Test Your Reflex Blog Test Your Reflex
  • Mar
    26

    You know that you need to learn guitar scales so that your guitar playing, whether you play rock guitar or jazz guitar or even Country guitar, improves dramatically. You want to sound fluid and creative, not formulaic; you won’t want to play the “same ol’ same ol’”. When you learn guitar scales you’ll take your guitar playing even higher with the learning of modes. Modes are simply variations upon guitar scales that, when played in certain ways, cause the music to take some dramatic turns. If you learn guitar scales as well as modes, you will be far ahead of those who only learn one, or don’t learn any, of these things. [youtube:-1FdWO711mI?fs=1;[link:Learn Guitar Scales For Beginners];http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1FdWO711mI?fs=1&feature=related]

    Among the guitar modes is the Locrian Mode. You might have heard of the Phrygian Mode before, and the Locrian Mode is quite similar to it. In fact, there is just one note’s difference. But that one different note means a lot.

    Playing in the Locrian Mode, in its simplest sense, means beginning and ending a solo or lead break on the 7th note of the “straight” scale-that is, the scale the comes from the key that you are playing in. So, if you were playing in the key of C, and you wanted to play a solo in Locrian, you would start and end the solo on an B note. It would not have to be exactly the same B note, it could be a B note in another octave if you preferred, but it must be B (ha!).

    Playing in B Locrian means playing something different than the B major scale. It also means playing in C in a different way than you would if you just were going to use the C major or its relative minor (A minor) scale for a solo.

    Advanced guitar players know the great importance of understanding the intervalic relationship between a given mode’s notes. The intervals for the Locrian Mode take this form Root, flatted 2nd , flatted 3rd ,major 4th ,flatted 5th , flatted 6th, flatted 7th . So, if you played C Locrian, which is in the key of D, you would play C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C’.

    If you played F Locrian, you would be playing in the key of G but with “sound and feel” of an F major scale. You would “think in” the pattern of notes that begins and ends on F, but please recognize that they all be the notes of the G major scale. Do you think that might spark your creativity?

    Imagine playing the C Locrian mode within song written in D. You can probably hear in your head how different it would sound than if you just played the usual D major scale in that song.

    In reality, the Locrian Mode doesn’t get used that much by guitar players. The Locrian Mode may sound too much like the Phrygian Mode, which is one of the most popular guitar modes. Other guitar players think that the Locrian Mode sounds too suggestive of the “straight” key scale.

    For the discerning guitar player who wants to learn guitar scales, the Locrian Mode allows for some very pronounced contrast between the solo and the chord progression. When you learn guitar scales, give yourself a great tool with the learning of the Locrian Mode.

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  • Feb
    12

    This rock guitar lesson will cover the commonly used chords and scales that are used in rock. Rock music evolved from blues; so much of the components of rock will also be common to blues music.

    With rock music there are common chords that are used, the most common being the 5 chord or power chord, the major and minor chords. In rock guitar the most common scales used for soloing are the minor pentatonic, major pentatonic and blues scales.

    The 5 chord or power chord is simply the root and the perfect fifth and can be played just using these two notes. This chord is used extensively in hard rock, rock, punk and metal. The chord is commonly played with the root on the low E string or on the A string, but a 5 chord can also be played less commonly over the higher strings as well. As most chords are constructed using a root and fifth, it is important to know how to use power chords as they are a stepping stone to learning more complex ones.

    Rock guitar commonly relies on the major and minor chords, in the form of triads. If we take a 5 chord and and add a minor third to it, we create a minor chord. If we add a major third, we create a major chord. It is common to play these chords in the open position on the fretboard, but they can be played on any part of the fretboard.

    In rock guitar the most common scale used for soloing is the minor pentatonic. This scale is the “bread and butter” scale of rock. It is best to learn this scale first, before any others as it will be the most versatile scale in your soloing arsenal. The blues scale is also very common, and is created by simply adding a flat five to the minor pentatonic.

    The major pentatonic scale and the major scale are commonly used in rock guitar. These scales will give a brighter sound to that of the minor pentatonic, and tend to be favoured by country players. These scales can be applied to many different styles of rock music from heavy rock to country to pop.

    Thank you for reading this rock guitar lesson. I hope that it gives you a clear understanding of what comprises rock music. Remeber to start learning the chords and scales from the types of music that you are interested in, before you learn the others. This will keep the learning process fun and interesting for you.

