String Sound Studios - Artist Spotlight

Aug 13, 2006

After going back and forth with Chris for a few months we were able to hook up with him and do this interview. I said to him “You must be one of the busiest guitarists around “ and if you read the interview and bio he presented us with you will find out what makes this great guitarist tick. We are really happy and grateful Chris took the time out to share his insights with all of us. So please read enjoy and learn. Thanks so much Chris Buono from all of us at String Sound Studios

1. String Sounds: When did you start playing a musical instrument or instruments and at what point in life did you know music was going to be your career?

Chris: I was around 11 or 12 when I started tinkering with my older brother’s ES-175. Due to his obsession with Yes, my first guitar hero was Steve Howe and the first tune I ever learned was “Roundabout”. This was a great path to be set on since the music was so challenging. Both of my older brothers were constantly turning me onto all kinds of great music as well as the many facets of the guitar. Because I grew up and spent most of my life in a tourist area like the Jersey Shore and I was still close to NYC, I was exposed to so much music. I got into it all—jazz and it’s many sub-genres, shred metal, funk, the blues, thrash, R&B and soul, underground punk and hardcore, using effects—you name it. I always saw the guitar as a powerful tool for creating music and sounds and I guess it just kind of found me in terms of pursuing it as a profession. I never considered doing anything else with my life and I never will —it’s just what I do.

2. String Sounds: Of the teachers you have studied with who have been the most influential? In what way?

Chris: I’ve had the honor and the pleasure (and the luck) to study with some of the real greats: Mick Goodrick, Wayne Krantz, David Fiuczynski, and Vic Juris to name a few. They all had massive impact on me as a player, a teacher, and as a professional and a person. But the two guys who really got me off on the right foot were my first two teachers back in Jersey—Frankie Cicala and Gerry Carboy. Frankie was and still is the local badass. Frankie drilled the key signatures and a lot of basic theory concepts in a way that really stuck in my head while encouraging me to improvise. One day he took me aside and shoved a Real Book under my shirt when I was like 13, sent me out the back door, and said, “Learn everything in this book and you’ll eat”—man! Was he right. Gerry was a bass player who had success in the 70s with in the NY session scene and the fusion scene. When he was off the road with David Sancious or Barry Miles he would lock himself in “in the shed” and that’s where he developed a massively organized methodology based on the diatonic modes, triads, and bi-tonality for superimposition that proved to be incredibly beneficial to me and really helped me get to the next level and beyond. I owe so much to Frankie and Gerry and all of my teachers for so many reasons and I consider them all family.

3.String Sounds: Along with playing out a lot you are doing quite a bit of teaching, how do you find time to practice?

Chris: Practice? … Oh yeah, I remember that! It’s VERY difficult to find time to actually practice. I’m usually practicing things I need to perform or record when I’m not actually performing or recording. Back in the days when I was teaching privately in my house and doing the grind in music stores, I would take those couple of minutes between students and work on something. Those momentary clips actually helped a lot and they made me really discipline myself to intensely concentrate on something since I only had one hot minute to spare. Otherwise, I pray for some free time and try not engaging in the million other things I need to do—eat, sleep.

4. String Sounds: You are well known for your unique improvisational style. What are some of your approaches to teaching improvisation?

Chris: It’s different for every level. When I was teaching beginners I always tried to get them to improvise in any way they felt comfortable so they would never feel intimidated by the process. I never forced a style on anyone but I always tried to turn students onto all the great music out there so they can develop that internal encyclopedia to draw from. Generally I try to make sure students practice playing over some kind of backing music if they can’t get a real human to play with. With technology being where it is and the access we have on the net, it’s so easy to create or obtain music to play over. Even better yet, it’s easy to record yourself so you can listen back and hear what you need to work on or decide to keep doing in your playing—that’s huge! I really stress playing and not getting so intellectual. I made the mistake of geeking out on a boatload of theories and concepts that I couldn’t really translate into music yet. My mind was way ahead of my hands and ears for a bit and I had to step back and change that while getting yelled at on a lot of gigs.

5. String Sounds: Who are some of your favorite guitarist or other instrmentalists to listen to and why?

Chris: Ouch—there’s so many. I really love the guitar and I’ll give anyone a try so I’ve been constantly on the hunt for inspiring players long before it became part of my professional existence to do so. I’ll try to list some of all time favorites and they’re listed here because they truly made me feel something inside or they’re just plain nasty! Steve Howe, Steven Egerton (All), Joe Pass, The Edge, Eddie, Pat Metheny, David Fiuczynski, Wayne Krantz, Marty Freidman and Jason Becker, Adam Levy, Jim Campilongo, Wes, George Benson, Alex Lifeson, Steve Vai, Satch, Pat Martino, Jimmy Nolen ...

