Good amps are hard to come by in the desert (Too true - Ed) . So Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, lead guitarist with Tinariwen, who both records and lives in the Sahara, depends on his Vox DA5 when the band go out and about among the dunes. Strapped onto the back of the...

A Fender 50s Classic Stratocaster and Burns Marquee are being auctioned in aid of Children In Need – and both have been signed by The Shadows (including Cliff) on their recent reunion tour. These two beauties will be auctioned during the interval at ...

Yes! One of what must be the few remaining chances to see a genuine ex-Beatle live on-stage Here are the details: Following a massive tour of the US this summer, Paul McCartney today announces his first European Tour since 2004. This December will see...

In Rob Balducci's LOTW, Rob talks about and playing a bit of his song Float ( I Remember...) from the CD Violet Horizon.

"This song is a very ambient tune. It was recorded using two different amps, both on clean sounds and I was using different delay and chorus setting on each amp for the track off the CD etc... I had a little bit of an idea of what I wanted to do but it was basically improvised. We also added a keyboard track as well on the recording. We did two takes and I choose the one that is on my CD Violet Horizon. In this demo of the tune, I am using my Ibanez RGA LAC guitar and going into my Cornford MK5011 head and using a Maxon ad 999 pro delay and an Ernie Ball volume pedal."

"The name of the tune and the inspiration behind the tune is a very personal one. I have diabetes and I have it since I am 11 years old. When you have Diabetes you sometimes have what is called a diabetic reaction in where your blood sugar goes to low and at times you can pass out or sort of get really out of it as though you feel kind of like you are in a weird space. When you are in this state the people around you are worried and trying to help you and sometimes things can get crazy... but even though I may seem really out of it and people think that I do not hear them or see them, I do. It sort of feels like you are Floating in space or something. I do remember what was going on when I come out of it, hence the title Float ( I remember...)"

Check out Violet Horizon at http://www.robbalducci.com/

Roland Corporation U.S. is pleased to announce general availability of the new V-Drums® V-Pro® Series TD-20SX (http://www.rolandus.com/products/TD-20SX). With a stunning new look, highly expressive sounds, and upgraded hardware throughout, the flagship TD-20SX provides the best and most natural playing experience available from Roland’s storied V-Drums line.

The TD-20SX debuts a completely new look for the V-Pro Series, with striking brushed-metal V-Pads™ and V-Kick™ shells, a more substantial V-Kick for a solid, natural feel, silver colored V-Cymbals®, and a rock-solid chrome drum rack with new metal clamps and internal cable management. In addition, the newly designed V-Pads allow drummers to easily change shell wraps for their V-Pads and V-Kick to customize the look of their kit.

At the heart of the TD-20SX is the new TD-20X Percussion Sound Module, which combines the features of Roland’s TD-20 and TDW-20 expansion board. With 920 drum instruments, 100 drum kits, new sound layering and enhanced editing features, new compression algorithms, and new ambience choices for a wide variety of live environments, the TD-20X brings the quality and sound expected from the leader in electronic drums.

The new MDS-25 Drum Stand, designed for professional stage use, provides rock-solid stability with its advanced weight-balanced design. The newly designed metal mounts for cymbals and toms provide a highly flexible setup. The rubber protective sleeve shields the cables from damage, while the new clear-cabling system complements the overall design.

The TD-20SX is now shipping with an MSRP of $8,169.00.

This is a repost of one of my earliest and most popular video lessons. Since the blog is being "reactivated" I think I am going to have one new lesson, a few "Reconstruction" blog entries and a "Classic" every week...



Hello!

This week we are going to learn a simple device to help you build coherent phrases with the Pentatonic or Blues Scales.  If you do not already know these scales, you can download a worksheet on the Minor Pentatonic Scale Here :

Minor Pentatonic Scale Worksheet - Home Position

We are going to use just a small section of the scale in A Minor Pentatonic on the 3rd and 4th strings, and play small 3 and 4 note ideas.  Then we will try another section of the scale on the 1st and 2nd strings.  The main thing is to listen to how each phrase ends.  Does it sound resolved, or does it not sound like it comes to an ending?

The idea of "call and response" or "question and answer" is very useful.  If you think of a complete phrase as having a "question" first half, where the phrase does not sound like it has ended and an "answer" second half where it does come to an end, your idea will sound more complete.

If you are having a conversation with someone and they asked you a question such as "Did you take the trash out?", even if you didn't speak the same language a listener would get the idea that you had been asked a question because of your vocal inflection...basically, the pitch of your would go up at the end of the phrase among other small clues.  The answer "No, I did not take the trash out!" will sound more resolved, and probably will have the pitch of your voice end lower.  Try it and see!

The licks in the lesson do not all have the last note of the "question" idea ending in a higher pitch, but I want you to do is to listen to what each ending pitch sounds like, and determine for yourself what sounds like a complete phrase!