So I figure that the best movie ever that incorporates guitars as a major theme or motif is Desperado starring Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek. If you haven’t seen it, well then you are missing out on a cult classic my friend. The movie is actually the second installment in a sort of trilogy called the Mexico Trilogy. The first is called El Mariachi, the second is Desperado, and the third is Once upon a time in Mexico. They all involve the same story line of the woman a man loves is murdered and then he goes on a killing spree which is sometimes quite humorous. Well, in Desperado, Antonio Banderas carries around multiple pistols in his guitar case and poses as a mariachi traveling from town to town looking for vengeance. Along the way, he meets up with his buddies who also have guitar cases. Instead of carrying guns inside of them however they suit there’s out to simply just be guns. One of his friends has a chain gun inside of his right hand case and a flamethrower inside of his left hand case. The other simply has RPG’s in his case (and he strikes a funky pose every time he shoots one). Seeing this movie in my youth was just another reason why I wanted to play guitar. It all about women, guns, and music; the perfect formula for any young boy who grew up watching John Wayne and Rambo flicks…what more could you ask for in life?
Desperado
July 31st, 2009Basic Guitar Chords
July 11th, 2009Once you feel comfortable holding your guitar (I use Ibanez guitars) and deciding what position you like the most you are ready to begin playing the instrument. First you should begin by getting to know your instrument by tuning it correctly. You can do this by either having a friend (experienced in using a guitar or the piano) help you or you can buy a tuner. Your friends simply play specific one string notes on each string and you need to make your guitar mimic the same sound our tone of your friends by adjusting the corresponding tuner. Or you can go to the guitar or music store and purchase an electronic tuner. These little machines are becoming more and more affordable by the year and are very easy to use. Once you play your notes the machines indicate which direction you need to turn your tuners by indication from blinking lights. As you get better with the guitar and more familiar you will be able to tune it yourself very easily. One your guitar is tuned you can begin playing chords. A chord is a combination of notes being played at once. It can involve two stings but usually it involves three. You play the chords by strategically placing combinations of your four fingers (not your thumb) on different stings and then strumming all six strings at once with your dominate hand (with the pick). Their area variety of chords to learn and play and you can achieve different sound variations by moving up and down the neck playing the same chords at different frets on the guitar.
Different Parts of the Guitar
June 28th, 2009There are many different types of guitars that offer many different types of playing styles. Most guitars, however, share very similar physical traits that which classifies the instrument as a guitar. Starting from the top and going towards the bottom we have the head or the headstock, the tuners, the nut, the neck and stings, the sound hole, the body and finally the bridge. The head of the guitar is what hold the tuning pieces and where the stings end. The tuners, as stated, are located on the head of the guitar. The tuners are used to produce different levels of pitch from the desired notes to be played and can help vary different styles of play. They are also what are adjusted to “tune” your guitar. The nut is simply a small piece of metal on the guitar where the head meets the neck. This piece acts as a guide for the stings to connect up to the different tuners. The neck and stings of the guitar are where most of the action takes place as they serve the function of producing different notes. The strings are usually made from metal wire nowadays and run up along the neck of the guitar to connect to the tuners on the head. The body of the guitar is the hollow make up of the instrument. On the body you will find the last two parts we will discuss; the sound hole and the bridge. The sound hole is what enables the guitar to emulate sounds and vibrations and is located below the strings in the middle of the body. This is where you strum the strings with your dominate hand. And finally, the bridge is simply the part on the guitar in which the strings are attached to an end.
Guitars Get You Girls
June 16th, 2009Call me bitter, but lets take a trip back in time to the high school days to talk about grudges and bad feelings (sparkling music plays and the screen goes all wobbly and blurry). When I was in high school I participated in lots of sports, I got good grades, I was very social and outgoing, and I had a lot of friends…life was good. I never really had to worry about the ladies either (I am not trying to sound too self absorbed, but it is what it is), that is until one fateful day. I was at a party with some friends and we were having a good old time being rebellious and what not. There was a girl there that I had been hanging out with all night and things were going really well. We got into a conversation somehow about band guys (not marching band) at one point…and that’s when things went down hill. She was for whatever reason, and much to my dismay, obsessed with another guy who buy all rights of the definition of the word was flat out ugly (not to mention 22 and still hitting on high school girls…get a life). She then described how she just loves a guy who can play a guitar. I brought up how this dude was still working a menial job at Jamba Juice, had no future prospects besides his band, and was on his way to having a successful beer belly. She described it as “Edgy” and different from guys like me (attractive, career bound, athletic, etc). Still irks me just writing about it…she was hot.
Where is Music Heading?
May 19th, 2009This is a stream of consciousness post about where I think rock and roll music is heading right now. There are very few rock albums over the last couple of years that I enjoy, with the exception of a few notable bands. The rock and roll music I grew up on, the stuff that was always playing on my parent’s stereo, was epic. Have we lost a lot of that majesty in the pop music of today? Name one song that has come out in the last two decades (the time I have been alive), that could possibly match the emotional impact of the guitar solo in “Stairway to Heaven.”
There were some acts sprinkled in there that gave me hope, bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, or The Smashing Pumpkins, but those examples are few and far between. And the only band out of those three that I would consider even remotely political with their lyrics (meaning they take a stand for what they believe in like the stars of old) would be Rage Against the Machine. What does that say about modern music? Listen to a Rage Against the Machine song and then compare it to the crap put out by the top 10 artists on the Billboard charts today. Which one do you think would be heavier; would have a more thought-provoking impact? If you think it would be anyone from the Billboard chart, you are an idiot.
