http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:10:00 GMT http://bandzoogle.com http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=234614  Howdy folks, Back on the blog trail again.....I was playing the other night on a gig and I realized something interesting. I used to do shows for many years night after night. And in these shows the music would not change. So  after a while, I found myself going through the motions and sometimes I would do the shows half heartedly. It got to be like a JOB and even a boring one. The thing that saved me was playing other gigs with different music and styles. I found pleasure in playing again. Find something to spice up that monotonous gig and  do for the love of it. Peace!  Howdy folks,

Back on the blog trail again.....I was playing the other night on a gig and I realized something interesting.
I used to do shows for many years night after night. And in these shows the music would not change. So 
after a while, I found myself going through the motions and sometimes I would do the shows half heartedly.
It got to be like a JOB and even a boring one. The thing that saved me was playing other gigs with different
music and styles. I found pleasure in playing again. Find something to spice up that monotonous gig and 
do for the love of it. Peace!]]> Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:10:00 GMT 98A5C6BD5751E1BA03D1D3BD4826BAA9 http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=109209  If you haven't already now is the time to get all those holiday tunes ready for public consumption. This includes Halloween, Thanksgiving, and of course Christmas and the like. Just about all working musicians can throw a little Holiday songs into their set. People like to hear those familiar songs this time of year. So I better take my own advice and re-work some of those tunes. Peace to all!  If you haven't already now is the time to get all those holiday tunes ready for public consumption. This includes Halloween, Thanksgiving, and of course Christmas and the like. Just about all working musicians can throw a little Holiday songs into their set. People like to hear those familiar songs this time of year. So I better take my own advice and re-work some of those tunes. Peace to all!]]> Sun, 13 Nov 2011 13:10:00 GMT 55A6F72106555B13AB92E93989A8AB75 http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=252482  Here is a cool idea I got from Jazz guitarist Sid Jacobs. He was telling us students at the time of this conversation that he had with guitar legend Joe Diorio, about this guy that actually played some of the melody lines in his improvisation. It was a big thing among jazz musicians that improvise for days on end.....The moral of the story was that it was ok to quote some of the beautiful melodies in the songs that we solo on. The listener can grab on to that familiar line or phrase, even though it's a lot of times surrounded by 16th/32nd note bliss. Try it out some time and you'll agree that the melody is all right....  Here is a cool idea I got from Jazz guitarist Sid Jacobs. He was telling us students at the time of this conversation that he had with guitar legend Joe Diorio, about this guy that actually played some of the melody lines in his improvisation. It was a big thing among jazz musicians that improvise for days on end.....The moral of the story was that it was ok to quote some of the beautiful melodies in the songs that we solo on. The listener can grab on to that familiar line or phrase, even though it's a lot of times surrounded by 16th/32nd note bliss. Try it out some time and you'll agree that the melody is all right....]]> Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:20:00 GMT 4961D2C8EAE1C496AFEEE9C30B9DF88C http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=111323  Discerning musicians, specifically electric guitarist and bass players spend a great deal of time refining their individual amp tone. Some might plug straight into an amp or PA system, set the controls to 11 and their  good to go. Others (myself included) regard our tone as a very important part of conveying our music to the masses. Tone is your individual voice. If your tone or guitar sound is unclear, too much lows, too much highs, too much of this or that, no matter what you play you will sound crappy. All your speedy licks go out the window because it doesn't fit into the context of the music. Forget about what you played, get your sound right first.  Years ago when studying with guitarist Scott Henderson, I got a chance to see his rig first hand. He gave all the scoops about his tone from the guitar to the speakers and everything in between. It was overwhelming to know that everything affected tone to a certain degree. When I saw him in LA a few years ago, his rig had changed again. Recently, I got a chance to hang out and play guitar with Aerosmith guitarist, Joe Perry. He talked about his personal rig, I told him about my setup, and of course back line gear for fly in gigs were using your own amps are not feasible. I'll add more about this topic in the next post. See you all soon.
Years ago when studying with guitarist Scott Henderson, I got a chance to see his rig first hand. He gave all the scoops about his tone from the guitar to the speakers and everything in between. It was overwhelming to know that everything affected tone to a certain degree. When I saw him in LA a few years ago, his rig had changed again. Recently, I got a chance to hang out and play guitar with Aerosmith guitarist, Joe Perry. He talked about his personal rig, I told him about my setup, and of course back line gear for fly in gigs were using your own amps are not feasible. I'll add more about this topic in the next post. See you all soon.]]> Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:50:00 GMT 7DBEB2015D20FD215B038C26B9103A36 http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=93974  It seemed to me that triads are looked upon by many musicians as something we learn in basic theory. We forget about triads when we seek larger chords or exotic alterations. But let's give little triad a break. If we remember way back when, just about every possible chord voicing can be broken down into a combination of triads, or even smaller diads. I don't know if that is even a term "diad", but my former guitar mentor Sid Jacobs would refer to the essential tones as that. I think even the great Ted Greene would sometimes term it as that. Anyway, triads are a great way to stay away from standard arpeggios for soloing or even when chording, and this applies to any genre of music.  This reminds me of a gig situation I was in a few years back, when I was hired to play at a function and the so called "music director" booked me on guitar along with 2 other guitarists. I thought to myself, `why not have more diversity of instruments like a piano or horn player, but I was a hired gun.' I knew from the opening song, that the other guitarists were trying to out do each other, showing off ideas. I thought, `I'll let these guys play all those fancy chords and I'll just resort to playing triads.' It worked so well. When I comped and soloed, I just used triad ideas. The other guitarists were speechless and surprised. A lot of times simplicity works best. Peace all!!!!
If we remember way back when, just about every possible chord voicing can be broken down into a combination of triads, or even smaller diads. I don't know if that is even a term "diad", but my former guitar mentor Sid Jacobs would refer to the essential tones as that. I think even the great Ted Greene would sometimes term it as that. Anyway, triads are a great way to stay away from standard arpeggios for soloing or even when chording, and this applies to any genre of music. 

