The EVH 5150 iii amp- The Tone That Takes You THERE!

Okay…

… full disclosure, right here, right up front, before I even talk about the EVH 5150 iii: I’m a huge Eddie Van Halen fan.

Whenever I struck a rock pose or played air guitar in front of a window or mirror with friends, (before I started the real thing, of course!) I was usually mimicking Eddie.

Okay, maybe sometimes David Lee Roth too.   LoL

When I started learning guitar, Eddie’s licks were the ones I spent the most time on and first ventured to master.

When I continued progressing, and really decided to pursue this as a career, song after song of his I studied and honed (sometimes painstakingly by lifting a RECORD PLAYER needle over and over again!) to slowly build up an arsenal of his stylistic tricks.

Our cat Pimenny loves EVH corner!!

If you’re asking “What’s a record player??”… oh, never mind!

And when I want to learn a really inspiring new song to this day, I still dip into Eddie’s repertoire to find something amazing.

Studying his unique approach has expanded not only my mind, not only my skill set – his decisions in the recording studio have dramatically influenced how I produce a GOOD guitar amp tone.

So when I talk about the EVH 5150 iii amp, just know that there was probably no way possible that I’d DIS-like it… unless Eddie really screwed up the engineering and quality, which I’m very happy to say he did NOT!

Does it have some weak points? I found one, but even that was addressed and fixed as of this year, as we’ll discuss later in this article.

So, let’s put this snarky puppy through its paces and I’ll show you what it can do…

… and why I rarely play anything else!   ๐Ÿ˜‰

5150 BuyCon

Me~Wise~(AMP)~Magic!!

My own personal EVH set-up consists of the ivory 5150 iii 50-watt head, connected to the ivory 5150 iii 2×12 cabinet.

These two units were perfectly engineered to connect to one another, such that you can slant the cabinet back on the two steel legs that are on each side of the cab, while the head stays securely fastened with two hefty bolts on either side.

5150 III & cabinet

I love that, because now I don’t have to have any of my guitar fed through my monitors if I’m using floor wedges – my amp and cab is pointing right up to my ears so I always hear it perfectly, no matter what anyone else does.

If you’re using in-ear monitors you’ll need a little guitar in them, but I still leave it pointing at my head so I don’t need as much. Obviously you’ll need to discuss this with your soundman to come to a happy medium… we’ve all had our share of “you’re too loud” sound engineers, right?!   lol

I have to add to that, not only is it a great design from the sound standpoint, these two units LOOK outrageously cool and impressive when slanted back and delivering the goods. Whenever I take this rig on a gig I feel like a proud parent or something about it – it’s grown up to be everything and more that I could’ve dreamed!

Because of its small size, the amp is easily carried at 35 lbs. Or, since the cabinet is on wheels, just stick the amp on the cab at your car and wheel the whole thing in… easy-peasy.

Also, if you get this amp and want to take good care of it, you must get THIS 5150 CLOTH AMP HEAD COVER to go over it.

My 5150 with protective cover… ready to get giggin’!!

My amp still to this day looks brand new, and I attribute that solely to my EVH cover which has kept it in immaculate condition. If you ever try to resell your 5150 (for the 100 watt-er maybe?!), you’ll be glad you picked up this inexpensive but dependable accessory!

Chicken Foot Heads!

The front panel content gives ya what you’d expect on an amp, no surprises. All you need to craft your sound is right under your fingertips.

The 5150 iii 50 watt amp

Eddie chose chicken head knobs for his amps. A great choice! I much prefer these to other smaller, rounder little nubs that you find on other amps. When you’re a long way into a stage gig, sweaty from being under the hot lights, it’s a lot easier to grab one o’ these chicken heads than the others, lemme tell ya!

This 5150 iii comes with TWO CHANNELS. Both of them have the same controls:

  • Gain
  • Low
  • Mid
  • High
  • Volume

There also one global PRESENCE knob on the front that makes an interesting modification to both channels and, obviously, to your sound if you want it. It definitely adds some sparkle to the tone, as it’s basically boosting the ultra-high frequencies. I usually have mine set at around noon.

That’s it! Nothing too pretentious or complex, just strong, basic sound sculpting controls that are easy to finesse, just like Eddie has always preferred it.

Take Me BACK!

The 5150 iii 50 watt amp BACK

The rear of the unit gives us a lot of options for hooking up other gear, as well as further tailoring our tone a bit.

Besides the obvious things you’d expect on an amp back, they also included a number of helpful additions:

  • a MIDI port, which is really helpful if you’re hooking up any MIDI-capable processor, like I did
  • a Preamp Out, with which you can send your dry, unprocessed signal to a mix board. I’ve done this once, but won’t again, because honestly the amp sounds SOOOOO much better mic’ed there’s just no comparison. You could also use this to go into another amp or another amp’s Effects Return tho’.
  • A Resonance knob, which will globally increase your low frequency response if you feel your fans are thinking “Where’s the beef??” I have mine set at almost full, but that’s just me… I like to be the elephant in the room when I solo.  lol
  • Load Impedance switches that allow you to use this amp with 4 Ohm, 8 Ohm, or even 16 Ohm cabinets. You want versatility… you GOT it!

Because of the extreme LOUDNESS of this amp (don’t let the ’50 watts’ moniker fool you!) I only run one speaker cabinet out of the amp, but there are two ports should you choose to go all surround-sound on us.   ‘-)

Eruption… of Sound!

5150 iii Full Volume
This will probably never, EVER be needed!

This amp is loud.

VERY loud.

So loud that I rarely have to turn it above noon. Seriously. And if I’m playing live, every sound guy has asked me to have it at about 8 o’clock. Can you believe that – eight o’clock!!

I don’t know how they did it but this 50-watt-er is just insane when it comes to volume. In fact, that’s the main reason I didn’t buy the 100 watt version. I tried them both, playing the 100 watt one first, and found that… dude, I will probably NEVERRRRRRR need more than the 50 provides.

And the 100 watt-er? If you want any buildings demolished I have a better idea than calling in the wrecking balls… Just play the first power chord of “Eruption” with that amp set on full gain and volume.

There’ll be nothing left but quivering rubble.

Everybody Wants Some… of This TONE!

I’ve owned lots of amps over the years, but this one is still my favorite. I can’t tell you how much the tone inspires me when I play it because… well, there just aren’t enough glowing adjectives!

The first and the second channels (that both share the same controls on the left side of the amp face) are my favorites. Here’s the best way I can describe them:

  • Want clean and crisp? This delivers it in spades.
  • Want to NAIL the sound of Eddie’s tone on the track “Mean Street” (which I did!)? Look no further; you have arrived at your holy grail tone destination!
5150 iii badge cartooned

Now, you can fiddle with the controls to get tones that don’t match the Van Halen records too, especially if you’re playing guitars that are very unlike what Eddie uses. I, however, LOVE the fact that I can nail his tone with this amp and his guitars. It’s incredible. It’s awe-inspiring. It’s… it’s…

Sorry. Don’t mean to get all fan-boy on you, but I’m truly sincere when I say that I will never, ever get rid of this amp. It’d be like selling off a ’65 Corvette Stingray – you’d have to be insane!

