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!

Skinny Love cover - between Bon Iver, Ed Sheeran and Birdy

"My Students" Episode 2

Auriane is 13, I'm her guitar teacher but she really wanted sing this one, and here you are.
The funny thing is that she knows that song for the Birdy pop-piano version while I'm much more into the Bon Iver one, and it took me a while to recognise it when she came to me with the pop one.
Last but not least, the good boy Ed Sheeran version could please both of us.

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 :-)

Magnetica Leoni - New song on Spotify!

Thanks to our label Lady Lovely we're on Spotify!
Add it to your playlist!

Magnetica Leoni - Delirium (from LCD Soundsystem to !!! - Chk Chk Chk)

I produced that song for Magnetica Leoni.
All production and mixing stage has been done ITB in Studio One 3.
I used most of all the Slate Digital Everything Bundle.
The mastering stage of the good friend of mine Mauro Andreolli was crucial.

Turn up the volume and enjoy!!

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.

Magnetica Leoni - The Good One - Available on YouTube, iTunes and Spotify

That's true, this is supposed to be a guitar-oriented Blog. But that new vintage-electro European collective is called Magnetica Leoni, and I am part of it. To be more precise, I produced it and mixed it. Enjoy!

Fender Stratocaster e altre chitarre - Ecologia, sostenibilità e altre mezze bufale.

Chiariamoci subito.
Io i sacrifici per il pianeta sono disposto a farli, sono l'unica politica alla quale mi sento di poter appartenere al giorno d'oggi.
Mi muovo coi mezzi pubblici, per anni non ho utilizzato il riscaldamento, faccio molta attenzione a quello che acquisto quotidianamente, soprattutto a livello alimentare.
Metto sempre gli stessi vestiti, alcuni da 20 anni.
Tengo conto, con una compagna architetto, anche dell'aspetto della sostenibilità a livello edilizio, quando possiamo avere voce in capitolo.
Certo sarò ben felice di dare il buon esempio ed accettare di suonare chitarre anche fatte di farina di fagioli. Forza facciamolo, ci sto dentro.
Però mi viene anche da dire... Ma con tutti 'sti mangiapane a tradimento e arnaccatori che firmano e stracciano accordi internazionali come fossero carta da culo, con tutte le città in cui non si respira, con tutta la munnezza che buttate ovunque, con i mille aerei al giorno che mi passano sulla testa qui a Schaerbeek, con tutte le morti umane, animali e vegetali che avete sulla coscienza, e bla, bla, bla bla...
Insomma con tutti i casini che ci sono al mondo, dovete davvero sfracellarci la minchia a noi chitarristi per i legni che usa la Fender?
Ma che, veramente?

Leggi l'articolo originale su Accordo.it

Magnetica Leoni - Vintage Synths, Drum Machines, Modern Production & Mix - Between Kraftwerk and New Order

I just ended this mix. Magnetica Leoni is a vintage-electro collective and this is its very first public track. Started as a contest from a modular synth track by Marco Petracca.

Music for theater: Elle(s) - the end of the tour

2 days ago we played "Elles(s)". We have been on the road with that show for 3 years or what, now it's time to stop. I'd like yo thanks Sylvie and Jessica for the journey together, and all the other boys and girls somehow involved. We had good times and bad times, nice venues and horrible venues, but for a rocker like me it has been such an incredible experience to compose and play in front of that kind of audience instead of in front of drunk rastapunk. I really know what focus on my #guitar means now, and how enormous could be the smaller mistake in a context like that. #theater #stage #musician #musicismylife #composer #guitarist #guitarplayer #comedy #belgium #france #soundscape #telecaster #valvetronix #electricguitar

Un post condiviso da Ru Catania (@ru_catania) in data: 16 Mag 2017 alle ore 16:03 PDT

Magnetica Leoni - nearly out

I'm mixing the vintage-electro project Magnetica Leoni

Spring reverb non mi fai paura! I'm totally in love with the amazing quality of new plug-ins. Mais qu'est ce que on s'amuse avec la table! 🤤 #mixing @magnetica_leoni #vintage #recordingstudio #musicproducer #musicismylife #soundcraft 600 #dub #electro #eighties #codfishstudio #bruxelles

Un post condiviso da Ru Catania (@ru_catania) in data: 6 Mag 2017 alle ore 11:08 PDT