I’m now convinced Dan must have an alternate Jazz persona a la Duke Silver from Parks and Rec, which has begun bleeding into his regular Prog-Rock Dan persona by way of the pork pie hat.
Dan has never be a slouch when it comes to playing guitar but you can tell he's learned a lot recently because he's playing well and because he's really excited to play.
I’m just here to comment that last night I played through 2 amps wet/dry for the first time (Matchless C30 & Fender Blues Deluxe). I will never be the same. After 5 minutes our drummer commented “that sounds unreal…but is it always gonna be that loud???” Thanks gents, cheers from Chicago
Many years ago when I first met Johnny Marr, amazing ex-Smiths guitarist, I was lucky enough to jam with him and now have a good friendly relationship with him, his advise to me playing with a metronome or click track was to think of it as your best mate or another band member and try to lock in with it like you would another musician, this worked for me and improved my timing and playing greatly, now I really enjoy playing to a click and can totally feel a groove around it in my head and body.
Consistently, my best tools for practice have been other instruments. Every time I de-emphasized guitar to learn bass, drums, keys, etc I came back to guitar with a much deeper connection to the music, rather than just to the mechanics of playing guitar and always sounding like an exercise.
Of all the pedals I had ever purchased, the first time I purchased my Ditto was when playing in my apartment truly became a blast. I couldn't believe what I had been missing out on for so many years.
I had a jazz band leader give me a great tip: always have the subdivisions going in your head. So if all you have is a clap (beats 2 & 4) have the 16th notes (1|||2|||3|||4|||) going in your head regardless of how many notes you're playing, like a hi-hat. It works, especially for slow tempos and long pauses.
Best thing about iReal Pro: You can loop any part of the song to work on only specific bits. Especially if you’re just starting out to improvise over jazz standards that have a lot different keys, it’s super useful to break it down a bit!
I LOVE THAT APP. You can quickly chart out any progression you want. I use it just over a couple chords if need be. And it’s sterile enough that it leaves room for you to work on your feel too.
100% with you on the THR. I spent years basically not playing at home, despite having a ton of stuff to work with, because nothing worked that well at home volume or sounded good. Got a THR, anything sounds good plugged into it, everything's easy, and suddenly the motivation to play is there.
Re: time feel practice. Slower tempos require more internal subdividing of the beat. Will help out with your accuracy. Really nailing the click. Great video idea!
Dan. Careful with your swing feel. Shuffled 8ths with heavy accents on each downbeat can sound a little stiff. Try evening out the 8ths and don’t accent your lines. Or accent offbeats instead: “beeBOP beeBOP.....” instead of “BAPbooo BAPboo...”.
Metronome on 2 & 4 is a trick I learned from Carol Kaye. Not sure if she came up with it herself, but I count it as yet another of her many valuable contributions to music and especially bass.
Cool tools. I've got them all except for the Boss Headphones. Instead, I've been using the Fender Mustang Micro headphone amp with great results for silent practice. Thanks for that metronome practice tip!
The best, most informative TPS episode to date. Period. Not just for me, but for many younger, less experienced players. I've been using a metronome for practicing my phrasing for years (put the work in, kids. I promise...you're not playing "in the pocket", as much as you believe you are!). And the latest Yamaha amp lines are a revelation. That amp doesn't exist to replace your Super Bass or your AC15...it exists to improve what's coming OUT of those amps. It's definitely worth it and can help you be a better player...get one asap. Top notch jobs fellas.
Great suggestions. Here is another - Fender Mustang Micro. I chose it over the WAZA Airs because (1) I can use my own headphones / in ears / etc., (2) much cheaper. I can also plug it into a more complex signal chain to include my effects, and also to output to something other than headphones (like my powered monitors). Great practice tool for not much money.
Oh my god, thank you guys. That iReal pro app is the type thing I’ve been looking for, for so long. This has made practicing/jamming sooo much more fun. Helped my time, tremendously as well. Thanks so much guys. Love the channel!
Lovely looking Casino. I recently bought a Gary Clark Jr. 'Blak n Blu' Casino and I've been blown away by it. Has full Gibson electronics and pickups and it's pure filth. Cleans up really nice as well for some nice warm jazz tones. Apparently Clapton has been seen playing one on stage quite recently too. Great guitars.
There are a couple of other cool features in iReal pro which are useful. 1. You can loop chords. So for example if you want to work on specific changes, you can just loop those chords and play over them. 2. If you go to the ‘long notes’ function in the iReal sound section, you can put the click on 2&4 and have a string pad behind you. This is great because you can hear your lines against the harmony of the chord.
My best practise tools are TPS episodes. I watch them while practising/noodling and it gives me a clear hour or two of finger exercise! (And I get older and wiser at the same time)
Probably one of the most important shows you've done for the likes of me, trying to practice (quietly) effectively, in small gobbets of time. Thank you guys, thank you.
Spark amp is the best thing I have bought for the last 10 years...Even if I have bought many guitars ( 3 Duesenberg, GIBSON, Maybach, Eastman, Tokai, etc....), boutique pedals and Fender Amp ! The Ditto looper is number 2 .
Just bought a second Boss RC-3 Loop station before watching this, invaluable addition to a pedal board for practicing, playing to a metro gnome/beats. Big thanks to Dan for mentioning the Neunaber Iconoclast a while back, I'm loving the sound through headphones from my Laney IRT studio.
