"This Is What They Call Rock'n'Roll" by guitar player and producer Ruggero Catania available on Bandcamp

I always wanted to be able to write a song shorter than 1'30". 
This song has been sleeping in my hard drive for years.

But today the weather is hot and so am I. Enjoy

   

I'm Your Father - First song on Bandcamp for the guitar player and producer Ruggero Catania

I decided to bring to life some songs stacked in my hard disc for too many years waiting for the right project.

The un-romantic name for this series is "Emptying HDs"

Bohemian Rhapsody guitar solo MADE EASY - tutoriel en français

I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of Queen and Brian May, but this solo is absolutely great.
Some students needed a version for their School Party, and here you are. 

Disclaimer for advanced players: you wanna bend a lot of notes more than this, but this is a transcription for mid-skilled players. Read the video description on YouTube.

If you need a backing track to practice, voilà:

HAVE FUN!

Need pro guitar tracks for your music? Hire Ruggero Catania on SoundBetter!

Romano Nervoso featuring Danko Jones on Spotify

I'm lucky enough to play in a band lucky enough to have Danko Jones as a guest in a rock'n'roll song.

We will play some gigs together in Belgium in January, stay tuned!




...and please add this tune on your Spotify, and share it as much as you can.

Il catalogo di Lady Lovely label è su Soundcloud. Cosa aspetti?

Corsi di Musica - La chitarra come punto di partenza per andare oltre

Questo mio allievo non aveva neppure 12 anni quando ha scritto questo brano.
Lui aveva scritto il primo verso, e da lì  l'ho accompagnato nella composizione cercando di lasciarlo libero di creare, ma aiutandolo ad individuare le idee più efficaci e quelle meno efficaci, e le frasi più funzionali.
Ho aggiunto qualche accordo e l'ho guidato nello sviluppo della melodia, indirizzandolo nell'intenzione e nel registro, cercando, come si dice, di farlo "sfociare" nel ritornello.

Ad un anno di distanza, mi sembra ancora un buon brano.

Amo questo, dell'insegnamento.
Continuo a chiamarle lezioni di chitarra, ma quello che mi interessa è proprio l'interdisciplinarità.
Chitarra, basso, composizione, arrangiamento, registrazione, preparazione al live, music business.
Mi piace fornire gli strumenti adatti e condividere quelle 4 cose che ho imparato in 30 anni di musica.
Forse è proprio questo che credo di poter dare: una visione di insieme.

Questa è una versione che ho suonato io,  volevo cimentarmi ;)

Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti - Instagram TalenTarm contest - L'impegno

That's how my version of this song sounds like.
As huge fan and friend of this band since the beginning, it's a pleasure sharing my tribute.
Go on Instagram and search for the hashtag #talentarm to see tons of bands covering Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti.

Shtevil guitar cover - hard funk Stratocaster riff

Hi there!
I've found this riff on Instagram some weeks ago and I can't turn it off.
I had to play it, it's an absolute guitar joy.
Thanks to Shtevil for the inspiration!

Listen to the original Shtevil version at this link.

Alberto Da Col - a 11 anni scrive quasi come Max Gazzè :-D

My Students Series
Per essere così giovane, Alberto scrive dei ritornelli che vorrei avere scritto io.
A parte il loop di batteria e un aiutino sulla linea di basso e sulle doppie voci, il resto è tutta farina del suo sacco.

Buon ascolto!

New mini-video - Stevie Ray Vaughan "Mary Had A Little Lamb" guitar cover.

This is the only little lamb I had yesterday, Easter 2018.

Enjoy.

Paul Gilbert great person and guitar player - Sweetwater great content creator

One of my favorite guitar players.
A long interview without a guitar in his hands, and yes, the result is pretty interesting.
Thanks to Paul Gilbert for the inspiration during all these years, and thanks to Sweetwater for the quality content, as usual.

Slash play along - Sweet Child O'Mine by Guns N' Roses in the key of D

Hi you all!
I just added that easy trick to my YouTube channel: Sweet Child O'Mine by Guns N' Roses in the key of D.
The album version is in Db.
A lot of guitar players tune their guitar in D flat, due to the big fat sound they obtain, and for the lighter tension of their strings which makes bending easier, specially with thick strings.
If you're a beginner it is not so obvious to find the right key this way, just because you actually CAN NOT reach that sound an notes with a standard tuning.

