RECALL.

Has it been that long already?

I never have thought to use my learnt skills to something i began to love along the way. Now, what were my reasons back then and what is my sole reason right now why i continued playing... starting from acoustic, and a long path leading to the different world of electric guitar?

Here begins my brag-... er, story.

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NOTE: this post is intended not to brag, but to share something.
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My interests with a guitar started when i was still at grade 5... where every single man in the batch seem to know AND want to learn how to play the acoustic guitar. It was the era where you'd usually hear some songs that you still hear with guitar starters; the songs of the former OPM rock bands mostly from Eraserheads. Most of them have basic reasons why they chose to play the guitar, and they vary from the following:

1. They want to play 'coz they want to play.
2. Because they want to be with the trend, which is cool in a way.
3. Because it'll be easy to court girls if you know how to play a guitar... most girls easily fall with the guitar guys.

... and others not mentioned.

Now, i forced my sister to teach me how to play a guitar... and FAST. I remembered her asking me, "why all of a sudden?"

That made me think... really.

I do admit that i don't have enough good reasons to defend my interest by that time. And all of a sudden, i got this simple, and stupid reason: "I want to play 'coz it seems like everyone's playing and i can't... like i am the only one who can't play it." That's the most of it. Nothing more.

The irony is... my sister taught me knowing that i may be not prepared to learn right that time. And, sadly... she taught me REALLY quick.

Quick as in a single day.

I got through a lot that day, thinking that my sister is forcing out what i can't really do. Well, it was my wish for her to teach me so i can't babble about it. She did the usual "old-school" way of learning fast that would really stick into your brain; a punishment in every wrong move. She'd hit my hands with a ruler if i got things wrong. Sadistic... yet effective, i learned all the basic chords in a single day. Although i can't do the power chords yet [the B and F, she taught me the G shortcut].

After everything, i was on my own. Without enough reason, i tried to learn by myself with the basics... plucking, picking, powerchording, and copying chords from certain songs. I even bought my own acoustic guitar on my 12th birthday. I was satisfied at one point, for i have achieved my goal: to play a guitar.

And so i stopped... for a long time.

Maybe from time-to-time i do play the guitar, especially when we have music class. And sometimes i do bring my guitar when my friends tell me to so we could play during breaktime. Asides from that, i didn't make guitar a serious career. I wasn't even serious of playing it.

My interests really doesn't concern with music, i was not a music guy to begin with. What i love to do that time was to draw and make comic strips and show them to my classmates.

Then this certain time came...

By the mid-time i retook my 4th year in high school [which makes it my 5th], Vic told me about his band. He asked me if i wanted to join. That time was the peak of Parokya ni Edgar, and other unsigned bands pop out as well [but not like now where humongous amount of UG bands swarm out]. I don't know if he's recruiting me because he knew i can play a guitar OR if he's recruiting me because it's just simply fun. But i left him with an answer: "wait 'till i graduate and i'll think about it." But there was a time when i went out with Vic, but with a different band composed of some of my former batchmates [specifically Gid and Jeffrey Carbonel] and some of their current schoolmates. I held the bass, and i sucked playing it. ^^, That was my first time, 'ne?

And so a major coincidence happened.

I successfully graduated my highschool at last. I was looking for a college that would apply with my scholarship plan. My course of choice was ComSci. I had an option: FEU-FERN. I applied to that school and passed the entrance examination, but knowing my mother she always have backup plans. She looked for other schools that supports the scholarship plan, and my sister suggested East Asia [she was a nursing student of FEU, BTW].

Luckily, it supports my scholarship plan. So i took the entrance test for free and i passed it. Not knowing that Vic is actually studying at the same school. I remembered the description he told me about his school but i forgot the name he mentioned.

By the time i got enrolled, he asked me about the offer. I thought it wouldn't actually hurt me if i accept his offer, so i took it. Then he asked me what instrument would i lke to play. He gave me 2 choices: Rhythms or Bass. I asked him what's the easiest, he told me that the bass should be easy [remembering the first time i played the bass, it was difficult]. I told him that i'll go for the rhythms since i'm much fond of chordplaying. But he told me that he's currently on rhythms and his bass was actually heavy [literally, not musically] so he doesn't want to play the bass. But he keeps on encouraging me to play the bass. So i willingly accept it.

He introduced me with new faces, including his band. There i knew the people, and at first they were intimidating. And i was officially recruited to their band.

The first week of classes came. That very first week we had a practice. As usual, i sucked with the bass since i am still not familiar playing it. They understood, since i was new with the band. K2 and Tristan taught me some basics and familiarizing the bass. Knowing Vic, he then encouraged me telling this: "pag gumaling ka ang gusto ko maging style mo katulad ng ke Buhawi."

Yes. The excellent bassist of PnE. So i was inspired thanks to Vic. But at first it was difficult to catch the basslines in songs [usually they sound faint if you don't listen attentively] and i was way off Buhawi's level [even right now]... there's possibly no chance that i could reach that level. Yet i didn't stop. Along the way i got familiarized with the bass basics and i was actually hearing the bass in songs much clearer. I tried recalling some concepts from our music class regarding the fretboard knowledge and used it.

