The World Of Music

Uncover our heads to feel our souls !

The World of Music

To the musician music is life . Anything that happens before or after is just waiting.

Introduction /

Welcome to the World of Music web page ! On thing I really enjoy in life is to make music Cd's in the recording studio here on my wooded estate. This is what I do in the evenings to relax. Outdoor time, here on the grounds, with exercise and fresh is also important. Balance in lifestyle cannot be overlooked.

You can read about my personal music history while growing up, and my musical experience in the recording studio in the sections that follow on this page. These sections are titled studio work. Recording equipment, techniques, environment and schedule are discussed in detail in the studio work sections.

I'm using some of the best software available for multi-track recording. I didn't realize this until I started working with one of the best technical people at Lexicon whenever I had a question. Now, each day takes me a little deeper into this magical realm, in which everything needed for quality sound is available.

It only takes about two minutes to turn on the computer and get a recording screen on the monitor. After that, the electrical hardware which contains all instrument and microphine jacks is plugged into a 110 volt power plug-in. Then, it is only a matter of putting on the headphones... and grabbing the Vester electric guitar. One press of the record button with a mouse click and there it is on the computer screen. Click a red button on the screen and start recording after a few basic steps. The studio work sections below discuss the entire recording process in more exact detail.

This first studio CD will be solo electric guitar. Thanks for being here. You are appreciated !

Musical History

During my youth my family migrated from Indiana of which Muncie was my birthplace, to Memphis, Tennessee. I still remember laying in bed at night in our small house when everyone else slept. My radio was set on low volume at bedside and I listened to my favorite station until falling asleep.

We had what we called the little house in the back yard where my father had placed juke box and pinball machine . Dad was the physical director at the YMCA in Whitehaven, a suburb of Memphis, so he had access to a few surprising luxury items. I loved that juke box. The sound qualiy was excellent. Music was in my veins at a very young age. Thanks dad !

Memphis was a blues city which I was totally unaware of when I was a boy of 8 years old. Mom and dad used to go to the blues clubs in Memphis where you could not buy booze. They took their own bottle inside. They weren't heavy drinkers but they had their share of good times. I guess or know now that bluegrass and country western music were also alive and well in Memphis, though I never went that direction nor did my folks.

You grew up fast in Memphis. It was a rough place to live. This is where my earliest musical roots were established. Some of the greatest blues artists in the world played in those dark smoke filled clubs on Beale street near downtown Memphis. My favorite listening music is not the blues, but it is very enjoyable to play on the electric guitar . Just stay in rythmn and all goes well.

When I was 14; we loaded up the white chevy impala convertable with red leather interior and 427 engine and headed for California. Good ole Huntington Beach - California and high school ! Lots of warm sunshine, beautiful women and surfing. Bronze bodies on the sand and beach parties. There was music at every nightime fire pit with flames reaching high. Guitar players, harmonica players, jam sessions in the cool salt air. . . right on the surf. This is where I met my wife on a perfect summer evening. Yes! She was a bronze beauty and I was fortunate to be at the right place at the right time. It's not like that in Huntington Beach these days. There are too many tourist and the insane city council tore down historic landmark buildings like the nightclub called the Golden Bear . Sorry to say but the entire downtown is sterile now for the tourists.

To continue ! In college I was introduced to classical music in a music appreciation class. The class was a forum setting with about 100 students attending. The teacher walked out, said hello, and pointed to the two tall speakers in his teaching area. He Spoke! "The speakers you see are two we purchased of which the Rolling Stones used on their last tour." Well ! This was impressive !! Then he says ," I think you will enjoy this." He walks over and hits a button - the VERY LOUD music starts but not real loud at the beginning of the classical piece. I was at the very top of the forum and it hurt my ears when the piece reached its peak. We were all listening to the theme from 2001 A Space Odyssey. WOW! Everyone was blown away.

Now music is piped into our homes from the sky on 100 different channels on Direct TV. Dish Network has much better selection and quality of music. Direct TV switched to SONIC which is lower quality than their original format of Serius.

In Memphis, at about age ten, I took piano lessons for about a year and played trumpet and baritone in the junior high school band for two years after that. In high school; I was in a drums class for a year at Huntington Beach High and got a set of drums for Christmas. I Played about every day pounding away. This must have drove my parents and the neighbors nuts ! Finally I moved to the guitar and this has been my instrument for many years.

