Music Theory for Guitar 101: Notes, Modes, & Intervals

Howdy folks,

My approach to teaching guitar includes some theory & some practice & is tailored to the student’s needs/intentions & whatever particular music s/he wants to learn/work on. I’ve been refining my notes with my guitar students & figured this might be helpful to some of you.

Let’s start with the basics, the ABC of music & your instrument. This is the common language of music theory applied to the guitar.

The names of guitar strings (open notes) from highest to lowest (thinnest string to thickest string) is

1. e |___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
2. B|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
3. G|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
4. D|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
5. A|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
6. E|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|

As you can image, this is only true if the guitar is actually in tune:-)

The chromatic progression (or scale) from any one note to its octave is composed of 12 half steps (each fret is considered a half step, 2 frets a whole step).
Therefore, if we were to travel up the low E string note by note we’d get:

• 1st note, open string (0 fret): E
• 2nd note, 1st fret: F
• 3rd note, 2nd fret: F# (F sharp; also Gb, i.e. G flat)
  
• 4th note, 3rd fret: G
• 5th note, 4th fret: G#(G sharp; also Ab, i.e. A flat)
  
• 6th note, 5th fret: A
• 7th note, 6th fret: Bb (B flat; less commonly A#; i.e. A sharp)
• 8th note, 7th fret: B
• 9th note, 8th fret: C
• 10th note, 9th fret: C# (C sharp; also Db, i.e. D flat)
  
• 11th note, 10th fret: D
• 12th note, 11th fret: D# (D sharp; also Eb, i.e. E flat)
  
• 13th note, 12th fret: E (that’s the octave)

All these notes are represented on every string, just in different positions. For example, the note on the 1st fret of the A string is a Bb, the note on the 1st fret of the D string is D#, etc. As you can see from this example, the progression itself remains constant, i.e. Bb still follows A, & D# still follows D, even though we’re on different strings. Here’s a picture:

E|_F_|_F#|_G_|G#|_A_|_Bb|_B_|_C_|_C#|_D_|_D#|_E_|
B|_C_|_C#|_D_|_D#|_E_|_F_|_F#|_G_|G#_|_A_|_Bb|_B_|
G|_G#|_A_|_Bb|_B_|_C_|_C#|_D_|_D#|_E_|_F_|_F#|_G_|
D|_D#|_E_|_F_|_F#|_G_|G#|_A_|_Bb|_B_|_C_|_C#|_D_|
A|_Bb|_B_|_C_|C#|_D_|_D#|_E_|_F_|_F#|_G_|G#_|_A_|
E|_F_|_F#|_G_|G#|_A_|_Bb|_B_|_C_|_C#|_D_|_D#|_E_|

It’s important to commit these two to memory: six strings, twelve notes. Everything builds on this.

Here’s a cool device to make this easier to memorize. I’ve highlighted the notes E & A, & their octaves:

E|_F_|_F#|_G_|G#|_A_|_Bb|_B_|_C_|_C#|_D_|_D#|_E_|
B|_C_|_C#|_D_|_D#|_E_|_F_|_F#|_G_|G#_|_A_|_Bb|_B_|
G|_G#|_A_|_Bb|_B_|_C_|_C#|_D_|_D#|_E_|_F_|_F#|_G_|
D|_D#|_E_|_F_|_F#|_G_|G#|_A_|_Bb|_B_|_C_|_C#|_D_|
A|_Bb|_B_|_C_|C#|_D_|_D#|_E_|_F_|_F#|_G_|G#_|_A_|
E|_F_|_F#|_G_|G#|_A_|_Bb|_B_|_C_|_C#|_D_|_D#|_E_|


Intervals
We can use the above chromatic progression to introduce intervals as well. The term interval describes the difference in pitch between two notes, i.e. their relationship. As such it is non-specific with regard to actual notes, although we can apply it to notes. Intervals may be described as:

• vertical (or harmonic), if the two notes sound simultaneously, or
  
• linear (or melodic), if the notes sound successively

That means you use them to describe the notes in a chord or the notes in a scale. The chromatic progression, for example, can be described with intervals (again using E as our starting note):

• E: 1 (root or tonic)
  
• F: m2 (minor second)
• F#: M2 (major second)
• G: m3 (minor third)
• G#: M3 (major third)
• A: 4 (fourth, aka perfect fourth)
• Bb: b5 (flatted fifth, sometimes “raised fourth”)
• B: 5 (fifth, aka perfect fifth)
• C: m6/#5 (minor sixth, sometimes raised fifth)
• C#: M6 (major sixth)
• D: m7 (minor seventh)
• D#: M7 (major seventh)
• E: 8 (octave)
• F: m9: minor ninth (one octave above minor second)

