The Weekend Read for Nov. 22nd - 28th

Here's the list of my picks to read from our blog roll. Some are about music, some are about instruments. The list (in no particular order) will give you some of reading over the weekend.


AMPLIFI3R - The queen of music article links
FREEKBASS - CityBeat review of "Junkyard Waltz" (by Mike Breen)
Guitar Flame - Musical Time Machine: An Exercise Of Imagination
Guitar MX Blog - The 50 Fastest Guitarists of All Time
Not Playing Guitar - What Is Your Guitar Playing Strength?

With a holiday in the week I'll have to call this the "short list"

How to Buy a Guitar

This article is curtosy of The Rock House Method main site. You can find more articles like this one at http://www.rockhousemethod.com/

You do not have to be an expert guitarist to get a good deal on a good guitar. What you do have to be is a disciplined shopper.


For many guitarists, especially novices, trying out a guitar in a music store can be an intimidating experience. Invariably, there are several other guitarists in the store who feel the need to show off their skills on the instrument, by playing all their most impressive licks. Understandably, this can be scary, but you'll need to focus on your goal - finding the best instrument possible, for the least money.

Scan the store until you find an instrument that appeals to you. Make sure you are given a good stool, and a pick (although I suggest you bring one you're comfortable with). If you're playing an electric guitar, make sure you're plugged into an amp similar to the one you plan to use. If you've only got a small practice amp at home, don't allow the guitar to be plugged into a Marshall half-stack through a rack of pedals.

A lot of beginning players and first time buyers who go to a music store usually will play very quietly in fear that someone else would hear what they sound like. This is especially true if their not comfortable with their playing. It’s a perfectly natural instinct, but realized that it’s the silliest thing you could do. In order to really hear the tonal qualities of a guitar (either electric or acoustic), it needs to be played at a reasonable volume. Do not be afraid to strum the open strings hard - listening to the guitars sustain, and keeping an ear open for problems like buzzing strings.

If you're having a hard time hearing (due to other guitarists in the store, etc.), ask to play the guitar in a separate room, or in a quieter part of the store. If the music store owners glare at you for turning up the guitar a little, or strumming an acoustic vigorously, my recommendation would be to hand them the guitar, say thanks, and take your business to a store that allows you to find out what the guitar sounds like before you buy it. I urge you to do this... these people are obviously not very familiar with the way guitars work, thus not the best stores to deal with anyway

Here’s a common mistake, you have your instructor teach you something cool to play in music stores. Wrong approach, when you’re demo-ing a guitar, you should be playing things you're comfortable playing, and concentrating on the guitar, NOT on who is listening to you. Try playing each fret on the neck, slowly, making sure there are no fret buzzes. Be sure to check the guitar's. If playing an electric guitar, try all of the different pick-up combinations, and listen for unwanted pick-up noise.

Spend time trying many guitars in the store. Ask questions, and make notes on every guitar you play. Write down the manufacturer of the guitar, the model number, and the price. Ask what type of wood the guitar is made of. Note any special likes or dislikes you have about each guitar. When you feel like you can't stand to be in the store another minute, thank the salesperson, and head for home.

So, now you've played a bunch of guitars, and hopefully found a few that you really like. It's time to do some research on all the guitar companies whose instruments you are considering. Use the links resource in the member section of the site to get familiar with what each of these companies has to say about their instruments. Most guitar company websites provide specs on each of their guitars, so you can find out additional information on the instrument you're considering. Search their website for warranty information, make note of that also. You can even call or e-mail them if you have any additional concerns.

Guitar company websites are fine, but obviously they're going to be biased, so you'll need to find out what others think of the guitar you're considering. Fortunately, the web is filled with sites that archive user-reviews of guitars. When studying these reviews, take special notice of the prices people paid for the instrument, and carefully consider all criticism. Be wary of people who give their guitar a "perfect 10" score - many of these reviewers aren't knowledgeable enough to offer constructive criticism.

Next, take out your phone book, and look up the other music stores in your area. You should consider visiting each of these stores and trying out the guitars they offer. For now, call each of them, and see if they offer any of the same guitars you're considering. If so, ask to be quoted a price. Occasionally, you'll run across a store employee who is hesitant to quote you prices over the telephone. Mention you're about to buy a guitar elsewhere, and he should change his mind. Again, make note of any differences in price.

If you're still unsure about what guitar is right for you, feel free to post your questions to the Forums section which is designed to help musicians interact. Chances are, in no time someone will respond to your questions with their advice.

Armed with all this new knowledge about the guitars you're considering, it's time to take the second trip to the music store. I'll generally suggest wait until the next day to do this - a clear head often gives you better perspective.

You think you know which guitar is right for you? Congratulations. But, your work isn't done yet. You've got to get that guitar at a price that you can be proud of. Many people assume that if the guitar price tag says $599, that's the price they'll have to pay. Not true. Music store owners make a profit on the sale of items from their store, thus are able to significantly decrease the price of an item. The trick is to get them to do that for you.

Unfortunately, in order to get a bargain, you'll have to temporarily think of the music store employee as the enemy. The basic fact is - he/she wants your money, and you want to give them as little of it as possible. It is important to remember that YOU are in control - they want your money, and you should make them earn it. Here are some other things to keep in mind during your second trip to the music store:

Keep the salesperson on a need-to-know basis. Don't tell them "I have to own this guitar!" Mention you've seen some nice guitars in other stores around town.

Before you begin bartering, make sure you know if the price includes a case. Ask whether the case is hardshell (more $) or softshell (less $).

Try out several guitars on your return visit. You might want to pretend to be considering a much cheaper guitar. Selling you a cheap guitar means a small commission for them. So they'll be more willing to give you a deal on a more expensive guitar.

Don't appear to be in a hurry. Take your time, and carefully consider whether this is the guitar you really want.

NEVER pay list price for a guitar. List prices are usually greatly inflated.

Many people have difficulties bringing up the subject of getting a discount with a salesperson. In any situation here's the way I generally approach sales people - ask the salesperson to give you the whole price, in this case ask for the price including tax and case, for the guitar. When they give you the final quote, simply say "Hmmm, now what can you do for me to get that price a little lower?" Have a price in mind that you'd like to pay - I often aim for a 15% discount. If you know of a store that offers a lower price for the same guitar, make the salesperson aware of that. You might have to use a little bit of pressure, but it's something you'll get used to doing.

