Guitars: Cheating In Recording Sessions.

Hello all. This will be my very first post on Blogspot.com regarding music tips, if anybody would find them quite useful, of course. But anyways, back on my other site, I provided plenty of ideas, and tips about what I do. Regardless if they're valuable, stupid, or you can find them anywhere else through google.com, I'd still spend most of my time sharing what I know. And I was always known to post up musical nonsense that none of my friends that I usually talk to, would usually understand because they're detailed, or my friends just aren't musicians.

Because I'm kind of sad that people who are good in musical instruments, can't expand and broaden their experiences in music.. Especially Malaysia!

There're some of us who are constantly trying to improve the music scene by playing many gigs for free. We don't even ask to get paid, but we're trying to show how important music can be to others, only if the authorities allow it, of course.

Don't believe me? Better read on how Bob Marley united Jamaica as one through MUSIC only. Should be availble on Wikipedia.

Anyways, with all of that aside, I will share today's tip about recording. I was messing around with my guitar a few minutes ago, and I think this would be well applied on soloes which uses anything BUT the 1st, 2nd and 3rd fret of the guitar.

I learnt this from my guitar instructor, Kelvyn Yeang, for legato exercises. Or rather, the thing that looks like this..


Two-hand-on-the-neck trick.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is Steve Vai. A symbol, an icon, and a wizard when it comes to the guitar. What he is doing in this picture, would be a signature. Many guitarists practice this method, which is to only hit the notes with their left hand without picking - called legato. A series of pull-offs and hammer-ons along the neck of the guitar is a good example of how this is being put to play. You can refer to youtube.com and check out "Tender Surrender" by Steve Vai and see how this is possible.

The trick is, you use your picking hand to mute the strings by holding the neck, and your fretting finger to perform your solo.

Doing it while you're on stage can be fun. But what about trying to get some practice? Would you practice the same solo over and over again for let's say .. an hour?

Your armpits would probably stink the whole room.

So, here's the method to cheat: use a sock, a cloth, a wristband, your cat's tail, or anything that's able to tie around the neck, so that would be the alternate to your right hand which should be holding the guitar's neck.

With this, you can practice your legato. And if you're sick and tired, you can start shredding your soloes with the cloth still being tied on the neck.

In fact, that's what I did. What's the difference? It's simple. If you haven't practiced on clean picking and if your style is messy, you can use this cloth to block out all that muffled strings, accidental open strings, etc, while recording your solo.

I never came across this simple method, but try it. I guess it'll save your time on recording if you have clumsy fingers.

Though this may be a cheating method, but please do remember to always practice the right picking positions and always play it right! Try not to cheat. But if you don't have a choice.. Then.. GO figure!!