Shred Knowledge!

BIO

Andy James is one of the U.K's rising stars in the world of shred and metal guitar. He is perhaps best known as a regular contributor to “Lick Library”, the benchmark for web-based guitar instruction and a provider of guitar tuition videos, books and cds, where James specialises in teaching lead techniques for heavy rock and metal.

Aside from this, James has also recorded solo albums In the Wake of Chaos and Machine and is a member of the band Sacred Mother Tongue touring their debut album "The Ruin of Man". In his solo recordings Andy exhibits a predominant influence of John Petrucci as well as other comparable guitar legends.

Andy is currently working on his third solo album and a series of books that will be available towards the latter part of 2010.

"I have tons of musical influences. My main guitar based influences are Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert, John Petrucci, Richie Kotzen, Greg Howe, Tony Macalpine, Zakk Wylde, Eddie Van Halen and Slash. "

"As far as bands go im into All That Remains, Alter Bridge, As I Lay Dying, Disturbed, Dream Theater, Hatebreed, The Haunted, Nevermore, Killswitch Engage, Lamb of God, Machine Head, Megadeth, Scar Symmetry, Stampin Ground, Symphony X, Testament, Unearth."

                                                                                
                                                                 ANDY PLAYS  HIS TRACK "JUMP TO LIGHT SPEED"

ANDY TAKES TIME OUT OF HIS VERY BUSY SCHEDULE FOR A QUICK SK INTERVIEW

MARK
1.Andy you were playing Petrucci model 7 string alot , do you still use a seven string ?

ANDY
I do yeah, Ive got an esp 7 string that im breaking in and am going to use alot more when the album is finished doing some clinics with it. I'm currently selling the musicman on ebay if anyone is interested LOL!

MARK 
2. Hows the band, live work , plus your webcast just came out with lick library , are you doing much with them these days?

ANDY
Yeah loads of stuff, Ive got a few projects in the pipeline as well as my regular technique column i do so, so plenty of stuff to be checking out on the site.

MARK 
3. Andy how do you remember all the stuff for the dvd's you must have a really good memory , is there a technique or is it natural?

ANDY 
Erm, alot of practise and the stuff im doing tends to be the only thing that i play leading up to doing the dvd. Then immediately afterwards my brain dumps everything that I have just learned to make room for something else.

MARK
Also Ive done a little Video recording and I had more outakes than footage , did you find do the tuition DVDs difficult  and could you
 give us an insite on how lick library dvds get recorded.

 ANDY
There are 3 cameras, 1 main cam and 2 focusing on both hands. There are lots of outakes as sometimes you do have off days so you just do it untill you get it right. Other than that it helps to know the stuff inside out in order to keep the mistakes down to a minimum as time is money as they say :)

MARK 
4. When you were a younger guitarist how much and what kind of practicing did you do to get to your level of playing.

ANDY 
I used to play around 6-8 hours a day pretty much after school up untill bed, then when I left school I didnt have a job so I had all day everyday to rock out in front of the mirror.
Ive now given up on the wig, shiny leggings and makeup and just focused on the guitar playing instead. Things have improved dramtically since then.

MARK 
5. When I spoke to Robin Burrows who was at Acadamy of Music with you , he said you knew "Passion and warfare" note for note when you were there, how was it and what it like
working with the amazing Shaun Baxter.

ANDY 
I remember Robin. He is doing some scary neoclassical stuff now as I recall, very good player. As for knowing passion and warfare note for note, I knew the riddle and some Steve Vai licks, that was the sum total of my Vai repetoire.
Having had some lessons with Shaun, it was an eye opener to say the least. I have been fortunate enough more recently to have done a clinic with him in Germany and then Shaun was kind enough to ask me to do clinics for the school he is part of called the Academy of music and sound.
Very cool bloke with a rapist wit and guitar skill to make God jealous. 

MARK 
6 Your a metal player by reputation but Ive seen you play some very fusion type soloing over a competition track,
are you into any of the fusionists like Shawn Lane and Holdsworth.

ANDY 
I do play other stuff, probably more blues than anything, but I have in past dabbled with fusion type things but have never followed up on the theory side of things, thus holding me back somewhat with the jazzier changes.
 Ive never been very geeky with that sort of stuff, not being very studious when it comes to learning why something works. I'm a great believer in just doing what comes natural. Shawn Lane has influenced some of the more economic ways of playing fast.
I'm not too familiar with Holdsworth but having got into Scar Symmetry, I have found out that their main guitarist Per Nillson is very inflenced by him, so I will definately check out some of his stuff.

MARK 
7 How do you go about writing a tune like devils day , your chord sequences aren't all that complex do you start with a chord sequence ?

