Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

It occurred to me that there are probably other Seibertronians out there that play and/or write music. So here's our little corner of the world...a place where we can talk chord progressions, gear, recording, writing, and other important musical information.

My first question: any other keyboard players out there? WHat's your gear set-up? For me I have:

Ensoniq MR-76 (an old and very heavy beast) as a practice board
Roland AX-7 (gotta love the syntars)
Korg Triton LE
ALesis QS 6.1
Roland Juno G
Run all the boards through a little 6 channel Behringer board so I can run stereo with only two outputs.
Also have the Roland VP-7 Vocal processor.

Is anyone using synth programs from laptop/PC? WHat do you recommend?

I swear we had one of these threads already ...

I play Trumpet, Euphonium, started to learn Trombone but the lessons died off.

I did a search for "Musicians" on the forum search but turned up nothing.

Yeah that thread was mine. 'Anyone else out there play instruments?" or something.

Personally, I play a glazed earthenware Ocarina, 6 Holes, Plays notes from C4-D5. Very user friendly. Easy to learn, yet really hard to play faster, more high pitched songs. It can feel limited at times, like you wish you had more note variety, but I'm not plopping down 100 bucks for an 8 hole, just seems pointless.
At the end of the day though, its a fun instrument to play and sounds beautiful.
Glad I got this one as a gift, some Ocarinas go for well over a grand!

My favourite Les Paul has the '60's slim profile neck and the EMG 81 & 85 set running through a Line 6 75 watt.
I've done away with my effects pedals

Burn wrote:I play Trumpet,

Dude. Are you a Constructicon? That'd be pretty boss.

I have a 5 string bass guitar. I'm not really aiming for a band or anything, I just play it for fun.

Ocarina? THat's awesome!

I play bassoon, piano, vocals, clarinet in Bb, guitar, and bass guitar. My band just had our first live performance on Friday.

prowl123 wrote:I play bassoon, piano, vocals, clarinet in Bb, guitar, and bass guitar. My band just had our first live performance on Friday.

Congrats! WHat do you guys play? COvers or originals?

First-Aid wrote:

prowl123 wrote:I play bassoon, piano, vocals, clarinet in Bb, guitar, and bass guitar. My band just had our first live performance on Friday.

Congrats! WHat do you guys play? COvers or originals?

Covers now because we just got together but we're gonna start writing soon.

So I need to rant a bit.

I began playing Trumpet at the age of 10, at the age of 13 I was swapped (read, get the fat kid to play the fat instrument) to Euphonium for the remainder of my school life.

After I left school I didn't play much, the only bands available in town to me were the high school bands and I only went to one when needed and played trumpet, and that lasted until my old teacher left town.

I was really shown the basics of playing, never given much theory, and I was in fact shown how to use my lips to play completely incorrectly (I was told to press tighter against the mouthpiece rather than tightening my lips).

Flash forward to now ... we started up a band a few years ago primarily for adults, kids are more than welcome. I did Euphonium for a bit before swapping back to Trumpet. This year I decided it was time to go onto 1st, that and the other trumpeter hasn't been around.

Now the other people in the band ... most of them have decades of experience, university educations, or received extra tuition whilst at school.

Suffice to say, I would class myself as one of the least experienced in the band.

This year we started up a smaller group to play jazz and swing stuff ... and after last night I'm feeling INCREDIBLY dejected. I lack the theory to understand some of the stuff, my eyes have trouble reading some of the scores, and I just can't play that high (and I'm not really good at sight reading down the octave). So obviously I need to practice.

Which I did tonight, and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get one song.

Anyone ever been at a point like this where they feel they're just not good enough and feel like quitting? Because that's how I feel ... like I want to walk away from it because it's seriously depressing.
Plus my ex is in the band and she's nothing but a massively negative influence I don't need in my life.

/end rant.

Burn,
Growing up i'd idolize Slash, Malmsteen, Rhodes etc. I thought that with enough practice I could be just like them. So i did, i still do. Recorded, gigged, the whole 9 yards.
Then i'd compare. Biggest mistake ever. That led to depression, not playing, giving up on myself, basically thinking i was a failure, which took over other.aspects in my lige. They can do it, why cant i? Only recently have i picked it up and started playing for myself. Not to compare, or be judged or whatever. Just to play. Ive also learned to distance myself from negative influences. It's a **** hard road sometimes, but for what its worth, ive come out a stronger person.

Musicians are HORRIBLE about comparing themselves to other players. Music is not about being technically correct, but having fun. If you sit back and relax, enjoying the music, you tend to play better. Theory is something you can teach yourself or get some basic lessons. Reading music is difficult...you should NEVER judge yourself by that. I started on the piano at age 6 some 33 years ago. To this day, despite years of practice, I STILL have issues with reading music. I play by ear 90% of the time now. But if you really want to get better, walking away isn't the answer. Practice is. Don't give up on something that can give you so much potential satisfaction and happiness.

