Your tuning

[Cheiron]

Rick, do you downtune a wholestep from Matt when playing live?

 

[OdinsCourt]

We're both 1/2 step down. Rick uses a 6-string, and I use a 7-string. Craig is 1/2 step down with a 6 string bass. Savino sets his keys to transpose 1/2 step down.

I sometims use some whacky tunings on our studio stuff. Open tunings with capos and whatnot.

 

[Cheiron]

Ah that makes more sense. Because at one point I'm like 'Matt looks like he's playing an F5 (depending on exacting tuning but that place on standard tuning) and Rick a G5.' But I didn't notice the 7 string. I should have since you were playing on the same strings/frets on the higher notes

 

[Rick Pierpont]

Ah that makes more sense. Because at one point I'm like 'Matt looks like he's playing an F5 (depending on exacting tuning but that place on standard tuning) and Rick a G5.' But I didn't notice the 7 string. I should have since you were playing on the same strings/frets on the higher notes

Its all good. Glad to see that someone is really paying attention. Does this mean I'm not allowed to make mistakes anymore? So in reality, it sounds like we were both probably playing a C chord.

I do have a 7 string and currently use that as my backup. We do have a couple of songs that I will like break it out for in the future, but at this show, it just sat in a stand the entire time (other than when I tuned it up and checked it out before the show).

Also, neither Matt nor I are fans of bands that do the double 7 string attack the entire time -- especially where they use the same chord voicing. Much of our material is worked out so that we are each doing different voicings. It gives a fuller sound and keeps us from dominating the lower frequencies too much and making a bunch of mud on stage. With all the instruments we have going, this is very important.

 

[Cheiron]

Well Rick you did mess up once =p

But it was a new song so all is forgiven

You both played really well though. I enjoyed the solos, timing was good and all. I wish some of Matt's solos were a bit louder but I was able to hear them. I really like how you guys don't rely on sweep picking, unnecessary tapping, etc.

With distortion its really hard for me to tell the difference between a low C, C#,D,D# chords. I can hear a change going on but to pick out the chord? nah.

But yeah I do pay attention as much as I can. Usually to see if I can learn something.

 

[Rick Pierpont]

Well Rick you did mess up once =p

But it was a new song so all is forgiven

You both played really well though. I enjoyed the solos, timing was good and all. I wish some of Matt's solos were a bit louder but I was able to hear them. I really like how you guys don't rely on sweep picking, unnecessary tapping, etc.

With distortion its really hard for me to tell the difference between a low C, C#,D,D# chords. I can hear a change going on but to pick out the chord? nah.

But yeah I do pay attention as much as I can. Usually to see if I can learn something.

I'm sure I did.

Oh yeah? What part was it?

Thanks! I think we did fine too! Yeah, the sound guy as awesome as he was having a hard time keeping up with all the different solos. My Mesa Boogie really sings and has a way of cutting through the mix regardless. Awesome! Yeah, I like to use sweeps when appropriate - which is only occasionally in my book and tapping even WAY rarer in my case. However, I did use some tapping in what has likely turned out to be my favorite solo of mine on the new disk. Its on the song Crownet (with Tony Kakko), but the sample doesn't reach that part. ;-) Matt's more into tapping than I am, but uses sweeps even less than me so we are a good balance. We are both more interested in writing solos that convey emotion that all out shred fests. I do like to do some shredding, but I like to use it for effect rather than rely on it.

Oh, you're aren't alone there! All of that lower stuff can get difficult to pick out when crunching away. I remember trying to learn a Forbidden song (Tossed Away) where it was almost impossible to discern the different notes being played in this intro riff. But yeah, that 7 string stuff can be even more difficult to hear.

That's AWESOME! Honestly, that's how I've learned most of my stuff over the years. I watch and listen to other guitarists like a hawk! I've never had a guitar lesson in my life so I had to learn somehow! And believe me, I was watching that guy in CIIC! He was amazing!

 

[Cheiron]

The lead guitarist of CIIC is way underrated. He plays so fast, so effortlessly, and yet can still pull off the Criss Oliva esque emotion. I really enjoy watching him play.

mmm what part.

Well I could be wrong but it was at the start of the song with a lot of Saxophone. A few bars in you went and hit a powerchord and from my viewpoint it seemed like you thought the song was going to a certain part, but the song still had some melody left. You kind of looked towards Matt, paused and then went back into the song. A few seconds later the song went into the part it seemed like you were about to play. Maybe that powerchord was meant to be there. But I don't think it was. It didn't throw anything off though. And I only 'noticed it' (if there was something to be noticed), because I had heard the song before on your myspace site.

