Gitaris Terbaik Indonesia

1.eet syah rani

Eet Sjahranie selalu dihubungkan dengan kepiawaiannya memetik dawai gitar. Setelah Ian Antono, Eet disebut-sebut sebagai jawara gitar di tanah air. Imej itu memang layak disandangnya. Terlebih ia kini menjadi salah satu gitaris grup rock Indonesia yang cukup disegani, EdanE. Dilahirkan di Bandung, 3 Februari 1962 dengan nama Zahedi Riza Sjahranie, anak ketujuh dari kedelapan bersaudara ini mulai menyenangi musik saat menginjak usia 5 atau 6 tahun. Maklum kakak-kakanya sering memutar lagu-lagu barat, seperti Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, hingga Bee Gees.


2.ian antono

siapa yg tak kenal beliau.gitaris God Bless sekaligus legenda hidup musik Indonesia yang masih menjadi panutan gitaris-gitaris di Indonesia.Ian Antono,legenda gitaris indonesia.Ian Antono yang memiliki nama asli Jusuf Antono Djojo (lahir di Malang, Jawa Timur, 29 Oktober 1950; umur 61 tahun) adalah seorang musisi dan pencipta lagu yang juga salah seorang gitaris kelompok musik rock legendaris God Bless.Setelah mundur dari God Bless dan Ian bergabung dengan grup Gong 2000 dan merilis album-album seperti Bara Timur (1991), Laskar (1994), dan Prahara (1996).


3.I BALAWAN

"Satu-satunya Gitaris 8 Finger tap Independent di Indonesia" - I Wayan Balawan Lahir di Gianyar, Bali, pada tanggal 9 September 1973.Balawan adalah seorang gitaris yang sangat berbakat dengan gaya permainan yang sangat khas, yang di kenal dengan teknik "Touch Tapping Style" (Seperti halnya Stanley Jordan). Sebuah permainan yang memanfaatkan ke-delapan jari untuk memainkan tap pada fretboard. Sekilas permainan ini keliatan seperti permainan piano: Permainan bass, chord dan melody, semuanya di mainkan jari kiri dan jari kanan nyaris tanpa di petik


4.tohpati ario hutomo

Tohpati adalah denting halus 6 nylon.kepintaran dan detail komposisinya dlm melakukan dlm melakukan akrobatik lewat jemari tangannya terbukti jelas dlm 3 album solonya.dia sempat membentuk Halmahera dan bergabung dgn Simak Dialog






5.andra ramadhan

Andra jg salah satu gitaris yg gemar memamerkan skill shredder yg menarik perhatian.ia jg dikenal sbg gitaris dgn pola permainan yg bs mencakup segala.jika sblm nya dia di Dewa,Ahmad Dhani mengarahkan utk menjelma menjadi Brian May dan Steven Tyler,di Andra and The Backbone,Andra bebas melepaskan energi rocknya..dan memiliki solo guitar…








6.dewa bujana

dewa bujana adalah gitaris “GIGI” yang memiliki sill harmonik dan jazz.
sia adalah gitaris terbaik yang dimiliki oleh indonesia..
.









7.jhon paul ivan (boomerang)

gitaris salah satu band rock papan atas indonesia yang identik dengan gibsaonnya
permainannya sedikit kearah joe satriani dan slash.
dia juga merupakan gitaris terbaik indonesia menurut saya ..






8.coki (netral)

coki adalah salasatu gitaris yang menurut saya berkualitas tinggi dengan aliaran apapun rock.punk rock serta underground..
dia adalah gitaris kebanggaan indonesia..
awal karir di best jem dan sekarang bergabung bersama netral..





9.piyu(padi)

piyu.adalah sang gitaris dan musisi jenius yang dimiliki oleh indonesia
sebagai gitaris ternama sekaligus pentolan dari group band padi ini
betul betul memiliki karakter dalam mengolah gitar..
pokok kren abizz lah..






10.eross candra

siapa yang tak kenal dengan Sheila on 7..band papan atas yang fenomenal di tahung 2000an ini..dibalik ini prestasi itu semua tidak lepas dari kejeniusa dari gitaris yang ini ni..eross candra…

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PENGARUH JENIS KAYU GITAR PADA SOUND

Banyak macam kayu yang digunakan pada pembuatan gitar. Disini saya kan menjelaskan macam kayu yang sering dipakai dalam pembuatan gitar. Berikut ini adaah beberapa jenis kayu yang biasanya dipakai untuk membuat body gitar beserta karakteristik sound yang dihasilkan.

1. Alder

Kayu ini jenis kayu yang ringan dan memiliki sound yang warm. Kayu ini biasanya digunakan untuk gitar vintage dengan 3 pickup. Tetapi pada dasarnya kayu ini kurang memiliki corak kayu yang indah, jadi pada penyelesaiannya sering menggunakan warna solid.

2. Basswood

Ringan dan memiliki karasteristik sound yang warm dan sangat mirip dengan alder.sound yang dihasilkan oleh kayu ini memang bagus, tnemun beberapa jenis kayu ini cenderung tidak memiliki kekerasan yang cukup , sehingga memerlukan perawatan khusus.

3. Poplar

Kayu yang ringan dan memiliki corak yang lembut ini sering di finishing dengan cara pengecetan. Kayu ini memiliki karakteristik sound yang sama dengan Alder dan Basswood.

4. mahogani

Jenis kayu ini memang cenderung berat dan keras dengan corak terbuka agak kemerah-merahan. Sound yang dihasilkan oleh jenis kayu ini cendeerung bright, sustain yang baik dengan attack yang kuat.

5. Ash

Bewarna terang dengan berat sedang dan corak kayu yang atraktif . memiliki karakteristik suara yang cenderung pada bright, namun punch pada nada bass.

Kayu ini biasanya dipakai untuk body Bass.

6. Maple

Indah, berat, dan sound yang tebal dan attack yang bervariasi. Bisa memperbaiki sound dari kayu yang berkarakter tumpul dengan melapisnya dipermukaan body.

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Distortion (music)

Distortion, also known as overdrive or fuzz, is an effect applied to the electric guitar, the electric bass, and other amplified instruments such as the Hammond organ, synthesizers, and even harmonica and vocals. Accomplished by electronically compressing and/or clipping the input signal, this effect adds sustain and additional harmonics and overtones to the signal, creating a richer sound. The most subtle types of distortion add a "warm" thickness and sustain to the original tone; the more extreme types of distortion range from the noisy, buzzy sound of a late 1960s-era fuzztone pedal to the screaming, "bite", "grit",and "crunch" of a late 1980s thrash-style distortion pedal. Distortion is used across a wide range of musical genres, from the subtle overdrive used in traditional blues to the hard-edged distortion featured in noise music, hardcore punk and metal.

Early examples of distortion were often the result of accidents in which the guitar amplifier or its vacuum valves was damaged, or because the amplifiers and speakers were "doctored" by poking holes into their speaker cones. Observing this trend, Leo Fender of the Fender amplifier company designed valve guitar amps that would "overdrive" slightly.[citation needed] In the 1960s, Jimi Hendrix was one of the first guitarists to experiment with fuzzbox effect pedals.

Distortion can be produced by many components of an instrument's signal path, including effects pedals, the pre-amplifier, power amplifier, speakers, or more recently, digital amplifier modelling devices and software. Many players use a combination of these to obtain their "signature" tone.

History

In the early days of guitar amplification, amplifiers were primitive and low-fidelity, and distortion was inherent in the signal chain. Most amplifiers were all-purpose, designed for use with multiple instruments with different output levels, and guitar pickups were often clip-on types that had weak output levels and microphonic properties. The guitars were typically hollow-body instruments, which would resonate sympathetically with the amplified signal, causing unwanted feedback and an excessive resonant sustain in the bass frequencies. Though electric guitars had been around since 1928 and played popularly by Les Paul and Charlie Christian in the 1930s and 1940s, it was not until the early 1950s that they became commercially successful. It was during this period that the first solid-bodied electric guitars became widely available; they did not suffer as badly from feedback as earlier models, hence they could be played at higher output levels.