Sometimes, if the guitar is already on sale, or is a very budget-priced instrument, you'll have a hard time convincing the salesperson to further lower the price. In these circumstances, try asking them to include some guitar accessories for free, or at least at a heavily discounted price. These might include: a capo, guitar strings, a patch cord, guitar polish, a guitar humidifier, a guitar tuner, or even small items like string winders and picks. It might not be the discount you're looking for, but it will at least give you the satisfaction of knowing that you successfully bargained with the salespeople.

Win An Autographed Fender Guitar From Gary Hoey on Christmas Day!

Rock House Method artist Gary Hoey has the Christmas spirt. He's giving away an autographed Fender Guitar this Christmas. It's easy to enter the contest. All you need to do is sign up to receive Gary's e-newsletters and you'll be registered in the contest. You can register here - Gary Hoey Official Website

It could be a HO HO Hoey Christmas for you if do.

Soulfly Confirms Europe Conquer Tour 2009

The second leg of Soulflys European Conquer Tour has been announced. The Metal band featuring Rock House Method instructor Marc Rizzo will begin in late January in Germany and circle throught the continent until late March when it finishes in eastern Europe.

Jan. 28, 2009 - Stuttgart, Germany @ LKA

Jan. 29, 2009 - Cologne, Germany @ Live Music Hall
Jan. 30, 2009 - Eindhoven, Netherlands @ Effena
Jan. 31, 2009 - Lille, France @ Splendid
Feb. 1, 2009 - Portsmouth, UK @ Pyramid Centre
Feb. 2, 2009 - Oxford, UK @ Zodiac at Academy
Feb. 3, 2009 - Bristol, UK @ Academy
Feb. 4, 2009 - Dublin, Ireland @ Academy
Feb. 5, 2009 - Belfast, Ireland @ TBA
Feb. 6, 2009 - Glasgow, Scotland @ ABC
Feb. 7, 2009 - Manchester, UK @ Academy 2
Feb. 8, 2009 - Leeds, UK @ Met. University
Feb. 9, 2009 - Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
Feb. 10, 2009 - Wolverhamton, UK @ Wulfren Hall
Feb. 11, 2009 - London, UK @ Electric Ballroom
Feb. 12, 2009 - Paris, France @ Bataclan
Feb. 13, 2009 - Clermont Ferrand, France @ Cooperative de Mai
Feb. 14, 2009 - Bilbao, Spain @ Kafe Antzoki
Feb. 15, 2009 - Madrid, Spain @ Sala Heineke
Feb. 16, 2009 - Lisbon, Portugal @ Coliseum
Feb. 17, 2009 - Barcelona, Spain @ Sala Apolo
Feb. 18, 2009 - Toulouse, France @ Bikini
Feb. 19, 2009 - Fribourg, Switzerland @ Fri-Son
Feb. 20, 2009 - Zurich, Switzerland @ Xtra
Feb. 21, 2009 - Milan, Italy @ Rolling Stone
Feb. 22, 2009 - Rome, Italy @ Alpheus
Feb. 23, 2009 - Treviso, Italy @ New Age
Feb. 24, 2009 - Graz, Austria @ Orpheum
Feb. 26, 2009 - Salzburg, Austria @ Rockhouse
Feb. 27, 2009 - Linz, Austria @ Posthof
Feb. 28, 2009 - Worgl, Austria @ Komma
Mar. 1, 2009 - Vienna, Austria @ Gasometer
Mar. 2, 2009 - Wiesbaden, Germany @ Schlachthof
Mar. 3, 2009 - Wuerzburg, Germany @ Soundpark Ost.
Mar. 4, 2009 - Berlin, Germany @ Huxleys
Mar. 5, 2009 - Chemnitz, Germany @ Sudbahnhof
Mar. 6, 2009 - Czech Republic @ Metalmania Festival
Mar. 7, 2009 - Poland @ Metalmania Festival

20 Songs Every Beginner Guitarist Should Know

By: John McCarthy/

Jimmy Rutkowski

As a teacher one the most asked questions from I received from beginner students was “What are some easy songs that I can learn to play that won’t be over my abilities?” So me and the boys from Rock House put our thinking caps on and compiled a list of easy to learn songs that will challenge you but not make you want to throw your guitar in the fireplace as firewood with discouragement! Keep in mind this is just a starting point and there are thousands of easy songs that you can learn. These are just some recommendations that we have seen results from. Hope you enjoy!

1. Smoke On the Water: Deep Purple
2. Aint’ Talkin’ Bout’ Love: Van Halen
3. Basket Case: Green Day
4. Satin Doll: Duke Ellington
5. Come As You Are: Nirvana
6. Is This Love: Bob Marley
7. Santa Ria: Sublime
8. Tick Tick Boom: The Hives
9. Iron Man: Black Sabbath
10. All The Small Things: Blink 182
11. Wild Thing: The Troggs
12. Enter Sandman: Metallica
13. Margaritaville: Jimmy Buffet
14. Vampires: Godsmack
15. You Really Got Me: The Kinks
16. Nothing Else Matters: Metallica
17. Free Fallin’: Tom Petty
18. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life): Green Day
19. Uncle Johns Band: The Grateful Dead
20. Wish You Were Here: Pink Floyd

Some of the songs can be found in the tab section at Rock House Method, feel free to leave a comment on where your favorite site is to find guitar tabs in the comment section. The one I use the most is Chordie.com

Review of Rock House Method "Fretboard Autopsy" featuring Rusty Cooley

If you look around the Internet you never know what you'll find. Today I found a review of The Rock House Method DVD "Fretboard Autopsy" with instructor and speed guitarist Rusty Cooley. It's an excellent review from another blog Guitar Noize.

Here are a few excerpts from the review;

"Rusty has created a complete tutorial to help you visualise the fretboard by first playing all 7 modes moving up the fretboard (which is also included in a tab booklet inside the DVD cover) and then by creating patterns that overlap the different 3 note per string mode patterns to help you see the relationships".

"Another nice feature of the DVDs are the extras that come as part of the package. First of all you get a 30 minute interview with Rusty Cooley, unfortunately both DVDs contain the same interview but it is very interesting and gives you some insight into Rusty’s influences and how he focused on practice at an early age".

