In Your Hands

I play a fair bit of guitar. During my nine-and-a-half or so years of playing, there are a few things that I've picked up that have made me a better guitarist, and things that I've learned that just made the overall process much more enjoyable.

Here's a couple of things I've been doing recently.


1) Random Classical-Ish Arpeggio Run

This one is for learning how to arpeggio correctly. It's a pretty difficult thing to master, especially when you have runs in the middle, so this one makes you work fairly hard.

-----------------8-7-------------------------5---5\7------------
-----------8---------8---------------------6---------8----------
---------9-------------9-----------------7-------------9--------
------10-----------------10-9-7-------7-----------------10-9-7\5

---10-------------------------------5---------------------------

-8--------------------------------------------------------------


---------5---3-------------------------------------------
-------6-------5-3--------3------------------------------
-----5-------------4----4---5----------------------------
---7------------------5----------------------------------
-8-------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------

It's not insanely difficult just to play but doing it quickly and cleanly certainly is.

2) Ballin' Eurobeat Solo

Another perennial favorite of mine is....an entire solo by some Japanese session guitarist. We'll never know who, but it's smokin'.
When I was still taking lessons a few years ago, my teacher and I transcribed it out. 
This is "Spark in the Dark," by the dubiously named Man Power.

E||--10---12---10---------10---12---10---------|
B||---------------13-10----------------13-10---|
G||--------------------------------------------|
D||--------------------------------------------|
A||--------------------------------------------|
E||--------------------------------------------|


------------------------------------|
------------------------------------|
--7---9---7--------7---9---7--------|
------------10-7-------------10-7---|
------------------------------------|
------------------------------------|



--------------------------------------------------|
-----------------------12----12-13-12----------12-|
-----------12-14-12-14----14----------14-12-14----|
--14-12-14----------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------|


--------12-------12-------19-20-19-17------|
--13-15----13-15----15----------------17---|
-------------------------------------------|
-------------------------------------------|
-------------------------------------------|
-------------------------------------------|



--19-20-19-17------19-20-19-17------20b----|
--------------17---------------17----------|
-------------------------------------------|
-------------------------------------------|
-------------------------------------------|
-------------------------------------------|



--17-19-20-19-17----19-17----19-17-15----17-15----|
-----------------20-------20----------18-------18-|
--------------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------|

           
-----15---------------------------------|-------------------||
--17----18-17-15-18-17-15---------------|-------------------||
--------------------------17-16---------|-------------------||
----------------------------------------|-------------------||
----------------------------------------|-------------------||
----------------------------------------|-------------------||

And here's the music, so you have an idea of how it's actually supposed to be played: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1gVPJn6rWE Please ignore the slightly fruity AMV. The solo occurs twice, strangely.

I've never really gotten around to finishing transcribing the solo, sadly - I know how to play the ending bit, but I am just way too lazy. Maybe someday!

3) Obligatory Michael Schenker

Most of Schenker's stuff is pretty simple, until you hit the solos. Which, of course, is about 50% of the material (if you don't count repeat choruses and verses). I haven't even taken a crack at the real solo yet, but played 'just so,' this one is heart-rending.

This is 'Desert Song,' by the Michael Schenker Group.

----------------------|--------------------------|---------------------|
--10br----------------|-------------------8--10--|--10b----------------|
----------------------|--9~--------9--11---------|---------------------|
----------------------|--------------------------|---------------------|
----------------------|--------------------------|---------------------|
----------------------|--------------------------|---------------------|

------------------|-------------------------|--------------------|
------------------|--10br------------8--10--|---------------7----|
------------------|-------------------------|--9-----------------|
------------------|-------------------------|--------------------|
------------------|-------------------------|--------------------|
------------------|-------------------------|--------------------|

-----------------------|------------------------|-----------------------|
--7h-8~---L------------|------------7--8--10----|--10g12----------------|
-----------------------|---------9--------------|-----------------------|
-----------------------|------------------------|-----------------------|
-----------------------|------------------------|-----------------------|
-----------------------|------------------------|-----------------------|

--------------------------|-----------------------------|-------|
--12brb--------12----8----|--10br--------10b------------|-------|
--------------------------|-----------------------------|--9----|
--------------------------|-----------------------------|-------|
--------------------------|-----------------------------|-------|
--------------------------|-----------------------------|-------|
 
------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
--------------7--8--10--|--10br-----------------|-----------8-----8-----|
-----------9------------|----------9------------|---L-------------------|
------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|

             
---------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
---------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
--9~-----------------|-------------------|-------------------|
---------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
---------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
---------------------|-------------------|-------------------|

 And here is, as Plato might say, the thing itself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWoLY5x77uk There are some changes, as it is live, but it's not fast and it should be easy to pick up on.