I always loved playing the guitar even though I started on a cheap borrowed classical guitar. Soon I realized that lessons were the only thing that were going to help my pathetic play, so I took my first year of lessons after high school. Even after all those lessons; I was only an average player. When I took my guitar to the beach at night and wandered around, there would always be someone who could play better. . . which did not surprise me. This went on for a few years until I got a divorce and moved to Oregon. It wasn't until I moved to Oregon and took my acoustic guitar to the Oregon coast in my motor home that I began to realize; I was now getting much better and knew it for sure. At least people would listen when I played, though this really did't matter that much. It was the pure joy of playing, drifting into the music. I spent about two years in my motor home on the coast of Oregon. I worked only when I had to, in order to buy food and gas.

My main love was playing my Alvarez Yairi acoustic guitar, which by this time, after owning it about ten years, really had a nice deep tone. I would sit on the beach and play for hours. Then I would walk on the beach and play for more hours. At dark I would light a candle in the motor home and play until I could no longer keep my eyes open.

Now I am home once again in Sprague River and prefer to play my Paul Reed Smith model Vester electric guitar through a V-Amp 2 processor and a 60 watt IBANEZ stereo chorus amp which has 2 ten inch speakers. A recording studio is set up in the living room of my home .

Random Thoughts /

When I returned home from that coastal trip of two years mentioned above, in which I had combed every Oregon Beach from north to south in the state; I landed back here on the estate in the late fall, almost winter. It was now getting cold at this 4500 foot elevation. The trees rest in the winter as did I . For the first week back from that motor home trip ; I mulled around the house, chopped and stacked some firewood and walked every day with my dogs, who in those days were Sam And Harpo, two large black long haired independent creatures. Gentle yet mean when necessary. One day I heard this loud commotion at daybreak and jumped out of bed. There was an 8 dog pile with Harpo on the bottom. I shouted and the dogs ran off. This was Harpo's own litter attacking him. He had wandered over to the neighbors house about a half mile away and bred with their female. Those dogs attacking Harpo were all taller, stronger, younger, and outweighed him by about 40 pounds each. He was cut up and I saved his life. Sam, my other dog was behind the other house and had wanted no part of the fight. He wasn't stupid. . . Only fought when he had to.

At the end of the first week home, while listening to tapes on the cassette recorder after dark, floorside by the woodstove; I put a Led Zeppelin tape (their first) into my cassette player. After listening to Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, I got up, opened the guitar case, sat down on the living room floor and listened to the song again on the cassette deck. THEN for the next three months did nothing at night but learn and master the basic, yet very difficult timing of the picking in that song. . . the timing of each note had to be precise and the chord changes in perfect sinc with each note picked or the song did not sound right. Sometimes 4 to 6 hours in an evening were spent to master the skills required . It did not come easy but there was great satisfaction in the noticable improvement daily. Finally I got it right after 2 months practice. I loved the challenge and feeling of accomplishment.

Yea ! I guess there are a lot of you who can play that song.

I have to be honest here . I can play all parts of that song perfect except one short segment of fast acoustic lead which is so fast its incredible. Listen to it... that extremely fast lead which is so smooth. I have never tried to master that short segment in which one would truly be a master guitarist if they could play that short acoustic lead solo correctly. I was so pleased with getting 99% of the song; I never pursued playing that one short lead segment for absolute mastery. I'm talking about the acoustic part of the song. A guitarist who tries to play it and play it correctly will find out exactly where he or she stands where mastering their instrument is concerned. Even a performing classical guitarist would find this one difficult, where that brief acoustic lead solo is concerned.

One day I will buy another good acoustic guitar and master the only part of that song I missed. Unfortunately, I do not have access to an acoustic guitar which sounds as good as my old Alvarez Yairi . I dropped it once and wore it out on the neck with deep impressions from long hours of play. One day I handed it to my daughter when she was here on a visit and said take it. Otherwise, I would master the fast part of that song because of the pure joy of the challenge. I would say about 4 to six months would be required for me personally, if I was to spend several hours daily to perfect my lead skills . I must do that when I once again own a quality acoustic guitar.