"These DVDs are aimed at guitarists with some theory knowledge you should know what modes are if you are to fully appreciate this course but it is not essential it may even teach you everything you need to know about modes in the process of watching".

"Rusty is a good teacher who instructs clearly and concisely which, considering he is self taught shows how much of a natural musician he is".

I recommend that everyone interested in Fretboard Autopsy read this review, it's a clear honest unsolicited opinion of what you can expect if you buy it.

For more info about Fretboard Autopsy you can check it out at http://www.rockhousemethod.com/ and click on RH Catalog.

Thanks Guitar Noize !

Members of XFactorX Have Been Busy Guys

News from the XFactorX web site http://www.xfactorx.com/ The band features self proclaimed best bassest in the universe and Rock House Instructor Chris McCarvill.

Andre Vanchot - Also the vocalist for Eddie Ojeda from Twisted Sister on his solo project. You can also catch Dre playing locally with his cover bands Kung Fu Grip and Streets.

Andre was recently on DEAL OR NO DEAL.

Chris McCarvill - Chris recently toured the world with the bands DOKKEN, House of Lords, and Jeff Scott Soto. Also the bassist for Eddie Ojeda of Twisted Sister on his solo project, Obsession with Mike Vescera, and a new band Samurai Cab Co. with BJ Zampa. Chris recently played the winter NAMM show in California along side George Lynch and Alexi Laiho. Find out more about Chris at his MySpace.

John Bruno - Also the guitarist for Obsession with Mike Vescera. Also opened a great guitar shop in Milford CT called Route 1 Guitars. Find out more about John on his MySpace.

Tony Mei has recently rejoined X Factor X and is once again sweating away on the drums! Tony also plays in his cover band LOST.

All of this and they are still maintaining X Factor X!

Keep and eye out for a new X Factor X album, coming soon.

David Ellefson and F5 - 4 Page Story in 22nd Century ROCK

David Ellefsons hot band F5 is featured in a 4 page spread this month in the winter addition of 22nd Century Rock.

22nd Century Rock Magazine is packed with compelling, exclusive photos and edgy editorials about the world of rock and roll. 22nd Century Rock gives readers access to the music that is selling out venues and heard on radio today. Each issue of 22nd Century Rock takes readers backstage, on the tour bus, and gives a peak of what's on an artists mind. 22nd Century Rock provides a high energy perspective of todays music world.

Pick up your issue today or go onlone for more info @ http://22ndcenturyrockmagazine.com/

Vote for All That Remains - 2008 Headbangers Ball

Rock House Artist/Instructor Oli Herbert and his buddies in All That Remain are trying to finish out their unbelievable 2008 year by making it into The Headbangers Ball Best of 2008 Countdown.

In a message posted on the bands web site http://www.allthatremainsonline.com/ they tell their huge fan base.

"The Headbangers Ball Best of 2008 Countdown has officially begun and All That Remains has two videos in the running. You can vote for "Chiron" and "Two Weeks" by clicking HERE!. Just click on "vote" to select ATR!

You all did so much to help ATR in the FUSE voting. Make your voices heard again!! "

Link for the vote - http://www.mtv2.com/#series/10952

The Weekend Read - Blog Picks for Nov. 15th - 21st

Here's the list of my picks to read from our blog roll. Some are about music, some are about instruments. The list (in no particular order) will give you some of reading over the weekend.


Acto Guitar - Learn a song, tons of video lessons.
AMPLIFI3R - Strange Stage Presence: The 5 Most Outrageous Onstage Personas
FREEKBASS - Freekbass, FOX 19 TV (PHOTOS)
Guitar Flame - How To Tune Your Acoustic Guitar Using Your Smartphone
Guitar Player Zen - Ask and You Shall Receive
GuitarMX - Vote In The Guitar World Readers Poll 2009
Little Rock Jams - Top 3 iPhone Guitar Apps
Marks Guitar Blog -  Using 3rds and 7ths as Guide Tones for Blues
Not Playing Guitar - Best Tips to Learn Guitar
Strat-O-Blogster - Who Makes the Hottest Strat Pickups??
 

(Review) WIRED: Guitar Care + Repair DVD

The Old Man at Rose Garden Music just posted a review of the Rock House Method DVD "WIRED: Guitar Care and Repair". Here's a excerpt on what he has to say.

If you are a beginner like myself, someone who has little to no experience with a guitar, then this DVD IS A MUST HAVE! I can honestly say that the info I received on this DVD not only answered many questions that I had, that I had yet to ask, but filled in a lot of gaps in areas that I was going to inquire about later on. Again, if you are at "ground zero" like myself, you can't live without this, you will not regret it.

Read the entire review at Rose Garden Music

Alexi Laiho and The Children of Bodom Add More European Tour Dates

Children of Bodom along with Cannibal Corpse have just added more dates to their Diablo Tour that kicks off in Europe after the first of the year. The dates added are:

February

1 - Stadtgarden - Erfurt, Germany
3 - Backstage - München, Germany
4 - Z7 - Pratteln, Switzerland
5 - Z7 - Pratteln, Switzerland
7 - Syma Hall - Budapest, Hungary
8 - Gasometer - Wien, Austria
10 - Alcatraz - Milan, Italy
12 - Paradiso - Amsterdam, Netherlands
19 - Forum - London, UK
20 - Elysee Montmatre, Paris, France
21 - Hof Ter Loo - Antwerpen, Belgium
22 - Hof Ter Loo - Antwerpen, Belgium
23 - Grosse Freiheit - Hamburg, Germany
26 - Sentrum Scene - Oslo, Norway
27 - Tyrol - Stockholm, Sweden

Rock House Instructor David Ellefson on Bass Player Live TV

Rock House Instructor David Ellefson is featured on Bass Player Live TV. In the approximately 30 minute video (split into 9 parts) David talks about his heavy metal style of playing, demonstrates and shows several of his favorite riffs and some of the common ones. He also does a question and answer session. I found the video to be interesting and informative.

If you're a bass player and looking to find some tips you will definitely want to check this out.

David is also currently working in the band F5 and has a DVD series with Rock House Method.