The difference between notes & intervals is very simple:

• Notes are specific (e.g. A, not Bb)
• Intervals describe a place in a pattern (e.g. a major third, not a minor third, relative to any given root note/tonic)

For example the note C is a minor third of A. That’s very specific & only true if A is the tonic. But what’s always true is that a minor third interval is three half steps above (higher than) the tonic, no matter what key you’re in. If we apply that to our example tonic A, the three half steps are

1. Bb
2. B
3. C

Bingo!

Scales/Modes

In music, a scale is a sequence of musical notes in ascending and descending order. Most commonly, especially in the context of the common practice period, the notes of a scale will belong to a single key, thus providing material for or being used to conveniently represent part or all of a musical work including melody and/or harmony.^[1]

Scales in traditional Western music generally consist of seven notes and repeat at the octave. Notes in the commonly used scales (see just below) are separated by whole and half step intervals of tones and semitones.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_%28music%29

As noted above,  Western diatonic music is based on the 7 notes of the major, or Ionian, mode/scale. Other scales with more or less notes to a scale are also used, but less often, such as the 5-note Pentatonic scale.

The Pentatonic Scale (in A):  1  m3  4  5  m7  8

________________A__________C_
|___|___|___|___|_E_|___|___|_G_|
|___|___|___|___|_C_|___|_D_|___|

|___|___|___|___|_G_|___|_A_|___|

|___|___|___|___|_D_|___|_E_|___|

|___|___|___|___|_A_|___|___|_C_|

<*&%@# formatting!>

 

The deal with the diatonic modes is that they’re all built on the Ionian mode. If you were to play an Ionian scale over one octave starting on the second note (thus playing through the 9th note, which is an octave above the second note), it would contain all the same specific notes as the Ionian, but the steps between notes – i.e. the interval patterns – would be different. If you repeat that exercise on each successive note, you get the seven modes:

THE MODES

Ionian (in A):        1  M2   M3    4   5   M6  M7   8

____________G#__A_____________
|___|___|___|___|_E_|___|F#_|___|
|___|___|___|_B_|___|C# |_D_|___|

|___|___|___|F#_|___|G# |_A_|___|

|___|___|___|C# |_D_|___|_E_|___|

|___|___|___|___|_A_|___|_B_|___|

Dorian (in A):        1  M2   m3    4   5   M6  m7  8

________________A______B___C_
|___|___|___|___|_E_|___|F#_|_G_|
|___|___|___|_B_|_C_|___|_D_|___|

|___|___|___|F#_|_G |___|_A_|___|

|___|___|_C_|___|_D_|__ |_E_|___|

|___|___|___|___|_A_|___|_B_|___|

Phrygian (in A):    1  m2   m3    4   5  m6  m7   8

________________A__Bb_____C__
|___|___|___|___|_E_|_F_|___|_G_|
|___|___|___|___|_C_|___|_D_|___|

|___|___|___|___|_G_|___|_A_|Bb_|

|___|___|___|___|_D_|___|_E_|_F_|

|___|___|___|___|_A_|Bb_|___|_C_|

Lydian (in A):        1  M2   M3   b5   5   M6  M7  8

___________G#__A______B_____
|___|___|___|D# |_E_|___|F# |___|
|___|___|___|_B_|___|C# |___|___|

|___|___|___|F# |___|G# |_A_|___|

|___|___|___|C #|___|D# |_E_|___|

|___|___|___|___|_A_|___|_B_|___|

Mixolydian (in A): 1  M2  M3     4   5   M6  m7   8

________________A______B______C#
|___|___|___|___|_E_|___|_F#|_G_|
|___|___|___|_B_|___|C# |_D_|___|

|___|___|___|F#_|_G_|___|_A_|___|

|___|___|___|C# |_D_|___|_E_|___|

|___|___|___|___|_A_|___|_B_|___|

Aeolian (in A):       1  M2  m3     4   5   m6  m7   8

________________A______B___C_
|___|___|___|___|_E_|_F_|___|_G_|
|___|___|___|_B_|_C_|___|_D_|___|

|___|___|_F_|___|_G_|___|_A_|___|

|___|___|_C_|___|_D_|___|_E_|___|

|___|___|___|___|_A_|___|_B_|___|

Lokrian (in A):       1   m2  m3    4  b5   m6 m7   8

________________A__Bb______C_
|___|___|___|___|___|_F_|___|_G_|
|___|___|___|___|_C_|___|_D_|Eb_|

|___|___|___|___|_G_|___|_A_|Bb |

|___|___|___|___|_D_|Eb_|___|_F_|

|___|___|___|___|_A_|Bb_|___|_C_|

Knowing modes is useful for both composing & performing music:

 

• they’re the building block of Western music.
• modes improve your knowledge of music in general & your instrument in particular.
• modes empower you as a songwriter.

modes enable you to better play with other people.

More to come on Chords, Arpeggios, & other goodies.

 

So what does a producer do?

One of the hats I wear is that of a record/music producer, a job which is both technical & creative, & which I love for that reason. I perform this role both in Sharon Knight & Pandemonaeon, & I hire out my services as well. In the words of my colleague Wikipe Dia:

…a record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job it is to oversee and manage the recording (i.e. “production”) of an artist’s music. A producer has many roles that may include, but are not limited to, gathering ideas for the project, selecting songs and/or musicians, coaching the artist and musicians in the studio, controlling the recording sessions, and supervising the entire process through mixing and mastering. Producers also often take on a wider entrepreneurial role, with responsibility for the budget, schedules, and negotiations.

Today, the recording industry has two kinds of producers: executive producer and music producer; they have different roles. While an executive producer oversees a project’s finances, a music producer oversees the creation of the music.

A music producer can, in some cases, be compared to a film director, with noted practitioner Phil Ek himself describing his role as “the person who creatively guides or directs the process of making a record, like a director would a movie. The engineer would be more the cameraman of the movie.”^[2] The music producer’s job is to create, shape, and mold a piece of music. The scope of responsibility may be one or two songs or an artist’s entire album – in which case the producer will typically develop an overall vision for the album and how the various songs may interrelate.

In the US, before the rise of the record producer, someone from A&R would oversee the recording session(s), assuming responsibility for creative decisions relating to the recording.

–from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record_producer

Good description, thanks Mr. Dia!

So going back to the 2-parts-of-the-brain thing: because I am a sound engineer I am versed in the technical requirements of translating a particular sound or vibe to a recording and/or mix. And being a musician & songwriter, I also often find ways to improve on existing song arrangements, to share in the creation of the music. At which point does a producer’s suggestion on arrangement amount to songwriting & thus shared authorship? This second type of work sometimes does go uncredited unless agreed upon beforehand. In the end it’s all about making the music as good as it can be, & whatever the song needs to be excellent. A producer provides an objective & trained ear backed by many years of experience, & he or she can take a good song & make it great.

To do my job as a producer right, I like to be involved from the beginning all the way to pressing the disks:

• Pre-production would include figuring out the budget/resources, songwriting/arrangement, which songs to include, instrumentation, guest players, choice of studio, rehearsals, overall direction/theme of the album, associated artwork.
• Production includes tracking, overdubs, & mixing. Here I would suggest tracking approaches based on sound/vibe, choice of mics/preamps, instrumentation, separation/ease of editing vs. the vibe of all playing in one room, final track selections
• Post-production includes mastering & duplication. Help determine track sequence. Oversee mastering process & artwork to make sure they reflect the overall theme of the project & vibe of the music. Size of CD fold-out dependent on budget/resources/target market. Help select duplication vendor.

And at all times, lest you may forget, the producer collaborates with the artist. There should be no railroading the artist into a direction they don’t want to go. Best to establish that direction from the get-go. And for Pete’s sake, don’t lose the fun in the process. That’s how some of the best mistakes happen!

ADR

Wow, it’s been a busy two weeks!

Since I last wrote, I started audio post on Falling Uphill, a fabulous mumblecore indie feature for which I did production sound as well. Being already familiar with the script and the director’s vision, it came as no surprise that he wanted to keep to a documentary-type soundtrack in keeping with the genre’s style, something he reiterated during our spotting session. That means that as much production sound as possible is going to get used in the film, rather than replacing the production ambience with new, specially-recorded ambience or with something taken from a sound library, both of which are common practice.

