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John Mayer signature Martin Acoustic guitar

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My nephew Patrick told me that he just picked up a Martin OMJM (John Mayer Signature Model Acoustic Electric Guitar) during our Christmas dinner at my parents place. Patrick says he purchased it in Buffalo a couple of months ago. I for the life of me can’t remember how much he paid for it but $1100 (US) rings a bell.

The best review I’ve read so far about this beautiful instrument is very detailed. The reviewer makes it extremely difficult for the reader NOT to run out and pick this baby up ASAP. If there is anyone out there that has more dollars then sense, then please send me a comment and I’ll forward you my home address so you can send one to me! Thanx in advance to my new best friend, where ever you are.

Just to clear some things out of the way, the OM in OMJM is a technique that guitar makers use to make an acoustic guitar more responsive. The OM guitar is a far more dynamic instrument by design that produces better bass and treble tonality simultaneously, in contrast with alternative guitar making techniques. I’m referring to dreadnoughts or classical type of guitars.

The manufacturers of the OM style acoustic guitars, are Taylor & Martin (they’re the ones who started this style in the first place). A ton of guitarists out there consider Martin, the hands down winner of the two.

I love Martin guitars. Before I even bought my Larrivee L-03, I had Martin acoustic guitars on my mind. Martin guitar had the name, the longevity of the product and let’s not forget about who actually plays them, that appealed to me at that time. When it came down to crunch time on which one I’d get, it was an easy choice.

I basically bought the L-03 to play one song on it. That song was On the Road by Max Webster and I was going to play with an old band that I was in way back in the day called Pylis.

The best sounding Martin that John Mayer used before Martin made the OMJM was his Martin OM-28v. The sound that he gets with this is just unreal and it appears to be super responsive as well.

So my nephew Patrick told be the other day that he and his new OMJM are heading up here soon for a little visit and I can’t wait. I’m more then sure I ‘ll tell you all about the visit after he leaves.

Keep on Jammin’




John Mayer and Jennifer Anniston at the Oscars

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So John Mayer and Jennifer Anniston are planning to go to the Oscars are they?

Well to me I couldn’t really care about what the great guitarist does in his personal life and to be honest with you, I’m pretty sure he couldn’t care what I do in mine! All I know is that I just love how the guy makes music with his axe not his ex?!

A recent article from the site Newspostonline.com is something that caught my eye today. Are they seeing each other again, good for them. Are they going to get married, raise a family and live happily ever after is not a concern with me, but others it seems like it is so important. Why are so many people so intrigued with celebrities personal lives so much? Don’t they have lives and worries of their own?

I just had to get this off my chest!

Keep on Jammin’ John

Cindy Blackman a modern women drummer

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Cindy Blackman is truly a modern day women drummer who should be admired for the many styles she plays.

Best known as the drummer for arena rocker Lenny Kravitz for 11 years, she seems to float effortlessly from one genre to another. Don’t let this fact make you think that he stifled her creative side for all those years!

She is originally from Ohio and possesses some rock solid jazz chops! Her imaginative drumming technique’s and writing ability are the reason why her album Music for the New Millennium is so well received by many lovers of music.

cindyblackman1.jpg While playing with some of the best in R & R (Mick Jagger, James Brown, Iggy Pop and Prince just to name a few) she sure seems to love it! I know would, wouldn’t you? Being a women and excelling very nicely on an instrument that traditionally is reserved for men, she holds her own!

Cindy Blackman has quite a few heavy hitters that she uses for guidance. Art Blakey (nice chops on that guy), Elvin Jones and everyone’s favorite John Bonham! with inspiration from these guys, it’s no wonder she solo’s like no other women we know.

She’s a lover of horns and singers. Her love of Charlie “Bird” Parker and Miles Davis is apparent on her new album. She has a liking for Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane (man that guy had a God given talent) and Wayne Shorter.

cindyblackman2.jpgThe singers she likes is Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald with a sprinkling of Johnny Hartman for good measure. The best in delivery is Billie holiday hands down! I couldn’t agree with her any more. Billie holiday was big part of her musical education and mine too!

As you know I’m a huge lover of John Mayer on guitar, but Billie Holiday is the women who just can’t be beat for emotion. Her phrasing is just like getting hit by a bus, and you wanna know what, I honestly got hit by one as a kid and boy can that change your outlook on life a bit. I picked up a cheap Billie Holiday CD somewhere and it all started to snowball from there. Besides, if I had 2 acts to see live (that I never got the chance to) Max Webster is 1st and she is 2nd!