The idea of intentionally using distortion to improve the amplified tone had not occurred to early amplifier makers. Early examples of distortion were often the result of accidents in which the guitar amplifier was in some way damaged, but the player or producer decided they liked it and recorded it that way. During the recording of "Rocket 88", one of the early rock and roll songs, Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm guitarist Willie Kizart used an amplifier that had been damaged in transit, resulting in an early recorded example of guitar distortion. For the recording of "The Train Kept A-Rollin'" by the Johnny Burnette Trio, a valve fell out of the amplifier during a live performance. When a reviewer then raved about the crazy new sound, Burnette used the same tone in the recording studio.[1]

An early user of valve overdrive was Chuck Berry, who at the start of his career played through small valve amplifiers, the only ones he could afford. Because of their low output, they were easy to overdrive, giving Chuck's guitar tone a warm overdriven sound, which can be heard on his recording of his first hit "Maybellene". On later recordings he was able to afford better and larger amps and consequently his tone became cleaner. The earliest uses of intentional distortion that have been recorded were achieved through "doctoring" amplifiers and speakers. Guitarists would use a razor blade, screwdriver or pencil to poke holes into their speaker cones to create a distorted sound.[2]

Leo Fender of Fender guitars and amplifiers observed these trends and engineered many of his amplifiers to "compress" and or "overdrive" slightly without drastically distorting the signal. The early Fender "Tweed" and "Blackface" amplifiers are considered a good example of clean electric guitar tone. Many later amplifiers are based on these designs. Significantly, Jim Marshall of Marshall Amplifiers copied the Fender Bassman using parts available in the United Kingdom, creating an amplifier with significant overdrive that quickly caught on in the local music scene and laid the foundation for the powerful, thick "Marshall Sound" that can be heard on so many early heavy metal albums. Later, distortion and fuzz effects were achieved through electronics. Jimi Hendrix was one of the first guitarists to use outboard effects, many designed or modified by guitar tech Roger Mayer.

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Going Solo

Performing as a solo acoustic act can represent either an artistic breakthrough or the kiss of death. It’s undeniably difficult to stand up in front of a crowd with only an acoustic guitar to shield you from the glare of public opinion, able to hear every little comment or conversation from the audience. While some artists are right at home in this environment, others could be forgiven for scurrying for the hills. While it’s easy to slip into the trap of just strumming some chords and warbling along, there are some tricks you can use to make your solo acoustic performance more distinctive, sonically varied, and unique. Let’s look at a few of them.

The first thing to think about is what to play. Are you taking songs that were originally written on electric guitar, with thrashing power chords? Songs like this don’t tend to translate well into solo acoustic performance because the awesome power of a blazing 100 watt amp is such a big part of the sound, and playing the same part on an acoustic guitar can change a riff from “CHUGGA-CHUGGA-CHUG” to “dinka-dinka-dink.” Clever use of open strings and arpeggiation (breaking up a chord into one note at a time) can take an otherwise heavy riff and recast it with moody atmosphere that will service the song much more musically if you take a riff that’s not meant for an acoustic or clean sound and just play it verbatim.

Take, for example, the main riff of that good old standard, Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” For the song’s intro, Metallica took the same riff and moved it around a little, with some open strings and sustained notes, instead of just playing a clean toned version of the ultra distorted main version.

Another pitfall to avoid is the vigorous thrashing of chords, unless the song really needs it for dramatic emphasis. With the limited tonal palate of an acoustic guitar compared to a fully augmented rock band, dynamic control becomes one of your most important tools. One quite intuitive and great sounding technique is to break up a chord by strumming pairs of notes, or strumming only the bass note on the first beat of the bar, and all the remaining notes on subsequent beats. This opens up the arrangement a lot more and allows the audience to mentally fill in what the song might sound like with a full band. The idea is to treat the guitar as six individual voices in a choir – you can have them all sing the same melody in the same octave for dramatic emphasis, but an entire concert’s worth of that same sound can be a little bit of an onslaught. Breaking up a chord into groups of notes allows each section of the chord to breathe, and creates a more supportive bed for vocals.

Next, there’s guitar tone. Despite some great technical advances (like the D Tar Mama Bear acoustic preamp, Takamine’s CoolTube valve-driven onboard acoustic guitar preamp system, and various other analog and digital modelling technologies), a lot of players still just plug the guitar into the mixing desk and treat the audience to the unpleasant quackiness of piezo pickups. The problem with the pickups built into most acoustic guitars is that they transfer only the direct vibration of the string, but what we, the listeners, know as a true acoustic guitar sound also includes the effect of the sound reverberating inside the guitar body before leaping out of the sound hole. If you don’t have a dedicated acoustic processor, a little bit of this mysterious aural voodoo can be added with reverb and delay pedals. Dial the reverb to a ‘small room’ setting, set the effect mix to a ratio of about 75% dry signal and 25% reverb, then feed the reverb pedal into a delay set for a very quick single repeat of around 40-60 milliseconds, again mixed down relatively low, and with the treble of the repeat reduced, if your delay has a tone shaping feature. What you want to do is mimic the sound of a guitar string echoing only within the space of the guitar body, not an entire room. Then if you want to add traditional delay or reverb sounds, and have an extra available pedal or processor, the resulting echo or reverb will sound more like it’s being applied to a real acoustic guitar, instead of just repeating the trebly, hollow piezo sound.

Finally, the best acoustic performers I’ve seen make it feel like you’re sitting in their living room. They do this by being relaxed and displaying lots of personality and confidence, especially during between-song banter. The worst ones I’ve seen make you feel like you’re intruding on their private time, by mumbling or generally ignoring the audience (probably out of nerves, but still, this makes for a terrible entertainment experience).

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Paul Gilbert & Freddie Nelson - United States

Paul Gilbert and Freddie Nelson’s album seemingly appeared from nowhere: Paul mentioned in a news update on his site that he’d completed recording a new CD, and a few weeks later it was released in Japan. A worldwide release is yet to be announced, so for now this album is only available on import. I bought mine here at CDJapan.co.jp and it was delivered in exactly 1 week. Woo!

The collaboration with the not-very-well-known-yet Nelson marks Gilbert’s return to vocal music after two highly successful and progressively brilliant instrumental albums, Get Out Of My Yard and Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar. The material has a different vibe to Gilbert’s solo stuff: you can really hear him enjoying just being the guitarist again like in Mr Big. The songs have lots of wild guitar playing, but the focus is on the vocal melody, and while you can particularly hear Gilbert’s melodic influence on the opening track, ‘Paris Hilton Look-Alike,’ often the vocal melodies come from a different place to those Gilbert sings on his own solo material. Nelson’s notes often seem to ride above the fundamental tones of the chord, rather than following them like Gilbert’s tend to (which is not to discount the inherent coolness of Gilbert’s melodies).

There may have been a temptation to take these songs and make them all FM-radio slick, but instead the drums sound natural and ambient, the guitars are warm and round, and there’s a live, seat-of-the-pants vibe to a lot of the material. Gilbert’s obviously enjoying the softer sounds of his Marshall Vintage Modern combo, and the sizzling treble of much of his solo stuff is completely absent here.

Nelson has been compared to Freddie Mercury (which makes me wonder, is Freddie his real name, or is it a nickname that was prompted by his love of Queen?), and while his voice itself isn’t overly distinctive, his control and range remind me of Jeff Buckley without the shakiness, or Richie Kotzen without the gravel. He has a very smooth, natural tone which perfectly suits the softer guitar tones.

So let’s look at the album track by track:

Paris Hilton Look-Alike. Thematically, this one reminds me of ‘Every Hot Girl Is A Rock Star’ from Paul’s ‘Space Ship One’ album. Musically it’s the most Gilbert-esque track on the album, and therefore a good introduction for what’s to come. Nelson hits some very natural, unforced falsetto notes, showing off his Freddie Mercury influence.

Waste of Time. Heavy on the melody, and a lot more uptempo than track one. Kicks the album up a notch, pointing to more awesome rock power to come.

The Last Rock N' Roll Star. This one features a crazy riff in 6/8, and chugging verses that remind me a little of Van Halen’s ‘Judgement Day.’ There’s a mega-fast solo which will put to rest any lingering fears guitar fans might have that Gilbert is saving his best licks for his solo instrumental stuff these days.

Bad Times Good. A bit of an Aerosmith vibe, with a stomping 4-on-the-floor groove and some melodic, old-school rock solos. It sounds like Gilbert and Nelson trade solos on this track, with Freddie on the left and Paul on the right.

Hideaway. Another song that reminds me a little of stuff from ‘Space Ship One.’ A mid-tempo track with long vocal notes creating a nice contrast to the palm-muted riffage. There are some unusual, atmospheric chord choices in the chorus.

The Answer. I love this one. It sounds like it could fit on Gilbert’s ‘Flying Dog’ album. There’s a nice 12-string acoustic intro before a chunky riff kicks in, capped off by a waltzy chorus and another ultra-fast solo. Gilbert’s not afraid to slam it into higher gear on this material.

I’m Free. Very cool vocal harmonies, which sound like they’re achieved by sampling Nelson then playing the notes back on keyboard. This one has a spacey, ethereal vibe – yet there’s still an over-the-top shred solo, broken up by some soulful sustained notes and melodies. But lots of shred. Did I say shred? Just checkin’. Cos so far there’s lots of it.

Pulsar. This one has a very funky riff which reminds me of some stuff from Mr Big’s ‘Hey Man’ album, or the way the ‘Space Ship One’ track ‘Interaction’ moves between extended guitar figures and vocal interjections. There’s a change to 3/4 time in the middle for an evil high-speed Black Sabbath vibe, along with a cool harmony solo.

Girl From Omaha. A slightly Weezer-ish chorus, backed up by funky synth sounds and an almost pop-punk riff, in a similar vein to some of the stuff from Paul’s solo debut, ‘King of Clubs.’