But even if you're a professional, once you've got the idea that the song you want to play is in Eb (or D) tuning, you have 2 options:
1- You can tune your guitar down to Eb (simply annoying if you have fixed bridge guitar, Absolutely Fxxxing Annoying if you have a vibrato system)
2- Import the song in a DAW to use a Transpose tool

...and if you're like me, the 90% of the time you will lose the pleasure and give up, and you will skip to another song, or worse to another activity.

So, that's my gift for you all, a good old rock song I didn't play since I was 18 just because it makes me sick to drop down my guitar.

What are you waiting for?
Plug your guitar and play it as it is: The original version, but in the key of D!

Have FUN!

How to write your first song // You're not too young to write a song! Tu n'es pas trop jeune pour écrire une chanson!

"My Students" Episode 1

Alberto is 10 years old, and he attends my guitar class in Brussels. He came out with that song.
I helped him here and there in the creative process and with the arrangement, but he wrote and performed it.
I just programmed the drums with some Native Instruments plugins, recorded and mixed.
Thanks to my other pupils Auriane and Ida-Marie, aged 13 and 12 for the acoustic guitars and the backing vocals.

I did a very small amount of editing and fixing. The goal is not having a perfect fake radio-ready pop song but teaching my students how to arrange and record a song, and work it out with headphones, metronome and layering parts and instruments.

So, what are waiting for? Write your first song!

More to come, stay tuned and spread the word :-)

How to make your guitar solo louder (with a TC Electronics MojoMojo) - Gain stage and volume between pedalboard and amp

I’m not an endorser, and the fact they are part of the same brand was not intentional. Instead, that’s the result of many trials and price comparisons. For me these guys are just the best value/size/money ratio on the market. Nothing fancy, but put them in your backpack when you’re in a rush and you won’t be disappointed. A real guitarist survival kit! #guitarplayer #guitar #electricguitar #rocknroll #musicproducer #musicismylife #homestudio #recordingstudio #mixing #studiogear #rock #music #tutorial #ontheroad #ontour #survivalkit #tcelectronicflashback #mojomojooverdrive #polytunemini #polytunemini2 @tcelectronic @guitarsarebetter @guitarsdaily @guitarstagram @guitarworldmagazine @all.things.bass

Un post condiviso da Ru Catania (@ru_catania) in data: 24 Ago 2017 alle ore 00:26 PDT

Even on the same amplifier, every channel will react in its own personal way to the sound coming out from your stompboxes.
This is particularly true for the LEVEL coming OUT from your pedal rig, which will influence the way you may DRIVE and BOOST the INPUT stage of your amp.
Unlike you could think, the cleaner the channel, the more it will react in terms of VOLUME.
The clean channel of a Fender Twin will increase the volume A LOT as you increase the OUTPUT VOLUME on your overdrive pedal*. And what's more, it will preserve your transients.
While the lead channel of the same amp (let alone a Marshall) will result in a more saturated and compressed sound but the VOLUME will nearly stay the same.
The more you push your input stage, the most muffled and confused your sound will come out from the amp, due to the circuitry of your amp, like tube load and stuff like that.
Which is pretty cool in terms of SOUND, but it is totally useless in term of "song arrangement" such as PUMP UP your volume during a solo.
So it really depends on your needs. You just have to look around a little bit with your settings and try different pedal order in your rig to find what works for your personal needs. Both with your own amp, and every time you're going to play with a backline amp.
Sometimes I end with using the crunch cannel for the clean parts, and switching to the clean channel + overdrive* for the solo section.
You may think it is a paradox and yes it is, but it works.

Check it out, your sound engineer will be happier than ever!

It happened to me during a gig to use my regular fuzz setting I was used to use on the crunch cannel of my VHT Pitbull amp on the clean channel of a Fender amp.
Don't do it, unless you want to transform your reggae party in a Manowar show.


* or no matter what other kind of distortion / boost unit.

Sziget Festival 2017 with Romano Nervoso

via GIPHY

DIY Guitar Strap Lock with a bottle cap - How to - Tutorial

When you're touring and and the promoter brings you a spare guitar without strap lock, you definitely don't want to see that '78 unique Les Paul fall on the floor, right?
Well to avoid to argue with him, create your own strap lock in 5 minutes!

