~
Fan’s interview ~
(December, 2003 / January, 2004)
This interview was conducted by lots of HESS
fans writing in interview questions in December, 2003 and January, 2004.
We received A LOT of questions, however many of the questions where
duplicates of others (asking the same basic questions previously submitted by
other fans), so of course we just used one of them for each specific topic.
Thanks to everyone who participated.
- I am big fan when I hear Opus 1 two years ago. For Mike and Tom my
question. I read many times many professional guitar players have so big
ego and cannot play with another of the same skill level guitar master without
personality problems because it is too much similar to competition for them.
How is this for you? Do you have these problems to play together in
the same band with another great guitar player? Thank you for read my question
and so sorry for my bad English. - Hiroshi Matsubara: Tokyo, Japan
Mike: Tom Hess and I were friends before we starting playing
together. This is a huge factor in our ability to continue as a great guitar
duo. Most players find each other via their record label or through a music ad
etc., and are only together for the music. We also find each other as
inspirations, not as competition in the negative sense. We will continue to get
better and grow in our playing because we are a team, not just individual guitar
players in the same band.
Tom: There has never been a competitive atmosphere between Mike and
me (or any other members of the band). I believe in cooperation and
encouragement. When Mike records something that I think is great, or
amazing, or really fast, or extremely difficult, I don’t think to myself that
now I need to try to do something better. Our goal is to make the greatest
and most expressive music that we can. The cool thing about this
band is that all of us are confident in our abilities as musicians, but nobody
is arrogant and nobody has an ego problem here. And besides, we would
rather learn from each other than make this a guitar contest of some sort.
As different as we both are as players, we both have the same basic
musical goals, we just use different musical tools and skills to manifest those
goals into music.
- For the guitarists, How would you describe the other guitarist’s style? -
Rob Foster: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Mike: This is a hard question because like other great players,
Tom's playing has progressed immensely since the last album and will continue to
grow past this present time. At the present time, Tom has made his playing
a collage of the Baroque era, Romantic era and the modern Progressive era. Due
to this, he cannot be narrowed down to a very simple category like, neo
classicalist, like Yngwie Malmsteen might be categorized by some.
Tom: Mike is definitely under rated as a guitarist and musician.
Part of the reason why he is so under rated is a lot of what I play is
more obvious that it is sometimes very fast or difficult. But it is harder
to appreciate how great Mike is without seeing him playing or knowing exactly
what he is doing. Most people just wouldn’t understand by listening
alone that some of the things he plays are extremely difficult and complex and
would be hard for most guitarists to play even slowly and of course he plays a
lot of these things fast.
When Mike and I were in the studio together recording Opus 2, I was
often really amazed at what he was recording. Some of it was so hard to
play, I was just inspired to see him actually recording it. Besides the
technical similarities and differences between us, Mike’s approach to melodic
phrasing is, I think, his greatest asset. What I think makes Mike most valuable
to the HESS band is his commitment to great musical _expression above everything
else. He doesn’t play something that is really complex or difficult to
show off, or whatever, he does it because that was what was needed at that
moment to express the ideas musically and that is what the HESS sound is based
on. When I first jammed with Mike back in college, I knew he was the one I
wanted in the band to replace our original guitarist (Joe LaBanco) after he left
the band. In my mind, there was no need to audition any other guitar
players. There is only one Mike Walsh.
Because the name of the band is HESS and because I write the music, a lot
of people just assume that I must be the superior player. Let me just say
this, there are some things that I can do on the guitar/musically that I don’t
think Mike would be able to do very easily at this point, but there are
definitely things that Mike does that I would have a hard time doing.
Our combined strengths make the overall guitar playing and sound on
Opus 2 very, very strong.
- Hi guys, I am confused about the guitar solos listed in the CD booklet for
Opus 2. In the last song, Waves of Far Reaching, it shows Mark Carozza as
playing 2 solos. When I listen it does not sound like bass, it sounds like
a guitar solos. Mark is the bass player though. Is there a misprint
in the Cd booklet or did Mark play guitar on that song, or am I hearing it
incorrectly or what? - Rob Foster: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Tom: Mark also plays guitar (very well!), he played the guitar
solos listed in the CD booklet. Originally I was going to play some different
solos in those spots, but was having a hard time improvising or writing
something that I was happy with in the studio. Instead of having Mike
improvise solos there, I asked Mark if he wanted to do it. I had
confidence in Mark’s abilities and he came through with some really cool ideas
and recorded them. We will probably do a little more of this on the next
CD as well.
- The sounds from the drums are so awesome on the second Cd, why didn’t you
guys use Scott on the first CD? The first Cd was really cool, but the new
Cd is way ultra killer! - Brady: California, USA
Tom: Scott wasn’t available at the time we recorded Opus 1. He
left the band temporarily to finish his electrical engineering degree at the
University. We used another drummer (Chris Dowgun) for Opus 1. Scott
is more of a power drummer and fits the band better overall especially on the
faster and heavier parts.
- I have read on your web site and in old interviews about your influences
that you had when you were starting out. I, and probably a lot of other
people too, am curious about what music (bands, guitar players) you all listen
to now and how much does your listening influence your sound as a band, and
individually as a guitar player, bass player or drummer? - Jacob L.: Chicago,
United States.
Mike: I might sound crazy here, but I have bought only 1 cd this
year (Dream Theater). And I definitely do not want or let anything creep
into my playing (consciously at least). I am thankful that when I started
playing guitar, I was practicing along to music written by great guitar players.
They opened my eyes, ears and mind to many musical ideas and expressions. As I
went through college and up until today, I try not to listen to music in an
influential way so that it will carry over into my playing and writing. I listen
to the radio everyday as more of a way to keep up on who's who, listening
entertainment and training, and for my awareness of new tunes for my students.
Its really weird, but I usually just vocally improvise over songs, figure out
what mode it is in, and how it is arranged etc. I use the songs as a way
to improve my melody creating and layering ideas. American radio is definitely
not influencing or carrying over into my guitar playing or writing, believe me.
Dream Theater, Sevendust and Audio Slave are bands that I can enjoy many
musical aspects of right now. But none of these are my "favorite band"
due to them needing elements of one of the other to be excellent in my eyes. For
me, if Dream Theater had 3 singers (James Labree, Lajon Witherspoon and Chris
Cornell) it would be an unstoppable force that would be able to musically
express way more than any other band has EVER.
