The Gibson Les Paul Guitar - a Magnificent Masterpiece

What Can I Say About This One !! Every Rocker's Kinda Dream!!

This guitar is so much simple and Elegant looking and gives you that kind of a " grunge " sound that I just love in bands like Guns n Roses and Led Zeppelin ( These 2 bands are notable les paul users )

When I had started playing the guitar , I always used to try getting that grunge sound in my quite very cheap "Aria " guitar , using all sorts of Combinations in my also very cheap guitar processor !, but always used to cry to my dad that nothing works ! All of it sucks ! But then I came to Know of this Magnificent Guitar -The Les Paul model, which was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corp. and the late popstar , electronics inventor, and accomplished jazz guitarist Les Paul, who just amazed the world with his so much Innovative mind and designs , which were intended to be for his personal use, but later on became established in the market.




In 1951, a design collaboration between the Gibson Guitar Corporation and Les Paul had took place, and It was agreed that the new Les Paul guitar was to be an expensive, well-made instrument in Gibson's tradition.


Since then, The Magical , too much awesome sound of this guitar has been liked by most of the great guitarists, like Paul McCartney, Slash, Jimmy Page ( Gibson Also Launched A Jimmy Page Signature Model), Joe
Perry, Buckethead, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and many more !




This Guitar has the looks, its sound is amazing - a very rich tone and each note is very crystal clear , but the most disappointing thing is - "All Good Things Come at a Price !" , and so is this ,, Priced at about 2700 U.S.D. ( Rs. 1.5 Lacs approx ) !! , but its definitely worth it !


Definitely , its My Dream Guitar and I am surely going to purchase this one once I get the required money , because its really expensive !!

The Zakk Wylde Signature Model

John Mayer- The Best New Guitarist Of The Modern Age

Well,, I thought of giving a special mention to John Mayer in this blog ... The reason was simple- An Exceptional Guitarist with Huge Potential to make it Even Bigger !

John Clayton Mayer(born October 16, 1977) is an American musician(a Blues Guitarist )
The blues influence can be heard on his album Continuum He Won These Awards at The Grammy's - Best Pop Vocal Album for Continuum and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Waiting on the World to Change"

He reminds me somewhat of the great Eric Clapton, his style ,his techniques have a striking resemblance to Mr. Clapton.. and thats why I just love to hear him !


Talking about his music, its really very much meaningful and very touching ... He plays straight from his heart and you can feel that he wants to talk to you via his Guitar ... I just saw his performance at Crossroads Guitar Fest at youTube.com and I was completely mesmerized ... got completely lost into his playing...

Such a wonderful guitarist with a very down to earth attitude ... I may have no qualms in calling him a "Budding Eric Clapton Of The Modern Age" ...!!


Do check out his Live Performances at http://Youtube.com and you would definitely agree with what I said about him ...

How To Sustain A High Note

There are basically three kinds of vocal techniques which are used by the vocalists to hit high notes i.e the Head voice which is used to hit the normal high notes, The chest voice which is used to hit the highest note of the male voice with his normal voice and finally the Falsetto, used to hit extremely high notes which are out of coverage range of the normal male vocal range. Many vocalists practice and try to cover such songs which have such kind of techniques but the major problem that they face is How To Sustain these high notes. I'm about to give you some tips so that it will become easy for all the learning vocalists out there to sustain the high notes.

For the head voice you dont have to fill your lungs with air, it is normally done to hit the notes while using the chest voice. Don't fill your lungs with air while hitting a high note with your head voice, you wont be able to sustain it for a longer duration. When applying your head voice just exhale all your air and then hit the note and stop your breathing. You will need a lot of practice for this but it's the right way to achieve the sustaining power.

While using your chest voice just fill your lungs with air as much as you can but it doesnt mean that you have to fill your lungs with force. Be comfortable with the amount of air when you are inhaling and stop when you feel that its getting difficult for you to load up your lungs with so much of air as it can hamper your vocal throw. When you have started singing the high note, try not to release the air inside you ,or release the air at a very slow rate , or release it slowly then stop releasing again when it feels uncomfortable, then release and stop again but dont release the whole amount of air without breaks.

For falsetto you dont have to breathe in or breathe out, not much breathing technique is required ,all you have to have is a great vocal power. Take in a small amount of air( means inhale air for just one or two seconds) and use your whole vocal power, that's all you have to do. Similarly while hitting your chest voice inhale air as much as you can and in falsetto inhale air for a shorter period but both of these techniques needs a lot of vocal power.

Knowledge of appropriate breathing technique is essential to sustain your high notes.

Ritchie Blackmore(Deep Purple)- The Speed King of the 70's

I have read many blogs where people have admired about Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, David Gilmour etc but I have searched about Ritchie Blackmore and I found few people who actually wrote or admired his guitar skills elaborately. I thought to write about his specialities and contributions that he made in the rock history.

He has been majorly famous for his riff in the song Smoke On the Water but do you guys actually know what wonders he has created in other songs??? Ee was considered as the "speed king" during the 70's era. His solo's in the songs like highway star, Speed King, Space Truckin, Strange Kind of Woman, Lazy, Child In Time, Mistreated are completely different from each other. He was versatile only in one genre i.e Hard Rock and I somehow feel he has been the best hard rock guitarist.

I can surely say he was not so good in other genres and he was not so versatile, but in the hard rock genre he was the most versatile guitarist. You can learn a variety of solo's and riff's and he was truly an icon during the 70's. Apart from his famous riff of Smoke on the water, you can also try the riff of Space Truckin which I feel has the real feeling of Hard Rock.