Link: Bass Player Live

Rock House Hits The Big Time - Joins Forces With Guitar Center Stores

We've come a long way since we started in 2002 packing DVDs in John's basement. Rock House will have its own featured display in all 214 Guitar Center stores for the 2008 holiday season. We share this proud moment with the members who have supported our mission and understand the passion we have for what we do here at Rock House. You have been part of something that started from ground zero and is now recognized as the premier brand in music instruction.

If you need another Rock House DVD, please go to Guitar Center and buy it off the display...who knows the Rock House display might just become a permanent fixture. Find GC store near you.

Berklee Student Reviews Lead Guitar: Techniques For Creating Solos, Featuring John McCarthy

Kyle Hume is a featured guest writer today for The Rock House Blog. Kyle has used and looked over the material in newly released Rock House DVD “Lead Guitar – Techniques For Creating Solos featuring John McCarthy”.

Kyle is an experienced musician and a current student at The Berklee College of Music. Kyle is attending school for percussions and has played guitar for 9 years. He plays several other instruments but those are his main two.

The following is his review of Lead Guitar:

In the top right of “Lead Guitar, Techniques for Creating Solos” you will notice it says “Expand Your Arsenal” and it means just that from the beginning of this DVD all the way to the end. This DVD will teach you so much more than creating solos it shows you ways to work with the entire guitar using the whole neck.

One thing I really like about Rock House DVD’s is that most of there programs pertain to all styles of music rock, metal, blues, or whatever you might play. Now on to the DVD, right from page one you already are using new areas on the guitar with full neck runs, arpeggios, and sweep picking but make sure you start these off slow and if you practice this right you can have more variety in you arsenal for soloing. Not only will you be working in areas of the guitar you may have not played in before but also there are plenty of exercises more focused on achieving more speed like the pentatonic speed run and the sextuplet speed run.

As I watched and played this DVD I found it very hard not to skip ahead because there were so many things I had never heard of or used before such as bi-dextral scale hammer ons and violin effects and I had to know what they were, this DVD will keep you busy for hours and is a must have for guitarists. The explanations by John are very clear and easy to understand as with all of his DVD’s but, it is very important to take each exercise slow and be patient with them some may test you.

The 5 lessons that I found most appealing among the many in the DVD are:

1) Advanced One Hand Rolls

2) Full Neck Run Follow Pattern

3) Sweep Tap Arpeggios

4) Sextuplet Speed Run

5) Speed Run -Howling Speed

If you hang in there while learning the techniques from this DVD you will have lots of surprises the next time you are playing in your band or showing off your new skills to you friends.

More info can be found on Lead Guitar - Techniques at http://www.rockhousemethod.com/estore/storeproducts.aspx?categoryid=2

My First Guitar - Gift of Christmas

I origionaly wrote and posted this about a year ago. I thought it was time to bring it back to the front, tis the season :-)

sarge

Christmas is right around the corner. It always brings back memories of the first guitar I got back in the 70’s. I really don’t remember what kind of guitar it was but I do remember how exited I was when I unwrapped it. I couldn't wait until everyone was done opening their gifts to mess with it, so I race off to my room and started digging into the package. Opening the items that came with the guitar I found a tuning pipe and a 10 page book that told me how to tune it and the chords to “hits” such as Down in the Valley and On Top of Old Smokey. After spending all morning trying tune the guitar I was ready to learn the chords to the songs that were in the book. The chord shapes weren’t too hard to make but man, pressing down hard enough to make the guitar sound the chord when you strummed it sure was tough. I played that old guitar for many years. I had no idea that it had an extremely high action, was probably made out of ply wood and couldn’t hold a tune for more than a half hour. I didn't care at all, I had a guitar. My parents, when they bought it, probably had no idea what the difference between buying a guitar at the Gibson Discount Store and buying a Gibson Guitar was. Which brings me to the point of this post.

With Christmas coming up there is no doubt many young and inspiring musicians that are in the making this year. Here’s are a tip to help you Parents, Uncles, Aunts, Brothers and sisters out.

First of all we all know you don’t want to spend a small fortune, unless you want to, to find out that your little musician isn’t interested in the guitar after a month of playing with it and now would like to play the trumpet. But, there is something to be said about buying a decent starter guitar. Buying a guitar on eBay for $4.95 plus $45.00 for shipping is definitely not the way to go. You end up with 50 bucks wrapped up in an instrument that is more times than not, hard to play, hard to tune and is of extremely poor quality. However, there are many beginner acoustic and electric guitar starter packages out there starting for about $100.00 or not much more than that, put out by well known companies such as Epiphone, Squier, Ibanez, Washburn and Fender just to name a few. They also come with some better essentials than a pitch pipe and a 10 page book. Many of the starter packs will come with extra strings, an electronic tuner, strap and what is becoming even more important these days, an instructional video or DVD. The instructional end of the package is important because even if you don’t know a lick about music, you can still sit down with your child and help them understand some of the basics of playing the guitar. Heck who knows you may even find yourself picking it up and playing.

If I still had that old guitar today I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. But I would trade the frustration and the unknown that accompanied it. Finding a starter guitar with the right accessories and learning aides would have made all the difference in the world.

Author: sarge1875

Rock House Instructor Marc Rizzo Announces Solo Tour Dates

If your on the east coast you may be in luck.Rock House Method Instructor/Artist Mzrc Rizzo has announced a solo tour. Dates known so far in December that are confirmed are: 

December :

5 - Sonar - Baltimore, MD

6 - Market St. Music Hall (Vault Stage) - Greensboro, NC

7 - Club Europa - Brooklyn, NY (Free All Ages Show with MERAUDER)

19 - Plan B - Danville, VA

20 - Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC

More dates to be announced.

Gibson Guitar AND HDtracks.com Team Up - Offer A Free HD Album

Gibson Guitar, the world’s premier musical instrument manufacturer and leader in music technology, has partnered with HDtracks.com to offer free, downloadable, high-definition music - a first of its kind collaboration for an instrument manufacturer.

