Newsletter Vol. 1 # 52 – May 10, 2002

Hello Guitar Players,

Welcome to the May 10, 2002 issue of Guitar Noise News.

If you have visited Guitar Noise already today I know what some of you are thinking. “What happened to the text on the home page? Put it back the way it was!”

Now hang on a second before you banish our site from your list of favorites forever. I changed the size of the text for a very good reason. Since I changed the site into its present format last year, I have received a few letters from people who find the site impossible to read because the size of the text is too small. Usually people who prefer a larger font can select one with their browser. Both Internet Explorer and Netscape allow this. For some reason the Style Sheet I have used for the site forces a small font setting. This week I spent a bit of time looking at some better designed sites to see why the size of the font could be changed on their pages and not mine.

I really want everyone to be able to enjoy this site. But admittedly, changing the font to a bigger size all of a sudden makes for an uncomfortable surprise. I have been looking at the site with the new, bigger font for about a week now and I am almost used to it.

So I’m asking you to give it a try. See if you can get used to the different font size (which incidentally you can now change using your browser – email me for instructions if you don’t have a clue how to do this).

If you simply can’t bear the new changes, let me know. I can be swayed into changing it back to the way it was if a strong majority of people cry out demanding it. You see, not everyone has a great computer that makes everything looks good. Also, not everyone has great eyesight or perfect vision.

This week, more than usual I’d like your feedback on the site design.

In this newsletter:

News
New Guitar Lessons
Acoustic Guitar Tip
Recommended Reading
CD Reviews
Email of the Week

Why not help a fellow musician? You can do them a favor by forwarding them this newsletter.

News and Announcements

Help With Projects
You may have seen David posting messages in the forum asking for help with future projects. In fact, we really want to do something for you. But for this week we would like to keep it as something secret, or special for those who have signed up for this newsletter.

We have had the good fortune to be granted a short interview with world renowned guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen later this month. And, being the kind of people we are, we’d like to share that good fortune with you. Do you have a question for Yngwie? If so, get your question to us by May 17. We will pick the most interesting questions and ask them in our interview. Send us your questions and write “Interview” in the subject line so we know you got the information here.

You can send more than one question if you like. And if this works out, we can use a successful interview with Yngwie to help us get access to a whole bunch of other great players as well.

Guitar and Bass Lessons

Interview With Kelly Richey Part 2
by Laura Lasley (10 May 2002)
Kelly Richey is a blues-rock guitarist who has been compared to Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, for her amazing guitar leads. Her new album, Sending Me Angels is a must check out. For Kelly’s viewpoint on her career in writing, performing and playing music, read on!

Recording on a Budget Part 2: Recording Concepts
by Scott Hysell (10 May 2002)
The simple truth is, recording (even home recording) can get pretty complicated, but don’t let that pile of stuff scare you. As with most things complicated, the recording process can be broken down into a series of steps and concepts that are relatively easy to understand.

Compression – A Simple Explanation
by Stephen Sherrard
A compressor is basically a variable gain device that is used to either try to smooth out the dynamic range of a signal, or is also sometimes used as an effect. Different compressors have different types of characteristics and sounds that they impart to the source signal as well… the really expensive compressors are often expensive because of the character of their sound that is desirable for a lot of applications.

Acoustic Guitar Tips

This week’s tip was sent to us by Bryan Bradshaw, a regular reader of Guitar Noise and a classical guitar teacher and performer.

Finger Nail Tip
I have read a few of Logan L. Gabriel’s articles. There are some really good points being made. practicing/perfect etc.

I’ve taught classical guitar for a number of years and wanted to offer up a tip that contributes to an often overlooked area of classical guitar study.

Most flamenco guitar players use glue on their nails. By doing so, flamenco guitar players often begin to manipulate the shape of their nails. (By shape, I mean the curve that one sees when one holds the right hand fingers straight at the face, …staring at the end/tips of the fingers) I have found, from studying with flamenco players, that they tend to have very curved nails. Ultimately, it is this ‘curved’ shape that allows for fast rest stroke scales and loud free strokes (good tremolo). There is a potential for a harsher sound if one tends to create a ‘pointed nail’ and strike straight at the string however a lot of this harshness can be tempered by filing and how much glue is used etc.

I have been developing my nails to resemble those of a flamenco guitar player and have benefitted a great deal. My rest stroke scales are 16th notes at 180 and I can use tremolo freely, even in improvised situations.