This reminds me of a gig situation I was in a few years back, when I was hired to play at a function and the so called "music director" booked me on guitar along with 2 other guitarists. I thought to myself, `why not have more diversity of instruments like a piano or horn player, but I was a hired gun.' I knew from the opening song, that the other guitarists were trying to out do each other, showing off ideas. I thought, `I'll let these guys play all those fancy chords and I'll just resort to playing triads.' It worked so well. When I comped and soloed, I just used triad ideas. The other guitarists were speechless and surprised. A lot of times simplicity works best. Peace all!!!!]]> Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:43:18 GMT 7A4B1AB0FB94DAA2C7E2E03BAA631EA5 http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=67653 These are very trying times for everyone here in the states with the economy in flux. Now days I find myself  not been performing as much as I normally do because of the recession. So for the last 8 months or so, I have been occupying my time with practicing and learning. Studying not only music, but all kinds of other subjects not related to music. I find myself going to the library more often and getting lost on all that it has to offer......On the music side, I've learned at least 5 new tunes a month, cataloging guitar licks, and just trying to overhaul my musical presentation as a soloist and in my band,  I'm really digging it.  The point I'm trying to make is this. Even though I have more time, I am getting into the habit of using that time to work on things that will move my music forward and make it better than before. So when I do get back into the swing of things I'll have new songs, a better performance, etc. Now is the time to learn something new, go back to school, work on your music. You get my drift? So when things start rolling again, it is the new and improved you.
The point I'm trying to make is this. Even though I have more time, I am getting into the habit of using that time to work on things that will move my music forward and make it better than before. So when I do get back into the swing of things I'll have new songs, a better performance, etc. Now is the time to learn something new, go back to school, work on your music. You get my drift?
So when things start rolling again, it is the new and improved you.

]]> Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:06:27 GMT FCDC156582975AEC07FEB075ED1416BD http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=61356  I used to have the belief that, I didn't have to learn to read music or music theory to be a great musician, but I have changed my thinking since those days. It is true that you can go through life playing the music that you love without even giving music theory a second thought. Many successful musicians have made a fine living in the music biz this way.  I can tell you from experience that music theory , even just a little bit, can go a long way.  It can take your music to a whole new level and beyond, wether you're playing it or listening to it.  You got to check it out. It is good for you. In the next few weeks, I will be starting up guitar and theory classes. Many of the lessons will be posted online so that students can work on the material before coming to class. Stay tuned.
I can tell you from experience that music theory , even just a little bit, can go a long way.  It can take your music to a whole new level and beyond, wether you're playing it or listening to it.  You got to check it out. It is good for you.

In the next few weeks, I will be starting up guitar and theory classes. Many of the lessons will be posted online so that students can work on the material before coming to class. Stay tuned.


]]> Fri, 14 Aug 2009 04:00:00 GMT 45A3FB8E37D866D9C49BF8BD9A3A067F http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=56441  Just got through recycling our monthly (or two or three months) load. Feels good to know that we're doing our part to keep these items out of the land fill and in some cases out of the ocean. Did you know that virtually all indigenous cultures around the world at one point, recycled everything. Take my ka papa (ancestors) in pre-European contact Hawaii, they recycled all the things around them.  We can all take lessons from different cultures if we stop, look, and listen.
Did you know that virtually all indigenous cultures around the world at one point, recycled everything. Take my ka papa (ancestors) in pre-European contact Hawaii, they recycled all the things around them. 

We can all take lessons from different cultures if we stop, look, and listen.]]> Fri, 07 Aug 2009 03:30:00 GMT 2BDB50B7EB1FB28255E3F43DB10C5242 http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=54875 I pride myself on being a true professional whether playing on stage, in the studio, or producing music. Thru hard work, goal setting and by having balls.  I have become what people call “lucky”. I’ve earned it and still earning my musical space. To me there’s no such thing as luck. When the opportunities arose, I was prepared. I learned music, composed my own, studied my scales and arpeggios, studied with world class musicians, because I made the choice early on that I wanted to be in the business of music. I would have done this even if I wasn’t getting paid. But, people paid me, and there still paying (very well too). I still remember not that long ago, making just $3 a night. The thing is that through thick and thin , I stuck though it. Let me leave you with this one piece of advice I got from one of the greatest musical educators of the 20th century, Mr. Dick Grove.  He said that if he had to pick his top ten attributes for a musician with # 1 being the most important. More important than talent, chops, even a music education, attitude is hands down number one. With the right attitude you can achieve all the rest.....I agree.
To me there’s no such thing as luck. When the opportunities arose, I was prepared. I learned music, composed my own, studied my scales and arpeggios, studied with world class musicians, because I made the choice early on that I wanted to be in the business of music. I would have done this even if I wasn’t getting paid. But, people paid me, and there still paying (very well too). I still remember not that long ago, making just $3 a night. The thing is that through thick and thin , I stuck though it.

Let me leave you with this one piece of advice I got from one of the greatest musical educators of the 20th century, Mr. Dick Grove.  He said that if he had to pick his top ten attributes for a musician with # 1 being the most important. More important than talent, chops, even a music education, attitude is hands down number one. With the right attitude you can achieve all the rest.....I agree.