The exclusive offering to fans of Gibson Guitar, titled Gibson Presents: Hot Tones in High-Definition, is a diverse collection of music performed by the world’s best guitarists and will be available as a FREE download at Gibson.com for a limited time. Gibson Presents: Hot Tones in High-Definition features exclusive tracks from legendary performers Johnny A, Michael Burks, Billy Burnette, Chris Cain, Nick Colionne, Tinsley Ellis, Eric Johnson, Peter Karp, Big Bill Morganfield, Kenny Neal, Arlen Roth with Sonny Landreth, Neal Schon and Johnny Winter plus a never-before-heard instrumental track featuring father and son team Abraham Laboriel Sr. and Jr performing with Slash.

Guests at Gibson.com can read about the brilliant musical performances and download the entire album in HIGH DEFINITION for free now through HDtracks.com. On December 6, 2008, the first of a kind album will no longer be available with no plans to redistribute it in any format. Listen while you can!

Fans who download the album are automatically entered to win an exclusive Gibson Robot Les Paul guitar and other prizes from Creative Labs.

Download it at http://www.hdtracks.com/ or http://www.gibson.com/

Children of Bodom Headlining Tour (Europe)

The wait is over!

Children Of Bodom teams up with the death metal legends CANNIBAL CORPSE (USA) and the metal-bulldozer DIABLO (FIN) for a full scale European tour. We didn't want to keep you waiting anymore so here's the first batch of confirmed tourdates. There's a lot more to come, see you on the road!

Blooddrunks crawling over your EU tour 2009

February 01 - Stadtgarden, Erfurt (D)
February 03 - Backstage, München (D)
February 07 - Syma Hall, Budapest (HU)
February 08 - Gasometer, Wien (AUT)
February 10 - Alcatraz, Milan (IT)
February 12 - Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)
February 26 - Sentrum Scene, Oslo (N)
February 27 - Tyrol, Stockholm (S)

Source: http://www.cobhc.com/

The Gibson Dark Fire Ltd. Edition First Run - Introduced

The new Dark Fire from Gibson combines the classic Les Paul form with brand new function. Tone meets innovation in this incredible marriage of Chameleon Tone Technology and second generation Robot Guitar Technology.

The original Robot Guitar took the guitar world by storm when it was first introduced in December '07, but the new Dark Fire from Gibson is simply the most advanced guitar system ever developed. In fact, many of the technological advances on the Dark Fire were virtually inconceivable just a few years ago.

The new Dark Fire is a virtual upgrade in every respect. The powerhead tuners, the tuning brain, the battery functions, and even the unprecedented sonic capabilities of a fully digital guitar and Chameleon Tone Technology.

Imagine the ability to change your guitar's tone to better match your environment. Everything is here to give you a new, stunning level of tonal and functional freedom that allows you the uninhibited release of your creative potential.

For more info go to http://www.gibson.com/

Chimaira Progress Update

Source: http://www.chimaira.com/studio/

In a message posted on their web site about their upcoming album Hunter of Chamaira wrote:

So we are moving pretty fast Rob and Matt only have 2 songs left to track on guitar, 1 song will be particularly irksome for them I’m sure. Jim and Chris each have about 4 done and I have 2 completed.

Other than that I have been busy working on all of the packaging ideas for the release. Even though it’s not until April everything has to be planned now to ensure it all comes out on time.

A new webisode to feast your eyes on will be up later this week.

Doug Wimbish Photo Album

Photographer Jacopo De Marco has taken some cool pictures of Doug Wimbish. They are published on Dougs site http://www.dougwimbish.com/ it's a 2 page album of Doug and the guys from In Living Colour. Here's a direct link http://www.dougwimbish.com/gallery/livingcolourberlin?page=1

Official News Release - Brazilian Guitar Virtuoso Kiko Loureiro The Latest Musican To Sign on With Rock House

BRAZILIAN GUITAR VIRTUOSO KIKO LOURIERO JOINS ROCK HOUSE

A Range of DVD Products Displaying His Versatility and Global Musical Vision are Planned

Rock House, the leader in music instruction, announced today that Brazilian guitar virtuoso Kiko Loureiro is the latest musicians to join Rock House’s roster of master instructors. Kiko is the driving force behind the band Angra who has sold millions of CDs and toured the world several times over. Kiko is often voted by magazines and fans as one of the most talented guitar players worldwide. Young Guitar Magazine quotes “His guitar playing is top notch and can be compared to the masters like Vai, Satch and Petrucci. Kiko is a versatile guitar player with a deep knowledge of Rock 'n' Roll, Heavy Metal and Jazz which you can hear in his solos, riffs and melodies. He is also known for infusing traditional Latin rhythms into his playing. Production is slated to begin at the end of January 2009, no release dates have been set at yet.

There will be at least two instructional DVDs where students will gain an understating of his musical foundation and how his global musical vision can help expand their own guitar playing. Topics will include his approach to building melodies, his use of arpeggios, his unique tapping techniques, Jazz harmonies and much more. “Kiko is one of the most complete musicians we have every signed, on his latest solo record No Gravity he not only plays guitar he also handles percussion, keyboards, piano, bass and acoustic guitars on the album.” States Joe Palombo, Executive director of Rock House.

Kiko’s instructional products will be available at MI retailers around the world for $24.99. Stay tuned at www.RockHouseMethod.com, www.KikoLouriero.com for information on release dates. All Rock House instructional products are distributed through Music Sales Corp. 1-800-431-7187; or call Gordon at 1-866-You-Rock.

Each on of Kiko’s DVDs will come with a FREE tab lesson booklet, iPod ready video and membership to Rock House’s lesson support site at www.RockHouseMethod.com. This feature, exclusive to Rock House and its partners offers students supplementary support for the lessons featured on the DVDs. Rock House has developed an accelerated yet easy-to-use system of learning that utilizes the functionality of DVD and Print, integrated with the accessibility of the Internet. Aspiring musicians who have a product produced by Rock House receive free membership to www.rockhousemethod.com for 24-7 lesson support. Students use this fully interactive site along with their product to enhance their learning experience, expand their knowledge, link with instructors, and connect with a community of people around the world who are learning to play music using The Rock House Method®.

For more information contact: Joe Palombo at jp@rockhousemethod.com

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT KIKO, CHECK OUT HIS INSTRUCTOR PROFILE

Rock House and Moody Leathers Team Up!

Today Rock House annouced that it will be partnering with Moody Leathers, makers of the finest quality leather guitar straps in the world. The mutual partnership will help expand Rock House's universe of users and offer Moody customers a chance to receive as a "thank you" FREE guitar or Bass lessons whenever they purchase a Moody Guitar Strap.