Aight, that's all I got for now. Enough writing about playing, I'm gonna go play!

Seven Songs for Seven Days 2

Yes, yes, more than seven days have elapsed. I don't care! Shoo! Away with your pedantry.

Here are the things that have haunted my ears for this half a fortnight.

Amorphis - Majestic Beast

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bbVelwUkDY

The beginning of this song is unexpectedly bombastic for Amorphis. Everything else, though, falls perfectly into place - the calmer and melodic chorus, the gradual escalation of tension, the thunderous finale.

Wuthering Heights - Beautifool

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXl40rkVGP4

Speedy Celtic chaos, played by immensely talented Danes. Whomsoever the guitarist is, he deserves praise - as well as the vocalist, for both the lyrics and the vocal lines soar.

Blu & Exile - My World Is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjTyrfmO_Mw

I've been slowly insinuating my way into the world of hip hop and Blu is a fairly good find. The producer he partnered with, Exile, definitely has a way with soul, funk, and r&b rhythms - and the stuff that Blu is laying down on top of it is certainly fit for consumption as well. It's strange how such good lyricists remain firmly on the bottom of the charts.

Dream Theater - Wither

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrnYiNnEKHg

I haven't given Dream Theater's latest offering many spins at all, which seems now to be quite the error given this song. There's not exactly a whole lot going on in it, but a solid chorus will steal you my heart every time.

Threshold - This Is Your Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg1MoJVnYK8

Quite a bit similar to another of their songs, "Slipstream" - low on the melody in the verse, turns it up to 11 during the chorus. The auto-tune-esque vocals after the second repetition of the chorus are for some reason particularly haunting.

Keldian - Ghost of Icarus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DMb6Xjk1GI

Keldian, I am fairly certain, is the only band to base most of their lyrical content around science fiction novels and video games. I'm fairly certain this song came from a somewhat famous Microsoft game (?!), Freelancer. Soaring choruses and a 'spacy' feel dominate the music. I don't know if it's just me, but all of their music seems to contain some element of wistfulness.

Sabaton - Light in the Black

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIenz9tHqbs

I read earlier this week that this song is actually dedicated to peacekeeping forces, and not to the armies of justice like all their other songs. I suppose I can't fault them for finding material in World War 2 - there's certainly a lot to be said and sung about it.

The guitar lead that introduces the song is unfailingly lofty, and the driving rhythm and guttural singing fit perfectly to some sort of memorial march of the world's dead soldiers.

Seven Songs for Seven Days

Here are seven songs that have been stuck in my head this week.

Juiceboxxx - 100 MPH

http://www.myspace.com/officialjuiceboxxx

This single isn't available yet - I think it comes out September 1st. Which is roughly about a year after I first heard it in Philly in a filthy basement show with a 40 in my hand.

Sadly Juiceboxxx's recordings do not do him justice. His shows are absolutely batshit. I have never seen one man possess so much energy and fire - it didn't even seem like he needed the audience to be into it. He climbed up rafters, freaked out to "Born To Run" as his intro, and walked into the crowd to forcibly put people's hands together.

It's pretty simple musically but his entire shebang - performance, lyrics, music - is very optimistic and upbeat. Good stuff.

Wiz Khalifa - I Choose You

http://www.imeem.com/people/rCL4Az/music/xLbwS1B9/wiz-khalifa-i-choose-you/

It's extremely likely that every week there will be at least one Wiz Khalifa song in my mental rotation. This one is off Show and Prove, his debut full length. More of an uplifting song, too - some of his are, of course, womanizing and materialistic - I don't think that's likely to change. The ones I like the most are about more focused on how he works hard to achieve what he's got - this is definitely one of those.

And just try to resist the beat. Whoever was choosing the samples for this record did an insane job.

MAN, that was a giant grain of rice stuck in the roof of my mouth. Now where was I...