I’m Not Addicted. An uptempo track and great way to close out the album or a gig. This one features those famous ADA Flanger sweeps Gilbert is so known for, yet he never overuses this signature sound. A good singalong song and I imagine this one will also be lots of fun to play on guitar.

This is an interesting and unique departure for Gilbert: more hard rock than his own vocal songs, less polished than Mr Big, and more easily accessible to non-musicians than his instrumentals, despite being full of astounding technique. With some major label money behind him I could see this album doing quite well in the US, and while I hope Gilbert never stops doing his own vocal and instrumental albums, I can’t wait to hear what these guys come up with next.

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Merawat Gitar

Bersih Senarku
Setelah bermain, senar gitar anda akan terkena keringat, kotoran, dan lain lain. Apabila tidak dibersihkan, inilah yang akan menimbulkan karat, dan karat inilah yang akan mengkikis habis fret anda.
Senar bisa dibersihkan dengan cara dilap dengan bahan kaos, bila perlu dibasahi dengan cairan string cleaner. Bersihkan seluruh bagian senar (permukaan atas & bawah).

Rumah Gitarku
Pastikan gitar anda mempunyai “rumah” untuk melindunginya dari udara kotor diluar, dan dari benturan, Baik softcase maupun hardcase. Softcase lebih ringan dan mudah untuk dibawa kemana mana, sedangkan hardcase melindungi total dari benturan. tergantung pilihan anda.
Selalu simpan gitar anda dalam case apabila tidak dimainkan.

Gitarku Mandi
Seperti kita, gitar juga perlu mandi. Bukan berarti dibawa ke kamar mandi lalu disiram, cukup di’lap saja dengan bahan kaos, baik body, neck, apalagi bagian pickup dibawah senar yang pastinya susah dibersihkan debunya (untuk ini bisa gunakan kuas cat), pokoknya sampai kinclong lagi. Bila perlu, gunakan cairan guitar polish.

Mengganti Senar
Jika senar anda sudah berkarat, ganti! jika tidak, bukan hanya tidak enak dimainkan, tapi warna suaranya juga menjadi nggak karuan, dan merusak fret gitar.. belum lagi jari sakit euy!
Biasakan untuk mengganti senar gitar anda satu set, sekaligus 6! hal ini untuk mencegah belangnya warna suara antara senar baru dan senar lama. Jadi bila senar anda sudah lama dan putus salah satunya, disarankan untuk mengganti semuanya.
Memang jadi mengeluarkan duit lebih.. no pain, no gain!

Bersihkan Fretboard
Fretboard, adalah tempat bersarangnya daki daki dan keringat hasil olahan badan yang disalurkan dan dikeluarkan lewat jari jari yang menekan senar. Jika dibiarkan terlalu lama, bisa manjadi kerak. Jadi setiap anda mengganti senar, sekalian dong bersihkan fretboardnya.
Caranya pertama adalah kotoran tersebut harus dikerok menggunakan benda tumpul, yang paling mudah didapat tentu saja pick gitar. Lalu setelah bersih, dilap lagi dengan bahan kaos.

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GUITAR'S History

Main article: History of the classical guitar

Before the development of the electric guitar and the use of synthetic materials, a guitar was defined as being an instrument having "a long, fretted neck, flat wooden soundboard, ribs, and a flat back, most often with incurved sides".[1] Instruments similar to the guitar have been popular for at least 5,000 years. While today's classical guitar first appeared in Spain, it was itself a product of the long and complex history that saw a number of related guitar types developed and used across Europe.[2] The roots of the guitar can be traced back thousands of years to an Indo-European origin in instruments, then known in central Asia and India. For this reason the guitar itself is distantly related to instruments such as the tanbur and setar, and the Indian sitar. The oldest known iconographic representation of an instrument displaying all the essential features of a guitar being played is a 3,300 year old stone carving of a Hittite bard.[3] The modern word, guitar, was adopted into English from Spanish guitarra (German Gitarre, French Guitare),[4] loaned from the medieval Andalusian Arabic qitara[5], itself derived from the Latin cithara, which in turn came from the earlier Greek word kithara,[6] which is descended from the Old Persian word sihtar.[7]

Illustration from a Carolingian Psalter from the 9th century, showing a guitar-like plucked instrument.

The modern guitar is descended from the Roman cithara brought by the Romans to Hispania around 40 AD, and further adapted and developed with the arrival of the four-string oud, brought by the Moors after their conquest of the Iberian peninsula in the 8th century.[8] Elsewhere in Europe, the indigenous six-string Scandinavian lut (lute), had gained in popularity in areas of Viking incursions across the continent. Often depicted in carvings c. 800 AD, the Norse hero Gunther (also known as Gunnar), played a lute with his toes as he lay dying in a snake-pit, in the legend of Siegfried.[9] By 1200 AD, the four string "guitar" had evolved into two types: the guitarra morisca (Moorish guitar) which had a rounded back, wide fingerboard and several soundholes, and the guitarra latina (Latin guitar) which resembled the modern guitar with one soundhole and a narrower neck.[10]

The Spanish vihuela or "viola da mano", a guitar-like instrument of the 15th and 16th centuries is, due to its similarities, is often considered an important influence in the development of the modern guitar. It had lute-style tuning and a guitar-like body. Its construction had as much in common with the modern guitar as with its contemporary four-course renaissance guitar. The vihuela enjoyed only a short period of popularity; the last surviving publication of music for the instrument appeared in 1576. It is not clear whether it represented a transitional form or was simply a design that combined features of the Arabic oud and the European lute. In favor of the latter view, the reshaping of the vihuela into a guitar-like form can be seen as a strategy of differentiating the European lute visually from the Moorish oud. Meanwhile, the five string renassance guitar and the baroque guitar enjoyed popularity, especially in Italy and France, and indeed, much of Europe from the 15th to the 18th centuries.

The Vinaccia family of luthiers is known for developing the mandolin, and may have built the oldest surviving six string guitar. Gaetano Vinaccia (1759 – after 1831)[11] has his signature on the label of a guitar built in Naples, Italy for six strings with the date of 1779.[12][13] This guitar has been examined and does not show tell-tale signs of modifications from a double-course guitar although fakes are known to exist of guitars and identifying labels from that period.

The dimensions of the modern classical guitar (also known as the Spanish guitar) were established by Antonio Torres Jurado (1817-1892), working in Seville in the 1850s. Torres and Louis Panormo of London (active 1820s-1840s) were both responsible for demonstrating the superiority of fan strutting over transverse table bracing.

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Mozart Biography

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in the sovereign archbishopric of Salzberg, now in Austria in January 1756. His father was one of Europe’s foremost music teachers, who, in the year of Mozart’s birth published a highly influential textbook for the violin. The Mozart biography is unusual.

By the time he was three Mozart’s genius was already in evidence and his proud father was already giving him intensive music lessons in the violin, clavier and organ. By the age of four he could play several pieces and by five he even composed a few. His piano playing was extraordinary as a six year old and he could even play blindfolded.

Mozart had a very unusual childhood, as he accompanied his father all over Europe for several years, beginning with a trip to Bavaria for the 1762 exhibition; on to the Imperial Court in Vienna; then to Prague. During the next three and a half years concert tours took them to many courts all over Europe, including London, Paris and The Hague. After returning home they went on to Vienna in 1767, remaining there for almost a year.

Another year in Salzberg followed then three long trips to Italy. Two particular highlights of this time included Mozart being accepted as a member of the acclaimed Academia Filarmonica; and the occasion when he heard Allegri’s Miserere for the first time in the Sistine Chapel and was able to write it out in full from memory. An astonishing feat.

In 1778 Mozart embarked on a concert tour accompanied by his mother who died in Paris.

By this time of his life Mozart had met many great composers and was a superb concert pianist and composer. He used the style of many of the composers he respected in his earlier music whilst at the same time developing his own.

By 1781 he had become Konzertmaister to the archbishop in Salzberg but after a visit to Vienna he became disenchanted with the strictures of his employer, and was keen to take his music further. Whether he was actually sacked or not is a matter of conjecture, however he moved and settled into Vienna life, and indeed got married to Constanze Weber in 1782, against his father’s wishes.

The year of 1782 was a great one for Mozart; he had success after success with his piano concertos as director and soloist and with his opera “The Abduction from Seraglio”. During this period he became familiar with and studied the Baroque composers, particularly J.S.Bach and G.F.Handel the result of which is very evident in his music of these and subsequent years.

The Mass in B minor, partially written to bring his father and wife together, for she was the soloist in the premier in Salzberg, whilst being a popular success did not bring the two together.

Mozart met and was friendly with Hayden in Vienna, and Hayden was very aware of Mozart’s extraordinary talents. Meanwhile he appeared as a soloist until 1785 enjoying financial success, but by this time he is suspected of having hand injuries, and his composition decreased.

Whilst his lifestyle and suite of 7 rooms were somewhat lavish during this time, entailing his occasional borrowings, he was by no means a pauper. His compositions and commissions from the rich earning him a very good living, and his frequent visits to Prague earned him fame and considerable financial considerations.

