Hugo - Novembre 2001

By Rodrigo Vinhas - Translated from Portuguese by Vitor Selles. From www.whiplash.net This section is dedicated to guitars and guitar players of Heavy Metal. Every month we’ll talk with a national or international guitar players about equipment, clear out some doubts we may have and make them give some tips that may come in handy for guitar players. We will also talk about subjects such as Chords, Scales, Arpeggios, Steps, Harmony, Improvisation and how all that can be applied to Heavy Metal. In the year of 2001, the guitar player Hugo Mariutti was considered one of the great breakthroughs among the national guitar players. In this short interview, he tells us some details about his equipment, talks about Shaman, Henceforth, and gives us a few tips. Is it true that Shaman did a pre-production at Ricardo Confessori’s house? Was the recording done in a digital or analogical way? Which of these do you prefer? HUGO - We did a preview at Ricardo’s house, recorded using the protools system, which is digital. As to which I prefer, actually it depends on the situation and the results you wish to achieve, but I really prefer going through an analogical process whenever it’s possible. Were you satisfied by the final results? A lot, the results were very good. And what about Henceforth, what is your opinion on how the recordings are coming out? I think it’s going to be a great album, not only the tuning, but also the songwriting part. The role of the two producers (Editor’s Note: Luis Mariutti and Guilherme Canaes) was essential for our musical evolution. How has been the public and the critics’ reaction to the single 'I.Q.U.' ? Very good, for the reviews have been very positive, and considering it’s a band that is trying to create a new style, that’s something very positive. What was your equipment used for the pre-production of Shaman and being used in the recording of Henceforth’s first album? As for guitars, I use Kramer Flying V, Fender Stratocaster, Ibanez S540 with a midi system and Fender Telecaster. For amps, I’ve been using Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier and Marshall Jcm 900. And for effects, I use Digital Delay and Chorus from Boss, Wah-Wah Cry Baby and a Modulo Roland GR 30. Which set of strings do you use? For guitars tuned in E (Editor’s Note: STANDARD), I use 0.10, for guitars tuned below that, I use 0.11, or 0.12, according to the guitar. Have you been going under a lot of pressure because you’re 'replacing' all at once Rafael Bittencourt and Kiko Loureiro? Actually, it’s natural that there is a lot of pressure, for they are both excellent guitar players and the public was used to them and liked them a lot. However, I’m in another band, so I’m not really replacing them, except in the Angra songs we play live. What have you been listening to lately? Lots of things. Actually, I’m always listening to anything that I consider quality music. That’s very important for whoever makes music, for you can’t stick to only one band or style. You have a Rock section in the Guitar Class magazine, tell us a bit more about that. Actually, I write for that magazine since November, when Valmyr Tavares, the magazine’s editor, called me to write my own section about metal. It’s very cool, ‘cos the magazine is a very good one and I’m happy to be a part of it. Since you’re the only guitar player in Shaman, will you record more than a guitar in the songs? Indeed, we’ll record a lot of stuff, but we’ll arrange it all live so that it sounds just like the album. How do you plan to play it all live? We’ll keep on doing as we have been doing up to now, because I think the Angra songs we’ve been playing live sound similar enough already. How do you compose your songs? Depends on the song I’m composing, for sometimes I play a riff and start working on it, and build the whole song based on it. Sometimes I start with a keyboard part, sometimes a drum beat, I don’t really follow a specific rule, only my inspiration. With whom did you learn music? I studied with two great music teachers called Marcelo Araújo and André Hernandes. These two taught me all I know about Harmony, technique, etc. However, there are two people who helped me a lot to improve the way I play: Luis Mariutti and Guilherme Canaes. Which guitar players influenced you most? I like many kinds of guitar players like Trevor Rabin, Randy Rhoads, Steve Rothery, Scott Ian, Glenn Tipton, Jake E. Lee, Marty Friedman, Eddie Van Halen etc What would you tell someone who wants to start playing the guitar? Try giving your best, with a lot of discipline and try to create your own style from the beginning, for I think the best guitar players are those who play their own style. Leave a message for our readers. I thank all who are interested in our work and the people who are supporting us through e-mails and messages. I hope you like our new sound, for we are very satisfied with the results. Here’s a guitar lesson by Hugo: BICHORDS and GREEK MODES Used by almost all the metal bands (Maiden, Helloween, Stratovarius, Savatage and many more), the BICHORD and the POWER CHORD are used to play the bases where you only play the key-note and the 5th. The difference in the POWER CHORD is that the octave is added to the BICHORD. BI CHORD: E e:-----------| B:-----------| G:-----------| D:-----------| A:------2----| E:------0----| POWER CHORD e:-----------| B:-----------| G:-----------| D:------2----| A:------2----| E:------0----| EX: Nothing to Say - 1:11 min e:-------------------------------------------------------| B:-------------------------------------------------------| G:----5--------4-------2---------------------------------| D:----5--------4-------2---------------------------------| A-----3--------2-------0---------------------------------| E:---------------------------------3-2--0----------------| Some other elements very common in Heavy Metal, especially in the solos, are the Greek Modes. The example below brings us G major in the 3 note per string mode. G Ionien e:-----------------------------------------5-7-8---------| B:----------------------------------5--7-8---------------| G:---------------------------4--5-7----------------------| D:-------------------4--5--7-----------------------------| A-----------3--5--7--------------------------------------| E:--3--5--7----------------------------------------------| A minor Doric e:-----------------------------------------7-8-10--------| B:----------------------------------7-8-10---------------| G:---------------------------5-7-9-----------------------| D:-----------------5-7-9---------------------------------| A-----------5-7-9----------------------------------------| E:--5-7-8------------------------------------------------| B minor Phrygien e:------------------------------------------8-10-12------| B:-----------------------------------8-10-12-------------| G:---------------------------7-9-11----------------------| D:-----------------7-9-10--------------------------------| A-----------7-9-10---------------------------------------| E:--7-8-10-----------------------------------------------| C Lydien e:-------------------------------------------10-12-14----| B:----------------------------------10-12-13-------------| G:--------------------------9-11-12----------------------| D:------------------9-10-12------------------------------| A-----------9-10-12--------------------------------------| E:--8-10-12----------------------------------------------| D Mixolydien e:---------------------------------------------12-14-15--| B:------------------------------------12-13-15-----------| G:----------------------------11-12-14-------------------| D:-------------------10-12-14----------------------------| A------------10-12-14------------------------------------| E:--10-12-14---------------------------------------------| E minor Aeolien e:----------------------------------------------14-15-17-| B:-------------------------------------13-15-17----------| G:----------------------------12-14-16-------------------| D:--------------------12-14-16---------------------------| A------------12-14-15------------------------------------| E:--12-14-15---------------------------------------------| F # Locrien e:--------------------------------------------15-17-19---| B:------------------------------------15-17-19-----------| G:----------------------------14-16-17-------------------| D:--------------------14-16-17---------------------------| A------------14-15-17------------------------------------| E:--14-15-17---------------------------------------------|