Why is this common practice? There are a number of reasons:

1. during production, “picture is king,” i.e. the focus is on capturing the action on camera, which in and of itself requires actors, good acting, sets, wardrobe, make-up, lights, extras, continuity, etc etc etc. Plenty to worry about even without sound.
2. production sound focus is on dialog, but even under the best conditions, getting clean sound is challenging because you can’t completely (if at all) control the sound in most locations. Problems to contend with are traffic, airplanes, wind, rain, ocean, air conditioning, wireless interference, fabric noise, dolly noise, light or monitor buzz, etc.
3. in the world of film sound, dialog is king, so the more you can control the ambience, the better. In big budget films, almost everything gets re-recorded in a studio, including the dialog (which is called ADR, for Automatic or Actor Dialog Replacement). Of course this is true for all animated films as well, where there is no production sound to begin with.

In keeping with the mumblecore approach, we wanted to do as little ADR as possible for Falling Uphill, but a few scenes needed fixing for various reasons:

• two of the scenes were supposed to be rather intimate & quiet, but the production ambience was distracting.
• two scenes had airplane noise & no line matches in alternate takes.
• two lines had radio interference.
• two scenes had off-camera lines that were changed in the script, & therefore had to be re-recorded.

We’ve already done ADR with 3 out of 4 actors, and I’ve integrated those recordings into the mix after ensuring sync (with a ProTools plug-in called VocAlign), and matching tone (via equalization), ambience (via reverb), and volume.

To begin with, you really should use the same mic(s) for ADR that were used during production, so the re-recorded lines will match the original in tone as much as possible. It’s also important not to impart any ambience into the re-recording that won’t match the production sound. So either the recording room has to be acoustically neutral (or “dead”-sounding), or sound the same as the original location.

The ADR process itself is pretty easy (for the engineer anyway;->). After setting up a picture monitor and microphone in the vocal booth, I select a region of one or more lines in the timeline, something that’s reasonable for the actor to re-perform. I’ll place a 3-beep (3 short, 1kHz beeps) before the start of the line(s) as a count-down, and include that in the whole region to be looped. After selecting “record-loop” in ProTools, the section will play until I stop playback/recording. The actor will usually need a few loops to “get up to speed,” and I’ll stop when I or the director like a particular take. I repeat that process for at least two more takes (to have some alternates; sometimes it’s many more takes), and then move on to the next section.

The beauty of VocAlign is that the actor’s performance only has to match the original by about 80%, and the plug-in will align the rest. A big time saver! Of course, this only applies to phrasing, not diction.

I’ve made multiple passes addressing the dialog & ambiences, and I’m very happy with how things are sounding. Sundance, here we come:)

Audio Post-Production

Ever wonder what it is I do when I’m not recording sound on set or playing or recording music?

Here’s an excerpt from a class I used to teach at the Pyramind Media & Music Production School in San Francisco.

Audio Post-Production refers to the massaging of the soundtrack once the picture editor has assembled the final cut (called “picture lock”). The term applies to feature films, documentaries, broadcast shows, music videos, or commercials/advertising spots,
& encompasses the editing, enhancing, processing, mixing, & mastering of the soundtrack.

In terms of its creative contributions to the project, Audio Post enhances the
• storyline
• illusion of reality
• illusion of unreality
• spatial depth & width
• continuity btw scenes
• production audio tracks by editing, processing, & ADR (Automatic Dialog Replacement, where  actors re-perform their lines in the studio, in sync with their original performance, because of unusable location sound).

Workflow
1. Spotting session (this is where the sound dept. in the presence of the director &/or the producer determines the sound quality of the production tracks; the amount of ADR &/or VO [voiceover, or narration] needed; the amount & placement of foley; & the style, amount, & placement of sound design)
2. tracklaying (separating the production tracks into dialog, ambience, & effects tracks)
3. dialog editing (separating dialog tracks per main actors, fading across tracks, initial volume automation, editing out unwanted sounds, finding & placing lines from alternate takes)
4. processing (equalization, compression, noise reduction)
5. ADR (& aligning sync via VocAlign plug-in, or manually by sound & picture)
6. Foley (in-studio performance-to-picture of practical sound effects such as footsteps, fabric noise, etc)
7. sound design (helps create the illusion of reality–or unreality–& helps tell the story in terms of dramatic tension & release, along with the score)
8. music/score (see above)
9. mixing (putting all the elements together)
10. stems (DME, i.e. Dialog, Music, Effects)
11. mastering (outputting to target format for final release)

Recommended Reading
Audio Post Production for Television and Film
by Hilary Wyatt & Tim Amyes
3rd Ed., Focal Press

Websites

http://us.imdb.com/Glossary/

http://www.filmsound.org/

http://www.sound-ideas.com/

http://www.marblehead.net/foley/specifics.html

http://www.epicsound.com/sfx/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Film_and_video_technology

http://www.locationsound.com/proaudio/ls/index.html

Location Sound Guidelines and Lingo

I thought I’d share a few items of interest from my location sound seminar & audio post classes. Let’s start with recording sound on set, since that’s where it starts in the real world as well.