]]> Wed, 05 Aug 2009 04:37:03 GMT 8DED3439523B2B6229752786E6A4C574 http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=45649 Hello people. I have some views that I'd like to share on the subject of profesionalism. I'll talk about my experiences being in the music industry, but it really can apply to any business or even social situations. Any way, I must be on my way now because I fancy myself a true profesional musician so I need to prepare. More on this later gang. Peace
Peace
]]> Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:22:53 GMT 6A6B59EA078B9FD0B1384A3C6B1ECDFA http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=41668 Check out part 2 of the Mondo Kane interview on the &quot;Holoholo with Halemanu&quot; radio show. Thurdays 5-6pm and Saturdays 12-1pm on 88.5 FM or <a href="http://kakuradio.org" target="_new">kakuradio.org. Thurdays 5-6pm and Saturdays 12-1pm on 88.5 FM or kakuradio.org.
]]> Fri, 08 May 2009 01:36:24 GMT B1A8561210CD80AC83EAEA19AA1A6B57 http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=39993 &nbsp;This weeks guest on the show is Mondo Kane. Check out this two part show this week and the next on www.kakuradio.org or 88.5 FM every Thursday 5-6pm and Saturday 12-1pm Hawaii time.&nbsp; Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:37:03 GMT 36E91BC0BB73DA44E062E13EF1D08D57 http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=38431 &nbsp;Check out local music by local artists this Thursday on the Holoholo with Halemanu Radio Show on www.kaku.org or 88.5 FM locally on 4/2/09 5-6pm Hawaii time.&nbsp; Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:03:18 GMT 1BA9658859CC0F7EA6058453AE5E3B12 http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=36558 &nbsp;Just finished playing music at one of our local elderly care homes. I always try to have fun with the residents when I play. I volunteer there every other week bringing music to them. I encourage everyone to give back some way to their community. I share my music and fun to help brighten up their day. We are all busy and we have the same amount of time in a day like everything else. Think about it. Wed, 18 Mar 2009 06:53:29 GMT AA2C9FF6990A447FD895A99244CDECC7 http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=36445 &nbsp;This weeks guest on the Holoholo with Halemanu radio show is Hawaii musician Ernie Paiva Jr. The broadcast will air on Thursday March 19 from 5-6 pm. Tune at www.kakuradio.org or 88.5 FM for you people that live central.  This weeks guest on the Holoholo with Halemanu radio show is Hawaii musician Ernie Paiva Jr. The broadcast will air on Thursday March 19 from 5-6 pm. Tune at www.kakuradio.org or 88.5 FM for you people that live central.]]> Tue, 17 Mar 2009 02:39:14 GMT F68C010DE48399143BD3C189B95BD2B6 http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=36400 Howzit! Back from a few weeks off the blog, but I have a lot to tell. Back from our mini west coast stop and played some nice gigs and met wonderfull people. Among them Faith Ako. Really down to earth sista' from the islands who has made Sonoma County CA her home for a number of years. She just released her second CD a few weeks ago and it sounds great. Check her out here at <a target="_new" href="http://www.faithako.com">www.faithako.com and show your love and support. Nice lady with a loving family and lots of support in her area. See yah later. Howzit!

Back from a few weeks off the blog, but I have a lot to tell. Back from our mini west coast stop and played some nice gigs and met wonderfull people. Among them Faith Ako. Really down to earth sista' from the islands who has made Sonoma County CA her home for a number of years. She just released her second CD a few weeks ago and it sounds great. Check her out here at www.faithako.com and show your love and support. Nice lady with a loving family and lots of support in her area. See yah later.
]]> Mon, 16 Mar 2009 06:15:00 GMT 85FDA99CCEC19EBE25F549A2C9D58923 http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=34133 Keyboardist Gil Emata and drummer Mike Kennedy stopped by the studio this morning to talk shop. Gil originally from San Jose California is an excellent keyboard player with 35+ years in the music business. He has played with many of Hawaii&rsquo;s top acts like Fiji, Willie K, and Amy Gilliom. He currently plays with Ekolu and Off Tomorrow, or just about anyone else who would like to hire him. Mike Kennedy another veteran musician just moved back to Hawaii last year after being on the mainland for many years. He has played with many of Hawaii&rsquo;s top groups as well and played drums on Braddah Iz&rsquo;s ; Men who ride mountains and Somewhere over the rainbow, etc.&nbsp; Mike says that he was the drummer on the session when Iz recorded Somewhere over the rainbow. Iz was just messing around in the studio. The version that is released to the public has only Iz singing with the ukulele. Originally it was the whole band on recording. We hope to be jamming soon live or in the studio. Have a great weekend all! Keyboardist Gil Emata and drummer Mike Kennedy stopped by the studio this morning to talk shop.

Gil originally from San Jose California is an excellent keyboard player with 35+ years in the music business. He has played with many of Hawaii’s top acts like Fiji, Willie K, and Amy Gilliom. He currently plays with Ekolu and Off Tomorrow, or just about anyone else who would like to hire him.