There is no doubt that Mozart died at about 1.00am on 5th December 1791. However there is some conjecture as to how long his illness had lasted. It is generally understood that he was pretty healthy until soon before his death, and so the Requiem he did not manage to finish was written during the time when he was healthy.

His family and friends were shocked by his sudden death at such a young age. Mozart was buried, as was the tradition at the time, in a regular communal grave pursuant to he 1784 laws of burial. Memorials were later set up.

This brilliant composer is certainly amongst the Great Composers and despite living only 35 years managed to complete an enormous number of works, most of which we still listen to and enjoy today.

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Biografi Metallica

Metallica adalah band yang muncul di scene underground awal 1980an yang berkembang menjadi band rock mainstream raksasa. Dengan penjualan album yang mencapai 57 juta unit didalam AS dan 35 juta unit diluar AS, mereka menempati posisi ke 18 sebagai salah satu artis penjual album terbesar yang terdaftar dalam Recording Industry Association of America.

Metallica dibentuk di California tahun 1981 oleh drummer Lars Ulrich dan gitaris/vokalis James Hetfield. bassist Ron McGovny kemudian bergabung dan dinyusuli Dave Mustaine. McGovney pergi setelah berkonflik dengan Mustaine dan posisinya diganti Cliff Burton. Sifat Mustaine yang agresif dan sering bermasalah dengan obat dan alkohol mengakibatkan dia dipecat oleh Ulrich dan Hetfield. Posisinya diisi Kirk Hammet, seorang murid Joe Satriani. Mustaine kemudian membentuk Megadeth.

Band mendapatkan namanya sewaktu Ulrich diajak promoter metal San Francisco, Ron Quintana, untuk bantu memilih nama dari daftarnya untuk dijadikan nama majalah barunya. Daftarnya terdapat nama Metallica. Ulrich menyarankan Metal Mania untuk mejalah Quintana dan memilih Metallica untuk band yang baru dia bentuk.

Bersama Megadeth, Slayer dan Anthrax, Metallica merupakan salah satu dari empat tokoh thrash metal pada era 1980an.

Album pertama Kill ‘Em All dirilis 1983 via Megaforce. Album pertama ini menjadi contoh sound dasar Metallica untuk era 1980an dengan khas vokal dan irama berat dari Hetfield.

Tahun 1984 mereka menndatangani kontrak dengan Elektra Records dan merilis Master of Puppets, album yang dianggap fans sebagai album terbaik Metallica.

Sewktu tur di Eropa pada tahun 1986, bassist Cliff Burton meninggal dunia di Swedia dalam kecelakaan bis dan posisinya diganti Jason Newsted. Tahun 1988, Mereka membuat …And Justice for All dengan musik yang komplek secara struktural. …And Justice for all dinominasi Grammy dengan kategori Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrument namun Grammy tersebut diraih Jethro Tull. Tahun berikutnya mereka baru memenangkan Grammy dan setelah itu menerjun ke dunia musik rock mainstream. Video “One” diputar terus menerus oleh MTV.

Album berjudul Metallica yang sering disebut The Black Album dirilis 1991 dengan mentargetkan audiens yang jauh lebih luas. Album mencapai no. 1 dalam Billboard dan bersertifikasi platinum dalam beberapa minggu. Album ini menjadi album paling populer Metallica dan hit-nya “Enter Sandman” menjadi lagu Metallica yang paling dikenal luas.

Kemudian pada Load (1996) dan ReLoad (1997), tempo metal yang cepat diganti dengan nada gitar yang bluesy, permainan slide guitar dan steel guitar, hurdy-gurdy dan violin. Sebagian fans menyindir mereka sebagai Poptalica, Alternica dan bahkan Lica saja. Beberapa lagu dari Load dan Reload sering diputar radio-radio AS.

Untuk album berikutnya, mereka men-cover lagu-lagu dari sejumlah artis yang mempengaruhi mereka, mulai dari The Misfits, Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath sampai ke Nick Cave dan Bob Seger.

Tahun 1999, Metallica dilantik ke San Francisco Walk of Fame dan pada bulan berikutnya, mereka merekam dua pertunjukan dengan San Francisco Symphony Orchestra dan merilisnya dengan judul S&M.

Metallica menciptakan kontroversi dengan menuntut Napster yang 300.000 anggotanya memperjual-belikan seluruh katalog lagu Metallica didalam situs. Mereka juga menuntut beberapa universitas yang mengizinkan Napster dioperasikan dalam kampus. Penuntutan ini mengakibatkan ejekan sejumlah situs yang mengatakan band yang mengawali karirnya dari scene underground yang sering memperjual-belikan rekaman bootleg live sudah menjadi mata duitan. Metallica menjawab apa yang mereka permasalahkan adalah perdagangan ilegal materi studio mereka, bukan bootleg live.

Jason Newsted meninggalkan Metallica pada 2001. Berbagai wawancara mengungkapkan pengunduran dia diakibatkan keinginannya untuk membuat CD dan melakukan tur bersama band pribadinya, Echobrain, namun keinginan tersebut selalu dihadang oleh Hetfield. Posisinya diganti Robert Trujillo, eks bassist Suicidal Tendencies yang juga pernah main bersama band Ozzy Osbourne, Infectious Grooves dan Black Label Society. Newsted kemudian bergabung ke band legendaris thrash metal Kanada, Voivod, dan secara menarik menggantikan posisi Trujillo dalam Ozzfest 2003.

Album kedelapan mereka, St. Anger (2003), menanjak ke posisi no. 1 dalam chart. Album dibuat kasar dan tak terpoles untuk merespon ke pihak yang klaim Metallica telah kehilangan kekerasan sound mereka. Namun, sound kasar yang tanpa banyak gitar solo ini dikritik fans yang tidak menyukainya. Toko CD bekas dibanjiri CD yang dijual oleh fans yang kecewa. Meskipun dikritik, St. Anger memenangkan Grammy 2004.

Tahun 2006, Metallica mengakhiri kerjasama 15 tahun dengan produser Bob Rock dan menjalinkan kerjasama baru dengan produser legendaris Rick Rubin, yang biasa menangani album Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, Audioslave, Slipknot, System of a Down, Johnny Cash, LL Cool J, Jay-Z dan Slayer. Rubin dan Metallica sedang mengerjakan sebuah album studio baru yang akan dirilis dalam waktu dekat.

- Peter Soemarko

Discography

Album

1983 Kill ‘Em All
1984 Ride the Lightning
1986 Master of Puppets
1987 The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited (EP)
1988 …And Justice for Al
1991 Metallica
1993 Live Shit: Binge & Purge (Live boxset)
1996 Load 5
1997 ReLoad
1998 Garage Inc.
1999 S&M
2003 St. Anger
2004 Some Kind of Monsters

More about → Biografi Metallica

Guns N Roses

Guns N Roses
Los Angeles, Amerika Serikat

Lihat Lirik Lagu Guns N Roses


Biografi :

Maret 1985, Axl Rose eks vokalis Hollywood Rose dan Tracii Guns eks gitaris L.A Guns berencana untuk membentuk sebuah grup yang akhirnya diberi nama Guns N' Roses. Grup yang didirikan di Los Angeles, Amerika Serikat ini sempat berganti-ganti personel bahkan Tracii Guns pun hengkang dari grup ini.

Album pertama mereka APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION dilepas 1987. Album ini laku keras karena single-single macam Welcome to the Jungle, Sweet Child o' Mine, dan Paradise City.

Album kedua mereka GN'R LIES tidak sepopuler album pertama mereka, single manis Patience tidak cukup kuat mengangkat penjualan album ini. Namun dobel album USE YOUR ILLUSION I dan USE YOUR ILLUSION II yang mereka rilis 1991 kembali membawa GN'R ke puncak kejayaan. Dua album ini berisi banyak lagu yang kemudian melambungkan nama Guns N' Roses seperti: Don't Cry, November Rain, Civil War, Knockin' on Heaven's Door, dan Estranged.

Album THE SPAGHETTI INCIDENT? yang mereka lepas 1993 nampaknya adalah pertanda berakhirnya kejayaan GN'R. Album yang berisi lagu-lagu daur ulang dari artis lain ini tak bisa meraup keuntungan seperti album-album sebelumnya.

GN'R berada di puncak kejayaan mereka dengan formasi : Axl Rose, Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan, Dizzy Reed, dan Matt Sorum

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Top_20_strangest_guitars

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Whatever your tastes are, there is a guitar for you. From Fender to Gibson and all the other million guitar makers, there has to be any model you like. Maybe not? Then you are one of those with a really strange taste and this is the post for you.

This compilation shows the 20 strangest guitars we have been able to find. Some of them can not even be played or, at least, are not comfortable enough to do it. With others, you have to be a genius to play. Anyways, all of them have some singularity which makes them special.

Let’s enjoy this bizarre tour.

