How long have you been playing guitar?
- I've been playing for about 12 years
Do you remember the first song you learned?
- Haha, yes. The first song I learned was the intro to "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns and Roses. I would just play that opening for hours and hours.
Do you remember the first chord you learned?
- I think it was probably a power chord from a Metallica song. I was a huge Metallica fan when I was younger. I bought all their music books and taught myself how to play by reading the tablature.
What made you decide to learn the guitar?
- Well I had foot surgery my Junior year in high school so I couldn't do anything for 3 months. I borrowed a guitar from a friend and just started to mess around on it. Plus I thought guitar players looked cool...which they are!! Hehe.
What kind of guitar(s) do you own?
- Well I've owned lots of different brands. My first one was an Aria. A little cheapo brand from Japan I think. Then I played Ibanez's for a while when I was in a hardcore band. They are good for heavy stuff like that....plus I would drop active EMG pickups into them to get that rockin' metal sound. I've also owned a Jackson offset V. I currently own a '97 Gibson Blues Hawk, a 1975 Gibson L6 Delux, and a Epiphone Acoutic/Electric.
What is your favorite brand of guitar?
- Personally I'm not too into fenders. I don't like the way their necks feel. That's not to say they are not good guitars. It's just all preference. I got hooked on Gibsons after picking one up. That's pretty much what I'm into right now. Or whatever guitar is lying around.
Do you play any other instruments?
- yes I also play Violin, Bass guitar, and a little bit of drums.
Do you have any advice for beginner guitarists
- Lots of practice and don't get discouraged. When I started playing, I would play for about 6 hours a day. When learning new things, start slow and have realistic expectations. I use to teach guitar for awhile and I always see people get frustrated because they wanted to know how to do something right away. That's not the right attitude to have. I still have to stop and think things out and slow down when I'm learning new stuff. learning guitar takes time, but you will learn it. practice your scales, learn some Music theory ( I know it's boring, but it helps). Most of all, have fun!
Favorite guitarist?
-Hmmm..this is a hard one. There are so many guitarists out there. If I had to pick one, I would have to say Al Di Meola. He is a super rad acoustic/jazz player..amazing. A close runner up would be Steve Vai.
Favorite song to play?
- Supertones? or just whatever song? I can't really say that there is one favorite song because each song has its own unique emotions attached to it, even if it's someone else's song. I would have to say if I had to pick one, it would be "words for the first time" by Bloodshed. It's an emo band I use to be in that was on Tooth and Nail. In fact I really liked playing all of Bloodshed's songs because when we set out to write music, we made sure that both guitars were never doing the same thing at the same time. They would always have counter points or complementary parts. It was really artsy fun technical guitar stuff.
Musical influences?
- Big time Glam Rock and Metallica in the old days. These days I'm really into post emo indie pop and bands like "the strokes" and "International Noise Conspiracy" and "Jimmy eat world", although I have been into Jimmy for about 4-5 years now.
Musical inspiration?
- Just different emotions...wether from bonding with God or my wife or everyday life or listening to other music. Inspiration can come from many different areas at different times.
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