Mike Kennedy another veteran musician just moved back to Hawaii last year after being on the mainland for many years. He has played with many of Hawaii’s top groups as well and played drums on Braddah Iz’s ; Men who ride mountains and Somewhere over the rainbow, etc.  Mike says that he was the drummer on the session when Iz recorded Somewhere over the rainbow. Iz was just messing around in the studio. The version that is released to the public has only Iz singing with the ukulele. Originally it was the whole band on recording.

We hope to be jamming soon live or in the studio.

Have a great weekend all!
]]> Sat, 31 Jan 2009 07:25:00 GMT D1F0CE48B01BC129BE39EAE5FA595B7E http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=34023 To add to my last entry, here is an example where little things can mean a lot.&nbsp; Take your automobile. If you were to check the fluids, tire pressure, perform scheduled maintenance on a regular basis, you'd be a little richer.&nbsp; Checking and maintaining the fluids of all the hydraulic systems (ex: cooling system, engine oil, etc.) help to ensure proper working condition and less chance of failure. A tire pressure that is too low means more rolling resistance and premature tire wear and decreases gas mileage. Too high of a tire pressure means premature tire wear and can be dangerous while driving. I sound like one of those sales people at your local car repair, but these are proven facts. You would get more efficiency out of your automobile than if you were to neglect those items. And efficiency&nbsp; =&nbsp; economy which&nbsp; =&nbsp; money saved and in your pocket.&nbsp; In these current times we all want that. You can kinda see where I&rsquo;m going with this. And I&rsquo;m just talkin about cars. Imagine all the places we can apply this idea.....I know we all know this, but some things we just let be. To add to my last entry, here is an example where little things can mean a lot. 

Take your automobile. If you were to check the fluids, tire pressure, perform scheduled maintenance on a regular basis, you'd be a little richer.  Checking and maintaining the fluids of all the hydraulic systems (ex: cooling system, engine oil, etc.) help to ensure proper working condition and less chance of failure. A tire pressure that is too low means more rolling resistance and premature tire wear and decreases gas mileage. Too high of a tire pressure means premature tire wear and can be dangerous while driving. I sound like one of those sales people at your local car repair, but these are proven facts.

You would get more efficiency out of your automobile than if you were to neglect those items. And efficiency  =  economy which  =  money saved and in your pocket.  In these current times we all want that.

You can kinda see where I’m going with this. And I’m just talkin about cars. Imagine all the places we can apply this idea.....I know we all know this, but some things we just let be. ]]> Thu, 29 Jan 2009 06:55:00 GMT BC941F4C79995894E7FA097F314D5233 http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=33882 Small things can make a difference. Although subtle, added up , many small adjustments or changes can make a BIG difference to anything that you can apply it to. Try it! Small things can make a difference. Although subtle, added up , many small adjustments or changes can make a BIG difference to anything that you can apply it to. Try it!
]]> Tue, 27 Jan 2009 02:25:00 GMT 9E8B0AF84D48B3D2CAE129E02BDB6F65 http://halemanumusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=525568&postid=33568 Tune in to my new weekly music show Holoholo with Halemanu on&nbsp;<a target="_new" href="http://kakuradio.org"> kakuradio.org&nbsp; or check out <a href="http://www.myspace.com/kakufm" target="_new">www.myspace.com/kakufm set to start in February.&nbsp; For those of you in the local area it is on 88.5 FM on the radio waves. I get to interview live in the studio or over the phone local and national musicians and music lovers covering all genres of music. The studio interviews will feature our guest and myself jamming live music throughout the broadcast. We will film the live interviews to be aired on our local TV station AKAKU. Tune in to my new weekly music show Holoholo with Halemanu on  kakuradio.org  or check out www.myspace.com/kakufm set to start in February.  For those of you in the local area it is on 88.5 FM on the radio waves. I get to interview live in the studio or over the phone local and national musicians and music lovers covering all genres of music. The studio interviews will feature our guest and myself jamming live music throughout the broadcast. We will film the live interviews to be aired on our local TV station AKAKU.
]]> Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:20:00 GMT 5C1C7EE491FA8997384E52B213FAFE84