1.– Flipout

See something strange in this guitar? Yeah, the body is reversed. Or maybe it’s the neck which is reversed? Anyway, this doesn’t seem like a comfortable guitar to play, at least if you want to get to the higher notes in the fretboard. You can get one for $459 online.

• More information about Flipout.

2.– Gun guitar

Play and kill at the same time with the Gun guitar. Someone from Gizmodo saw this in a Japanese Yamaha store, where there must be lots of weird guitars, have a look at the bass in the left. The price is about $700, not bad if only you could shot with it.

• From Music Thing.

3.– Pikasso

Pat Metheny is one of the most famous jazz guitar players and winner of lots of Grammys. The Pikasso guitar was built for him by luthier Linda Manzer in 1984 and it has 42 strings.

• More info about Pikasso.

4.– Jeweled Jesus

A Fender Stratocaster carved by Doug Rowell for Mike Deasy in 1969, representing the figure of Jesus with a hand on the bridge. For more weirdness, it was stolen from him and returned 25 years later after announcing it on a webpage.

• More info about Jeweled Jesus

5.– Cigar box guitar

The guitar for people with few money. Many famous rock and blues players made one themselves when they were young and couldn’t buy one. Made from whatever you could find: cigar box, broom handle,… Carl Perkins, composer of “blue suede shoes” built one in his youth.

• More info about Cigar box guitars.

6.– Toilet seat guitar

This toilet seat guitar includes all the accessories for making it look very real, like the turd and the toilet paper. Makes me wonder, does it sound like sh*t?

• From BoingBoing.

7.– Harp Guitar

For some people (like me) it’s difficult enough to play the guitar, leave alone if it is combined with a harp. This is a combination of two instruments in one, and there are thousands of models, with different number of strings and configuration.

• More information at Harp Guitars.

8.– Satan angel guitar

I have no additional info about this guitar, but the picture is weird enough to be included here. Recommended for death-metal and satanic bands, I suppose.

• From CollegeHumour.

9.– Naked lady guitar

Wanna be really provocative? Then you have to play with this guitar or the next one, whichever fits you most. Both are guaranteed to scandalize your public and, of course, their mothers. Have a look where the jack is connected.

• From Music Thing.

10.– Wangcaster

If you need to show your virility on stage the Wangcaster is your guitar. Picture says it all, so no more comments. Well, the pubic-hair pickguard is nice to have too.

• From Doug Rowell.

11.– Electric harp guitar

Didn’t have enough with the acoustic harp guitar? The electric harp guitar is equipped with a headless 6–string neck and a Steinberger Trans-Trem. Opera-rock anybody?

• More info at Oddmusic.

12.– Heat Hawk

This guitar could only be made in Japan. It includes an internal amp and speakers, and makes sounds when you pull the trigger. It gets my vote for the ugliest design I have ever seen.

• From Gizmodo.

13.– Guitar & bass

If you can’t stand your bassist any more you have to get this guitar and kick him out of the group. But you will need long fingers to be able to play it comfortably. If only you had two more hands…

• From OddMusic.
• More info at MicrophoneHeaven.

14.– Nano guitar

In the opposite of the the last one, you will need a really small hand to be able to play this, as it’s only 10 micrometers long. So small you can’t even use a pick and have to play it with a laser light. Of course, you can’t also hear how it sounds, but it’s a great piece of engineering.

• More info at Lutherie.

15.– Skatar

The first combination of a guitar, a bass and a transport. Get on stage, play the damn thing and be the first to leave on your skate. Just take care of not stepping on the strings.

• From OddMusic.

16.– Scary Guitar

Another guitar for which I have no info, but won its place here if only for the oddly shaped head.

• From Music Thing.

17.– Ibanez Tripleneck

You can’t do an article about strange guitars without showing some owned by Steve Vai. When we thought that the double-neck used by Jimmy Page was almost too much, we find the triple-neck. One twelve-string neck, one regular 6–string and a fretless one configure this singular guitar. It must hurt to carry it for a while. Steve wanted to use it on Sex and Religion tour but it was too expensive to carry it, because of its fragility.

• More info at Steve Vai site.

18.– Ibanez Heart Tripleneck

The last guitar wasn’t weird enough, so pushing it a little further, this has a heart-shaped body. Designed also by Steve Vai, it was replaced by the last one because this was too difficult to play and doesn’t really make much sense.

• More info at Steve Vai site.

19.– Birdfish

This is so strange I almost can’t describe it. The character of the sound of the guitar is defined mainly by it’s body and it’s resonant properties. This guitar has no body and uses two cylindrical resonators, which can be changed at any time. The pickups can also be adjusted to get the sound you want.

• More info at Teuffel Guitars.

20.– Air guitar

Is there something weirder than playing guitar with a guitar that doesn’t exist? So even if you are really musically-challenged you can create solos like a virtuoso. Developed by the Helsinki University of Technology you only need a camera and a computer to become a rock star.

• From New Scientist Tech.

21.– Guitar Theremin

OK, I know this was the top 20 strangest guitars and this makes the 21, but it’s not really a guitar so it doesn’t count, take it as a bonus for reading up to here. This is played by moving your hand up and down the neck and tapping at the red button, in a theremin-style. No, sorry, it doesn’t shoot lasers and can’t fry your enemies.

• From Music Thing.

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VG PAF Shoot-Out 2005

By: Tony Nobles
Posted On: 2/5/2009

Given the unwavering popularity of the humbucker pickup, the constant injection of new builders, and the popuarlity of our 1998 comparison feature, we thought we'd note the anniversary of the design of the humbucker with another "shoot-out."

We started our test with the pickups in the 1956 Gibson Les Paul Model before beginning the arduous swapping of pickups into our test mule Les Paul Standard with Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. All pickups were tested without covers and in the bridge position with the same set of SIT .010-.046 strings, chosen for their upper harmonic clarity. We removed the covers so the differences would be more apparent, because nickel covers reduce treble response and output, while adding focus.

Our test amp is a Laney AOR 50 from the mid 1980s with a 12AX7/EL34 tube complement. We disconnected the negative-feedback tap from the output transformer and re-capped it with Orange Drops. This reduced compression in the signal chain and added a degree of "tweed-ness."

We set the amp to slightly favor high-end response, which favors the true tone of the pickup. The speaker is a Celestion G12-85 from a Peavey Butcher, in a homemade cabinet. Our pick was a Fender Heavy, which also tends to the bright side.

To make sure our thoughts and hearing were good, we recorded each pickup to its own track in ProTools, using the same amp settings, a Shure SM-57, and the same mic preamp (Digi001 interface). We recorded over the course of a few hours.

All of these units are very good - there truly are no bad choices. But there is some nice variety, and all do something (or even a few things) really well.

We lead with our impressions of the hand-wound PAFs in the '55 Les Paul test guitar.

FROM:http://www.vintageguitar.com/

More about → VG PAF Shoot-Out 2005

Check It Out: Vintage Guitar’s PAF Shoot-Out

Okay, I don’t usually post on the weekends, but I came across this great resource over at Vintage Guitar Magazine’s website and I just wanted to share it with you all.

When searching for after-market pickups most of us will never get a chance to try out multiple different units in the same guitar, with the same settings, same amp, and hence really get a good idea of what the differences are.

That’s why I love these “shoot-outs.”

Vintage Guitar has done the hard work for you, testing out nine different attempted PAF humbucker re-creations, including Gibson’s own Burstbucker 2 and Classic ‘57, the venerable Duncan ‘59 and Seth Lover models, the Lindy Fralin Vintage Hot, and a few others.

All pickups are tested against what is arguably the true gold standard of Gibson tone––the neck position PAF humbucker in an original 1956 Les Paul.

VG stops short of picking a favorite, but give a nice run down of the general tone and response characteristics of each of the contenders.

FROM http://www.electric-guitar-review.com

More about → Check It Out: Vintage Guitar’s PAF Shoot-Out

Berapa jam sehari kita bermain gitar?

