The Metronome is Your Friend

Ah, the Metronome. The name itself reminds me of a 2 foot high, cross-dressing hair stylist from Scotland, who sports a long white beard and goes by the name of Chris.
(Note to self: call china and begin production of The Metro-Gnome, these are going to sell like hotcakes.)

Actually, a Metronome is a portable device that is used to provide an audible click, or tone, at a set BPM, or Beats per Minute. They all have the option to adjust the tempo, or BMP, from very slow (40 BPM), to very fast (Over 208 BPM). Different models offer higher degrees of tempo adjustment, and some even offer tuning and volume adjustments. They range in price from around $14 all the way to over $150.

As musicians, we use Metronome’s to practice our songs and exercises at precise tempos in order to help build rhythm and perfect the performance or exercise.

To some, the Metronome is a haunting device that brings fear and panic to even the most seasoned players. Guitarists looking for the quickest possible path to glory often sidestep practices involving a Metronome. BIG MISTAKE. The result is poor meter and huge cost overruns at the recording studio as they wrestle with laying their parts down to a click track for the first time. Trust me, I know, I have tried to record drummers who have had this problem. Not only are they fully embarrassed by their obvious lack of tempo but they also become frustrated and tired as the continuously attempt what they should have already learned.

Please, don’t be the musician that ends up standing alone in the recording booth with his headphones on shrugging his shoulders as they enter the 5 hour of trying to lay down his simple 3 minute guitar track. (ca-ching). The recording studio is a very expensive place for learning how to play to a Metronome or Click-Track.

Performance Tip: Before going into a recording studio, learn to play all of your parts with a Metronome. You technique will improve as will your confidence to perform with a constant click tempo playing in the background. In fact, bring a metronome to your next band practice and have your band mates prove to you that they can play their parts to a click-track, especially your drummer. This little piece of advice can save you thousands of dollars.

(Climbing back down off the soap box)

O.k., besides saving you from looking like a jackass in the recording studio, the Metronome has a useful purpose in your daily practice. Let’s go over some ways that we can incorporate the Metronome into our practices. By now, you should have a series of daily exercises incorporated into your practice. If not, check out my post “Finger Exercise for Strength and Speed”.

A Free Metronome - http://www.metronomeonline.com/

Slow it down – The idea is to set the Metronome to its slowest setting, usually around 40 BPM, and practice your exercise at this speed until you can play it perfectly. Play 1 note to each click. Your note and the click should sound off at the exact same time.

Practice Tip: One of the hardest parts to playing with a metronome, or click-track, is over listening. If you are playing in perfect time, you will not hear the click; it will blend perfectly into your notes and almost disappear. When this happens, some guitarists will panic thinking that they are now OFF TIME and wait to hear the click. Many musicians focus so hard on the click that they end up playing their part a microsecond too late. It’s like they wait for the click and then play, worried that if they don’t hear the click than their timing will be off. Don’t panic if you don’t hear the click, it most likely means your playing perfectly, and that’s a good thing.

Speed it up – Once you have perfected your performance at the slowest setting, it’s now time to start speeding it up, but only a little bit at a time. Move the metronome up to the next setting, maybe 42 or 44 BPM. Play it again. Once you have it perfect, speed it up again.

Use this technique for practicing exercises, songs, scales, and even your coolest licks. Every single top guitarist has written that this is the technique that they HAD to use in order to develop their excellent picking techniques and playing ability. IT WORKS!

Speed Kills – Anybody can play fast. Big deal! Speed is never an indicator of skill, often it is just the opposite. It’s very easy to hide slop and flubs in fast playing. Even tempo fluctuations are easily hidden in fast playing.

Be the Turtle – Go Slow! Take your time! Slow and steady is key. By going slow, you can focus on perfect technique, hand position, picking style. DON”T PRACTICE MAKING MISTAKES.



Homework:

Beginners: From now on, all of your exercises should be performed to a Metronome. Always start on the slowest setting and work you way faster only after you can perform it PERFECTLY. Concentrate on good technique. Your goal is to take an exercise from 40 BPM to 60 BPM. I know you can do it.

Intermediate: Have you been using a metronome? I bet not. Well, it’s time you started and not a minute too late. Your homework is to prove that you can slow it down. Take a song you know by heart, and slow it down to 50 BPM. Can you still play it perfectly? Are you in time? If not, practice it until you can play it perfectly at 50 BPM, then move it up to 60 BPM, and so on, and so on.

Like the beginners, I want you to start all of your exercises at 40 BPM, however you should be able to advance them, 10 BPM at a time, up to 100 BPM. Concentrate on your picking technique and hand placement. You are surely going to start to see some bad habits by using this technique. The rule of thumb is, if you make a mistake, you finish the exercise; however you must do it again at the same tempo until you get it perfect. It’s not easy, but you can do it.

