Of course, I wanted to take my guitar with me and continue practicing. As it is the first such experience, it took me a lot of thinking and preparation. I’ve got some very useful advice from people on the Guitar Noise Forum, but I didn’t find any articles on the topic, so I decided to write one myself and make life for people like me a bit easier.

To Take or Not To Take?

That was the first question to decide. Yes, I do want to take the guitar, but there’s also an opinion that it’s better to take some rest from an instrument so when I come back to it after vacation, I could feel inspired and actually make better progress. It makes sense, but I have not yet reached the point where such tactics are required, so I decided to take the guitar. If you think that to leave a guitar at home is a good idea (which is okay), I wish you good rest and safe travel. If you’re like me, keep reading.

Equipment.

I’ve prepared a list of things I need to take. Here it is, with some comments on each item:

• Guitar.

I keep the instrument in a soft bag. I want to take it with me onboard and put a separate bag with all supplementary stuff into a suitcase. I don’t like an idea of checking an instrument in as luggage (or baggage if you prefer) because it can be broken. You all have heard of United. I asked a question on the forums, and people say there’s usually no problem with taking it inside the plane. Policies do vary from airline to airline and sometimes simply on how crowded a flight may be, so it’s a good idea to check with the airline first. Most people’s experiences are that if you are polite about it, the airline personnel will let you take your instrument on board.

• Amp.

Oh yes, it’s so big and heavy, even my Roland Micro Cube which supposed to be portable! So I thought I would travel without an amp at all and will practice quietly. This is a bad idea! Let me explain. Generally, that’s OK to strum chords without an amp. The problem is that I’m learning to play [hard] rock, a kind of music which requires distortion and tends to be fast. I have tried to play without an amp to keep quiet when I was even too lazy to wear headphones. What a mistake! I struggled to learn a good position for the right hand for a month or two, before I realized that without distortion my guitar will not sound if I place the right hand correctly, and so I instinctively, without even noticing it, placed the hand in different position to pick strings louder. After I realized that, I’ve learned a better position and became able to move further in my learning. So, what to do?

Thanks to the Forum, I’ve found out that there is a whole class of devices called ‘headphone amps’. The most affordable is a VOX amPlug, which comes in different versions, each suitable for a different musical style be it rock, or heavy metal, or whatever.

The most powerful device for a reasonable price is Line 6 Pocket POD. This device can emulate tons of amps, cabs, and effects. It has more affordable version called Pocket POD Express, which is much simpler, emulates only five amps and six effects.

So, which one to buy? Here’s my advice: consider not the price of a unit, but its purpose. If you play in one particular style, buy an amPlug and be happy with a good sound quality, small power consumption, and low price. However, I learn different techniques and exercises, and want to be able to produce a wider range of sounds, from clean, closer to acoustic, to heavy metal. For this reason a POD suits me better. By a lucky chance, a good friend of mine had bought a Pocket POD so I could take it for a couple of days. Well, it sounds pretty cool! But I realized that if I want to switch from clean to heavy, with an Express version I could just turn a knob, whereas with regular Pocket POD I need to press a button – ten to twenty times! It really takes some time and attention. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a professional computer engineer, and so I know how to deal with buttons, create presets, etc. I even love to do that. But I do not want to spend a minute switching and loosing concentration when I practice guitar. One minute a day constitutes a bonus week for a year of practicing!

So, again, when buying a device, consider its purpose. If you need as much versatility as possible for a buck, if you love experimenting with sounds and looking for a cool effect combinations, get yourself a Pocked POD. But if you need a decent device which will allow you to practice virtually any style of music and will not require much attention, consider POD Express. Whatever you choose, don’t play without an amp!

• Headphones.

Once you have a headphone amp, you need headphones, right? Take you favorite ones, with a cord long enough to reach an amp, but not too long. Usually, the bigger phones are better, but they are also heavier, so it’s up on you to decide whether you need a perfect sound or mobility.

• Tuner.

POD has a built-in tuner, but I have a chromatic one with microphone, so it’s on my list. If you want to spare a couple of cubic inches in your suitcase, you may choose a built-in tuner, which works fine. VOX amPlug doesn’t have a built-in tuner, so in this case a separate tuner is a must.

• Batteries.

Electronics requires power. But I don’t want to spend any time looking around for new batteries. I wouldn’t care much about a tuner, but an amp does require a lot of power. You can be happy with a fresh batteries installed into your new shiny (or old good) amPlug right before departure, but POD is power-hungry, so I install one pack and take two spare packs (4 batteries each) additionally. By the way, Line 6 doesn’t recommend using rechargeable batteries with a Pocket POD (either regular or Express). I believe that’s because rechargeable batteries have lower voltage, and so will not serve you long enough. From experience I know that rechargeable batteries work for about 2 hours, whether alkaline ones serve 3 times longer. At home I don’t use batteries at all, a MicroCube’s AC adapter works perfectly with POD.

• Pocket PC.

I’m fortunate to have a pocket computer which serves me in different ways. It’s a metronome, mp3 player for songs and backtracks, movie player for video lessons… It’s a pocket navigator and touristic guide (but that’s a different story). If you have a Pocket PC, or iPod Touch, or a smartphone – find any software you may require. If not, take your mp3 player and mp3 files to jam with. But it’s not essential, you may use your leg or a hand watches to keep rhythm – at least for that week or two when you’re on vacation.

