News
Our Condo in Lakeland FL is for sale!!!
http://www.buyowner.com/pr
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January 2011 Just bought a
“You Rock Guitar” midi controller for
less than $199 and I’m pleasantly surprised by the features and ability to
play real music. It will be
much better when they program a polyphonic playing option but for the time
being it’s an excellent, inexpensive tapping practice instrument. I travel a
lot so it’s easy to take on the road and I’m not worried about ruining or
losing a $3,000 plus instrument. It
also folds up so it fits in a carryon bag.
The batteries allow you to play anywhere with an iPhone, very cool! I recommend NanoStudio as the best app. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlIr3-XWtQk I’m working
on tutorials and more videos. March 2010 We've moved to Alpharetta GA and are enjoying the new
situation. We've found a great church and a school for Elijah and we're
beginning to feel settled. I'm getting in a groove of recording tunes on the Mandolin,
Ukulele, Ztar, Touchguitar, Guitar etc... each week. I'm posting on You
Tube, MySpace and Facebook. It feels good to begin recording and doing
videos again. July 2009 Gigs ·
Women's
Cancer Clinic - I'll
be playing at another event of the Women's Cancer Clinic. This time
I'll play the Ztar as well. Method Book Update ·
I'm
working on the touch method book and hope to have something completed by the
end of the year. it will be a chord progression approach focusing on
playing the Gear ·
I've been
using the VG-8 with my Warr Guitar on the rhythm side to get a bass sound in
the lower 2 strings. There's a Bass/Guitar split patch in the VG-8
which allows for that sound. It's nice because it fills out the lower
end and gives the illusion of a bass line. ·
I'm using
the new Line 6 Pod Farm with my Presonus Firebox and Cubase to get my
sounds. I like the new Line 6 Pod Farm interface and with ilok you can
use it as an effect with any I/O interface. ·
Kore 2 is
coming in handy for triggering the Groove Agent 3 with foot pedals. I
can also run my Warr Guitar inputs into Line 6 effects to control everything
in the computer and mix it better. The Groove Agent 3 gives a very
realistic drum sound and is helpful for practicing. I still think the
computer drums do not work well live. The Touchguitar is interesting
enough solo without the drums. ·
Roland AC
60 and Line 6 AX2. For the quieter gigs I use the Roland AC 60 which
carries pretty well in most cases. If I need more firepower I use the
Line 6 AX2. It has the two inputs and a very nice round sound. I
use it in my videos. April 2009 Gigs ·
First
Friday of the Month -
Lakeland has a "First Friday of the Month" buskering program in the
center of town that I've participated in. It's a lot of fun if the
weather is good. People mill around the town square and hear a wide
variety of musicians. ·
Arts
in the Park -
I've also played at "Arts in the Park" every now and then which is
a great setting for solo music. It's an art gallery that specializes in
local artists. ·
Cancer
Clinic - I'm also playing
regularly at the Cancer Clinic in Lakeland for their cancer survivor
events. Instruments ·
Violins
- I've spent a
lot of time learning the violin and experimenting with extended violin/viola
tunings. Currently I'm playing a 5 string violin and a 5 string viola
with octave strings. I like the higher registers of the cello and this
viola helps capture that. I play a wide variety from Bach to my jazz
standards to hymns...I've played out a few times with my NS Stick
player/friend Jason. He puts up with my violin playing and carries the
weight of the accompaniment. Jason also does my tech work on my
instruments. He's trying to make my 6 string chinese violin work
better. I like the extended violins, just wish I could play better! ·
Ztar - I'm doing a lot more midi sequencing
now that the Ztar is working well. I'm also a bit smitten by analogue
programming, trying to teach myself how to do it...complicated but
interesting. ·
Warr
Guitar - Midi
triggering. I've now dusted off the Axon AX 100 setup with my Warr
Guitar to try to integrate a bit of midi/synth playing with my Warr Guitar
gigs. The Axon requires a bit of programming for it to work but it has
promise. I also can use the VG-8 to give some other sounds to the
mix. ·
Grand
Stick - I'm returning
to the ascending 5ths tuning on the rhythm side (uncrossed) with the
Stick. The violin and mandolin playing has perked my interest in
5ths. It definitely gives you a different sound and vibe. ·
Mandolins - I'm playing a traditional 4/8 string
mandolin, a 5 string ukelele tuned in 5ths E-A-D-G-C. It actually works
and gives you a nice mellow tone. I have a short scale 6 string Les
Paul copy that I've tuned in 5ths. ·
Guitars - I'm looking to tuning a 6 string guitar
in 5ths...we'll see about that! I've tuned my 7 string Steve Vai Guitar
in 4ths and setup to do tapping going as low as the guitar sounds good.
In general I'm not playing much guitar unless a recording calls for it or
we're out on the driveway with the neighbors drinking beer... July 1st 2007 I played at the Arts Ensemble Gallery Opening in Winter
Haven. Great event with fascinating art and an interesting crowd.
I look forward to collaborating more with them on future projects. Finally put up a music download service on my various
sites. I'll be placing that store on my other sites soon. I've been using the Rane SM26B Splitter/Mixer to do complicated
parallel effects and looping. I also used it to split to multiple amps
at my live shows. I continue to use the Roland VG-8 to put a little
bass sounding bottom end on my rhythm/chording side. It works well so
I've pretty much abandoned the ascending 5ths tuning in favor of this
method. I'm concentrating my efforts on the tuning I find most accessible. I'm playing the NS violin these days and hope to use it while
looping my Stick during my shows. The idea is to play the head with my
Stick on a stand and loop only the rhythm side. I'll then improvise
with the NS Violin using the back brace system they now have. It should
be easier to play while I'm going from Stick to Violin and back. We'll
see how that goes! I'm going to the Baltimore Tapping seminar in October and look
forward to a great time! I ordered a flight case for my Warr so I can
take it with me. I'll also be redoing my www.corbella.com
site soon! Other than that, just enjoying the family and the summer!