Mark: I try to have a variety of music for different moods I'm in.
As far as heavy stuff goes, I've really gotten into Opeth lately. I
also had a big Cradle of Filth phase last year. Lamb of God has some
pretty good stuff too. I was introduced to Symphony X recently, and I've
been liking what I've heard from them. Mike touched on this, but I don't
think anything has really influenced my playing consciously, but certain things
have helped me develop my taste and what I think is good or not. This
translates itself into one's playing whether you like it or not. You are
going to try to play something that you think sounds cool, and hearing other
people's music is going to effect what you think sounds cool.
Tom: When you asked about influences, I know you meant musical
influences, but that is only one of many different types of influences for me,
but I’ll stick to the musical aspects for this answer: I go through
phases when I listen to a lot of music and then other phases when I listen to
very little music. Right now I’m listening to a lot of music. I’ve
been listening to Symphony X, SAGE (Mike’s Walsh’s other band) and the new
George Bellas CD (Venomous Fingers), but lately I’ve really been listening to
a lot more classical music, specifically to Henryk Gorecki (b. 1935) Amy Beach
(1867-1944). I think my influences affect me quite a bit in very specific
ways for example, Andy LaRocque (King Diamond’s guitarist) and Fabio Leone
(Rhapsody’s singer) were the models I used in developing my vibrato
technique. When I listen to Chopin, he affects my general mood and he
reminds me of how critically important self-_expression is, so I’ll focus on
the nonmusical aspects that I want to express in my own music. Symphony
X has been inspiring me to pick up a 7-string guitar lately. Mike’s
other band SAGE has a new EP CD out and I love his songwriting and the phrasing
on that CD and has made me think about different phrasing possibilities.
Like Mike, none of these influences really change anything as far as
my musical goals or the overall HESS sound. And unlike Mike, I never
listen to the radio, here in Chicago (and most commercial radio in the United
States), radio sucks.
- My friend Luis is your fan, but cannot write in English so I am asking two
questions for him to you. He wants to know about what things you like that
is not music. For example, what beer you like, what movies, what food, what
cars, what? Second question now, what do you like to do when you are not
playing music? - Questions from Luis Santiago: Mexico
Tom: I never consume any alcoholic drinks. I like dramatic
movies with a ton of emotional content. I also like movies like Lord of
the Rings and Star Wars. My favorite actors are Russel Crowe, Robert
Dinero and Clint Eastwood. I like typical American food, Chinese food and
Mexican food. My favorite car is one that doesn’t break down and won’t
use a lot of gas. When I am not playing music I am writing it. I
manage the business side of the HESS band so I spend A LOT of time taking care
of all the management and business aspects of HESS. When I am not working
with music, I am with my family. I don’t go out much when I don’t have
to, I like to be at home. Oh I almost forgot, I LOVE to go to Europe!!!
Mike: I like dark beers like Sam Adams and Killians. I see
movies on a rare occasion but I liked all the Matrix movies and will probably go
see The Lord of the Rings movie soon. The food here in the restaurants of the
northern suburbs of Chicago is very very good. I eat way too many great tasting
and different foods to still weigh under 200lbs. If you ever come here, you will
know why I cannot narrow it down to one or two things. Sports cars are what I
consider to be my favorite hobby. I own a 1969 GTO, 1987 Grand National
and a 1991 TSI Talon. I look forward to finally having the Hess vs Walsh
summer showdown in 2004 where I will put all the Hess machines in their
respected place, the garage!! LOL
Tom: So far Mike has been ALL TALK AND NO ACTION for many years
with regard to winning a race against my father’s and brother’s race cars.
Mike always says he can win, but never races them!
Scott: Budweiser
is my beer of choice (Go Dale Earnhardt Jr.).
Favorite movies include Rounders, Oceans 11 and The Sopranos! anything
with Clint Eastwood or Robert Dinero. I
like to gamble, mostly poker. I am
currently restoring a 1970 Corvette, which has Mike fearful to race against. LOL Mexican food is my favorite by far!
Mark: I like to watch movies when I'm not playing music and as far
as the other stuff goes I'll just give you a list of some of my favorites.
Beer: Maudite, pretty much any IPA, Heineken, Sam Adams,
Grolsch. Movies: Heat, Happiness, Donnie Darko, Rushmore, The Salton
Sea. Cars: Nissan Skyline and 350 Z, BMW M3's and the new 7 something's,
the General Lee and KIT. As you may have guessed from my pictures I enjoy
food a bit too much, but my favorite kinds are Mexican and Italian food. If
you are ever in Illinois look for Francesca's. It's an Italian restaurant,
and they have a few different locations.
- Have you ever thought of including a good singer into the band instead of just
being a guitar virtuoso based group? - Vince Koh: Singapore
Mike: Funny you brought this up, you might see something like this
very soon from Tom and I. Maybe not under the Hess name, but the topic has come
up. I currently have a vocal project called Sage which is my vocal band
outlet. For me, having Hess and Sage is a great musical experience. I look
forward to doing another project with Tom if it means we can expand our
_expression in a new (vocal) format.
Tom: For a long time I was opposed to the idea of bringing in a
singer to the HESS band. For many reasons I wanted to keep HESS an all
instrumental band. However, in November of 2002, I heard the composer
Henryk Gorecki (b. 1935). I listened to a recording of his 3rd Symphony
(with soprano Dawn Upshaw singing) and I was totally blown away. I began
composing sketches for two vocal pieces, one for mezzo soprano and orchestra and
another for mezzo soprano and piano. Neither of those pieces are finished
and neither of them would be a part of a HESS CD. The point here is that I
am more open to the possibility of bringing in a singer now than I ever was
before, but we are not actively pursuing any singers at this time for HESS.
I suppose if we came across an absolutely great singer we would seriously
consider it, but he or she would have to be great (good won’t do). Or
maybe we would do a side project as Mike alluded to.
- Have you ever thought of including virtuoso musicians specialized in their
profession like virtuoso keyboardist, virtuoso Bassist and Drummers? e.g. are
the likes of Vitalij Kuprij, Billy Sheehan, Dean Castronovo/Dave Lombardo? -
Vince Koh: Singapore
Mike: Well, I would like to think we already have 4 virtuoso
players. As for other players coming in, we really do not need to change
what is really working well right now.