If you want to actually here the tone of this beast, “As Is”, as VH would say, jump on over to THIS POST and scroll down to near the bottom. There you’ll see quite a few recordings I did with the amp using NO EFFECTS, just the sound of amp itself, on both the Clean and the Crunch channels.

And did I have a blast doing that?? Oh, yes… oh yes I DID!!    :-0

Might As Well JUMP!

This amp is 5-starred almost everywhere you click (just check out THESE REVIEWS to see what I mean!), but there is one issue that plagued the amp when it was first introduced – the VOLUME JUMP.

The 5150 iii Foot pedal
Foot pedal that comes with the amp

If you get a 50-watt-er from before 2018, when you change from the Clean channel to the Crunch channel, with either the “Select” button or your foot pedal, there is a significant boost in volume, at least if you are below about the noon setting for Volume. So much of a boost that your sound men will want to pummel you if you click into Crunch-land without fixing the large jump in loudness.

Was it a deal-breaker? Obviously not, because I bought it even tho’ I heard it plainly.

The good news is that now, as of January of 2018, both of the 50 watt-ers available this year, the 6L6 AND the EL34 versions, have concentric dual knobs on the front, that allow you to set the Volume and the Gain knobs separately for the Clean and the Crunch channel. EVH obviously listens to its fans and went the extra mile to resolve this issue swimmingly, so… Fender – YOU ROCK!!

To tell the difference I’ve put these pictures up: knobs like those on the RIGHT, that are completely white, are the old models. Knobs like those on the LEFT, that have the black circle around the knob, are the new models that give you separate controls. Easy to tell which is which when you know what to look for!

New and old 5150 iii knobs

If you do have an older one (or are considering picking up a “formerly loved” model!) there are lots of ways to easily fix this niggling issue:

  1. Put a “Boost” pedal in your signal chain
  2. Install a 10k voltage divider to 42k. This will raise the clean level to match, tho’ it will increase the gain slightly.
  3. Buy the Conversion Kit that mods all older models to fix the jump. Kits are due to hit in the 4th quarter of 2018.
  4. Use a programmable guitar processor and program in the volume adjustment.

I personally went with option 3 to resolve the issue. It gives me the most flexibility and control possible.

The unit I use (which I’ll do an article on soon) is the Digitech GSP1101. It’s a Guitar Preamp/Processor that is specifically designed to be transparent enough that your amp tone isn’t sucked away.

The 1101 is a perfect match for the EVH 50 watt head, allowing its stellar tone to charge right on through, while at the same time providing any effect you could possibly want immediately and cleanly.

By the way, I personally use the 4 cable method to interface with my effects. I started running my rig that way about a decade ago and I’ll never go back. Things never sounded better. If you’re unfamiliar with that, check THIS EXPLANATION out.

My 5150 amp & a Compliment 20160206

Finally, if I’m recording with the 5150 and I want all the beefy tone that comes with high volume settings, but don’t wan’t the whole 2nd floor of my house to cave in, I put the Mesa Boogie CabClone in the signal flow between the amp and my cabinets.

That sucks up a TON of the dB but leaves me with rich, chocolaty sonic richness that leaves one salivating for more – a virtual LAVA CAKE of TONE!!

Of course, when you have gear this good, it does present a quandary… do my music students stay with me so long because of my teaching skills…

… or my AMP?!!   lol

Finish What Ya Started…

In the final analysis, what is it guitarists want out of an amp, really?? I think it boils down to these three:

  • Great tone
  • Long-lived reliability
  • Flexibility

The 5150 iii 50 watt head certainly gives you all of that, and much, much more.

For all the specs and to get this monster for yourself, let Musician’s Friend safely send you one today!:

eVH 5150 amp BUY NOW

Now, obviously tone is a very subjective subject, and what might sound like gold to one shredder will flop like prairie patties to some other axe-man or woman. But either way, this amp definitely deserves attention as one of the best amps available today, with an excellent track record for longevity and road-worthiness and, if you ask me, a tone to die for.

Questions? Comments? Got a 5150 yourself? Thinking of taking the plunge into one? Lemme know in the Comments. Amp-ey love is meant to be shared… dispersed… AMPLIFIED!!!    ๐Ÿ˜‰

Now, go… make… sounds!!

Teaj

How To Be A Successful Musician – Racers On Your Marks!

This week… I’m in Florida.

Orlando, to be specific.

Why? If you guessed “to see the mouse”, well… you’re kinda right.

Going the distance to be a successful musician

I’ve been a long-distance runner since high school. I love the trial of pushing your limits and finally reaching the goal after giving it your all. It’s how I try to live life.

So, I’m here to do both the Disney Star Wars 10K & the half-marathon, a combination they call the “Challenge”.

More medals to hang above my sock drawer? Check.
But for our purposes, these races remind me of how to be a successful musician. Or should I say, how to be a successful anything? The elements of achievement really don’t change that much with differing career paths. Progress and advancement come down to a few, simple things really, and we can all do them.

Notice I said simple… not easy! ๐Ÿ˜‰

Tools Along the Way

If you’re going to do anything well, you need the correct tools that will enable you to complete the task. Imagine lumberjacks with no saws or axes. Or NASA without computers. News channels without predisposed political views.

Just kidding. But you get the point. To succeed as a runner this weekend, my tools will be:

  • Teaj's running shoes
    a pair of Asics running shoes, called the “GEL-Kayano 23“. They’re my second pair in this line, because I can run farther and faster in them, with no pain or discomfort during or after, than any other shoe I’d tried before. The right tool for the job, no question.
  • a mostly vegetarian DIET, with careful emphasis on legumes and nuts so I get the requisite proteins needed to rebuild muscle after running.
  • a MUSIC PLAYLIST that includes some of my favorite songs that keep me in a specific running tempo range. Without these killer tunes to keep me wired and inspired during a race, I know I wouldn’t do nearly as well. Heck, I even play air drums on a couple as I push through the final miles!
  • My BODY. Keeping it in top form means daily making good choices about food, exercise and environmental conditions. It is, after all, my most important tool of all!

Being a true musician, in the same way, requires great tools like these. This business is no different than any other profession or task we set out to accomplish – if we fail to gather in the best tools, we will rarely be a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

I know, I know, there will always be those who’ll say, “But if you already have one guitar, why would you need another one??” Patiently explaining to them that it’s the same reason a painter doesn’t just use white might do some good.

Then again… it might not. If you’re playing country, you need a Tele. If you’re playing pop, your keyboard had better have lots of usable, modern sounds, as well as vintage patches. If Americana or folk is your thing, you’d better have a stellar acoustic.

A Telecaster will help you succeed as a musician!
A good Tele will always raise your marketability!

So, to sum it up, if we’re going to make good music, we must do all in our power to have two things:

  1. the right COMBINATION of instruments and gear,
  2. the highest QUALITY of instruments and gear.

With this two-pronged preparation, we’ll be able to play at the top of our abilities and, because of the instrument’s inspiration, even exceed them.