From slow to fast, From clean to distortion, if you are a hard rock guitarist then you must cover Ritchie Blackmore.

Greatest Rock Guitarists

I Had Really A Tough Time On This One ...... There Are So Many Great Guitarists In The History Of Rock, And Picking Up Just The Better Ones Is a Much Difficult Job ....

**I Was Having a lot of trouble in finalizing a Top 5 List, And So I Have Given Some Guitarists The Same Spot Too.. But That Should Not Be Considered As If They Were Same In Their Skills And Ability ... It Was Just To Put Them In This List, Because They Deserve It .... So, Here Are The Top 5 ( In No Particular Order Though )



1. Jimi Hendrix :-
Undoubtedly , The Best Now And Forever . He Gave The World The Meaning Of Being a Rock Guitar Player . The Most Unique, Most Original And Innovative Guitar Player . His Solos Were Not Very Exceptional , Compared To Today's List Of Guitarists , But They Were Definitely Original. He Must Be Regarded As the Creator, the Inventor Of Today's Type Of Riffs And Solos . I Am Speechless To Describe Him Further .







2. Eric Clapton :-
A Very Exquisite Guitar Player. His Riffs And Solos Are So Much Expressive That You Feel His Emotions Into His Guitar. I Would Regard Him as The Best Living Legend In Rock. His Compositions Like Layla And Tears In Heaven Are So Much Beautiful And Emotional That Its Quite Impossible To Even Play These With Such a Feel And Expressions as Mr. Eric Clapton ...







3. Jimmy Page :-
A Complete Rockstar ! The Most Versatile Of The Lot . He Has Given So Deep And Soft Riffs Like "Stairway To Heaven " and Then You Hear The Hard Riffs AS in "When The Levee Breaks" And "Kashmir " . His Solos Are Also So Very Impressive and he is also Regarded As The Beginning Of The Era Of Hard Rock( Even Metal ) Music...










4. Stevie Ray Vaughan/ Steve Vai :-
Stevie Ray Vaughan Revived The Blues Genre OF The 80's .. His Songs were So Inspiring And So Magical That You Cant Omit Him From Any Such Rankings...
Steve Vai, The "Talking Guitarist " As I Call Him As Proved His Skills And Originality In Various Songs And His Live Performances At The G3 jams Were a Joy To Watch.. He Has Always Done Different Great Things With His Band And The Tremolo Has Been His Speciality ...




5. Ritchie Blackmore/David Gilmour :-
This Rank Was The Most Confusing Since There Are So Many Guitar Players Left... But Somehow I Made Up My Mind And Chose the above two...
"Smoke On The Water", "Highway Star" , "Space Truckin " And Lots More ! The List Is So Amazing That Its Difficult To Forget This Guitarist ... Blackmore Was Such An Extremely Talented Guitar Player That His Riff In Smoke On The Water Has Become The Best Guitar Riff In History , And So Does It Truly Deserve To Be ...

David Gilmour , What Can I Say About Him ! Such Beautiful Solos That You Feel That He Wants to Say Something To You via his Guitar . His Solo In Comfortably Numb And Also Time, Are Perfect Examples Of What I am Talking About... Definitely Deserves The Top 5 in any List...

Some Honourable Mentions :-

Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Brian May , Paul Gilbert, Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Slash, BucketHead, Keith Richards, Eric Johnson And Kirk Hammett

Greatest Hard Rock Duo's

The initiative for the creation of a song is mainly done by the vocalist and the guitarist of a band. What mainly happens is the vocalist writes the lyrics and the guitarist gives the tune. Lets see in the hard rock genre who are the greatest duo's. Well the list is ranked on the basis of their originality, duo relation and the compilation of the songs done during their time. I've sorted out 5 greatest hard rock duo's who actually defined hard rock.


5. Ian Gillan and Ritchie Blackmore, (Deep Purple)- As a duo they were perfect but only in the music field, Their songs really proved their outstanding efforts but they ain't the greatest duo because Blackmore left the band after few years of working with Gillan. There had been many clashes between Gillan and Blackmore which doesnt make them to get a higher position in this list. Creating only music doesnt mean that you are a great duo but both the members should compromise also and keep their relations strong for the band. In the song Strange Kind Of Woman this duo has proved that musically they had been a perfect duo but when coming to live performances of Purple I could see less participation of Blackmore with Gillan and the whole band. I didn't want to put them in the greatest 5 duo's but belive me guys its for the work that they had done in a short period of time which is completely inevitable.




4.Ozzy Osbourne and Toni Iommi, (Black Sabbath)- One of my favourite hard rock duo's ever. We cant's consider their genre as hard rock perfectly as some songs came in the heavy metal genre and some in the hard rock. These guys have created some greatest hard rock masterpieces like War Pigs, NIB, Children Of The Grave etc. These two musicians have just dominated the charts with their massive hits. I really admire their works and the power that they had in every song, it just makes be to do a headbanging. Truly they have been one of the most influential hard rock duo's till date and especially for the heavy metal fans out there, this duo is considered to be the gods of heavy metal. They really rocked in their live performances.