6. String Sounds: What practice methods do you feel benefit you the most?

Chris: Playing music. The most valuable thing I learned from guys like Wayne Krantz and Fuze were to always play music. How could you possibly spontaneously compose music without actually spending time doing it? If you put all your time into processes and thoughts and theories, that’s all your going to have to say when you step up to the plate. Aside from that, practice with a metronome. Sounds simple, but it’s the real deal and not many people do it and that’s why their time is not happening. Nothing will end a career before it ever gets started faster than having bad time.

7. String Sounds: What kind of Guitar (s) and accessories do you favor to get your sound?

Chris: A guitar (usually my bionic ’73 Strat) that’s setup to my specs with D’addario strings, a killer wah like my Tesse RMC III or vintage Crybaby, my Retrospec Squeeze Box, a warm, singing overdrive—there’s to many to list that I use, a Digitech Whammy II, an Ernie Ball Volume Pedal, an early Boss (Made in Japan) delay, and quality cables into a great vintage amp with NOS tubes if you want my preferred bare minimum. I always like to have some noise toys of course and I usually walk up to my pedal shelves and start cooking up a signal chain in my head as I grab some weaponry for whatever it is I’ll be doing. I have some really great stuff from 4mS, Frostwave, Frantone, Line 6, Lovetone, Prophecysound, Electro-Harmonix, and Z.Vex.

8. String Sounds: Are there any other subjects or hobbies you enjoy outside of music?

Chris: My two sons! They keep everything in check and make my life full of Kodak moments—everything I do is for them. I love old cars and hot rods, riding or driving a boat, tinkering with Mac apps for graphics and video, and I’m gearing up for next spring when I dive into my yard and finally learn how to plant something without inevitably killing it.

9. String Sounds: What advice can you give students who admire your accomplishments and want to be a musician like yourself?

Chris: First, play that guitar and leave your mind wide open to the massive amount of amazing music on this planet. Next, find out whom you are both musically and personally—build confidence. Then, go out and take on the world and never let anyone tell you ‘you can’t’—you can. Learn what networking is and learn how to do it well. Take every gig in the beginning and treat it like you’re subbing for Jimmy in Led Zeppelin. This is a life journey and if you truly love it, it will never feel like work—well, most of the time.

10. String Sounds: Can you give us some insight on what you have planed for the next couple of years in the music business?

Chris: In the next year I will be releasing a handful of CDs with me as a leader (finally) that feature some great, great musicians like Graham Haynes, Matt Rubano (Talking Back Sunday), John Ellis (Charlie Hunter), Danny Sadownick and Steve Jenkins (Screaming Headless Torsos), Tobias Ralph and more. I’ve yet to decide if I will pursue these completely on my own or if I will seek out a label that suits each project. I’m in talks with a major publisher for a new book that I may co-write on a subject I promise will matter and not just be another version of a subject that already has had several dozen volumes written about it already. I will be applying for my second early promotion at Berklee to bump me to the third of the four tiers of our ranking system, which ultimately I want to be at the fourth tier—full professor—before I’m 40. When my boys are a little older I want to get back to traveling—this time around not as a sideman, but as a leader. I really want to go play in Europe again and I think when people hear what I have on these releases it will start to come together. Stay Tuned.

BIO

Chris Buono—improviser/composer/writer/video-clinician/educator—may just be the busiest guitarist you’ll ever encounter. So far 2006 Chris has recorded on four CD projects that included a dizzying array of today’s most highly regarded musicians from a myriad of styles. Starting in January, Chris went into Peter Karl Studios in Brooklyn with co-conspirator Andy Sanesi and led a star-studded cast of New York’s finest improvisers to record a CD of music composed by Chris and jam-band icon Jesse Gibb (Schleigho) dedicated to the imagery of the 1979 cult-movie classic, The Warriors. The two-day session brought together a New Your City super-group that included Graham Haynes, Danny Sadownick (Screaming Headless Torsos), John Ellis (Charlie Hunter), Matt Rubano (Talking Back Sunday), and Ben Stivers (Matchbox 20). In February Chris collaborated with Canadian shred guitarist Dave Martone for their contribution to an upcoming shred compilation called the The Alchemists Vol. 2 on the UK instrumental guitar label Liquid Note Recordings (LNR) with Strapping Young Lad drummer Gene Hoglan. When March rolled around Chris headed down to Bill Laswell’s studio in West Orange, NJ for another “player” summit that included modern jazz monsters Leon Gruenbaum (Vernon Reid), Marcus Gilmore (Chick Corea) for the upcoming debut release from Graham Haynes on Ravi Coltrane’s new label, RKM Music. May found Chris in Berklee College of Music’s Studio A with Tobias Ralph and Steve Jenkins (Screaming Headless Torsos) to record a trio CD documenting this group’s amazing and innovative sound. In-between recording sessions and an incendiary performance at the 2006 NAMM Convention with jazz/rock fretless guitar legend David Fiuczynski and his band Kif, Buono is a regular contributor to Guitar One Magazine and Mel Bay on-line webzine Guitar Sessions, a columnist for Just Jazz Guitar Magazine, and an Assistant Professor at the famed Berklee College of Music as well as a seminar instructor at the National Guitar Workshop. In addition to his popular submissions to Guitar One, Chris also plays all of the musical examples for the camera on the accompanying CD-ROM putting his own headless torso in front of 160,000 viewers a month.

Chris’ unmistakable sonic stamp can also be heard on such diverse releases as jazz/fusion drum legend Rodney Holmes’ debut solo release 12 Months of October, the debut from blues/rock/rap star Tony C. and the Truth, Demonophonic Blues (Lava), and Persian singer/songwriter Haale’s award winning EP Se. Along with these high profile releases, Chris has been in incredible live playing situations with these and other artists like Don Byron, DJ Logic, Keith Carlock (Sting), Grammy nominated vocalist Carla Cook, and many others. As a result, Chris has appeared on national television, numerous independent releases, has had his own compositions featured on numerous MTV and VH-1 programs, and performed in countless clubs and theatres across North America and Europe including the Blue Note in New York and the Bayerischer in Munich.

Please visit www.chrisbuono.com for more information on Chris Buono happenings, products, and teaching.

Jul 23, 2006

Howard was born on October 2, 1929. His father didn't want him to be a musician. Howard eventually told his dad, 'Dad, if you take my music away you have taken my life. At an early age Howard decided that he was going to play the guitar. Howard tells the story, When I was about eight years old, I fell asleep in the back seat of my parents car one very hot summer afternoon and when I woke up I just blurted out, I have to play the guitar.'" He tried to build a guitar out of a board and bailing wire without much success. His parents, feeling sorry enough for him, went out and bought him a little $18 Kalamazoo acoustic guitar, a student model made by the Gibson Company, as a Christmas present. His first guitar teacher was a local lady, but unfortunately, she died a few months after he started. Howard eventually found a new teacher, Horace Hatchet, who had arrived in Phoenix after a stint in the military. Howard learned much about the guitar on his own, however, and was considered to be mostly self-taught on the instrument.
When he was about fifteen, Howard started playing in blues and jazz clubs in the Phoenix area and this is where he started learning the craft of improvising. He also got quite an extensive background in the blues, playing in many of the clubs with mostly black musicians, who took him under their wing and taught him about music. Howard took it all in and found it to be a wonderful experience for him. Howard Roberts went on to make many great contributions to music. Among being a great guitarist and studio musician he was a pioneer in music education and started GIT (Guitar Institute of Technology). Although he played on numerous movie and television scores and has recorded on many top 20 hits with artists such as Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran, and Bobby Darin you may want to pick up his own recordings such as “ H.R is a Dirty Guitar Player “ and “ Color him Funky.

Mar 06, 2006

In this section we will feature artists of the past and present in addition to new and upcoming talent. If you would like to be featured please email us here.

Into jammin? Got performin in your soul? We do!
Learn to play in a live band situation for a variety of instruments. We offer Rock, Jazz and Blues Ensembles at our Setauket studio. Learn the styles of B.B. King, Led Zeppelin, and Django Reinhardt. Or, if you like, just become part of a guitar and string ensemble. Apply those skills you learn at home by playing in shows and concerts.

Take advantage of our special pay-as-you-go plan or a 1-time payment of 40% off our regular rates.

Visit our Guitar Fretboard to the left for some more information or give us a call at 631-476-8946.

Now is the time of year to start thinking about NYSSMA.
NYSSMA stands for New York State School Music Association, which runs a statewide solo and small ensemble festival every year. The festival occurs between March and June. The specific date or dates depend on the region you reside in and/or the school district your child attends.

Starting in first grade, students may prepare one (or more, depending on level requirements) pieces to perform in front of a judge, and receive a score either out of 28 (levels I through IV) or 100 (levels V and VI). As you can see, there are six levels, and your String Sounds instructor can assess which level is appropriate. Regardless of level, pieces must be chosen from a list presented in the NYSSMA manual (current edition: XXIX). Your child’s school music program should own a copy of this manual, and we also have a copy here at the studio. Students must also prepare scales for each level, and must perform sightreading in the judging. Your instructor should be aware of these requirements, and can prepare their students accordingly.

Participation is not mandatory, but we recommend it as it helps assess students’ skill levels, gives them experience playing for others, and encourages good musicianship. In order to participate, students MUST get forms from their school. Ask your child’s school music teacher or check the school’s website.

If you have any questions regarding NYSSMA, please ask your instructor, call the office 631-476-8946, or visit the official website, nyssma.org for more information.

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