week.

Having now clocked up twenty years in the music business, what are some of the important lessons you’ve learned?

It is all about what comes with age. I like to think that not just another year passes but a little wisdom comes under your belt. I have become a little more aware of the business aspect of things because musically, it is really easy as it’s a great place to go dip your mind in and have a fun time doing.

But I am much more aware these days of where things are at for me on the business end of things. And that is fucking important. It is really important because I feel we’ve been fortunate that we have this ability to make records and have for twenty years.

So to me, the most important thing or lesson I’ve learned in this business is about being aware.