Look for This Rock House Sticker
Wherever Moddy Straps are Sold

Moody straps are packaged inside small white boxes, each box will contain a Rock House sticker on the outside that will give customers a code that will allow them access lessons with Rock House Artist shuch as Alexi Laiho, John McCarthy, Dan Jacobs, Doug Wimbish, David Ellefson, Alex Bach, Marc Rizzo, Alex Skolnick, Leo Nocenetlli and others. Users will be able to take one lesson with each artist, the lesons will include tablature and backing tracks as well as lifetime membership to the Rock House Community.

Moody Founder and CEO Allison Suter stated, "Rock House is the premeir instrucional companiy out there today, I can't think of a better way thank my customers for buying one of my straps than to help them sharp their playing skills."

Click here for to check out Moody's web site

The Weekend Read - My Picks From Web Blogs For The Week of Nov. 8th-14th

Here's the list of my picks to read from our blog roll. Some are about music, some are about instruments. The list (in no particular order) will give you some of reading over the weekend.


Not Playing Guitar - Get Out of a Guitar Learning Rut
Strat-O-Blogster - Neal Schon's Fretboard Salami Story... Huh?!
The Soul of Rock and Roll - Guitarist Series: Being Inspired to Practice
Blues Historian - A shout out for my friend Tom, he has hit 1,000 plays on You Tube with one of his songs.

It's a little light this week but content was tough to find. Enjoy what's there and have a great weekend!

sarge

Does it Need to Sound Perfect?

I think us "musicians in learning" maybe take the idea of learning a song too serious. We listen to a song or maybe grab a tab to one somewhere off the web and sit down and start to teach ourselves how to play it. This is all cool and everything but when it doesn’t sound like the actual song then we start thinking about a few things. Giving up on the song and start looking for another one to learn or worse yet we set the instrument down and back off from it leading to frustration and getting stuck in a rut and possibly even quitting.

So why beat yourself up over it! Yeah we all want to sound just like it does on the CD. Unfortunately what is not realized is that if you went to see most of your favorite artist live and in concert you’re not going to hear the artist perform their songs to perfection. The thing we forget sometimes is that we don’t even really care that the artist does not sound just like their CD and we still enjoy the performance, so why hold yourself to a higher standard.

Some people may argue that to learn the song means to learn it note for note. That’s all fine and dandy if you’re a concert pianist or on the road with someone like the Trans Siberian Orchestra. But when learning I think it’s just unrealistic to expect ourselves to perform to these standards. We set ourselves up for failure thinking this way.

So what’s the answer? The answer is to quit over thinking the song your learning. Figure out the chord structure and the strumming pattern and go at it. Once you get the basics down you will start figuring out how to add little twists to the song so it will start to sound similar to the one you’ve been listening to. But you need to start somewhere, you need to start with the basics and you don’t need to make it sound perfect. I’m sure when you play the song for your family, friends or even just for yourself they will feel proud of how you performed and you will too.

Jackson Guitars Unveils The SLS3

News from http://www.jacksonguitars.com/

Jackson is supremely stoked to unveil the newest member of the Soloist™ family, the SLS3.

Released in fall 2008, the SLS3 also marks the appearance of a brand-new Jackson finish, Swirl Green. Further, the SLS3 complements its predecessor, the SLSMG, by offering dual Seymour Duncan® Zebra ’59 passive pickups and shark-eye fingerboard inlays.

The SLS3 is also available in three other classic Jackson finishes—Black, Satin Black and Snow White. In addition to the new Swirl Green finish available for this guitar, Jackson fans can look for new colors on all import model guitars in late 2008.

David Ellefson and F5 to Perform at Alice Cooper’s Christmas Pudding

From David Ellefson's my space blog http://www.myspace.com/davidellefson1

PHOENIX – Alice Cooper and 93.3 KDKB present the 8th annual Alice Cooper's Christmas Pudding, a Christmas-themed variety show, famous for being an entertaining blend of comedy, music, dance and surprise performances.

The event will take place at the Dodge Theatre on Saturday, December 13, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. More than 3,500 people are expected to attend.

The annual Christmas Pudding, is a chance for music and entertainment fans of all kinds, to celebrate the holiday season with Alice Cooper, family and friends as Alice Cooper, along with his touring band, performs the entire smash album, "Alice Cooper's Greatest Hits."

This year's acts also include Bob Welch (formerly of Fleetwood Mac), Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, F5, Runaway Phoenix, Les Stroud and Whisky Falls.

"Although I have played more than 70 shows this year, Pudding is the one I look forward to most," said Cooper. "We love bringing people together for Christmas, for the sake of music and the mission of Solid Rock."

Special guest and Iron Chef America winner, Mark Tarbell, will help to inspire the holiday spirit by whipping up a special batch of Christmas pudding for all attendees. Additionally, winners of this year's Proof is in the Pudding, Arizona's own version of "American Idol," will also be on hand to show off their talents.

Tickets range from $33 to $63 for general admission and $203.00 for VIP seating, which includes a seat at one of the cabaret type tables in front of the stage, an artist attended pre-show reception, as well as a pre-show dinner. All proceeds from the event will benefit Solid Rock whose mission is to make an everlasting difference in the lives of children and teens throughout our community. Tickets are available at LiveNation.com. For more concert information, please visit www.alicepudding.com.

About Solid Rock

Solid Rock is a Christian, 501 (c)(3) non-profit Arizona corporation founded by long time Valley residents and fathers, Chuck Savale and Alice Cooper. The two envisioned a teen center that provided an outlet where teens can flourish, understand themselves, understand the love of Christ and equip themselves for the road ahead. Thus, the idea of The Rock was born and the primary mission of Solid Rock was realized. Today, Solid Rock's focus is to honor Christ by seeing The Rock come to fruition in Phoenix, and then create a series of "Rocks" in large metropolitan areas across the nation. For more information, visit www.alicecoopersolidrock.com or call 602-522-9200 or (888) 97-Alice (25423),

Free Pre-view of "Big Bang Bionic" From Freekbass' New Album "Junkyard Waltz" feat. Buckethead

The Funkiest Groveman in the buisiness today has been slappin' and poppin' his way into the hearts of his fans lately. Cincy Groove Magazine http://www.cincygroove.com/ has an exclusive pre-view of his song "Big Bang Bionic" from his newly released CD "Junkyard Waltz".

