This content was originally written as part of my newsletter "Tartare de Guitare"
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Here's my YouTube Channel demystified. You can use it just for fun, and as tool to practice guitar. I keep it simple. There are 4 public playlists (see below). In the near future I'll provide exlusive videos too, just for the Tartare subscribers and my flash & blood pupils. Start the tour, click on the tiltle to enter the playlist!
Guitar Tricks My videos. Riffs, licks, tutorial, soloing, well known songs explained. Guitar Heroes A must see for every guitar player. Backing Tracks Use this playlist to improve your soloing skills! Songs To Play Along If you're watching this playlist you should already know how to play at least one of these songs. Isn't it?
I mixed this song some months ago, and now it's finally out.
In my experience, one of the most difficult things nowadays, talking about the mixing process, is to obtain a sound that fits in every situation.
Just at my place I have so many different speakers and headphones that I find really hard to reach the final mix. What works for the first setup, doesn't work for another and vice versa.
I know the mastering stage should play the game (a part of), but what about minor productions, for which you have both to mix and to finalize your song? If you run an indie label as I do, let me say sometimes you will send the stereo mix to a mastering engineer, some other you won't. Sad but true.
So you have to work it out.
My main reference monitors are Tannoy System 800, not bad at all.
But even if I am not a mastering engineer, I am stunned about the different perception of a mix coming out from Pro Tools straight to my monitor system, and the mix uploaded to SoundCloud or Youtube and streamed thru everything you want: Hi-Fi, home-theater, Headphones, iPhone, whatever...
Obviously the mix remains the same, but the perception is so different that I need to fix the mix at least a couple of time after a "web-check" on laptops and smartphones, from internal speakers and with cheap headphones.
It's totally nonsense nowadays let your expensive and super flat speakers being the final judge, since the 90% of the people will listen to your song thru all kinds of crap during their spinning workout or what.
10 years ago you had a "car test" and you were done. Now it's a mess.
What I'm trying to say is, I think I'm not looking for the perfect mix anymore.
Mixing stage nowadays is not about perfection, is about compatibility.
Or maybe it has been this way since the beginning, and I'm realizing it right now at the age of 40.
Mixing is not the art of Perfection, mixing is the art of Compromise.
Think about it during your next mixing session, before wasting 2 hours on the high frequencies damp of your reverb on the woodblock track (as I do).
Who's Tim Pierce? Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Patty Smith, Joe Cocker, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Tina Turner, Rod Stewart, Roger Waters, Celine Dion, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Alice Cooper, Shakira, Ozzy Osbourne, Vasco Rossi, Jovanotti, Christina Aguilera, Tracy Chapman and many many more ask him to play the guitar on their albums. Nuff said.
I started using this "chords tricks" to play a solo over complex chords progression some years ago, since I'm not a "scale guy". I'm happy with the kind of melody I can achieve this way, and it's easier for me to quickly visualize the shape of the chord and using it as starting point to play over an odd progression.
...but WOW, this video is a real Masterclass. Tim's explanation is simply perfect. He explains exactly which position he's using and why, and he plays step by step all the different parts of his solo, over over again.
The goal is not to play this solo, but understand how it works and being able to apply this technique to every progression you want.
It takes 20 minutes, but you won't be disappointed. Level: mid / advanced
I've met Eric on stage in Avignon during the OFF Festival one year ago. I was playing the piece "Elle(s)" with Sylvie Landuyt and Jessica Fanhan, and he was the sound engineer. I asked this guy to publish his album with my record label Lady Lovely. Finally he was not interested, but I'm playing the guitar in his band, instead. It's something like a francophone Giant Sand with a lil bit of electro generated by Ableton Live. Does it make sense? Yep!
Last summer I was playing in a piece called "Elle(s)" at the Avignon OFF Festival.
I saw that 2nd hand Washburn N2 (made in Indonesia) in a guitar shop, I've tried it once.
I've tried it again 2 days later.
Then I've tried it a 3rd time.
I came back home with that guitar, end of the story.
I had an original N4 model at that time, I think it was in 1991, I've sold it straightway due to an issue to the bridge.
So I can say I know how a real N4 sounds, and that little monster N2 has nothing to be afraid of.
IMO, the only real difference is the lack of the Extended Cutaway.
Pick-ups are the same, the neck is comfortable, the sound is as it should be, and the sustain it is just incredible.
Nuno Bettencourt influenced my playing for so many years, and even if I don't think I could play that kind of stuff on stage anymore, I'm just having great time remembering that kind of sound.
And thank you Nuno for the eternal inspiration.
I think this guitar is just here to remember me one simple thing.
I'm not talking about bands, fashion, managements, courses, money, shredding, ostentation.
I really don't care about.
This guitar is just here to remember me one simple thing.
I love playing the guitar.
So, I'm talking to you.
Play. Play your guitar. Play as much as you can. It is just amazing.
I have to be honest. Usually I don't care about children playing incredible guitar parts. There's a kind of "autism" that most of the time makes me feel sad. And no, I'm not jealous. I just think they're loosing their childhood reaching non-human results.
Think about all the young oriental children playing impossible parts just as they were robots, or all the young girls singing in stupid talent shows exactly as they were at the Opera, looking at their parents among the crowd. OK, well done, I just don't care.
But THIS guy!!!! What the hell. I'm not sure I can explain that difference to someone who's not deeply involved into guitars and rock'n'roll stuff. THIS guy is feeling every single note he's playing. Damn, he's playing rock'n'roll and that's all! His technique is excellent, but it's not what I'm talking about. His feeling, his touch, his playing, his improvisation... I mean... he plays way way better than the most of the guitar player I know. And he's not a robot, he's just a fucking good blues guitar player. Good luck, my friend.
And thanks to my cousin Claudia, I didn't know him before she sent me this video.
I had a good writing and rehearsal session today in Brussels with the huge friend of mine Elisabetta Spada. Her project is called Kiss & Drive, go and check it out, you won't be disappointed!
Lately she was on stage in the piece "La vita รจ un viaggio" by the Italian writer Beppe Severgnini.