3. Jon Bon Jovi and Ritchi Sambora, (Bon Jovi)- It has been 23 years that the duo has been working for their band. Apart from their professional relation they are good friends and have a real strong bonding that's why they have managed to complete 23 years of their band. Not every song of their band is hard rock but the work that these two guys have done are very touching. Jon has got a huge talent of writing. His songs are very emotional and that charm is much more ignited by Richie's work. Somehow I felt that this duo is out of the track for this list but after thinking about it extensively I thought they should rule. I feel its the only band who can write love lyrics very well. Very few bands I have heard who has got a punch of hard rock with the essence of love. Overall they have sold over 120 million albums.



2. Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, (Aerosmith)- A very energetic Duo when performing live. I just love to watch them on stage rather than their studio recordings. Their live performances really proves that they are a perfect duo. Apart from their live act their studio recordings are excellent. Some of their greatest works are Dream On ( probably the best work done by them), Crying, Amazing, Jaded, Love In An Elevator etc. I really like the lyrics of Steven and the way Joe adjusts his guitar according to the concept of the song, well that's an interesting thing to learn from this duo.






1. Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, ( led Zeppelin)- The most versatile artists in the rock history. From hard rock to acoustic skills both were able to create wonders in any genre. Songs like Stairway To Heaven, Since I've Been Loving You, HeartBreaker, Good Times Bad Times, Communication Breakdown, Achllies Last Stand were one of the greatest Hard Rock pieces. Plant's lyrics and page's guitar wonder together made a stairway to success for their band. I dont write much about Zeppelin as the whole world knows about them except some facts. Their skills are unchallengable and unbeatable That's what makes them the Greatest hard rock duo of all time.



Honourable mentions-
Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth, (Van Halen)
Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, ( Kiss)
Brian Johnson and Angus Young, (AC/DC)
Axl Rose and Slash, (guns n' Roses)
Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield, (Metallica)
Rob Halford And Glenn Tipton/KK Downing, (Judas Priest)

Well this was the list of the greatest hard rock duo's but there were many duo's better than these duo's If I remove the word "Hard" from Hard Rock. Some of them are-

John Lennon and Paul McCartney, (The Beatles)
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, (The Rolling Stones)
Bono and The Edge, (U2)
Freddie Mercury and Brian May, (Queen)
Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshed, ( The Who)
David Gilmour and Roger Waters, (Pink Floyd)

Happy Birthday, Neil Peart !

Hey .... It Was Neil Peart's( Drummer OF The Trio Band- Rush ) Birthday on September 12 ..... To Know More About The Great Drum Player , You May Refer To This Link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Peart

Well, As Far As I Am Concerned, Rush Has Undoubtedly Been The Greatest Trio Band Ever ... All The 3 Members are Masters Of Their Instruments And Overall , The Band IS A Joy To watch...
Watch The Following Video , And You Will Appreciate What i Am Trying To Say About Rush And Its Great Backbone - Mr. Neil Peart



Wishing The Great Drummer A Very Happy Birthday !!

Greatest Keyboard/Guitar combination Rock songs.

Well, this list is based on the keyboard solo as well as the guitar solo together in a single song. These songs are ranked not on the basis of vocals, bass or drums, but I'm just focusing on the keyboard and the guitar solo in it , And These Are Also A Must For All Keyboard Players Out There To Cover. Below is the list of top 5 such rock songs.

5. Tarkus (ELP)- If the list would have been of greatest keyboard solo's then maybe I would have ranked it no. 1 but the list is about the combination of guitar and keyboard solo's that's why I put it on the 5th position. The song sounds quite funny to my ears. I find it hard to tolerate this song often. There is so much variety of keyboard solo's in a single song that I miss the presence of the guitar. I deliberately waited for the guitar solo to come but after listening for 14 minutes I finally heard the guitar solo. The guitar solo is nicely done but the solo should have been longer as the whole song is of about 20 minutes which includes the guitar solo of just about 3 minutes and the keyboard solo of about 14 minutes. The song is overall good but not balanced if seen from the Rock point of view. Dont cover this song, it may upset your guitar player!

4. Light My Fire, (The Dorrs)- Not the best guitar solo but it will work for this list as I think this keyboard guitar combination song is a great work done by The Doors. Definitely the keyboard solo of this song is one of the greatest solo ever done but still, I think Its not upto the expectation of the category. I wanted to rank it at 5th position but the guitar solo is much more better than Tarkus so overall I rated this song in 4th position. To some extent I think this song is a balanced song to cover as there wont be any quarrel between the keyboardist and the guitarist. Both the players have enough parts and as well as a creative piece. And band's, I think you can try to cover this song.

3. Dance Of Eternity, (Dream Theater)- One of the finest progressive metal bands. A very powerful song which shows the deadly domination of the keyboard. I really love this song as both the solo's, the keyboard as well as the guitar run simultaneously. One of the best song to cover. Jordan showed a variety of his skills and expression in this song with a fabulous performance of 6 minutes. The keyboard playing in this song doesn't stop. It starts from the beginning and continues till the end with the guitar solo. You can get a huge variety of guitar riffs in this song and a must listen track for all the headbanging fans out there. Keyboardists can learn a lot from this song.

2. Lazy, (Deep Purple)- Thought to rank it 1st as both the solo's are awesome especially the keyboard. Song starts with the keyboard solo and ends with the guitar piece, Its really an innovative track but I was compelled to rank it on 2nd position as I think the song didn't show the combined rockability effect. I ain't saying that it lacked rockability but compared to the song which i've ranked 1st I think it deserves the second position. A very creative masterpiece done by Lord and Blackmore, well dont have much to say about them as everyone knows both are the legends. John Lord is the greatest rock keyboard player till date. Its the best song to cover and it will develop a very friendly relation with your guitarist...... lol. But yes, you both will be satisfied while covering this song as none of you can dominate on this, as both are equal. The best song to cover for a Rock Keyboardist.