Advanced: I would hope that most advanced guitarists have already mastered the metronome and its use; however that is often NOT the case. Prove to yourself that you have mastered the metronome. You should be able to do any exercise from 40 BPM up to at least 160 BPM or higher. Most likely, the very slow tempos are going to cause you the most problems. Imagine that? Don’t skimp on this, try everything at 40 BPM and see what happens. PROVE that you can do it slow, as that is the mark of a truly advanced guitarist.

Practice advanced rhythm patterns at the various tempos. Triplets and sixteenth notes sound different and have a different feel at the different tempos. Once again, I guarantee that the slower speeds are going to throw you. Try counting the advanced tempos out loud as you perform. 1 te ta and a two te ta. Etc.

I wasn’t kidding when I said that all of the top rated guitarist contribute metronome work as THE KEY to proper picking technique and lick speed. Try your favorite licks at normal speed, and then try them slower. What do you see? Try to play as fast as you can, with no metronome. How are you holding your pick? How are you striking the string? Is it different that when you play slow? Both hands techniques should be consistent across all tempos. If not, then you know what your homework is.

Finally:

Hard work, especially on the more boring of exercises and techniques, really pays off in the long run. Unfortunately, many guitarists choose to skimp on these sorts of things, and end up paying the price later on. The end result can be embarrassment, as in the case of the jackass in the recording studio, or extreme frustration, as is most often the case with seasoned musicians who try to overcome bad habits acquired early in their practices. By using steady proven learning methods, such as regularly working with a metronome, you will build a stronger foundation of skill that will allow you to progress faster and learn at a higher rate than those musicians who decided to skimp on the basics.

Be the smart musician, you’ll be thankful for it 5 years down the road.

First Position Chords

Here is a very important building block for any new guitarist to learn, all of the common chord shapes in the first position. I know, I know, for a rock guitarist these chords sound very Country Western, and for intermediate guitarists they are boring. O.k., here is the deal, if you don’t know all of the common chord shapes in the first position; you will not be able to build upon them later. These chord shapes are a serious foundation that every guitarist needs to memorize and master.

One of the most common difficulties I face when teaching new guitarists, especially Metal Heads, is that they want to jump right over these chord shapes and go straight into the two fingered power chords. Ah, the lure of the Darkside. Many a young Jedi has been swept away in its influence.

(Cue Napoleon Dynamite holding a Flying V.)

Ouch, but it hurts?!

Yes, I know. Pushing your fresh pink finger tips against the first fret will force your whole body to contort in ways that only the Elephant man can identify with. The F Chord has been used for years by the Chinese as a way to torture small children into submission. Or. Maybe that was just me with my kids. Anyways, if it hurts, your pushing to hard. Either that or your a big dork. Just follow some of my playing tips and remember to go slow.

Let’s get started:

Below is a small graphic that contains pictures of the chord shapes that we will start with. You will see: Tab of the fret positions, standard notation, and fingering suggestions. Everything you need to get started is right here.


You will notice that I have put the chords in the order of: C, A, G, E, D

This is because later we will refer to this pattern as the CAGED sequence. Yes, like a convenience store Burrito, this will come back to haunt you.

Playing Tips:

Thumb on the back of the neck, centered with the hand. Comfortable variations are acceptable.

You do not need to press hard to get the note to ring properly. Instead, gently put your fingers into position, and then slowly start to push down, harder and harder, until the note sounds. Pushing too hard on the strings is the most common mistake to make.

Damn dude, I got a buzz.
Gently try to reposition some of your fingers so that they do not touch the other strings. Sometimes gently arching some of the fingers will help.

Play all the notes of the chord. Strum them all at once, try picking them one at a time.

Don't play the strings that are not part of the chord. For example, to play the D chord you only strum the top 4 strings, starting with the open D String. The G chord is played on all 6 strings. Take a look at the tab if you get confused.

Don’t strain! If you hand hurts, fingers hurt, or your thumb hurts, take a break!

Homework:

1. Buy dad something cool for father’s day, preferably a cool toy that he can play with.
2. Learn to play every chord.
3. Learn to play them without looking at the fingering chart.
4. Know the name of the chord you are playing.
5. Play them in order, then, switch them around.
6. Go SLOW! Don’t practice making mistakes.

Even the longest journey starts with a single step. Or in the case of my grandmother, it starts with a step towards the bathroom. Take your time, go slow, and don’t get discouraged. I know you can do it.

Share the Music!

One of the most important concepts for any aspiring guitarist to learn is too “Share the Music”.

There are many cool perks that come along the title of Musician, or in our case the label of Guitarist. Sure, many a stone-washed long hair in the local cover band has downed a few free pitchers of beer while talking the hot waitress into a steamy late night rendezvous back at his bachelor pad, but that’s not the perk I’m talking about (Well, at least not while my wife is reading this). The perk that I’m talking about is the wealth of free information that is available to you from other musicians. From the moment that you picked up the guitar and played your first C chord, you became a life member in one of the oldest, yet most dysfunctional family’s on Earth, The Musicians.

(Cue Brady Bunch Theme)

Thousands of years, and countless generations of musicians have preceded you down the musical evolutionary scale, and the collective experience gained from this journey is invaluable. Inside each individual player is a library of amazing knowledge combined with their own unique perspective, and it’s available to you, right now, for the sharing.

Sitting down and playing with another musician is probably one of the most efficient ways to learn your instrument, even if they aren’t as experienced as you. What? Huh? Seriously, there have been many times during the course of a lesson, or jam session with a friend, that I have picked up on something that I haven’t thought of before, or even seen an idea in a whole new light. Remember this young Jedi, there is always a lesson to be learned, even from a student or less skilled player.

O.K., now you noticed that I said “Share the Music”, and not “Steal the Music”. Even though our musical family is as dysfunctional as any family could possibly be, we still have a code that we live by. Think of it as your family responsibilities. Just as big brothers teach their little brothers to tie their shoes correctly, or how to hold a baseball bat, you have the responsibility, or duty, to Share your knowledge with those around you. Trust me when I tell you that it is an honor more than a duty. Just as you share your sound with the rest of the band, you should share your abilities with other guitarists around you. The whole idea of music is to share your sound, in a positive way, and contribute to the sound of the whole.

Let me now give you an example of what I’m NOT talking about. Everybody has seen these guys; two guys, standing in the back of the audience at the local bar. They have their arms crossed in front of their chest and are staring blankly at the band, every so often they lean over to comment to each other on how they could do it better, or how this sucked, or how the band sucks. They exist in the crowd like a big black hole of negative energy, confident that they are the superior musicians in the room, and it’s only a matter of time until the great mystical record label fairy will be drawn to their obvious talent and sign them on the spot to a lifelong record contract. They stare at the fingers of the guitarist on stage, trying to grab any little trick or scale that they can figure out and add it to their secret little black book of guitar knowledge.

These poor guys are the ones who will never share their knowledge with anybody. Truly, they have no idea what it’s all about. They consider the collective skills that they have learned as a golden goose that should never be shown to anybody else, in the fear that they might give the other guitarist an advantage over them, thus loosing their self imposed rank, and with it their imaginary status in our family. You know what? These are the guys who placed the ad in your local newspaper looking for a new guitarist saying “Must have look and attitude”. If you ever see that ad, run!

(In my best Yoda voice) Remember, there is always another who has more knowledge and skills than you. It is the wise guitarist who understands that there is always more to learn, and shares what they have learned with those around them. There is knowledge in the sharing.

All right! I think you have point. I’ll climb off my soap box now.

Today’s homework! Go share the music! Show your buddy a different way to play an E7 chord, or how to tie the strings on his new guitar. Sit in with a group of blue grass players out in the parking lot of your local festival and you will really learn something about sharing. Applaud the skills of those around you, and never be too proud to ask for advice or an explanation. And the next time your at your local music store, and that same young kid is sitting there in the corner, with a guitar that he can’t afford, struggling through a choppy version of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, instead of laughing as you walk away, walk on over, pat him on the back, and tell him “Man, that’s starting to really come along, good job.” We are all on the same musical journey and we could all use a little help.

The gifts that you share today will echo through the generations of musicians that have yet still to come. You’re a member of our family now, and I’m counting on you to do your part.

Now go get me a beer, it’s your turn to mow the lawn.

Finger Exercise for Strength and Speed.

Here is a great exercise that will develop both your finger strength and speed. It’s also great for helping create the independence of movement between the different fingers.

This exercise was taught too me by a popular classical guitar instructor. I don’t remember the story exactly, however it goes something like this. A classical guitarist was falsely imprisoned long ago. He was unable to bring a guitar with him into the prison, and not wanting to loose his skills he needed a way to practice. He developed this simple technique using only a small plank of wood. According to the story, when the man was finally released from prison 8 years later, he bragged that this exercise allowed him to actually gain strength and skill. He actually came out a better guitarist than when he went in. Or so they say.

I have mentioned this exercise before, but in case you missed it, I highly recommend that every guitarist use this for their warm up or as part of their daily practice.

The idea is to work every finger on every fret. Remember that your fingers are numbered 1 through 4 with 1 being your pointer and 4 being your pinky.

