Hi Everybody

Hope you are all well and looking forward to Christmas.........not too long to wait now.

This month myself and John have been busy using a video camera, a few days back we shot two live song performances from my second album 'Swimming with piranhas'. We shot 'The Orange Box Music Festival' and 'Shellshock'. I know for sure that 'orange box' turned out well so I would expect that to be added to this site, Youtube and my myspace page (access from the front page of this site) just as soon as John has had a chance to edit the footage. Shellshock was shot in fading light conditions so I'm not sure that one's going to make it so we will have to wait and see if John can salvage that one. If anyone can, he can!

As you would expect lots of guitars get sold this time of year and it can be a difficult decision to make in choosing an instrument especially if you are inexperienced with guitars. As a good guide for electric you can't really go wrong with Yamaha, Squier and Ibanez. Acoustic guitar by the same brands will be excellent too. Once you have you instrument make sure you get some lessons from a qualified guitar teacher. You will be suprised by the amount of 'teachers' who aren't!!! DO YOUR RESEARCH WHEN YOU ENQUIRE WITH ANY TUTOR.

Good luck to the winter batch of students going for their grades. There's still time for some last minute revision so do just that! Every minute spent with your nose in your grade book will earn you a higher mark.

The last lesson this year will be on Tuesday 19th December and will resume again in the New Year on Friday 5th January 2007.

Have a great Christmas everyone and I hope Santa brings you what you want!

See you in 2007

Scott

Hi folks

You may be aware that I have got a MYSPACE page. www.myspace.com/scottadamscdprojects
Please take your time to have a look at it. You can preview 'Swimming with Piranhas' from the page. There are three tracks for your listening pleasure. The page has only been up for 2 weeks and already I have had over 2000 plays of my tracks. I'm getting some really nice feedback from the people who have heard it too. The fact that most of the people who like it are great musicians themselves makes the comments all the more valuable. Make sure you check out the site. I'm going to ask john to get a link from the front page of this site to the myspace page. An extra special thanks to Mike Stevens and Ian Mellit (i really hope I spelt that right!) for encouraging me to get the myspace thing sorted. Over time the page will contain different songs from Swimming with Piranhas so don't forget to keep your eye on it.

I'm off to the music show this weekend with John Boswell. Looking forward to a day of guitar and beer quite frankly! Quite fancy a T C Electronics G Major multi-effects rack for when I start my next cd in spring. If you get a chance you should go, you never know who you might bump into. Last year a student of mine (Ryan Peacock) met Kerry King from Slayer. Take some cash with you too as you can usually get a great deal with most items.

Yesterday I got a call from a guy called Owen Edwards, he's the editor for a new website called ALL OUT GUITAR. He's on a mission to get a great online guitar magazine going and if the current issue is anything to go by he WILL succeed . There's a lot going on on the site and the interviews are with some of the worlds best players. Check out www.alloutguitar.com for the lowdown. I may be contributing to it at some stage too (time permitting) so I will keep you posted on that.

I'm on holiday from the 1st November until Friday 10th November. See you all again on the 10th and you never know I might bump into you at the show.

See you next month and spread the word about my myspace page.

Cheer Scott

Hi Folks

Hope you are all well.

Well at long last my latest CD 'Swimming with Piranhas' is available to buy. It's going really well and I have to say a big thank you to each and every person who has bought it and an extra big thanks to those who have left me positive feedback on my guestbook. On the promotion side I am in talks with john Boswell at the moment about various options one being a promotion page on MySpace. I will keep you posted. Don't forget you can order the CD by clicking the front screen image and following the instructions. At the moment I can only accept personal cheques as payment.

Now the VIDEO TIPS have gone we are also looking into the possibilities of a monthly or bi-monthly Podcast. It's all hard work and we need to set aside the time to do it and get it right so again we will let you know of any developments.

The deadline for the Winter RGT examinations is with us again and I wish all students the best for their exams.

Let me know what you think of the cd and I will see you in November

Regards

Scott Adam

Hi Folks

Hope you are all ok. First thing to note is that the monthly VIDEO TIPS are no more. Thanks to Simon Murray and Balteg Singh for their encouraging messages on the GUESTBOOK. The reason they won't be produced any longer is down to a few reasons. I had a chat with John Boswell a few weeks ago and we were thinking about this site. John asked how the feedback for the VIDEO TIPS was going (as we have produced 12 months worth) and we both then realized that the feedback was none-existent! I think it's fair to say that nobody works longer hours than either myself or John and the VIDEO TIPS took a lot of time to film and produce. We would have to sacrifice a day off or an evening of spare time to film them. In the end it's not worth it if we don't think the interest for the tips is there. So they are no more.