I got the Rev D20 and a simple splitter box for some of these reasons. Allows me to use the audio out on my iPad and go into the amp but the D20 also allows me to use the headphone out with the cab unplugged for quiet practice all while being a great pedal platform and great anchor for the home studio
Hi D&M, in Hong Kong in quarantine, day 12 of 14. THR10C packed in the checked luggage and took the neck off my EJ strat and carried body and neck as hand carry. Got through HKG quarantine checks, into the hotel, new strings on the strat and two weeks of rocking out in the hotel alongside some periods of work. Great amp and everything you said is true. So convenient. All the best TPS and all in the community. It’s a pleasure to be a small part of it.
I'm sure this was mentioned somewhere in the comments, but there was a brilliant video of Pat Metheny giving a clinic at a music school in the 80s and he used a metronome in this fashion. He just set the click, put it on the floor and showed how he warmed up. It's a great way to breathe a little life into what might be otherwise mundane. Plus, it allows you to swing.
For the advanced variation of Thing 1: set your metronome to play triplets (or 12/8 with an accent on the first of every three) and play along to it with a 4/4 or square feel. Then, do the opposite. And then try playing triplet-double triplet-doubles (what drummers affectionately call "eggbeaters"). :)
Or to make things even more interesting (maybe?), put your metronome back to only playing on 2 & 4, and play along with it "normally", but use a wah and pulse your foot on all of the upbeats, or triplets, etc etc.
The single thing that has helped my jazz playing is learning a song. Now play the same song without playing those chords you just used, new positions or voicing and then repeat. Next step is start mixing those different chords/voicings together. After you are making noticeable progress, start dropping the bass note. Do that to one song a day and you will be shocked at the progress you can make because a TON of jazz songs are very similar when looking just at the chords.
I have the other rig that Mick described, with dozens of patch cords going everywhere and such. I don't get the versatility of tones or any of that, and I draw significant amounts of current from the mains. It will simulate stereo. 😸
I just tried the metronome on 2 and 4 and even changing basic chords became incredibly difficult all of a sudden. Thanks, guys. Thanks... 😩 (No, but really thanks! Have a nice week!)
Woah! I’ve just got these on in the background while i’m working for some nice semi-musical interludes with the guys lovely chatter to keep me company, and suddenly out of nowhere I hear someone playing listenable jazz, and I look up and it’s Mick! Every video, you guys surprise us with something. Love it.
On the metronome point: a lot of people think practicing is the time for pushing yourself and they end up setting the metronome way too fast, they play sloppy, and then they're even worse on the gig. Definitely, set it slow for subdivisions, so you will be internally responsible with articulating the rhythm. But even if you just did straight quarters with the click, still set it way slower than you think while practicing. The point of practice is to internalize and soak in the moves and changes. If you're smooth when slow in practice, you'll be smooth when fast on a gig. Great episode guys.
Cool thing to expand this first practice is to move those beats to every subdivision in a bar ( so in example- we have 1 beat per 1 bar and beat lands on 3 or "3 and", " 2 and" etc. ) Also very amazing practice for your time is to make metronome to beat just on 1. Then if you can make it you expand it to beat on 1 but every 2 or even every 4 bars. If you can make it to 4 you literally are turning into living metronome :D
I gave up on the Boss Waza Air but on seeing this I think I'll give it another go. I've invested in some Curt Mangan strings (9.5's) and really liking them upto now I was a die hard Elixir user on 9's but find the Curt Mangans really nice in feel and playability so thanks for that guys. Keep on rockin'
I have a compulsion to do things the hard way, or "wrong" as the pros call it, so rather than a Metronome or a Looper, I use a Tremolo to simulate having friends to rock out with. Really tightened up my rhythm. 🤘
It’s Friday, it’s 12 o’clock, it’s TPS! Which is effectively the modern day equivalent of Crackerjack for a bunch of us 70s born nerds. Happy Friday folks.
@@mikeclarke4002 we have to pay TPS if we want pencils. For some reason @thatpedalshow isn't covered by the BBC license fee. I know, it's an outrageous state of affairs.
Random bit of kit that is a great alternative to the Yamaha… the Boss Katana Head (not the air) The head has an internal speaker to play at practice and power scales down to 0.5w. It then can also be used as a 100w head with a cab, and as a power amp for another modeler, synergy system, or pre-amp pedal. For $350 US, it’s really an amazing tool that can sit on a night stand or play a gig and just about anything in between.
I have the WAZA Headphones and they are the best practice tool I’ve ever had. I use them every day. I Bluetooth my bands set list songs to them and learn parts and play along anywhere.... in every room in the house, in the garden and take them and a guitar away on holiday with me. Some of the tones are exceptional.
I'm a huge iReal Pro fan. It's useful for a heck of a lot more than jazz. Seemingly any classic pop/R&B/funk/etc. song is available -- and being able to slow down the accompaniment, and then gradually bring up the tempo, is wonderful. Being able to practice a lick in any key, with the accompaniment switched to the desired key or playing any of scores of rhythmic styles, is so good.
The sparse metronome thing is a really alienating thing but I find it really cultivates your sense of rhythmic imagination. Once I started viewing it that way and realizing that, especially if I were playing solo or just me and a singer, I had the sense of a band in my head and was responding accordingly in my playing, everything felt more complete even in the negative space. It’s a hard thing to articulate and masters like Charlie Hunter and Mark Lettieri just do this like it’s nobodies business but I think it starts there, with a strong sense of rhythmic imagination that is as strong as the melodic one we are usually working on
I’ve been using the metronome on 2 & 4 for the past year. I have noticed a huge improvement in my time. Playing in time makes everything else feel better.