Start on the 6th string, 1st fret, with your 1st finger. Play the note
While keeping the 1st finger pressed, press your 2nd finger down on the 2nd fret. Play the note.
Keep both fingers pressed, now 3rd finger 3rd fret. Play note.
Keep all 3 fingers pressed, now 4th finger 4th fret. Play note
Keep all 4 fingers pressed, release 4th finger. Play note

Here’s the pattern. Continue playing just like I have written. Make sure to keep your fingers pressed even though they are behind the fretted note.

1 2 3 4
4 3 2 1
1 4 3 4 2 4 3 4

repeat this on every string, moving starting with the 6 string and working your way to high E, or the first string. Then, move up one fret, and repeat.

This exercise should be repeated on every string, on every fret, up and down the neck.

You’ll be amazed at how much you will improve after just one week of incorporating this exercise into your regular practice routine.

Want to take it to the next level?
After you do a run while picking each individual note. Try a run while just picking the first note and using hammer on’s and pull off’s to play the rest without picking any more notes. This will really cause you to increase speed.

I have posted the tab for this excersie below. Good luck.

Track 1

E------------------------------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------
E--1----2----3----4------4----3----2----1------1----4----3----4----



------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------1----2----3----4------4----3----2----1----
--2----4----3----4------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------1----2----3----4----
--1----4----3----4------2----4----3----4--------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
--4----3----2----1------1----4----3----4------2----4----3----4----
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
--1----2----3----4------4----3----2----1------1----4----3----4----
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------1----2----3----4------4----3----2----1----
--2----4----3----4------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------



----------------------------------------------1----2----3----4----
--1----4----3----4------2----4----3----4--------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
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--4----3----2----1------1----4----3----4------2----4----3----4----
------------------------------------------------------------------
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--2----3----4----5------5----4----3----2------2----5----4----5----
------------------------------------------------------------------
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--3----5----4----5------------------------------------------------
------------------------2----3----4----5------5----4----4----2----
------------------------------------------------------------------
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------------------------------------------------------------------
--2----5----4----5------3----5----4----5--------------------------
----------------------------------------------2----3----4----5----
------------------------------------------------------------------
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------------------------------------------------------------------
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--5----4----3----2------2----5----4----5------3----5----4----5----
------------------------------------------------------------------
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------------------------------------------------------------------
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--2----3----4----5------5----4----3----2------2----5----4----5----
------------------------------------------------------------------
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------------------------------------------------------------------
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--3----5----4----5------------------------------------------------
------------------------2----3----4----5------5----4----3----2----
------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------
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------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
--2----5----4----5------3----5----4----5--------------------------
----------------------------------------------2----3----4----5----



------------------------------------------------------------------
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------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
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--5----4----3----2------2----5----4----5------3----5----4----5----



------------------------------------------------------------------
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--3----4----5----6------6----5----4----3------3----6----5----6----



------------------------------------------------------------------
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------------------------3----4----5----6------6----5----4----3----
--4----6----5----6------------------------------------------------



--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
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--3----6----5----6------4----6----5----6----------
--------------------------------------------------


Follow the pattern and continue up the whole neck and then back again.

Practicing - Setting Up Your Practice Space

Batman had the Bat Cave, even Superman had The Fortress of Solitude, and one of the things that every veteran guitarist has in common is their own private practice space. It’s your own little spot that is already setup with everything you need to practice playing your guitar. It’s important to have a spot like this setup somewhere at your home. It makes practicing easier and much more efficient. Plus, they look cool.
(Que church bells with man screaming “Sanctuary!”)

Now, when I say practice space, I’m not necessarily talking about the warehouse unit at the rental storage place that your band jams in. I’m actually talking about that little spot that is set aside somewhere in your home where you can go to get away from everybody and practice your guitar. I have seen them setup in many spots, however the most common locations seem to be in the corner of a bedroom or living room, or even a finished basement or attic. The location isn’t all that important as long as you have enough room for your stuff and it’s private. You should be able to get to your practice space at a moments notice and not have to set anything up. Everything you need to play and practice should be at your fingertips.

Every guitarist sets up their practice space differently; however they all seem to have a few things in common.

Guitar and Stand – What good would a practice space be without your favorite ax? I also recommend that you have a guitar stand near by for when you need to set it down. They are worth the money. If you practice both electric and acoustic, like I do, you will want a double guitar stand. They are about $25. Your guitar should always be in your practice area, ready to play at a moments notice.

Your Amp – If you’re playing electric guitar, you will want your amp already setup here. You can always tear it down when it’s time to go jam with your buddy’s. Some guitarists might tell you that you can use a small practice amp and that might be a good idea if you live in an apartment or have other family members around at practice time. I believe that you should practice through the amp you plan on using for live performances.

Stool - You will need a small chair without arms or short stool that you can sit on while playing your guitar. I use a small wooden stool that I bought from Ikea for $15; its height is adjustable and swivels nicely.