TIP 1 - The clip is just a quick idea, obviously you wanna match the hole with the screw in your guitar body. But it works, it saved my life several times.

TIP 2 - Keep in mind this technique doesn't work if you just forgot your strap but your screws come from a real strap lock system. Usually the top of that screw is not large enough to avoid the strap to tear away, with or without cap. So find another "locker" around or replace the screw with the original larger one before placing the plastic cap.

Thanks to my ex bandmate Ronald Dondez from Driving Dead Girl for the tip.

Go and get that Mesa Boogie sound for 9 bucks! Plugin Alliance Brainworx Black Friday

Hi everyone!
If you're a guitar player or a producer, I have a tip for you.
I'm no more into the Gear Acquisition Syndrome, but I'm still obsessed by the offers that many companies run during Black Friday and all that crap. Some are just scam, some others are absolutely stunning and totally worth the price.
Even if I'm not a big fan of the well known Mesa Boogie sound.
Even if  I am a happy Native Instruments Guitar Rig user.
Even If a own a top class chain to record the real thing and I love it (yes, I'm 40 I was born with the real thing).
Well, I had the chance to buy the Plugin-Alliance / Brainworx  bx_Megasingle for 29 bucks some months ago.
No bullshit and no fancy, just a guitar amp.
It lacks of reverb, it lacks of tuner and the included delay is just meaningless to me.
Some people say it has some bugs too, and that it can crash the system, but everything seems to work fine for me.
That said.
The sound is just amazing.
You can buy it until tomorrow for 9 bucks (instead of 149)
No, seriously. 9 bucks. 8 €.
So, if you're a guitar player or into production, act now, go and grab that fucking Mesa amp direct into your bedroom, your home studio or professional studio.
Please do it.
You won't be disappointed.
It simply blow away all the rock/metal amp you have with sophisticated guitar suites such as Guitar Rig and Amplitube for 1/20 of the price.
Do it!
You will have fun, I promise.
And if don't like it, ok guys, it's the price of 5 picks, let's say I'll pay you a beer if we meet around.

YouTube e l'etica delle lezioni di chitarra: Decadence Dance by Nuno Bettencourt

Il bello di fare lezione a quelli che suonano bene, è anche essere "costretti" a rispolverare dei riff della madonna datati 1990 e rendersi conto di averli suonati per 26 anni leggermente diversi.

Anzi diciamolo: sbagliati.

Di poco, ma sbagliati.

Ma che ci vuoi fare, mica c'era YouTube.

C'era il vinile e l'olio di gomito, la puntina su e giù per delle mezze giornate cercando di beccare sempre lo stesso solco o quasi. Nella migliore delle ipotesi c'era una  trascrizione ufficiale di Wolf Marshall pagata quanto un distorsore della DOD.

Dal video qui sopra mi sono accorto del mio piccolo errore.

Adesso che vedo quel riff suonato da chi di dovere mi sembra la cosa più ovvia del mondo, ma è un po' come andare a leggere la soluzione a pagina 46 della Settimana Enigmistica e poi dire "Lo sapevo"

Una regia pessima, una fotografia agghiacciante, un Nuno Bettencourt simpatico come la forfora nel minestrone.

Eppure dice una cosa interessantissima. Ovvero che la mancanza di materiale didattico video di un tempo obbligava i veri appassionati a tirarsi giù le parti di chitarra ad orecchio ed in maniera assolutamente personale. Era impossibile sapere esattamente cosa facessero davvero i mostri sacri del calibro di Van Halen. Nella ricerca stessa c'era un allenamento dell'orecchio migliore di qualunque altra scuola, e nell'esecuzione personale (ovvero sbagliata) si celavano le basi di uno stile chitarristico personale anziché un esercito di cloni.

Un grazie ai miei allievi che mi obbligano a tenere alta la soglia di attenzione e la curiosità.

Elle(s): le théâtre de Sylvie Landuyt en France cette semaine

J'ai composé les musiques de cette pièce avec grand plaisir.
Je joue de la guitare électrique sur scène avec les 2 comediennes Sylvie Landuyt et Jessica Fanhan.
Cette semaine on est en France pour 2 spectacles:

4 Novembre - Le Polaris, Corbas
5 Novembre - La Soyerie, Faverges


Voilà les 3 reprises qu'il y a dans la pièce, et le morceau à moi qui termine le spectacle: