Playing behind the beat and making volume pedal swells feel GOOD

[@TheFeelButton]

Diming the click track to thwart copyright trolls 😂Ain't the internet a grand place?! Cheers Justin!!

[@JustinOstrander]

Yeah, in hindsight the click is a bit loud, lol. I don’t even notice it anymore 😂

[@cantstartafire]

Brilliant!

[@OnwardAndEdward]

Being aware of tension and overall body language when playing is SO important. Thanks for shedding light on that topic, Justin! Incredible playing as always 🤘🏼

[@CoffsRice]

Every note sounded just right like it was meant to be there. That is artistry 💯

[@mofateam1]

No joke, I almost cried, your playing is so heartwarming and gentle. I love it.

[@JustinOstrander]

Why thanks! That means a lot. I wanted this track to feel like a warm bath (minus the click 😂)

[@therealdoug1000]

The tone on those swells bro. Perfecto!

[@wesking1]

Great comment about tension Justin. I appreciate that reminder. Very tasteful parts you put in the track. Nothing overplayed, soaring ambient bits, super melodic. This subtle stuff gets me as much as anything in music.

[@mikemalone9404]

Very cool! Having a very creative mind, to be able to find just what needs to be said is one thing...but also having the ability to let it flow thru your hands, is a gift!

[@bojackzzman2749]

I see why you've made a great recording artist. Thank you Justin!!

[@edjones2199]

Yet another great session This old drummer is still learning Thank you

[@mudnducs]

I’ll never be good…but I so enjoy your insights, your tone and your approach…. and I love trying anyway, young man

[@jfinester]

Tasty playing! I’ve used a volume pedal for decades. I started using one on country gigs to emulate a pedal steel, but I’ve used it on everything from rock and blues to jazz and R&B. The key for me was when a steel player told me that he never went all the way off with the pedal, and after that the only time I’d shut the pedal all the way back was it I had to set the guitar down.

[@jcrbama]

That is some beautiful playing and an a amazing tone that melts right into the vibe of the song.

[@edmoss2020]

Thanks Justin...great playing as always , swells sound amazing also.. that jazzmaster sound fits this song well.

[@ryanlekas4309]

Yooo! This channel I awesome. Thanks Justin for sharing all your knowledge and inspiring new ideas. That dano is rad 👌🏻

[@JustinOstrander]

Thanks so much!

[@brettdiaz]

Amazing! That was so emotional.

[@secallen]

Great advice and sublime playing. Thank you.

[@dbb124]

Great guitar playing! Next level!

[@jasonkucharski7411]

well I know what I am practicing this week! That sounded Great dude endless inspiration!

[@b-regsproductions]

I’ve been interested in getting a passive volume pedal, nice video👍

[@stang1748]

So sweet! Thank you

[@TheGRider56]

Sounds incredible!

[@DDE_ADDICT]

I am very happy I found you. That was awesome, and very tasty. I love you approach

[@nickjones3222]

The run at 8.20 is ❤️

[@OliverAmberg]

You painted a beautiful picture. Damn the click track 😉Thanks for sharing Justin!

[@alexandrepalet9601]

Sounds great!! Which volume pedal do you use?

[@JaxonAasen]

Awesome lesson thanks man!

[@JohnnyBgood548]

Thank you for these lessons!

[@shawnclevelandmusic3547]

Love the chords!!! Also how do you get you acoustic guitar to sound so sweet? 😊

[@JustinOstrander]

You absolutely can not fail mic’ing a good sounding acoustic about 12” back pointed straight at the neck joint. You’re hearing a ‘62 Harmony Sovereign here.

[@evo9860]

Love the channel and making music for a living has to be a gratifying job. You’re an exceptional guitarist and I really enjoy listening to you describe your equipment and how you get the sounds your after. Look forward to seeing what you upload next. 🫶🏼✌🏼

[@jamiem7114]

So tasteful!

[@garygreening2799]

I’ve found that moving the volume swell ahead or behind the amp creates a different feel, especially with an overdriven amp. Ahead of the amp the swell also adds overdrive and texture to the tone. Great for causing the chord to linger. Since I’m using a Kemper this is simple to move.

[@splashfizz]

Very nice! Great info, playing and demo. I'm still trying to find some guitar sounds that work well together in my recordings. Very inspirational!

[@ransbarger]

Good stuff! Thank you.