    Learn Guitar Scales the dead easy way, and witness your lead guitar playing skyrocket in no time at all. For a limited time you can receive your very own FREE E Guide that will fast track your guitar soloing skills. Click the link below for your FREE copy now! Pentatonic Guitar Scales

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  • Jan
    13

    My life as a Glam Rock music fan in the 70s Long before Lady Gaga there was David Bowie & T. Rex. I grew up in Dundee, a city on the east coast of Scotland, some 60 miles north of Edinburgh. There are many places in the world where ‘looking different’ an glam rock fashions can attract negative attention and at that time, Dundee was such a place. Street gangs were common and well-organized, each having its own ‘uniform’ consisting of a colored jersey, Sta-Prest trousers and Doc Marten boots (a continuation of the skin-head fashion of the 60s). The Lochee Fleet wore blue and red, the Shams wore black and red, the Kirkton Huns blue and white, and so on. Consequently, street violence was rife, combined with high unemployment and an abundance of hard drugs. I was relatively sheltered from all of this, growing up in a stereotypically middle-class family, living in what would have been considered a ‘posh’ part of town, attending a ‘posh’ school, the Dundee High, a semi-private, Presbyterian establishment who preached unhealthy, elitist attitudes towards the outside world and glam rock fashions.

    Being a youngster in the 70s i was made aware of glam rock stars like Marc Bolan, David Bowie, The Sweet and loads of other glam rock bands that were popular at the time. There were many divisions in the music scene including prog rock, hard rock, skinhead ska and general pop music of the day. Glam rock was divided between groups like The sweet, T Rex and the more serious David Bowie, Cockney Rebel type of glam rock bands. After seeing and hearing the first Roxy music record i decided I wanted to look like a glam rock star myself and proceeded to carry on my mission as a glam rock kid in Northern England.

    My life as a glam rock kid in Britain began with harassing my mom for glam rock clothes like platform shoes and glitter shirts. The pre disco shirts with long collars and lurid patterns were available even in depressing northern England as tons of kids could not get enough of the stuff. If you look at some 1970s films you can see how glam rock influenced the everyday fashions as eventually even business men were wearing shoes with a slight heel and office ties and accessories were often a little way out. As I began dressing in the glam rock style my life was getting more uneasy in the street. People were jeering and laughing but behind that was the real threat of violence that may occur any moment from some idiot getting mortally offended by me just having some fun.

    It was after a school-dance, on my way home, that I received my proper baptism as a glam-rocker. Earlier on, I had stolen a few cans of McEwans Export beer from my parents which had been enough to get me moderately plastered, so I didn’t exactly have my wits about me as I made my way to the bus-stop dressed in glam rock clothes. If I had, I would have spotted a group of black-and-red jerseys (The Shams) up ahead on my side of the street and would most probably have taken evasive action. But I didn’t and suddenly found myself surrounded by black and red. I tried to make a run for it but my platforms proved to be a considerable handicap in terms of my ability to run. I was soon caught, kicked, punched, spat upon, and by the time they were finished with me, my clothes were torn and one platform shoe had been stolen, presumably as a memento.

    Since it was raining, walking in my socks wasn’t really an option- so I hopped and hobbled to the bus-stop. On the bus I was mocked and jeered at by a group of teenagers for looking glam rock but finally made it home, war-torn and bloody. Thanks to the alcohol, I didn’t feel any physical pain until the following day when I woke up with a black eye and what turned out to be a cracked rib. But it was the irreparable damage to my clothing which upset me more than anything else. Not surprisingly, I wasn’t the only glam rock person in Dundee and I soon met and befriended other like-minded glam rock individuals. This enabled me to avoid developing a persecution-complex, realizing with some pride and satisfaction that I was pursuing self-expression without compromise in a hostile environment opposed to glam rock.

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    categories: music,fashion,lifestyles,alternative

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  • Dec
    28

    Indie rock music continues to make its imprint in the music world, and a deep one at that. With so many new bands emerging, it seems like this trend will continue to evolve, and fans are naturally grateful for it. 2008 and 2009 have been some great years, marked by many new bands making their way into the scene. This article will mention some of the best debut albums this period has brought us.

    This article will only focus on three of the best debuts during this period, which will naturally be very challenging. There’s been such a great amount of new music during these last two years, and many exceptional new bands will be left out of this conversation.

    I’ll be trying my best to choose the elite three that make the cut in my mind. These are all phenomenal albums that you’ll definitely take a liking to if you’re into the indie rock scene.

    I can remember the first time I heard For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver. This was one of those albums that made an immediate impact when I first heard it, and well over a year later I’m still listening to this album regularly.