Swimming with Piranhas (my follow up cd to 1969) is now being pressed and has a penciled in release date for FRIDAY 8th September 2006. I will post a cast-iron date closer to the time. If you are waiting for the release keep an eye on this site as it's the place all breaking news about the record will be made public first. Thanks to John for the great new animation on the home page.

Not to much to report on the music side this month as I have been on holiday. Now that all work on Swimming With Piranhas is finally over (at last!) I can't help but think about my next CD project. The way I'm feeling now is that I should take a long rest and maybe think about starting pre-production in Spring 2007 (sounds like ages away). The rest will do me good I think. Having said that I change my mind way to quickly and it's more likely to start much sooner than I would expect! Can't seem to stop thinking about writing and recording.

Myself and John are going to get together and see if we can come up with anything new to replace the VIDEO TIPS, if you have any suggestions we would be happy to hear them.

I'm going to leave it there folks.

Lessons begin again on Friday September 1st.

Cheers

Scott Adams

Hi Folks

I know this page is late but it's been a very busy time for me and all I can do is say sorry for the delay.

If you want to brush up on finger tapping then this months free video tip is definitely worth a look. It's a technique that involves using two hands together to create a very fluid sounding string of notes. It's also VERY easy to get fast notes with tapping so if your playing is in need of speed this could help. The main issue when tapping is to avoid unwanted string noise by damping , do you best to keep the other strings quiet.

On the subject of the video tips we need to get some feedback from the people who download the monthly tips. We need to know if they are a useful resource and also encourage development. As it stands the latest tip could be the last one and without the feedback it will definitely be the last one. If these tips are useful and something you look forward to then get in touch and save your FREE MONTHLY VIDEO TIPS!

John is going to get the new AUDIO PAGE up and running some time over the next few weeks, Be sure to check this out. It features one-take improvisations by myself including the all new "attack of the jem' recorded at John's 'Point5 Studios'. Have a listen when you can

I get a lot of people asking me what they should look for when looking for a guitar tutor. This is a big issue that needs very careful consideration. I'm always surprised by the lack of knowledge of the teaching industry in general.
Here's a few tips to consider.

1. You do not have to be qualified to teach guitar or advertise as a tutor in any way what-so-ever. This is the most important question you can ask any 'Guitar tutor'. If the tutor is insulted by this question then I would use that as a yardstick to how any future lessons may go. Always ask this question. You can find out about my education and qualifications on the ABOUT page of this site.

2. How much should you pay? Well this goes hand in hand with point one, how well are they qualified?

3. Should I take group lessons or one-to-one? This one is up to you, both have a place but you need to feel as though you progress in any situation.

4. Theory is just as important as practice. Anyone who says differently should (in my opinion) be avoided.

5. A bad guitar teacher can damage your playing into a state that is hard to repair, a good teacher will accelerate your playing probably beyond your expectations.

6. A metronome is a VITAL AND TOTALLY UNAVOIDABLE aid to development, make sure your lessons are monitored by the use of a metronome. Avoid any tutor who struggles with a metronome and avoids using one.

7. If you don't get on with the teacher, walk away.

8. You may want to move onto examinations as some point, make sure your teacher can get you through them. I've heard of a lot of tutors 'grading' students without them taking an exam. This is the same as saying 'I think I could pass my 'A" levels if I tried. The ONLY way you are graded is if you have the 'Pass certificate' in your possession with your name on it.

I hope these tips are of some use, remember the most important thing to get right is to get the right tutor.

My album is at the VERY FINAL stage of post production now. I hope to send off the disc for replication on Wednesday 9th August 2006. The release date will be (a very probable ) Friday 1st September 2006.

If you don't pre-order a copy you may have to wait for the second pressing of the disc.

My summer holidays this year run from Wednesday 16th August and I return for lessons on Friday September 1st 2006. So final lesson are on Tuesday 15th August and we start again on Friday September 1st.

Have a great summer folks, I'm looking forward to you hearing my new album in September

All the best

Scott Adams

Hi Folks

Hope you are all well.

This months video tip is a mixture of single notes and chords. (Amin7 and the Amin pentatonic scale). This technique involves the player using chord stabs (short chord passages) and mixing them with single notes that belong to a diatonic scale. the effect is a natural sounding mixture of the chords and notes. Don't worry so much about playing exactly what I did, that's not the point, try to see the notes around the chord shape and go for it. Remember also that you don't have to restrict yourself to just one chord or scale. Play through all the different types you have learnt.

'Swimming with Piranha's' is just waiting to be printed and manufactured so I hope to announce a release date very, very soon . I can't wait for you all to hear it and thanks to everyone who has already enquired about it or shown interest in it. I hope you really like it when you get to hear it. Thanks to James Rose, Paul Bowers and Paddy Cumming for leaving such positive feedback on my guestbook after hearing an advance preview of the cd.
I hope you have all noticed the front page animation that John Boswell produced. I love it, obviously it's a teaser for the new CD, I have always been a fan of obscure advertising so this design was right up my street. If your computer doesn't show the animation then you need to download QUICKTIME from APPLE.