Paths of Education

If you want to stay ahead and not behind, both in music AND in running (literally), you need to TRAIN well in how to best utilize your tools. Knowledge is always power, and having extensive insights into your music gear is crucial.

As a runner, I’ve studied how gait, pronation, shoe choice, foot type, breathing techniques, body movement and many other things come to bear upon my running. Each one of these areas of study opened my mind to possibilities, and gave me understanding that helps me to avoid injury, the bane of any consistent runner.

To be a long-term musician, we also need to STUDY. ALL… THE… TIME!! I’ve been at this a few decades now, and I still see there’s soooooo much more yet to learn. I feel like I’m just now becoming my best player self, yet there’s still vast room for improvement.

Still, I’m learning and writing new songs, practicing to become adept at new techniques, trying methods I’ve never needed but that might unlock new skills, and never, ever locking myself into one style or approach, but rather being open to wherever inspiration might lead me, no matter how off-the-wall (you go, Michael Jackson!).

Roads of Consistency

This morning I finished the 10K. Tomorrow morning at 3 a.m. I’ll go line up in a corral to be ready for the start of the half-marathon.
Do you think I’d be able to finish both of these at all, in two days, if I hadn’t practiced? It took months of preparation to get here! Outside, inside, on roads, on treadmills, on old train track paths… each long and winding road played a part in prepping me for success this weekend.

In a similar way, these days I’m pretty adept at some of my instruments. When I think of why, it’s an easy answer: I kept picking up those instruments again and again and simply played them. A LOT.

Now, we don’t have to play those instruments or fiddle with that gear. In most cases, no one’s making us. Except for some drive within, we could never touch ’em again and no one would be that bothered.

But hopefully… we would. They compel us. They motivate us. Day after day, they inspire us… onward… to higher heights, better chops, swifter licks.
It takes listening daily to their voice. This is our COMMITMENT to our craft. Anything less than consistent just will not do.

One of the things I tell all my music students (all the time!) is that if they can get on their instrument every day for some amount of time, even if it’s just ten minutes, it’s better than trying to cram a lot of rehearsal into a few hours one or two days a week. Muscle memory just doesn’t develop as well when given inconsistent practice with lots of time off between efforts.

Do you practice a little every day, to hone your muscle memory into a seriously impressive music machine?! Do you say “No!” to other things in life in order to instead woodshed and craft your technique into a sharp weapon of musical warfare?? Do you spend so much time with your instrument that you notice you are developing your own “way” of playing things, an innate style that’s all your own being drawn to the surface?!
Then you, my friend, are going to go the distance!

Highways of Perserverance

While you’re pursuing excellence on your instruments, with your gear, there will always be set-backs.

Not only will life send huge storms in around you to keep you from your goals, other people and your own thoughts will at times summon up violent storms within you that will threaten your resolve, destabilize your commitment, shake your faith.

To prepare for this weekend’s races, I had to endure cold and rainy weather, a water heater dying, a writing and studio production schedule that was increasingly demanding, meetings and family events that took me out of town…

But with THIS weekend in mind, I consistently trained and prepared my success this weekend.

Are you preparing for your success?

There will always be all kinds of life distractions trying to keep us “too busy”. Doesn’t matter. We either endure, or fold.

Now, there’s no shame in admitting sometimes that life seems to be conspiring to boot you out of the musician’s circle. There’s nothing wrong with admitting sometimes it hardly seems worth the struggle.

But it is. So remember this wise adage: “The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.”

And as Edison said, “Many of life’s ‘failures’ are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” 

Don’t let that be you. Commit to your destiny as a world-changing and influential musician and just… keep… going!

On the Right Track… of Reason

If you’ve tried to pursue music seriously, you’ve probably heard this one:

“Have something to fall back on.”

Even Egyptians succeed in music
Walk like an Egyptian!

Now, I’m actually not going to argue with the logic and wisdom of that suggestion. There’s a reason why “triple threats” (those who can sing, dance AND act) are highly desirable and honored in Hollywood – they’re good at more than one thing! Who wouldn’t want to be awesome at several things instead of just one?!

But what I do stand against is those who would try to talk you out of a career in music because it has no guarantees and provides little fortune and success most of the time.

What in life IS guaranteed?? And is lots of money really a goal worth pursuing over other more important things, like fulfillment, inner joy and daily inspiration?!

Why do I run races like the ones this weekend? Because I genuinely LIKE TO. It’s fun, and though it might be hard to believe, after the races I actually feel better inside in many ways. Is there pain here and there? Sure. But nothing in life worth doing comes without a little discomfort.

As I mentioned in my “look back at 2017” article (read that HERE), it’s one of the toughest times I’ve ever seen to be a musician, and especially a songwriter, which is my primary passion. Streaming has all but decimated music sales revenues, which is how most classic artists made their bundle in the past.

But obstacles can always be overcome, or circumvented, or even OBLITERATED. Each of us has legitimate REASONS to be working in the music industry, and for most of us, it’s because there’s nothing else that moves us so deeply inside, and inspires us so consistently.

Pursuing music together garners success

We simply can’t imagine NOT doing this.

Regardless of the hardships, current or past, if we keep the faith, work our craft daily, make wise financial decisions, and pursue good working relationships with each other, genuinely wanting to help all of us through these times, we will see the impossible become possible.

It’s amazing what humans can accomplish together. Even though we can go far just on our own I believe we’ll go farther if we enlist the help of others that we trust.

In the final analysis, if you are truly called to music, it won’t let you leave. You’ll be drawn to it again and again, moth to flame, bear to honey, shark to blood.

Meet ya in the water. ๐Ÿ˜‰

The Finish Line

The last energy bean to chew on is this: to maintain an overall positive “fitness level” in the career of music, it’s imperative that you define, quite specifically, what constitutes “SUCCESS” in music to you.

Here are some options that I’ve wrestled with and seen fellow musicians adopt:

  • Fame/notoriety for yourself
  • Monetary riches
  • A steady stream of gigs
  • Fame/notoriety for the songs

Nice outcomes if you can get ’em. But consider this: they are all things you have LITTLE CONTROL OVER.

You can certainly market yourself well, network, put out every potentially desired merch… but at the end of the day it’s not your call whether people want and like your stuff.

So if you define your success by these first four, you’re going to constantly be at the mercy of public whim. And public whim is, as we know, oh so fickle.

Musician success by never stopping!
Keep writing! Keep playing!

Now consider these definitions of success:

  • Being true to your own style/leading
  • Consistently progressing as a musician
  • Always working hard to be YOUR best
  • Committing to being better today than you were yesterday

These are things that you DO have control over. Every day. And that means you hold the reins of your advancement. It means you’ll not have to wait for anyone to accomplish what needs done, according to your timetable, and your decision of what is the important next step.

With these last four options as your defining lighthouse of victory, you will never feel lost at sea, or end up emotionally shipwrecked. Instead, you’ll be calling all the shots and remain in control of what’s really important – your career as you wish it do be.

Drums shakin' the room!

