Your Journey to Becoming a Guitar Hero

Initial Thought

Anybody who has ever picked up a guitar, has in that second just become around 300% cooler to everyone else around them. 

OK, almost anybody.

They’re always slung across the back of the people who seem like they've got the best story to tell, so it’s natural that you’d want to give it a go.

Convincing yourself

How hard could it be? Just learn a 

few chords and bob's your uncle!

Anyway, most songs you want to learn have got the same 4 chords anyway. This is going to be easy.

Buying the guitar

You feel terrified, all of a sudden. You don’t want to show yourself up in the holiest of all the ‘temples of cool’. The Mecca if you will. This is where the spiritual journey to becoming a higher musical power begins- you've got to play it perfectly, or risk screwing it all up, right? 

Wrong. Be as unknowledgeable as possible. Unlike the Apple store, the people who work in music shops really ARE geniuses, and the more questions you ask, the more wisdom you can extract. They’ll set you up with everything you need to prepare you for your transition from zero to hero. And that includes us here at Hillsound... we too, are geniuses. *toots own trumpet*

Picking it up for the first time

You get the guitar out for the first time. You’re trembling with excitement. You’re handling it as if it were made of glass. Sweat is dripping from your furrowed brow.  OK, maybe not but, you did not buy a Martin guitar to ruin it 5 minutes later. You'll assume the position and what will happen is BAM. You won’t be able to actually play the thing, because you've got literally no idea. Time to book some lessons.

Your first lesson

This will be one of those moments in your life where you just hate everything around you and you’ll wish you were anywhere else, even if you have fun.

There is nothing worse than wanting to be able to do something, and not having the knowledge or the skill to be able to pull it off instantly. You might have listened to the guitar solo in Bohemian Rhapsody a million times; you won’t be able to play it. You’ll be lucky if you even get a nursery rhyme out in that first lesson. You’ll want to give up. You’ll feel like a child again. Stick with it, these guys know what they’re talking about. They are the quickest route to mastery.

(For information on music lessons at Hillsound in Hampton Hill, give us a ring on 0208 977 7788, email help@hillsound.co.uk, or visit us in store)

Practising

    Picture this. You’re having to walk in shoes that gave you blisters 4 hours ago. You can’t take the shoes off, and you also can’t stop walking. This is what playing the guitar will be like at the beginning. Your fingers are going to absolutely despise you. Again, perseverance here is key. The more you play, the more your fingers will harden to the abuse they’re being dealt. Much like you will get more kick ass as you get better, your fingers will too.

The ‘Big Moment’

You've had enough. Your fingers still hurt, you can’t even play a simple scale, someone showed you an F chord and you almost burst into tears.

  


 

 You'll sell your guitar and just forget this ever happened. Stop! You're not alone! This is a totally common emotion; the road to becoming awesome couldn't be easy, could it? That would mean we let anyone in. Stick with it young padawan, or you'll never know the beauty of nailing a solo and seeing the crowd erupt.

Your New Repertoire
You've got about 3 songs under your belt now.

They’re alright, nothing too special, 
but you’re very proud. You've got  a barbecue coming up next week, you’ll take the guitar. You fancy a walk in the park, best take the guitar with you. Basically, whether people want it or not, they’re going to be getting concerts left right and centre. 

     This is probably the douche-iest phase in the process (with the possible exception of the time when you’re knowledgeable enough to start correcting people and making them look stupid and uncool. Just for the record, they’ll just think you’re a bit of a pretentious arse). Put the guitar down. Resist this urge. I think a fair assumption is to wait until you know about 10 songs, or enough basic chord sequences to take requests. Then you really will be the hit of the party. And if you can be the root of a sing-along you’ll feel absolutely brilliant. Just like Maria Von Trapp.

Your first song

           It’s time. You know enough to think about giving it a go yourself. You get your pen, paper and guitar ready. Nothing will happen. Or if you do manage to get something out, it will either be rubbish or it’ll be a carbon copy of a song that already exists.

     Don’t force these things. It’ll either come to you in a heartbeat (probably just as you're about to fall asleep as sod’s law dictates), or it will be a work in progress. I started a song 4 years ago and I've still not finished it, but it gets a little closer every time I come back to it. Another song I wrote in about 5 minutes on a train just throwing lyrics down and humming to myself, adding the chords later. However you do it, it’s not wrong, just make sure you’re proud of what you’re putting out there.

Now, at this point, everybody's paths get a little difference. Some people take themselves off to music school and get their degree or masters, some people put all their effort into teaching what they know, some people decide to start the difficult but potentially rewarding journey of trying to make it in a band or as a solo artist, and some people just like to keep playing for themselves. But whatever road you take, you’ll find yourself at nearly every thought on this list, at some point. In the meantime, good luck on your quest, we'll see you on the other side.

The Recording Musician

This week, we're talking all things recording. As it becomes more affordable and accessible to the average musician, getting yourself equipped to record at home or on the move has never been easier. We're chatting to a customer of ours, James Richards, 27, a bass player who has first hand experience of starting out as a novice, and using it to improve his playing.