Tom: I know you wrote this question before Opus 2 was released and
therefore haven’t heard either Scott’s or Mark’s very high level of
musicianship yet. Mark was a student of mine for about five (5) years in
the 1990s. So I have had the great opportunity to help him develop his
training as a musician. Mark also took some lessons from George Bellas and
Joe Stump. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the Berklee School
of Music. Trust me, this guy is qualified to be in this band. Listen
to the bass lines in Kingdoms (track 2 from Opus 2), those lines are all over
the fretboard, only a great player would be able to play that perfectly as Mark
does.
Scott, as most of you know, is my brother. He is the only member of the
band that does not hold a music degree from a university or college (his degree
is in electrical engineering). He is an extremely intelligent person who
can dissect the very complex rhythms on Opus 2. Dean Castronovo and Dave
Lombardo have great chops but I don’t think either of them would do well
playing in time signatures that go from 19/16 to 3/8 to 12/16 to 5/8 (one
measure each at a fast tempo) Lombardo is great for what he does, but he
probably would not be the right guy for this band. Dean is also great at
most of the things he has done, but I know he had a very very hard time
recording some of the drum parts on George Bellas’s CD, Turn of the Millennium
(maybe that's why he didn’t play on all the songs and two other drummers were
also on the CD to play on some of those hard tracks). I don’t mean to be
negative about those guys, because I also really like their playing and respect
them a lot as drummers, I just don’t think that type of player is the right
drummer for this band. A drummer like Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) or the
drummer from Symphony X would be a better match because they are virtuoso
drummers from a mental point of view not only a physical one.
Scott and I grew up together and we listened to a lot of the same music and that
has helped in our ability to play well together. In high school we played
in the same bands. He knows my writing and playing style better than any
other drummer. He works hard to make sure that his contribution is exactly
what the music needs. He’s not all about seeing how many fills he can
put in a song. He always puts the music goals for each track first, if
that means that his drumming needs to take a back seat on a particular part or a
particular piece, he does - and he does that instinctively. Unless you are
writing very complex music, its hard for one to know how valuable a drummer like
Scott is to the band. Most people don’t have a clue how hard a piece
like Into The Pinnacle (track 3 from Opus 2) is to play on the drums. The
complexities of the rhythms are very very challenging. A lot of other
drummers I know would have asked me to change the hard parts so it would be
easier to play them - with Scott this is not an issue, he just practices the
music until he gets it where we want it.
- What are the differences of this new album, compared with the first one? -
Ovidiu Dumitrescu: Romania
Tom: Opus 2 is the natural evolution of Opus 1. The best way
I can describe the difference is by saying that every element of Opus 1 was
taken to an even higher level with the new CD. The heavy parts are
heavier, the dramatic parts are more dramatic, the virtuosity is even more
virtuosic, the progressive elements are even more progressive, etc. The
first thing that most people will notice right away is the difference in the
drum and bass sounds and playing, both are more powerful and better suited for
this CD. The overall sound production is also better.
Mike: From the first note of Opus 2 you will hear the difference.
The new album stepped it up on many aspects. _Expression, range, arrangements,
tempos, tone, production, mixing, power, ripping and drumming to name a few.
Buy the record and e-mail us back on what you think. We would love
to hear back from you about Opus 2!
- What do you expect from this new album from the fans and critic? - Ovidiu
Dumitrescu: Romania
Tom: I think its pretty safe to say this: If fans or
critics liked Opus 1, they will LOVE Opus 2 because Opus 2 is a more extreme
version of the Opus 1 style. Of course we like it when people love our
music, but the main purpose of this band is to be highly self-expressive in a
very artistic way. Certainly this music is not for everyone’s tastes,
but for those who like it, we are happy that you liked it so.
Mike: The fans are going to LOVE this new cd. We took all the
things that we did well on the first album, and multiplied them. The critics
were very receptive to our first album and I believe they will hear Opus 2 as an
encore to Opus 1.
- I have a questions for you. It is for Tom and Mike, since I know they
are music teachers. But also for Mark and Scott if they teach music too: Have
you ever been listening to a student playing and been thinking 'Damn! Why didn't
I come up with that?' Have you guys ever been in that situation? - Jacob
Collstrup: Lynge, Denmark
Tom: If you are referring to songwriting ideas, then the answer
would be yes it has happened before. I teach composition as well as
guitar lessons, so I deal with hearing student’s songs pretty regularly.
Some of these students have gotten really good and created some really
good music. I am happy to see their continuos progress. My primary
goal as a teacher is to help my students reach each one of his or her musical
goals. I have had a lot of really great students over the last 10 years or
so, its a pleasure for me to see some of them in the music business
professionally now.
Mike: I have a few really really great students right now.
They write solos that would of killed mine at their age and I love it. The fact
that I can help my students do things that blow away their expectations and many
others, is a great pleasure to experience. I have two students that are becoming
speed freaks. I have to keep my chops up so that when they challenge me to play
something they wrote, I can and do it right away, faster and cleaner.
I actually say Damn, I wish I could of been that good at their age. I
could of been if I was ambitious enough to find a teacher that could have guided
me in my playing as I have done for my own students.
Mark: I haven't been teaching as long as Mike or Tom, but there
have been a few times when I was really impressed by a student. There was
one student in particular who would do a lot of creative things that I wouldn't
have thought of. I didn't get jealous or anything, it's just really
cool to hear students progressing. That's the whole point of teaching.
- Question (for the whole band): I was wondering, What is your guys'
structure to writing music and recording? (for example do you come up with a
riff first, then lay the drums down etc.). - Marty Paradine: Binscarth, Manitoba
Canada.
Tom: I write the music. There is no simple answer to your
question because there are many different ways that I approach composition.
I actually used my guitar only 25%-35% of the time in the writing process
for coming up with ideas for Opus 2. In general, I don’t like to spend
too much time just improvising at the guitar for new ideas. Sometimes
I’ll work out ideas at the piano, sometimes I’ll just use a pencil and paper
to write out ideas in my mind. Other times I’ll think rhythmically first
and may have a drum beat in mind or general rhythmic idea. I use my voice
a lot to sing melodic ideas (something that I never really did prior to working
with Mike - he always does that.). Sometimes I think about the overall
form (structure) of the piece first. But always, I think very much about
what it is that I want to express before I begin writing any music. I
sometimes make elaborate charts on large pieces of paper or poster boards,
writing down all of the nonmusical ideas that I want to express, then I’ll
think about the seven elements of music (melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics,
texture, timbre and form) and discover how to best use those musical elements to
express my thoughts, feelings, etc. There are a few other, less often
used, methods I use as well. I did not have a set formula for the
compositional process when composing Opus 2 because I was using all of those
described above. However, I have already begun composing Opus 3 and my
compositional process for that CD is very very different from anything I have
ever done before, but I won’t reveal what that method is until that Cd is
finished.
Mike: Tom does the majority of what you hear and is the mastermind behind
Hess. The rest of us contribute on the cd but all the themes, arrangements and
moods are all Tom. Tom and I sit down and figure out who hears certain ideas
over the parts. Then we make a guitar solos and melodies sheet that maps
out who will be playing lead over what parts. We then spend whatever time is
needed to write the parts and record them. Tom usually records the orchestral
parts and then the rhythm guitars first. After this, it really depends on who is
ready and who needs someone's part to help inspire their writing. Its a very
long process but it works, and the new Cd's _expression reflects this new
recording/writing process.
- What would you recommend to a newbie to recording? - Matt: Orlando, FL
Tom: Know your parts well before you start recording. Don’t
improvise in the studio unless you are very experienced at it. Learn how
to record yourself and buy the recording gear if you can afford it!
Mike: 1) Have your MUSIC READY!! Prerecord everything before you go
into the studio and spend money.
2) Make sure your TONE is exactly what you want BEFORE you record. I have made
many mistakes on my tone over the years and for this album, I had to rerecord
parts because Tom and I were tweaking my sound during the recording. There is
nothing like playing some of the hardest lines you have ever written, not just
once for the record, but 3 times!!!
3) Tom showed me the value of MICROPHONE PLACEMENT. Its unbelievable what a
1/2" will do to your tone. Make sure you mark your amps or spend
enough time to get the correct placement and tone EVERY TIME.
4) DO NOT USE A VOCAL MICROPHONE FOR YOUR GUITAR RECORDINGS!!! No matter how bad
ass the mic is, or how much a studio paid for it, go with what works for guitar.
I made a HUGE mistake with SAGE and got talked into using this $2000 tubed vocal
microphone for my guitar recordings. It was supposed to be the best this, and
that, but NOT FOR MY GUITAR!! We were taking out so much midrange from the
rhythms and leads that the before and after did not even sound like it was the
same amp. The vocals sounded great though.
- What recording technology do you use? - Matt: Orlando, FL
Tom: ADATs, a digital mixer, MAC computer for sequencing with EMAGIC
Logic Audio Platinum right now, but I’ll be buying a new recording studio with
all new gear in early 2004, so everything I just mentioned will be different for
the next CD.
- For Tom, How do you write the music? I mean, the band’s style is so
different from the other guitar cds I have, why? I don’t mean to ask why
did you want it to be different, I want to know HOW you guys are able to get
that sound? I hope my question was clear, I don’t really know how
exactly to ask in words what I want to know in my head. - John Fubure:
Canada
Tom: I think most of your question was answered in my answer to the
previous question above. Regarding why HESS sounds different from other
bands, I think there are probably a few different explanations for this. First
I always start writing by asking myself what it is that I want to express and
focusing on the inspiration for wanting to express that. Doing this forces
the creation of the music to go places that it would not have gone had I just
been writing music for any other reason. Another big difference is that I
don’t use the guitar to write everything. I don’t even use the guitar
most of the time to write the actual guitar parts. It is not my goal to be
different than anyone else. I just do what I do and if the final result is
unique or original, then fine and if its not, that is fine too.
- If you couldn’t be a musician, what would be your new job? - Forest
Silver: Illinois, USA
Mike: If I never started playing guitar, I would be playing
baseball for either some farm team or in MLB. I had to give it up my sophomore
year in high school because I was playing guitar for 4 to 8 hours a day.
Mark: I've been getting interested in business and the stock market
lately so I think I'd do something involving those things.
Scott:
As you know my degree is in engineering but it has always been a dream of mine
to be a business owner. The idea of
being your own boss has its benefits which can be obtained from ownership or a
financially stable musician.
Tom: Being a musician is not my job, its not my career, it is who I
am on every level. However if I could not be financially secure as a
musician, I don’t know what type of job I would have. I haven’t thought
about such a question for a very long time. When I was in high school I
had some friends that got involved with drinking and drugs. I have never
done either in my life, but considered going into drug and alcohol
rehabilitation as a career. I wanted to help people who had these problems, but
for selfish reasons I became a musician instead. I have other interests
besides music, but I can’t see myself doing anything else or being anyone
else.
- What advice would you give someone who wanted to do what you are doing? -
Forest Silver: Illinois, USA.
Tom: Read this book: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.
Find a teacher who is doing what you want to be doing and study with
him/her.
Mike: I can only give you an example of what I did from day one of
my playing. Spend a lot of time practicing and playing along to songs (solos
included) of tunes you really like. During this time, start to write songs that
you would want to hear on cd. This means starting off with a 4 track or, if you
are fortunate enough, get an 8 track to help you develop your creativity. Now,
your practice schedule and writing are two separate entities, you need to put in
a lot of time for each. If you practice 4 hours a day, you will notice that the
writing time is slower and less productive. Its frustrating, but that's the
reality. In order to get where you want faster, you need more time, practice
time that is. Be prepared to practice 4 to 8 hours a day regularly and taking
few breaks. As time goes on, further advancing your musical education is a huge
plus. This includes college or taking classes in your high school on music
theory etc. During these times, you need to balance your physical playing with
your writing. This means, its much easier to play along to a famous player than
to write that cool part you are playing along to. You must balance yourself
eventually, as it is much easier to sit down and shred for hours and get very
good at playing. This can get addictive and before you know it, you play awesome
but write like crap. The writing process needs much more time to develop. For
me, it is a life long quest to try to perfect my style or styles and my ability
to express exactly what I am hearing. Be persistent, see and know where all of
this is suppose to lead you. If you just want to be a virtuoso and play in your
room, go ahead. If you want to go out and try to reach people with your music,
know what steps are needed to do that. And then, at what level do you want to
reach them, local shows, indie label contract, major label etc. And do not
forget, a GREAT teacher will help you along much faster and further than you
could alone. Trust me.
