Any Devoted Musicians around ATS? A Learning Conversation

Hello, I started this thread because I'm a musician myself and I always enjoy productive conversations with other musicians as well. I'm interested in your particular taste in genre's and composition, instrumentation and music theory. It's always good to learn and share knowledge with others that are interested in the ancient art.

A little about my musical self...

I started playing guitar 9 years ago, (I'm 20). I started with heavy metal like Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden, King Diamond, that whole scene. I still write metal music as well as Gypsy Jazz and other genres whenever I have some down time.

However, with my studies in Music Theory (practical, not that watered down formal theory that universities forge as an excuse for the musical language), within the past year I've started diving into the realm of Baroque, Classical, and Romantic era composition. Currently I'm composing a set of 12 Fugues, 24 Caprices, a Guitar Concerto, and my First Symphony. I currently teach music theory and guitar for some extra cash and tutor for students that are taking Music Theory and Guitar Classes at my College.

I started this thread to see what other musicians that there are on this site. I'm really interested in exchanging musical knowledge, especially with those that play instruments that I don't know how (I play Guitar, Piano, Ukulele and the Mandolin, I would love to play the violin some day)

Show me what you know and I'll show you what I know.
I can show you Musical Forms such as Fugues, Sonatas, Concertos, Preludes, Toccatas, and a few more.
Also, a large amount of Music Theory for those of you who are interested.
I'm also interested on what you can teach me.

One of the most important lessons I've had to learn, as a musician, is the importance of being versatile and perceptive. Most of my experience is in playing with groups of people. The very, very best advice I can ever give a musician is to learn to listen. You MUST know when to lay back in the mix and when to go with the flow, and then when to stand out. Music is a living creature when you're playing it, you can't predict where it will go all the time. The best thing you can do is learn to think with the music and not try to direct it.
It's sort of mystical when you think about it, really.
I play drums and guitar. Drums since I was a baby, I grew up with them in my house. I've been playing guitar since I was 18, I'm 22 now. Here's a pretty old video with some of my guitar playing:
www.youtube.com...

Curious, what kind of guitar/amp/pedals do you use?

Would definetly like to concentrate on the guitar I have here.
6 string electric collecting dust.

I'm a composer but not too familiar with notes and meanings. I compose by ear on a Boss Dr. Rhythem, sampler keyboard and attempting the transition to computerized composition editing and boucing.
Two turntables and a microphone. Lost my partner and haven't messed with it much since.

Maybe you can direct me on the guitar if you have time, not sure what I can offer but let me know

I envy you so much. I am 46 and played Trumpet and French Horn from age 12 to my Senior year in High School where I was totally burned out with it all. I had achieved first chair French Horn in a national band that year as well as a music scholarship and I know it was my calling, but I gave it up thinking I would never make a living at it.

Music was my first love since I was a small child. My Mom was a concert pianist and music teacher, and she knew I had the talent, however I was undisciplined and a free spirit and resisted regardless of how natural it came to me. During my time in middle and high school, I embraced Classical as well as rock, soul and country. In College during the '80s I was exposed to alternative rock, reggae, electronic and industrial genres and was able to be on the cutting edge of the future of popular music, all founded on my love of Classical styles.

After college my best friend and I learned guitar and we both realized we had talent but felt we were already past the prime age to start a serious career, I was so wrong and live to regret I at least didn't try. My niece's step-father is a professional cellist here in Nashville and performs not only with the Symphony, but records with such artists as Reba McEntire and Taylor Swift and performed on all music award shows.

Music theory is such a disciplined art form. I wish I was able to get back into it. I am a great, great, great, great, great, great grandson of Johann Sebastian Bach through his son Johann Christian so I have a strong legacy that I should have carried on. I would love to see and hear your compositions and your creativity in action. I am hoping my young sons will see the value of music and how it holds so many possibilities in future society. I also see how current trends for your and the generation behind you don't appreciate the complexity and rarity of the evolution of music. It is entertaining to see American Idol auditions with people who have no talent yet it is discouraging that they and their friends and family believe they are quality performers.

Your natural ability and talent is rare and under-appreciated in our culture, however I hope that I have encouraged you to continue to create and express your life in your music, and chase your dream that is so easily attainable for you if you can keep your focus and individuality.

You will succeed. I guarantee it.

I play guitar, banjo, and mandolin. I enjoy bluegrass, and jam band music (grateful dead, widespread panic etc)

I am best at improv lead...i can hear what notes are missing, then play them. I mainly use pentatonic scales, as i can get almost everything i need from them

You should (if you havent) check out some of Bela Fleck's classical music work of banjo....he's amazing

reply to post by BadBoYeed


There are some really great new bluegrass bands out there man. Check out some of the bands associated with this label: mudstomp.com...
They were down in Medicine Park Ok (where I live) not too long ago. Stuff was podank.

To the guy who wanted to learn guitar, it's easy.
Learn these: www.guitarlearninglesson.com...
This: leagueofguitarists.com...
And enjoy this: www.youtube.com...

All rock is blues man. Learn Blues music and you learn to play guitar, or at least you have a very solid beginning.

Originally posted by Mr Headshot

Curious, what kind of guitar/amp/pedals do you use?

I play an Ibanez JS2000 with a low flow tremelo bridge, on a Line-6 Spider-III half-stack. I don't use any pedals, I'm not interested in effects just composition, I do have a cry baby wah pedal but I haven't used it in years.

I mostly practice on my Washburn Nylon String Wide Neck Cut Away, but that's due to my studying of classical music and my current theory / guitar teacher being 80 years old (he's the sensei).

Nice playing BTW.

