I Want it All! And I pretty much have it

What a strange week this has been. My day job was weird, but I'm not here to talk about that. A while back I put up a review of IK Multimedia's Amplitube. In that I mentioned to pay attention to their social media feed. Late last week they put up a contest asking for a video of your best riff and to tag them. I thought about it for a few moments but I new quickly what I wanted to do.

I sat down Sunday with the idea to use an old riff I've had for a while but to push myself into doing something different with the video. So I setup Amplitube on my computer and then set up my phone and iPad to film it. Then I put it all on my wife's Macbook and synced all three in imovie. I cut off front and end of the clip and...

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@ikmultimedia wants to hear your riffs! And you could win amplitube max. I’m using @orangeamplifiers rockerverb amplitube on this downtuned riff I’ve been working on for #doubleshotunion #dsu #jointheunion #heavyriffs #guitar #guitarlife #guitarist

A post shared by @ adhd_guitarist on Nov 25, 2018 at 12:05pm PST

I've had this down tuned riff and most of the song worked out for a while but I've never gotten the drums right on it. But there it is, I shared that video on instagram and then shared that to twitter.

BOOM. Tuesday night I got home from work to find a message on twitter telling me I had WON a copy of Amplitube MAX!!!!!

So now I have pretty much everything in Amplitube. All of the Engl, Dr Z, Marshalls, Mesa Boogies, Oranges and most of the Fenders and Ampegs. Wow. One thing I've noticed is that you can sit there for hours clicking through presets playing the same riff over and over again. haha. It's great, but also I can see where it can be Option Overload. haha. Still I'm pretty grateful to the team over at IK Multimedia, you guys made my Christmas that much better.

ADHD Strategies

Let's talk about ADHD and different strategies for working with ADHD. It's important to note that this is not a one size fits all for everyone out there. Everyone is different and has different needs, ADHD can be related to stress factors and environmental factors. In addition most people that deal with ADHD often have other secondary, or sometimes primary, mental issues such as OCD, dyslexia or depression. I am not a professional, I can only talk about things I've read and my personal experiences. My advice is to find a Doctor or Physiologist who specializes in ADHD. I was lucky early on to have a teacher who had been reading up on it notice that I was struggling and needed a little extra help with certain things.

When I was a child there was very little information on ADHD and we were really starting to study it and learn about it. As I got older it seemed to become a buzzword and a lot of people thought that it just meant that you got distracted easier. And let's face, all kids get distracted easy. Some people believe that ADHD is something that you "grow out of" the truth is as you get older some people learn to deal with it. You develop strategies to help you get things done with ADHD.

Diet

There seems to be some misconception that artificial sweeteners and chemicals are the root cause of ADHD. But there have been 60 long term studies on ADHD and diet found no real difference in the need for treatment treatment. That's not to say that these things can't exasperate a condition. Stimulants found in sodas, energy drinks and diet pills can cause problems if someone is on a prescribed regimented stimulant. To much stimulant can be worse making you feel agitated or, strangely enough, tired. But a well balanced diet of fruits, veggies, and some protein can help your overall well being. This doesn't negate ADHD, but it can help decrease stress factors, fight mild depression, and help you think clearer. I've met some people who found relief by switching to a vegetarian diet while others seem to get worse.

I've tired various diets and one of the most interesting was the Zone Diet. It really did help me think clearer. I felt great, and looked younger and constantly felt like I was firing on all cylinders. But I found it difficult to keep up with. It's very regimented and for someone who can be picky about the foods they eat, it can be a very limited menu. Still it's worth a look at if your someone who can eat on a schedule and enjoy eating healthy.

Medications

I want to take as little medication as possible, but medication really can help. The most common medications for ADHD are stimulants. But getting stimulants to work is tricky. To little won't do much, and to much, as noted earlier, can be a disaster. I remember as a kid breaking pills into fourths to try and get the dosage right. But once we got it right it really helped, my mom tells a story about me being able to do a puzzle, start to finish for the first time in my entire life. I was NINE! My five year old does puzzles all the time. Medication can help. Work with your practitioner, give it time (that's the hard part), and watch out for additional stimulants like sodas, allergy medication, and diet pills.