Media Player - It’s great to have a computer in this area, especially if it has speakers and an Internet connection. A computer with Internet access will allow you to download tabs and instructional material, play to CD’s, or even watch instructional DVD’s. If your family has dibs on the computer setup, forget it, you don’t want to be constantly hassled by your little sister wanting to play Neo Pets. You can always use a boom box or stereo, just as long as it can play CD’s through speakers and not headphones.

Music Stand – A music stand is more important than you might think. Being able to read your tabs and instructional books while playing is essential to the learning process. You should be able to see your reading material at eye level. Spend the $10 big shot.

Guitar Accessories – You will always want to keep some of your guitar picks and strings handy. I also keep a nice clean rag for whipping down my neck and strings, as well as some Fast Fret, string winder, wire cutter, and guitar polish.

Guitar Tuner - Every guitarist should have a nice tuner, it helps you set the pitch of your instrument properly. Invest in a good tuner that you plan on keeping. I use a Korg rack mounted tuner for live and my POD Pro has one built in that works great in my practice space.

The brain is an amazing thing. It is truly a creature of habit. It learns by repetition. If you always go to your practice space, your brain will know that when you are there that it is time for practicing. It will get itself into practice mode automatically, and perform better. It sounds like some Jedi B.S., but it’s not.
(Que Darth Vader Breathing)

The practice space is a place that you should be able to go to and feel comfortable learning. You should be able to make mistakes here and not worry if other people can hear it. Trust me, they don’t want to hear you work on your scales all afternoon anyways. Having everything setup and ready to go will allow you to streamline your learning process and easily continue where you left off the last time.

I love to look at other guitarist’s practice spaces. Each one is always unique to the guitarist, decorated in the most unusual ways. I think you can tell a lot from a guitarists Practice Space, especially if they don’t have one. Decorate yours to suit your tastes, but make it functional and private, that is the most important part.

Now go practice!

Hey Bob! What if I live in an apartment or with other people?
You should be able to play your guitar at a normal level without interfering with the rest of the people you live with or near. This is important because I believe you should not be worried if people can hear you make mistakes. You might not feel as comfortable learning if you know somebody can hear you. If you live in a situation that requires you to be very quit, there is a solution. I call it The Expert Setup.

Written by Bob Narley

Tube Amps vs. Solid State

Here’s the secret formula for the ultimate live sound from your electric guitar.

Quality Electric Guitar + All Tube Amp = Warm, Fat, Awesome Tone!

Example: Gibson Les Paul + Marshall TSL100 = Orgasm

Example: Gibson Voodoo V + Marshall JCM800 (2203) = GOD
Example: Fender Stratocaster + Fender 68 Vibrolux = Stardom

There is nothing in the world like the sound of a quality electric guitar plugged straight into a Tube amplifier. You could easily rule the world with the right combination and playing style. It’s the ultimate live setup and a proven formula; guitar plus all tube amp equals the ultimate in tone.

There are basically two different types of guitar amplifiers, Tube and Solid State. Tube amplifiers use a series of old fashioned tubes to provide power, distortion, and tone. Solid State amplifiers rely on transistors, and sometimes software, to provide the tone. They both have the same job, to amplify the sound of your guitar, however they both sound totally different, with good points and bad.

Let’s take a look:

The advantages of a Solid State Amplifier.

• They usually have fabulous clean sounds, crisp and accurate almost to a fault.
• They are quick and responsive to your playing.
• They can take more abuse in moving since there are very few fragile parts.
• They require less maintenance.
• They can “Try” and emulate other amplifiers at the push of a button.

The Dissadvantages of a Solid State Amplifier.

• NO WARMTH – solid state sounds cold and sterile.
• LOUSY DISSTORTION - to the point that it fatigues your ears and can cause your spine to shatter at high volumes. I have actually talked with people who have no idea about music gear describe the sound of a quality Fender solid state amp that was trying to “rock”, as sounding “Harsh, like a razorblade through my ears”.
• NO TONE – Solid State amps all sound very similar and will sound the same with almost any player.
• THIN – They usually sound very thin as soon as you leave the clean spectrum. Distortion only makes solid state amps sound even more thin and lifeless. Like a mosquito in a jar.

Now let’s look at Tube Amps:

The Tube Amplifier advantages.

