A long time ago, I posted an entry about guitar slides and the range of them that exist. However, I am still unable to play competently with them. I would say I'm a decent guitarist and I would even say that I can play almost anything If I practice enough and I can pick things up very quickly. I feel as though this is probably hindering my progress with slides, since I sound good playing any other style on electric, acoustic, 12 string, blues steel etc and it is really a punch the gut in terms of my ego to play with any slide. It makes me sound like a novice again and I really don't like it.
The slide has long been one of my goals to master on my acoustic as I think it adds so much depth and virtuosity to a guitarists repertoire. It has the same effect as a 12 string in the sense that non-guitarists listen in awe as they are bathed in the eclectic atmosphere that the instrument can produce with the right player. Very few mainstream modern bands or artists use slides which leads me to believe that it is still very much the elite musicians that are flying the flag. These musicians of course include Eric Clapton, Tommy Emmanuel, Muddy Waters and so on.
Thus, my objective before the end of the year is to learn to play one riff/song of my own/cover involving a slide segment. I will have to push through the initial embarrassment of being rubbish and I am sure it will come in good time with regular exposure to it.
Thank you as always for listening to my pondering and I hope that this post inspires any guitarists out there to pick up a slide once in a while and that those who have mastered the slide already will continue to impress the ears of people such as myself. Stay lucky everyone and have a great Autumn.
*I do not claim to own any rights. All images and videos sourced from google or YouTube at the owners discretion
Good morning everyone! I sincerely apologise for my absence yet again, my life, it seems, is a complex and busy wonder.
Nevertheless, here I am again with an observation on my life, which I hope you will find both entertaining and nourishing.
I was in the gym last night training my deadlift and various variations and I realised something. I've thought about it before but never truly appreciated tit's power; Without necessarily knowing it; I always wait for particular parts within particular songs, which I then use as cues for my heavy singles or triple sets. In other words, I use them as when to perform my heaviest lifts. With this in mind, I'm not sure how many of you are lifters or sportsmen/women or simply Grunge or Metal fans, but I thought it would be fun to simply list 5 of them in no particular order and include a line or two about them. I will add links to all the tracks at the end so please do listen and I hope you enjoy them all. Be lucky.
Here we go:
This fire Burns- Killswitch Engage
I first heard this on a WWE game on playstation 2 years ago. I feel I need to say very little about this track as it speaks for itself in regards to its power. See around 1 minute 50 seconds.
Alice in Chains- Would
If you've been following this blog for any time, it will be clear that My preferred genre is the Seattle Grunge scene. Primarily a Soundgarden fan, Alice in Chains are another leader of the genre and this track is proof of that. Wait until the chorus kicks in and Layne begins bellowing.
Slipknot- Spit it out
Slipknot are a band notorious for their raucous anthems. This is no different. It is an assault on the eardrums. Fast paced and relentless. Try it out.
Metallica- Sad but true
Metallica are one of the legends of mainstream metal and this song is a great pump up song for your first exercise. Contrary to the other choices, this track is usually my opener when i begin my lighter warm up sets or sometimes even as early as me entering the gym at all. The beat is steady and hard and the vocals are loud and self assured.
Pantera- I'm Broken
Another violent and angry song from heavy metal royalty. Never fails to amp me up. The name also represents how I feel after a particularly heavy squat or deadlift session.
Bonus
Eminem- 'Til I collapse
The definitive workout song as agreed by many from all over the world. A great song and a different genre if you feel adventurous and somehow haven't ever heard it.
Soundgarden- Outshined
How could I miss out my favourite band? The track that I wrote my university dissertation around no less. A song about being pushed down in life has a more ethereal and Meta meaning when played at maximum volume whilst I am underneath a barbell squat or bench press. The wail of Cornell and thunder of the band is just the signal my adrenaline needs to soar high and max out my lifts.
I hope you enjoyed my list here and please do listen to the tracks. They are my top picks for good reason and I am sure that you fine people will appreciate them.
* I do not claim to own any rights to any of these songs/videos/images/gifs. All images sourced from google and videos from YouTube at the owners discretion
How has it been so many months since I last posted on here?! Well sadly that would be a combination of being busy at work and having so much going on in my life. Since I last posted, I have changed jobs, bought my first car, my wonderful girlfriend has finished University and is closing in on graduating with a 2:1 and I have tuned 23 back in January. Anyway, moving on, you will have noticed the name of this post. Now please don't worry about me I am OK the title is simply a reference to one of my favourite genre of music; the blues.
Now when I pick up any of my guitars, my first jam is always a simple generic 12 bar blues with a lot of improve and blues licks thrown in for good measure. I particularly love to play Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix riffs such as "Hey Joe" and "Pride and Joy" and "Life by the drop". I love grunge, rock and metal but I feel that blues has such emotion and sincerity that many genres just can't quite reach. The contrast of the simplicity and intricacy of blues rhythm and lead works so well and there is a reason why a 12 bar blues is such a classic and long-lasting concept.
Now, If you're "not a blues person" I'll leave you with just one simple task, give it a try, I would strongly recommend Stevie Ray Vaughan or Hendrix or Clapton. If you don't feel like you are part of the song by the second listen, I'd be very surprised. And failing that, you can always listen to the king of kings, the god of gods, prognosticator of prognosticators (niche film joke there), the great, the banshee like, the other-worldly: Chris Cornell.
*All images sourced from Google and videos from YouTube. I do not claim to own any rights at all
