Music Enthusiasts?

[fourfive8]

375RugerFan, I watched about 5 minutes of the link you posted of the narcissist Rick Beato telling the world how insightful he was about the Toto (Africa) mystery chord. What a load of BS. Half the examples he tried to reproduce were off key. I don’t know what he was smoking or snorting, but it didn’t help his “ear”.

 

[fourfive8]

A little light weight Birad jam of Beach Boys Fun, Fun, Fun

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

375RugerFan, I watched about 5 minutes of the link you posted of the narcissist Rick Beato telling the world how insightful he was about the Toto (Africa) mystery chord. What a load of BS. Half the examples he tried to reproduce were off key. I don’t know what he was smoking or snorting, but it didn’t help his “ear”.

@fourfive8 you are certainly entitled to your opinion, I just don’t happen to agree with.

Beato has a very unique YouTube channel and has nearly 6 million subscribers. Clearly, he has appeal to a large number. I know very little about making music, but really admire people with that talent. Beato does excellent interviews with many famous artists and they are respectful, insightful and entertaining. YouTube channels tend to be one man shows and very topic specific. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to watch it.

 

[fourfive8]

I’m about as far removed from being a musician as is possible. My mom could sing and my dad could play the piano but I can’t carry a tune in a bucket! However, I’ll admit to being a casual audiophile. For a couple years in college I had an elective opportunity to concentrate on a few music courses. During two summer sessions and a couple of semesters, I learned to critically listen to and analyze music. It had zero to do with my majors, just a serious interest in music. It had zero to do with learning to play or vocalize music. I lost track of the hours, day and after hours at night, I spent in the music lab in a set of headphones. Likely in the thousands of hours. Listening, over and over, to everything from Gregorian chant to classical to pop and rock, all. Vocal and instrumental, everything. That was some 55 years ago. Best non-major, “elective” course time I ever used in school. I’d recommend it for anyone seriously interested in music of any kind.

 

[fourfive8]

Note that Chen Birad usually plays I believe a Shecter electric. Also played an unknown acoustic when younger … in their excellent cover of Chiqitita. The Shecter seems to fit her stature and has that complex, raspy metal-rock sound when desired.

In Fun Fun Fun, she played a Rickebacker. It’s not her usual guitar and seems a little too large bodied for her. Her riff with it was fairly short probably due to unfamiliarity. But listen to how clean, crisp, precise and simple Chen’s picked notes are with the Rickenbacker compared to her familiar complex covers/riffs with the classic metal-rock sound of the Shecter.

Related to critical listening, is the use of good listening aids like ear buds or headphones. The technology and competition have exploded. That in turn has forced prices way down! Noise cancelling tech (ANC) is now as common as blue tooth connection.

My favorite devices are Apple Air Pod Pros for in ear. For over the ear, NOUII NU-ANC for about $70, are as good as high end Beats, Bose, Sony, etc at a fraction of the cost. For travel, it’s hard to beat $45, compact folders like the Y7Pro over-the-ear phones. I just used them on a couple of long domestic and a coupe of long haul international flights- excellent sound and value! Some plane models have blue tooth connection and some have 1 or 2 prong wired connections, plan accordingly. Listening to music or watching movies with ANC phones sure helps reduce travel stress.

 

[fourfive8]

LIstened again this morning to this by Franz Rhythm done 5 years ago. Brought back memories and a couple of semi-unrelated segues. Can't help but notice the purity of sound, no AI generated cover nor refined studio mix nor tweaking- just performed and recorded in one of their spare rooms at their house. Harmonies unbelievable as has been their standard. Chen is on acoustic and is lead vocal. Later, Char would take lead for vocals with keyboard with her unbelievable talent. Recorded as cover to Youtube. Not tweaked at all... with Chen maintaining a clearly Filipina accent to a John Denver classic! West Virginia always near/dear to my heart as one of my best friends in school was from Wierton WV- coal mines and steel mills "central".

Secondarily, this John Denver number was a reminder to me about a backstory of the late John Denver. His real name was Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. His dad and mine shared some common ground and training in peak Cold War of early 60s. His dad, HJD Sr., was a B-58 pilot stationed in Roswell, NM. Also, where John Denver was born. My dad's last assignment before getting out was at Kirtland AFB Albuq NM as a B-58 commander/pilot. They spent a lot of time, R&D, on the mechanics of carrying heavy bombs, both nukes and conventionals in that early supersonic bomber. My dad didn't talk much about it for obviously reasons but seemed glad to get out before having any incidents in the B-58. He'd had a close call with a major mechanical failure during a training flight as pilot in a B-29. The B-58 had a record of being difficult to fly and was prone to problems.

 

[allranch2025]

 

[allranch2025]

 

[allranch2025]

 

[fourfive8]

Excellent chamber accompaniment of a Vivaldi by Yo-Yo Ma

 

[fourfive8]

Here’s a Birad family cover of a currently popular pop number by Sampaquita (Maria Alfonso) done in Filipino (Tagalog) not the normal Bisaya or English the Birads normally casually speak. This piece, originally by Sampaquita, is not my favorite but it does showcase some of Chen’s latent talents. Tell me Chen, who usually carefully controls her vocals for harmonizing with dad Francisco and sister Char doesn’t have a big voice when she cuts it loose! Also, check out her playing of and unique riffs on that Schecter electric! Oh my!