Beberapa kali saya ditanya, berapa jam sehari saya bermain gitar. Saya bingung menjawabnya :),ya soalnya tergantung banyak hal, kalo pas banyak waktu luang ya bisa 8 jam sehari atau lebih. Ada pertanyaan lain lagi: selama 8 jam itu apa ga bosan? : ) , biasanya kalo pas bosan saya kembalikan lagi ke awal mula tujuan saya bermusik, yaitu having fun :), untuk menghibur diri dengan bermain gitar dan bernyanyi dengan teman-teman, menikmati hidup :). Atau kalo benar-benar bosan ya tinggalkan gitar terus jalankan aktivitas lain :)
Bila kita bicara agak serius lagi…
Selama 8 jam itu sebenarnya bisa kita bagi menjadi beberapa bagian, misalnya, masalah teori teknik bermain 2 jam, terus memainkan lagu 2 jam, bikin musik komposisi sendiri 2 jam, review hasil (dengan mengingat lagi teori dan praktek,atau direkam) 2 jam. Bisa ditambahkan lagi, kadang-kadang/terus, sempatkan bermain bersama band anda(tapi biasanya boros kalo harus menyewa alat di studio : ) ). Genap 8 jam to? :), ini adalah sebuah alternatif pembagian waktu saja, prakteknya terserah aja, mau 8 jam belajar teori mulu jg ga masalah, atau 2 jam rutin per hari juga ga apa-apa.
Bagi yang di sekolah musik ya banyak hal yang dipelajari, sehingga tiap harinya bisa efektif untuk belajar, punya disiplin waktu, gak kayak saya yang otodidak :). Kalau ada yang berminat menjadi profesional di bidang musik ya prakteknya sehari-hari bisa lebih banyak dari 8 jam itu.
Tentang saya sendiri, berhubung profesi saya sekarang bukanlah seorang musisi professional(dengan rasa berat saya mengatakan ini) ya semakin sedikit waktu untuk bermain gitar karena pekerjaan sehari-hari dan kegiatan lain yang cukup menyita banyak waktu.

form www.budisapt.blogspot.com

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Konstruksi Gitar Klasik

Tubuh gitar klasik terdiri dari tiga bagian utama yaitu kepala, leher dan badan. Pada bagian kepala terdapat mesin penala dawai. Dawai gitar yang berjumlah enam utas masing-masing diikatkan pada enam buah pasak yang merupakan bagian dari mesin penala. Bagian leher terdapat di antara kepala dan badan. Bagian muka leher yang masuk hingga kira-kira seperempat papan muka dari badan gitar, merupakan papan jari yang memiliki 19 pembatas dari logam yang dikenal dengan sebutan fret. Fungsinya adalah untuk memproduksi tingkat ketinggian nada yang berbeda dengan jalan menempatkan jari-jari pada ruang-ruang di antara logam-logam fret. Bagian badan gitar berfungsi sebagai tabung resonator untuk memperbesar bunyi yang dihasilkan oleh getaran dawai. Papan muka pada badan gitar yang bahan kayunya lebih tipis dibanding papan belakang dan samping, disebut juga sebagai papan suara. Pada papan suara terdapat lobang suara untuk mengeluarkan hasil produksi bunyi. Pada dasarnya bunyi gitar dihasilkan oleh getaran dawai-dawai yang terentang di antara batang penyanggah dawai yang merupakan pembatas antara kepala dan leher (disebut nut) dengan gading pembatas (disebut bridge) pada pangkal pengikat dawai di atas papan suara (disebut base).


Teknik Umum Permainan Gitar

Teknik umum yang digunakan dalam membawakan gitar klasik meliputi cara memegang dan cara memainkan. Gitar dipegang dengan pertolongan footstool, yaitu alat penyanggah kaki yang dapat diatur tingkat ketinggiannya. Dalam keadaan duduk di atas kursi tanpa lengan, kaki kiri menginjak footstool sementara gitar diletakkan di atas paha kiri. Dalam posisi ini, di samping bagian atas paha kiri, ada tiga tempat lain pada tubuh pemain yang menahan kemantapan posisi gitar:
(1) bagian dada,
(2) titik tumpuan lengan kanan di antara pergelangan dan sikut, dan
(3) bagian dalam paha kanan.

Dalam kurun waktu sekitar lima tahun terakhir telah diproduksi berbagai alat lain sebagai alternatif dari footstool seperti misalnya guitar rest oleh Wolf Orchestral Accessories, dan A Frame™ oleh Sageworks – keduanya buatan Amerika. Dengan peralatan baru semacam ini kaki kiri dapat tetap menginjak lantai sehingga pemain merasa lebih rileks dan berkonsentrasi terhadap musik yang sedang dibawakan.

Dawai-dawai gitar dipetik oleh jari-jari tangan kanan dengan dua cara. Yang pertama disebut apoyando (diambil dari bahasa Spanyol) yang dilakukan dengan petikan jari yang gerakannya berhenti ketika menyentuh dawai berikutnya di atas dawai yang sedang dipetik. Teknik ini akan memproduksi sebuah nada tunggal yang berat atau mantap sehingga penggunaannya yang lebih tepat untuk membawakan melodi. Teknik yang kedua disebut al ayre yang diterapkan dengan cara menghindari dawai berikutnya di atas dawai yang dipetik. Petikan ini menghasilkan suara yang ringan dan memungkinkan jari-jari untuk membunyikan beberapa nada secara simultan. Dengan demikian petikan al ayre lebih sering digunakan untuk membawakan bagian-bagian akor (chordal passages) dan arpeggio (broken chord).

Tingkat ketinggian nada (pitch) diproduksi dengan dua cara dan kombinasi di antara keduanya. Cara pertama adalah sebagaimana telah disinggung dalam pembahasan tentang fingerboard dimuka, ketinggian nada-nada dihasilkan dengan cara menempatkan jari-jari kiri pada petak-petak fingerboard dengan gerakan horizontal. Cara kedua adalah dengan petikan jari-jari tangan kanan yang melintasi keenam dawai secara vertikal. Dawai gitar teratas memiliki tingkat ketinggian nada yang paling rendah, demikian secara berurutan ke bawah memiliki tingkat ketinggian yang lebih tinggi. Dengan demikian, pada cara pertama tingkat ketinggan nada diproduksi dengan gerakan ke kiri untuk memperoleh nada-nada rendah dan ke kekanan untuk nada-nada atas. Sedangkan pada cara yang kedua gerakan jari keatas untuk menghasilkan nada-nada yang rendah dan ke bawah untuk menghasilkan nada-nada yang tinggi.


Sistem Tingkat Ketrampilan Gitar Klasik

Hingga saat ini dalam pendidikan musik terdapat berbagai sistem tingkat ketrampilan gitar klasik (grading system) dengan konsep yang kurang lebih sama secara umum di seluruh dunia. Di antara perbedaan-perbedaan yang ada biasanya terjadi pada penggunaan repertoar untuk tingkat-tingkat tertentu. Pada saat ini grading sistem diterapkan secara murni oleh badan-badan penguji musik internasional, misalnya Yamaha Music Foundation (Jepang), Australian Music Examination Board (AMEB), Associated Boards of School of Music (Inggris) dan Trinity College (Inggris). Walaupun demikian sistem tingkat ketrampilan tersebut diterapkan secara berbeda di perguruan tinggi tergantung dari program studi yang diambil.

Secara umum tingkat-tingkat ketrampilan untuk gitar (demikian pula untuk alat musik lain) dapat dipisahkan ke dalam tiga kelommpok yaitu tingkat bawah (lower), tingkat atas (higher), dan tingkat diploma. Untuk pemula ditempatkan pada istilah-istilah tingkat yang berbeda seperti tingkat preliminary (AMEB), Initial (Trinity), dan fundamental (Yamaha). Tingkat ketrampilan bawah umumnya mulai dari grade 1 hingga 4 yang kemudian dilanjutkan pada tingkat ketrampilan atas dari grade 5 hingga 8. Tingkat diploma tersusun secara bervariasi, misalnya, AMEB menyediakan tiga tingkatan diploma sementara Performance Certificate yang disediakan Trinity Collge kira-kira setingkat dengan diploma pertama AMEB.


Musik Gitar

Musik solo untuk gitar klasik secara teknis dapat dibedakan kepada dua jenis komposisi asli untuk gitar dan hasil adaptasi dari alat musik lain. Hingga saat ini ada dua macam komposisi untuk gitar, yang pertama ialah yang ditulis oleh komponis gitar dan yang kedua oleh komponis non-gitar. Walaupun umumnya para komponis gitar pada paruh kdua abad ke-19 adalah juga gitaris yang handal, sejak permulaan abad ke-20 banyak komponis umum (non-gitar) tertarik untuk menulis komposisi asli untuk gitar. Sebagai contoh komposisi asli yang ditulis oleh komponis gitar misalnya karya-karya dari Fernando Sor, Francisco Tarrega. Sedangkan yang ditulis oleh komponis non-gitar misalnya dari Frederico Torroba, Joaquin Rodrigo, dan Manuel de Falla.

Dalam rangka memperkaya repertoar para gitaris telah banyak melakukan upaya penulisan transkripsi untuk gitar dari instrumn-instrumen lain. Francisco Tarrega (1852-1909) diyakinin sebagai gitaris dan juga komponis pertama dalam upaya ini. Sebagai hasilnya berbagai karya besar yang pernah ditulis pada masa itu dan masa-masa sebelumnya seperti dari komponis J.S.Bach, Mozart dan Beethoven, sejak saat itu menjadi bagian dari repertoar gitar.