ANDY 
Well it always starts with a riff, then record the backing as a song then do the leads afterwards. Thats pretty much how it works.
Not always, but in most cases that is normally the way of it. I like playing over simple stuff as for me it allows me to express myself alot more and takes the brain out of the equation.
 I like stuff thats easy to listen to, and I find more fusiony type stuff has me on the edge of my seat most of the time which kinda takes the enjoyment out of it even though the playing is normally awesome.
 I test the stuff out on my parents and if they like it, its a good indication normal people get it aswell as us muso folk.

MARK
8 whats on the horizon for you in the next few yrs , another album perhaps?

 ANDY
Im doing another album at the moment which will be out later this year (hopefully) and Sacred are writing stuff which eventually will be on a new album soon.
Other than, just trying to keep working as being a musician for a living can be hard work, especially nowadays.
 
MARK
9 See you playing a black les paul shaped LTD with good old EMG's  what model is it?
aslo know you you are a fan of 8185's actives,  why is that and have you ever tried the 18volt or two 9volt modification with them.

ANDY 
I use the Eclipse ec-1000 aswell a couple of other guitars.
 I use the emg's that come with the guitars but swapped them all round.
The 85 in the bridge and 81 in the neck.
Way better, but thats only in my opinion. Try it, see what you guys think.
I havent tried any of those mods you mentioned, but maybe if i get bored i might investigate.

MARK 
10 what guitars pedals and gear do you have even old stuff on the shelf.

ANDY 
I dont really use floor pedals if I can help it.
With most amps ill try and use tube screamer and a noise gate in the front end with a delay in the loop. The only pedals I have used lately are the blackstar valve pedals which sound awesome through any amp with a clean channel.
Great back up if youre £2000 rig goes up the swanny.
 
MARK
11 do you have any faith or spiritual belief? Even like ghosts or UFO's ?

ANDY 
When youre dead youre dead so make this life count just in case. Aliens sent us Steve Vai, they must exist :).

SK MEMBERS QUESTION SECTION

BEACHY
 What is that guitar your playing in the blackstar amp promo vid?
ANDY
I use the Eclipse ec-1000 
  

 ARJUN MENON
. I'd like to know what Andy thinks of when he's improvising..i.e. his thought process.

ANDY
I normally think about naked women. Other things maybe hitting the right notes and trying to make soloing as melodic and interesting as possible using my knowledge of the guitar

SK MEMBER QUESTION 2.
What is good tone according to him?

ANDY
Thick, fat and clear with playabilty and punchy power.

SK MEMBER QUESTION 3
What is a good way of bringing chordal coherence and improvisational flash together?

ANDY
Dont know.

LAURIE MONK (aka truthinshredding.com)
Is it true you put super glue on your finger tips and spray them with WD40?

ANDY
No, I use wd40 though as fast fret. Keeps the sweat and grease off.


DAVE THOMPSON (shred-reviews.co.uk).
Do you think playing all these other players styles with Lick Library has really added to your ability
 to write new music or does playing other peoples licks get in the way of your own style or
may be you worry that you might sneak in licks from other players unwittingly?

ANDY
Not really, I think it has improved my technique, but most of my licks and ideas are from other peoples anyway. I'm no innovator really, ive just worked hard at the instrument. 

MONKEYGRIP
skm6 I'd actually like to know how he approaches composition and rhythm playing.

ANDY
Sounds lame but I just play what I feel. There is no set way I do things as a lot of people who write stuff will tell you. It just happens.

PATRICK HEALY
I will like to know how Andy builds up stamina and how he remembers so many song solo's.

ANDY
When you wright stuff it calls upon you're own knowledge so its not learning someone elses way of playing. Ive always played by ear so remembering stuff is more natural than working from text or tabbing my own stuff out. It just happens really.

PATRICK HEALY-
On your 2007 album In the Wake of Chaos, what inspired your track "Gates of Heaven?" The arpeggios are brilliant.

ANDY
My step fathers Mum died and at the funeral I got the idea for the song in my head. Id been working on some arpeggio shapes and the idea and the techniques seemed to work well together.

SK MEMBER QUESTION 9
 How did you build up the ability to play your absolutely unique approach to tapping out arpeggiated sequences?

ANDY
 Its just how I visualize the pentatonic scale really, tapping different positions while fretting another. Also some of the arpeggios I cant play any other way so alot of the time its because I cant play stuff any other way. Ive had alot of obstacles to get over with my playing and my style is a result of that I guess.

SK MEMBER QUESTION 10
You have a very "polished" technique, everything seems to be done with the most economy possible. Any tips on how to develop that?

ANDY
 Dont tense up if you can help it. Try and feel the force if you like

JAMES
 I'd like to ask andy how he comes up with those tapping licks that cover all that space on the fretboard
 
ANDY
Learn the notes and shapes and tap them in different positions

Comments

Search RSS

Only registered users can write comments!

Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.26

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."