• WARMTH – Tube amps are best known for their exceptional warmth. They are pleasing to the ear, something you can not justify in a laboratory. Scientists have no way of measuring the warmth, which is probably the reason that they have not been able to duplicate it in a solid state amp. You can hear a tube amp “Warm Up” the longer it is on. Your audience’s ears will not tire of a tube amp sound in the way that they will from solid state. The warmth acts like a blanket, soothing the ears. The WARM tube amp sound blends with the rest of the band perfect.
• MORE TONE - Each tube amp sounds different, each with its own unique tone. You can hear this tone between manufacturers and even between the same exact models. Changing out the tubes will even change the tone. No two guitarists will sound the same through the same tube amp, as the amp will respond to the individuals playing technique in a totally different way. Tube amps have been described by many veteran guitarists as “Tone Monsters”.
• THICK AND HEAVY – Tube amps sound fat and thick, and will sound even fatter as the volume is turned up, creating that famous wall of sound. Tube amps sound HUGE!
• ULTIMATE DISTORTION – Most electric guitarists want at least a little edge to their guitar sound, otherwise known as distortion, while others want screaming leads. Tubes, by their very nature of operation distort sound, and do so in the most pleasing way to the human ear, by Pushing and Pulling on each other. I have heard many tech guys go on and on about why tube distortion is better and I do not feel like quoting all of their boring documents about it. Let’s just say, YES, there are specific proven reasons why, but who cares, everybody agrees tube distortion is far superior to solid state.
• COMPRESSION – Tubes compress your sound in several ways, usually when to much power is demanded from the output transformer. The transformer can not handle the signal peaks and softly rounds them off, causing even more distortion. Trust me, it’s a good thing.

Tube amp disadvantages.

• Maintenance Costs - If you play every week, tubes will last a little over a year before they start to loose their tone. They need to be replaced and that will cost anywhere from $80 to $250, depending on the tubes and the amp. Since they are made of glass, they can also break if the head is dropped, or if they go from cold to hot too fast. I should also point out that 9 times out of 10, if something goes wrong with the amp that it is usually a tube and can easily be fixed by simply replacing the bad tube. Most touring musicians bring spare tubes with them on the road.
• Purchase Price - No doubt about it, a nice tube amp will cost you. The Marshall TSL100 is my favorite all tube head, and probably one of the best sounding and most versatile tube heads ever made. A new Marshall TSL100 is going to cost you $1799, and that’s not chump change.
• Volume - This might not seem like a negative point to many, however it is. Tube amps need to be played loud, pushed, in order to sound their best. Many tube heads will get way too loud in a rehearsal studio and drown out everybody else, requiring a power break or VPR as in the TSL. If you’re not planning on playing festivals, I would recommend a 50 watt head or combo amp. The 50 watt heads and combo amps can be turned up to their sweet spot while still not drowning out the drummer and vocals. Of course, I make this suggestion knowing full well that I only use 100 watt heads. My poor band.
• Versatility - Many of the older tube heads are not very versatile as compared to a solid state head. They have one sound, all be it a GREAT sound. Today, several tube heads come with 2 or 3 channels for more versatility; clean, crunch, and lead. Usually this is more than enough for a band, however there is something to be said about the 100’s of sounds you can get from a LINE 6 POD. I think it’s important to note that the best sounding LINE 6 sounds are those that try and emulate or model authentic tube amps. Imagine that.
• Weight - HOLY COW! Tube heads and amps are heavy beasts. They were originally built to take the abuse of the road, and that has never changed. They are heavy bastards and require some serious lifting. Add a 4x12 cabinet and you can forget about the gym membership.

If you look at any of the great guitarists, behind any of them you will find a tube amplifier. Hendrix and Orange, Stevie Ray and Fender, Van Halen and his magic JCM800 or even his 5150, Townshend and Hiwatt, and the list goes on and on. There is a reason that every guitarist worth his weight in Fast-Fret uses a tube amp; THE SOUND.

You can forget about all the hype, blow off the technical documents, toss away the magazine ads and endorsement bullshit. None of it means anything. It’s your ears that tell the tale, and the ears love the tube sound. I dare anybody to put a solid state amp next to a tube amp and tell me otherwise. Why do you think all those solid state emulator or modeling amps are all trying to emulate a TUBE AMP?

Let me set it all straight for you. If you play out live, with any kind of an edge to your guitar sound, blues or rock, metal or crunk, YOU WANT A TUBE AMP!

I personally recommend and play both Marshall and Fender tube amplifiers. The Marshall is my favorite, although I love to play through my vintage Fender Vibrolux whenever I want a warm blues sound. I would also recommend checking out; Orange, Mesa/Boogie, and Matchless. Several new heads have hit the scene and are becoming quick favorites with the metal monsters, both Brunetti and Diezel make quality tube amps, however their price tag is a monster as well.

Truth is, every guitarist is searching for that great sound, the ultimate tone. We call it “The Holy Grail”. As we progress as guitar players, this quest will take us down many roads and equipment purchases. Every once in a great while, we actually find it, and that is the most amazing experience any guitarist can have. When you pick up that perfect guitar and plug it into the perfect amp, it’s almost like an out of body experience. You will play better and sound better, leaping years ahead of your experience as if by magic. It’s happened to me, and eventually it will happen to you. Ah, the quest!