Absolutely true about the headphones. I use noise-cancelling headphones with my Tone Master Deluxe Reverb by just using the DI out with an XLR female to stereo mini jack cable, using the line level as a master volume control (no additional headphone amp/interface required) and that isolation is superb for silent playing, especially with the reverb/tremolo or a bit of delay from the Strymon Volante.
Great ideas for practicing ! (Sorry, that's how we spell it over here.) But I'm not used to such a short video. I'll have to go to the archives to play another episode that I haven't seen yet.
Recently, I discovered IK multimedia's Amplitude 5 amp sim and now use it as my main practise tool: the sound is quite good through a set of monitors and the built in DAW/recorder is great for working on your timing as you can see when you're on or off the beat just by looking at the recording (particularly helpful for working on 16th's) and you can play back at 1/2 speed too . The neighbours don't seem to complain either. However, it's not a massively satisfying sound as it lacks the warmth of a valve amp in the room so you lose some of the subtle differences between the different amps and pedals. So when I want to just play, the sound of my 1 watt value amp & pedals, even at just 70 db, is better even if the neighbours are less happy. So I'm quite envious of of your setup, and that you get to play load. That's something I've never experienced and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
As a dad in a not to big flat I can say that the Boss WAZA Airs are the best home practice tool since the guitar itself. There’s no fussing around with wires and takes three seconds to get going. The preset switches on the side are great. I only wished they’ve made it possible to record the output via USB.
The Yamaha THR has a very handy headphone jack. It can also stream your music, while you play guitar. I don't know if the BOSS Waza headphones can do that.
I like practicing with a drum machine and looper. There are a number of ways to do this, but I'm currently using the NUX MG-30, which I can recommend for $300 US. Also has amp modeling, built-in effects, tuner, etc.
Irealpro can also be used to try different chord changes for any progression you are working on. I use it sometimes while composting. Try different metrics or kinds of arrangements. It's really easy to edit a song in the phone directly
Just got a Fender Mustang Micro. A tiny little amplug that can can recieves Bluetooth, add guitar sounds in, and stream them out over USB connection (in addition to headphone out). Sounds decent for the size+price. A little awkward to control. It becomes my main practice tool now.
Playing with and around the metronome is a great concept. Totaly new to me. Just recently I found a video in witch Carol Kaye talked about it, too. For her it's about making the metronome swing. I think it's really cool. Makes it less boring and more musical.
Would love to see you guys do a video on the THR amp with pedals and its own presets. You guys do such a great job getting killer sounds out of everything!!!
Every year that goes by you guys remind me more and more of a married couple, such synchronicity and so many tense moments when you feel you're annoying each other :D love it!
You could plug the headphone amp-thingy into the headphone jack of the amp, if there is one, with your p-board still fully connected to your amp! I would love to see that plugged into a splitter/gatherer, and now what you're hearing is iso-you playing through a real, live, full-on, high-octane, wet-dry-wet rig, so that you become ultra-familiar with how it sounds, how to use it, how to control it, what, and how much, do you need of each effect you're using.
I've been doing my 'silent' practice through a Fender mustang micro amp which works a treat - but it had never occurred to me that I could plug it into my pedal board! Thank you for showing how to do that with the Boss Waza headphones and opening up my silent practice world! Great show as always 🙂 🎸 🎧
I bought a Universal Audio OX a couple of years ago. That is great for using your own loud amp an pedals even with headphones. The only thing I miss is being able to play along to backing tracks and using headphones at the same time. Thinking about getting a Boss Katana or a Yamaha for that…
If I could share what's helped me practise and improve various techniques... Rocksmith on the PC (or consoles) is a fantastic "game" (more of a learning tool) to focus your practise in certain areas. I sometimes struggle to hold myself accountable so having a list of goals in the training modes, and completion percentages/scores on songs really helped me track my progress. It also got me to improve in areas I'd normally avoid because they're not "fun". It's vastly improved with an ASIO interface to reduce latency, otherwise it sounds super delayed. I also love learning songs through it because the charts (a bit like tabs) are very accurate, as well as the tones it simulates and automatically switches for each section. You can repeat problem sections of songs, much like you suggested with the loop pedal, but you can hear the backing track as well. And slow it down if needed... There's a Jam Mode similar to the iReal Pro backings you showed in the video. There's DLC for some of my favourite bands, that are kind of pricey per song but not too bad once they go on the occasional sale. And silly mini-games that make practicing certain techniques like scales and hammer-ons much more fun to run through. Anyway, I found it really helpful to progress and push my playing in new areas. I've hesitated to recommend it to absolute beginners in the past, as it doesn't really teach you know to start from absolute basics, but as a tool for amateur/intermediate guitarists it's bloody awesome. Maybe it just speaks to my 'gamer' brain, after playing years of Guitar Hero and Rock Band but it's helped so much, and would recommend it to anyone who's interested.
@@nishanabulike2748 There's an optional addon that lets you import songs from the older one to the newer one, so maybe add the older one and the addon to your wishlist and then when they go on sale, you get some extra tracks and can also try out the older program if you like.
I don’t know why it took me this long to put 2 and 2 together, but I always get quickly bored by how my THR10 sounds, so I just stuck my H&K Tubeman in front of it. With headphones on, the way it compresses and adds harmonics tricks my brain enough to get past the things I normally don’t like. And now there’s footswitches. It’s a solid fix for anyone that struggles with solid state circuits, and the Tubeman isn’t crazy expensive.
