Seed(s) of Change: Building the (inner) Sanctuary of Rock

Dude,

Somewhere in August 1996, while pillion riding on a motorbike with a buddy of mine, WL (who will eventually play a major role in my formative electric years), the engine clutch malfunctioned and I was thrown from the bike. Not before having my leg caught in the wheel and twisted – breaking my fibula and ankle bone…

It took an ambulance ride (with siren) to the neighbouring state, four surgeries, few painful sessions of physiotherapy, one month on wheel chair and two month on crutches to make me walk again. But then again, the recovery period of three months actually helped in developing the techniques I have today.

The only guitar I have was a Yamaha Classical guitar – CG100A. To play some rock solo on it was indeed a great challenge. One of the very first song I learnt was Def Leppard’s When Love and Hate Collide. Bending successfully at pitch on a classical guitar is extremely hard – imagine trying to yank off the strings – that hard.

Subsequently, I could do stuff like Smell like Teen Spirit, Back in Black, Enter Sandman, solo to Nirvana’s Lake of Fire, Goin’ Where the Wind Blows and many licks that Yngwie does on acoustic, including the intro to Black Star and Vengence...all on the CG 100A.

I did attempt Steve Vai’s Crying Machine as well….yes, on the classical.

Looking back, my ears functioned much better then. Chord changes were picked up much easier. Improvisation was an every day affair. Play a song and you just wank whatever – fills, chords filler and all that. Today, maybe it’s because of the “knowledge and skills” I tend to think too much when improvising.

Want to challenge yourself on improvisation? Get Pat Metheny Group’s Quartet.

Because of the fret distance were much bigger, I had no choice but to force my fingers to flex and stretch. This is where my classical training come in handy. Tell me the next time we play what you see. Pay attention to how I position my fingers. All four digits will be used and placed on adjacent frets. That pattern will remain. Good or bad, I let the Guitar God in you to pass the verdict.

Strumming was substituted with palm muting, and “plucking” was done mostly with pick. Heck, I also learn my first sweep arpeggio on the classical.

    

The acoustic nature of classical guitar requires the player to pay very close attention to the playing dynamics (especially if one is playing flamenco – which was a part of my classical training). Knowing when to accent and how to keep the overall tone colour in a uniform frequency was a major emphasis during classes. That eventually was infused into my playing style years later.

Blues and neo-classical were very much what I played during that time. I learnt how to bend strings, I learnt how to build up speed, scales like minor harmonic and pentatonic were memorized and arpeggios and pedal tones were part of every improvised solo. The blues part stays though, but it took “Mind Games” to coax the neo classical stuff out again. If you listen back, the solo has no bends!!

All those and many more (non-essential details – like practicing with a NIKKO metronome) laid the foundation. Now, all I need is an electric guitar.

Didn’t come six years later though…………

Mum said to me once “if you can spend the equal amount of time playing guitar for your studies, I will be happy……”

The Story Continues...Once Upon A Time Part II

Dude,

Many many thanks for your kind words on the first story. If I am that good, I believe I owe part of what I am today to SB Influence. Will elaborate more on that when I come to that story….It’s nice to know there is at least someone out there who can appreciate the noise I create on the axes and even more so, understand the obsession and passion when words like “Strat” or “Les Paul” are mentioned. Thank you.

Let’s pick up where I left off…

As the story goes, I would continue the classical classes (and the dreaded art lesson) for the next 2.5 years. Techniques became more advance – harmonics, triplets plucking and even wider stretches – were introduced. I was still struggling with sight reading though and until today, I still can’t clap the beat to notes based on the values…..

During this time, in order to make lessons a little more fun and to fit us into contemporary music, my teacher had transcribed the very first pop song I would learn – Richard Marx’s Now and Forever. We have to learn everything, from the rhythm to the short solo. It was rather fun at that time though. We were given manuscript, that right, notes, to Tears in Heaven as well.

Of course, during that period, my favourite music will be the like of Rick Price, Bryan Adams, and anything that is poppy and major chord based, better still, guitar oriented. Maybe that’s why I got used to chord changing. Did I also mention to you before I did 3 school gig with an independent Chinese songwriting group and a gig for a major Chinese daily’s journalist night? I am not afraid to admit but that took strumming and finger picking (or plucking) accompaniment to the next level. I won’t go too detailed on that part of my life though.

So Rick, Richard and Bryan helped by establishing a good understanding of chord changes and various style to accompany the song with guitar. I-IV-V progression type of music became a norm at that time until one day, my music school decided to organize a music workshop. Among the attendee, is another teacher from another city and he will be doing some electric stuff.

I never thought what electric guitar could do and the demo really amazed me. We were given a catalogue of Yamaha electric guitars. One of the most vivid image till today, is the picture of Bill Leverty of Firehouse (he is an endorsee of Yamaha Pacifica).

During the same period, television were showing concert by Clapton, Bon Jovi, The Eagles, etc. And one of the biggest thing at that time – 1995 was Metallica’s Black album and Nirvana’s Nevermind. Those were the days of cassette and video tapes. I have recorded most of the TV gigs and watched them again and again. That got the electric vibe going. I have to credit Yngwie Malmsteen’s Magnum Opus. That albums sealed my destiny……

I started buying Guitar World beginning 1996. From then on, I got more exposed to rock music and electic based materials. SRV, Dream Theater, Johnny Winter, KISS, Pantera, are some of the many new bands I got introduced to.

I took me quite some time to actually hear them – small town issue. Luckily, there was a record shop downtown who is very helpful is sourcing the cds for me. Never fail. So most of my school allowance went to CD. At that time, I could afford only one per month. That’s why cassette was a better choice. That’s why you still see them in my car.

Unknowingly, the wind of change lied ahead where it would change the whole course of my guitar playing life.

Had I tried the Classic Vibe before the Mex, I may have settled for the former......

Once Upon A Time....

Dude,

Have I ever told you how I started playing guitar?

Back in 1994, I was like any average 14 year old - hanging around with nothing exciting going on....although Mum forced me to go for art class every Saturday afternoon. That lasted for two years and I hated it....but that's another story.

One day, a good friend - Alan - decided that he wants to pick up guitar and asked if I would join him. So I spoke to Mum and she was happy - she was desperate for me to pick up something so I won't grow up to be a good for nothing bum....

My first lesson was in April 1994 at a Yamaha music school. Dude, first lesson is all about how to hold a guitar properly (I think I forgot to mention that it was a classical guitar class, as there was no other option available, considering I came from a small town down south).

Leg rest, how to bend your wrist, how to position fingers and all that......'cos on TV, when I see people playing guitar, it doesn't look that hard but boy, that was some work there.

We finished the first day with finger plucking open string (and the correct angle to pick the low E-string with your thumb).

Whatever happened next for the next 3 years was like...zoooommmmm. I can't really recall much because frankly, I did not really enjoy the classes. My teacher ( I had 2 and both were ladies) were strict classical cats.

Crazy fingerings and impossible stretches... that's all I can say, not to mention fuckin' sight reading...

So, how did I end up playing all that stuff today? It took a freak accident (no joke - wheelchair for a month and crutches for 2), Yngwie Malmsteen and Guitarworld to start it all.

Had I been serious in during my classical days, it would have made Tommy Emmanuel much easier to learn...

Later.

I have a Fender and I don't like it.