- What do you think makes a great musician? - Kurt: Australia
Mark: I think there are two separate worlds out there and each
would answer this question differently. A lot of musicians would probably
mention technique and knowledge of theory, while non-musicians might have a hard
time answering. To them a great musician may be a guy who happens to write
simple songs that don't require much skill to play. They just like certain
music because it sounds cool. I think a great musician is someone who
writes music that appeals to a large group of people no matter how
technical or how simple it may be. I do appreciate fast and difficult
stuff, but I also like a lot of basic tunes. Your music just needs to stir
up an emotion or two in people.
Mike: Mike: This is the one time I would say you need to be
well rounded, but its in different musical skills. First, if you can not play
guitar very well, you have just limited the way you express yourself musically.
Like I tell my students, just because you CAN play as fast as Yngwie, does not
mean you have to. Being as physically talented as possible on guitar will
allow you to play and express whatever you want easier, consistently and more
accurately. Secondly, if you do not have the ability to hear ideas, melodies
etc. in your head, you are missing out on how to truly express your music.
Taking aural skills classes, transcribing songs, singing and writing music
without your instrument (guitar), will help you where you are suppose to really
be a musician, in your mind. When you put your creative mind and your physical
playing together, you have a great musician.
Tom: The answer can be really long, but I’ll give you the short
answer which pretty much covers my thoughts on this question: The desire
for self _expression, and acquiring all of the available technical skills to
manifest that _expression into musical form.
- Why is it that so many guitarists today focus so narrowly on a particular
style of music that they often disregard other great inspiring styles that they
could very much learn from? To me, the sign of a really good 'musician' is one
who can appreciate outstanding musicianship, whether it comes from a guitar,
keyboard, mandolin, or even a pedal steel guitar, and whether it is in jazz,
rock, classical or country styles... - Kevin Bain: San Diego, CA USA
Tom: I think you may be making some assumptions that may not be
accurate for a lot of players. I studied jazz guitar, jazz theory and jazz
aural skills in college, but people probably wouldn't have guessed that by only
listening to my playing / writing, but I have in fact learned from that and
implemented certain elements. The point being that many players do learn
certain things from other styles and other instruments, but it just might not be
apparent to most listeners.
Being well rounded (in the sense of learning a lot
of different styles) is not necessarily a good thing for all players. Sometimes
its better to focus on mastering your own style. Putting in a lot of time
into a lot of other styles can sometimes take away too much time, effort and
focus from your main objectives. I don't think this is a narrow focus at
all, but it certainly is a focus and that is the key for many players. Also,
I think great musicians do appreciate or recognize when they hear another great
player in another style, but that doesn't mean that the player has to like those
other styles or even want to learn anything from it. Some do, and some
don't care to by their own choice and that's ok too.
Many years ago when I was looking for a great
guitar teacher, I didn't want to find a player that could play a bunch of styles
well. I wanted to find a MASTER of the style of playing that I wanted to
master. And I did find him, his name was George Bellas. When I
studied jazz guitar at Roosevelt University, I took lessons from a great jazz
player (Frank Dawson), he didn't care much for other styles, but he was a master
jazz player because he focused only on that for the last 35 years. When I
took classical guitar lessons, all of my teachers were strictly classical
players and they were great teachers and players because that's all they did.
Mike: Tom made some great points, I would add that most of the
time, people really just want to be good, period. That means focusing on a few
styles you like and then trying to express them very effectively. You might not
hear the 2, 3 or 4 styles in someone's playing due to what they take and like
from each and how they put their own personal taste behind expressing them.
And, I think most players do appreciate other good musicians. They
just might not be influenced or feel that those styles are ones they would want
to mix into their personal style. If you are talking about players on the radio
in the last 10 years, its hard to find a few that express themselves even
melodically anymore, let alone hear where they might be coming from.
- I don't know how many times I have heard very good guitar players say they
have 'no influences'. One listen usually reveals numerous and obvious influences
in their playing. Does a high level of musicianship in your mind make guitarists
less apt(ie. arrogant) to admit that they are a product of other players and
really are an individual mix of their influences, rather than someone who is
creating a fresh new style - Kevin Bain: San Diego, CA USA
Tom: I have to say that I have never heard or read about any great
players ever claiming to have had no influences in their life. And of
course we all have influences, but some players (like Mike Walsh) don't listen
to many other guitarists so that they won't be influenced by them now. Personally
I don't agree with that philosophy really, but hey Mike is one of the most
original players I have EVER heard, so who am I to say?!
Mike: Everyone is influenced in some way regardless if its music,
acting, drawing, poetry etc. AND are original in how they express those arts
even if they are rip offs of another artist. Even if you sound a lot like Yngwie,
you are still original in your own sort of way. Not ground shattering or
bringing a new original style to the world, but you do express ideas in ways and
combinations others, even Yngwie, may not duplicate. I believe even if you are
purposely ripping off licks, but do them in your own way like different rhythm
etc., you are technically doing it in combinations that the person never would
of thought of or would of done exactly like you did. Its all on how you approach
the subject of influences, which some people (Me) interpret differently. There
are 48 original notes on a 6 string, 24 fret guitar. To a certain degree, the
first guy to play all 48 notes on it was the original and everyone else is just
expanding on his findings. Just look at how President Clinton approached the
phrase, sexual relations, during the Lewinsky scandal. To some, he had sex with
her. To him and few others, it was not a sexual relationship because they never
had sex.
To make these questions of influence and how people have their own
personal take on them even harder to answer, let me ask this. What ever, who
ever, turned you on to the art you like best is your influence?
Well, yes and no. I knew as a kid that I did not like art much (suck
at drawing), but Metallica made it clear to me that what they were doing
(music) fit my personality. If it were not for Metallica, I might not have
played the guitar again (played for 2 or 3 months in 5th grade and quit). I
consider them an influence, and at the same time not an influence. 1) They
motivated me to start playing and shaped what I thought was cool about music. 2)
I sound nothing like Hammett or Hetfield, in my opinion. Technically they are
influences of mine, yet you do not hear them in my playing. And, I played more
Hammett solos than any other guitar player I liked. The word, influence, is just
too general to go accusing people of being arrogant or in denial of what and who
THEY think they sound like or not sound like. Everyone DOES bring something
original to the musical world. How original is up to how you categorize the
music you hear. Some musicians hear another guitar player in everyone's playing.
