Me and Music
1. Background
1.1. First generation
My father was passionate about playing the guitar as a child, and someone showed him the fundamental chords at a young age. He learned everything by ear and had previously been a band member as a student. He had been given the option to move abroad and make money with music when he was in his twenties, but he was already with my mother and wanted to stay and have a stable family, so he declined. This is just his hobby, and no one in our family has a professional musical background.
Because my father collected guitars over the years, I was always surrounded by guitars and musical equipment. There were acoustics (including a 12-string), an electric, and even a bass guitar, the majority of which were made by the Bulgarian company Kremona. By clicking on the image, you can see my father's very first guitar from the early 1970s in the far right corner. His father bought him the guitar when he was in elementary school. It has his school band logo "Silueti" ("silhouettes" in English) written on the headstock and some additional text on the body from when he served in the military, as well as drawings of names like "Deep Purple", "Foreigner", "Rainbow" and others.
Collection 2021
Thanks to my father I was always surrounded by guitars and musical equipment, as he also collected guitars over the years. We own different types like acoustic, classical, 12-string acoustic, acoustic-electric, electric, and even a bass guitar, most of which are crafted by the Bulgarian manufacturer Kremona. Clicking on the picture, you can see my dad's very first guitar from the early 70s, on the very right corner. His father bought him the guitar, when he was in elemental school and it has his school band logo "Silueti" ("silhouettes" in English) written on the headstock and some additional text on the body from when he served in the military, as well as drawings of names like "Deep Purple", "Foreigner", "Rainbow" and other.
Collection 2021
Guitar Collection 2021
1.2. Second generation
The day I was born in 1995 my father wrote a song about me and ever since I can remember he would play it in front of me and then put the guitar in my hands to see if it would spark any interest. I was probably too young and ignorant because I only loved to listen to him play and yet didn't want to learn the instrument. However, whenever there were guests at home I would secretly close doors, make sure that nobody was around, grab an acoustic guitar, and start strumming through the open strings. Also, as a kid, I had a toy guitar (the one in the picture) and would jump around with it listening to the Bulgarian song "Ha-Ha" by Milena Slavova.
3rd birthday (1998)
The day I was born in 1995 my father wrote a song about me and ever since I can remember he would play it in front of me and then put the guitar in my hands to see if it would spark any interest. I was probably too young and ignorant, because I only loved to listen to him play and yet didn't want to learn the instrument. However, whenever there were guests at home I would secretly close doors, make sure that nobody is around, grab an acoustic guitar and start strumming through the open strings. Also, as a kid I had a toy guitar (the one on the picture) and would jump around with it listening to the Bulgarian song "Ha-Ha" by Milena Slavova.
3rd birthday (1998)
1.3. Childhood music
First and foremost, I listened to my dad playing rock bands on the guitar from the 60's, 70's & 80's. Song examples I remember on the electric guitar are:
- Thin Lizzy - Whiskey In The Jar
- Deep Purple - Burn
- Deep Purple - Black Night
- Deep Purple - Knocking At Your Back Door
- Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
- Rainbow - All Night Long
On the acoustic, I can think of my birth song, "Priyateli" by Factor (Bulgarian band), and "Innuendo" by Queen. Secondly, while playing with my toys I would listen to a cassette with Joe Satriani's music on an old two-speaker cassette player. The exact sound of my childhood are his songs:
- Joe Satriani - Crushing Day
- Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien
- Joe Satriani - Driving at Night
- Joe Satriani - Summer Song
- Joe Satriani - Hordes of Locusts
- Joe Satriani - Moroccan Sunset
Had a wide variety of musical genres exposed to me as a kid. In contrast, some cassettes had genres like new wave and disco. The songs I remember are "Tarzan Boy" by Baltimora and "Cotton Eye Joe" by the Rednex. Later on, I would listen to the radio more and loved it when they played "Dare" by Gorillaz. Made a cover of this song with friends on our last high school performance. Maybe this is the reason I am a connoisseur of music and broad-minded with genres, but my root and top favorite has been rock for sure.
2. Beginning
2.1. Musicians are cool
It all began when I was almost 11 years old, around November in the year 2007. One day I walk into the living room and my father is watching a concert of a very famous rock band from the 70s-80s on TV and I sat down to watch with him. Can't remember which band played, but let's assume it was Deep Purple. I was excited and was imagining what it would be like to be in their shoes on the big stage. The temptation to be "cool" like а rock star and my father's comment that girls like guitar players were all the motivation I needed to finally ask him to teach me. Next thing you know he is showing me basic chords and techniques on the acoustic guitar.