Originally posted by Gtown

Maybe you can direct me on the guitar if you have time, not sure what I can offer but let me know

I'm actually preparing a mini-book I guess would call it on Music Theory. It's from an original perspective and not drawn out like college music theory classes, they make things way more complicated than they are.

The first thing to do as a guitar teacher, I introduce students to the C-A-G-E-D system. It shows you how to play the C-Major Scale across the whole entire fretboard along with 5 different C Major Chord Shapes.

I'll post a link when I find a good page because all the ones online I've found are just a mere glimpse. I'll also notify you when I finish my music theory .PDF. It's free as well.

Originally posted by goddesslovr88
I envy you so much. I am 46 and played Trumpet and French Horn from age 12 to my Senior year in High School where I was totally burned out with it all. I had achieved first chair French Horn in a national band that year as well as a music scholarship and I know it was my calling, but I gave it up thinking I would never make a living at it.

After college my best friend and I learned guitar and we both realized we had talent but felt we were already past the prime age to start a serious career, I was so wrong and live to regret I at least didn't try. My niece's step-father is a professional cellist here in Nashville and performs not only with the Symphony, but records with such artists as Reba McEntire and Taylor Swift and performed on all music award shows.

Music theory is such a disciplined art form. I wish I was able to get back into it. I am a great, great, great, great, great, great grandson of Johann Sebastian Bach through his son Johann Christian so I have a strong legacy that I should have carried on. I would love to see and hear your compositions and your creativity in action. I am hoping my young sons will see the value of music and how it holds so many possibilities in future society. I also see how current trends for your and the generation behind you don't appreciate the complexity and rarity of the evolution of music. It is entertaining to see American Idol auditions with people who have no talent yet it is discouraging that they and their friends and family believe they are quality performers.

Your natural ability and talent is rare and under-appreciated in our culture, however I hope that I have encouraged you to continue to create and express your life in your music, and chase your dream that is so easily attainable for you if you can keep your focus and individuality.

You will succeed. I guarantee it.

That's awesome, Cello is such a hard instrument especially in a symphonic setting. I use to play the Euphonium (Baritone) when I was 10-12, but I dropped out of the orchestra for rock n' roll but now I wish I would have stayed in the Orchestra.

And the fact that you are related to Bach, I'm astonished. Bach is my all time idol, HE is the Godfather of Harmony. I study his Fugues and Concerto's extensively. I've recently began composing counter-punctual compositions under his shadow. Even though I'm no Bach I'm going to keep trying until I've reached my climax of counter point compositions.

I have some midi-files of some of my own compositions, I usually write by hand. I don't have recordings though because I don't have the equipment.


This is me playing Bach's Badinerie in B Minor. Excuse the low quality as it was done on a webcam.

reply to post by elfulanozutan0


Not interested in effects but you use a spider? Ok.

I use a hagstrom viking these days. Hughes and Kettner Statesman quad el84. Pedals are pretty simple it goes:

guitar > philosophers tone gold > DOD Preamp Overdrive 250 (the original issue one from the 70s, most important pedal in my rig) > Ibanez TS-9 > Danelectro Fish n' Chips EQ > BBE Sonic Stomp > Amp

The DOD, Danelectro, and BBE are almost always on. I pretty much use the EQ as a volume buffer (H&K is a loud amp) and the DOD gives me a nice tubelike breakup at a low setting.
I'll use my Washburn SB-4 sometimes instead of my Hagstrom. The Washburn is a model from 1982, it's pretty beastly.

I really think you should warm up to some pedals man. They're not all "effects" like flangers and delay and stuff. The only "effects" I have on my board are the philosophers tone (I use it for sustain and to get a more creamy tone for leads) and the sonic stomp (which nobody besides you will ever notice because it's such a subtle effect). The rest are essentials to just about anybody, the overdrive pedals are a must and the eq is just an eq.
Play around with it some, you may be surprised how much an improvement in tone will help your composition and whatnot. Every pedal/amp/guitar I use has a different character, makes me play differently. Experiment.
Also, get rid of that line 6.

reply to post by Mr Headshot


I don't ever use the effects on the spider. I bought it cause it was $600 and loud as hell and it switches from clean to distortion with the pedal, I sometimes use delay but I don't really care for it. My electric philosophy is plug and and play, music has gone centuries without electronic amplification, and electric guitar went on for a good 20 years before effect pedals came in. I had multiple pedals but I gave them all away to people who would make more use out of of them then I would, they just sat in my closet.

I am getting rid of the Line-6. I've had it for 3 years. I'm eying the Krank Dime Signature at the local music store for $1,000.

Pedals on the other hand, I want a noise compressor and an EQ, I use to want a tuner pedal but I tune by ear.

I only use the electric when I jam with my metal project, I usually just jam on the acoustic. I don't play any jingle jangle chord progressions. I use it to write music for other instruments. I don't use tabs just sheet music that's why I swayed away from effects and what not.

reply to post by elfulanozutan0


Can I have the wah? lol.

I understand the want for simplicity, I really do. Sometimes I'll just go amp and guitar. But for live shows I just don't see the amp being versatile enough to cover so many areas and keep it interesting.
Some people really overdo it with effects but that's their problem. I love delays. The delay in a l6 isn't good =/

I don't have much (any) experience with krank amps. I like clean amps and get my distortion/od from pedals. I'm probably going to snag a Nobels ODR soon too. Great od pedal.

But serious, can I have the wah?

Also, for EQ, grab the fish n chips. It's cheap cheap and it works well. DE makes good stuff.

I'm probably going to get a old MXR 10 band eq off ebay soon too. Those are little beasts.