Freekbass has enlisted the help of some very talented musicians including Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Jen Durkin, Bootsy Collins, Buckethead, Bernie Worrell, and Phish's Mike Gordon.

Check out an exclusive preview of "Big Bang Bionic" featuring Buckethead.

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/804

Review of Modes Demystified – Eraser Not Included

Modes Demystified – Eraser Not Included

Modes Demystified DVD – Check
Guitar – Check
Number 2 Pencil – Check

Wait a minute, did he just say number 2 pencil? Umm yeah I did. Knowledge and understanding doesn’t come easy, it takes time, patience and a number 2 pencil.

John McCarthys newest Rock House DVD “Modes Demystified” accomplishes exactly what the title says it does. John shows and teaches, in an easy to understand way through visuals with his guitar and interaction with you through your guitar that there really is no mystery to understanding modes, notes and patterns. All you need is some time for studying, time for practicing the content and a wee bit of patience not to try and dive ahead of each lesson. Oh yeah, and a number 2 pencil for your homework assignments.

The DVD really is like having someone sit in front of you and explain the construction of scales. John did a good job of explaining each lesson leaving little room for questions floating through my head. It all starting with the single string chromatic scale, when your done you will know all seven modes and how to apply them to your playing. A few of the many other topics you can learn among the many in the DVD that may be important to you are:

The Circle of Fifths
The Circle of Fourths
How to find a relative minor key
Arpeggios for all seven modes
Modal Chord Progressions
How to apply the modes
Extended chord patterns
Chordal soloing

Again just a few, the list would take up half the page of this post.

Although I had a basic grasp of modes and how they work, I have to say that the short time I have had this DVD has made a huge difference in my understanding of modes. I can’t wait to get through the rest of it. Remembering though the learning experience with this DVD is a journey not a race.

Take your time with this DVD and have a number 2 pencil handy. This by far easily ranks right at the top of my Rock House DVD collection.

Playing The Bass Like a Pianist - Bass Guitar Lesson

Playing The Bass Like a Pianist

Lesson By: Professor Jim Rutkowski

http://www.rockhousemethod.com/

There are 4 audio tracks available for download that go with this lesson. See full track listing at the end of the lesson.

In this lesson we are going to tackle our scale sequencing from a different perspective. We are going to do our sequencing from piano studies. More often than not, bass studies and etudes lack in the “musical” category. I have always found that studying other instruments gave my playing a more musical sound. Any instrument is really good to learn from.

Click on the immage to enlarge.

The Downloadable Audio Track Listing

Download all these tracks for just $1.99 Yes I want the practice tracks.

1.Playing The Bass Like a Pianist Bass Tuning Notes
2.Playing The Bass Like a Pianist Example
3.Playing The Bass Like a Pianist Solo Bass Example
4.Playing The Bass Like a Pianist D Practice Track

Click here for A complete listing of all the Bass Lesson Audio Downloads.

Official Announcement - Innovative Guitar Virtuoso Alex Skolnick Joins The Rock House Family

Rock House, the leader in music instruction, announced today that guitarist Alex Skolnick has joined Rock House’s roster of master instructors. Alex is a founding member of Testament, one of the most influential metal/thrash bands of all time. He is also a member of Trans Siberian Orchestra; the wildly popular rock opera whose musical style is described as symphonic rock meets classical music with a touch of Metal. In 2002 he began work on the Alex Skolnick Trio, a traditional Jazz band known for their inventive Jazz renditions of Rock and Metal standards. Additionally, Alex is featured in a number of side projects including performing on the soundtrack for the hit Broadway musical Jekyll & Hyde.

Students can expect topics to include the techniques he uses to bridge rock and metal into traditional jazz pieces, an in-depth look at his legendary metal techniques and his unique scale and modal approach that allows him to cross genres. “Alex perfectly suits Rock House’s mission of finding the best musicians who can teach a diverse set of skills in an effort to help students meet the challenge of developing their own style.” Said Joe Palombo, Executive director of Rock House.

Alex's past collaborations include bassists Stu Hamm (Joe Satriani/Steve Vai), Les Claypool (of Primus), Michael Manring (Wyndam Hill recording artist), singer Ozzy Osbourne (the Prince of Darkness himself), rock band Savatage (Atlantic recording artists) and more. Alex has composed pieces for the EA video game "Hot Wheels Turbo Racing", the USA Network’s broadcast of the 2002 Westminster Dog Show (a big band jazz piece), and the MTV series "Makin’ The Band." He has toured across Europe, Japan and America with Korn, Def Leppard, Guns'nRoses, Black Sabbath, Megadeth and Judas Priest.

Alex’s instructional products will be available at MI retailers around the world for $24.99. Stay tuned at www.RockHouseMethod.com, www.AlexSkolnick.com for information on release dates. All Rock House instructional products are distributed through Music Sales Corp. ; or call Gordon at 1-866-You-Rock.

Kirk Hammet of Metallica was asked during an
interview for the Decmeber 2008 issue of Guitar World Magazine what he thought
of Alex Skolnick's straight-up jazz albums

Hammett States: "Love them. I love his work. What Alex is doing by putting heavy metal songs in a jazz context is completely refreshing. His take on "Detroit Rock City" blew me away; that song has never sounded better to me. And when you think about, the old jazz standards were the pop music of their time. so alex has updated the notion of what a standard is, and it's opened up all the current music to interpretation. The idea of playing Kiss or the Scorpions in the style of Dave Brubeck is great and quite radical. There are tons of people at Julliard who are playing "Straight No Chaser" for probably the 50 millionth time, so it's about time somebody tried something new."

Each on of Alex’s DVDs will come with a FREE tab lesson booklet, iPod ready video and membership to Rock House’s lesson support site at www.RockHouseMethod.com. This feature, exclusive to Rock House and its partners offers students supplementary support for the lessons featured on the DVDs.