1. Highway Star (Deep Purple)-Well this song includes one of the best guitar solos and one of the best keyboard solos. The most balanced rock song in this combination. A fast rocking keyboard solo played by John Lord and then comes an outstanding guitar solo by Ritchie Blackmore. A 6 minutes song and a well defined song, not so long and not too short. While listening to Tarkus I get bored after a while as so much of keyboard solo is becomes quite annoying after some time. But in this song Lord not only showed his originality but also a huge skills within a 1 min solo. Keyboard solo doesnt mean you have to play for a long time and show your best. If you are a good keyboard player then you can create wonders with your solo within a minute also and that's what John Lord proved with this Soundtrack. A tough job for the keyboardist to cover this song. Try it if you are well enough with your playing otherwise learn more skills then try to cover.Well If you are a hard rock Keyboardist then the best band to cover would be Deep Purple.

Rob Halford- The greatest Metal Vocalist

There were 4 vocalists in my mind while writing this post i.e. Bruce Dickinson, Ronnie James Dio, Rob Halford and Ian Giilan. But this content is of the greatest metal vocalist. So after a long duration of research and listening the vocal styles and abilities in the metal genre I found Rob halford as the best out of these vocalists and in the entire metal history.

I've spent a lot of time to think and write about Rob halford thats why I feel that he is the best metal vocalist till date. Many people would now object this post as some will say Robert plant should have been the best or Ian Gillan or even Dickinson but guys let me make it clear that during the 70's Zeppelin initiated the metal style but actually it was not metal is was rock.


The huge contribution of metal started with Black Sabbath and the actual metal singing was started by Ronnie James Dio. Ronnie's vocals were highly appreciated in the metal genre but still his vocals was majorly considered hard rock. Then the metal style was somehow being realted to Deep Purple. To an extent I can accept that Ian Gillan's vocal style was metal but overall the sound that the band gave was hard rock. So I had to drop Gillan from the list. Finally one vocalist whom I can consider a true metal vocalist having a metal style with a metal sound(of the band) was Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden. He was a very fine metal vocalist during the 80's but when I heard Rob Halford then my mind said " this is what metal vocals are all about".

What I really love about Halford's vocals is his ability to screech with his falsetto technique at a very high pitch and very few metal vocalists can do that. Many vocalists can screech but not at Halford's pitch. Apart from his screeching ability he was outstanding in his low notes. His lowest note in studio recording was D2 and he had beaten many rock vocalists low notes like Robert Plant, Ian Gillan and even Freddie Mercury. He had a 4 octave vocal range starting from low D2 to high B5. Some of his greatest vocal performance songs are Victim Of Changes, Painkiller, Dreamer Deceiver, Blood Red Skies, A Touch Of Evil, Screaming For Vengence, Dissident Aggressor etc. Rob has been a great influential metal vocalist till date. My favourite song Of Halford would be Painkiller. The whole song is a 'falsetto' based with heavy screeches and high F#5 screams and finally hitting a F4 with his chest voice and holding it for about 19 seconds, well that's a lot of abilities in a single song and he showed one of his best vocal techniques in this song. So, Halford Was Actually The Backbone Of His Band, Judas Priest, And Also A Great Vocalist OF The Metal Genre !.

TOP 5 ROCK Keyboardists

This content is for all the keyboard players out there. I'm making a list of Greatest rock Keyboard Players who have proved that without a keyboard rock music can't be defined. Bands basically use keyboards as a filler but these keyboardists have dominated their songs with their keyboard solo's rather than the guitar. These keyboardists are basically ranked on their expression, originality, skills and popularity. Keyboard includes Organ, Synthesizer, Mellotron and Piano.


5. Jordan Rudess, Dream Theater- Its really difficult to search songs having keyboard solo's with the real punch of rock and thats why I have ranked Jordan in this list. After listening several keyboard players I found him very impressive and who can actually rock the Audience with his playing. His playing was original and creative and rocking. His solo's were not peppy which is the main problem I have faced while creating this list. Very few bands are there where you get to listen a dominating, rocking keyboard solo and Dream Theater is one of them.


4. Ray Manzarek, (The Doors)- He was the man during the late 60's who came up with his outstanding keyboard solo of "Light My Fire" and made people realize that its not only the guitar, even keyboards are well for solo purpose in the rock genre. His keyboard works are very creative. His solo's sounds peppy but if you want to learn keyboard then you must go through with his solo's. Must try to play his pieces. Some of his greatest works are Light My Fire, Riders On The Storm, Yes The River Knows, The End and Crystal Ship.


3. Rick Wakeman, (Yes)- Well I dont prefer to listen his tracks as I'm not that much interested in keyboards. Their songs dont have the charm of hard rock. Their keyboard solo's basically sounds peppy but I think its only his skills and creativity that he applied on his instrument for which I have ranked him at 3rd position. Well definitely this man deserves to be at the top because of his great expressions in his playing and I dont think there can be another keyboardist like him who can create such kind of masterpieces. Some of his greatest achievements were Close To The Edge, South Side Of The Sky, Roundabout, Siberian Khatru etc.


