Shchedryk (Carol Of The Bells) - Guitar tab, video lesson, T-shirt & more at jongomm.com (link in bio)
My take on the ancient Ukrainian ‘shchedrivka’ folk song, known in the West as a Christmas classic. The original lyrics are about seeing the first swallow of the year, meaning that winter must be nearly over and spring is coming. The music is built around a polyrhythm - three beats in one voice overlap with two beats in the other - generating a powerful ritual chant or dance, which was believed to bring strength and courage to anyone who heard it.
I reinterpreted the music a fair bit, so when I play it live I introduce it with a different title - Shchedryk v Hrad. Hrad is the Ukrainian word for hail or hailstorm, so you can think of it as A Swallow In A Hailstorm. Hrad is also the name the Russian army gave to their rocket-launcher tanks, which shoot a hailstorm of destruction, like those which totalled the apartment of my friend Serhii Radzetskyi and his family. This piece is dedicated to him, and my other Ukrainian friends Inna Engstrom and Vlad Chernyshov, and all those that have suffered as a result of the war.
____
Gear I used to make this: @officialibanezguitars JGM10 guitar, @fishmanmusic PowerTap Earth Pro pickup system, @newtonestrings 14-68 Masterclass strings, @blackstaramps Sonnet 60 amp, @klotzais Titanium Supreme cables, @Sontronics STC-1 and STC-3X mics, @Motutech Ultralite interface, and @Izotopeinc plugins.
____
Music arranged, performed and produced by Jon Gomm. Video by Owen Plummer
Hit jongomm dot com (link in bio) to learn about the Fishman PowerTap Earth Pro or get the guitar tab for Check You're Still Breathing.
Don't panic guitar nerds, I'll make a full breakdown demo of the pickup system soon.
JG x
My cover of A Little Respect by @erasureinfo . Guitar tab & video lesson available at jongomm.com. (Full track video there too.)
I chose to cover this song for two reasons: ONE: I love it. A lot. Vince Clarke is a genius and Andy Bell is an icon. TWO: It's the ultimate anthem of pride. My hometown is as queer as folk, as we say in the north of England, and so it's always been very accepting in that sense. I believe that the more you accept others, the more accepting you make your world, and the more you'll be accepted yourself.
Filmed by Eliot of Room79 productions in my home studio. Music engineered / produced / mastered by me.
Gear used:
@officialibanezguitars JGM10 signature guitar
@blackstaramps Sonnet 60
@newtonestrings Jon Gomm signature strings
@klotzcables guitar & mic cables
@motutech Ultralite mixer/interface
@scanukofficial Jon Gomm edition workstation
@izotopeinc plugins
THANK YOU everyone who's entered the raffle so far! It's the best thing that's happened to me/my family for months.
Here's a closer look at that prototype @officialibanezguitars JGM10 and its gorgeous custom @hiscoxcases Pro II+ case you could win.
Raffle tix at jongomm dot com
People have been asking for a way to help while I'm recovering from my elbow break. But I don't like the idea of taking money for nothing in return
So I'm running a raffle! 1st prize... a unique prototype @officialibanezguitars JGM10 in a custom @hiscoxcases Passionflower case
Raffle tix at jongomm dot com (link in bio)
My first foray back into public guitaring will be in the safe haven of Thomas Leeb's Acoustic Bootcamp this July
We will teach you to shred at altitude. Plus: Pine forests, chalets, saunas & käsespätzle
My UK Bootcamp is sold out but this one isn't, so get yourself to acoustic bootcamp dot com
The story of my stage fall
It was hard to talk about it, but honestly I'm getting more movement back every day and I'm doing ok. Don't worry, I'll be back soon
My last gig ended with a snapped elbow. Now I'm deep into rehab, and this tour is the distant light I'm fighting towards every day. And dreaming about. TBH I won't care if I'm the only person in the venue. But if you'd like to be there for my unleashing, that would lovely too
I'm sorry for the silence the last few weeks. I thought I was coping, but in hindsight I was running on adrenaline and denial. When the tank emptied, the reality of not being able to play my music hit hard. I feel like I've lost my identity, my life's work, as well as my family's income
I should get full movement back, or nearly full (it's my left elbow, now with two 28mm titanium screws) after a lot of physio. But I can't shake the fear of something going awry
I'm gonna post about the accident, what actually happened. Maybe a video. It'd help me process it I think. Until then, I'm trying to climb out of this hole and engage with everyone again
Surgery went well. The end of my humerus is now screwed back into place. Photo from before the anaesthetic was fully worn off, with nurse/literal-angel Sheryl
Now I'm at home unenjoying pain of a depth & voracity I never knew existed. (Why is it even necessary for the human body to be able to produce this much pain? What purpose does it serve? Design flaw)
It'll wear off soon, then BRING ON THE PHYSIO. Gonna try to keep posting updates, because the support from everyone is keeping the darkness at bay (T H A N K Y O U)