Pemain-pemain Gitar Klasik Terpenting

Hingga saat ini terdapat cukup banyak gitaris-gitaris klasik dari berbagai belahan dunia. Di antaranya yang paling terkenal ialah gitaris-gitaris legendaris dan berkaliber dunia yaitu :
- Andres Segovia (1893-1987)
- Julian Bream (1933 ~)
- John Williams (1941 ~)
- K. Yamashita (1961 ~)
- Sigfried Behrend (1933-1991)
Di antara mereka, Segovia adalah yang terpenting karena jasanya yang besar dalam perkembangan gitar masa depan gitar klasik sejak awal abad ke-20. Dengan usahanya yang amat produktif dan kreatif beliau telah membawa gitar menjadi sebuah alat musik solo standar di samping piano. Kerjasamanya dengan para musisi dan komponis non gitar telah menyebabkan suatu perkembangan yang drastik pada repertoar gitar. Sejak itu gitar tidak lagi melulu dimainkan solo atau ensambel bersama gitar lain, namun sebagai solois dalam orkestra dan musik kamar. Hampir semua gitaris terkemuka di abad ke-20 termasuk yang telah disebutkan dimuka, lahir dari masterklas-masterklas Segovia.


Penutup

Jadi dibandingkan dengan jenis gitar yang lain, gitar klasik memiliki perkembangan historis yang lebih panjang dan rumit. Karena akhirnya gitar klasik berkembang secara terpisah dari gitar-gitar yang lain, bukan hanya karaketristiknya yang berbeda tapi juga musiknya yang senantiasa didiskusikan dalam arus besar musik klasik. Satu kelemahan gitar klasik dibandingkan dengan alat musik lain ialah volumenya yang paling lemah. Kemiripan karakteristik gitar dengan piano tentu saja telah membuat alat musik ini kalah kuat dan produktif dibanding piano. Satu hal lagi tentang kelemahan gitar ialah bahwa gitar tidak akan pernah menjadi anggota standar orkestra, kecuali sebagai solois. Betapapun juga keunikan gitar telah menciptakan suatu komunitas khusus di seluruh dunia dimana anggota-anggotanya berkomunikasi melalui berbagai festival dan kompetisi internasional, konser-konser, internet, berbagai jurnal gitar, dan rekaman-rekaman. Terlebih penting yang perlu dipertimbangkan ialah bahwa gitar klasik adalah sebuah alternatif instrumen solo yang lebih mudah untuk dipindah-pindahkan (mobile) dan murah di banding piano.


Sumber Tulisan:
- Bellow, Allexander. 1970. The Illustrated History of the Guitar. New York: Colombo Publication.
- Bobri, Vladimir. 1972. The Segovia Tehnique. New York: Macmilan Co.
- Sloane, Irving. 1984. Classical Guitar Construction. New York: Sterling Publishing Co.
- Summerfield, Maurice J. 1982. The Classical Guitar: Its Evolution and its Players since 1800. Gateshead, Tyne and Wear: Ashley Mark Pub. Co.
- Turnbull, Harvey. 1974. The Guitar from the Renasissance to the Present Day. New York: C. Scribner’s Son.
-www.gitaris.com

More about → Konstruksi Gitar Klasik

Mengenal Dunia Gitar Klasik

Gitar adalah alat musik yang paling terkenal di seluruh dunia. Alat musik ini dimainkan dengan cara yang berbeda-beda menurut tipe atau jenisnya. Di antara sekian banyak tipe gitar, jenis gitar klasik adalah salah satu alat musik yang digunakan terutama untuk membawakan karya-karya solo musik klasik. Untuk memperoleh deskripsi umum tentang gitar klasik marilah kita simak sejarah, konstruksi, teknik permainan, sistem pendidikan, dan pemain-pemainnya.

Sejarah singkat

Kata ‘gitar’ atau guitar dalam bahasa Inggris, pada mulanya diambil dari nama alat musik petik kuno di wilayah Persia pada kira-kira tahun 1500 SM yang dikenal sebagai citar atau sehtar. Alat musik ini kemudian berkembang menjadi berbagai macam model gitar kuno yang dikenal dengan istilah umum tanbur. Pada tahun 300 SM Tanbur Persia dikembangkan oleh bangsa Yunani dan enam abad kemudian oleh bangsa Romawi (Bellow, 1970:54-55). Pada tahun 476M alat musik ini dibawa oleh bangsa Romawi ke Spanyol dan bertransformasi menjadi: (1) guitarra Morisca yang berfungsi sebagai pembawa melodi, dan (2) Guitarra Latina untuk memainkan akor. Tiga abad kemudian bangsa Arab membawa semacam gitar gambus dengan sebutan al ud ke Spanyol (Summerfield, 1982:12). Berdasarkan konstruksi al ud Arab dan kedua model gitar dari Romawi tersebut, bangsa Spanyol kemudian membuat alat musiknya sendiri yang disebut vihuela. Sebagai hasilnya, vihuela menjadi populer di Spanyol sementara alat-alat musik pendahulunya sedikit demi sedikit ditinggalkan. Walaupun demikian al ud dibawa orang ke negara-negara Eropa Barat dan menyaingi popularitas vihuela di Spanyol. Di Eropa al ud disambut dengan baik dan berkembang menjadi berbagai model lute Eropa hingga kira-kira akhir abad ke-17. Sementara itu vihuela berkembang terus menjadi berbagai macam gitar selama berabad-abad hingga akhirnya menjadi gitar klasik yang digunakan pada saat ini.

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Metallica: 'Who Would Think A Band Like Us Would Be Accepted Like That'

As a music journalist you get the chance to interview all kinds of interesting musicians. It’s without question, one of the perks of the jobs. That said I wasn’t prepared for what my friend at Warner Bros Records proposed a few weeks back. He asked me if I would be interested in interviewing Kirk Hammett. I thought about it for a millisecond; if that. Being a 34 year old guy who grew up on a steady diet of Metallica records, it was a chance to talk shop with one of my guitar heroes.

Many wrote Metallica off in the early 2000’s when they released the universally maligned St. Anger but 2008’s Death Magnetic was a complete return to form. The lead-off single, "The Day That Never Comes" had all of the familiar traits that made the band legends in the first place. The epic arrangement, James Hetfield’s unmistakable snarl, the shifting tempos, and Hammet’s speed-metal injected solos silenced the naysayers in one swift move. Death Magnetic is the sound of a band coming full circle. The collection ranks up there with the rest of the group’s most coveted releases.
I spoke with Hammett last weekend before he hit the stage at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA. Since this was done for Ultimate-Guitar, I chose to focus the conversation on his career playing. We talked about his early influences, his musical position in the band, and which newer bands he’s been listening to lately. So with much honor, I present the Ultimate-Guitar interview with Metallica’s Kirk Hammett.

UG: First off, congrats on being voted into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame! Metallica and Black Sabbath have to be the heaviest bands to ever get in there.

Kirk Hammett: (laughter) Thanks man! Yeah, we just got the official word from them so we’re still wrapping our heads around the idea. Who would have ever thought a band like us would be accepted like that? It’s an honor either way.

Due to the nature of the site that this interview will be going to, I wanted to ask you more about guitar than anything else.

That sounds good to me. I love talking guitar.

Thinking back, which guitarists had the most impact on you when you first started playing? I know you have mentioned your love for UFO.

Yeah man, I really loved those UFO records! Michael Schenker had a big impression on me when I first started playing guitar. I was also struck by Jimi Hendrix at a young age. If I remember it correctly, I caught a documentary about Jimi when I was a kid and I was hooked. Something about his style just moved me. He’s a guy I still listen to all the time. Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top was huge. Oh man, I still remember when Van Halen’s debut album hit stores. That was life changing!

"I was also struck by Jimi Hendrix at a young age."

We all know Eddie Van Halen as this guitar god or whatever but I guess for some of our younger readers they might not really be aware how radical his playing was for the time.

When you first heard Eddie’s performances you knew things had changed. There was nothing like it dude. All of a sudden you knew you had to step your game up. A few other guitarists that I worshipped back then were Robin Trower and Pat Travers. Your readers should check them out if they haven’t already. These guys are the ones that helped shape the way I play.

Were you one of those players who would sit in their room and run through scales for hours on end or did learn more from playing along to records?

Without question, I would say the latter. I would throw an album on and learn the solo little by little till I nailed it.

This was obviously before the internet and tablatures being so readily available so it must have been a great way to train your ears.

I think it was. I would figure out what key the song was in and then just solo over the whole damn thing (laughter)! It made me comfortable enough to play along with the tempos and everything else. But I definitely would break the solo parts down and learn them. That was the way I really got started.

You played in Exodus before you joined Metallica. Was there a big stylistic/technique shift for you when you first entered the picture? Metallica were still playing more in the Motörhead school of things and not as technical as you guys went on to be but I wondered if there was some level of adjustment on your part.

Oh yeah, for sure. I realized I had to step up my rhythm playing right away. Even then Metallica was trying to get tighter and play more accurately. James was already a monster rhythm player at that point. I had to work hard to keep up with him in that sense. It was the summer of 1983 that I recall James just getting so fucking good at the rhythm stuff. I got better around 1984 and started going in a modal direction. But yeah, James always had a real knack for the rhythmic kind of stuff.

Anyone who has seen A Year And A Half In The Life of Metallica and Classic Albums: The Black Album knows how hard producer Bob Rock worked you when you were tracking your solos. I’ve always wondered what it was like working with Flemming Rasmussen.