2. Keith Emerson, (ELP)- For me he is the best keyboard player!!!. If I remove the word rock from my mind then I would definitely rank him as the greatest keyboardist of all time but If I rank him according to the rock genre then I'll have to give him the 2nd place as he doesnt deserve to be the greatest in the rock genre. Though he belonged from the classic rock genre but his songs sounded very modern, like that of the space age. The only reason for which I have ranked Keith on 2nd position is because of his never ending originality. Greatest works- Tarkus, Karn Evil 9, Toccata, Take A Pebble etc.


1. John Lord, (Deep Purple)- The king of rock!!! The most unique rock keyboardist till date. The only rocker whose keyboard playing I can consider rock. His great skills and the sound that he used to create is outstanding and no other band is there who has created songs like Deep Purple. Very original very tough to cover. Players like Emerson, Wakeman, Manzarek had some kind of similarity but Lord is totaly different. He is actually the Lord of Keyboard. From child in time to Lazy, all the songs had different charm and if you are aspiring to become a great keyboard player then must listen Deep Purple. The most versatile, skillful and the most original keyboard player of all time and my Favourite too.

Greatest Rock Songs

Well this might gonna be the most controversial list but i'm ranking these songs according to its originality, musicality, creativity, instrumentality, impact and according to my music knowledge. Here it goes, the Greatest Rock songs that every rocker should listen and know about the musical depth of it.


10. Smoke On The Water(1972), Deep Purple- Well definitely I would say its not the greatest work done by this band. There are many other songs where they have showed their great musical abilities and skills but this song has really left the greatest impact on the rock generation, dont know why other songs were not able to do that. Whenever I talk about Deep Purple with people, they just start their talks about smoke on the water and specially the guitar intro. Though the song is excellent but i've ranked this song because of its guitar riff and a well balanced composition.

9. Smells Like Teen Spirit(1991), Nirvana- The Greatest song of Nirvana and one of the most memorable song for the rock history. The only part of this song which I admire is the drumming. Guitaring and vocals are fine as the solo of this song is not an exceptional one. The song gained much fame after Cobain's death. This song entered the alternative rock in the mainstream. The song has been critically acclaimed for its alternative charm and the lyrics. Overall, this song deserves to be on top ten.

8. Time(1973), Pink Floyd - Sometimes I find myself in a different world while listening to its intro. Honestly this band's musical sense is unbeatable. They have everything in this what a rock song should be compiled of. Gilmour's outstanding solo, Water's amazing lyrical work and the best part, the intro of the song makes it a great psychedelic rock song. This song has dominated the charts for over 14 years. So now you think why this song deserves to be on the list of top ten songs. Just listen to it guys and know about the greatest composition ever done by Pink Floyd.

7. Hotel California(1976), The Eagles- Two things that I really like about this song, the guitar and the vocal performance. No comparison in guitaring as one of the greatest guitar songs ever released and overall this song is a lovely masterpiece done by The Eagles. A great composition of country rock. The song's lyrical performance is well done. It topped the charts for abour 8 weeks in the early 1977. This song has now become a guitar lesson and its taught to every guitar learner.

6. Imagine(1971), John Lennon- When I say "Rock" the things that comes in my mind is a guitar, bass, drums, keyboard and vocals. But this song is quite different. I ranked this song because Sir. Lennon worked for a cause and made a change through his music. This simple song has left a deep impact on the world and Sir. John Lennon is the god for every human being. I wish this world could be the way Sir Lennon wanted. Not only for me but for the whole world this song is one of the most influential one. I want to rank this song at no. 2 but i'm ranking on the basis of everything not only on the basis of lyrics or impact.

5. Light My Fire (1967), The Dorrs- This song recieved success in many countries. The song is mostly Keyboard dominated having a very extensive solo. Lyrically very poetic, musicaly one of the finest and a great male vocal performance by the legendary Jim Morrison. This song rocked the charts everywhere and the cover version of Jose Feliciano's recieved grammy in 1969 for best male vocal performance and for best new artist. One of the best compositions of "The Dorrs".

4. Freebird (1973), Lynyrd Skynyrd - This Song featured on the debut album of this band and was the most successful song released by them. definitely its the best soft and hard rock comfination song. The song starts with a soft intro and ends with a long fast guitar solo. Its so energetic that I'm compelled to rank it on 4th as 95% it defines the rockabilty of a song. A heavy work done by the band members in this song. Their fast guitar solo is not notable only for their speed but for their musicality and its one of my favourite too. a song that every rocker must listen.

3. Like A Rolling Stone(1965), Bob Dylan- Lyrics, Lyrics and only Lyrics. I have mentioned earlier that I'm ranking the songs on the basis of everything not only on a specific field but I'm ranking this song only because of its lyrics. You will have to listen to this song for several times to understand its quality. I didn't like this song when I heard this song for the first time. I found Dylan's voice quite irritating but when I heard this song for about 15 to 20 times then I realised the lyrical ability that Dylan Showed. A simple song but a deserving rank.

2. Bohemian Rhapsody (1975), Queen ---- Well There's no one who can create a composition like Bohemian Rhapsody. The most unique song in the entire rock history. There are many rock songs where there is a sudden scale change or a sudden change in their music but no song is like Bohemian Rhapsody and that's why I have listed it at 2nd position. A unique song with unique lyrics and sound. I dont think the rock generation will get a song like Bohemian Rhapsody in future. An unforgettable song.

1. Stairway To Heaven (1971), Led Zeppelin- Just listen and know by yourself. I dont have to write on this legendary song. You know it or you will know it after you listen.