NOTE : I now have another quality acoustic guitar and have just ordered two new sets of phospher bronze strings . You see ! This entire web page is being updated . The (Studio Work) segments below will keep all readers current regarding actual progress on my first CD.

Extra light strings are the key for good clean picking. There is more space to work with between the strings. This makes picking much easier. To me, there is no sense in playing anything except a quality instrument. If you have a quality acoustic guitar you don't have to bang on it to get quality sound. My first guitar teacher told me to lose the medium guage strings during the first lesson and go to xlights. When he played Embryonic Journey as good as the Jefferson Airplane's guitarist; I knew he wasn't full of shit.

If I am trying to play a Led Zeppelin acoustic song; there is no point, if not playing an acoustic guitar that sounds as good as what they were using when they recorded their songs.

Very rarely do I even play other artist's music now . There's not much point anymore. Where Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin are concerned it is worth going there occasionally. I like their styles, melodies and high skill level required to play many of their songs. It helps me to become a better musician in my own mind, but that was the past and this is now. The past helped me, but now it is time to create music in which all the practice hours and influence from past artists will come into play in a natural way.

If I were younger, I would take an entirely different approach to mastering my instrument through formal education and seeking out the masters for instruction like Beethoven, Mozart, and many other great classical composers did. On the other hand ; I have been very fortunate with good luck in stumbling upon great teachers to get me started in the right direction.

When I was on the motor home trip in coastal and western Oregon for two years; I went to Beaverton Oregon one weekend and found a large music store. They sat me down in their front window little stage area and started bringing me different acoustic guitars to play. I had my Yairi in the motorhome, but it would no longer tune exactly right. I could play an Am chord and it would sound perfect, but when I played a G chord it was off. For the cost of refretting and repairing a crack at the base on the bottom it would have cost over $300 which a beach bum, as I was at that time, did not have.

Anyway! In playing several of their expensive Martins and Guilds in the Beaverton store; I was not impressed . These did not match my older Alvarez Yairi's tone. There was one Fender acoustic they had in which they wanted $650 dollars. If I would have had the cash; I would have carried it out the door. I did not have the cash ! In a music store in Newport Oregon I played a Taylor jumbo which sounded passible but not a $1000 instrument which was their price . So as it stands today; I once again own a quality acoustic guitar. My Vester electric guitar PRS model is the best money can buy. This is what I am now playing when recording in the studio.

For me personally, an acousic guitar is for the beach or playing in the motor home. Its a matter of taste. I really enjoy playing a good acoustic on the beach. Yet in my studio there is nothing except the Vester - Paul Reed Smith model , the V-Amp2 guitar processor and the Ibanez 60 watt stereo chorus amp with the two 10 inch speakers. This equipment is loud enough for a small venue or perfect for the studio. In fact with treble setting to a full 10 on the guitar and the amp turned to maximum loud setting; my ears won't take the volume of the amp. I adjust my guitar knobs to about 2 for treble because I like more bass . Clear treble is then there with good bass and mid-range balance. Those are the settings I prefer with slight delay and reverb added; this sound is excellent thru the V-AMP 2 guitar effects processor .

The v-amp 2 is less than $100 and in my opinion is a keeper rather than spend 4 or 5 times that for an effects processor for electric guitar in which you would find very little difference. I have used several different processors that friends have brought here and was not impressed enough to make a change.

Scale Tone Chords / Useful To Musicians

The notes in the scale of C major are: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and then C starts the scale over again .

For the scale tone chords the 2nd, 3rd and 6th notes in the scale are minor and the 7th is diminished.

This is what the scale of C major would look like if playing full chords in place of single notes using scale tone chords.

C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim or diminished

When song writing these can be played in any particular order you like to make a chord progression which is taken from notes in a major scale. Instead of a note, use a full chord. Play the chords in any order you like . Establish a tempo for each change to the next chord. Experiment.

An example would be Am, then F, then Em and finally C to complete your chord progression.

Add as many chord progressions as you like using a minor chord for the 2nd, 3rd and 6th notes in the major scale . The 7th note in the scale of C major would be B. Play as a bdim chord.