Whichever option(s) you pick, just know they will dramatically impact your daily attitude, direction and level of perseverance. Make your decision carefully, because your choice will define you… for a long time.

So… what is your finish line? How will you know every day that you’ve “made it”?? What is now your personal benchmark of success??

Your answer to this will define you, and dominate you for years to come.

THIS is your Matrix moment. Choose your pill wisely.   ๐Ÿ˜‰

The Longest Journey…

The sun is going down behind the palm trees now, and since 3 a.m. comes early, it’s time for me to sign off and prep for a few hours sleep before my loooooong run in the morning.

Like music, running is something that inspires me. It keeps me thinking of the future: the possibilities; the chances for victory; the potential to be better than I’ve been.

Whatever instrument you play, or gear that resides in your studio, don’t give up on their abilities to turbo-boost your musical achievement. You are capable of things you can’t even imagine. Your success, as you define it, is possible.

Let that vision empower you for the days to come. If you’re here, then you’ve already taken the first step of the longest journey, and that was the hardest one. Now just keep running strong and true, with all that you’ve got, to the completion of your vision.

a toast to going the distance!
Cheers!

And afterwards, let’s all go for a drink to toast our victory!

Now, go… make… sounds!!

P.S. If you, like me, are a musician AND a runner, try this trick for fun and rhythmic progress (especially if you play drums):

Most people breathe in simple 4/4 time to their footfalls and/or their music.

Try mixing it up! If your pace or music is in 4/4, try breathing in 3/4. Or (even harder, I find) try triplets or dotted quarters. It’s an interesting, fun way to study music even when you’re pushing your body to new limits. Not to mention it gets your mind off the “12 miles to go”!!

Teaj

How to Mix Songs – Resources To Make YOU a Pro!

Some things are hard to admit.

You hide. You avert. You spin. You distract people from it.

But the truth… will… OUT!

So finally, here I will set the record straight. Let the chips fall where they may. As Sting said:

“If this was all correct

the last thing I’d expect…

The Prosecution rests.

It’s time that I confessed….”

For years, I was too SCARED to mix!!

There. I said it.

At last… my day in court is done.

My conscience is clean. lol

The Daunting Taunts!

There’s no denying it: learning how to mix songs is a huge, daunting task. It encompasses SO much, and it’s less about what you do and so much more about what you KNOW. Much of the time, it can seem like even considering doing your own mix elicits nothing but mocking laughter from the pro audio engineer pantheon of greats.

Learning how to mix a song when tracks are full

I know that feeling well. I let others mix my material for years mostly because of respect: I had read numerous books about the top producers and mix engineers in our industry and they were such giants of great audio production that I thought there’s no way I could ever approach their skill level, let alone reach it.

But finally, a few years back, I took the bull by the woofers… ohp, I mean the horns. I decided it was time. I would put the work in to really become an informed engineer and absolutely know what I was doing. Then… my product would tell whether I could claim success or not.

If you’re here reading this, then you probably are in that same moment of decision: “ein neuer Mond der Entscheidung”, as my favorite film “Wings Of Desire” says… “a new moon of decision”.

Well, I’m here to tell you – YOU CAN DO IT! If you put in the effort to really understand what the different elements and decisions you’ll have to make represent, then you will have the power any great mixer has… the power of strong, effective choice.

Being educated about the myriad of decisions to be made in a modern mix is absolutely crucial, though… IF you want to obtain good results. But where can we go to really get the goods and set us up for success??

Well, any cursory glance at the pro audio landscape will show you that there are, literally, thousands of people or companies that claim that they will shape you into a master mix engineer. YouTube alone offers so many “mix experts” it akin to the number of dandelions that want to pop up through my lawn now that spring is here.

Uh, I mean, now that spring is TRYING to be here. But it’s failing miserably. Buuut I digress…. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Land, ho!

What I thought I’d do today is point you in the right directions. I’m going to share with you three mixing resources that I value more than any others. These three truly rescued me from endlessly treading water on the wide, wild ocean of mixing options and brought me safely into harbour after harbour of understanding.


Now, I can sail from Point A (when recording has ended) to Point Z (submitting a final mix for Mastering) with an informed assurance that I will reach the “New World” of a killer mix, without shipwrecks, sickness, mutinies, or abandoning ship.

Unless my wife needs me. Then I’ll have to abandon ship until she doesn’t. lol

The following resources will really give you a firm grasp of what needs to be done, what order it should be done in, and when to say “It’s done!”. I thought of writing my own posts about mixing, but these guys have done such a great job, I could not duplicate their products without Herculean efforts, so… it just makes sense to let them show you the audio ropes!

So let’s set sail, shall we?!

Your First-Class Dinghy

If you are really new to mixing, and will readily admit that you have a LOT to learn, then you’re like a would-be sailor who needs a little experience understanding the water first! Best to get a small dinghy or canoe, and spend some time learning the basics, getting a good grasp on the essentials and how to maneuver within them.

Alan Parsons "Art And Science of Sound Recording"

For this, I highly recommend the superb set of videos by esteemed legendary producer/engineer Alan Parsons called the “Science of Sound Recording” series.

I mostly got this set because I’m a huge fan of Parsons. His oeuvre of work speaks for itself, and it shouts, basically, “IN-CRE-DI-BLE!!!”

You won’t find many people who have worked on so many classic albums that still resound on radio consistently to this day. Alan is truly one-of-a-kind.

I can’t say that I learned much that I didn’t already know from these videos from the engineering standpoint. But, saying that, I also come from a long background in pro audio, my most informative years occurring when I worked for Sweetwater Sound, a company long-respected for “knowing their stuff”. We had several weekly seminars and educational meetings to make sure our heads were clearly wrapped around all the ins and outs (literally!) that any audio customer might need help with.

I was, however, thoroughly inspired by the performances, professionalism and ideas Alan presented. Unless you’ve got it all down, this course will give you a bird’s eye view of one of our industry’s icons producing a song, start to finish. This will include not only the mixing stage at the end, but everything before it as well. Because of this, it’s the most comprehensive of all the options I’ll talk about today.

Teaj's own copy of Alan's works
Teaj’s own copy

Now how often do you get to see THAT?!

And speaking of performances, you get to witness some of THE BEST session musicians on the planet laying the tracks down for Alan. If you have any desire to see how Nathan East, Tim Pierce, Simon Phillips, Rami Jafee do their stuff in the studio, as well as hearing interviews from the best musicians, producers and engineers in the industry, like Michael McDonald, Elliot Scheiner, Carol Kaye, Erykah Badu, John Shanks, Jack Joseph Puig!

These days, you get a lot of input for free from YouTube. I totally get that. I’ve availed myself of it times beyond number.

I don’t know if you’d be able to find, however, something this quality and this comprehensive there. I know I haven’t.

So, if you don’t mind investing a bit of coin towards your future in mixing, and you really want professional’s understanding of this art, and science, give Alan’s lessons a try. I spent the cash and don’t regret it at all, and like I said… I even knew most of what he was talking about already!

For more investigation, or to pick it up and start taking in the expertise of a master, GO HERE.

