that france game last night was a joke....

the bob - I've been playing a long time.. 20 something years.. I've been at the level I'm at now for more than 15 years at least.. every since I started I was always regarded as gifted.. even when I was a total novice.. I think this had something to do with the speed that I learn and pick things up.. I do realise that I have a natural ear for music and knew this even before I could play an instrument.. a huge turning point in my playing was learning Eruption by Van Halen.. this opened up a whole new world of playing for me.. and when Satch, Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore and the likes showed up, for me it was like learning more of the same but with slightly different approaches [although Malmsteen took more figuring out than he other guys]...
but I don't only learn solos.. I used to learn every part of every song on every new album I bought.. so I think that my playing grew over a long evolution.. Sabbath, Motorhead, Judas Priest, AC-DC, UFO, MSG, Iron Maiden, Angel Witch, Scorps, Led Zep, Hawkwind, Pink Floyd, Yes, Genesis, PFM, Trace, Thin Lizzy.. then EVH 1 shows up and knocks me over.. it took a long time but I figured it all out in the end [we didn't have nice guitar mags back then with everything all tabbed out.. so I had to do it all by ear with a lot of trial and error]..
in the 80's I was well into Night Ranger, Journey, Ozzy, V Moore, Malmsteen and those types.. tso I learned all that stuff too.. Journey and Night Ranger are not only about blistering solos.. there are great lessons to be learned about song construction too.. and solos that complement and add dynamics to the songs..
In the 80's I got into funk in a big way.. Average White Band, Boottsie, Clinton, Level 42, Maceo Parker, etc..
my love of orchestral music started at a very young age [maybe younger than 10 years old] and stayed with me... so from the moment I learned to sight read I was learning violin, flute, organ, cello, piano etc music.. I didn't get greatly into classical guitar because I've never been particularly comfortable with finger style.. but that didn't stop me learning from the masters... and all that stuff slotted nicely into my general shredder education during the 80's and early 90's..

mowlie - happy 25th... shame about the boys in white tho...

so in all fairness, the best team won..

but as an English patriot.. they are lucky bastards and we'll do 'em up proper next time..

StringG - Thanks for the birthday wishes........

Alexandre - Thanks for the birthday wishes and for the good luck to England.

Do The Stu - Cheers bro...........

TheBob - I think the chord you are playing is a Dmin add9/A but a very odd fingering for it.

Clarky - Cheers for the b'day wishes Paul and I did get bladdered Clarky Style yesterday. Suffering for it now tho........

What the fuck happened to England last night??!!??!!??!! What a shite ending to a perfectly good birthday!!!

Oh dear, oh dear. 2 - 1. Dreadful. They do this every time: score the first goal, get complacent, and make stupid mistakes in a fit of panic when the other side start showing them that actualy the game isn't quite over yet. I can't help but wonder what would have happened if Beckham had put that penalty away, rather than Barthez saving it. The boot may have been on the other foot then (pun fully intended... lol). I think someone should tell Zidane to shave his head though, because the way his hair is at the moment just looks frankly ridiculous!!!! lol

On a more positive note, I got my results for last term's exams today. That was quick - it's only about five weeks into this term... lol. Anyway, I got a 2:1 for Live Performance Analysis/Musical Directorship and a 1st for Sight reading and Aural Perception. Same results as last time, which is nice (although they're different modules obviously). It's official - I FUCKING ROCK. lmao

I watched 'Return Of the King' last night after the footie. I've now seen the entire 'Lord Of the Rings' trilogy. Those films would make a bloody good book... :-P

mowlie - A belated Happy Birthday dude! Have an Alkaseltzer on me!!! lmao

Clarky - I had a great time yesterday. Can't wait to do it again very soon!! Sometimes I felt a little out of my depth, but I actually quite enjoy that feeling, in a sadistic kind of way... lol

Yoda - I'm really glad you enjoyed yourself.. you looked a little nervous at first.. but that's ok.. this is a new crowd you're mixing with.. and we all know each other really well.. albums, gigs and tours together in various combinations...

least experinced? yes you are..
out of your depth?? never... you played great.. and everyone spotted that...

once you get to know the guys a little more and get into the learning process you'll realise that you'll be fitting in just perfectly...

I'd hazard a guess that you are used to being the most knowledgeable, most talented and most experienced guy in the band.. so I guess that this was a bit of a shock..
like playing with a bassist that is every bit as quick as we are on guitar, and messing with a drummer that can turn a groove inside and always make it sound cool..

so consider this... with Mick on bass and Del on drums, you've got to try really hard to sound crap.. lol..

like they say - a great oak can only grow on strong roots...

Mick and Del are the roots I chose for a very good reason.. lol..
over a little time you'll figure them out and slot right in there
you're pretty smart and musically very switched on..
it won't take you long...

and never forget... it was not an audition...
I chose you to do this... you was my first choice..

several reasons...
1 - you need to start mixing it up with bigger players [that are not guitarists..
2 - I have great faith in your playing and I think that mixing with those guys will take you into a different level.. a level that can only be found in a situation with other great players..
3 - this experience will sharpen your timing and make you more aware than before of exactly how to 'sit' in the rhythm section - your solo playing is great.. but remember: in a band with a vocalist, solos are only 5% of your total work.. so being my 'riffer' will force you to concentrate very hard on on being crisp and tight - esspecially given that Mick is such a mobile and agile bassist, and that Del consumes so much space in the mix.. so when you take thisknowledge into other bands in the future you'll have that 6th sense of just knowing where to sit back and where to come forward and dominate..

most of all - I chose you because I know you can do it, you have the knowledge to understand and bring the best out in my music [just as the others do].. and I completely trust you to be a solid wingman...