Exercise

I like exercise, it makes me feel better. But it's hard for me to do on a consistent basis. If I'm not reading and thinking about it constantly I won't do it. But when I do it, even just a bit every couple of days I feel better and feel like I can do more. On top of that, pushing yourself physically seems to help get all those distractions out of your mind. You have to focus to hit a personal record and lifting heavy weights, or running a faster time helps you realize that a lot of things that your worried about aren't that important.

Schedules

I find schedules are important. I try to schedule time to practice playing guitar, I write down my goals and spend a certain amount of time working on them. Most of the time if I do that I'll enjoy it and want to play more but sometimes I just can't concentrate. So maybe I just noodle or play some of my favorite songs for a bit or I put the guitar down and do something else. Keeping a written list of things I want to work on helps keep me focused.

I'm planning on delving into each of these subjects a bit more in depth in the future. Click the Random ADHD tag under Post on Topics to see other post on ADHD. If you have any strategies that you have found work for you please feel free to leave them in the comments or email me. If your looking for more specific ideas please email me and I'll try to help or point you in some direction.

The ADHD child and buying their first guitar

There are a lot of post on the internet about buying your first guitar. Things to think about and what to know. I'm going to start off with the good news. Today's cheap guitars are built better than they were fifteen years ago. A lot better. And there are a lot of options for someone who wants to getting into playing. But those options can be overwhelming for someone if your not sure what your looking for. So you've spent some time reading various post on what to look for. I'm going to cover some of that today, but I'm going to focus on special considerations when dealing with ADHD kids.

I'm going to assume your a parent of an ADHD child or teenager who has told you he or she has an interest in playing guitar. Of course last month it was tennis and before that it skateboarding. Do you want to spend a bunch of money on something that they are going to play for a month and then let it sit there? A guitar can be an amazing investment or a costly liability. Part of this is a child's natural search to find "their thing", part of it is curiosity. First tell them you'll think about it. Then take them somewhere quiet where the two of you can spend some time together maybe over lunch and really listen. Ask your child or teenager what is interesting about the guitar. If it's because their friend has a guitar it seems cool, maybe they can spend some time with that friend learning a couple of songs before you plop down your hard earned money. Or maybe you have someone in your circle of friends who is patient who could show them a few chords. This is a great place to start because those first few chords are tough (it gets easier). If that doesn't scare them off keep talking. Maybe you've noticed that your child loves music and is always trying to find away to express themselves through music then that seems like a safer bet. With younger kids this can be a tougher decision, I played several different instruments before ending up on a guitar. With a teenager you might see if they can split the cost, put some of their allowance towards the guitar each month. Also talk to them about committing to lessons for at least a couple of months. If they can get through that, they can learn a lot on the internet once they have the basics down.

Acoustic or Electric? There is a horrible piece of advice that floats around that says kids should learn on an acoustic guitar (or a real guitar) first. This is almost always from someone who doesn't play or maybe only played a little. First there is NOTHING less real about an electric guitar. If a child or teenager is dreaming of being a guitar hero and their hero doesn't play acoustic 100% of the time they are less likely to stick with playing an acoustic. Also electric guitars are easier to play, the necks tend to be thinner so you can wrap your hands around it easier, and you can put lighter strings on them which also makes them easier to play. A big plus for someone with ADHD is that you have more sound options. There are normally at least two pickups and they sound a little different, plus a tone knob. They are also quieter! Surprise! They don't "have" to be plugged in, an acoustic is a lot louder if neither is plugged in. "But then I have to buy an amp thingy too?" Yes but they have even more sounds to explore and many starter or practice amps have headphone jacks built into them (So you can watch a movie or a game while your kid is practicing). The one thing I would suggest for anyone starting out is a fixed bridge. This is where the strings connect with the body and on cheaper guitars if it has a wammy bar (also called tremolo) the guitar will go out of tune easier. Now the flip side is that if they are inspired by an acoustic, by all means get one, they are straight ahead without a lot of different things to take into consideration. So go to a store and find a friendly salesperson to show you a few options in your budget and see which one sparks your kids interest. 