Graduating to a Sailboat

When I first starting using the Internet, I remember thinking, “Man! This could revolutionize teaching. Imagine being able to learn anytime, anywhere, on any subject!!”

Fast-forwarding to today, that prescient thought has been given real terabytes, and now we can learn basically whatever we want, whenever we want, at the click of a mouse.

I’ve tried several tutoring sites and by far my favorite is Lynda.com. Not only do they have an extremely vast selection of topics, but their training courses are not dumbed-down, partial or irrelevant.

I have clicked on (no lie) at least eighteen different pro audio courses on Lynda. I learned so much; I don’t think there was any course that I watched that didn’t provide me with at least a couple insights or ideas that I had not considered before that.

If you watch ALL of the mix-related courses, like I did, you’ll be in a position to be a mix MASTER no matter what song you’re handed. But if you can’t watch ’em all, I highly recommend Bobby Owsinski‘s courses. He knows his stuff and has put together a great overview of everything you need to succeed in a mix.

Also, if your DAW platform is Pro Tools, as mine is, you absolutely can’t go wrong learning from Frank D. Cook. I love his courses! He has such great energy, and his classes are jam-packed with comprehensible but empowering explanations of all kinds of tweaky methods and techniques that will enable you to attack any song mix with confidence and prowess. Don’t leave Lynda without visiting Frank!

Oh, and let’s talk affordability: Lynda.com only charges $25 a month, BUT….  the first month is free. They also allow you to cancel at any time. Put those two together and you now have absolutely no excuse to NOT go immediately there and start learning. Seriously, it’s the best teaching I have found on video, bar none. It blows YouTube away.

So whaddya waiting for?? Go get your degree in sound. Follow THIS LINK to see all her available mixing courses!

Your Ocean Liner of Understanding!

Mixing Secrets by Mike Senior

Okay, so those two were an immense help to me when I started doing my own mixing. Now, it’s time to pull out the big guns. I’d like to introduce you to my #1 go-to resource for audio mixing – the one I consult whenever I come up against some aggravating snag regarding mixing technique and need a quick solution. Rockers and rockettes, may I present…

… Mike Senior’s “Mixing Secrets For The Small Studio”!!

I can’t say enough good things about this book. If I were allowed only one resource to see me through the rest of my production career, I would choose this one. If I could only have one book to study from to understand all that I need to be effective in bringing music to life, I’d study this one. If I were new to music production, and needed one “fountain of knowledge” to teach me all the things I’ll need to know in order to become a capable, formidable mixing engineer, I would learn from THIS BOOK!!

Catching my drift yet?    lol

Mike has done such an outstanding job balancing audio theory, definition and technique in his ambitious achievement. That’s the most impressive thing to me. Being a private music tutor, I know that teaching is certainly not everyone’s gift; just because someone can DO something well, doesn’t mean they will be able to TEACH it capably. Mike obviously has a gift for teaching, and this book proves it.

Mixing Secrets taught me how to mix a song
Teaj’s copy, with notes!

And lemme tell ya… it’s about time for something like this. I have read some pretty dry and, in the end, exhaustingly useless books in my time (many because I HAD to in college). They spend way too much time describing what something IS but never do a good job telling us HOW to use it effectively. When you’re in the studio with the goal of finishing a song for release, it really doesn’t matter what a piece of gear is called, or the theory behind it – you just need to know how to employ it to make the song ROCK!

Mike knows how to do this and has created what I consider THE final word on the subject. He is so good at getting to the real point we all want covered: “How the heck do I use this thing to make a great mix??!!!”

This book stays right below my main guitar amp, just down a bit on my left side, right next to my main work area. I don’t have to consult it much anymore, but I know if I ever AM in a pinch, “Mixing Secrets…” will probably, quickly, get me out of it.

The only thing this extraordinary tome won’t help you with is working through functions, or malfunctions, that are related to your specific DAW. If Reaper is freaking out, that’s a Reaper issue. If Cubase locks up, you’ll have to call Steinberg. If you can’t find a certain tool in Pro Tools, then Avid is at your beck and call. If it’s DAW-related, contact your DAW manufacturer. If it’s method or technique or tool-understanding-related however, Mike’s got yer back!

 

The Journey of a Lifetime

Mixing really comes down to two things: knowing what needs to be done next, and secondly, knowing which button, slider or option will accomplish that next thing. The first is simply audio engineering. The second is knowing your own particular DAW inside and out, so that no powerful tool is hidden from your deft, hit-making hands.

With those two pieces of knowledge boundlessly understood, there will be no stopping you on your great, successful adventure of an audio lifetime. New horizons of song accomplishment await you, and knowledge is your motor.

So grab those resources I shared with you today, study your DAW aggressively and go get what’s waiting for ya… progress, triumphal achievement, and a whole lot o’ FUN!

Now, go… make… sounds!!

Teaj

How to Record at Home – Drums, Pt. 3: Fine Tune Your Tuning!

When I look back at the many drum sounds I’ve encountered while performing and studying music, I have to say that the 80s produced the most wide-spread variety of drum sounds and approaches out of all the decades of recording.

There was something in the water, I guess, back then – every engineer and producer seemed to want to try to make the drums sound different than they ever had before.

Gated drums; flanged drums; Simmons drums; MIDI drums; Roto-Toms… the list of twisted drum methods went on and on.

Not that I’m complaining, mind you. That era gave us some unforgettable, shining moments in percussion history (“In the Air Tonight”, anyone?).

But since then, and even during that time, one thing kept happening behind the scenes that many who start recording drums forget to address: the tuning of the drum heads!

If you’re learning how to record at home and want your drums to sound as killer as possible, you must spend the time choosing the right heads that will complement your sound, and then tune them appropriately as well. It will make a big difference in the quality and creativity of sound you get in the final mix.

Wanna know why? Thought you might… !

Why tune?

So, why should we tune our drum heads before a recording or an important gig anyways? Is it really that important??

Yes. Yes, it is.

Now, don’t get me wrong – I’ve played with others before, without fine-tuning my kit from the lugs up, but… they were usually just jam sessions. If it’s a paid job, we want to sound our best.

Here are the main reasons I’ve found to consider your tuning before each gig:

  1. A musical, cohesive kit sound
  2. Choosing appropriate pitch options
  3. Removing unwanted pitches/overtones/buzzes
  4. Getting more, and better, gigs

These four basically come down to one principle: everything we play sounding, at all times, professional. We all want that, right? Having a kit that sounds cohesive, and musically complementary to the gig and songs you are playing, will get you a lot of the way there.

But there’s no one way to tune a kit. One thing, however, is certain: most drum recordings we’ve heard were strategically tuned for the particular song or project; rarely is a kit spontaneously recorded while tuned in random, non-related pitches.

So if you just set up your kit and play, tunings be damned, you’re gonna sound, at the best, a little amateurish in your tone.

And for good reason: for quite a few decades now, our ears have become accustomed to a drum kit being tuned certain ways. We’ve all heard thousands of songs in our lifetimes, and in most of them we’ve heard drum kits that contain tunings that are very specific, thought out, and meticulously adjusted for the recordings.

