Category: Music

Adele – Can I Get It (CORRECT guitar chord voicing)

I tried learning this on the guitar from the top Google searches on different guitar chord sites, and not only is it really hard to play with the chord voicings they provide, it also doesn’t sound right either.

Here’s what they give (incorrect “standard” chord voicings which don’t sound like the recording):

Am x02210
G  320003 (or 320033) Β«--- I don't think either of these are correct
Dm xx0231 Β«--- This is incorrect

If you listen carefully, there’s a slide in the root note between G and Dm which leads me to believe that Dm is actually played in an alternate voicing (on the 5th string).

Try this out. It fits better in the hand too:

Am x02210 Β«--- Same as original
G  3200xx Β«--- I don't hear any high strings in the recording, so mute them
Dm x5776x Β«--- Your index finger on the A string will glide up nicely from the 2nd to the 5th fret.

And then for the chorus, It’s all chords on the first string since it’s easier to get that muted sound with your left index finger

F  1332xx
Am 5775xx
G  3554xx

Hope this saves you all some time and pain from trying to learn it the wrong way (which also doesn’t sound anything like the recording).

Studio One 5, Melodyne 5, and M1

If you have an M1 Mac and have tried using Melodyne with Studio One, chances are you probably ran into this screen:

I was stuck on this because apparently I wasn’t searching for the right thing. There are plenty of articles about Studio One not being able to find Melodyne installations, but I wasn’t looking for articles related directly to M1.

Anyway, long story short, running Studio One on native Apple Silicon makes it so that it can’t detect VST plugins that need Rosetta (like Melodyne).

https://support.presonus.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407850496141

The fix is to run Studio One in Rosetta:

Mobile Recording Equipment for Saxophone

It’s been a challenge finding a place to record some sax stuff in my small condo, and all the music places (stores/studios/etc) are closed due to COVID-19. Then it dawned on me that I can record in my car!

Recording studio on the go

I had to figure this out asap because my friend and former bandmate Richard Borja asked me to record a sax solo for a song he’s been working on. He asked me to post my equipment so here it is.

  • Audio interface: M-Audio AIR 192|8 (bonus: gets power thru USB)
  • Microphone: Shure B98H (from wireless mic system) + Shure RK100PK adapter to connect directly to via XLR.
  • Earbuds: Shure SE425-CL
  • Not pictured: MacBook Pro 13″ using Studio One 4

David Bowie Tribute Concert!

12670338_242109489469387_3358644400611880339_nThe Calypso Group hired a bunch of us musicians to learn two sets worth of David Bowie music, and we did it! It was a great experience to be part in a band with some of my favorite musicians:

  • Rob San Agustin – Drums
  • Bert Delgado – Bass
  • Mike Hartendorp – Guitar/Vocals
  • Rich Borja – Guitar/Vocals
  • …and myself on Keys/Sax/Flute

We also had a couple guest singers come on stage for a few sings: John Leon Guerrero and Edgar Flores.

Many of us weren’t really Bowie fans getting into this. I think Mike was the only oneΒ who listened to Bowie extensively. The rest of us are definitely big fans now after putting on the show. Some videos will be coming up soon with footage from the event. Stay tuned!

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Guam Symphony Society Presents Dvorak’s New World Symphony

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Probably one of the most rewarding concerts I’ve had the honor of playing for! I got called in last minute to fill in for 2nd oboe (thanks to my student Jia Jia for letting me borrow her nice oboe). We’re going to be playing Liszt’s Preludes, Dvorak’s New World Symphony, and Rodrigo’s Guitar Concerto (performed by Guam’s own Dave Duenas).

I think my favorite part about this concert though is playing alongside Kendra Johnson.Β She got her master’s degree in Oboe performance, and I’ve never played with anyone with such a beautiful tone. She’s also super friendly and full of great information and loves to share advice, so it’s been just a great experience overall. Check out her website at http://www.kendrajohnsonmusic.com!

Performance dates are February 27 at 7:30pm and February 28 at 3:00pm at Lotte Hotel Guam.

Concert Band Recording at Cars Plus!

