Saturday, May 28, 2011

The Foo Fighters' Back and Forth Documentary

The Foo Fighters are back with a new album and they're better than ever! For those who don't know, the Foo Fighters is an american rock band formed by ex-Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. But in this band, Dave writes the songs, sings them and even plays the guitar too.

Wasting Light

I remember when I heard the 1st Foo Fighter's album back in '95, I was really surprised that Dave, being a drummer of a big rock band before, could write good tunes and even sing them. I was also amazed that he played all the instruments in that first album. Amazing!

Foo Fighters

Anyway, I wanna talk a bit about the documentary the band released recently entitled "Back and Forth". I watched it with my wife a few weeks back, and what could I say, I could really relate to it.

I was really impressed by their honesty throughout the video. They talked about their experiences when they were first starting out. The conflicts, the struggles, the wins and losses and everything else that every band goes through.

But it was on the latter part that made me say, "wow, this is what I want!". I just saw in front of me how I want my life to look like when I turn 40 something: Being in a loving family and yet still seriously rocking it out with my band. Oh yeah, that's what I want and these guys are living it! It was really touching to see them make their latest album at Dave's place, each of them bringing in their own families, kids and all of them just having fun together.

Foo Fighters: Back And Forth

I believe any serious musician would want to watch this documentary. Specially those with kids. Check out the video trailer below:




Saturday, May 14, 2011

Happiness: Tips on Getting Some

Life is full of ups and downs. Have you ever had one of those days where everything just seems to go wrong? When after all your planning and efforts, everything just crumbles right before your eyes. Well, you're not alone. I'm pretty sure all of us in this world had his/her share of gloomy days.

For this post, I'll be sharing with you the things I do when those rainy days come. I learned these from reading books and attending seminars. Some might work for you, some might not but these tips are so simple you just gotta try them.

Tips on Being Happy:
1. Count your Blessings. A lot of people tend to focus on the bad the things that happen to them so much that they forget the beautiful things in their lives. It may sound like cliché but believe me, it works. So get a pen and a paper and write down the good things in your life right now. Be as simple as you can. Here are some of mine:

a. I have eyes and I could see my beautiful wife and kid.
b. I sleep on a comfortable bed in the safety of my home.
c. I have ears that work and I could listen to all the music I want.


*Liam smiling


Write as many as you can and keep this list somewhere you could easily read it whenever you feel sad. Also, try to add to it everyday.


2. Go out. Nothing refreshes the mind better than exercise. Play your favorite sport. Go ride a bike. Take a walk around town. Make sure you appreciate the little simple things around you like the clouds, the big trees etc as you go around.
*with my family at Boracay


3. Stay away from negative things. And this includes negative people. If you truly wanna be happy, you gotta stay stay away from people and things that make you sad. Don't watch the bad news on tv, watch a funny movie or sitcom instead. Don't read the bad news on paper, read the funny comics section instead or find a good book. Don't listen to sad music. Honestly, I threw away all my cds with those old "sentimental" songs. Don't hang out with people who have nothing good to say, they'll just ruin your day. Instead, invite one of your positive good friends for a movie, coffee or dinner.

4. Eat some bananas! This may sound weird but yes they do work. Try it out :)


Remember, life is too short to be so sad. You create your life, so enjoy it as much as you can.


Have fun!


Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Guitar Tip #4: Change your Electric Guitar Strings regularly!

Using good quality electric guitar strings is essential if you want to have a good tone. Electric guitar strings are usually made of Nickel Roundwound although other materials may also be used.

In choosing electric guitar strings, make sure you choose the right type for the kind of guitar you're going to use it on. Acoustic guitars strings are usually made of Phosphor Bronze so be careful with these. Guitar strings also come in different gauges. Rule of thumb is "the thicker the strings, the better the tone". But then, the thicker your strings are, the harder it is to play. Guitar shredders often use .009s string gauge for ease of playing fast runs. But I strongly suggest you don't go any lower than this. My guitar string gauge of choice is .010s.

Common mistake made by guitarists is that they wait for their string to break before changing them. Remember, serious guitar players change their guitar strings at least every month! And also, when you change guitar strings, make sure you change them all. New guitar strings usually sound brighter and livelier than old ones.



Of all these guitar strings available on the market today, my preferred brand would be the Snarling Dogs Electric guitar strings. I chose this because of it's affordable and is of good quality. These can be bought at Lazer Music Store for only P220 per set.

Tips:
1. When buying guitar strings, make sure that the strings inside the pack are complete and are of the right gauges. Also, check if all the strings have ball-ends.
2. Use a string winder.



Here's a good video tutorial from D' Addario on how to change your guitar strings.

Have fun!!!
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