zorrow

...The basic principle remains simple however: just "envelop" chords and scale notes with notes that are one semitone down or one tone up. Used wisely and mixed with other approaches, this can add a lot of spice to your arsenal of chops. Did I answer to your question? Thanks Zorrow! I know the principle from a bossanova workshop, where it's used more pointy. Very interesting! I didn't know bossa nova used that principle --well, I actually know almost nothing about that genre. However, all this proves that it's always good to explore other genres to improve one's musical vocabulary. It's just funny I got it from a jazz guitarist I've just listened to occasionnaly.

I mean notes that in theory don't belong to the mode you're playing in. As an example, just play a barred Gm chord on the 3rd fret. Then, just play one semitone down and then the corresponding chord note, using a two-notes-per-string ascending pattern: E -----------------------------------------2--3--B ---------------------------------2--3----------G -------------------------2--3------------------D -----------------4--5--------------------------A ---------4--5----------------------------------E --2--3----------------------------------------- In this case you're moving from a note which is a semitone down, no matter if it's in or out of Gm, to a note that is one semitone up and does belong to the chord. Now, do the same again, but this time going from one whole tone up, down to a chord tone: E -----------------------------------------5--3--B ---------------------------------5--3----------G -------------------------5--3------------------D -----------------7--5--------------------------A ---------7--5----------------------------------E --5--3----------------------------------------- The two sequences above outline the chord Gm (I underlined the Gm notes), but of course you can outline it twice with a 1-2-4-2 fingering pattern, as follows: E --------------------------------------------------------------2--3--5--3-B --------------------------------------------------2--3--5--3-------------G --------------------------------------2--3--5--3-------------------------D --------------------------4--5--7--5-------------------------------------A --------------4--5--7--5-------------------------------------------------E --2--3--5--3------------------------------------------------------------- You can also outline a scale, or part of it, as follows --this one will outline one-note-per-string belonging to the first box of the Gm pentatonic: E --------------------------------------------------------------2--3--5--3-B --------------------------------------------------2--3--5--3-------------G --------------------------------------2--3--5--3-------------------------D --------------------------2--3--5--3-------------------------------------A --------------2--3--5--3-------------------------------------------------E --2--3--5--3------------------------------------------------------------- This last one is in addition very easy to play, as you use the same 1-2-4-2 pattern vertically down the fretboard, without moving horizontally at all. Played fast and with attitude, and finishing the last G note with a wide vibrato (or even better, bending it to Bb), sounds simply great. Actually, I often use this run starting from the D string, which goes for a shorter and sweeter burst, like this: E --------------------------------------2--3--5--3--(6~~~~~~~~~~)B --------------------------2--3--5--3---------------------------G --------------2--3--5--3---------------------------------------D --2--3--5--3---------------------------------------------------A ---------------------------------------------------------------E --------------------------------------------------------------- Now you can start exploring every possible combination. For example, you can reverse the fingering pattern, doing 4-2-1-2, as follows: E --------------------------------------5--3--2--3--(6~~~~~~~~~~)B --------------------------5--3--2--3---------------------------G --------------5--3--2--3---------------------------------------D --5--3--2--3---------------------------------------------------A ---------------------------------------------------------------E --------------------------------------------------------------- And now you have all the elements to go really wild, oulining scales or chords by mixing patterns to your own tastes, applying the fingerings that are easier to play for you or doing whatever you like --for example, adding more tension by playing an arpeggio two frets upper and resolving to the right chord at the last moment, or moving up and down on the same string and so on. The basic principle remains simple however: just "envelop" chords and scale notes with notes that are one semitone down or one tone up. Used wisely and mixed with other approaches, this can add a lot of spice to your arsenal of chops. Did I answer to your question?

I figured that out during the first few weeks I picked up an electric, but to be fair, I had spent the previous year studying classical guitar, practicing first-sight reading around one hour almost every day. That training did push me to try to find the notes everywhere on the fretboard. However, I also "discovered" geometric shapes in every scale I learned back then and that was what actually made me "get it" and still drives my thinking nowadays: there are little shapes I can combine and also play in every octave (triangles, squares, parallelograms and others, of different sizes and orientations) which contain intervals. Sometimes they skip one string or two, and sometimes not, and they are all very easy to retain for me. As of the "outside-inside" playing, I use whatever I find cool, adding chromatic passing notes here and there, mostly to complete 3-notes-per-string patterns. I also noticed some players just go with fast symmetrical runs and just end or emphasize the "right" notes in their phrases. I try to do the same. And last, but not least, years ago I read something that Pat Martino wrote about the relative movements of notes. He said that the ear adapts easily to moving a semitone up or one tone down from an "outside" to an "in" note. I've developed several finger sequences based on this and it's true it sounds great. I've even experimented with the reverse pattern (going up one tone or down one semitone to the "in" note) and I've obtained some amazing results in some contexts. Well, I think I've exposed here the essence of my very own style, the core of my personal approach to playing. I do know it's idiosyncratic and unorthodox, but I hope you'll find something useful for you in there anyway. Everything else, please feel free to discard it -it does work for me, but it doesn't have to work for you necessarily. Thanks for reading this far! (Edited to fix some typos)

I read somewhere: "No matter how good you are at something, there's always an Asian kid who's better than you".

+1 (no pun intended )

After giving some thought to it, I decided not to comment in order to avoid saying something inappropriate.

+1I never looked back after I began using good modelers. It's like carrying around many sounds in your pocket. In addition, it's compatible with the clean channel of any amp, as well as any PA. This is very practical if you gig often and in different places.

Hire Malmsteen! He'll do all the shred for you. Oh, wait... What were you talking about?