Often, in classical guitar methods, there is a ‘naturalism’ bias that, although tacit , leads the student to ‘work with what they have’. Ultimately, students with flat, boxy or hooked nails are told that their answer lies within ‘filing’ or repeating exercises to condition the finger to cope etc. Charles Duncan states outright that all nail shapes can be ‘fixed’ through good filing technique. I disagree with his position. There is an ideal nail shape for playing classical guitar. It resembles the flamenco guitar player’s curved nail. Filing is solely a means of ‘tempering some of the timbre’ not creating the foundation of the nail shape. Players who choose to work with flat or hooked nails are compromising their potential. (I feel that this curved shape can be obtained by all players, even those with completely flat but, admittedly, it is more complicated…I feel that as long as people understand that there is an ideal shape and aim for this they are better off. I’ve had so many experienced players as students (up to grade six or more) who are still struggling with fundamental issues resulting from too much resistance from the nail. (flat nails=greater resistance). I feel that part of the classical guitar community’s neurosis about using glue etc. to strengthen and curve their nails stems from their dismissal of using a ‘pick’. To maintain ‘purity’ these players resist taking a closer look at the shape of their nails and altering them if they have to.

For me it was easy. I coated the tip of my nail with crazy glue and once the glue had dried I pinched in the sides of my nails. While the sides were pinched in I added more glue to fill in the cracks of the old glue. Now the nail is held in a ‘pinched’ shape. (Some flamenco guitarists even use a single layer of toilet paper to coat the tip of the nail while adding the glue. The toilet paper acts much the same as fiber glass does to resin) After years of ‘pinching your nails in’ they will grow pinched and flow straight off of your finger.

Remember: no glue upon the alive or growing part of the nail. Only put glue on the dead part of your nail: the tip. To remove, use nail polish remover. The tip will thin from using glue but as long as the alive part of your nail isn’t smothered you will continue to be growing thick healthy nail to be shaped later at the tip section.

Cheers
Bryan

We want to print your guitar tips here. Please send us your tips at Guitar Noise with “Guitar Tips” as the subject of your message.

CD Reviews

Dreadnaught – The American Standard
Once in a while you hear an album that just blows you away with a sound that’s awesomely different, strange, even weird. This is one of those albums. Dreadnaught certainly live on their own little planet.

Tinh – Acoustic Rain
Entirely composed of solo guitar pieces, Acoustic Rain delved into Tinh’s soul and allows us a vision of his life. His techniques are quite different from most of what’s out there and his sound will definitely capture your attention and captivate you more than what else is out there. Certainly an album you’ll want to experience time after time.

DFA – Works In Progress Live
Italian Progressive/Jazz/Fusion band offer us here a very exciting live album from their 2000 performance at Nearfest. DFA certainly have an interesting sound, without a weak moment on the album, prepare to embark on an original musical journey.

Email of the Week

Sound Test
Are there any particular songs that are better to set our general sound with? I haven’t really been able to come up with a good balanced song. Usually it has too much guitar or too much drums.

Dan’s Response
Read Scott Hysell’s column on Sound Check in the Sound Engineering section.

The sound check should be done with a song that’s very flexible and easy to play. It should start off easy with just the rhythm guitar, bass, and simple drums. Then add in the second guitar, and then sing a simple verse and chorus, then let the lead guitar wail for a brief solo, followed by a power instrumental chorus (everyone plays their loudest, the drummer goes wild), then end with a strong vocal chorus with full harmonies. It’s good to use a cover song. I’ll often use Feelin’ Alright because it has all the parts, and it’s not too fast. Don’t use a song like Sympathy for the Devil because it’s too dependent on the lyrics, and there’s not a lot of dynamics.

You should pick a song that your band is willing to play early – almost a “throw away” song, but don’t blow it off. The audience is listening, and a bad sound check will haunt you for the rest of the night.

And if you find a problem during the sound check, stop and fix it!

Have Fun!

Dan Lasley 2002-05-10

As well as the Soundcheck article mentioned by Dan above we have two new sound articles this week. The Soundcheck one is meant to help bands playing live while the two articles published this week are really intended to help you out in the studio.

I know it was a bit heavy on the sound front this week. If you just play for fun and don’t do gigs or record any songs, I am sure we will be back on the course you like next week. More guitar playing stuff I promise. If we are lucky – even a new column by David. But keep your fingers crossed.

All the best,

Paul Hackett
Executive Producer