Freddie Mercury- The Greatest Rock Vocalist

The greatest rock vocalist of all time, no special technique used and no formal training done by this man but still he is considered as the greatest rock vocalist and the greatest male voice of this earth till date. Born on 5th September 1946 in Stone Town, Zanzibar and died on 24th november 1991 leaving a worldwide impact. His original name was Farrokh Bulsara. He had done his schooling in St. Peters located at Panchgani Near Mumbai(India) and his first school band was named as "The Hectics" where he played keyboard and vocals. He's Favourite subjects were History and English. After he had done his schooling he then moved to United Kingdom where he formed the band Queen with guitarist Brain May. He changed his name from Farrokh Bulsara to Freddie Mercury in UK to avoid discrimination.


This man is an inspiration for all the vocalists. Without having any legal training how can a man sing like this? Next to impossible but Freddie did it. He was best known for his voice throwing capability and the power that he had in his voice that made every song a superb song. He was one of the greatest live rock artists. Some of his greatest songs where he showed his best vocal abilities are Bohemian Rhapsody, Who Wants To Live Forever, Somebody To love, Under Pressure, Barcelona, Love Of My Life, Dont Stop Me Now, We Are The Champions etc. He had a vocal range of 4.5 octaves. His speaking voice was in the baritone range but most of his songs were of the tenor range.

The best song where Freddie showed his highest vocal ability is Bohemian Rhapsody where he showed an unusual style of singing. Starts with a clear and soft voice and changes to a choir singing with Brian May and Taylor where he shows his voice power and then again ends with a pleasant clear voice which is the most difficult part to sing. This song included too much of dubbing in its recording but its highly notable because of the excellence of Mercury's vocals.
Covering Freddie's songs is not only tough, but next to impossible. Even If you have a wide vocal range and you know too much of techniques, still it wont help you. I have heard many vocalists who can copy voices of legendary rockers but I have heard no one who can sing like Freddie Mercury. The way Freddie used to throw his words while singing, that was one of his greatest style and vocal ability.

One thing more that I would like to share about this legendary rockstar is that whenever he used to perform in a concert his vocals never gave up. In many Concerts of different bands after an hour or so the voice of the vocalist sounds tiring and is not able to manage his voice well but In the concert of Freddie Mercury you could never feel this. The way he starts at the beginning and the way he ends up the concert, after a long duration of performance his voice texture remained the same. You can never feel any tiredness in his voice. Thats what makes him an exceptional vocalist. He is also considered as one of the most influential Asian rockstar.

There's still no one who can challenge the voice of Freddie Mercury, and might never be too!

Covers- A Trailer Of What's Yet To Come!

Well well ...... This post is about the Importance of Covers for any rock band . Covers are basically songs of an established rock band performed by another band in its own style and understanding of the song! Though I cant say that covers are the ultimate or major way to judge a band , It may just be for only about 20-30% of the total points to a Band, But Yes, as the title of this post says- "Covers- A Trailer Of What's Yet To Come!" , they definitely reflect the band's actual knowledge and understanding of music as a whole .

For example, Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower" was a simple ( but Original, though ) 3-chord Folk Song which was turned into a great Rock Song by the world famous Guitarist Jimi Hendrix who blended it with his great riffs and Mind-Boggling solos .




Then another of Dylan's songs, "Knockin On Heavens Door " ( Well, you must have got an idea by now that Bob Dylan was a great musician actually though the covers of his songs became more popular , but originality matters most Guys! ) , was also a simple rhythm song which was quite changed altogether in a rock rendition of it by the Hard Rock band "Guns n Roses". Slash ( Former GnR Guitarist ) gave beautiful solos in the song and was well supported by Axl Rose's vocals . Now this song is more famous in the name of GnR actually!!




Also, Surprisingly Enough , Limpbizkit Also Did A Memorable Cover Of " Behind Blue Eyes" Of The Who Which Is Also Now Much Critically Acclaimed ... but also considered as the worst cover song ever.




So, History Is Full OF Some Great Covers OF Various Great Bands And Artists .... So , Covers Are Very Important For A Band To Establish Itself Firmly . A Band Can Also Show Its Originality And Creativity By Covering Other Songs Since The Base OF the Song Has To Remain The Same , But Ultimately ITs The Band's Original Tracks That Express The Band Fully Since They Can Experiment Their Ideas And MAke It Go Whichever Direction They Want It To .....

So, Pull On Some Great Covers , Rockers !! Some Of The "Must Covers By Any Band" Are for example,- Stairway To Heaven, Hotel California, Smoke On The Water , Highway Star , And MAny More ......

U2 - A Great International Band Of The 80's Rock Era

Formed in Dublin on 25 September 1976 with members Bono( vocals and guitar ), The Edge( guitar, keyboards and vocals), Adam Clayton(Bass guitar) and Larry Mullen Jr.(drums and percussion). They were not very much professional during their early years but by the mid 80's they became the best international act.

They have sold more than 170 million albums worldwide. This band has won 22 grammy awards which is more than any other band. They were recognised for their live acts rather than their record selling. In 1987 they released their album "The Joshua Tree" which turned them from heroes to superstars.