Spent last night jamming with my brother in law while we sat outside enjoying some beers. He had his acoustic and I had my tele through my katana air. Setup a clean tone and an overdrive tone and switched between the two as needed. Greatest tone ever? No, but tons of fun and the most practice I’ve had in weeks
Thanks for the pointer to iReal Pro last week. Been using it in conjunction with my guitar lessons and already see improvements in my phrasing. 100% would recommend!
I have a THRii-10 wireless - and I love it for all the reasons Dan mentioned. But I don’t understand why I would need Waza headphones? The THR has a headphone jack, unless you mind the cable on the headphones, this is absolutely an option to also play quietly!
My THR10 died.. with minimal use. I took a chance on the Positive Grid Spark AMP and it's everything it promised to be.. and I use it every day - because it has blue tooth. I use it with iReal Pro actually and practice both jazz and blues. Additional blues styles can be added to iReal Pro. Also I bought Xvive wireless trans/receiver, which means it's all wireless now and no hassle to even play for 5 mins when I get a chance.
EHX's Freeze pedal does that pad thing for playing over chords. You can learn about chord & scale relationship by actually listen what they sound like. Loopers are excellent for practicing and laying grooves.
This video came out at a great time for me. I've just got back into playing after basically a decade away from it (kids, life, etc). It has been a real slog practicing, mainly because it's so disheartening knowing how I could previously play, and how far from that I now am. I really liked Dan's tip with the metronome for getting a feel for time. I used to play with one to work on speed but this way is a great idea. I use your shows as inspiration to keep going with it, so thank you! Cheers guys.
My self being hearing impaired. I dont hear the hats , I rely on the snare and the kick. Even the kick is slightly out of my range. But the snare I hear clear. Interesting to see how much you guys rely on the hats. Great show. I have the yammy. I've even done small gigs with it. Awesome tool. Nice work guys..
My Line 6 HX Stomp is the best practice tool I've ever bought. Obviously you can get great tones direct and with headphones, but the fact that it's an interface (recording yourself and listening back is KEY to improving) and can control backing tracks/DAW with hotkeys is supremely helpful for practicing. Doesn't suck that it's got a looper and tons of effects and amps either.
The Boss Waza Air look great and I know they do a variety of things that the Yamaha can't, but can't you just plug in some headphones to the Yamaha and get the same isolation? You then still have the option to unplug them and play without if you want to. Best of both worlds?
Certainly similar. One of the cool things with the WAZA is that there’s no cable, and they seem to have really sorted the latency out. No telling what the latency might be on other Bluetooth headphones.
Interesting that the WAZA air doesn't suffer from latency. I've tried both Bluetooth and digital headphones with my THR and latency is definitely an issue. I can only use corded headphones with the THR. I'm now tempted to try the WAZA.
@@ThatPedalShow With the wireless THR you get rid of one cable at least. I can live with the headphone cable and the sound suites me more than the Waza Air (and it‘s cheaper than buying both) Anyways… great Episode!
I’m now convinced Dan must have an alternate Jazz persona a la Duke Silver from Parks and Rec, which has begun bleeding into his regular Prog-Rock Dan persona by way of the pork pie hat.
u
Dan has never be a slouch when it comes to playing guitar but you can tell he's learned a lot recently because he's playing well and because he's really excited to play.
I’m just here to comment that last night I played through 2 amps wet/dry for the first time (Matchless C30 & Fender Blues Deluxe). I will never be the same. After 5 minutes our drummer commented “that sounds unreal…but is it always gonna be that loud???”
Thanks gents, cheers from Chicago
YES! Drummers saying it’s loud!? Hahahaahab! Heard it all now. :0)
Ah drummers hey?!
Many years ago when I first met Johnny Marr, amazing ex-Smiths guitarist, I was lucky enough to jam with him and now have a good friendly relationship with him, his advise to me playing with a metronome or click track was to think of it as your best mate or another band member and try to lock in with it like you would another musician, this worked for me and improved my timing and playing greatly, now I really enjoy playing to a click and can totally feel a groove around it in my head and body.
Coool! Please give him our regards and an open invitation to TPS, either here or there! Love Johnny!
@@ThatPedalShow I sure will, a great guitarist of his time and a lovely down to earth normal bloke.
HONK!!!
With mates like that who needs CZcams gear shows!
Consistently, my best tools for practice have been other instruments. Every time I de-emphasized guitar to learn bass, drums, keys, etc I came back to guitar with a much deeper connection to the music, rather than just to the mechanics of playing guitar and always sounding like an exercise.
Just came back to guitar after a year or two of mostly piano and wow, my understanding of my fretboard has massively increased.
Of all the pedals I had ever purchased, the first time I purchased my Ditto was when playing in my apartment truly became a blast. I couldn't believe what I had been missing out on for so many years.
I had a jazz band leader give me a great tip: always have the subdivisions going in your head. So if all you have is a clap (beats 2 & 4) have the 16th notes (1|||2|||3|||4|||) going in your head regardless of how many notes you're playing, like a hi-hat. It works, especially for slow tempos and long pauses.
I learned the 2/4 click trick from Tomo Fujita, the Berklee teacher a few months ago. Totally great idea and I’m amazed no one thought of it sooner.
Best thing about iReal Pro: You can loop any part of the song to work on only specific bits. Especially if you’re just starting out to improvise over jazz standards that have a lot different keys, it’s super useful to break it down a bit!
I LOVE THAT APP. You can quickly chart out any progression you want. I use it just over a couple chords if need be. And it’s sterile enough that it leaves room for you to work on your feel too.