I'm listening to Joe Satriani a lot at the moment, his new album is very good. If you don't have it go out and get it. It's inspirational, not quite what you would expect from him really, some of the tracks are quite simple. It looses nothing for this though, it's stunning. Fresh, modern and a real move forward in my opinion for instrumental music in general. I have long suggested that rock needs to move forward and in a new direction. I won't mind at all if this is the direction in goes in. This album (Super Colossal) is a brave new step forward. We want more of this foresight , rock guitar is stuck in the dark ages.

If you are looking for something to listen to I would recommend Keane (Under the Iron Sea) Buckethead (Kalidascalp or Colma) Joe Satriani (Super Colossal). All very strong melody led cd's .

Good luck to all my students taking exams on Saturday 8th July, use the remaining time you have to really hone your skills and go for gold.

Enjoy the Sunshine.

Scott Adams

Hope you are all well.

Have a look at this months Free Video Tip. Vibrato is the wavering of a note and all too often it's something that a lot of guitarists don't bother to practice. There are many variations of this technique ranging from gentle to downright mental! The one important thing to get right is that the note should constantly go back to the original pitch. Give it a go, it will need to be part of your practice routine from now on. It should generate a 'PRO' sound. Don't overlook it.

My album is 99% there now and as I speak I'm still in talks with John Boswell as to wether or not to go back and do some more work on it or call it a day. I think we have both got to the point were nothing can be added to this project. I think it sounds incredible. A MASSIVE thanks to John for his commitment with the mastering. I think when you get to hear it you will agree that it's a great job well done.

The artwork is ready to go and it's a matter of weeks now rather than months. It will be available vert soon and will cost £10.

I'm going to keep it short this month, if I get any more news on the CD I will post a 'Bonus' diary page.

Best wishes

Scott

Hi Folks Well May is upon us so let's hope we get some well deserved sunshine (what a nice thought after the longest winter ever!)

The free video tip this month is 'Whammy bar' techniques or to put it another way - how to get different results with you trem bar. Please folks don't take these few ideas as being that's all you can do with the bar, they are just a few ideas and if you like the sound of them you should try to incorporate new ones into your own playing. Think about how different Hank Mavin from the Shadows sounds if you compare him to Steve Vai. Both players have made the trem bar an integral part of their playing and sound, but are completely different players both in sound and technique. I think you should bear that in mind when trying to use new and unique ideas, in-fact why restrict that idea to just your trem bar, you could use any technique you know of and do you best to make it sound like YOU!

Hope you all had a great Easter, I know I did. I spent most of it with John Boswell. On Easter Sunday we decided to do some recording in his studio 'Point 5 Studios'.
John had me playing his fabulous Ibanez Jem WH7V and we got a killer rock / metal tone simply by DIing from his POD XT straight into his desk. Next John imported a few backing tracks and told me what key they were in, then just to add a bit more pressure he stuck a video camera in my face. Great!! Talk about intimidating. When in this situation there's only one thing to do, just go for it and don't even think about stopping!
Next John edited and mixed the video and got them posted on this site all on the day.
The results are posted and accessed from the front page of this site under the heading 'Happy Easter'. Please take the time to check them out. They were also accepted by 'Google' and can also be seen on 'Google Videos'. Just type in 'Scott Adams' on the Google Video search page.
Thanks to both John and Sherri for a great day and more importantly thanks for the drinks and chocolate!.

My next CD is so close to release now, it's still in for a Summer release date. I hope to post the exact date next month (fingers crossed)
John Boswell is now in the driving seat, I'm going to leave the final process (mastering) to him. If one man can do it, he can!
After that we need to finalize the artwork and get it reproduced and pressed.
Then onto the next one.........!!!!!!!

I'm going to leave it there folks, have a great May and I will see you soon.

Scott Adams

Hi Everyone.

Thanks for checking out the site. The Free Video Tip for this month shows you how to get complicated sounding chord voicing with minimal effort. That's got to be a bonus! What I would say for this month is watch the tip many times over and make sure you get the chord shapes right in the first place that way you should see some nice results in no time. I originally put these chords together to encourage players to experiment with simple ideas. The chords used are easy to play but because they feature open strings they take on a very big sound. As a rule if the notes of any of the open strings are diatonic to the key you are working in then you will get a pleasing result. Check out my CD 1969 for an example of these chords being used on Track 7 'I thought I saw a U.F.O.'