Tips & Tricks
◦ Read script to plan for special sound events that might be needed.
◦ Always plan ahead as much as possible.
◦ Always be present for blocking (see Lingo below), so you can figure out your next set-up.
◦ Always set up as early as possible & relax later (while waiting for relight, wardrobe, make-up, talent). “Waiting for sound” is the call of death.
◦ Always record at least 30 seconds of room tone for every new INT (interior) location.
◦ Make sure to get all the wild tracks/ambience the film might needs.
◦ Wild track talent to compensate for noisy sets (the inside of a car can double as an isolation/vocal booth if it’s parked in a quiet location).
◦ Always use double system if you can (i.e. sound to camera as well as sound to recorder)
◦ Verify camera return after every reset.
◦ Use a location sound checklist until you know it backwards & forwards.
◦ Double & triple check all connections & settings.
◦ Mobility & fast response is key.
◦ Use batteries instead of AC when you can. AC introduces noise problems.
◦ Run audio cables separately from AC cables.

Set Protocol
◦ Always be respectful of crew & talent, & never talk shit about anyone.
◦ Call for “cut” if sound is going to be compromised during a take.
◦ Bring up any potential or actual sound problems to the director, AD, or line
producer.
◦ Wait to set up new sound/mic positions until camera position is established.
◦ Always collect lavs/transmitters from talent before they leave the set.
Accessories/Tools:
◦ Leatherman
◦ small flashlight
◦ binder for sound reports/location sound checklist
◦ Sticky tape/hairpiece tape for lavs
◦ gaffer, medical (also good for lavs), & paper tape
◦ sunglasses
◦ floppy hat or baseball cap (so you can still wear headphones)
◦ sun screen
◦ Sharpies
◦ AA & 9V Battery meters
◦ notepad
◦ Soldering kit
◦ business cards
◦ EZ-Up
◦ Sound blankets (aka furniture pads)
◦ 6-step ladder
◦ boom stands
◦ Cartellinis                                                                                                                                                 ◦ dolly or sound cart
◦ clamps

Lingo:
◦ “Action”
The most often heard term on a film set along with “cut. ” It signifies the
beginning of the camera’s recording (immediately following “speed” of both sound & picture) of a dialog or action sequence from the script.
◦ ADR
Stands for Automatic Dialog Replacement, sometimes called looping. When
an actor in a studio replaces dialog that was improperly recorded or
distorted (by airplanes, traffic noises, etc.) during location filming.
◦ Audio Post-production
The editing, looping, music recording, etc., that is completed after the film
has been shot.                                                                                                                                    ◦ Best Boy
The gaffer’s (electrician’s) first assistant.
◦ Blocking
The movement of actors and/or action on a film set, usually the director or
assistant director’s job.
◦ Continuity
The matching of an actor’s movement and/or props usage so that a scene
shot from various camera angles can be edited together without noticeable
interruption.
◦ “Cut”
The second most often heard term on a film set. It signifies a halt in the
filming of a scripted scene.
◦ Cutting Room Floor
Where most of an actor’s best scenes wind up; just ask them.
◦ Dailies/Rushes
The unedited “raw ” footage from the previous day’s shooting that the crew
“rushes ” to see on a “daily ” basis.
◦ Dolly Shot/Tracking Shot
A term referring to a moving camera shot. The camera is usually mounted
on a vehicle set on wheels or tracks in order to produce a smooth
movement.
◦ Foley
Recording sound effects (foot steps, fabric noise, etc.) in synchronization
with the film (post-production).
◦ Gaffer
Set electrician, responsible for providing safe electrical power to all the
equipment.
◦ Gaffer Tape
Wide grey, white, or black tape that literally holds the film industry
together. Not to be confused with duct tape. Gaffer tape leaves no sticky
residue on film equipment.
◦ Grip
Responsible for moving production equipment around a film set.
◦ Gopher
Basically a (PA) production assistant asked to “go for this or go for that. ”
◦ Hitting the Mark
When an actor stops at the correct spot in a scene for framing and focusing.
The actual mark is usually a piece of gaffer tape placed on the floor.
◦ Martini Shot
The last shot of the day or of the whole shoot.                                                                              ◦ Master Shot
The term for an entire scene shot from one camera angle involving all the
actors in the scene and with no editing. Usually the first shot in the filmed
sequence.
◦ MOS
A term from the birth of the sound era in Hollywood referring to a scene
shot silently or “without sound. ” Since many German directors were
working in the business at that time and the German word for with is “mit, ”
the acronym became “MOS ” rather than “WOS. ”
◦ Pick Ups/Pick-Up Shots
Shots needed to complete the storytelling that were initially missed or left
out and are “picked up ” at a later time.
◦ Room Tone
Sound recorded without dialog on the location or set to be used to bridge
gaps in the soundtrack. Each location has a distinctive ambient sound that
can sometimes be difficult to match in the post-production studio.
◦ Set Ups
The number of times the camera is moved in order to correctly film the
scene.
◦ Second Unit
The crew that shoots stunt scenes, crowd scenes, car driving scenes, etc.,
that do not involve the principal actors.
◦ Slate
The identifying marker at the beginning of each filmed scene. It is
sometimes “clapped ” to provide a synchronization point for the picture and
sound for post-production.
◦ “Speed”
Recordist’s response to AD’s call to “roll sound.”
◦ Wild Tracks
Dialog or ambient tracks not recorded to picture
◦ Wrap
The third most often heard word on a film set. And the one the entire cast
and crew looks forward to: the end of the day’s shooting, or the end of the
entire shoot.

