Damn, but now you can also improve finger strength on your other fingers, esp your pinky. Do chromatic runs with just three fingers. Try the spider with 3 fingers! Damn, that'll be a crazy work out.

This will be what the Spider exercise looks like with 3 fingers:

E||-----4-----2-----3--|-----||
B||--------------------|-----||
G||--------------------|-----||
D||--------------------|-----||
A||--------------------|-----||
E||--2-----3-----4-----|-----||

Where the numbers are not only the frets but also which finger you should use to fret them (2 is middle finger, 3 is ring finger, 4 is pinky). Play it on a 3/4 time signature or just make alternatives as you go, depending on what sounds good/challenges you etc!

Thanks! I'll do this tonight! I'm just trying to do things while my finger is healing so I won't waste time.

I've been working on atmospheric keyboardy stuff lately (I am not talented enough to call it "symphonic") and I'm starting to wonder if I should try to make an album's worth of music. All the other black metal guys do it and I don't have cash to buy a guitar for a death metal band at the moment, so why not?

Can I get a recommendation on an effective practice routine? Mostly bettering my technique and fretboard memorization. (I took piano for 5-6 years so I'm pretty tight on basic theory).

Fretboard stuff is just... drills. All the drills. Drill everything. Scales, arpeggios, licks, do it in keys you like, do it in keys you hate, move shit around. That's all I can suggest really.

As for technique it really helps to have someone better than you correcting your mistakes. Every teacher I've gone to made a huge impact on my playing in a short period of time by pointing out little things I was doing that was sabotaging my technique.

I usually practice my scales, chromatic exercises and stuff, then just try learning a new song or playing along to some song I know.

Here's a good exercise that sounds easy but is surprisingly tough to play: Play your usual chromatic exercise, starting with 1st fret on the thick E string and go 1-2-3-4 with the respective finger corresponding to the respective fret. When you play the 4th fret with your pinky, keep your pinky pinned down on the 4th fret and take your 1st finger to the 1st fret of the next string (A) and keep the rest of your fingers pinned down on their respective frets on the E string until you need to use the finger to play the next note on the A string. Keep this on for all the strings, your fingers pressing down on the respective frets until you need to use that finger on the next string.

I hope you understand what I'm saying. This little exercise really improved my technique a lot!

The challenge is to get all notes clearly without any bum notes due to your skin touching the other string.

Apparently I will be resuming my position as Fragile Existence's on-again/off-again bass player. Will be my first time jamming with them since 2011 when I filled in at their debut show.

Looking forward to making noise with them again!


Also I'm in the process of writing a solo album which may be appearing later this year, but given my currently busy production schedule I doubt the tracking will start before the summer at the earliest.

Looking forward to jamming with a new bassist, while our old bassist will be playing a couple last gigs to seal his departure from the band and the end of this chapter of Sylvus. We go through them pretty quick, amazing that Luke played on three recordings. That's rare!

I am listening to you jam from upstairs and I am quite enjoying what I hear.

My guitar was sounding hella fuct up the past few days. Fuzzy, pops, cutting in and out, totally unusable. I was pretty worried. After some googling, it seems you're supposed to replace the 9v battery for your pickups every once in a while. I didn't even realize some pickups had batteries... I replaced the battery and everything's back to normal. I've had this guitar for almost 8 years and it's the first time the battery's been replaced. Also finally changed the strings that have been on there for 2 years. It sounds way better now. LOLNOOB

thanks dude we were pretty rough because it'd been quite a while since we'd jammed, but it went better than it could have. Can't wait to get this thing in the can, just have to do vocals then convince someone to press it for us, hahaha.

Nice hoolahoop dancers in the second vid. Sounds good. Got links for your metal stuff?


I listened to Collosus. My fav was 2600.


My fav was Death Owl, especially the opening section.


Cool chill parts, nice album cover.


My fav was The Swordsman.

My fav was Intuitive Realization.


My fav was Latrodectus - Song1.


My fav was Out. Did you change tunings a few times while playing?


I listened to Wargasm. My fav was Beautiful and Cruel.

Actually I changed my strings, tuned them up without stretching them and then played so what you hear are strings that are slowly detuning themselves with occasional tuning adjustments from me. Thanks for listening!

Well it sounded neat.

I listened to the split. My fav was between "You Took It In The Chest - I Saw It" and "An Ounce Of Prevention = A Pound Of Fuhrer". I couldn't decide which to choose as fav.


I listened to the split. My fav was Rob Ford Doesn't Care About Gay People.


My fav part started at 4:31 where the drums mimic the guitars.


My fav was the opening part of The Zombery.


My fav part was the first 24 seconds.

My fav part was the opening minute.


It was only a minute, but creepy.


Nice beards and that cymbal looks nasty. Hard to hear, so I couldn't choose a fav part.


My fav was Hard Six.

We don't really play those songs very often anymore, but thanks! Occasionally we bust out Ounce.



That's my favorite too. Much appreciated!

Obviously you mean Warguts... a lot of people seem to like that one the most. It is different for sure for sure. Thanks for listening!

aw crap sorry, I can't read. Also, looking forward to that new Vices album you mentioned!

I don't know if the guy who shot this got the audio from the board or what, but it sounds fucking great. I always love playing at this place...the sound guy makes us sound amazing, which makes us play pretty damn well I gotta say.

http://youtu.be/UP_bqWmUYkk

Nice bass work!

Thanks man.