Bob Narley

You can hear Bob's material.
Comedy Audio and Parody Songs

A great source for Tubes:
Euro Tubes
Tube Depot

A great book on Tube Amps:

Backbeat The Tube Amp Book Deluxe Revised Edition (Book/CD)

Here are some of the amps mentioned in this article:

Marshall JCM 800 2203X Vintage Series 100W Tube Head

Fender Vibrolux Reverb Combo

Marshall JCM 2000 Triple Super Lead 100 and 1960A Package

Marshall JCM 2000 Triple Super Lead 100 Head

Marshall JCM2000 DSL50 Head

Line 6 PODxt Pro Amp Modeler

Ruby Tubes ECC83 (12AX7A) Preamp Tube

Guitar Camp at UWGB

Hey Midwest Guitar Freaks….

I just got some great information from Gibson about an awesome guitar camp going on at University of Wisconsin- Green Bay. Work on your chops and eat some cheese while enjoying the great state of Wisconsin...


The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB) has opened registration for the UWGB Summer Guitar Camp, where they'll give away an ES-333 in Worn Brown to one lucky camper during the week. The camp is headed up by camp director Bob Balsley, also a recording and guitar instructor at UW, and offers instruction for music genres including jazz, pop, rock, R&B, classical and many others. Beginning to advanced guitar students from 8th to 12th grade will attend clinics taught by professional clinicians as well as performances and jam sessions with camp faculty and special guests.

Stop looking at your guitar!

Let go young Jedi.. trust the.. guitar.

I don't care if your a seasoned player, or if you have just picked up the guitar for the first time, one of the best pieces of advice I can give you is to stop watching yourself play guitar. Sure, it's hard, and your going to make some really horrible sounding mistakes at first, but if you stop looking at your fingers and the fret board, you'll free yourself and play better. I know, it sounds like some crazy Jedi training, or metaphysical mumbo jumbo, but it's not. If you practice your guitar without looking at it, your fingers will eventually find the right place, you'll hear what your playing better, and you will become a better guitarist.

Think about it, Ray Charles, Jeff Healey, and so many other great musicians are all blind. They are unencumbered by watching themselves play their instruments, and they are all excellent players. Why? Because your eye will lie to you. Your eyes will talk to your brain and say things like "Hey man, there is no way I can make my fingers stretch that far!", or "There is no way I can play that fast!". Freeing yourself from watching your instrument allows your brain to concentrate on more important matters, like your tone, or tempo, the overall sound of the band, or the hotty in the front row. Looking at your hands while you play can actually become a crutch that will hold you back.

Seriously, it's all about freeing your mind.

It is easier to do than you think. The hardest part is believing that you can do it.

Your muscles have memory, and they will remember where to go, even better than if your eyes try to show them. Once the muscles in your fingers and arms know where they should be, they will go right back to it, every single time, without even thinking about it. Now, that's when you will really start to play.

Here are some ideas for you to try at home.

Beginners Homework:

Beginning guitarists should start with a very easy chord progression. ex. G A D
I know that playing chords can be very hard at first, and you probably don't have the shape memorized just yet. Here's what I want you to do. Use your chord chart, or song book, whatever it is that you like, and lay it out in front of you. Play it through the chord progression once while looking, only if you have to. Now, this time, don't look and play the first chord. GO SLOW. Stare at the wall in front of you, or close your eyes. If your having a hard time finding the right notes with your fingers, keep trying without looking, until you find it. Imagine the chord shape in your head. Look at your chord chart if you need to. You will notice that you can feel the fret board better. It will seem different, out of proportion somehow, but it isn't different. Try pressing down on the strings lighter, see how soft you can press before you can't hear the note

• Learn to play these major chords, in the first position, without looking. C, D, E, F, G, A
• Play 3 chord progression, all without looking. ex. G, C, D
• The Chromatic Scale - Play each note, on every string, with every finger, all without looking. ex.. on the low E.. play frets 1,2,3,4 with fingers 1,2,3,4. repeat on all 6 strings. then do it backwards, on every string.

Intermediate Homework:

• Learn to play an entire song without looking, from beginning to end, no mistakes. Any song, but make it a simple song.
• Play the pentatonic scale, in all positions(boxes), up and down, without looking.
  Move between the positions without looking.