[@graemero5532]

Very nice use of the volume pedal 🍺Cheers Justin

[@tommayo3212]

Wow. Loved it, gonna go sit with my volume pedal and ask it why it never ever sounds like that for me!

[@gradyshawver7643]

Great, Justin.

[@scottemmonsmusic6001]

For me when I started doing pro session recording I had to learn to jam with the click. Not trying to be a perfect exact astronomical cyborg. I first learned about that the correct time window has quite a big space, you can be on the front end pushing, right in the middle but I prefer to sit back in the bucket seat letting the click almost have push me along. I learned decades ago how some singers were behind the beat which made them sound so soulful. Being in no rush, almost lazy with phrasing.

[@JustinOstrander]

Yep. Context is key, though. Sometimes the laid back vibe of playing behind is wrong, you know? It’s such a subtle but extremely powerful tool

[@jimmyfrombrooklyn8550]

Regarding behind the beat- it amazed me how arbitrary my right hand was working when I quantized the track. Got away with murder playing live with an intuitive drummer for years. Great content, thanks

[@Vern859]

Wow! That was amazing!👏🙋‍♂️

[@andrewblackard3369]

Very tasteful Justin. Do you prefer the volume pedal over working the volume knob on a Fender? You can probably guess from that question that Roy Buchanan was my childhood guitar hero. I don't know if you dig jazz but Billie Holiday and Lester Young made an art form out of singing/playing behind the beat. To me it imparts sort of a lazy-and-sassy feel. If you search for Cannonball Adderley - Love For Sale on KZbin Miles Davis really seems to channel Holiday on that track I think and plays about a mile behind the beat. :)

[@JustinOstrander]

Thanks! I use both the knobs and the volume pedal. Just depends on what I’m doing at the moment

[@alexandereisen3486]

Do you find closing your eyes when you’re playing allows you to release some of tension? I don’t know, seems to work for me sometimes.

[@steveagelakos]

Great parts! It's a shame that a lot of times those types of parts are buried in a final mix or just left out. Nice job! 🙂

[@Warrnan52]

@justinostrander which volume pedal do you recommend? My current Ernie ball and Jim Dunlop have a noticeable hump in the swell as I crank the volume up and it makes swells unsmooth. Thanks! This sounds so good.

[@JustinOstrander]

I use the Dunlop mini X.

[@Warrnan52]

@@JustinOstrander thank you 👍

[@Atttuner]

Sounds mint can you link some of your finished tracks from time to time understand these take a while to get to market

[@JustinOstrander]

Most of these are demos that aren’t released. One of my recent videos (“A single I produced is out”) does just that-you can watch my overdub process, and there are links to the release in the description. Cheers!

[@goswo]

Hi Justin. Would you be comfortable to record your micked up amp with just a SM57? Trying to find a good simple set up for my small home studio. Thanks…

[@JustinOstrander]

I love a 57, too. That is usually what’s on my amps at other studios. The most common mic setup is a 57 and a Royer 121 combo. I almost always ask to hear significantly more of the 57 in my cans. Most engineers favor it and dial in the Royer to taste.

[@goswo]

@@JustinOstrander thanks a lot Justin. I understand you cant answer all questions, but really appreciate when you do. The Royer is just so expensive :-)

[@aminahmed2220]

I enjoy the videos have a wonderful day also what is your favorite instrument

[@JustinOstrander]

Thanks a ton! I really can’t choose. I rely on all of them as tools, and I have made a point to find a bunch of keepers that inspire me when I pick them up.

[@nilsgrafo5999]

Thanx for a great video. I notice that you have 1/8th notes in the click - can you share your thoughts about that?

[@JustinOstrander]

I know people have all sorts of opinions on how to use a click. I’m just so used to it, I don’t really consciously notice it at this point. North of 95-100bpm, 8ths can get obnoxious.

[@nohillforahighstepper]

The temptation to over-fill that space would be too much for me to overcome. I do better if I'm one of the last to record. Somebody on a beatbox, hidden in the mix, might be cool? Great sounding swells! Steel players are hating on you now...😮

[@WineRedDeluxe]

Do you always record amped and wet with effects? Ever send the unamped DI along with it?

[@JustinOstrander]

I generally print all my effects, yes. Sometimes I am asked to do no reverb or delay, but I’ve only ever been asked to send a DI line like twice ever. I’m not even set up for that at home. Speaking for most of us in the scene here, most clients want our sounds we dial up as is.