What band today can match the social impact of someone like Bob Dylan? How many acts can typify the way an entire movement feels like the bands coming out of the hippie movement in San Francisco? You could perhaps count the grunge movement that Nirvana got going coming out of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, but since I am not a fan of grunge, I will discount it. It certainly was not as strong a movement as artists such as Dylan or Elvis started. There is plenty of political and cultural strife to harp on in music, but it does not seem like a lot of political music is coming out these days. Maybe I am just not being exposed to it, but I feel like a real message is missing in there. Plenty of books and websites cover what is going on, but music seems to have lost some of its most strident voices. Where have all the rabble rousers with something really meaningful to say gone?
Hopefully this post will generate a bunch of angry responses from people giving me lists of bands that are political and prescient; nothing would make me happier. I do not mind being proven wrong if it means that I will have a bunch of new music to take away from this little exercise. Put together some sweet guitars, a lyrical genius, and a political message, stir vigorously, and give me something I would be happy to listen to!
Band Drama
May 1st, 2009I recently spoke to a friend of mine who is in a band. Apparently, some issues had arisen in his band and he was thoroughly put out about it. After much coaxing and a couple rounds of beers I was able to get some information out of him about what was going on. The band members were divided over the issue of what their CD cover graphic was going to be. They had narrowed it down to two options and then things got a little tooheated and some people…my friend mostly…were very offended over some things that were said about his design. I had to try really hard not to laugh out loud or even break a smile. I was instantly reminded of the movie Can’t Hardly Wait (the best teen movie ever made) play at the graduation party. Throughout the movie they fight over shirts, hats, and other general attire that has nothing to do with music being played…when they finally settle everything and decide to take the stage the cops break up the party. Whenever I hear about band drama I can’t help but to compare to TV shows like the Hills, Laguna Beach or The real Housewives of the OC…I mean, are there any REAL problems occurring in these people’s lives. Getting back to my friend…when he first called me to meet up with him for drinks I thought something serious had occurred like his girlfriend dumped him, he lost his job or something of real sustenance. But no, he proceeded to talk my head off over band priorities, genre not matching the other logo, etc, etc, etc. Spare me the band drama…there is no such thing.
Punk Rock
April 23rd, 2009One of my best friends growing up was a born surfer and skater kid. It was he who first introduced me to my first skateboard and taught me how to ride it. This was one of the pivotal and life altering moments in my life. It was then that I was inducted into the world of punk rock music. Sure it’s clichéd as hell, but like most clichés, 90% of them are true. Punk music and board sports go together better then peanut butter and jelly, better then Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and even better then Bill Gates and Microsoft. Since that moment when I first learned to skate I was hooked…to this day I still listen to Punk (more old stuff b/c the new stuff sucks). Bands like Agnostic Front, the Cramps, and NOFX were some of my personal favorites (much to my parents’ dismay). Others, and more poppy punk, were Greenday (only there old stuff), AFI, Pennywise, Living End, Goldfinger, etc. Some of the newer stuff that is really poppy but still ok consists of Blink 182, Lag Wagon, Fenix TX, Hawk Nelson, etc. Now for all of you die-hards out there who want to string me up for saying those last few bands, just stop and reflect for a second. Think back to your middle school and high school days when you were just beginning to learn how to kick flip down a four stair…if you can honestly tell me you didn’t once listen to Greenday’s “welcome to paradise” or “Blink 182’s “Damnit”…well then frankly you are a filthy liar.
Rock Stars
March 31st, 2009Everyone has their own list of favorite rock stars. Whenever I think of good rock music, a number of rock stars come to my mind. The first name which pops out of my mind is Axl Rose. Yes he is a very controversial figure and hated by many people. But we have to admit that he is loaded with lots of talent and has fronted his band very well. He is once again in the news with his new band members. Another rock star who I love a lot is Eric Clapton. I love his slow style of guitar playing and the lyrics of all his songs.
On the other hand we have Steve Tyler. This guy really shows loads of energy, he never seems to grow older as the years keep passing by. We can also add Jon Bon Jovi to this list. He’s not just a handsome cool dude, but also full of talent and a very nice man too, admired by a large number of fans. I especially like him because he never seems to get into any sort of controversy. And he has matured in his music selection as the years have passed by. Good rock stars always help us to drive away our blues.
Online Guitar Lessons
March 16th, 2009If you are interested in learning to play the guitar but don’t have enough time or money to spend on it, there’s an interesting option available for you. You can go online and learn the guitar in a systematic manner. Yes it is possible to learn playing the guitar by going online contrary to most people’s disbelief. All you need to do is browse across a number of websites where you can learn to play the guitar. Check the reviews of the online classes and then choose the website which appeals the most to you.
Yon can now learn how to play the guitar online at your own speed. You have the option of learning the guitar quickly or slowly as desired by you. Another advantage of learning the guitar online is that you save a large amount of money. Very often guitar instructors keep the pace of your course very slow – this is to enable them to earn more in this manner. Learning online is handy as you are free to learn at any possible time which is convenient for you. Thus the online learning process of playing the guitar is possible for anyone who has an internet connection at home.