No wonder, then, that playing or recording a kit with no tuning preparation will leave your audience kinda goin’… “Meh.” Not the reaction you’re going for, I’m sure!

But won’t advanced technique win the day every time over drum sound??

In many cases, no. Your technique might be amazing and flawless, but any of you who have recorded drums in a studio setting know that drummers are not often called upon for really advanced techniques.

Instead, they’re called upon most of the time for tempo consistency, serving the song with the right simple groove and having a drum kit that sounds really good when mic’ed up.

Tuning our drums makes that last criterion come alive, and puts us as players in that upper echelon… the meticulous ones who do all it takes to sound amazing for every session. And that, my friends, is what gets us those magical dreams-come-true… called more gigs!

So just commit to yourself right now to do it; fine-tune your kit for every performance. To do this, you’ll need to factor in right now tuning time, in addition to your usual load-in time. If you don’t plan for it now you’ll forget, so PLAN IT NOW.

Do this and you’ll always be ahead of the game, and you’ll receive glowing reviews from the people that matter: your fans, and your sound mixers.

Isn’t It Good, Norwegian Wood?

Let’s now look at specific ways to tune your drums. The first I like to call “tuning to the wood“. This is a matter of finding the RESONANCE of whichever specific drum you’re working on and dialing the head in to that pitch. In this technique, you’re letting the drums themselves dictate the tuning.

Think about it: drum manufacturers go to great lengths to produce drums that have a good sound. There’s a “sweet spot” for each drum that will make it sound great when set up properly.

Much of this has to do with installing and tuning a drum head on it properly.

Do you know what the inherent good news in that is?? It’s that you don’t actually have to have a kit worth several thousands of dollars to produce a recorded sound that worth a million bucks!

If you take the time to find each of your drum’s innate resonance tones, they’ll sing like Pavarotti, and give you as much drum as you want in the mix without being buried.

(Oh, and as an aside, if you haven’t discovered my article on drum heads and their importance yet, I highly suggest you take that in. You can’t think about how to tune a head before you actually choose which head to get! So read about that HERE.)

So, each drum, based on its size, and material, has its own innate resonant frequency – the specific frequency where that drum will sound the loudest and ring the longest. Where that tone is on the Hertz scale is based purely on how, and with what, the drum was made.

The way we find this is by gradually increasing the tension on a single drum head (the other should be muffled or not on yet) until the clearest, loudest and most sustaining note is found. This is where the drum naturally sings – you’ll hear it.

(One more aside: if you’re really new to drums and need a step-by-step on how to do this, my friends at TunaDrum will walk you through how to put that drum lug wrench to perfect use. Find them HERE.)

If you then tighten the lugs past this specific resonance tension, you’ll notice the sound power and sustain then decreases again. That means you’re moving away, higher, from the drum’s natural resonant vibration.

Do you want your drums to sing with their best voice? Or would you rather they stay choked off? Muffled? Strangled?

Obviously we want to bolster the best out of our kit, so find the resonant tones of your drums. It’s a crucial first step to an impressive final tuning that will sound amazing in the context of a tune!

Song Sung Tuned

So, should we always tune a drum to its resonant tone for every gig or session?? Not necessarily. Every decision we make concerning our drums should be done for musical reasons, not just convenience or cost concerns.

One context for not using the resonant tone method is when we want our kit to tune “to the song“. This is usually done when the drummer, or the tracking engineer (or BOTH!), are hearing that the kit is not musically gelling very well with the other tonal instruments, like the keyboards or guitars.

This is usually because the key that the song is written in is “dissonant” with the tuning of your drums. That just means they clash, i.e…. they don’t play together nicely!

Major chords in every key

The easiest way to do this as a drummer, even if you’re not up on musical scales, tones and such, is to simply ask the keyboardist or guitarist “What key is this in?“.

\Then, use a drum tuner (lotsa brands out there, just pick one) to match your drums with the key. The key will either be MAJOR or it will be MINOR.

To the left I’ve added for you the breakdown of the three notes (or “triad”) that outline the main chord in each key. Use your drum tuner to match accordingly.

For example, if the song is in “C” (major) then I would tune my toms to the notes in the Chord 1 column: “C“, “E” and “G“.

Whether you tune those pitches ascending or descending (i.e. “C” on top, or bottom) is up to you.

I would probably put the “C” on the lower tom and outline the chord so it’s ascending. But descending might sound interesting too. As I say in the studio all the time, ya never know ’til ya try something, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

Just do your fiddling before the session, because we all know time is money, & no one’s going to want to wait while you guess your tuning – they’re ready to play!

Minor chords in every key

As for the snare, you can choose whichever note of the three you like to match. OR, as I often do, make it a different pitch of your choosing to make it stand out.

For me, it’s all about the song, so I’d try higher and lower pitches to see which one suits the song best. Remember, your snare is your kit’s “soloist”, so its voice must be impressive and complementary.

Your higher toms and snare are the most important. The bigger toms have such lower pitches that they typically don’t interfere as much.

It is not unheard-of in pro studios for the drum kits to tuned to match the first song of the session. Each tom and the all-important snare are tuned to sit perfectly in the key of the song and bolster those pitches for added “oomph” and power. Then, when the next song drops, they adjust from there.

In fact, according to my friend Ross Garfield, whose drum cartage and supply company “Drum Doctors” revolutionized L.A.’s drum session scene in the 80s and is still going strong today, some producers have even called for several drum sets, all with different timbres and tunings, to be delivered for one recording session.

THAT’s how important it was to match the song’s overall vibe.

For the full, SO-insightful interview with Ross, CLICK HERE.

Now, if successful music moguls making millions are doing this… shouldn’t we change our tuning once in a while, to complement the songs we’re playing on?

The short answer: uh…. DUH! Yes!!

He’s A Math-ic Man, Momma

A third way to tune your drums, which is not prevalent yet but is on the rise thanks to current technology, is “tuning to math“.

TuneBot

This approach takes the Hertz frequency scale into consideration and spreads the drum tones out in a spaced spectrum based on how many drums you have.

It’s the most scientific approach to getting a good drum sound, and those with an analytical bent will probably gravitate towards this one naturally.

You will need a drum tuner for this approach, since you’ll need the numbers on the pitch readout screen to match the tuning graphs.

If you use this method, remember that the more drums you have, the smaller the intervals need to be, pitch-wise, between your toms.

The absolute best example I’ve seen of using Hertz mathematics to calculate the pitch positioning of drum heads is done by our friends at “TuneBot”. Talk about having it down to a science!

If a more calculation-based approach floats your rhythmic boat, you’re gonna love their charts and info. I couldn’t do it better, so just follow their comprehensive primer HERE.

This approach uses musical intervals, just like our previous method, but it doesn’t concern itself with matching any particular song. It just spreads the kit out evenly and makes sure it sounds great all by itself.

I personally might use this method to start my tuning, but since everything should be about THE SONG when recording, I’d definitely change it if it clashed in any way with the key once we’ve started run-throughs after set-up.