Michelle Yeah, watching Nancy lying across the coffin was one of the most touching pieces of television I've seen in a time. It maybe shouldn't have been for the public gaze and I think that is what made it so powerful, that and maybe the hope that we can all get to that age and still be with our loved ones. Mind you it would have been class if she had lifted her head and pulled a drumface ! ;-)

Mikey D Yo dawg, ciao ! Just trying to get multicultural on yo ass bro' - lol Sounds like the Dave Matthews DVD will have to go on the wish list :-) I've got a couple of his CD's, love the man's voice, he's a great songwriter as well. It was 'The Space Between' that turned me on to him, but he's a relative unknown in the UK.

Mowlie Happy Belated Birthday bro' ! Too bad about the game being such a wash out for you - plenty more to come though :-)

Slanshroom Musicshopaphobic roflmao dude, cos if you still have the phoneaphobia you can't even ring them -hah hah. Looks like it's net orders only. Hope you get some rest soon man, don't want to burn out thos creative juices.

Clarky Not wishing to appear unpatriotic but 2 - 1 to France was my game prediction but I wouldn't have put the money onit at 89 mins in. Cest la merd as they say in France. ;-)

yoda - sorry bro I forget to mention earlier...

Clarky - Thanks man. But in my band, it's the vocals that are about 5% of the song... lmao. Seriously though, that's very encouraging. I know I'm going to learn a shit load from this, as well as having bloody good fun.

962..yeah he is a twat..he cant teach anyway..i can do a better job then him.

Neil..it was James Betteridge...a new guy...he's doing the degree course but yet he's teaching but doesn't go to the degree lessons but yet he's doing the exams...weird...he's an idiot. i think it was during term 2 that me and him got fed up with each other and i'll said i'll leave and he said dont. but now..over a stupid scale shape..he tells me to leave..it did happen whether you believe it or not, a bit like your signed vai london dvd eh? remember when i said i didn't belive you?..i'm pissed off with him...i told the acm that in an email. they haven't replied though....

Nick - Weird. I've never met James, so I couldn't possibly comment. What did you/he do that caused such an extreme fall-out?

dark CK

no we really played it, it sounded to a tee if i say so myself, well the singing was funny, but it was fine, i done a gnr gig last year so all we had to do was dress up and play

and thx, i try to get a suntan whenever i can, its not the best thing to do in ireland! especially if u got exams on nice days >:)

Nick - Well Satch, Queen, and SRV are hardly what I'd consider to be "widdling"... lol. Don't you think it might be a good idea to learn scale shapes?

hello people

Not long till G3 now! Looking forward to it!

962 I hear you got a backstage pass. Congrats! how did you find out about that one? I havent been reading any posts recently so havent heard!

Neil...i dont like scale shapes..they're useless apart from developing speed and accuracy in some ways..i only know the first shape of the 3 note per string major scale shapey things for the reason of helping developing speed and accuracy...for sololing..why not learn the notes your using in the key...know the notes on the neck and widdle away..knowing that the notes you pick work well with the chord..and not just saying..this is the scale shape..every note works...scale shapes are limiting. why not use between frets 0 and 24 (or however many you got) and use your heart and ear to help choose the notes and where you go...

and heres a story for everyone
once upon a time...
...in a land not so far away...there was this woman who went to the doctor complaining about a stomach ache. the doctor asked if she had eaten anything out of the ordinary. she replied "yeah, a fly". "hmm..." said the doctor.."better get some rest then". so she went home, and went to bed. foolishly she left her mouth open, a spider was tempted by the smell of rotting fly coming from her stomach. so the spider crawled in, followed by a bird, a cat, a dog, a vet and some police officers investiating the dissapearence of a couple of vets and a few animals. when the woman woke up, she was now about 40 stone and couldn't move. immediatly, she phoned the one person that can help - Jerry Springer and the Sun newspaper. this of course lead to the headline the following day of a 40 stone woman who had taken the nursey ryhme a bit too far (oh the irony there ;)) the goverment had to interveen at this point and said that a public inquiry would follow as soon all the facts were gathered. while this was all happening, the woman went onto Jerry Springer and attracted 6 million viewers (most of them from birmingham and liverpool). She went onto a fit farm thing on channel 4 but couldn't fit thru the door so she had to be carried in by articulated truck and lifted in by 3 cranes thru the roof. after 3 weeks there...while the public inquiry was still going...she had managed to reduce her weight by sheddding a couple of policeman and so can now fit through the door, but in a wheel barrow. After the public inquiry found that the fly was to blame, the policeman were sent back in to arrest the fly. Unfortunatly they never came back and the whole incident passed in another couple of days.

the end

Nick - You should absolutely know what notes you're playing at all times, and know what notes are in what key, etc. etc. But isn't it more limiting to not actually know any scale shapes at all? And using your ear to dictate what you play is excellent. But are your ears honestly good enough to allow you to do that, without any reference point at all as regards to key/scale?

Jimmy Franklin- hope you have a great birthday and your exam goe3s well....

Hope all in satchland have a good monday morning... :)

Neil...i dont like working in scale shapes...i see what key i'm working in..see what notes i've got to play..and play them notes...simple...

Nick - I understand what you're saying, but don't you think that learning scale shapes are a quick, easy way to get familiar with the fingerboard and navigate your way through things? I'm not saying you should learn scale shapes exclusively; obviously the theory is very important. But at the end of the day, is it really worth getting thrown out of a lecture over it? I don't think so. If you do then I guess that's okay.