I have students who never hear a new band as new, they are "these"
bands or "this" band. If I had to, I could easily find others that
sound a lot or a little like someone else. But does that mean they are? I would
say Metallica is an influence of mine, but if I never did, could you hear them?
Does not hearing Metallica make them any more or less of an influence on my
playing? I generally do not care who someone's influences are and if they
hear what I hear (or do not hear) in their playing. This is because they never
sound exactly like them (to my ears) and I know there is way more to any person,
be it music or in life, than one or a few influences could sum up.
To answer your question (finally) Everyone is an influence of someone
else, is an individual mix of those influences, and is original.
- What do you guys (particularly the guitarists) think when there are
"more important" guitarists out there (like Steve Vai) who either
don't have the technical ability or DON'T DEMONSTRATE IT in concert or in their
recordings? Fans like myself resent hearing about Vai's "amazing
ability" when the guy isn't even on record as having played a "one
note per string" arpeggio EVER; nor has Satriani. It's frustrating to
hear about their so-called technical ability when, if anything, it is
notoriously ABSENT. Hey, I'll be the first to say that Satch in particular
has great songwriting ability, but don't tell me that they are technical
maestros by any stretch! Rock on guys - can't wait for Opus 2. - Torben Bruck
Tom: Its all relative. When someone says that Vai has great
technical ability, it is true or false depending on who Vai is being compared
to. Certainly compared to most guitarists, Vai and Satch are great, but
compared to a real virtuoso monster like George Bellas, Francesco Fareri, Paul
Gilbert, Yngwie, etc., Vai and Satch are not in the same league with them on a
technical level when we are talking about speed, etc. One thing I would
like to point out is that even though Vai doesn’t play super fast that much,
some of what he does is very difficult to do at slower speeds. So just
because its not fast doesn’t mean it is not necessarily hard to do or
virtuosic. There are a lot of things that Mike [Walsh]
recorded on Opus 2 that are very virtuosic, but not super fast all the time,
some of his playing would be very hard for most players to play cleanly at even
a slow tempo. Speed is just one aspect of technical skill. It
may be the biggest element of virtuosity, but not the only one.
I personally am not a big fan of either Vai or Satriani, but not because I
think they don’t have enough technical skill. I don’t like Vai’s
weird style and both Vai and Satriani’s songwriting is not not something that
appeals to me. But lets not forget that these guys are important players
in the guitar world and have contributed a good amount to it. G3 is very
good for the whole guitar scene in general and particularly here in the US.
People are going to think what they are going to think and they are going
to like who they like. It doesn’t bother me if someone claims that Vai
is the God of guitar, even though I don’t agree. What drives me nuts is
hearing how these guys are the greatest guitarists: Kurt Cobain, Jimi
Hendrix, Eric Clapton, the guys from Limp Bisket and Korn. Hearing people
claiming those players to be great musicians makes me laugh and then want to
puke! Eventually you get to the point where you say, who cares what
those people think anyway, why fight it, even if you know you are right? There
are more important things to do, like create your own music and support the
musicians that you do like.
Mike: Joe and Steve have tons of ability and do deserve to be
considered "important players". But like Tom said, you already are
comparing them to someone you have in mind that fits your "important"
player criteria. Everyone likes some aspect of guitar playing more than
others. And some of us are in the position to express it louder than others (via
the media, music press etc.) so that it gets passed down as the bible of music
truths. If you feel emotional songwriting with slower bluesy solos is
great, then Clapton might be your guy. You get the point, its all in the
eye of the beholder.
But, I have seen Joe and Steve a few times and they play their music
flawlessly. On top of that, they put on a good to great show (Steve having
the best instrumental guitar show out there IMO: in my opinion). I would
say Joe probably fits the description of your comments more so than Vai. Joe
is a good player, yet is not as "important" if you compare his playing
skills to say, Yngwie Malmsteen, George Bellas or Michael Angelo. Joe is not
considered "important" because he is the best physical player on the
planet, it is because he is the best player that has tunes that a lot of people
like to listen to. Really, popularity is what most people see as being
"important" and (unfortunately) that translates usually into,
"The Best". That happens all the time and not only in music, and like
Tom said, seeing comments like, Kurt Cobain or the guy from the White Stripes
are awesome players, is really weak. These type of comments keep getting passed
down and is why guys like Eric Clapton will always be considered a better player
than Eddie Van Halen to music magazines and dads talking about great guitar
players to their kids. Its not always what the hands can do, its what the tunes
do for you.
Joe and Steve are "important" because of their all around
musical skills. To a certain degree, they have helped instrumental guitar become
more accepted today and definitely more with G3 here in the USA. They
write good tunes, Steve IMO has better, and they play at a very high caliber
during those songs. Steve deserves to be "The Guy" in my opinion. He
has some amazing creativity not found on most instrumental tunes. Listen to all
the parts in a Vai song. Its not just the guitar melody that is expressing
something, the background music helps create the platform for it to be heard
over more effectively. Most of the instrumental songs out there are very thin.
Meaning, its usually just the core instruments playing the parts with a solo or
the melody on top (Satriani IMO). Steve does the best job of having tons of
great music to listen to under his guitar lines, and you know its just HIM
writing it all. And, some of its really wacked out rippin lines. I remember a
playing comment from a very impressive professional pianist. He said how some of
the hardest lines to play over and over again in tempo were lines from atonal,
contemporary and impressionistic pieces. It was because the fingerings were so
wacked out it went against all common practice of proper technique and efficient
fingerings. That is how I would describe some of Steve's rippin, totally awkward
and not for the common man to attempt on his instrument.
I leave you with this, Paul Gilbert had a great comment about
live playing that really holds true (I’m not quoting exactly here). You have
to practice and play at 110% if you want to play at 90% live. His point was that
in order to play something perfect and consistent live, you have to have more
chops in the tank that can pull off lines even harder. Joe and Steve fall into
this category of great live playing. But I ask, where does this leave Angelo's
live show chops? (Holy Crap!!)
- What is your opinion of these guitarists in one sentence for each? - David
Smithe: from a town close to London, England.
Yngwie Malmsteen
Mike: Ground breaking electric guitar virtuoso, set the standard
for high caliber playing.
Tom: The single most important guitarist of all time, however
Bellas may change that.