Red Riders - My Love Is Stronger Than Your Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHjTjBio9zY

By meandering through last.fm's recommendations for bands like The Sounds, I found Red Riders. The song itself isn't really flashy, and the vocalist isn't blowing my brains out with his belting, but that chorus will haunt you all week.

Pixie Lott - Here We Go Again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKh_Dwn6pLw

In advance - I'm sorry for doing this to you. But you deserve it.

DGM - Hereafter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk08JwDpSH4

I'm not entirely sure why Italy is the dominant force in the high-pitched singing world of power metal, but they are. DGM sports a fine, fine vocalist and some good guitar work.

Actually, from glancing at the video, he sort of resembles the very yellow dude in "Sin City." Probably not a good resemblance.

Jay Sean - Down

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_8V_RyijlI

Yeah, yeah, I realize this is flooding the radio waves. It doesn't change the fact that it's stuck in my head, now does it? It loses its power after you listen to it a couple of times, so don't worry - it's not as terrifying a prospect as getting HORSE the band's "Manateen" stuffed between your ears.

Speaking of...

HORSE the band - Manateen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxLe-o1FYMQ

I can't really say that this song was specifically stuck in my head this week, because after a listen sometime during the fall, it's never really left.

Listen to the part of the song at 3:30 specifically. That breakdown, for lack of a better description, is like woah.

never
with the furious poison in my heart
will i return from the darker waters
i'll let the tide tear me apart

Gay for Gay in 2009

Okay, here goes. The World Championships in Berlin are quickly approaching and I am unafraid to make my predictions of the eventual (men's) champions, as biased as they may be. Some, I admit, are a product of my own fallacious thinking. Now, I'm not really qualified to make judgments about all the field events - I just don't follow them closely enough. But here's who I'm looking at for gold:

100m - Tyson Gay
200m - Tyson Gay
400m - Jeremy Wariner
800m - Gary Reed
1500m - Asbel Kiprop
5000m - Devastator Lagat
10000m - Devastator Bekele
Marathon - Deriba Merga
3000m sc - Bouabdellah Tahri
110hh - Dayron Robles
400mh - Bershawn Jackson
HJ - Jesse Williams
LJ - Dwight Phillips
TJ - Phillips Idowu
PV - Renaud Lavenellie
SP - Reese Hoffa
DT - Gerard Kanter
JT - Andreas Thorkildsen
HT - Kriztian Pars
Dec - Trey Hardee

I'll give a quick breakdown of my distance picks here, and why I went with them:

100m and 200m - Tyson Gay


He's got the #1 times in the world in the 100 and 200. Bad weather my ass Mr. Bolt! He just plan ran faster than you this year. Yea, yea, Bolt ran WR's in both events - but he also got in a car accident and has publicly said he's not in as-good shape.

400m - Jeremy Wariner



Another slightly off-the-wall choice. Wariner was well beaten all last year at 400m by Merritt, but it also seems like they are much closer this year. Plus...Wariner just seems filled with quiet rage at his loss. He will triumph this year! More likely than anything, his reunion with Clyde Hart will probably help matters against Merritt.

800m - Gary Reed



What can I say? Reed has shown some good form this year, and a lot of others have not - Borza and Kaki might yet surprise me, but if Reed is in it off the curve, my money is on him. Unless Symmonds is next to him.

1500m - Asbel Kiprop



I don't think I can say much about Asbel Kiprop that hasn't been said before. He's an insane talent - has thwomped the world's best at the age of 19. He will likely soon be the Olympic gold medalist from Beijing, if Ramzi's appeals run out. I think you'd be a little foolish to bet against him.

5000m - Bernard Lagat


I honestly think Bernie G is the man to beat when it comes to the 5000m this year. It's really quite the task to run away from Lagat - you can do it (ala Bekele this year at 3k) but you're going to have a hell of a time of it. It probably requires rabbits, to be honest. And there won't be any rabbits at the WCs. That leaves you, alone, facing the fury of the Lagat tornado.

10000m - Kenenisa Bekele



I don't think I even need a reason to pick Bekele at 10000m.

Oh, and while I'm talking about running...

HOLY FUCK ALAN WEBB IS GOING TO TRAIN UNDER SALAZAR! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

The better article by USA Today can be found here: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2009-08-06-webb-coaching-change_N.htm