And mistakes just happen. My teacher was telling me about a gig he had where everything almost completely fell apart, and somehow they got it back together. Also at a recital I had doing Ironman... I majorly messed up. The other guys playing it with me messed up first, playing a certain riff twice (when it should have only been played once), and after that my focus/concentration left me and I had a hell of a time getting things back together.

 

[Rick Pierpont]

The lead guitarist of CIIC is way underrated. He plays so fast, so effortlessly, and yet can still pull off the Criss Oliva esque emotion. I really enjoy watching him play.

mmm what part.

Well I could be wrong but it was at the start of the song with a lot of Saxophone. A few bars in you went and hit a powerchord and from my viewpoint it seemed like you thought the song was going to a certain part, but the song still had some melody left. You kind of looked towards Matt, paused and then went back into the song. A few seconds later the song went into the part it seemed like you were about to play. Maybe that powerchord was meant to be there. But I don't think it was. It didn't throw anything off though. And I only 'noticed it' (if there was something to be noticed), because I had heard the song before on your myspace site.

And mistakes just happen. My teacher was telling me about a gig he had where everything almost completely fell apart, and somehow they got it back together. Also at a recital I had doing Ironman... I majorly messed up. The other guys playing it with me messed up first, playing a certain riff twice (when it should have only been played once), and after that my focus/concentration left me and I had a hell of a time getting things back together.

Yes, he is. Exactly, his fast playing was fluid, yet articulate! He could shred like a demon, but still have soul and emotion to his playing! Good tone and stage presence to boot!

Well, aren't you really observant?!?!? Impressive! We had shortened up the intro to that song for the live show and the rhythm section was known for forgetting about that. This time was no different. I really think that fatigue played a part in it though. So I waited an extra pattern to come in hoping we'd pick it up from there. Matt wanted to push forward and move along, I'm still not sure what they were going to do. Luckily, he got them in sync and then I fell in. Everything went on without a hitch from there. That really is pretty cool that you were familiar enough to notice, I don't think that will happen again. Any other mistakes were mostly too small to notice. Well, there is that third note in a harmony I sing in Animaulic that has a bigger interval that I have trouble with. I even practiced it a bunch of times on the way to the venue! I hate when that happens.

You know what? Considering all that we were up against for this show, I think that we did fine. We all know we didn't put on a perfect performance, but we also all know what went wrong and what we need to do to fix it. We really tried to grow a LOT for this show (and as you know I wasn't around the whole time) -- and I think we made a lot of progress. We have some serious plans and are implementing things in stages. Once all the pieces fall into place, I think people will be really amazed when they see us!

Exactly! I even saw Symphony X train wreck during Through the Looking Glass once -- so bad that they had to stop. They laughed it off, picked up right where they left off, and away they went. Everyone makes mistakes, it is how well you recover from them that makes the difference. And its funny how little things can throw you off, but it does happen.

 

[Cheiron]

You guys did a great job. Was just picking on you

 

[Rick Pierpont]

You guys did a great job. Was just picking on you

Thanks! I know that, but you were observant enough to pick out something for real, so I figured that you deserved to know what happened!

 

[eaeolian]

Also, neither Matt nor I are fans of bands that do the double 7 string attack the entire time -- especially where they use the same chord voicing. Much of our material is worked out so that we are each doing different voicings. It gives a fuller sound and keeps us from dominating the lower frequencies too much and making a bunch of mud on stage. With all the instruments we have going, this is very important.

Wuss.

Two guitars grinding in B is just sludge. Dave and I play so many harmonies, though, that we're seldom playing exactly the same thing. Your point is a good one, though - if you've got two guitarists, use them.

 

[Rick Pierpont]

Wuss.

Two guitars grinding in B is just sludge. Dave and I play so many harmonies, though, that we're seldom playing exactly the same thing. Your point is a good one, though - if you've got two guitarists, use them.

Absolutely agreed there! And that is pretty much what we do to keep things from turning into sludge. Sometimes we play the same thing for effect, but that is more the exception than the rule. And you'll be happy to know that my new 7 made its first stage appearance -- sitting in a stand just like my old Jackson! I know there are some songs that it will definitely get used on besides just being a back up guitar.