Next talk to players or sales people, and find a Tech who they recommend for getting the guitar setup. Most shops have someone they use, often in house. This next part is crucial. You want to find a guy who knows how to set up a guitar with the strings "on the board". The reason the guitar is not set up this way is that it's easier to set the strings up a little higher at the factory. The closer the strings are to the board the more details you have to get right. Warning! This can take a couple of days, it can be very involved and can cost even more money. If a guitar shop has someone onsite that does setups ask if they will throw in a setup for free. Some shops will, most won't but expect it to run $40-60 bucks. It can easily run close to $100 for someone off site. Why pay another $60 for a guitar you just payed $199.99 for? It helps the guitar stay in tune better, and makes it easier to play. Advanced players often want different setups on their guitars, just remember when your talking to the tech, ON THE BOARD. Also get lighter gauge strings. On an electric get 9's on an acoustic 11's or 10's if they have them. Also pay a little extra for coated strings, I don't care for them but they will last longer for someone starting out. Yep strings wear out, some guys change their strings after each gig, I change mine out every other month. 

I personally care nothing about brand names, but in this case I'm going to make an exception. Recognized brands have a better resale. If your worried your child might not stick with it buying a Fender Squire over some cheaper off brand will help you recoup some of your money. If you can afford it, a lower mid priced guitar ($200-600) will probably be better built, stay in tune, and have a better resale value than something under $200. 

So now you've done all of this. You want to be encouraging and help your kid but maybe you don't know anything about the guitar. There are two things can do that will help your child keep going. First, have their teacher, or maybe a friend of yours who plays, show you how to tune their guitar. Write down the instructions, this can be very frustrating for a younger player and a lot of young players spend a lot of time tuning. But once they have it down they will be fine. (hint, clip on tuners can be had very for $10 and they work great). Second have someone show you how to read a chord chart. Once a kid learns those first five chords and gets comfortable switching between them everything after that gets easier. Yep I just gave you homework. Learning to play an instrument can be a very rewarding experience for anyone and like many things can seem daunting when your first getting into it. But if you keep at it there is a lot of rewards.

Click the Random ADHD tag under Post on Topics to see other post on ADHD

The benefits of learning to play a guitar on the ADHD mind

If you are dealing with ADHD or are the parent of an ADHD child you maybe wondering if learning to play the guitar is something you want to take on. I won't sugar coat it, we have a unique set of challenges when it comes to learning to play music. But if you can learn to push through and work around those problems it can give you so much more.

It increases your mental capacity- Studies show that playing an instrument activates more parts of our brain than almost any other activity. The more you do it, the more you can handle.

It's like learning another language- Seriously? Yep, all of the cognitive benefits of learning another language like increased math skills and problem solving are shown in students that learn music.

It teaches you fractions- I mentioned math skills above, do you hate fractions? Music starts with easy stuff like 4/4 time and then gets more complicated. Ok so it won't teach you complex algebra type fractions but you or your child will have a better understanding of them.

It teaches you to listen to others- Music is a social medium. At it's best your part becomes subconscious as you listen and react to the other people in the band.

It teaches you to be a team player- When the band is nailing it, the timing is perfect and everyone hit's their ques it's an amazing feeling. When they aren't, it's just awful.

It teaches you how to persevere- As with most things you have to work at it to get good at it. And as with somethings you have to practice all the time. If you want to get into sweep picking arpeggios you have to constantly work at them or you won't be able to do it.