100% with you on the THR. I spent years basically not playing at home, despite having a ton of stuff to work with, because nothing worked that well at home volume or sounded good. Got a THR, anything sounds good plugged into it, everything's easy, and suddenly the motivation to play is there.
Perfect timing! Have spent the whole afternoon catching up on the TPS episodes. Big Hi! From rainy, locked down Brisbane.
Hello Brizzy! Lockdown, argh. Argghhh!!!!
Must’ve had 2 cases. Lock it all down!
Re: time feel practice. Slower tempos require more internal subdividing of the beat. Will help out with your accuracy. Really nailing the click.
Great video idea!
Dan. Careful with your swing feel.
Shuffled 8ths with heavy accents on each downbeat can sound a little stiff. Try evening out the 8ths and don’t accent your lines.
Or accent offbeats instead:
“beeBOP beeBOP.....” instead of “BAPbooo BAPboo...”.
Metronome on 2 & 4 is a trick I learned from Carol Kaye. Not sure if she came up with it herself, but I count it as yet another of her many valuable contributions to music and especially bass.
Practicing with metronome on beats 2 & 4 is an old yet effective trick. You do it to develop your swing. I had a teacher who taught me that.
Drummers should use this technique 😀
Mick seems to be enjoying the Casino post-pickup change. Splendid sounds, lads.
Muchly. It’s a very satisfying low volume guitar!
Cool tools. I've got them all except for the Boss Headphones. Instead, I've been using the Fender Mustang Micro headphone amp with great results for silent practice. Thanks for that metronome practice tip!
It’s in our DNA to play with D&A. Yes, indeed (most of the times) sometimes simple is beautiful and will get us further than complex. Thanks! 🙏
The best, most informative TPS episode to date. Period. Not just for me, but for many younger, less experienced players.
I've been using a metronome for practicing my phrasing for years (put the work in, kids. I promise...you're not playing "in the pocket", as much as you believe you are!).
And the latest Yamaha amp lines are a revelation.
That amp doesn't exist to replace your Super Bass or your AC15...it exists to improve what's coming OUT of those amps. It's definitely worth it and can help you be a better player...get one asap.
Top notch jobs fellas.
Great suggestions. Here is another - Fender Mustang Micro. I chose it over the WAZA Airs because (1) I can use my own headphones / in ears / etc., (2) much cheaper. I can also plug it into a more complex signal chain to include my effects, and also to output to something other than headphones (like my powered monitors). Great practice tool for not much money.
Oh my god, thank you guys. That iReal pro app is the type thing I’ve been looking for, for so long. This has made practicing/jamming sooo much more fun. Helped my time, tremendously as well. Thanks so much guys. Love the channel!
Lovely looking Casino. I recently bought a Gary Clark Jr. 'Blak n Blu' Casino and I've been blown away by it. Has full Gibson electronics and pickups and it's pure filth. Cleans up really nice as well for some nice warm jazz tones. Apparently Clapton has been seen playing one on stage quite recently too. Great guitars.
Nice - sounds very cool Chris!
I bought the THR after the last time Dan recommended it. I love it! Play it every day.
There are a couple of other cool features in iReal pro which are useful.
1. You can loop chords. So for example if you want to work on specific changes, you can just loop those chords and play over them.
2. If you go to the ‘long notes’ function in the iReal sound section, you can put the click on 2&4 and have a string pad behind you. This is great because you can hear your lines against the harmony of the chord.
I love that I’m in a part of the world where this is what I wake up to. Favorite part of my Friday mornings!
Hooray!
I'd never have expected a World According To Garp reference in a CZcams Guitar video haha. Well done, Dan! Great video, gents!
Sometimes While sitting in my car waiting to turn, I start a beat going on my steering wheel with click from the indicator. All good timing practice.
Haha I do the same. It drives my wife nuts.
@@Billywagner22 try beatboxing 😂 she’ll love it!
I was doing that very thing today 🤣
Dude, yes I totally do that. Then again I've been playing drums for over 45 years so... ;)
I have been a steering wheel drummer for decades! Son loves it, wife hates it.
Had a looper station. Got a Trio+. Which is a lot more than a looper. Makes playing more fun.
For learning songs I'm also a big fan of the various tools for slowing down the tempo while leaving the key alone.
My best practise tools are TPS episodes. I watch them while practising/noodling and it gives me a clear hour or two of finger exercise! (And I get older and wiser at the same time)
Probably one of the most important shows you've done for the likes of me, trying to practice (quietly) effectively, in small gobbets of time. Thank you guys, thank you.
Spark amp is the best thing I have bought for the last 10 years...Even if I have bought many guitars ( 3 Duesenberg, GIBSON, Maybach, Eastman, Tokai, etc....), boutique pedals and Fender Amp ! The Ditto looper is number 2 .
Guys I bought a pair of these after your words on their abillities because I value your opinion and for me they are perfect.
Just bought a second Boss RC-3 Loop station before watching this, invaluable addition to a pedal board for practicing, playing to a metro gnome/beats. Big thanks to Dan for mentioning the Neunaber Iconoclast a while back, I'm loving the sound through headphones from my Laney IRT studio.