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I, alongside PBS, spent my Sunday recording the Guam Territorial Band and Guam Honor Band at the Cars Plus showroom in Maite. I used about 10 mics this time instead of the usual 2-4 that I use.

I mic’ed the front with two condensers as well as two floor mics. I then mic’ed the entire percussion section for added clarity. I brought my 24 channel mixer though, so if the space permitted, I would have used more mics…especially since the trumpets weren’t really coming into the mix.

It was a new and fun learning experience for me regardless :) The recording was for a telethon to be aired on PBS Guam (Channel 12) Thursday night, April 30, from 7pm to midnight. Enjoy!

Guam Symphony Society Presents The Music of Amadeus

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Catch the Guam Symphony Society at Southern High School Auditorium (GATE Theater) this weekend!

  • Saturday, April 11, 7pm
  • Sunday, April 12, 3pm

I’m playing 1st trombone on a couple of the pieces, and honestly, it’s giving me a real run for my money, because well, I can’t read tenor clef all that well (getting better though), and also because the notes are insanely high! I’m usually hoveringΒ between High F and double High Bb, sometimes going lower, and rarely even going higher. Coming from a sax player, it’s quite challenging, but I’m always down for a challenge >:)

See you there!

Student Recital A Success!

10863894_10202922090925476_8354611684756712762_oThe student recital was a major success! All of Dr. Stephen Bednarzyk’s and my students did a wonderful job.

It was also the first time I had my recital in a bigger venue (in the UOG Theater rather than the FA127 classroom). I think it made some of my students more nervous, but overall they took it really well! There wasn’t too much of an audience, so there wasn’t too much pressure on them.

I love putting recitals on for my students because it makes them work and practice towards a goal, but at the same time, I am really glad it’s over. Time to enjoy my break!

Merry Christmas everyone :)

GTB 38th Anniversary Concert

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This was probably one of the greatest musical events held on Guam by a local non-profit. It started out with a small VIP cocktail party with drinks and food. There was also a pretty cool photobooth that gave away frames with your pictures.

You know, it’s actually been a while since the event, and I wish I had blogged about it right away. The truth of the matter is, though, that I was busy doing sound during the event that I missed most of it.

The sum up, it was a very classy and well attended event. The music by the GTB was some of the hardest we’ve ever played, and we managed to pull it off. In between GTB’s set, Cantate came up to do a few Chicago tunes from their concert not too long ago.

We also had major support from big names on the island, and we spread the word that GTB has one main mission: to ensure that music education keeps growing on Guam.

Personally, it was one of the most musically rewarding concerts I have ever played for. It was probably mostly because I played some really hard pieces on trombone, an instrument I picked up not too long ago, and did a pretty good job if I do say so myself!

Anyway, to the future of music education!

Michel Camilo – Not Yet

You need to watch this now. I just discovered this song (way too late if you ask me). This version of this video is so amazing. The head is great, the solos are great, the soli section after the piano solo, and the sax battle after that. Holy crap. And everyone’s energy is just intense.

If you like funk, jazz, and big band music, watch this NOW!

GATE Theater – Grease Cancelled

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I am so mad. There was air conditioning issues with the Southern High School auditorium which is home to GATE Theater. The parts are there, but they aren’t able to make the repairs until next week. Because of this, they had to cancel the last couple nights of Grease.

There are no words. Hundreds and hundreds of cumulative hours of work had gone intoΒ putting together this show, but now they had to cut the run short all on a count that GovGuam and DOE can’t get their act straight.

They had better not run the auditorium into the ground again. It was closed for almost 10 years in the past because they didn’t know how to upkeep it. This is the best auditorium that Guam has, and it would be a shame for it to go away again.

Guam Territorial Band Anniversary Concert

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The Guam Territorial Band will be playing a concert at the Lotte Hotel GuamΒ banquet room in the bottom floor.Β I’ll be participating as Trombone! We’re going to be playing a pretty great set of songs in their amazing new facility, and on top of that, it’s FREE! Come check it out if you have time.

There will also be a nice, short encore of Chicago (the band) tunes from a band that we put together for a concert last month :)

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