    Justin Vernon is his real name, and he penned the entire album in a state of seclusion while in the woods of Wisconsin. The effort paid off big time, as Vernon is now a household name in the indie world.

    If you haven’t heard Vampire Weekend’s self titled debut album, I’d suggest doing so right away. The release is over a year old at this point, but it’s one of the best and most innovative albums I’ve heard in recent memory. This is a must listen if you’re unfamiliar with the band’s work.

    The final album on my list my very well be my favorite. If you’re already immersed in the indie world, there’s a very good chance that you’ve already heard last year’s debut album by Fleet Foxes. This was one of the most well received albums of 2008.

    If you somehow haven’t heard these, I envy you for the beautiful music you’ll be hearing for the first time.

    The author of this article also writes about acrylic tubing and the clear acrylic sheet.

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  • Dec
    15

    A huge number of people across the country love playing in a rock-band. Whether they do it only for fun or perhaps dream about hitting the big time, it will be a rather enjoyable pastime. Some bands may be developing a distinctive style. Others may wish to compose superb tunes. But regardless of how they differ, pretty much all rock musicians would love to be as good as rock icon Slash from Guns N Roses.

    Guns n Roses came to fame in the eighties with the help of some of the most iconic rock tunes of the previous couple of decades. In addition to their charismatic front man, Slash was considered one of the other genuine characters within the group – instantly recognisable as a result of his big hair as well as amazing guitar playing.

    Slash is without a doubt talented when it comes to guitar-playing however he has the benefit of the very best in terms of equipment. And so if you too would like the benefit that comes with good quality equipment, why not purchase the ones modelled on Slash’s very own gear?

    Thanks to Epiphone, you no longer need a rock superstar income to purchase such quality equipment. Their amazing ‘Appetite’ Les Paul model is in fact based upon Slash’s own iconic guitar and has all the superb looks, cool design plus super star performance any sort of rock icon might expect.

    So you have got the ambition, the ability and the perfect electric guitar, but you are also likely to require a first rate amp to get that rock legend sound. Luckily, Marshall have manufactured a perfect complement to the Epiphone ‘Appetite’ Les Paul, again based upon the actual equipment Slash uses.

    Thanks to the Slash-inspired Les Paul by Epiphone, teamed with the Marshall amp, you’re one step nearer to the legendary status of your rock hero. Having said that, there are limited numbers of these popular products available, so be sure to buy yours before some other person does!

    Should you be only starting out, the Slash Les Paul and Marshall amp can help make practising a real pleasure, and in case you’re already a fantastic rock guitarist, there’s no doubt you’ll sound better still.

    Slash is one of the best rock guitar players of all time. Now you are able to get yourself a Slash marshall amp based upon what he uses for only a fraction of what his costs. To anyone who wants to be a rock star, that has to sound pretty great.

    Having been playing guitar in bands and studios throughout the country since the 1980s, Barry Jones’s knowledge of the instrument is right up there with the best of them.

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  • Nov
    17

    Before picking a Rock School in Brighton, what points do you need to consider?

    A number of things need to be considered before you contact a Rock School in Brighton so you can be sure you have made the right choice for either you or your child.

    Firstly, do they offer a complete service? Do they offer private, one-to-one tuition with a designated tutor, rather than in a more impersonal class-type format? Your progress will be greatly enhanced if you get individual attention and encouragement.

    Are lessons only offered by the Rock School in a particular instrument? The tutors in some schools teach you to play an instrument with no context or structure to the style of music you are learning. This can leave you confused as to what the lesson relates to in terms of actual music, and what to practice away for the lesson.

    Make sure that the Rock school has a program of learning that involves some kind of performance aspect. This usually involves playing and working with other students in a band for a terms duration which ultimately culminates in a public performance at a local live music venue.

    Does the Rock school put any emphasis on creativity? Its all very well learning songs parrot-fashion but this approach won’t give a budding songwriter any understanding how a song is written and arranged. As well as learning to play an instrument, the Rock school should encourage their students to write their own material as they learn about music, not just the instrument.

    Do the staff have any relevant qualifications or experience? Its always a good idea to checking things like teaching qualifications or music industry experience. You might find that a member of your favourite group is on the Rock school staff!

    I hope this list of things you should consider helps you find the right Rock School in Brighton and takes you all the way to the stage and beyond.

    Want to find out more about Rock Schools in Brighton, then visit Adrian Marshall’s site on how to choose the best Rock School in Brightonfor your needs.

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