No Jimi Hendrix in the Drum Room Please

I love Hendrix. His skill. His showmanship. The way he brought feedback to the forefront of guitar playing. Amazing.

But in the studio, I find feedback to often get in the way of a good mix, especially regarding drums. Perhaps you, like me, have found yourself bothered by these things:

  • too long of a resonance ring on the toms
  • too loud of an overtone on the snare
  • snare wires buzzing when a certain tom is played
  • ‘sympathetic vibration’ of another drum

These are all things that we usually can fix by changing our tuning. It’s a trade-off tho’, because if you fix one of those problems by changing your tuning, you will probably lose the perfect resonance of one or more of your drums.

So should you just slap a gate on the offending drums instead?

Maybe. It depends on what’s more important to you as the tracking engineer/producer. Your job is to get the very best sound out of those drums for the song at hand.

So, put on a gate. Does that improve the sound within the tune? Or, instead, change the pitch of the offending drum. Does that improve the sound within the tune better? Or worse?

As with everything, (why yes I will say it again!) it’s all about the song, not the drum. So only make, and keep, a change that makes the overall song sound better. Otherwise, you might as well just be recording a “solo drums” record!

If you work with (or ARE) an engineer who prefers keeping the drum tunings the same on all tracks, song to song (what I don’t advise), then sure… set your tunings the way you like and make sure you’re monitoring that they’re staying that way throughout all the recordings.

I will say, though, that if you choose that ‘easier path’, you’re missing out on some wonderful opportunities to foster incredibly pleasing, symbiotic interplay between the drums and the other tonal instruments.

Especially considering how the overtones on drums ring out, the potential for impactful, congruous washes in your room mics, IF you tune to the key, is quite high.

The last thing I’ll say about tuning to overcome noises and unwanted ringing is this: most of the time in the studio, I don’t have to bother the tuning at all for this. It’s called “Moon Gels“, baby. Buy these… problems solved!

Calling the Tonal Shots

Engineers know studio well - let them call the shots!

I have great respect for talented drummers. I know many who are far better than I at the skins.

But in the studio, here’s what I find: very few of them are well-versed in the intricacies of software recording, mixing, mastering… and specifically, what it takes to make drums sound AMAZING in a mix.

Unless you have years of experience actually recording and mixing your drums in the studio, always defer to your tracking and mixing engineer. It’s their job to make you sound as cool as you possibly can, and they probably know their studio tools (compressors, transient designers, limiters, reverbs, gates…) way better than you do.

Take a moment after the first run-through of the song to ask, “Hey – whaddya think of my tuning? Is it complementing the song well?”

Do this, and not only will any problems be addressed and the recording improved, but the engineer’s eyebrows will raise in amazement that a drummer actually asked that question and they’ll forever think you are the bombest of the bomb.

Oh, and you’ll probably get hired again. That can’t hurt either.   lol

Stay Tuned!

So, that’s what you need to know about tuning drums. From here, you can go make the type of killer recordings legends are known for… at least from the standpoint of how your drums sound.

As for technique, consistency and groove, well, that’s up to you… and the woodshed.  ๐Ÿ˜‰

Stay tuned for more intriguing glimpses into studio & concert life here at Seriousgas, and let us know in the Comments how these tuning techniques work for you, or ones YOU use that are different.

Now, go… make… (in tune) sounds!!

Teaj

What to Take on Vacation – A Musician Weighs In!

Today’s post comes to you from ‘musician country’ – Nashville, TN!

Almost every year I hit this city, taking in its great musical heritage, learning from its storied past and present, and investigating new ideas, contacts and relationships to help my music forward. It helps to have relatives here too (thanks, brother Steven)!

This year my son Caden is with me, and his friend Tyler, since they’re both on spring break from school. We’ve travelled from Michigan, hitting several musical friends of mine along the way, with whom I do music online. It’s great actually meeting them face to face, not to record but just to hang out and invest friendship which, after all, is more important than music. One of the few things!   lol

Mixed in with all our usual luggage and personal items is my G.A.S. Emergency Kit! These are things I must have when traveling, in order to “light the fire”, “stir the pot” and spur me to create new music whenever the opportunity arises.

What to take on vacation

Now, if you’re here because you were asking yourself what to take on vacation, regarding all the normal stuff, sorry to say your answer’s not here. But if you’re a musician and/or songwriter… well, then check this out – perhaps you relate…!

Happy Guitar Traaaaaaails to You….

Do you have a travel guitar? Have you ever in the past?

If not, Iย highly recommend to you to get one. Blame it on your G.A.S. Blame it on me. Just do it. It’s sooooo helpful and inspiring, and perfect for when you only have so much room for what other people might consider “non-essential items”. If you’re a guitarist and travel at all, you want, no, you neeeeed… a travel guitar.

The Yamaha JR1 guitar
Grabbing my Yamaha JR1 before departure!

Iย personally go with the Yamaha JR1. It’s not marketed as a travel guitar, but rather as a “reduced scale” acoustic guitar for kids.

I find though that it’s just the ticket for getting that “real acoustic sound” (since it is one) in a compact unit. Its spruce top makes for really good top plate resonance and gives me a sound reminiscent of my bigger “adult” guitars back home.

Its dimensions are 33″ long x 12.5″ at the widest part of the body. In its cloth case, this guitar is small enough to fit in the overhead compartment of a plane. It’s also great for driving, since it’s tiny size allows you to fit it easily in anywhere with your other luggage pieces.

Now, you can get other travel guitars that fold up, if you need something even smaller. than the JR1. There’s electric models, other acoustic models, some with hollow bodies, solid bodies… NO bodies! Some acoustic and some you’ll hear only through headphones.

The Airlines rep frowny face
“You want to bring… THAT… on the plane?!”

A myriad of choices, but they are all designed to give you something to shred on that won’t make the airlines rep give you that frowny face.

Yea, you know the one I’m talkin’ about.

For me tho’, the JR1 is the perfect musical travelling companion. And I’ve written maaaaaany a song on it.

Obviously, don’t expect this guitar to give a booming low end. It’s too small to shake the foundation!

Also, I find the strings closer together quite a bit, so when I fingerpick I have to adjust my placement. A subtle but noticeable difference that you’ll have to deal with if you fingerpick as I do at times.

If those two things are acceptable, then you’re good. Give a travel guitar a try. I don’t think you’ll ever go back once you experience how many songs you’ll produce while seein’ the world!

By the way, it doesn’t have to be just for travel. I keep my JR1 in my living area downstairs from the studio and if I have a quick idea I grab it and record on my phone. Never let an idea get away again!

I’ve recorded with this guitar too and gotten a really good final product, though the EQ will differ compared to your typical acoustic. To be honest, it actually sits in the mix better than my bigger acoustics sometimes, especially if in a mix with bass and keys. I don’t have to dial out any bottom end!

Yamaha did a nice job with this one, and tho’ it’s meant for kids… this adult turned out to be a fan!!

In Good Shape-o With a Capo

Let’s face it: if you write in the same keys all the time, no matter how good a lyricist you are… you’re gonna start sounding the same. No one’s music should be boring. We work too hard on these songs, right? So mix it up a bit and use a capo.