Hoping to do more recording, writing and DVD shooting... March 2007 It was a busy 2006 and 2007 promises to be even busier. I'm playing regularly at the Arts in the Park Gallery at Munn
Park in Lakeland. I've gotten serious about the violin and it's
extended forms: 5 string electric and 6 string electric. It's an
incredible challenge but I feel like I'm growing musically so it's all
good. I hope to finish my solo touchguitar CD in March and offer
it on my site as a download. I'm also planning another video
session to highlight my solo playing. As far as recordings go I'm using the Line 6 UX2 which works
really well for no latency monitoring and separate dual recording of both
rhythm/lead. I'm also tracking midi using the AXON AX 100 mkII which I
have for both sides. The VG-8 is getting use live to fill out the
rhythm side with a little bass sound and/or pad sound. The method book is progressing and I'm planning a release by the
fall. I managed to get a 6 string mandolin tuned in 5ths to
work...lots of fun! |
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January 2006
Checkout the new Video Page.
Solo and Duo Tunes from the Sun Shoppe & Cafe with Billy Van
Riper
December 2005
It's all about Christmas and the Family
November 2005
Stick Stand
I finally tuned my Stick in an
interesting tuning and am doing some playing with it. The tuning is
uncrossed ascending 5ths and melody ascending 4ths. The ascending 5ths
give me the bass notes and the ability to do chords in the guitar
register. So far the change hasn't been too terribly difficult.
5ths do require a lot of jumping around to get normal cycle of 4ths
progressions and any kind of walking bass.
I'm also using a stand that I
developed several years ago. Pictures following:
October 2005
Italy Buskering
Just returned from a trip to
Italy where I met with William Dotto of Treviso and played in Modena and
Bologna.
William and I met after I saw
his link on Adam Fulara's website. He's doing the tapping thing on a six
string and has a 10 string Stick. We went over my tuning and double
guitar method. He's a bright and talented guy and will do well. His
specialty is two handed tapping on a normal 6 string electric guitar. He
teaches in Northern Italy. His website is: www.williamdotto.com check him out!
I've had a dream of buskering in
Italy for a number of years and finally did it. I brought a Micro Cube
from Roland and my ADG with me to Italy and played in the Center of Modena and
the University area of Bologna. It was a lot of fun and I hope to do it
again soon. I also played at a Pizzeria "Laccento" near Cavezzo
(MO) with my dear friend Enrico Gorzanelli.
New Tunings
I'm working on an ascending
fifths/fours tuning uncrossed and hope to have the results to report soon.
I'm also working with my 8
strings NS Stick which I've tuned in fifths and fourths, we'll see if I can
make music with that.
New Friends, New instruments
I recently met Jeff Patterson, a
local luthier, who has some very interesting designs and patents that should
lend themselves well to a tap guitar. More news on that too!
Lots going on, I hope to have my
solo CD done soon to showcase the solo thang. I'll update my sound files
as I complete songs.
Earlier News
ZTAR Midi Controller and Cubase SX
The big news is
my recent "discovery" of the Ztar midi controller. I've had it
since 1993 but only recently understood how to play it! Typical I'm sure
but very frustrating! I've included a special page just for the
Ztar. It's such a different instrument but I play it exactly as I would a
Touch Guitar.
I'm now using
more and more of the Ztar's midi capability. I rehearse with Cubase SX
3.0 using the Groove Agent drum machine. With the Ztar I'm able to
initiate start/stop commands from the pads and fills from the foot pedal.
This is a very hands-free way to play, record midi and make a lot of music very
quickly and easily. I'll be putting a few of these creations on my sound
files page very soon. I also split up the zones on the Ztar to pilot
Rhodes Piano rhythm, Bass on the lower two strings and lead on the 12 and higher
frets. I'm really becoming a "one man band." The control
of the Groove Agent on the fly is an excellent way to rehearse and put
arrangements together quickly and a lot of fun.
Warr Guitar
Lately I've
been working with the VG-8 on the "chording" side of my uncrossed
Warr technique. I have GK-2A pickups on both sides of the Warr Artisan
Guitar with the Piezo pickups delivering the signal. After seeing Jim
Wright play I looked for a way to make my guitar 4ths tuning become a bass in
my left hand/chording side. The VG-8 does an amazing job of delivering
both a straight bass sound and a Bass/Guitar split (Bass on the two lowest
strings and guitar on the other 4).
The VG-8 allows
me to create the illusion that a bass player is in the one man band. I'm
able to get a Bass, Rhythm Guitar and Lead Guitar going with one player.
Each sound is very different and distinct which adds to the illusion.
I'm also
beginning to work with my Oberheim Echoplex looping unit. At this point I
only use it for background music when I'm taking a break. I try to avoid
using a CD player to fill up the breaks because it's such a different sound and
mood from what I do. So I loop a mellow rhythm with lead double stops to
give it some variety. Usually it's a 30-45 second loop but it seems to
keep the mood going between sets.
Method Book
I'm still
working on the method book but it is a monster task. My own learning goes
in plateaus so the motivation to write also comes and goes. I'll keep you
posted on this one.