So if you are in your favorite record store go and treat yourself to her new album! Heaven knows, I just might be onto something here folks!

Keep on Jammin’

John Mayer is coming to Toronto

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John Mayer will be playing July 7, 2008 at the Molson Amphitheatre.

jm1.jpg I’ve been so busy doing everything but blogging and playing that I almost missed this show that I would kill to go and see! I love seeing bands live anywhere, but when looking at ticket prices it really makes ya wonder if it’s really worth it.

Now if I had to choose a guitar player(s) I’d like to be stranded on a desert island with, with a 20 year supply of strings and picks, this guy or Bruce Cockburn would be the winners hands down. Just watching John play, or for that matter even listening to anything he does just makes my mind wonder around aimlessly. Oh all those wild chord inversions!!!

jm2.jpgHas anyone else looked at ticket prices and thought the same thing?

The prices are just out of this world! Who can afford them, I can’t even begin to justify the cost. Is it just me or is the way artists make their money on CD sales?

John, I love ya brother, but are you really worth it? Well … maybe.

Keep on Jammin’

P.S. If someone wants to learn how to play a couple of his tunes, and you have a extra ticket with my name on it, I’ll give you 10 free guitar lessons!


Imagine the freedom

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I imagine that having an extra digit on your left hand must have it’s con’s, but the pro’s might just make it worth it!

6fingerguitarist.jpg

Playing a 7 string guitar would come in quite handy with a hand configuration like this? When playing difficult chord progressions like the ones that Bruce Cockburn and John Mayer use, wouldn’t it be nice to have another finger just hanging around the old fret board?

Wow, keep on Jammin’

My new fingernail experiment

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Well good readership, I have been going on for a while about fingernails. Let’s make things clear, I’m talking about the ones on my right hand only!

I envy people with finger nails that they could use as screw drivers! I just wish that there was a product that really made a difference on mine. The only thing that I found on line is the Guitarist Guide to Fingernails.

At work in the surgical area, there is a new finding that acrylic finger nails trap germs on them and that we are told not to use them. Ahhhhhhhh, but I need mine to play at the level that I am accustomed to. So, I have decided to go a different root this time. I am forgoing placing the regular acrylic tips on and just placing the hardener right on to the nails themselves. This totally eliminates the tips that are causing the problem.

In order to pull this off, I had to let my nails grow a bit longer then I would have them praying just to have a larger surface to work with. You know just in case things went south very quickly.

I am now back from my secret manicurists hide out and we’ve successfully applied the above mentioned hardener right onto the nails on my right hand. To the axe cave I go! I then picked up the axe and started to put my experiment to the test!

At first, I tried a bit of Bruce Cockburn’s If I had a Rocket Launcher and it was not that bad. I then began to adjust the length and shape of the nail to my specifications with my handy dandy file.

Now it was time for tougher challenge, playing Blackbird at warp speed! They are holding their own so far. Finally, the acoustic version of Neon from John Mayer, perfect!

Now let’s hope that it will continue this way!

Keep on Jammin’

Fingernail fill in’s?

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Well, today I woke up and decided to do something about my guitar finger nails on my right picking hand. I know, that after a while, they look quite weird to those who do not understand why we use them. To the un-initiated, they do look weird but, for the most part people that notice them do know that we are guitar players. If someone gives a weird look at my nails, I try to expose my left hand, which has regular short ones and then people tend to understand the reason why the long ones are present.

After a month or so, the fake nails grow away from the bottom of the nail, where it meets the skin going towards your knuckle, (look for that 1/2 moon looking thing that is present there). Your original nail, that have that pinkish appearance, will now be exposed. This is normally when I go and take off the old extensions and get brand new fake nails applied. Basic finger nail care is something that we guitar players should be a little aware of.

So off I go to “Julies Nails” on Coxwell Ave., close to our home, to get this resolved. I walk and the owner brings me to her cubicle. I told her that I wanted to watch her take my old fake nails off because the last time I tried this at home, I accidentally ripped of the top layer of nail that held the fake ones on, off. Yes, it did hurt a bit. She then told me that she will just do a ” fill in ” instead of taking off the old ones. I never thought of doing this, even though I saw the price on their price board. I thought about it for a second and then asked her if people just apply the hardener right on the nail itself and she said sure you do.

Now this is even uncharted area’s that I have not explored yet! I know that you should have a break from the fake nails in order keep them strong and healthy. Boy I just wish that I was blessed with REALLY HARD finger nails!

Has anyone just used the hardener on their nails and what was the outcome.