Michael Romeo
Mike: Have not had a chance to hear his music.
Tom: Very creative and an underrated rhythm player and
songwriter.
Tony MacAlpine
Mike: The only dual virtuoso instrumentalist on the planet today,
big inspiration to me.
Tom: I respect him greatly, but don’t care for his style.
Theodore Ziras
Mike: Have not had a chance to hear his music.
Tom: A great neo-classical player.
Rob Johnson
Mike: Have not had a chance to hear his music.
Tom: I don’t know his music.
Paul Gilbert
Mike: Monster player, and another pivotal virtuoso of the mid
80's.
Tom: A great player, but I don’t care for his songwriting.
Michael Angelo
Mike: Not human, if he was, I want to see a blood test, another
inspiration and has the best lead tone.
Tom: Total ripper, I loved No boundaries and Planet Gemini, but
don’t care for his other CDs and yes his tone is great.
George Bellas
Mike: Prog/shred guru with insane improvisational skills, #2 on the
blood test list.
Tom: The greatest guitar virtuoso of all time and my favorite
guitar music composer.
Francesco Fareri
Mike: He has to hate guitar strings, he probably burns through
picks like he is going for a genius book of world records, non stop rippin.
Tom: The most aggressive lead player I’ve ever heard and is my
very close friend.
Jason Becker
Mike: The young Paganini of the 20th century, what every teenage
guitarist dreams of playing like but never will, wish him all the best.
Tom: Perpetual Burn is one of my all time favorite CDs and I think the
Universe was robbed of one of its greatest treasures when he became too sick to
play!
Marty Friedman
Mike: Great emotional player with the most exotic phrasings, total
original and is, Major Bad Ass, in the metal guitar army.
Tom: Extremely influential (as is Becker) from a phrasing point of
view, loved his earlier stuff.
Joey Taffola
Mike: Have not had a chance to hear his music
Tom: I don’t know his music.
Rusty Cooley
Mike: Heard only 30 seconds of a solo but I could tell he has
skills.
Tom: Bad-ass-fire-ripper.
Ron Thal
Mike: The multi personality guitarist, all of them are so off the wall
virtuosic that it makes Zappa sound like he is playing the 12 bar blues, stream
of conscious player, wow.
Tom: Obviously a great player, but I don’t care for the style.
Borislav Mitic
Mike: Another guy I have to find and hear now
Tom: Similar to Theodore Ziras, a great neo-classical player (I
probably like the Ziras style a bit more though)
Steve Vai
Mike: The man, does everything and does it well, he is my, Greatest
all around rock guitar player EVER.
Tom: I respect him, but can’t get into his musical style.
Joe Satriani
Mike: Great player, not a virtuoso but has great melodic lines and
is a big boundary breaker for instrumental guitar and American radio.
Tom: I’m not sure if I would put him in the same group as the
other players you asked about above.
Zakk Wylde
Mike: Very underrated shredder, super rhythm player and my favorite
Ozzy guitarist.
Tom: I definitely don’t put him in the same group as the others,
I like him as rhythm player more than a lead player - I don't consider him a
shredder and I do not think he is underrated
.
Jimi Hendrix
Mike: Today = nothing special, but for the late 60's =the
King, very deserving of guitar god claims as long as they are in context of the
era, huge improvisational entrepreneur.
Tom: He bores me (except for Little Wing). He is way over
rated.
Eddie Van Halen
Mike: The most important main stream guitarist EVER, makes Hendrix
look like he WAS playing the guitar upside down, bigger than Hendrix in my eyes.
Tom: Like Yngwie, an important player, but he lost his fire
long ago.
Dimebag
Mike: Metal Guitar Lord, the best rhythm/solo guitarist for metal,
founder of the, Kick your ass, riffs.
Tom: A good metal rhythm player and songwriter for that style,
I’m not a big a fan of leads.
- In what country do you have the most loyal fans? - Sergey Stogernoff:
St. Petersburg, Russia
Tom: That is difficult to measure or know. However, in
general, our fans outside the United States are probably more loyal. We
sell a lot more CDs outside the USA even though we are based in the Chicago
area. Another huge problem in the United States is piracy! Many
Americans don't respect artists and steal the music from the internet and CD
burners instead of buying the CD. That's why most instrumental guitarists
don't tour the US, but are more likely to play in places like Europe and Japan.
That's why Shrapnel records basically stopped releasing new instrumental
guitar CDs. That's why the more active guitar labels are in Europe (such
as Lion music.) Piracy is much less of a problem in those countries
compared to the US.
When we see that we are selling CDs in countries
where the economy is very bad (like Romania, Russia, Argentina, Mexico,
Lithuania, Brazil, etc.) it makes you ponder just how much these fans must
really love the music and respect us enough to actually buy our CDs, that makes
us feel like just giving it to them. Compare this to some well-to-do
Americans that can afford to buy several CDs every week (or every day), but
instead choose to steal the music. Its a real problem for all musicians.
Of course we do have some really loyal fans here in the states, but for
every person who bought Opus 1 in the US, 4-5 more have illegal copies of it (by
copying it onto CDR or illegal downloading from the internet).
- Did/does the band feel pressure when making the new
cds because now you are more famous than when making your first cd? - Mike:
Ohio, USA
Tom: No. The only expectations or standards that we have to
worry about are those set by ourselves. And those expectations and
standards would be in place whether we would be totally unknown, very famous or
anywhere in between. Because we released Opus 1 and Opus 2 on our own
record label, we don't have the external pressures from record company
executives.
Mike: Tom hit this one right on the head.
Scott: Its
not pressure as much as it is a desire to continue to make better music and that
can be accomplished either in the writing or in the production.
- What do you (the whole band) think about when you
are playing the songs? - Christine Fryer: Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Mike: Recently,
I have noticed that during SAGE shows I am thinking a lot like a musical robot.
I am way more conscious of the key that I am in, what letters my fingers are
playing on the fretboard and how everyone sounds (rhythmically, tuning, tones,
mix etc.). Its a checklist that keeps getting bigger and bigger as I play more
live. I used to just think about what the hell was coming next, playing to the
click, when to do patch changes and nailing solos. As times gone on, I have been
trying to take in everything on stage with the above included. I want to hear
every note from the band, every mistake, know who is rushing or dragging, try to
express the music live as it was felt when I wrote it. The more I can take in
and make sense of what's going on, the better more consistent live player I will
become.