First-Aid wrote:Musicians are HORRIBLE about comparing themselves to other players. Music is not about being technically correct, but having fun. If you sit back and relax, enjoying the music, you tend to play better. Theory is something you can teach yourself or get some basic lessons. Reading music is difficult...you should NEVER judge yourself by that. I started on the piano at age 6 some 33 years ago. To this day, despite years of practice, I STILL have issues with reading music. I play by ear 90% of the time now. But if you really want to get better, walking away isn't the answer. Practice is. Don't give up on something that can give you so much potential satisfaction and happiness.

I could not have said it myself. The lead guitarist of my band is all about sounding exactly like the song we're covering, so he refuses to do any song that has harmonies in it because we don't have another guitar and it would 'sound weird.' A musical cover is an artist's interpretation of another artist's piece, not an exact replica of it.

Just saying.

For the record, i'm not comparing myself to everyone else in the band, I have no illusions that i'll be as good as them. Like most things I do in life I don't measure myself against others, I set my own goals, I compete against myself.

But this ... it's depressing because we've worked five years to build the band up, this year is shaping up to be good. For years it's been my suggestion to have a smaller group made up of the more reliable members and this is a result of that. I'd be happy to step back and say "no, I don't want to be part of the jazz group" but I can't because there's no other trumpet players so I feel obligated to be a part of it.

It's my own fault for setting my goals higher than what I can realistically achieve!

Burn wrote:It's my own fault for setting my goals higher than what I can realistically achieve!

NEVER sell yourself short. I would think that if the other members of the band didn't want you in it, they would tell you. But I will say this: if you are not having fun, then it's not worth playing. Maybe ask another horn player to fill in or if they were interested in splitting time with you. Like I said though, if the fun is not their, you shouldn't feel the obligation and I recommend talking with the other band members about it.

First-Aid wrote:But I will say this: if you are not having fun, then it's not worth playing.

Yeah well this is something i've been debating with myself for the last two years or so because of numerous reasons.

Maybe ask another horn player to fill in or if they were interested in splitting time with you.

Not an option. Aside from the Conductor who doubles up on Trombone, i'm the only other brass player. The rest are all woodwind.

Burn wrote:

First-Aid wrote:But I will say this: if you are not having fun, then it's not worth playing.

Yeah well this is something i've been debating with myself for the last two years or so because of numerous reasons.

Maybe ask another horn player to fill in or if they were interested in splitting time with you.

Not an option. Aside from the Conductor who doubles up on Trombone, i'm the only other brass player. The rest are all woodwind.

What is the composition of the band? Usually if you had to substitute a woodwind for a trumpet, an Eb alto sax has a very similar range. That's what I would use in my compositions in college. Also, what type of jazz are you talking about? Smooth, classic, dixieland, contemporary?

I cant really contribute much more than this:
Your heart isnt in it, its weighed down by multiple burdens. If you can't sit back, relax, and play on your own, then there's something bothering you on a deeper level. If this ex is a negative influence, thats were ide start. You shouldn't feel out of the loop experience-wise, Maybe you need to approach the problem from another angle.If they were better than you, then why are you all in a band thats lasted this long? I'll tell you how. Your role is vital, your a key component! Without you, they would be nothing! How many other trumpet players are available? How many trumpet players do you have? Just you, and the composer, and he's not going to fill your big green and purple shoes, now is he? You have your own unique style and your a vital contributing member. If you need practice, than practice! Just remember: They are nothing. without. you.

They may have wood, but your top brass.

Jackson Power V in black

Black Dunlop picks

D'addiro strings xl gauge, reds.

Seymour duncan humbucker pickups.

Just one blue cable.

Peavey Amp with built in distortion.

Digitech flanger pedal

Digitech Chorus pedal

Plugs of 10 volts

Items needed.

Jackson king V

Kramer '84

Jackson Kelly

More blue amp plugs

Snarling dogs flanger pedal

snarling dogs chorus pedal

My top eight bands that influenced me are :

1. Megadeth
2. Jeff Young
3. Exhumed
4. Devourment
5. Pig Destroyer
6. Mastodon
7. Possessed
8. Exodus

I just wrote my first song. It's absolutely badass.

I wrote my first song when I was 15 it was just never published.

It's called.

"Welcome to Hell"

and, no it's not by Venom.

If I posted my music, someone would kill themselves. It's not bad. It's just VERY VERY VERY depressing stuff. Depressing. Very. Makes "Taps" sound like "The Wheels on the Bus"...

As for bands/influences, being a keys guy my list is always different than everyone else's. You pretty much can't play the keys and not enjoy or respect Billy Joel and Elton John. Otherwise you HAVE to look at Genesis's Tony Banks...one of the best prog rock bands of all times.