Solo Bass Arrangement: “Fur Elise” by Beethoven

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If you like Beethoven and Simon Fitzpatrick, you must see this video.  Simon Fitzpatrick always blows my mind, and their is nothing new here.  Watch the amazing Simon Fitzpatrick play “Fur Elise” by Beethoven.

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Pros and Cons of Using an iPad

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As technology keeps advancing, the need for paper is going down. There is a school where I used to live that would give their students iPads instead of a bunch of textbooks. Down here, if you go into each of the bars, I’m for certain you’ll find at least one person per band with an iPad mounted on their mic stand.  I found this very intriguing, so I did my research and came up with some pros and cons of using an iPad

PROS:

Apps and Programs: 

I’ve talked about iPad apps before, so it’s very evident that you can do just about anything on your iPad.  There are apps that allow you to write music, record music, and even practice with your iPad. You can even download Garage Band to your iPad.

Portability and Organization:

iPads, or any tablet for that matter, are extremely portable.  They can easily fit into a small bag that you can take to your gigs.  The other great thing, is that you can condense several hundred pdf files (of sheet music, charts, lyrics, etc) into an iPad.  There are apps that can organize your data, as well, so that’s it easy to find if you get an “on-the-fly” song request.

Ease:

The ease of an iPad is definitely the best.  With the ability to store many files and the ability to be transported easily, the iPad is definitely superior when it comes to “ease.”  When you arrive at a gig, all you’d have to do is set up your iPad on a music stand or mic stand and go.

CONS:

Battery Life:

The newest iPads have a projected 10-hour battery life, however if you don’t have your iPad fully charged before a gig, it could die.  If your iPad dies during the gig, you may have just lost your setlist, charts, and/or lyrics.  Or if your iPad ever dies for good, you could lose everything permanently. Make sure you back up your iPad frequently.  You can also buy back-up batteries just in case.

Expense:

iPads, or any tablets for the matter, can really break the bank.  The iPad itself is expensive, but then when you factor in the accessories, it really adds up.  You may need a back-up battery, a protective case, a keyboard (if you intend on writing a lot), car chargers, etc.  After you add everything up, it could cost more than just buying a MacBook Air.

I really like iPads even though I don’t have one.  I think they are extremely convenient and I hope to get one someday.  Let me know what YOU think about iPads. Tweet me, Facebook me, or leave a comment below!

Using a Pick

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I’ve never really played with a pick before, but I’ve been playing with one recently.  And I honestly really like it.  It’s a cool alternative to finger-picking.  However, I found that the tone REALLY varies between the different gauges of picks.  Here’s what I found.

Light Pick:

Light picks are great for fast picking.  The give on them allows for frequent alternate picking. When I used a light pick, I definitely heard that “grumble” and “string-y” sound that everyone talks about.  I definitely liked how “gritty” it was and how easy it was to use.

Medium Picks:

Medium picks are kind of the perfect (no pun intended) medium. These picks gives a little more than heavy picks so you can still play fast with it.  However, the sound becomes a little less grumbly.  The sound is a little closer to the sound of using your fingers

Hard Picks:

Hard picks have almost no give.  So, they sound the most like using your fingers.  I also think that it’s easier to control a hard pick, so it is easier to get clear, crisp notes with one.  However, you can’t really move fast with a hard pick.  I use hard picks for slower songs that may call for a little more “grumble.”

Using a pick is one of those “personal preference” things.  Go to a guitar store that has picks out and try a few.  Personally, I keep hard and light picks at my disposal.  I couldn’t give up the tone I got with the hard picks, so I keep the light picks for those fast songs.

“Cliffs of Dover” by Eric Johnson

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As a musician, I’ve come to really appreciate and marvel at guitarists.  In Nashville, I’ve met some really talented guitarists and have just fallen in love with the instrument.  So, in honor of my love for the guitar, here is moonchild89 covering “Cliffs of Dover” by Eric Johnson.

Bass Cover: “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk w/ Pharrell Williams

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One of the top trending songs right now is “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk.  Not only is it a totally cool song, it has an awesome bass groove.  Here is Valter Kabas covering “Get Lucky.”

Bass Cover: “Hysteria” by Muse

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Muse has a lot of bass driven songs, but my all time favorite is Hysteria.  The song has crazy bass riffing that goes on for the WHOLE SONG!  My hand would be killing me! Check out 1423gre covering “Hysteria.”