Advanced Homework:

• As an advanced guitarist who has not yet learned to play without looking, you will find this to be a very difficult task for some things and quit easy for others. You have a bad habit, and now you will have a hard time breaking it. The hardest part for you will be hearing yourself play bad and knowing that if you just look you will sound better. You will be tempted to give up because you will hate the fact that you are sucking. DON'T GIVE UP! If/when you make a mistake, just keep trying to find the right note, without looking. I have seen advanced guitarists make huge progress by learning to play without looking, it's a great way to get out of a playing rut. You will learn faster, play faster, smoother, and begin to play on a whole new advanced level. It's worth the effort.
• start by doing the chromatic scale up and down the neck, one position at a time. No looking, ever.
• Play an entire song without looking. Play it until you play it perfect, and only then move on to another song.
• Learn to play every scale, in every key, in every position, without looking. Start with the pentatonic, move on from there.

One of my favorite guitarists is Jimi Hendrix. Jimi could play the guitar behind his head, under his leg, all without looking. I heard Stevie Ray Vaughan comment on that very thing, saying that it was the key to playing Hendrix correctly. Notice that Stevie Ray didn't need to look either.

Once you learn how to do this, you will play so much better. Beginners will learn faster and progress faster, and advanced guitarists will quickly jump to a whole new amazing level. The hardest part is to not get discouraged.

You can do this. I know you can. Good Luck!

My First Guitar...

I've been playing guitar for over 29 years. In fact, deciding that I wanted to play the guitar was probably the best decision that I have ever made in my life. It has given me so much enjoyment over the years that I really couldn't even begin to put a price tag on it. I've even been fortunate enough to use my musical talents to further my broadcasting career, jam with friends, write songs, record, and perform live in front of huge crowds. I've shared the stage with fantastic talents like KORN, Joe Satriani, Great White, Type O Negative, and many others. I not only play guitar for my job, but I also do it for fun.

My parents purchased my first guitar for me back when I was in the 4th grade. At that time, I didn't want to play guitar, I actually wanted to play the trumpet! What was I thinking? They said Trumpets were to much money, and brought me down to Consolidated Music in Barrington Illinois, a very small but cool hometown music store located about a half a block off of main street. The store is still there today. I can still remember the sales girl showing me my first Chord, it was a G Chord. The guitar was inexpensive, and didn't play very well at all. I think they paid about $40 for it. The strings were very tight and were so far off the neck that you could use it as a cheese cutter.

Once a week, I would walk with my guitar in a vinyl gig bag up to the music store after school for my half hour lesson. My teacher, I have forgot his name, sucked. He would teach me 3 notes a week, all on one string. 3 weeks into the lessons, and only 8 notes on 3 strings, this was way to slow for me. I decided I could teach myself and accelerate my progress. I purchased a couple of songs books from the store and headed home confident that I would soon be a huge guitar star. Within a week I had learned several songs from a John Denver song book. My friends still kid me about it. My first song was "Leaving on a Jet Plane". wow.

I stuck with it, and did a lot of reading. I soon learned the chords and all the notes. My mom had already taught me how to read music, so I was quickly learning new songs almost every day. I really enjoyed playing the guitar, and would play every single day after school for about 4 hours. Since I didn't have a stereo or record player I just learned the songs from the book, having never heard them before. I knew who Elvis was, and The Beatles, and took to learning their material when I could.

After a few months my father, who was a liquor salesman, hired the son of one of his clients to come over to my house and teach me guitar lessons once a week. I'll never forget Kirk Brikowski, he had the longest hair I had ever seen on anybody. It was straight, and blond, he looked a lot like Bob Segar. Kirk was cool man, he use to be in a band called Sorcery and showed me their record. Yeah, I was impressed, but I didn't want to learn rock. I wanted to learn Classical guitar. Kirk was great, confused, but acquired the materials that I would need and began teaching me guitar. In hindsight, I wish I would have had Kirk teach me rock guitar. He was a very skilled player and would have saved me years of learning rock on my own. Classic.

Well, that was 29 years ago, and I'm still not a huge guitar star. Since then I have learned many styles; Classical, Jazz, Country, Rock, Metal, Punk, Blue Grass, and Blues. All of these styles have melted into my own original playing style, fused into a kind of hybrid tone. It's been a great journey and I still have a long way to go.

My goal here is to help others who wish to follow the path of the guitar. Most of the lessons and tips will be geared towards self learning, however I would strongly suggest that you find yourself a skilled instructor and sign on for some one on one lessons. Learning on your own is essential, but you will learn faster from a skilled instructor who can critique your playing and offer suggestions and guidance.

I will provide instruction and tips for beginners, intermediate, and advanced players. I will also provide information on buying guitars, acoustic and electric, amps, gear, as well as, live performances. Music is personal, and everybody has their own tastes. I'm not going to teach you how to play songs, I'm going to teach you how to learn songs and perform those songs. We will cover exercises for your body and your mind. We will train you ears and your fingers.

My goal is to teach you how to learn.

Welcome young Jedi... You have already taken your first step twords a long and colorful musical journey.