It Improves reading comprehension- Ok hold up, you don't have to learn to read music to play guitar. I've known a few guys that can sight read while playing but not many. But I learned to play the trombone before the guitar, you have to read while listening to others while playing your instrument. That's a learned skill that is useful for a lot of things.

It opens you to other forms of music and culture- When I started to play guitar I wanted to play Rock-N-Roll! Cut to a year later and I'm taking classical and folk lessons from a 70 year old grandmother. Music leads you to other things. I've dabbled in Jazz and Country and of course Blues. I've also sat down and read and listened to stories of musicians from other places and other times. It's amazing and you'll see the work differently because of it, that's a good thing.

It teaches you discipline- The say if you want something bad enough you'll make it happen. In the guitar world that means you'll practice. If you don't, you don't get better. Period.

It increases hand and eye coordination- This one is obvious but for a young teen who might be feeling a bit clumsy it really does help. Plus there is a confidence boost of being able to stand there strap on a guitar and pull of a song (even simple ones).

It gives you a sense of achievement- What I said in that last one also applies here, sometimes it's getting a passage down that you've been working on. Other times it's nailing the whole song with a band. And it feels amazing.

It is it's own form of meditation- Whenever you see something about meditation being good for you think about this. An ADHD person can't clear his brain. It just doesn't happen, or at least I haven't been able to do it. But I can run scales or do picking exercises and the whole world just disappears. It's good for you.

Learning to play an instrument like the guitar is challenging and fun. It's one of the few things in this life that has given me more than I've put in it. Learning to play when dealing with ADHD is even more challenging but it CAN be done. Click the Random ADHD tag under Post on Topics to see other post on ADHD

Do you have ADHD? What it's really like

I saw this post a while back and I relate it 99%. I don't think I've ever been distracted by a doorknob but I've had similar experiences. I keep thinking I should write something similar but I haven't been able to put it into words they way this person has. So go here if your wondering if you have ADHD, or if your not sure what's going on, or if you've had these experiences maybe share with others what it's like. What it's really like

Click the Random ADHD tag under Post on Topics to see other post on ADHD

The Great Amp Debate in my ADHD Mind

I have a confession to make. I don't currently own a tube amp. I want one, but I can't make up my mind on what I even want or need. I sold my last Great Amp a couple of years ago. It sounded awesome and it was built like a tank. It was a Mesa Boogie Stiletto Deuce and I loved the sound of it. But I wasn't using it for anything. I wasn't in a band anymore, and it was LOUD, even when I knocked it down to 50 watts and switched on the built in Variac switch to knock off another 20 percent. Then I rewired my 4x12 cabinet to 2x12. It was still LOUD and had a ton of presence. I've owned Fender, Peavey, Marshall, Crate, and Mesa Boogie amps. I love the sound of a Les Paul through a Marshall. Last year I bought a Stratocaster and I've been exploring different sounds. Stevie Ray Vaughan, David Gilmour and even some country sounds. Clean sounds, with a little breakup and an overdrive pedal. I'm suffering from a common problem that the internet has made worse. Internet Information Overload causes something what I like to call Paralyses through Analysis. And for someone with ADHD I think its even worse. 

A few months ago I was reading an interview with Mike Piera from Analogman. He was talking about getting a pedal from a customer to fix and the inside looked like a computer. He couldn't fix it. This well known, very expensive pedal is now a door stop. His point was hand wired pedals are easy to fix. This got me thinking about boutique hand wired amps. There are a ton of them on the market, they sound great and if anything goes wrong any decent amp guy, or electronics guy for that matter, can fix it. So I started looking at some of the more popular manufacturers. Dr Z, Divided by 13, Fuchs, Shur, etc. I also looked at more obscure manufacturers like Valvetrain, and Samamp. I like that Valvetrain sources most if not all of his parts here in the USA. And Samamps built in VAC circuit would knock down the volume to reasonable levels when I'm playing at the house. Even Vox and Fender are getting into the game. So that should settle it, right?  