• Strings.

I always have a pack of spare strings. It is unlikely to brake a string during vacation, but the pack doesn’t require much space so I will take it – just for a case.

• Cables.

I have two of them, one with 1/4″ jacks to plug the guitar, and another one with 1/8″ jacks to plug mp3 player into an amp. I’m taking both.

• Picks.

Will take three of them – they are easy to loose and difficult to find on a beach!

Tutorials and Other Information.

This is tough to choose. There’s so much stuff around! I’d like to take some prints with easy songs, backing tracks, etc. But I couldn’t use it all anyway, so I take a couple of video lessons on playing technique and another couple on how to play my favorite songs (with backing tracks and originals). If you don’t have a portable video-player bring along some papers, but print them a week before leaving on vacation. As always, there’s so much to do right before travel, and you don’t want to have another thing in the list.

How was it?

Here comes the interesting part: My vacation took eleven days, including arrival and departure. In both directions the women at the airport check-in counters were surprised by the fact that I wanted to take my instrument onboard, but had no objection. There were absolutely no problems with security, flight attendants, or anyone else. By the way, I wasn’t the only one with a guitar in the plane. There’s plenty of space in a boxes over passenger seats, or behind a back row, or near a door. So, I don’t see any reason to put an instrument in a luggage.

I practiced every evening. First, I found that I wanted to sleep more than usual. But I practiced anyway, one day for thirty minutes only, another day for one hour and half. But I was too lazy to watch for video lessons, and used my computer only as a metronome. I played my usual exercises (scales, strumming, legato) and that was enough. A couple of times I tried to play songs which were heard from the disco in another part of the hotel. I used (and continue using) a chromatic tuner to train my ear, which is possible thanks to built-in microphone.

I didn’t loose a single pick, and spare strings were of no use. My Pocket POD Express served me well – I changed the batteries only once. I still use the device when I need to play or practice quietly and I’m happy with it.

The only thing I regret is that I didn’t buy a book on music theory before vacation. I had some time which I could use for reading, but had to spend doing nothing.

Overall, I’m glad I took the guitar with me. Pocket POD is a great piece of equipment so I recommend it to anyone for practicing away of a real amp. All other stuff I took with me was also more or less useful, and I was prepared good for the travel. Next time I will take the guitar with me again, and will use this article myself as a checklist. If you have any question or suggestion, feel free to e-mail me at dkiryukhin@gmail.com

Happy vacation!

Actually, the tag “and not just country music” might just become the official second motto of Nashville. They’d say “Welcome to Music City, USA” and then add “and not just country music” right afterwards. Yes, everyone tends to think immediately of country music when the capital of Tennessee comes up in conversation, but this city has a thriving music scene, period.

How many people, for instance, would immediately thing of classical music upon hearing the word Nashville? And who would know that the Nashville Symphony (http://www.nashvillesymphony.org/) won the 2008 Grammy for both “Best Orchestral Performance” and “Best Classical Album?” I’m not guessing too many. Yet Nashville has the truly spectacular, state of the art Schermerhorn Symphony Center, located just a stone’s throw from Broadway and Fourth, close to the Cumberland River.

Built in 2006 and named after Kenneth Schermerhorn who serves as the Nashville Symphony’s Musical Director and Principal Conductor for more than twenty years, this venue provides the city an impressive pallet of music. Current Musical Advisor Leonard Slatkin and Incoming Musical Director Giancarlo Guerrero’s choices of programs are inventive and inspiring. Where else might you find James Galway playing selections from “Carmen” on the same bill as Dominick Argento’s “Valentino Dances,” featuring the incredible William Schimmel on accordion, no less?

Just visiting the Symphony Center, you can feel how important music, all music, is to the people of Nashville. There’s something vibrant and tangible in the air here. And it’s the same all over the city. Do you want to catch Death Cab for Cutie? How about Elvis Costello? Tori Amos? Neil Young? Maybe Eddie Vedder? Then the Ryman Auditorium (http://www.ryman.com/) is just a few blocks away.

The Ryman, which opened its doors way back in 1892, was the place to be long before it became the home of the Grand Ole Opry in 1943. After the Opry left in 1974, the auditorium remained vacant until the city restored the “Nashville’s premier performance hall” to its rightful place as a national musical landmark. Many Guitar Noise readers will no doubt recognize the venue from Jonathan Demme’s Heart of Gold, his documentary film on the first public performances of Neil Young’s Prairie Wind tour.

While it’s cool to see that there’s a lot going on in Nashville in regard to the “big picture,” it’s even more exciting to get to take part in the thriving local music scene. And, in case you’d forgotten, it’s not just country music!

One of the greatest times to visit is during the “Next Big Nashville” Festival, when the city showcases more local bands than you’d think it would be possible to have in any one place! Last year over two hundred bands took part in this five-day musical extravaganza, held in small intimate venues all over the city. Almost every musical genre from solo singer/songwriter to ear-splitting metal to funky R&B was there and you can check out some of the video highlights here: http://nextbignashville.blogspot.com/2009/02/nbn-08-recap-video.html

This year, Next Big Nashville will take place from Wednesday, October 7, until Sunday, October 11. That’s a great time of year to visit the city and you’ll have a ton of great music waiting for you.