I got the Rev D20 and a simple splitter box for some of these reasons. Allows me to use the audio out on my iPad and go into the amp but the D20 also allows me to use the headphone out with the cab unplugged for quiet practice all while being a great pedal platform and great anchor for the home studio
Hi D&M, in Hong Kong in quarantine, day 12 of 14. THR10C packed in the checked luggage and took the neck off my EJ strat and carried body and neck
as hand carry. Got through HKG quarantine checks, into the hotel, new strings on the strat and two weeks of rocking out in the hotel alongside some periods of work. Great amp and everything you said is true. So convenient. All the best TPS and all in the community. It’s a pleasure to be a small part of it.
the 2/4 metronome exercise is great for jazz swing, its instant swing in a bottle
Greetings from Nevada (where the fire season has started) My Positive Grid Spark practice amp came yesterday, so your tips are timely!
I'm sure this was mentioned somewhere in the comments, but there was a brilliant video of Pat Metheny giving a clinic at a music school in the 80s and he used a metronome in this fashion. He just set the click, put it on the floor and showed how he warmed up. It's a great way to breathe a little life into what might be otherwise mundane. Plus, it allows you to swing.
For the advanced variation of Thing 1: set your metronome to play triplets (or 12/8 with an accent on the first of every three) and play along to it with a 4/4 or square feel. Then, do the opposite. And then try playing triplet-double triplet-doubles (what drummers affectionately call "eggbeaters"). :)
Or to make things even more interesting (maybe?), put your metronome back to only playing on 2 & 4, and play along with it "normally", but use a wah and pulse your foot on all of the upbeats, or triplets, etc etc.
The single thing that has helped my jazz playing is learning a song. Now play the same song without playing those chords you just used, new positions or voicing and then repeat. Next step is start mixing those different chords/voicings together. After you are making noticeable progress, start dropping the bass note. Do that to one song a day and you will be shocked at the progress you can make because a TON of jazz songs are very similar when looking just at the chords.
I love my Spark Amp and I'm not ashamed to say it! It is a great little amp.
The THR is soo freaking great for Home use, I use it all the time
I have the other rig that Mick described, with dozens of patch cords going everywhere and such. I don't get the versatility of tones or any of that, and I draw significant amounts of current from the mains. It will simulate stereo. 😸
I have one and love the clean and lead channels. But the crunch and hi gain channels sound awful. Maybe I got a dud lol
I have the 5W acoustic version; with a Klon Clone in front it sounds amazing
I just tried the metronome on 2 and 4 and even changing basic chords became incredibly difficult all of a sudden. Thanks, guys. Thanks... 😩 (No, but really thanks! Have a nice week!)
Woah! I’ve just got these on in the background while i’m working for some nice semi-musical interludes with the guys lovely chatter to keep me company, and suddenly out of nowhere I hear someone playing listenable jazz, and I look up and it’s Mick! Every video, you guys surprise us with something. Love it.
On the metronome point: a lot of people think practicing is the time for pushing yourself and they end up setting the metronome way too fast, they play sloppy, and then they're even worse on the gig. Definitely, set it slow for subdivisions, so you will be internally responsible with articulating the rhythm. But even if you just did straight quarters with the click, still set it way slower than you think while practicing. The point of practice is to internalize and soak in the moves and changes. If you're smooth when slow in practice, you'll be smooth when fast on a gig. Great episode guys.
Cool thing to expand this first practice is to move those beats to every subdivision in a bar ( so in example- we have 1 beat per 1 bar and beat lands on 3 or "3 and", " 2 and" etc. )
Also very amazing practice for your time is to make metronome to beat just on 1.
Then if you can make it you expand it to beat on 1 but every 2 or even every 4 bars.
If you can make it to 4 you literally are turning into living metronome :D
You can change the “-“ to “m” (minor) in iReal’s settings if it’s confusing for anyone
I gave up on the Boss Waza Air but on seeing this I think I'll give it another go. I've invested in some Curt Mangan strings (9.5's) and really liking them upto now I was a die hard Elixir user on 9's but find the Curt Mangans really nice in feel and playability so thanks for that guys. Keep on rockin'
I have a compulsion to do things the hard way, or "wrong" as the pros call it, so rather than a Metronome or a Looper, I use a Tremolo to simulate having friends to rock out with. Really tightened up my rhythm. 🤘
The metro gnomes are the names of the mascots for the metro centre which is a shopping centre in Newcastle 😋
Dan, you're a really great guitar player. Thanks for this guys!
Love the iReal Pro and my Boss Katana for practice
It’s Friday, it’s 12 o’clock, it’s TPS! Which is effectively the modern day equivalent of Crackerjack for a bunch of us 70s born nerds. Happy Friday folks.
No free pencils, though. Oh, was that that Crackerjack? I was born in the fifties!
CRACKERJACK!
Oooh I could crush a grape.
@@mikeclarke4002 we have to pay TPS if we want pencils. For some reason @thatpedalshow isn't covered by the BBC license fee. I know, it's an outrageous state of affairs.
@@benbutterworth7584 personally I'm considering ripping a tissue.
Random bit of kit that is a great alternative to the Yamaha… the Boss Katana Head (not the air)
The head has an internal speaker to play at practice and power scales down to 0.5w. It then can also be used as a 100w head with a cab, and as a power amp for another modeler, synergy system, or pre-amp pedal. For $350 US, it’s really an amazing tool that can sit on a night stand or play a gig and just about anything in between.
I have the WAZA Headphones and they are the best practice tool I’ve ever had. I use them every day. I Bluetooth my bands set list songs to them and learn parts and play along anywhere.... in every room in the house, in the garden and take them and a guitar away on holiday with me. Some of the tones are exceptional.
I'm a huge iReal Pro fan. It's useful for a heck of a lot more than jazz. Seemingly any classic pop/R&B/funk/etc. song is available -- and being able to slow down the accompaniment, and then gradually bring up the tempo, is wonderful. Being able to practice a lick in any key, with the accompaniment switched to the desired key or playing any of scores of rhythmic styles, is so good.