OK, it's pretty subjective then. I think you guys got a point -or two or three. But let me tell you something: I got two damn good MIK Hoyer Arrow Deluxe guitars. Got them for less than 400 each. They look and play great, the neck-through config is stable as hell and I just put Manlius Fat Dianes on their bridges and changed the pots to high-end ones (plus their config to Vol-Vol instead of Vol-Tone). Now those two are pure tone machines for around 500 each. If I ever put jumbo stainless steel frets on them, I'd get two perfect rock ladies for a fraction of what a boutique guitar costs. But there's more. I own an Epi 7-string V. Once I put the right pups on it, I prefer playing that one to my Gibby 7-string V. The Epi just offers that "slam" tone of Steve Harris at its lower register, mixed with a razor-sharp "chug". The Gibby is a good riffing machine too, but the Epi (300 used) just feels right. Go figure!

Please allow me to disagree. For me it's pretty objective. Above the 2.5K barrier it becomes cork-sniffing all the way. As far as you have a decent wooden frame (which nowadays it's not hard to find in many import lines) you can easily have a quality instrument for less than 1K.

Instruments built with superior ingredients are more likely to be better, agreed. However, there's a price point from where you won't notice any difference at all and that's where cork-sniffing starts. I mean, I'm 100% convinced that you can get a quality instrument in the $800-$1200 range if you focus on the right things. Just forget all the fancy stuff and just get what does improve the playing experience, and you won't need much more than that!

:lol: Sorry!

Soon.

+1I feel BTW kinda jealous, but I'll overcome it.

Can't this be solved? It shouldn't be very complicated refinishing the top of the headstock in black and put a logo on it. Or even better, getting a Hamer decal in black and putting it on there. why yes, yes it can. I do have some logos that be just the bee's knees for it edit to add: no black thou yet... Either black or white, it all depends on the owner's tastes. However, no Hamer logo is offfending to the HFC tastes.

Can't this be solved? It shouldn't be very complicated refinishing the top of the headstock in black and put a logo on it. Or even better, getting a Hamer decal in black and putting it on there.

You need a big Hamer logo on that one, but that's a cool instrument anyway. Congrats!

Dean are smart guys. There are reasons it is feasible to ship finish work half way around the world and back. Of course! Dean also expends quite a bit in advertisement, so I don't think we're talking here about two things that are 100% comparable. Anyhow, one can see their idea and take it from there to somewhere else, you know? BTW, I posted about the way Dean is doing this because I think it can be used as a source of inspiration, that's all. I never said I wanted Dean headstocks. I shared the link to those guitars because, to me, they can be used as an interesting reference/inspiration for the following three things: 1- The diversity of the designs. 2- The fact those guitars are USA-made. 3- The "working-man friendly" price point.

Dean is offering pretty good "working man" guitars with their 1000 Series, all priced around 1K. Look at them here: http://www.deanguitars.com/usa1000_series.php Do you see the variety of models? I guess that could be used as a source of inspiration. As you can witness, everyone has his/her own tastes about body shapes -single cut, double cut, Strat-ish, Flying V, Explorer, Firebird, Tele-ish, SG-ish and so on... Same thing applies to headstocks -Standard-like fat, Standard-like thin, pointy 3x3, paddle-like 3x3, Cali-like, reverse Cali-like and so on... So, I guess you need to prepare CNC templates for all the possible variants, plus supporting 24 and 22 frets fretboards, 25.5", 25" and 24.75" scales, as well as at least two neck profiles (slim and vintage). For the bridges, you need to support a hardtail (sustainblock preferred), TOM with stop bar, TOM with string-through-body, traditional Strat-ish trem, Kahler trem and Floyd Rose. All that is pretty straightforward to implement using CNC machines. Your added value would be then in the attention to detail when finally assembling and finishing (painting, buffing...) the guitars, as well as in the selection of the materials used to build them -properly aged/dried woods, etc. BTW, the 1000 Series from Dean are CNC-cut and assembled in the USA, then they're shipped to Korea for painting/finishing, then they're shipped back to the US and then they mount the electronics and the hardware this side of the pond. I guess for 200 bucks more in the final price you can save on the shipping back and forth, and focus more on the finish quality, right?

If you make guitars with chunky necks (or at least vintage-carved), sustainblocks, 24.75" scale, set necks, no binding, no fancy stuff and just dot inlays... that would be very close to what I ideally want. Now, if any combination of different body/headstock shapes are available, and if the V 58 body plus a decent-looking 3x3 headstock are offered, I'm a buyer ...provided you remain around 1.2K.

I don't know... I just got me a vintage Hoyer 5069S shipped to Gorch's, so I'll have a guitar of my own when I'll be in Frankfurt next March. The problem is that, after getting this Hoyer, my GAS seems to have calmed down. I just have one "Holy Grail" I'm still hunting around, which would be a Hoyer Super 82. However, those are so rare I have no idea if I'll ever be able to find one. Maybe I'll ask Jay to build me a copy... or maybe I'll just get inspired by the Super 82 and ask him to build me a custom to my specs. We'll see...

Got several presents, all really cool, but just two were music-related: - Nightwish new live album with Floor Jansen - AKG K240 Studio headphones

I don't know, but "Day of the Eagle" is. ...as well as my brother's "Rock in C#" -for computer programming nerds out here, it is indeed related to .NET/C# programming, and the voice over in the middle section is Anders Hersberg's himself: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8033493/pastelix-csharp.mp3

Bm!? No way! With B, D, E, G and A in the Bm scale, you get pedal-friendly open notes in every string belonging to the key! OK, wait a minute... you're kidding and I didn't get it, right? :-)

Hmmm... This seems to justify why one would need 24 guitars: one tuned per note in the chromatic scale, plus one backup per each. Now I'll let Most Esteemed Brunette know my side, hoping she'll understand.