Rock House has developed an accelerated yet easy-to-use system of learning that utilizes the functionality of DVD and Print, integrated with the accessibility of the Internet. Aspiring musicians who have a product produced by Rock House receive free membership to http://www.rockhousemethod.com/home.aspx for 24-7 lesson support. Students use this fully interactive site along with their product to enhance their learning experience, expand their knowledge, link with instructors, and connect with a community of people around the world who are learning to play music using The Rock House Method®.

For more information contact: Joe Palombo at jp@rockhousemethod.com

Setting your Guitar and Amp for good distortion without the loudness!

There are two ways to get that full distortion sound. You can use your amplifier to get the main distortion sound or use pedals to generate the distortion sound.

A basic distortion sound from an amplifier is usually created by turning the gain knob up almost all the way and using the master volume to adjust your overall volume. The bass, treble and middle controls should be set half way to start, then raise or lower them to suit your taste.

Pedals can be used to create cool distortion sounds or to increase the distortion generated from the amplifier. Set your amp to a clean (non-distorted) sound by lowering the gain knob and raising the master volume knob, now you can add a distortion pedal to create your overall sound.

Overdrive pedals are one of my favorite's for adding more distortion to an amplifier that already has some distortion. I use my amp distortion sound mostly for rhythm then kick in the overdrive pedal for my leads, this adds more power and sustain to my sound.

Hope this helps

John McCarthy

For more answers about equipment and playing instruments hit the link below. The check out the "Ask The Teacher" section.

http://www.rockhousemethod.com/

New Blog Feature - Top 5 Posts

I'm trying a new feature. You'll find it on the top right side of the blog, it's called "The Top 5 Most Read Posts on The Rock House Blog". The posts will be from the previous month. Hopefully it will help everyone in case someone misses a good article or a lesson from the previous month.

Video Interview with Marc Rizzo

Source: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/

Below is an interview with Rock House Instructor/Artist Marc Rizzo. In the interview conducted by Metal Mark, Rizzo talks about the Latest Soulfly album and his new project INPSYCHOBLEEDIA.

Gibson Guitar of The Month - Double Cut Longhorn HS

Gibson has announced its November model of the Guitar of the Month series, the Double Cut Longhorn HS. This latest addition features Gibson's newest body design, consisting of slightly extended, asymmetrical cutaways on a solid piece of mahogany, topped by a AA figured maple top.

The features of the Gibson Double Cut Longhorn HS Guitar are mahogany body with AA flamed maple top, mahogany neck, 60’s tapered neck profile, 22 frets, 24.75″ scale length, Tune-o-matic bridge, two active EMG humbucker pickups and one, almost invisible, L.R. Baggs transducer pickup, 2 output jacks (one for active and one for transducer pickups), 3-way pickup switch and two volume and one tone controls.

The Gibson Double Cut Longhorn HS Guitar will be soon available and its MSRP is $3,500.

For more information, please visit www.gibson.com

A Look at Rusty Cooleys Guitars

Resource: http://www.rustycooley.com/

Knowing all the Rock House Readers have this incredible need to know, I did some surfing at Rusty Cooleys official web site and took a look at his guitars. It looks like he has four main guitars.



Guitars From Left To Right:

Dean RC7

XenocideConklin Custom 8 string High A to Low B

Dean RC7 Prototype (Red)

Dean RC7 Prototype (Black)

I couldn't see any info on these but, for a look at the rest of his gear his Amp's, Cabs, Effects and Pedals go to http://www.rustycooley.com/ and click on gear.

Vote for All That Remains on FUSE NO.1 COUNT DOWN!

Hey, let's all help a band. Show some support and give a click to our Instructor Oli Herbert and his band-mates ALL THAT REMAINS. Vote for their mad metal style and "Two Weeks". It'll take about 10 seconds at the most.

Link - http://www.fuse.tv/ontv/shows/no-1-countdown/index.html

ALL THAT REMAINS WANTS YOU ...to get free tickets to a show!

All That Remains is going on tour with In Flames, and they need your help putting up posters at the venue the day of the show. In return, they will hook you up with a FREE pair of tickets.

All you need to do is join their Street Team and sign up to be a part of this mission. You will get free tickets to an upcoming ATR show for hanging up posters in and around the venue on show day. Just snap at least 5 pictures of your work and then enjoy the show!

Already a member of their street team, click here to sign up for the mission.

Not a member, click here and then click "join"! You will then be able to sign up!

The Weekend Read - My Picks From Music Web Blogs For The Week Nov. 1 - 7

Here's the list of my picks to read from our blog roll. Some are about music, some are about instruments. The list (in no particular order) will give you plenty of reading over the weekend.

Guitar Flame - How often do you rehearse your songs?

Guitar MX - Vote For the Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time

Little Rock Jams - Ear Training Exercises
Not Playing Guitar - Guitar Finger Independence without the Guitar
SRV1 Blog - Essential Guitar Guide
The Blues Historian - Top 50 Southern Soul, Rhythm & Blues Albums
Truth in Shreading - A bunch of shreading videos

I also want to welcome a new site to the blog roll. Band of me http://bandofme.com/ Band of me is a community of indie artists. What makes them unique is that they are a community for more than just bands. We are for solo artists that want to display their talent of the musical instrument they play, whether it be Guitar, Voice, Drums, Bass, DJ, Piano, or others. We let users browse by their choice of instrument and they can narrow down their search to watch particular genres.

Have a rockin' weekend!

Sarge

Your Input on Rock House Instructors and Artist

Have you ever wanted to have input on something that was important to you like what you would like to see from the Rock House Instructors or even input on the newest ones who will have their material in production down the road. Well here's your chance.

JP from Rock House wants input from people about what they are wanting to see in their instructional videos. You can email him about your ideas and thoughts at  mailto:info@rockhousemethod.com I know of no other company in the instructional music business that asks this from their client base and find it a unique aspect of Rock House.

I want to propose to the readers out there this. Look at the web sites of the 2 instructors that were signed this week. Alex Skolnick and Kiko Loureiro. Listen to thier music, watch a couple of their videos and then email JP and John at the address above and give them your thought and ideas on what you would like to see come from these 2 instructors that would be important to you.

Here's the links to their sites.

Alex Skolnick - http://www.alexskolnick.com/ and http://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexSkolnickTrio

Kiko Loureiro - http://www.myspace.com/kikoloureiro and http://www.youtube.com/user/kikoloureiroofficial