It was night and day man. Flemming was more concerned with tuning and pitch. He was a perfectionist about that. Precision was also something he would focus on more than any other producer I’ve had a chance to record with yet. We would play parts over and over until it got to a point he was happy with in terms of the precision.

How about your solos?

What I would do on those albums was double track my solos note for fucking note! It was really difficult at times. All I wanted to get back then was a fuller sound so that is the way we went about reaching that. It’s not till I started doing the self-titled album with Bob that I stopped doing that. Bob was more into a greasier, looser guitar tone and playing style. It was perfect for me because at the time I was listening to a lot of blues. I learned a lot from those sessions.

Since the band broke in the mid 80’s, how much time do you find yourself playing on your own time when you’re not on tour or in the studio?

I’m not sure if a lot of people know but I took guitar lessons from Joe Satriani in the early 80’s. That was really helpful. But most of the stuff I’ve picked up over the years has been by learning from listening to other players. In the 90’s I did take lessons again. That time it was with a great jazz player from the Bay Area named Scott Foster. This guy is insanely good! He would sit there and transcribe John Coltrane which is crazy.

I’m sure between your family and all of the band commitments it has to be hard to find time to set aside for lessons.

That’s so true. If I could just find some time down the line I would love to take classical lessons but that won’t be for awhile the way things are going. With little kids running around the house it seems like I won’t be getting the chance any time soon.

"I’m not sure if a lot of people know but I took guitar lessons from Joe Satriani in the early 80’s."

Do your kids take lessons?

No, way too young for now but I will try and get them into it down the line. My newest was just born over the summer. My other son is still too young but we’ll see what happens.

I know our time here is short so I wanted to get this one of the way. Are they’re any younger players and/or bands that have caught your attention? A lot of people must assume since you guys are so big that you probably don’t check out newer groups.

Right. But yeah, I do actually look for stuff to listen to all the time. Let me think here…

It doesn’t have to necessarily have to be metal or anything.

In terms of newer, younger bands I love Trivium. They have great playing going on. Lamb of God are really good too. We’re on tour with them and they kick ass. Robb Flynn from Machine Head is great. I love the way he plays guitar and writes too. We’ve toured with them too so that was fun. A friend of mine recently played me a band from the Bay Area I hadn’t heard of before that I love at the moment. Damn, I can’t think of their name!

Let’s see here…

Perish or something like that?

Oh! You mean All Shall Perish?

All Shall Perish…yes! They blew me away dude! They have so much technique going on and it’s so well done. These groups have so much ability these days. It’s exciting to hear.

Finally, since this is for Ultimate-Guitar and many of our readers come here to check out guitar tablatures I wanted to see if you have ever looked at one of Metallica’s and spotted glaring mistakes.

I’ve checked a few out in the past but not too many so I don’t really remember how accurate they really were. You never know with those things. It depends on who the person transcribing them is. But no, I really haven’t looked at too many Metallica ones.

I guess you don’t really need to. (laughter)

(Laughter) Yes, exactly. I think it’s great that a site like Ultimate-Guitar exists though. But yeah, I know the songs at this point (laughter). I just wish I had the tabs for other bands so available when I was a kid. That would have definitely been helpful at times.

Thanks for talking with us today! I know you don’t really do too much online press so it means a lot to our community.

Hey man, it was my pleasure! Thanks for taking time out to chat guitars with me.

More about → Metallica: 'Who Would Think A Band Like Us Would Be Accepted Like That'

Guide To Sweep Picking

Hello everybody. I didn't know what to write about, so I decided, "What the hell, I'll teach the masses about some tips that may help with their songwriting." However, as stated by the name, this isn't for lyric writing, but rather, for original riff writing. What is a riff? Well, simply put, it is either an arpeggio, chord or some other type of progression that is not a "lick." A lick is usually a two to three second lead piece, connected with other licks. Now that I've filled your brain with some guitar lingo, lets begin. The following are some ways to go about writing riffs.

1. Write through inspiration.
What the heck do I mean by this? I mean listen to a song you really like (or maybe just one that everybody else likes) and then grab your thunder - axe (the term I like to use meaning "guitar") and start playing something. Try not to look at the tab for the song though. Now, I want you to just play something, at either the same tempo and timing, start at the same starting note as the song (or something similar), play with the same feel or whatever you want. Just think of something from the song that you really like, and just sort of fool around until you get somewhere. My favorite approach with this method is starting in the same general area of the fretboard as a riff you really like. And yes, doing it this way means you will probably have to look at a tab, but you don't want to copy the song, so just simply glance at the tab, and then begin. Good riffs are something you have to fool around with to get good at. I'll give you some examples of riffs I have made that complement this approach (songs used for inspiration will be named first, then the artist, and then the description):

- Sweet Child O' Mine (Guns N' Roses) - one of my first and in many people's opinions, my best one, came from me starting at the twelfth fret area, and making an arpeggio riff with some distortion. Sounds sort of space-ish. This song was made when I was learning arpeggios.

- Black Dog (Led Zeppelin) - again, another riff where I started in the same area (technically known as "The Key" of a song), and created sort of a blues-ish, jazz-like riff, but still sounds very different from the original song. Not as fast paced as Black Dog, but a great riff none the less.

- Hotel California (The Eagles) - this riff was made from the "feel" of Hotel California, rather than using the same key, which in this song's case uses a capo at the fifth fret (the key of A). Great rock riff, that sounds as though people could dance to it.

Needless to say, this is quite a good approach to use. However, it works better when you are first starting out, or not so good, because:
1) It gives you something to practice to help "you" get better and;
2) You will learn techniques as you learn how to play, and you will practice them, and practice songs with them in it.
Thus you will make a song similar (maybe). Plus, you may not be able to play the song inspiring you anyway, so there will be no need to worry about copying, now will there? You don't have to be a begginer, but I find it easier to use this approach when you are.

2. The "Holes" Method.
I call this method the "Holes" method because it's like this. You make an original riff, or a riff of some kind, try to add to it, but it doesn't go with it, (thus you fall into a hole) but you still think it has potential (you come out of another hole). I have done this many times, although I don't plan to use any of the riffs I can remember. However, this method is powerful, because you are trying to make riffs for one song, and many of your failed attempts become riffs for other songs. One riff I tried to use to complete the "Black Dog" inspired song mentioned above, kind of went with it, but didn't. So now, if I want, I have another riff in my repretoire of original ones. So remember; you may want to keep those riffs that you thought were garbage, and make something of them. One major advantage to this method, is if you want to make an album with similar, but different sounding songs, that you want to define your "unchanging sound." Anyway, thats an idea.

3. "Open" up.
Use open notes in your songs, even when you are at the 15th fret, you may come up with something that can blow people out of the water, just by adding an open note or two. I have a couple good riffs that use open notes in them, and they sound great. Good for making more "evil" sounding songs. Eddie Van Halen uses lots of open notes in his soloing, so why not use them in your riffs?

4. Find your groove and favorite stuff.
Okay, now I'm sure that many people, like me, have a "favorite chord" that they just love. Whether it be the E minor, or the F diminished, you can find chords that you just love so much, and think, "Damn thats good. Lets make some tunes out of it." And thus, a dynasty will begin. Or at least, a whole new outlook on making your riffs. Take me for instance. I just love the a minor chord (preferabally the open one) because it sounds great, has many other places to go that are easily accessible (Asus, AMaj, A7, Am7 etc) and just overall appeals to my ear. I also like suspended chords in general, as they have that great tone that I find just right. Anyway, you can make great riffs, using just one chord letter. I made a very memorable riff, starting with our friend the A minor, and adding sevenths or what not. Not too many songs use a one chord type of riff, so it may be a good thing to check out.

5. Use unorthodox means.
Great riffs are just waiting to be unlocked. however, you may have to do some sneaky things to find them. You can try stretches that you can barely make, and make some good arpeggios out of them, or you can make some odd chords that you don't think exist (which, they do) or play with techniques or styles that you would never use. Experiment.

6. Let your fingers do the walking.
One of the best methods, is improvisinng. You don't even have to be good at improv, you just have to be playing. I have many great riffs made when I was talking to my friends, or watching tv. Just get relax, don't think about it and play. Just play. I can almost guarantee that one day, when you aren't thinking about what you are doing, you will come up with something that sparks your attention.

7. Unleash your emotion.
The most obvious method is to play what you feel. If you are feeling sad, play the guitar, and you will most likely come up with a sad riff. A great one to use (especially if your girlfriend/boyfriend breaks up with you; or better yet dumps you. Not trying to be a jerk, but it's the truth.

8. Conclusion.
To conclude, I just want to say that, these are just ideas that you may never have thought or overlooked. If you already knew about these, then all the power to you. I hope I have sparked your interest and influenced your composition skills at least a little bit. One thing I didn't mention is to try moving open chords to higher frets. You an make numerous original riffs like this. Anyway, don't give up; you'll find at least one good riff.

More about → Guide To Sweep Picking