I know it's a show mainly about pedals and gear, but man I enjoy your playing. Both of you are terrific guitar players.
Thank you!
The sparse metronome thing is a really alienating thing but I find it really cultivates your sense of rhythmic imagination. Once I started viewing it that way and realizing that, especially if I were playing solo or just me and a singer, I had the sense of a band in my head and was responding accordingly in my playing, everything felt more complete even in the negative space. It’s a hard thing to articulate and masters like Charlie Hunter and Mark Lettieri just do this like it’s nobodies business but I think it starts there, with a strong sense of rhythmic imagination that is as strong as the melodic one we are usually working on
iRealPro was my savior in my Jazz recitals at music school 😂
That tropical disease line made me spit out my coffee.
Its a pleasure to watch you Gents so evolved in your all-guitar fiending pursuits. Well done Sirs!
I like using the Ditto looper pedal for record a basic rock chord progression to solo over and practice licks and lead guitar playing.
Just messed around with the app for 10 minutes and already it’s one of my favorite tools. Brings a lot of things together. Thanks!
I bought the THR10 when it first came out in 2011. I've used it for at least 5-8 hours a week since and it's never had an issue. Brilliant investment.
Dan, appreciate your Big Trees recommendation. That little amp helps me get the most out of practice.
The metronome snare is gold! I use one all the time and this will totally change my playing in the pocket. Thanks!
I’ve been using the metronome on 2 & 4 for the past year. I have noticed a huge improvement in my time. Playing in time makes everything else feel better.
Absolutely true about the headphones. I use noise-cancelling headphones with my Tone Master Deluxe Reverb by just using the DI out with an XLR female to stereo mini jack cable, using the line level as a master volume control (no additional headphone amp/interface required) and that isolation is superb for silent playing, especially with the reverb/tremolo or a bit of delay from the Strymon Volante.
Great ideas for practicing ! (Sorry, that's how we spell it over here.) But I'm not used to such a short video. I'll have to go to the archives to play another episode that I haven't seen yet.
Thank you both for all that you do...I appreciate ya
Ah, cheers bud 🤓🙏
I think you should have a TPS hat like Dan’s in the pedal store. Such a great hat!
Recently, I discovered IK multimedia's Amplitude 5 amp sim and now use it as my main practise tool: the sound is quite good through a set of monitors and the built in DAW/recorder is great for working on your timing as you can see when you're on or off the beat just by looking at the recording (particularly helpful for working on 16th's) and you can play back at 1/2 speed too . The neighbours don't seem to complain either. However, it's not a massively satisfying sound as it lacks the warmth of a valve amp in the room so you lose some of the subtle differences between the different amps and pedals. So when I want to just play, the sound of my 1 watt value amp & pedals, even at just 70 db, is better even if the neighbours are less happy. So I'm quite envious of of your setup, and that you get to play load. That's something I've never experienced and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
As a dad in a not to big flat I can say that the Boss WAZA Airs are the best home practice tool since the guitar itself. There’s no fussing around with wires and takes three seconds to get going. The preset switches on the side are great. I only wished they’ve made it possible to record the output via USB.
The Yamaha THR has a very handy headphone jack. It can also stream your music, while you play guitar. I don't know if the BOSS Waza headphones can do that.
Yes, waza air does that too, and Its fantastic.
I like practicing with a drum machine and looper. There are a number of ways to do this, but I'm currently using the NUX MG-30, which I can recommend for $300 US. Also has amp modeling, built-in effects, tuner, etc.
still digging my digitech trio +
Irealpro can also be used to try different chord changes for any progression you are working on. I use it sometimes while composting. Try different metrics or kinds of arrangements. It's really easy to edit a song in the phone directly
Just got a Fender Mustang Micro. A tiny little amplug that can can recieves Bluetooth, add guitar sounds in, and stream them out over USB connection (in addition to headphone out). Sounds decent for the size+price. A little awkward to control.
It becomes my main practice tool now.
I put my THR on clean channel with no effects at all. Then use my pedalboard. Sounds great.
Playing with and around the metronome is a great concept. Totaly new to me. Just recently I found a video in witch Carol Kaye talked about it, too. For her it's about making the metronome swing. I think it's really cool. Makes it less boring and more musical.
Would love to see you guys do a video on the THR amp with pedals and its own presets. You guys do such a great job getting killer sounds out of everything!!!
Second this! I have a THR 10 II and interested to know what fuzz and drive pedals will sound good.
Every year that goes by you guys remind me more and more of a married couple, such synchronicity and so many tense moments when you feel you're annoying each other :D love it!
the metro gnome. i'd buy that t-shirt for sure.
You could plug the headphone amp-thingy into the headphone jack of the amp, if there is one, with your p-board still fully connected to your amp! I would love to see that plugged into a splitter/gatherer, and now what you're hearing is iso-you playing through a real, live, full-on, high-octane, wet-dry-wet rig, so that you become ultra-familiar with how it sounds, how to use it, how to control it, what, and how much, do you need of each effect you're using.
