Keep It Simple F.F.S.

Have you ever wondered why are simple songs more popular than coplicated, full of ornatments, hard as hell to play songs?

Well it is very simple (yes you will see that word in this post as many times as possible to make you understand alright?) music isn't about who plays "x" instrument better, or how fast can he/she play it. music as an art is about how well can you express your feelings through that instrument, so when people listen to you, they will know exactly how you feel, even without lyrics.

People like to identify themselves with people who share their same feelings, that's all you need, play a song like that in a baby xylo and people will still sing your tune and everything.

OK complicated songs are cool too. but it is all about adrenaline, you can feel exactly the same in a rollercoaster, don't let chemical reactions in your body fool you.

Want some feedback? Just listen to The Beatles, they are still the best band with the best album in the world and they didn't need their frets in fire ;) i hope this will help you when composing or if you feel you are not good as Wooten or Dave Weckl.

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Now playing: The Beatles - Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

Maybe Rock It Is NOT So Great

Everyone wants to rock! Rock! ROCK!

O.K. fine, I got it! That's what you(the public)get. Jesus.
But.. what about the musician and his/her needs?

At my school, about 90% of the new students, want to play rock. and most of them want to play electric guitar. Alright, maybe too many of them.

I have noticed that when some time have passed, those students become more "mature" about their musical tastes. I have seen heavy metal players turn to smooth jazz players in a year. Why?

Well, it is simple, as they get more and more experience, they are now capable of playing any idea that comes to their mind. This causes an urge for more freedom in their music, and some genres like rock, metal and other become repetitive for them, boring, same old beats, same old chord progressions, they want more, something else. Jazz, in example, lets them do whatever they want, and it sounds great and it is funnier for them.

This happens all the time as they begin to understand what art is: Freedom and Self Expression and not just impressing people with fancy, complicated or "deep" stuff.

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Now playing: Amy Winehouse - Just Friends

Smart Musical Instruments Shopping

The $2500-$4000 Collectors' Edition/Top Brand instrument or the $150-$300 "X" Brand one?

First, an expensive instrument will sure look bad-ass and/or sound even better, but it won't make you play any better. if you are a beginner, you may eventually stop liking the instrument itself, because you can't just play it good, or maybe because you just like the way it is played, etc. only get these when you go pro on the instrument(or when you move to a safer neighborhood, unless you want to see it in the store where you bought it the day after it misteriously disappeared.

Second, a cheap instrument is great for beginners, you can just throw it away if you didn't like it, or you can learn on it before you get something better and it won't hurt that much if you break it. no, the other kind of pain. but it won't give you a better image and it may sound like if it was a toy, so any pro would think twice before buying these instruments, it would be a step backward.

Now it doesn't seem so black or white now as before you read this, does it?

O.M.G. Advice!
when shopping, go further than appareances and explore every angle of each offer. Just ask yourself this 8 questions before doing anything:

Am I experienced enough for a super-instrument?
Even if I am, do I really need it?
Do I need quality or quantity?
Do I really like the instrument?
Do I really like the WAY it is played?
Am I sure that this is expensive item what i am going to play for my entire life?
Am I going to break it in my first gig? (Har. Har. Har.)
Why do I want Paul McCartney's Bass?

Happy Shopping!

Making a (Good)Band, Not So Easy

The first time our band reunited to actually start being a band, the first question was obvious, yet challenging:

What are we going to play? Talking about our original project

Immediately, the same old answers bloomed.

"Rawk! Metal! Nirvana! Metallica!"

I have seen enough to say that there are just too many bands like that, and all of them are technically the same.

For a band to stand out and by stand out, i mean to do something that changes the way we listen to music forever, something that will make us live forever, not just to have a load of fanboys/girls, so we started brainstorming some ideas.

-The awkward fusion of two genres. e.g.: Jazz Metal
-Hardcore playing of a genre.
-Playing all the genres we can
-"Refresh/Evolve" some specific genre
-Controversial Lyrics

and some more crazy ideas. Damn, we haven't even decided yet.

however, for a serious band, this is a serious topic, if your band want to last more than some 1-hit-band, or want to play something different, something unique. think about every possibility you can think of and listen to everything you can, there are so many other genres and styles out there. And you may then live forever.

Useful Links:
- Last Fm - The Social Music Revolution
- All Music - You Know Your Music, So Do We

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Now playing: Radiohead - 15 Step