Experiment: Start with any chord in the C major scale from the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, B . Just remember that the 2nd or 3rd or 6th notes mean the chord you play would be minor and the B or 7th note would always be the diminished chord.

Which order of chords sounds best to you? Try this area on Scale Tone Chords to find out.

Here are the major scale chords you can use with example of each:

Scale Tone Chords for Major Scales:

C Scale - C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim

G Scale - G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em, F#dim

D Scale - D, Em, F#m, G, A, Bm, C#dim

A Scale - A, Bm, C#m, D, E, F#m, G#dim

E Scale - E, F#m, G#m, A, B, C#m, D#dim

B Scale - B, C#m, D#m, E, F#, G#m, A#dim

F# Scale - F#, G#m, A#m, B, C#, D#m, E#dim

F Scale - F, Gm, Am, Bb, C, Dm, Edim

Bb Scale - Bb, Cm, Dm, Eb, F, Gm, Adim

Eb Scale - Eb, Fm, Gm, Ab, Bb, Cm, Ddim

Ab Scale - Ab, Bm, Cm, Db, Eb, Fm, Gdim

Db Scale - Db, Ebm, Fm, Gb, Ab, Bbm, Cdim

Gb Scale - Gb, Abm, Bbm, Cb, Db, Ebm, Fdim

Try these out and have some fun ! This helps me a lot when I am looking for the best chord progressions for a new song.

The Recording Studio /

Learning to use multitrack recording software will be the main challenge in making this first solo guitarist CD. However, the conditions are ideal. The estate property is five miles from the small town of Sprague River which has about 1000 people well spread out in this area. Blink twice while driving thru and you have then left Sprague River. This means its very quiet except for about four cars passing by this property in the summer each day on our dirt road on the front part of the property. Almost no traffic passes by our estate after the snow falls in winter and the cold sets in. There is only one home within a mile of the grounds here which is 15 acres total. The front 5 acres are landscaped. The back ten acres are a wood shop in the barn and open pasture land .

My home is comfortable and there is nowhere in which I would rather play music. The studio is set up in my living room. In this room of the house, there is an old round maple dining table with my computer keyboard and monitor in place. On each side of the monitor and keyboard is a table lamp. I sit on an office chair. To my right is a wood counter three feet high. On that counter there are two large Bic Venturi stereo speakers directly beside me as I sit typing this. . . When I bought the speakers used and hooked them into a 185 watt Pioneer power amp and dual casstette deck, one of the old fuses in one of the speakers blew out (Dead! No Fuse no Sound) . So there they sit to my right, on the counter until I buy some fuses. There is also a large microwave oven at the other end of that counter. The speakers and the microwave sitting on the counter are the dividing wall from the kitchen. The kitchen has one of those 10 by 12 southwest indian carpets on the floor, colorful with nice design.

Now you know where I used to sit while making these entries. . .

Note: Before starting recording this first album ; I shifted the computer , the Lexicon hardware and the V-Amp 2 guitar effects processor to the glass topped Drexel coffee table which sits directly in front of an 8 foot rattan couch that I now sit on to play and record.

The hardware for the Lexicon recording unit is now sitting on a book on the coffee table in front of the couch. It takes up little space.. . 6 inches high with dials on the front and plugins on the back. To keep the description simple; there are 4 instrument plug ins and 2 microphone plugins on the back of the Lexicon Omega hardware unit. This would support a band but I think this first CD will be solo electric guitar.

In the other part of the living room is my TV and music listening and reading chair. Sitting in that chair I face the front of the house and a large picture window. The view is fantastic. There are about 1000 potted trees in view which are in 5 gallon pots and are 4 to 10 feet tall . Its a grove ! I grow them from seed and pot them in those 5 gallon pots. I have to brag here because this is really some landscape to see. If you are a ballerina who plays guitar, I'll move you right in. Under that picture window is a thick long antique ship hatch coffee table which now has legs and is used as a second coffee table in the living room. A stereo sits on top, hooked into the satellite dish. It is a good system but not my prime unit.