The Glide Capo
The Glide Capo rocks… and rolls!

If you haven’t delved into Capo-Land before, you’re in for a treat. Basically, you can change the key you are writing or playing in by just putting the capo on the appropriate fret. If you’re playing open chords in C, for example, if you put the capo on the FIRST fret, you’d be increasing the key by one half step, putting you in C# or Db. The SECOND fret would increase the key by one whole step, putting you in D, etc.

When writing it adds so much variety to your songs. If you just put the capo anywhere on the neck, you’ll be sounding different than if you play only your regular open chords down by the nut.

I also find my melodies sit differently when I put the capo higher on the neck, because fundamental frequencies of the guitar strings (80 Hz to 330 Hz) are now higher, and therefore they interact (and sometimes even interfere) with my tenor voice (80 Hz to 330 Hz) more. All that just means… you’ll create differently, and that’s always a good thing.

Guitar capo is what to take on vacation!
Guitar capo on fret one

There are a large number of artists that write with capos. The one that springs to mind immediately is Paul Simon. When I was first learning guitar I memorized a lot of Simon & Garfunkel tunes. Most people know these tunes and sing along with gusto when they’re performed. Plus they really force you to have your fingerpicking skills down pat.

James Taylor, Phil Keaggy, Joni Mitchell… heck, even our modern songwriting wiz-kid Taylor Swift slides her capo on all the time. They’re out there if you’re looking, so keep your eyes open.

When I’m on the road, my capo sits in the top shallow pocket of my backpack, right in with my phone. That way it’s always within quick reach if a song idea is at my fingers.

Multiple capo madness!
Multiple capo madness!

You can also get really creative and use multiple capos for songs. Phil Keaggy does this. Trying to figure out his material is, because of this, is really hard! I often have to look up videos of him playing to figure out how he got ‘that sound’, only to see… it’s two partial capos placed at different places on the neck. What a trickster!

I have at least 8 different capos to choose from, but when I travel I almost always grab my Greg Bennett Glider Capo. I have two of ’em and they work great. They have the added benefit of being able to lower or raise song key by just sliding the capo us or down, without having to take it off. Great engineering there.

So, to keep music fresh and challenge yourself to explore new territories, always throw a capo in your bag. You just never know how your music might groove in new, exotic keys!

Whistle While You… Play?!

I travel with a penny whistle, and as Lindsey Buckingham put it, “I’m never goin’ back again!”

For those that don’t know, a penny whistle is mostly widespread and known for its contributions to Irish folk music. Am I Irish? Nope. My ancestors had their feet solidly south on the European continent, but that doesn’t stop me from really loving to play this exuberant, expressive and contagiously exciting music style!

Practicing those Irish tunes to take on vacation!
Practice makes… Irish!

I first became acquianted with Irish folk music through the violin. I was getting a bit tired of only playing classical, so I bought a small book called “Irish Tunes” to throw some diversity into my practice times. Little did I know what awaited me. Within a day of trying it out I couldn’t get enough. These songs are so much fun to play, I just kept wanting to learn more and more!!

But these songs can also be extremely tricky, mostly because of the breakneck speed at which their played a lot of the time. I noticed that on a lot of the tunes, there was this high-pitched flute-like sound that really brought the joy out in the music. A little Google research divulged that the penny whistle was the maker of these bright, happy lines, so I decided to get one and try it out. HAD to be easier than fiddle technique, right?

Well, as soon as I got it (all the way from Ireland, no less!) I was hooked. What a fun instrument. And what’s even cooler is it can stay right in your pocket no matter what you’re doing and at the drop of a shamrock… boom! You’re friends are dancing jigs around you!

The Online Academy of Irish Music

The next thing I discovered was that authentic Irish music could be learned online by a really killer website called “The Online Academy of Irish Music” (www.oaim.ie). I’ve learned a lot of great songs with the penny whistle teacher there, Kirsten Allstaff and had a blast practicing these wickedly uplifting little ditties.

One vacation departure day I was really wanting to finish mastering a tune called “I’ll Tell Me Ma” so I stuck my whistle in my backpack. That vacation I discovered just how easy and cool it was to able to pull out the whistle and bring a smile to my family’s face by playing one of the hundreds of lilting, sunny melodies Ireland has produced with this instrument.

Traveling’s never been so happy.   ๐Ÿ˜‰

Astronaut Catherine Coleman knows what to take on vacation to space - a penny whistle!
Astronaut Catherine Coleman takes her Irish flute & penny whistle everywhere… even SPACE!

For the record, I play a “Tony Dixon” penny whistle. You can get these in the key of “D”, as I have, or the key of “G”. Those are the two main keys used in Irish music. I find Dixon models to be aligned well for good intonation, tho’, like all wind instruments, you will have to lip up or down occasionally.

By the way, did you know that it’s whispered that soon, if we all call the tune, that the piper will lead us to reason? I think he’s using a penny whistle…

To Record, or Not to Record… There’s No Question!

Micro-cassettes and recorder
Micro-cassettes, recorder & hundreds of song ideas!

There was a time when capturing a new song was not as easy as today. Over the course of my career, I’ve purchased digital recorders, several micro-cassette recorders, and even (goin’ way back) a portable cassette recorder, just to be able to capture songs as I come up with them wherever I’m at.

This is crucial, especially when you’re beginning to write songs, because your mind will not always remember what you came up with days ago… or hours ago… or sometimes MINUTES ago!! No matter what, I always record my ideas. Great songs are not easy to come by, so I don’t wanna lose one potentially just because I was too busy putting gas in the car or doing some other mundane task. SO not worth it.

But these days… we’ve got our smart phones, people! No extra device needed. Got an idea? Speak or play it into your phone. Then, just download it later into the computer.

Many times, like on this vacation that I’m finishing up here, I finish the song completely with just my phone. Early this week, for example, I hummed a new melody into the phone as I was driving a long distance. Then, playing it back through the car system via Bluetooth, I came up with the words to the Chorus. Then the verse. By the time we arrived at Mike’s, a keyboard player I like to work with, the song was all done except for a third verse.

Not a bad bit o’ progress for 201.4 miles.   ๐Ÿ˜‰

The End of the Road

So there ya go – now you know what to take on vacation that really matters! It doesn’t take a lot, but it can sure make a lot.

As I conclude this post, I am also concluding my vacation. We had a great time in Music City, as well as other towns, and I come back with three new songs in my arsenal. I still have to flesh out all the verses lyrically, but everything alse is there, thanks to my G.A.S. Emergency Kit items!

Crack open some new music
Crack open some new music on the road!

If you haven’t tried writing or rehearsing while traveling, I hope this article is the impetus for you to give it a try. A couple songs I’ll be releasing soon on my new albums are ones that were written while traveling… one even while on vacation!

If you already write while traveling, what gear do you take? What songs have you brought to life successfully because of it? We’d like to hear, so share in the comments!

In the meantime, as I unpack my luggage AND guitar, go… make… sounds!

Teaj