Keep on jammin’

The toughest song I can play, and sing

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Well as you already know, I enjoy the challenge that comes with playing some of John Mayer’s tunes. I love the chord progressions that he exposes us to. He also brings the high difficulty of playing guitar while making “Pop Music”. I honestly hope that other musicians, who make pop music, notice that the bar is raised VERY HIGH because of this man!

Anyways, Neon is the song that I find that is the toughest song to sing and play at the same time while USING FINGERS ONLY. I actually am still in the process of fine tuning this song, if truth be told. I can play and sing the song to the level of any hack can but if it ain’t perfect … well, I refuse to play it live. Nothing worst then people listening to you live at a venue and knowing by the look in their eyes that you are just another guy playing guitar. I must admit that I am very hard on myself but that’s the way I’ve always been. When I do master and play it live, this will be such a natural high that I will find it hard to contain myself.

The song that I’m trying to reproduce is a collage of many of his versions of this tune. I am working on the acoustic one first then playing the electric one will come easier, I hope! There are many little and subtle things that he does version to version that I want to incorporate into one version. In all honesty, I think that I am not that great at improvising solo’s at all. I fuck around but I am nowhere near the level that I really should be!

So below is a great version of Neon done live by JM and I want you to play this over and over again and please give me your input on the difficulty of both playing and singing this song live.

Neon

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This is the most challenging song that I have come across in years! It also sounds great in the acoustic or electric version of the tune. Below is the link that I felt that best showed me how to approach playing the song. If you are going to attempt this tune then take your time on it.

I’m a perfectionist and I have been known to stop a song and start it up again to the annoyance of many an audience. I love the high you naturally get from pulling off a master piece live and people REALLY lovin’ it! Perfecting this song at this time in my life will have to be put on hold for now.

So I set my sights on another tune that is similar in difficulty but more achievable now. This is John Mayer’s acoustic version of Neon. I just got my hands on a couple versions of this and my favorite is from a show from Chicago (on a PBS network)that is acoustic. Buddy guy plays with him in this show but not on this tune.

When I first came across this tune I was instantly captured! It was very challenging from a physical stand point too. Truth is, my thumbs have problems approaching/playing the low E on the neck. I have never ever thought that this is a technique that I would ever have to use.

When I was really playing a lot I was always keeping my ears out for songs that were very challenging to play because that is what interested me the most. I never paid attention to the words because I was not a song writer. This type of playing was pure cheating I thought so I would never have anything to do with it! I guess I was very short sighted as a 14 yr old.

Is anyone trying this tune out?

John Mayer, love him or … at least try to learn something from him!

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Boy, John Mayer, who seems to everyone else on the planet except me; to be the best guitar player from an technical/artistic aspect, is a girlie guitar player? For me, this is the biggest crock of shit coming from these musically challenged people who happen to listen to him, even if it just in casual listening!

My guitar playing approach, is to (1) listen and see how difficult and unique the playing approach is and (2) well … that’s it!

I live to be able to pick guitar players brains and incorporate them into my own distinct style of performing! After all, there is no suck, in my thinking anyways, performer that has come up with a definitive original style that is completely theirs and theirs alone! Everyone has certain influences that help them create their own style.

When I listen to John Mayer, I see different colours of sounds. I am aware that basic chords are … just chords, in the primary position. But what John does is, rip them apart and put them back together in a refreshing way that helps cut through the different direction/genres that are out there right now.

I had the chance to see/copy a show that John Mayer did in Chicago (my brother lives there and what a place to see, if you have not been there then don’t just surf there, go there!). Buddy Guy was playing with him for 2 songs and wow, what a treat for the uninitiated. John Mayer was ripping these chords off and Buddy Guy was blasting away these solos and then trading off with John. Man, if that guy, John Mayer or Buddy Guy for that matter, walked into a music store and I was there playing guitar, I might just put mine down.

I am currently figuring out a song of John Mayer’s called “Neon” in the acoustic version. This is a song that I can play technically but the fine nuances will take me a while. It’s like the time I was figuring out how to play Lady Madonna”, the piano part that is, on the guitar. It was the first time that I attempted to use a pick (Jim Dunlop, 1 MM) and every other finger on my right hand to play the song. It took me around 1 whole year practicing it until I felt comfortable to play it on stage.

The thumb slapping on “Neon” is fun, as usual! The best album to listen/figure out this on is “Inside wants out”. I have become accustom to this technique by playing “Who put that bullet hole in Peggy’s kitchen Wall” by Bruce Cockburn. I also put in a bit of a bass thing in there to really create the big sound!

So, who is the young girl or soccer mom, who listens to John Mayer Now?

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