To the left of the ship hatch table is a wooden bookshelf which is the front corner of this living room. A twenty-seven inch TV Sits on top the bookshelf. . . About ten feet behind me , as I sit typing this, is a wood stove which now needs more wood. . . with glass door. The weather has been unusually warm this winter . When the temperature gets below ten degrees its a long sleeve shirt instead of a t-shirt. Most of the time in winter I wear sweat pants which are much more comfortable than jeans. That book shelf I mentioned is to capacity with books I read and collect. As I glance over there. . . probably about 70 books on the shelf ( I built the shelf ) . The books were purchased for a buck each at some city thrift store ( Hardbacks ) .

The carpet in the living room here is about three layers thick with carpet over carpet in sections like rugs - very comfortable. The upstairs of the house is empty except for a toilet at one end (the back)

which faces two acres of green lawn with huge tall pine trees and a couple of golf greens.

The volleyball court is also in that area. We have some large picnics in the spring, summer and fall when the weather is warm.

At the front end of the mostly empty upstairs room which facing all those trees in pots as well as 100 foot tall pine trees not in pots of course, is a large double window slider. My best sound system, a 185 watt power amp and two fisher speakers is sitting there idle and impatient, waiting to be used again in the spring when the gardener (me) plants trees, waters, rakes and mows the front five acres of grounds here. I do a damn good job and enjoy the sunshine! During the spring, summer and fall the stereo system upstairs gets maximum use. I record great music off the satellite dish downstairs in the living room. The slider is opened upstairs, a tape inserted, and the music is cranked up. The music is greatly appreciated while soaking up some rays, building back some muscle. . . raking, watering, shoveling dirt and moving about. Without the music all that would be a drag and I would just let the place grow up in weeds. I don't work like a dog. In fact, my huge black dog Zorro mainly lays in the shade all day when it is warm and howls all night with the coyotes. The other night I walked out on the front porch and howled with him. That felt good ! Really Good ! Now I know why the coyotes do it !

The landscape here on the property looks as good as any within 30 miles. This is not due to me being some kind of freak who has to impress people. I do the work simply to enjoy the fresh air while listening to music. It's a strong part my nature.

### NOTE - All recording equipment is right in front of me on the coffee table and all wires and plugins are taped to the coffee table legs . I got tired of tripping over them and having to untangle everything.

*** Read the section below titled STUDIO WORK for more thoughts and details about actual recording sessions. You now know a few things about me and the place I call home.

Quick Note

Thought some inspiration was needed, if you know what I mean ! That is a very good looking woman !! Maybe she will drive in one day and unpack her bags !!

Recording Update

I'm doing very well regarding playing and recording time which now averages about two hours per day .

Studio Work / Part One

Recording Studio sessions are about the furthest thing from work . There may be some type of equipment glitch occasionally but other than that; I have now settled into the recording studio environment which is a very special place and time for me each day. I don't play at an exact time each day but wait until the mood sets in . The first thing I do is to sit on the couch and place my Vester PRS model electric guitar on the guitar stand to my right which is within reach when sitting on the couch.

The next easy steps are to plug in the guitar chord, plug in the V-amp guitar effects processor and plug in the Lexicon Omega hardware ... as I mentioned ; all this equipment now sits on the large coffee table in front of me when sitting on the couch. With that done ; I turn on the computer on the coffee table and click on the start menu which brings up the Cubase LE4 software and click on that from the start menu of the computer. The software loads in about a minute and a screen comes up in full view on the monitor. From the screen there are about six steps necessary to be ready for a live recording. I do the steps. Takes about a minute.

Now the session officially begins. I place the guitar on my lap and place a set of M80 headphone on my head . I no longer use my amp when recording. Now, I tune the guitar using the V-amp processor. Tuning completed; I create a specific new sound for every recording session on the V-amp processor. I usually use the rectified high gain setting and (chorus +delay one) as standards for effects and amp models. Then I adjust distortion level, reverb, bass, treble and midrange levels according to a specific song that comes to mind . This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour but I am warming up at the same time with some picking and chord progressions.

With the evening's or morning's sound now in place; I am ready to record, but do not usually jump right into recording in the beginning of a session . In fact , even though one simple click of the red record button on the Lexicon software (which is then completely covering my computer screen) will allow me to record at any instant ; I never click and start recording immediately after rendering all the equipment ready to go . For example; in the most recent session; I played for three hours before finally hitting the red record button on my computer screen.