Recently in my research I stumbled upon this article on Bogner's site In which Andy Marshall of THD Electronics talks about using high end PC boards for consistency and also durability. I've also found this article on the Mesa Boogie site, where Randall Smith explains for similar reasons why they use PC Boards. He also talks about Point to point boards as subject to warping from moisture. They like to soldered parts that could break but use high quality PCB boards that will outlive most of us for areas that probably won't. Of course, it brings the price down too and that's always appealing to those of us who still have day jobs. Still, if something should ever happen I've got an expensive door stop. 

My mind goes back and forth, if I could afford them all I would buy one of each, but that's not an option right now in my life. I've always been impressed with Mesa Boogie and my guess is I might end up with the new Mini Rectifier or Transatlantic. Then again every year there are new amazing amps being put on the market, and I can't wait to see whats next.

ADHD and Practicing guitar

If your living with ADHD practicing guitar has its own set of challenges. Songs with a lot of changes can be hard to remember, endless hours of picking exercises and running scales are out of the question, and sticking to a schedule is almost impossible. That last one has been the most important for me. Learning songs in a jam session has all ways been a weakness of mine. I have to write down the changes and go over them later or I'll never remember. I try to use TV time to do picking exercises and scales not just noodle. If the kids or your partner are watching something on the TV grab your guitar and work on whatever song your trying to learn. I'm normally working on 2 or 3 different songs at a time. One difficult song, and a couple of easy ones. Most nights, after the kids go to bed, I pull up 5 or 6 songs on the computer or Ipod, plug in headphones and play them over and over again till I nail them. Then I spend about an hour working on something tough. The last couple of months that has meant going back and forth between Van Halen's Eruption, and something from Hendrix or Stevie Ray Vaughn. I know that focusing on one thing will get you there faster but I can't do that. I have several ongoing list on my computer of songs that I'm working on. And if I just "don't feel like" I'll make myself run through my 5 songs. Most of the time this motivates me to keep working but if I'm still "not feeling it" then I just put the guitar up and do it again tomorrow. I'm going to go into each of these subjects into more detail in the future. If your reading this and have any questions or ideas feel free to post in the comments below.

Currently listening to: SRV Couldn't Stand the Weather

Click the Random ADHD tag under Post on Topics to see other post on ADHD

Rambling through time and music

I've always been into music. When I was a kid I played music all the time, and listened to all kinds of music. Gospel, country, rock, broadway. It was all around me. My mom had a box of cheap instruments a triangle, sand blocks, a kazoo and a few other things. They bought me a cheap drum kit that I tore up within a few days. I think I was 5 or 6. My older sister wanted to learn piano and spent hours practicing. I would wait till she was gone and go figure out what she was playing by ear. Here and there people would show me stuff. I took piano lessons but my teacher fired me because I would just play by ear instead of reading the music and learning it her way. I was already playing stuff more complicated than what she was teaching me and I was bored. In middle school we had band and since everyone else was playing trumpet I picked the trombone. I remember my dad had an acoustic guitar but he never played it, there was an electric in our house to for a while. Neither of them were tuned but I would strum the strings and feel the vibrations. It was magic but I didn't know anyone who played. Just after I graduated high school in 1990 a couple of guys I was working with played guitar. I bought an old Gibson Sonex 180 Delux from a guy I knew. They started showing me stuff. One of them was real good. I still have that guitar, I love it. I don't play it as much these days but when I do its like coming home. Its so familiar and comforting but never quite as good as you remember. One of the problems I've always dealt with is that I can't focus on any one thing long enough to really nail it. I have to walk away from it and come back to it. I remember reading an interview with Steve Vai, he was saying that he would practice a single phrase until he nailed it. That he wouldn't eat or even go to the bathroom until he got it perfect. I can't do that. One minute I'm playing Van Halen, the next I'm playing Hendrix, (not as good as either) or trying to figure out how to play the piano parts to bohemian rhapsody on the guitar. I'm just kind of rambling here, but I figured Id put up some background.