According to Rolling Stone magazine U2 is ranked 22 in its list of 100 greatest artists of all time. Some of the greatest songs of U2 are Sunday Bloody Sunday, Where The Streets Have No Name, One, With Or Without You, New Years Day, Pride( In the name of love), Beautiful day, Sweetest Thing, All I Want Is You etc. U2's first commercial success "War" Debuted no. 1 in UK and its first single "New Years Day" was their first hit outside Ireland or the UK. They were heavily influenced by Bands like The Who, The Clash, Ramones, The Beatles, Joy Division. Till now the band has released 12 studio albums. Their compositions are excellent which includes the Anthemic Sound, textural guitar playing of The Edge, Impassioned vocals of Bono and conceptional lyrics. U2 have pursued a more traditional sound that retains the influence of their previous musical explorations. The were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Apart from good music they have worked a lot for socical cause. They have campaigned for human rights and social justice cause, The ONE campaign and Bono's DATA( Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa).

This band truly deserves to be the best international act of its time ..

Tips To Check Your Vocal Range

I would like to share some useful tips to all the vocalists out there who has just started to sing ROCK or want to sing well without harming their voice.

I'm having a band and when i was a beginner i struggled to cover many classic rock bands but as time passed and my practice was going on I found a change in my voice and i was capable of covering some rock songs which had a tight vocal performance. I cant cover all the bands as my voice is suitable for singing baritone but now it has become quite easy for me to cover songs of Pearl Jam, The Dorrs and The Who.


Apart from Baritone, I have practiced Falsetto and belting technique and i think I can show my best in this technique. Covering Deep Purple needs a good belting technique and a wide vocal range. The best song that I can cover is Child In Time and yes, its the 2nd best rock vocal performance song in history. Other songs of Deep Purple, i still find it hard to cover as they include different styles. So, its not in our hands, all depends on our voice texture which tells us what to sing and the best that we can sing.


Before you sing just remember to take deep breaths and expand your lungs. This will help to increase your air tidal capacity which helps a vocalist to hold their low or high notes for a long period of time.


Whenever you sing, i would give you an advice to sing with your guitar or a piano as it will help you to sing at the perfect note. Without a guitar/ piano you might not be able to hit the right note. Always practice Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do. Its the key to your sucess. Even if you practice this you will see a change in your voice within two months. Its a warm up and the best exercise too.


Try to sing your lowest note first and dont go much deeper if it strains your voice, same is with your high notes. Sing the Highest note that you can sing without straining you voice and the lowest note too then sing do re mi fa from your lowest note and check you total vocal range(dont include you false voice). After you are done with it then start with you false notes if you can. If you find that your voice is not capable for doing falsetto then leave it, do it after few months when your voice will become stronger.

Rock Vocalist- A tough job, sometimes like a dream to achieve.....

This one's for all those who want to be like Freddie Mercury , Ian Gillan and all other great vocalists in Rock History! What is it that's missing in your vocals ? What did your Idols do to become the Best !? Read on .....

To be a proper rock vocalist one has to devote loads and loads of time for practice. If you really want to become a vocalist then for a beginner it may take around 4 or 5 years of practice to develop a dynamic and powerful voice. Many people try to copy the voices of their Idols, NEVER DO THAT. Every person has got different kinds of voice texture, ability and power. For example, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin cant sing like Freddie Mercury of Queen and vice versa. Both were the greatest vocalists of their time. Some people believe that rock is just about screaming and shouting at your highest pitch, That's totaly incorrect!



Being a rock vocalist is a challenging task. If you dont have adequate practice and try screaming like nothing then you may actually damage your vocal chords!! Beware, if your voice once gets damaged then you might not be able to sing again in your future. All the famous vocalists like Freddie Mercury(he was not trained), Robert Plant, Ian Gillan, Roger Daltrey, Ronnie James Dio, Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford, Jim Morrison and Eddie Vedder used to sing in their unique styles and none of their voices had any resemblence with each other. Its because these people had recognised their voice first then they used the appropriate genre suitable for them. Freddie Mercury and Roger Daltrey had a lyric tenor voice whereas Jim Morrison and Eddie Vedder followed the Baritone type and Ian Gillan Introduced the belting technique.


Being a good rock vocalist doesnt mean that you have to hit high notes everytime, what matters is your vocal range. All the vocalists mentioned above had a very wide vocal range of almost 4 to 5 octaves. If I talk about high pitch ,then i would recommend the voice of Geddy Lee of Rush who used to sing very high...... But why is he not considered as the best rock vocalist then?Well, that's particularly because his low notes were not very strong. He didnt have a wide vocal range.



Well these were some facts about these greatest vocalists who really showed the best of their abilities. Its really a challenge to become like them but if you really aspire to be like them then I think you are not that much far to reach your goal. You just have to devote some time and show your dedication for your vocals then only you can hope to sing ROCK at a perfect pitch and voice. There are many vocalists out there who think singing high pitch songs is everything but that's not the reality guys. Most of the people in rock forget their low notes and they just focus on their high notes, that's absolutely wrong ...... You wont be able to be a successful vocalist for Sure!!! So, Start Feeling The Change And Try To Get Into Yourslef What It Takes To Become A Great Vocalist In Rock History !!!

Good Luck .......
More Posts Coming Soon !!

The Use OF Monitor Speakers/Amplifiers

Well, I was having a performance with my band last night, and I figured out something very interesting which can lead many new bands to give awkward performances , unknowingly OFCOURSE!!!


