There’s a lot of guitarists out there that neglect “ear training” and “improvising”. When they learn songs, they would rather look at guitar tab or learn from other people. When they write songs on the guitar instead of applying what they hear on their head, they would just noodle around until they find something that sounds good. I used to play guitar like that. As I got older, though, I finally realized that “ear training” and “perfect pitch” is pretty important. I wanted to improve myself on that. Learn how to have a good ear in music which is what I’m working very hard on.

The only way to master the art of improvising is not reading through instructional books. The only way around it is memorizing the sound of the notes inside your head. That’s pretty much it really. It can take hours & hours. Days & days. Months & months to memorize each note in your head. The more you work at it, the better your ear improves. I realized that you’re a true musician when you’re a good improviser. You know what each note sounds like in your head. You can play everything you hear on the guitar. When you jam with a band, you can come in without other people telling you what to play without struggling. That’s the kind of guitarist I aim to be.

I’m still not the best at improvising yet but my ear has improved greatly. I just want to become a real musician. I want to be good at both rhythm guitar and lead guitar. My rhythm guitar work has improved greatly. I can play along with a metronome and a drummer quite well now. It’s just that my lead guitar playing still needs work. I’m working on it, though. I want to be able to jam on guitar solo’s and be able to stay in key. Just to jam and rock out. I want to be able to jam with other musicians & bands.

I’m not an improvising wizard yet but I’m getting there, though. One day, though, I will become an improvising wizard like Jimmy Page, Hendrix, T. Anastasio, J. Garcia, etc. Yep, you guess it… I want to be the “jam rock” kind of guitar player. I’m so focused on guitar playing. “Improvising” is important ’cause you’ll be able to come up with better songs, better riffs and most importantly better guitar solo’s too.

I fucking LOOOOVEEEEEEE lead guitar. It’s the whole reason I picked up the guitar to begin with ’cause I want to play lead guitar like the greats: Hendrix, Page, Anastasio, Satriani, etc.

A lot of people don’t enjoy long guitar jams but I love ’em. It’s why I listen to bands like Led Zep, the Allman Bros., Hendrix, Phish, Grateful Dead, etc. That’s the type of music I want to play when I get a band of my own going.

Kev

For many years of the internet, I’ve always had people try to dictate everything I say online. They’ve always tried to tell me what I can and can’t say online. People has been going at it for years and people still do. Ya know, getting offended or mad at everything I say. It’s been going on for a little over a decade. It goes back to when I used to post on local music message boards back in the day… I think some of you remember that, hey? Even the music scene tried to dictate the things I say online. Those guys treated me horribly… oh man, I’ll never forget it.

I learned over the years that you should never allow people to control you. I’ve always learned that there is nothing wrong with being yourself and knowing from my own experience people will try to change you if they don’t like who you are. The trick is, “don’t”. Don’t allow people to think it’s okay to change you. I wished I never listened to people and I still don’t. Whenever people try to change the way I speak or think, I just ignore ’em and continue to be me. That’s the way to be, ya know?

I’m not here to please every person on this planet even though I try. I don’t have to be like everyone else and I’m not going to be. I don’t have to have the same opinions and views as everyone else whether it’ll be topics on politics, music or whatever. No matter if you try to do good things for people, someone will always be around the corner to get mad at something. That’s why you gotta stop pleasing everybody and just be yourself, ya know?

I don’t give a rats ass if people don’t like who I am and I do know I have a lot of haters & bullies out there still but that’s okay. They’re just troublemakers with nothing else better to do.

I’m just who I am. What you see is what you get. I won’t change for anyone and neither should you. Being strong and tough is the way to be. Just be real and stick to your guns. You may get a lot of haters but the more you stay above ’em, the more people will respect you for it. Trust me. You’ll get even more support and love from people the more they see you can be strong & tough. Not letting the haters & negative people get to you. I still get negative people all over me even to this day. I just ignore ’em. Let the negativity slide and just go about my day.

Never let people tell you how to be how they want you to be if you know what I mean. Be yourself… no matter what anyone says or thinks. They can get pissed all they want to. I’m still gonna be me and that’s the end of it. I don’t give a rats ass if people don’t like me or not. Don’t get me wrong, though… I love getting fans & supporters too but if I get haters, that’s fine too. I’m good either way.

Kev