H- Hi James. We're interested to know, what are your experiences with recording, both at home and out and about?

J- I bought my set up about a year ago, just before my partner and I were due to buy our first home together. With both of us being musicians, it was an easy choice what we wanted the second bedroom to be! We've currently got 3 basses, 4 guitars, a violin, a saxophone, a flute and a digital piano wedged in there, so we needed some kind of outlet to make having them all worth it! I didn't have any experience in recording at home, except for a few soundbites into the iPhone for reference, and other than reading a couple of magazines, I didn't have any knowledge of where to start. When I was in my originals band (Deadwax), we always recorded our demos in a professional studio, as well as our EP, so I was jumping in a little blind.

H- So what did you end up going for then? Were they recommended to you, or did you just shop around?

J- As the interface, I bought the Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which I've found to be great. It does everything I need it to do and I'm happy with my choice.The only I'm after now is a condenser microphone, and I'm looking into buying a pair of KRK Rokit 6 monitors after Christmas.

H- What do you currently use your set up for?

J- I use my studio mainly for practice and getting ideas down. I find it really useful to record myself practicing, whether it be an exercise, a piece or a particularly fiddly bass line, so I can listen to it back and pick out what needs work. I also lay down simple accompaniment using the keyboard, so I can improvise over the top, and get the creative juices flowing, as well as getting a better understanding of styles and keys. I'm not a songwriter, but I find that having somewhere I can sit and record allows me to give it a try. Also, the function band I play in (The Collaterals) record our demos in it, and it means we don't have to shell out a load of money- we can just do it ourselves. No matter what kind of band you're in, you don't always have money laying around to pump into recordings. Buying the kit eliminates that problem.

H- Has having this space and equipment in your home helped you as a musician, or is this just a hobby and money saving tactic?

J- It's massively helped me improve; I really listen to what I'm playing now. Reviewing my work has stopped me from getting into bad habits and it pushes me to keep improving. I play more comfortably too- I know when I go to rehearsals and pro recordings that I'm at ease and can pace myself through the session without worrying too much. Now I understand the process and I know what an engineer is looking for, I can make the most out the time. It has also let me branch out into other instruments. I'm currently learning to play the piano and I'm getting myself acquainted with the guitar too, which in turn, improves my bass.

H- Would you recommend to other musicians, the benefits of having a set up like yours?

J- Definitely. I'd rather spend money on buying the equipment getting a new skill, than I would on a couple of recording sessions. I have all the control now, and no time limit. It's a bit like paying rent and paying a mortgage- you're still getting the roof over your head, but at least with a mortgage, you get to own it! It's never going to be dead money when it's your own stuff. Of course, sometimes it's better to go pro, especially if you're still learning like I am, but you can get yourself really brilliant products now as your skills improve. Also, recording on the move is great. I'm desperate to get myself a Focusrite iTrack solo, which connects to my iPad, so I can record wherever inspiration strikes, be it at a rehearsal or at a mates house. Creativity is always limitless- but now it's limitless, AND it sounds good!
@JRichardsBass


Thanks to James for giving us his thoughts and if you're a musician, like James, who is looking to be a bit more creative and delve into home recording then this month we have an exclusive offer on our Focusrite Studio Bundles. 

  For more products and exclusive deals check out:
  www.hillsound.co.uk

The Holidays are coming...

The Holidays ARE coming. But not in a coca-cola advert way. We don't have a fire hazard fairy light covered truck. We don't have a savage lawsuit family of polar bears. We sort of have Father Christmas I suppose, in the form of Leonard and his merry band of elves. But what I know we have, for sure, is a kickass range of products. I know, I know, it's not Santa's workshop, these elves haven't made anything aside from sweet, sweet music and some questionable cookies being passed around the shop today. But we know these products inside out, and we want to arm you with as much experience and wisdom as we possibly can before you make your purchase with us.

We've now become dealers of Orange Amplifiers, which we're super excited about. We've got a great selection in store and they're flying out of the shop, so we've always got more coming in. New products have also been added to our Ibanez, Peavey and Martin lines, and we've got a great holiday discount on a fantastic Casio Celviano AP-245 digital piano. We're doing exclusive deals on our strings where you buy 3 packs for 25% off, making our prices the lowest in the country.

If you're embracing the christmas spirit and feeling generous and giving, we've got great ideas for gifts for your loved ones. Our range of Mahalo Ukeleles are fun, affordable, and a great way to get a beginner learning an instrument. Coming in a wide range of patterns and colours, they appeal to kids and there's an option for everybody- no excuses! Our Orange MicroCrush 3W for £35 is a fantastic little amp, a great gift for a friend who shreds and wants something small enough to fit in his bag, without breaking the bank.

So, feel the holiday cheer. No more moaning that it's 'only october'- just think back to when you were a kid, and you counted down the days until Christmas for months. Feel that childlike wonder and let your mind drift to thoughts of succulent turkey, the familiar itch of the dreaded Christmas jumper and the smile on your face when see a Christmas tree. That's what it's all about.




That, and presents.