Mister Helpful strikes again!

So I was on a corporate shoot yesterday doing “talking heads” (stationary interviews) with a minimal crew (producer/director, DP, myself on sound). Even though it was a corporate gig, the budget was tiny; but there was a good possibility of more work from the same source, so I agreed to a one-time lower rate than my standard day rate.

We were under a time crunch because we had to fit in 3 interviews in Oakland (in the same building, but 3 different locations) with busy CEOs in meetings or conference calls, then record one last interview with another CEO in SF, download footage and sound files, and finish in time for the producer and DP to catch their flight back to LA. We shot on the 7D with minimal lighting, but still had to hustle to make our SF deadline. So, being the helpful guy that I am, I ended up gripping and gaffing as well.

The producer and DP were very grateful for the help, and I ended up getting paid extra because of it. Apparently their previous sound people for SF shoots were less helpful and/or concerned about the project at hand.

To me, team spirit is part of what’s so cool about film work. On longer projects like feature films, you spend something like 3 weeks with a crew of 30 – 100 people (depending on the budget/size of the project). Everybody applies their particular skills to the task at hand, assists other departments when necessary, and helps navigate the unavoidable obstacles which always come up. It’s a very bonding experience.

What I take home from that is this: it pays to go the extra mile.

Greetings! And thanks for saving me a seat:)

Hi everybody,

this is my new site dedicated to news regarding my work as an audio engineer & as a producer & musician.

Postings will include such categories as On Location, Audio Post, Helpful Hints, & Music Recording.

I am currently working on local Celtic singer Amelia Hogan’s album Transplants. I love Amelia’s voice & her choice of material. Since her musical partner Ray Frank, a fantastic acoustic guitar player & accompanist, is not able to finish the recording process due to health reasons, she asked me to step in, both in terms of producing & playing guitar.

Yesterday we recorded the Celtic traditional The Boys of Barr Na Sraide, which received a bit of a modern treatment both in terms of arrangement as well as instrumentation. After laying down the acoustic guitar part (which I had just figured out from listening to Amelia’s melody – not having heard the song before), I followed a hunch & added an electric guitar part with my Strat. It really fits the song while giving it a new twist, so it’s the first song on the album to depart from the traditional.

We _are_ planning to add some bass to some of the already recorded songs, the ones which feature Ray’s guitar playing. I have to say, I’m very impressed with his musical sensibilities; his additions are very tasteful. It’s possible I might add a second guitar in a chorus here or there, we’ll see. Other additions will include both low & high whistles, some percussion, & Riggy Rackin on concertina. I have worked with him before on Peter Kasin & Richard Adrianowicz’s album Boldly from the Westward, a great collection of sea shanties. Riggy is a great player & I look forward to recording him again.

I’m excited about this album, can you tell?

You can check out Amelia’s music & videos here: http://www.reverbnation.com/ameliaisaverb

OK, see you all later.