Another 30 minutes of music and the first CD will be complete if I do not change anything. This album is done for pure enjoyment . I'm not trying to become famous or impress anyone. I am my own critique.

Some of the songs did not come as easy as others. The chords were there and the rhythm was there but to play certain songs smoothly all the way thru, in certain instances took hours.. The song Spanish midnight in the classical guitarist style was the most difficult for me, even though other songs are actually more complex and require much higher skill level . I love to play classical Spanish music but do not play it as often as I probably will do in the future . The electric guitar sound for the song Spanish Midnight was set up with just the right amount of distortion to make it unique. I knew what I wanted to play, but can tell you that it did not come out perfect the first time. This was the second song I recorded for the album . The first song - Dreams - which is over 12 minutes in length was recorded the first take even though the degree of difficulty was 10 times that of Spanish midnight. This is because Dreams is more in my style of play and I was extremely inspired when recording this one.

The two other songs on side one are Freeform which is a style I love to play. This one is blues rock with some radical licks . I love the even flow of this one which is 9 full minutes of natural inspired play.

The remaining song titled Cara Van is 5 and one half minutes. Very clean and mellow in the beginning with some driving chords toward the end of the song.

I would say to all musicians through which music flows through their veins that there comes a time for each of us to stop practicing and become a better player in a more natural way than simply using forced practice. If you have not done so already; start recording your music . This is the best way to improve because you really must be your own critic when listening to your playbacks. Its just you, your soul - and your instrument when you are in the studio. Once you set up a comfortable and quiet area completely away from worldly distractions; you are going to understand what I am saying. Get it right or let no one hear it . Don't rush things and never take it to seriously. The studio is a place to relax ! This is special private time .

Studio Work / Part Two

For me personally ; a first solo album is probably best. Working with other people usually depends on their schedule as to studio time together. Limited studio time is an unnecessary delay which I do not want to have as a hindrance. There are also personalities that won't have to be dealt with. Famous bands have famous problems . I don't need to give any examples here but only to say that I could play in any band. However, it would be much easier to recruit some good people who do not have schedule or drug and booze problems . A rare find and a future possibility. The band is something to consider in the future.

I know that this Lexicon Omega hardware in which I can plug in 4 instruments and 2 microphone plus other software when purchased was a lot of bang for the buck. The basic use of the Cubase LE4 software works for me just fine, but to actually master the software is another thing. The PDF manual I think is over 50 pages . In the near future; I will download the complete software manual online and take a closer look at the more deatailed workings of the Lexicon Cubase LE4 . Lexicon has a telephone help line which is adequate but also a nuisance at certain times . I will get to that download in the near future when it is time for a final mixdown of each song. Then the entire album can be burned and copies made for sales . If I have to I will sell the CD's door to door. HA! Who knows ?? Playing time is the most important thing for now to concentrate on each day .

The whole studio process begins with set up in a quiet area. Then comes the playing time as a key element. Other things to get a burned original copy CD will be addressed as required. Tese are important but still are the minor things.

When I have something more to add on this page, more progress will have been made. Until that time will leave this written section and concentrate on the music itself.

Any playing time in the relaxed environment of my studio is more valuable than gold. I am confident that all will fall into place thru taking the necessary time to complete each song exactly as I want it to sound. Playing time is the key.

After I relax for a while, grab a bite to eat and take a hot shower; I will play into the morning daylight . Maybe a keeper recording will come out of this next session and maybe not. One never knows for sure . It is now one AM which should mean at least 4 hours of studio time this morning. Very nice not to have to drive to a studio !

Studio Work

As explained above; the Lexicon Cubase LE4 is the recording software used in the Zamaran Studio . To access the complete 265 page operations manual PDF online. . . click below.

http://www.zoom.co.jp/archive/English_Manual/CubaseLE4_Operation_Manual.pdf

BASIC STATS

48 track recording

64 midi tracks recording

VST Instruments support

VST Plug-in effects support

Lexicon's Pantheon Reverb VST Plug-in

Useful Music Links

Open Music Source

http://www.openmusicsource.net

Virtual Instruments Freeware - VST Plug-ins

http://www.virtualinstruments.info