And by this time i began to have a second reason: "i wanted to improve."

I learned so much while i was playing with the band, until the time it got baptized with the name SuspenDead. The time came that i could actually ride with their playing and tempo using basic techniques. The time also came that i used some learnt techniques thanks to certain songs that i have listened. We were in full-synch when playing [except for the times that we were drunk].

Then a third reason came out: "i'll play for myself and i wanted the music to sound different, yet good."

I used everything of what i know to SuspenDead's music, and i even borrowed some tutorials and asked for some concepts from my uncle Jimmy. Time by time i tried to change my absslines to something that would fit with our music... and sometimes i even do it during gigs. I wasn't scared of doing my share, i thought of it as a type of "samurai training" which in the long run became a habit to me. It was the experimental stage where i try this and that, if it would be compatible with this or not. If not, i'll shift to basic then think of something while i'm playing and thus producing a cycle. Jeremiah stated this as "standing in your toes, huh."

And when the time came that i was satisfied with what basslines i've done to the song, i'll use it as the basic structure of my lines... meaning that it's the pattern, but i'll still try to add something up in random. There's a lot of room so why not maximize it, i thought to myself.

I also began to get interested with other instruments... having a reason: "i want to get familiar with the other instruments so i could produce good music concepts." I tried out the drums, since it's the biggest instrument related to bassplaying. Thanks to K2's influence of Percussion Freaks, Dennis' moral support and suggestions, and Kat's recruitment of me for Leche's Plan which was soon called BH.

My interest never stopped there. I began playing the electric guitars and applied some of the basslining to it, though it was a bit difficult because i got used with wide frets. Many times i did jam with Edsel at his house and ask my uncle for some concepts, especially on how to make pinch harmonics.

Usually, i ask for concepts and i'll do the rest. That's the way it goes, and i liked it that way. I thought of it as a game like "discover something beyond what you currently do and what you can still do". It will be difficult at first, but it's like a puzzle. Once you're familiarized with it you'll get used to it, thus making the job easy. I've accepted 3 band offers to session with so i could expand my learnt musical concepts freely.

Many times i was forcing myself to learn something that's off my level... and luckily some of it i learned in due time. I believed in the concept "never stop until your finger bleeds..." a concept i learned from my sister. =]

After the biggest event SuspenDead has ever been [Summer Sault of WLSFM], i began to realize something. It wasn't really enough to play for yourself. You should be able to please your audience if you really want to se if you've made a good music. From here on, it was a bigger reason. A reason i never thought that i'll be thinking.

I wanted to make a different music that would please the musical ear. Not mine, not within the band, but reaching out to the "real, attentive" audiences [there are "dead" audiences, most of the time just came to the bar to get drunk or wait for their band-friend to play and leave, not even paying attention to others playing]. I think you'd consider your music to be good when they're not familiar with it but they jived with it for some reason you just can't explain. That was a reason so high to reach, but i think was possible. One event was SuspenDead's first gig with Creed of Rock Productions.

From the time i left the band, i carried out this reason. My mind was still filled with ideas for SuspenDead's music, honestly. Their songs were still circulating within my mind. That wouldn't be so obvious, i've been in SuspenDead for more than 4 years. It's just that i loved the band so much i can't forget the music [that's why i'm having a hard time clearing out the fact that they're currently in a massive damage and possibly because it was my fault]. I was thinking what to do with the reason and accomplishment i've done so far. I'm trying to teach everything to my only disciple Ian so someone could actually hold up and continue my urge while i'm on the bass. But i guess my music life ends there... or did it?

Just when i thought that i was out of the music devil's grasp, i was tempted with Dennis' new band and what they could do. The first time RevEp practiced and while i was watching them, i saw something different. Something that made me jump onto music's side again. It was something i couldn't explain at first not until i became a part of it. So i decided that i'd finish my job in RevEp and see if i'll be asking for more reasons to play after i accomplish my current reason/goal.

So right now i got some serious interest of playing. I know my fingers still aren't sleak and fast like others, but i have a single thing that i'm proud of. My ears can do much better now than my fingers.

Ending this post, i am not trying to brag. I'm just trying to share what i've been through and that things are possible if you just put your whole [ok, not whole but maybe a big part] heart onto it. It is never a career, it's just having a reason to play. If you have a serious reason to play, you got yourself a goal to reach. Reasons aren't really required, but it could help you a lot with improving and raising your interests to the maximum. And never stop not unless if you already lost a lot of blood. Remember, if you're really interested at something you can't resist getting along with it. Remember: you should develop your ear as early as possible, it's one of the most important factors of playing.

Of course, don't forget to rest for a while. Too much exertion would tire you a lot.
[Now what the hell am i trying to talk about?! Kidding aside, the concept still applies.]


* I'd like to thank my mom [for not forcing me too much to stop playing], my sister Elaine [who showed me the physical concept of "pains and gains" ^^], Kat [for recruiting me to BH], Edsel [my guitar buddy], Jason [for some concepts], uncle Jimmy [for a lot of concepts], and the whole SuspenDead [including the former original line-up]...

... if it has not been for you guys, i won't get interested with music at all.