I've been doing my 'silent' practice through a Fender mustang micro amp which works a treat - but it had never occurred to me that I could plug it into my pedal board! Thank you for showing how to do that with the Boss Waza headphones and opening up my silent practice world! Great show as always 🙂 🎸 🎧
I bought a Universal Audio OX a couple of years ago. That is great for using your own loud amp an pedals even with headphones. The only thing I miss is being able to play along to backing tracks and using headphones at the same time. Thinking about getting a Boss Katana or a Yamaha for that…
Love my THRii for the office. Small, sounds great and works. Also takes pedals ! Haha
If I could share what's helped me practise and improve various techniques... Rocksmith on the PC (or consoles) is a fantastic "game" (more of a learning tool) to focus your practise in certain areas. I sometimes struggle to hold myself accountable so having a list of goals in the training modes, and completion percentages/scores on songs really helped me track my progress. It also got me to improve in areas I'd normally avoid because they're not "fun". It's vastly improved with an ASIO interface to reduce latency, otherwise it sounds super delayed. I also love learning songs through it because the charts (a bit like tabs) are very accurate, as well as the tones it simulates and automatically switches for each section. You can repeat problem sections of songs, much like you suggested with the loop pedal, but you can hear the backing track as well. And slow it down if needed...
There's a Jam Mode similar to the iReal Pro backings you showed in the video. There's DLC for some of my favourite bands, that are kind of pricey per song but not too bad once they go on the occasional sale. And silly mini-games that make practicing certain techniques like scales and hammer-ons much more fun to run through.
Anyway, I found it really helpful to progress and push my playing in new areas. I've hesitated to recommend it to absolute beginners in the past, as it doesn't really teach you know to start from absolute basics, but as a tool for amateur/intermediate guitarists it's bloody awesome. Maybe it just speaks to my 'gamer' brain, after playing years of Guitar Hero and Rock Band but it's helped so much, and would recommend it to anyone who's interested.
Do you recommend one version of the game or the other? Steam has the "normal" one and the 2014 ver. as well.
@@nishanabulike2748 There's an optional addon that lets you import songs from the older one to the newer one, so maybe add the older one and the addon to your wishlist and then when they go on sale, you get some extra tracks and can also try out the older program if you like.
I don’t know why it took me this long to put 2 and 2 together, but I always get quickly bored by how my THR10 sounds, so I just stuck my H&K Tubeman in front of it. With headphones on, the way it compresses and adds harmonics tricks my brain enough to get past the things I normally don’t like. And now there’s footswitches. It’s a solid fix for anyone that struggles with solid state circuits, and the Tubeman isn’t crazy expensive.
Spent last night jamming with my brother in law while we sat outside enjoying some beers. He had his acoustic and I had my tele through my katana air. Setup a clean tone and an overdrive tone and switched between the two as needed. Greatest tone ever? No, but tons of fun and the most practice I’ve had in weeks
Thanks for the pointer to iReal Pro last week.
Been using it in conjunction with my guitar lessons and already see improvements in my phrasing.
100% would recommend!
I have a THRii-10 wireless - and I love it for all the reasons Dan mentioned. But I don’t understand why I would need Waza headphones? The THR has a headphone jack, unless you mind the cable on the headphones, this is absolutely an option to also play quietly!
My THR10 died.. with minimal use. I took a chance on the Positive Grid Spark AMP and it's everything it promised to be.. and I use it every day - because it has blue tooth. I use it with iReal Pro actually and practice both jazz and blues. Additional blues styles can be added to iReal Pro. Also I bought Xvive wireless trans/receiver, which means it's all wireless now and no hassle to even play for 5 mins when I get a chance.
I just got the Ditto+ last week, what a great looper pedal, the functionality with the screen is amazing and it's still the same simple small pedal
Never realized how good Mick was until the jazz app. Great video fellas.
Ah man, thanks Harry!
@@ThatPedalShow yup, but Harry Sachs isn't my real name, it's Amanda Huginkiss
EHX's Freeze pedal does that pad thing for playing over chords. You can learn about chord & scale relationship by actually listen what they sound like. Loopers are excellent for practicing and laying grooves.
This video came out at a great time for me. I've just got back into playing after basically a decade away from it (kids, life, etc). It has been a real slog practicing, mainly because it's so disheartening knowing how I could previously play, and how far from that I now am.
I really liked Dan's tip with the metronome for getting a feel for time. I used to play with one to work on speed but this way is a great idea.
I use your shows as inspiration to keep going with it, so thank you! Cheers guys.
Nice one Nick - welcome back!
My self being hearing impaired. I dont hear the hats , I rely on the snare and the kick. Even the kick is slightly out of my range. But the snare I hear clear. Interesting to see how much you guys rely on the hats. Great show. I have the yammy. I've even done small gigs with it. Awesome tool. Nice work guys..
My Line 6 HX Stomp is the best practice tool I've ever bought. Obviously you can get great tones direct and with headphones, but the fact that it's an interface (recording yourself and listening back is KEY to improving) and can control backing tracks/DAW with hotkeys is supremely helpful for practicing. Doesn't suck that it's got a looper and tons of effects and amps either.
The Boss Waza Air look great and I know they do a variety of things that the Yamaha can't, but can't you just plug in some headphones to the Yamaha and get the same isolation? You then still have the option to unplug them and play without if you want to. Best of both worlds?
Certainly similar. One of the cool things with the WAZA is that there’s no cable, and they seem to have really sorted the latency out. No telling what the latency might be on other Bluetooth headphones.
Interesting that the WAZA air doesn't suffer from latency. I've tried both Bluetooth and digital headphones with my THR and latency is definitely an issue. I can only use corded headphones with the THR. I'm now tempted to try the WAZA.
@@ThatPedalShow With the wireless THR you get rid of one cable at least. I can live with the headphone cable and the sound suites me more than the Waza Air (and it‘s cheaper than buying both)
Anyways… great Episode!