The goal for me is to develop my ears to take in, make sense of, and be able to
free up tons of emotion. Like a pianist first learning a song, the hands(brain)
are not able to coordinate well together due to all the notes it has to process.
Eventually, the physical becomes a no brainer thus allowing you to free your
mind for expressing the music, the real goal. I eventually do not want to think
about the physical aspect of playing, only the emotional. So, I have to get
better at the robotic musical elements of playing live first. I hope to free up
a new part of my musical development on stage.
Mark: Due to the fact that the parts were already written, I
really just tried to block everything out and focus on the click or the drums.
A lot of the tracks I played on didn't even have drums yet. For me, the
emotion goes into stuff in the writing process, and with this sort of bass
playing I really just need to focus on the rhythmic aspects during the
recording. With Tom and Mike's solos, I'm sure they needed to draw on
their emotions, but I needed to concentrate my energy on getting the bass parts
tight with everything else.
Tom:
It depends
which piece I am playing at the time, each one is expressing something different
usually. Each one of the pieces are memories for me of something that
happened in my life, something that didn't happen in my life, something that
should have happened in my life or something that I wish/hope/want to happen in
my life. I always play better when I am focusing on that. If I let my mind
drift off and think about something else, the music suffers. With certain
pieces that are harder to play, if I have to think too much about the physical
aspect of playing a hard part, the music also suffers. So I practice those
parts a lot so that when we play live I won't be burdened by anything that is
hard to play.
Scott:
When
a song is first created I practice it until every section is memorized so it
comes natural with out having to count measures or repetitions. At this point I
like to let my mind wander with thoughts of the time or memories that each track
has given me. For me music is more
fun that way.
- Why are all the famous guitar players only men? And is it true that males
make better guitar players, songwriters, composers and musicians? It is so
frustrating to be a woman player in a man’s musical world you know!- Christine
Fryer: Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Mark: Lita Ford and Jennifer Batten are/were relatively famous
right? I can't really say much about female guitar players because I
haven't heard many. (which is precisely why you wrote your question)
However, I know that the female drummers I have seen just lack the
aggression of male drummers. Female guitarists may lack the aggression
too. I'm not saying that women aren't good musicians, I'm just
saying that they might not make good rock/metal musicians. Who knows,
maybe you're awesome and you'll totally prove me wrong. Send us a
recording. Also, check out Ani DiFranco if you haven't already.
She's a great guitarist/musician and she does her own thing rather than
trying to play like the men out there. She's not a virtuoso or anything,
but she comes up with some pretty cool acoustic rhythm parts.
Mike: Honestly, I do not know. I would guess that the instrument is
a tad too big for smaller female hands to play. Males are generally more geared
to physical challenges than females are and the guitar is physically
challenging. This means females need to add more practice time to overcome those
obstacles, which in turn means their progress is a little slower. If you put in
the same time on a project as your co worker did and they got further than you
on it, you will probably get discouraged. These factors will most likely lead to
a profession change.
I do not believe men are better songwriters/composers/musicians though.
Those are things that the physical can not rule over the mind on. Example, if
Mozart were to of lost his arms in a horrible accident, would he not of
continued to write great music? Your mind is way more creative then your hands.
Being a musician/composer/songwriter really relies on how well you hear the
music in your mind and find a way, through notes, to express it. These are not
gender specific attributes, its fair game for both sexes. Guitar is very
deceiving in how difficult it is to play, yet the most appealing in wanting to
start. Guitar is probably the 2nd hardest instrument to master next to the harp.
Here is my tip for all the females, HAVE A GUITAR MADE WITH A SMALLER NUT AND
FRET BOARD LENGTH. If you change those two things on the guitar, you can level
the playing field. Then men will be coping licks off girls and will have
found another reason to put up more of your posters in our rooms.
Tom: I can hear Mike’s and mine former music theory teacher (a
woman) now, just screaming with a reply to this one. It is true that most
electric guitarists are male. It is also true (at the present time) that
the best electric guitarists are also virtually all male. But it would be a
mistake for anyone to assume that males are naturally better than females or
that females make inferior guitarists biologically or psychologically. There
are less great female players because of many reasons such as: there are
far less fewer female guitar players in general, females are not encouraged to
pursue electric guitar playing as a career or serious hobby, they are sometimes
not taken seriously by guitar teachers, they are encouraged to play instruments
like piano, violin, flute, etc.
Whenever I am lucky enough to teach a woman or girl to play guitar, I make
sure to give them extra attention, extra encouragement, extra time, etc. Not
because I feel sorry for females or think that I should make up for all the
times that they were discriminated against by other people. It is because
I believe the single most important ingredient of being a musician is the desire
for self _expression. And I think females, in general, are far better than
males at communication, expressing emotions and in desiring to express oneself.
Therefore I think females DO have a big untapped natural advantage over
males. So I want to be sure that my female students are aware of that and
I want to help them to develop the skills needed to reach their full potential.
To all the females out there, I say to you, be thankful you are female.
Anyone (male or female) can learn how to move his/her fingers, develop
one’s ear, knowledge of music theory, improvisation, composition skills, etc.
But one can NOT learn the desire to express oneself, you either have that
or you don’t. I would encourage all female musicians to find the right
teacher for you.
- Can all tell me how long time it make to be great music man? - Woong: South
Korea
Tom: Probably every music teacher in the world is asked this
question many times by his/her students. Unfortunately for all who this
question, there exists no single or definite answers. Among the many
problems with answering this question are:
Different people may not define GREAT the same way.
Different people may not even define MUSICIAN the same way.
Different people progress at different rates of speed.
Different styles of music have different standards of greatness.
How are we measuring time here?
Is the question itself even a valid one?
Why do you want to be a great musician anyway, why not make your goal to be the
best musician on the Earth at expressing YOU.
I’m sure that this was not a very satisfying answer for those reading this who
want to know THE answer. So I’ll leave you with another unsatisfying
answer and that is this: IT TAKES AS LONG AS IT TAKES.
Mike: More than a year, and a never ending process. The best advice
I can give to you in a few sentences would be, 1) Do everything possible to help
get you to where it is you want to be (lessons, schooling, recording, etc.), 2)
Put in as much time, and care, into the drawing of your future you see yourself
living.