[@boonewallace]

Sorry if i missed this, but what volume pedal are you using. Do you have opinions on the way certain ones track? I’m using a dunlop mini and I feel like I really fight getting a smooth swell. Could use hints or encouragement if other people use the same or prefer otherwise lol

[@JustinOstrander]

Dunlops. I have the mini on my small board and the full size on my big board. You can see them on my pedalboard videos. Cheers!

[@lorikislack1504]

I came for playing behind the beat. Did I miss it?

[@hansemannluchter643]

Of course you can play behind the beat, just listen to Ringo.. Also, what's the purpose of the 2 USB-ports on the Jazzmaster??

[@baseboardmatt]

I do swells a lot, do you like drive pedals before or after your volume pedal? I tend to like my drives after… so you swell into the drive so the gain intensifies over time. But that’s just me. I think most people do drives before vol pedal.

[@JustinOstrander]

The way I see it, I can get those kinds of swells that increase in gain from the volume knob on the guitar. So in order to have the option of doing it the other way (a true fade-in swell), I keep my volume pedal after drives/boosts.

[@garygreening2799]

Have you tried an auto swell? Again on the Kemper the auto swell responds to how hard you play.

[@JustinOstrander]

Yes! I wildly overused the line6 delay auto swell back in the day, haha. The Mercury7 has an autoswell I really like, too. Isn’t it just swell that there are so many different ways to incorporate it? 🤠

[@sotw1]

Justin- thanks for playing SO GOOD on this session! kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoavemScoqmfiNk

[@JustinOstrander]

Thanks! I will check it out 👊🏼

[@charleswood2182]

Are you effectively a composer then, since you aren't working from a score? Will you get song writing credit?

[@JustinOstrander]

We are compensated up front in a scale wage set by the union. Whatever instrumental hooks we come up with are not considered part of the songwriting. I know it sounds backwards to many on the outside.

[@tomsewell7202]

You may have covered this in a previous episode and I’ve missed it, but what DAW are you using?

[@JustinOstrander]

Pro Tools.

[@FakeGlasses]

How do you route/where do you put your volume pedal in your chain?

[@JustinOstrander]

After drives, before modulation.

[@kristopherk5454]

What volume pedal do you use?

[@JustinOstrander]

Dunlop mini

[@kristopherk5454]

@@JustinOstrander just sold me.

[@andrewjkingmusic]

When is the lesson on doubling mic banter

[@JustinOstrander]

Oh that one will be behind the paywall 🤠

[@MrYatesj1]

Geeee, that’s swells ;-)

[@JustinOstrander]

🤓

[@jaydenanderson53]

I noticed that you stopped wearing your Tennessee hat, I was wondering if there was any specific reason why?

[@JustinOstrander]

I always give up halfway through letting my hair grow out. The hat helped me get through most of the awkward phase. That’s why I wore it so much. Plus I really need to clean it a couple more times since wearing it on the beach for a week.

[@mlambrechts1]

All players do funny faces while playing, especially soloing. It 's the same as rolling your tongue or doing things with your eye brows. But indeed, you have to pay attention to not play the fretboard with high pressure: you will be not fluid, you will not be able to play fast and in a concert you can get muscle cramps, fatigue or pain.

[@jeremyversusjazz]

Love that jm? Pray tell about it!

[@JustinOstrander]

It’s a Danocaster, and I bonded with it instantly. I put a Descendant tailpiece and bridge on it. Peter Leonard pickups. Just a special guitar. Thanks!

[@jeremyversusjazz]

@@JustinOstrander indeed brother!

[@BlugubriousMusic]

Calf muscle!!!! Sheesh... man, do I know that one.

[@JustinOstrander]

Right?! I’m telling you, if you can prevent from subconsciously doing that, your playing will lay back and feel so much better. Cheers!

[@BluesLicks101]

Anyone can play any note? I like what Ritchie Blackmore said in respect about his friend Jeff Beck: "Jeff cheated, his guitar has notes mine doesn't have".

[@JustinOstrander]

I feel the same way when listening to Joe Pass. But he’s operating within the same 12 half-step structure of Western music I am.

[@Whitewolf76802]

Very tasty.

[@Tonetwisters]

You were playing behind the beat on a video where you were tracking some parts. Not sure I like it. Sorry.

[@lukedavismusic]

So tasty!