The next stage

Most people who play an instrument will reach a point where they feel their playing has plateaued and they wish to progress to a new level. This is very true with the guitar which is a relatively easy instrument to play in a simple fashion but one of the hardest to play at a virtuoso level. The guitar is an extremely versatile instrument and perhaps this is what makes it so popular. There are many categories and styles of guitar including classical, flamenco, folk, finger-picking, pick or plectrum method, acoustic, electric, jazz, rock, latin and others and there are also many levels of acceptable proficiency on the guitar. For example, singers who accompany themselves on guitar may only know a handful of chords but this in no way hinders their ability to make pleasing music on a particular level. The main point is that some guitarists may be perfectly happy to stick with one style and one level of proficiency if this is what gives them their greatest musical enjoyment. Again, the guitar is an instrument of many levels. It is a true folk instrument.

The guitar has been the main instrument in the rock genre for over 60 years and shows no sign of losing its popularity. The essence of rock music is its simplicity and raw energy, its rough and rebellious nature. It is rhythmically exciting and can embrace high-energy tempos to down and dirty blues-style feels. Harmonically the basis of rock music is a fairly narrow platform, drawn in essence from the simple major, minor and dominant-seventh chords of the blues. Indeed the blues chord progressions together with the blues and pentatonic scales are the most defining sounds of rock music and are the standard weaponry of most reasonably proficient rock or pop guitarists.

Some guitar players become bored with the same old chord progressions and the same pentatonic-based scale sounds and look to broaden their horizons. Taking the next step involves an increase in musical awareness, an improved knowledge of harmony which includes new chord formations, a different approach to melodic line playing which usually involves learning and understanding new chord scales and arpeggios and a general increase in knowledge of the theoretical side of music. A long and exciting journey awaits.

Winter bike training

During winter I do a lot of bike sessions indoors on my Cateye CS1000 Cyclosimulator, a magnet/fan resistance turbo trainer. The Cateye has been around for a while and is popular with professional track cyclists. It has a very realistic, road-type feel and has excellent stability due to the front forks on the trainer that you lock onto.

On a turbo trainer you can simulate pretty much all the conditions that you encounter in a race or on a training ride. The added benefit is that you can target specific conditions and prioritise them. Set it up with a high resistance to simulate strong headwinds and work at this level for as long as you like to build power. Increase the resistance and do long "hill climb" sessions out of the saddle. These work particularly well on the Cateye due to the overall stability of the unit.

The Cateye is a major component in my bike training all year round. The simple fact that you can target specific conditions and hold them for as long you want makes for excellent training and there is also the added bonus of not having to worry about traffic or weather conditions. In the lead up to an Ironman event I will do 4 hour sessions made up up of two 2 hour sessions with a small break in between to trot around, stretch, refill bidons and perhaps change clothing.

I can highly recommend the Cateye CS1000. They don't make them any more but you can pick them up second-hand.

Improvisation

I love improvising. I was drawn to jazz and latin music when I first picked up a guitar and it was the improvisational element that really resonated with me. The wonderful songs and melodies of the time were the foundations and I would always find myself singing alternate melody lines and "impro" phrases and seeing how far I could take it. The world of improvisation is a fascinating world indeed. In essence you need to be a composer. You need to understand harmony, rhythm, chord sequences, phrasing and the like. The more knowledge you have of these essential elements of music the better you will be at making music through improvisation.

As an improviser you are in fact a composer who delivers an idea there and then, in the moment. To do this successfully you need to be very familiar with your instrument. Good improvisation is singing your ideas through your instrument and so the heart, mind, hands, instrument connection needs to be established through lots of practice.

Winter training

When the temperature drops and the chilly winds start blowing, long training runs can be challenging. Wind chill in particular can get into your bones on a long session so you need to cover up. Your hands will really feel the cold so gloves are a great idea. Long tights are also advisable and there are plenty of good products available. I like the Skins compression tights. They feel great on a cold day and work really well over long distances. I also use a compression top for the close fit and warmth. I wear this underneath a long sleeved cotton top which I can take off and wrap around my waist if I get too warm. A cap and sunglasses, good socks and Gel Kayanos complete the picture.

If you have the clothing sorted out then you should be set for a comfortable long run session. One good thing about running on a cold windy day is that the air is usually very clean and fresh, invigorating and energising.

Triathlon training in the gym

I work out in the gym a few times a week to increase core strength and flexibility which improves my performance in triathlon. I alternate my workouts with legs, shoulders and biceps one day and chest, back and triceps the other. I do abs and stretching every workout. Gym sessions are a great way to recover after races as the muscles really like to be targeted and stretched so toxins can be released.

I always superset my workouts, meaning I do alternate sets of opposing muscle groups. For example, bench press followed by seated rows, incline bench press followed by lat pull-downs. As I am training specifically for triathlon, I work continuously in the gym with no break between sets for the added aerobic benefits.

For legs I do squats/calf raises, leg curls/leg extensions. Squats are excellent for building core strength. Shoulder and arm workouts I triple superset with military press/upright rows/bicep curls.

Sydney Duathlon Race 2

Up at 5.45am this morning for race #2 in the Sydney Duathlon Series at Parramatta, a 3.2km run, 20km bike, 3.2km run event. I always have something to eat before I race and for early races I usually have a couple of slices of gluten-free toast with peanut butter and a cup of tea. The energy from this light breakfast usually kicks in around 8am which is perfect as this is the start time of the race.

A rather chilly morning of 8 degrees at Parramatta so you have to keep nice and warm and make sure to warm up properly. This is a sprint distance race so getting the heart rate up prior to the start is a really good idea. In the colder weather I leave a t-shirt on for the first 3.2km run leg after which I have warmed up for the bike. Arm warmers are a good idea in these conditions and today I kept them on for the entire race. Clocked a good time today of around 1h 8m which should give me a top 3 finish.

I get home around 10am and have a nice brunch, usually eggs for the protein with GF toast and coffee. Looking forward to training this week with some longer sessions.

Musical equipment

I'm enjoying my new Roland Cube 80XL guitar amp. I have long been a user of valve amps but the lugging around got a bit tiresome due to the extreme weight. This new solid-state amp is lovely. It's about half the weight of the valve combos and packs a real punch. I love the on-board effects and amp modelling. It's an extremely versatile unit with plenty of tone control and sound options. Recorded a new YouTube clip on Friday using the amp and my '85 Fender Stratocaster with EMG pickups. I took the Beatle song "I'm Down" and gave it a bluesy shuffle feel. Check it out on my YouTube channel.