On the subject of CD's my latest C.D. is very close to release, thanks for your enquires on the guestbook about this. I have finished the final mixes and have played them to John Boswell and my good friend Paul Bowers, they were both impressed with the mixes and especially the music. I played the whole C.D. to Paul for the first time last night (Tuesday 28th March) and I got some very positive feedback. He commented that the whole C.D. was totally unexpected and totally compelling from start to finish which was what I was going for. He wanted to hear the whole C.D. again as soon as it finished but I wouldn't let him! His last comment was that the C.D. was a ' tense experience '. This pleased me very much as I believe every note of a song should do something for the listener. Because I record rock instrumental music most people instantly think it's going to be the same sort of record as Joe Satriani or Steve Vai would make. This record will see an end to this type of comparison for good. Thanks for your comments Paul.
I want the C.D. to be a Summer record so I think it should be ready to go about June, July of this year. I can't wait to see what you all make of it.

Easter is fast approaching. For the last 2 years I have got most of the tracks for my next C.D. together about this time. I already have a full album ready to start recording. I can confirm that the record will be called 'Crash site 4'. Most of the production work for this project will been handled by my Roland Fantom6. I must confess that I have owned it for over 8 months and apart from a little bit of time I haven't really used it. Time to learn!!! I love the sound of the Fantom, it's so inspirational, it should be a great creative tool once I can work my way around it.

I will be taking Easter week off (the greatest chocolate festival on earth!!!). Lessons will end on Tuesday 11th April and resume again on Friday 21st April.

Have a great start to spring (at last!) and I will see you back here next month for more of the same.

Scott Adams

Hi Everyone.............

First off let me explain why there hasn't been any updates for almost three months. The company that used to host this site has acted in a very unprofessional manner. They closed down their web hosting business and didn't care if this website was left in limbo forever. After three months of begging them to help us out we finally had to go down another route to get our site back in our hands. Thanks as always to John Boswell for his dedication. The site is now completely in the hands of John Boswell and we should never be in that situation again.

This months free video tip deals with pinched harmonics a technique used a lot in metal and rock music. Make sure you push your pick through the string at a slight angle and then let your thumb catch the string lightly. If you don't catch it lightly enough you will kill the string sound altogether so be careful. It's one of those techniques that take a lot of practice at first but once you have the knack it will feel easy.

Make sure you check out the Student achievements page this month as it's been updated with the results from the Winter RGT examination sessions. Well done to all students, a very high standard was met, this is starting to be a habit!!!

Progress on the album is going well. Due to pressure of work John Boswell can't help this time so I'm all alone in the driving seat! I have completed the first mix and I'm listening to it all the time in my car and on my i-pod. It needs tweaking but I think I'm almost there with it. It should get a Summer release.

My 3rd album is in the planning stage and recording will start in April, it's going to be called 'Crash site 4' and again I'm going for something completely different again. It will be odd to start recording a 3rd album even though the 2nd one won't be out. I just love the whole process of writing and recording so much that when I'm not doing it I feel kind-of empty.

Lessons are going well and I really appreciate the positive feedback from my students. It's great to see you all turning into real guitar players.


Remember folks that the updates start again now and we shouldn't see an interruption again.

Cheers

Scott Adams

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you all had a good Christmas break. I know I did.

Lessons begin again in the new year on Friday 6th January 2006.

There's no Video Tip this month folks, so we will have to skip a month on that one, it's all due to pressure to mix the album. Myself and John finally made a start on it over the Christmas Holidays. It was interesting to say the least, we managed to mix a couple of songs quite quickly and then went on to master them.
I wasn't getting the sound I wanted from the mastering kits on my VS so I gave the two tracks to John to look at in his home studio. John mastered them with T-Racks and that made all the difference. The mix was punchy and loud, so that made the decision for us. This album will be mastered with T-Racks.
I didn't really realize how important mastering was until now. I think it's true to say that most home studio recorded albums are lacking in this department. It really is a very important final stage and one that you should really look into if you record yourself at home. There are lots of articles on GOOGLE about mastering so have a look around. It's a massive subject.

I have felt a bit lazy over Christmas and so by the time New Years Day rolled round I was itching to record something, so I did.

This is how the FINAL track listing looks.

1. Fate Reveals Herself.
2. L.T.T.E.W.
3. Shellshock.
4. Swimming With Piranha's.
5. The Orange Box Music Festival.
6. Nailbomb.
7. Black or Blue.
8. Six Reasons To Live.
9. The Shape of the Future.
10. Storm in a Blackhole.
11. Man Vs. Time.



The last addition is obviously track 1. Like I said it was written and recorded from 1-2 January 2006. A very quick process I know but I believe that it's the perfect way to start this record. I won't say anymore about this track.

Just before Christmas I received the Winter 2005 examination results for students who entered the R.G.T electric guitar exams. Well done to everyone who entered. They all passed with very strong marks. Congratulations.

More on the album and hopefully a new video tip for you next time.


Be good
Scott