When we used to jam in our homes, It was amazing . We had one normal room in our house and I used "Stranger" Amplifiers for my Guitar( because they're very cheap and of high quality) . But at the show , I couldn't even hear what I was playing ! The Reason -

We Didnt Get Any Monitor Speakers ..!!...( Or Instrument-Specific Amplifiers)


The amplifiers ( like Stranger And Marshall) actually give a direct , one-way sound and so, in a room, everyone can distinguish whether a guitar is being played or the keyboard . But normally in a stage show, the Auditorium Speakers are given to a band which give surround sound ( that is, Sound In All Directions ) and so only some part of the sound reaches our ears and we land UP at Sixes And Sevens!!


SO, Monitor Speakers( basically Normal Amplifiers specially for guitars / or keyboards) must be available for playing live .


So, Please Guys Watch Out ! Your First Performance May Be In Danger !


Here Are Some Marshall And Line-6 Amps For Your Use And Convenience .... I Have Tried These And They Sound Really Good And Excellent For Professional Use....

Top Ten Rock Debut Albums

Here is the list of top ten rock debut albums who made these artists to rock the world. List is based upon the popularity and impact it left on the rock genre.


10. Dire straits (1978), Dire Straits-

Well all of the songs in this album are not so fabulous but yes songs like Sultans Of swing, Water Of Love, Down To The Waterline had been quite influential. This album has been certified Gold, Silver, Platinum and 2X Platinum in different countries. The song Sultans Of Swing has been listed in the greatest rock guitar solo's. This debut album has been 131 weeks in UK album charts.

9. Aerosmith (1973), Aerosmith-

One song that comes in my mind when i listen to this album is dream on. Definitely this song has got such a power that this album surely deserves to be in the list of top 10. Album's genre is basically hard rock but much blues-rock. Nothing much to write about the rest of the songs in this album as it was only Dream On which made their album famous. But the works done in other songs are nice. This Album was certified Gold, Platinum and 2X Platinum

8. Kill 'Em All (1983), Metallica-

This debut album which was recorded in just 2 weeks on a small budget and only 1500 copies were sold initially and there was a bit of hope left in the members of Metallica that this ablum's gonna change their fate. But it did, now its been certified 3x platinum by the RIAA. The album is highly notable for songs like Motorbreath and Pulling Teeth which has a tempo of 168bpm and 200bpm bass solo. The sales of this album is about 3 million now in the US alone. This album is now one of the first and the most influential trash Metal albums.

7. KISS (1974)- Kiss-

definitely one of the greatest debut albums ever released. It took 3 weeks during the entire process of recording and mixing of this album. The band was just a year old when they released their first album in 1974 and the work done by them in this album is really awesome. Initially the album sale was about 75000 copies without holding any hit single from it. Later in 1977 it was certified as Gold as sales exceeded to 500,000 copies. Many of the songs in this album had became their permanent songs in their shows throughout the years.

6. Black Sabbath (1970), Black Sabbath-

This album is regarded as one of the first heavy metal album. Personally i feel its one of the finest albums of Sabbath. This album was released on Friday the 13th February 1970 by Vertigo Records and it reached no. 23 on Billboard 200 and stayed for over a year. Though the album was a huge sucess but it was crticized and was considered senseless. This album Somehow considered Black Sabbath as Satanists and the members were quite upset about it.

5. The Dorrs (1967), The Doors-

Light my fire, Break on through and The End were huge hits which were featured in this album. The songs Break on through and The End were released censored on the album. It was released in January 1967. Organ work in Light my fire is heavily done. About one million albums were sold worldwide. The album had been quite controversial after it was released due to Morrison's occult lyrics.

4. Appetite For Destruction (1987), Guns N' Roses-

Well, well, well... what a kickass debut made by this band. Every song of this album is worth listening. This album definitely highlights the essence of hard rock. The album topped the american Billboard 200 and has been certified Diamond by the RIAA. Till date more than 28 million albums has been sold and still its the fastest selling debut album in history. This album included many songs of GnR as their greatest hits like "Sweet Child o' Mine", "Welcome To The Jungle", "Paradise City", "My Michelle" etc. This album was considered as one of the heaviest and greatest classic rock album of all time.

3. Ten (1991), Pearl Jam-

Initially when it was released, success was lacking but in 1992 it had reached no. 2 on billboard 200. The lyrics of this album makes it a totaly different and unique album. Vedder mainly focussed on topics like abuse, lonliness and depression. The album has been certified 13 times platinum by the RIAA. Most of the hits of Pearl Jam were from this album only like Alive, Jeremy, Even Flow and Release. In 1993 it was the 8th best selling album. Around 9.6 million copies have been sold only in US. Undoubtedly I would say its a hard rock masterpice work done by this band. Its my favourite debut album.

2. Led Zeppelin (1969), Led Zeppelin-

The first album released by the legends and yes one of the legendary and notable albums of all time. This debut album went on to gross more than £3.5 million, just short of 20,000 times more than they invested!. During that time people were unware of heavy sounds and it was the Zeppelin's who introduced songs like Good times Bad Times and Communication Breakdown. This album is worth buying as varitey of songs are featured in it. Zeppelin really showed their skills in their first recording. By 1975, the album had grossed $7,000,000.

1. Are You Experienced? (1967), Jimi Hendrix Experience-

Definitely the best debut album till date. Not only as the best debut album but also its one of the greatest rock albums. And yes, its ranked 1 in the list of most influential guitar albums of all time. This album included Hendrix's R&B-based, Psychedelic, distortion- and feedback-laden electric guitar playing. This album has left the deepest impact than any other debut album in history. A must have album.