2.2. First steps
One of the first songs I remember my father showing me on the acoustic guitar is an old Russian song "Million alyh roz" by Alla Pugacheva, because it had 3 basic chords and a good finger technique for beginners to learn. After I learned to play clean chords and switch them fast I moved to the only electric guitar we had at the time, which is actually my father's second guitar from his middle school years. It's an old Kremona from the '70s, which he had modified and painted white. The first song I ever learned on it was "Fear of the dark" by Iron Maiden. Found it on an online video platform called "Vbox7" (this is what we Bulgarians used before YouTube). It was a guitar cover of someone, and since there were no online guitar tutorials at the time I had to stop and rewind a million times before I get all the notes of a single riff. Learned everything except the solo, because it was too difficult for a beginner. The surprising thing is that I learned everything else very quickly and could play it very well in no time.
2.3. Fell in love
From the moment I started learning the basics I fell in love with playing and have never let go of the instrument to this day, regardless of what changes I had in my life. This turned out to be my thing right from the very beginning and was never actually about being cool or impressing anyone. Of course, my dream as a teenager was to become a musician and perform in a big stadium, but, despite my initial motivation, I kept everything to myself, especially the first two years. I didn't want to appear anywhere before learning how to play smooth and clean. The first time I actually showed myself with a guitar was the second week of high school in September 2009, when I was a freshman and had already started growing long hair. We turned our music class into a live performance and everyone from school came into our room to see what was going on.
3. Guitars & Gear
3.1 Starter Pack
In 2008, a few months after I started playing the electric Kremona, my father found a guitar that is like the legendary Stratocaster model by the American manufacturer Fender. We never had a music store in our home town Targovishte, so my very first guitar is from a local store, which was like a clothing outlet, but for electronic devices and furniture as well. It's a Cruiser model, with a sunburst finish, by the South Korean manufacturer Crafter. Still, unlike a purchase from a typical music store, where you would buy the guitar as one item and you don't even get a guitar bag, this purchase was a full starter pack. Got a brand new great sounding guitar with а tuner, guitar strap, and bag, all by the manufacturer, plus an additional small amplifier and maybe even a cable along with it. New instrument and original quality gear for less expense than a single guitar from a music store! How cool is that?! Let's call it fate because never again has there been such a good product in that store or anywhere else in town.
Crafter Cruiser & similar package
3.2 Multi-Effects Processor
Later that same year I stepped into a musical store for the first time, in the nearest town Shumen, and tried the multi-effects processor Zoom G1X (2006). Right after I heard the drum loops and a distortion effect that matched Steve Clark's guitar in "Too late for love" by Def Leppard, I just had to have it. From then on this is what I used when I play the electric guitar. The drum loops finally improved my timing and rhythm in general. Before that I couldn't quite catch beats in music or dance classes.
Zoom G1X (2006)
3.3. Acoustic-Electric Guitar
About a year after my parents saw that I devoted hours in my room every single day playing the instrument with such passion, they surprised me with an acoustic-electric Fender guitar, with a cutaway, which they accidentally found in a hypermarket in Shumen. Again, not a guitar from a musical store, but with great quality. They wanted me to have an acoustic that stays in tune and is easy to play, unlike the old Kremona guitars we have.
In order to play different tunes and experiment on the acoustic, I made an improvised capo with a pencil and rubber bands, before getting a real one from a musical store in Stara Zagora. Years later, in 2016, I bought additional accessories from Varna like a guitar slide and finger picks to play the song "Too Old to Die Young" by Brother Dege.
Fender CD-60CE NAT
3. Guitars & Gear
3.1 Starter Pack
In 2008, a few months after I started playing the electric Kremona, my father found a guitar that is like the legendary Stratocaster model by the American manufacturer Fender. We never had a music store in our home town Targovishte, so my very first guitar is from a local store, which was like a clothing outlet, but for electronic devices and furniture as well. It's a Cruiser model, with a sunburst finish, by the South Korean manufacturer Crafter. Still, unlike a purchase from a typical music store, where you would buy the guitar as one item and you don't even get a guitar bag, this purchase was a full starter pack.
Crafter Cruiser & similar package
Got a brand new great sounding guitar with а tuner, guitar strap and bag, all by the manufacturer, plus an additional small amplifier and maybe even a cable along with it. New instrument and original quality gear for less expenses than a single guitar from a musical store! How cool is that?! Let's call it fate, because never again has there been such a good product in that store or anywhere else in town.
3.2 Multi-Effects Processor
Later that same year I stepped into a musical store for the first time, in the nearest town Shumen, and tried the multi-effects processor Zoom G1X (2006). Right after I heard the drum loops and a distortion effect that matched Steve Clark's guitar in "Too late for love" by Def Leppard, I just had to have it.
Zoom G1X (2006)
From then on this is what I used when I play the electric guitar. The drum loops finally improved my timing and rhythm in general. Before that I couldn't quite catch beats in music or dance classes.
3.3. Acoustic-Electric Guitar
About a year after my parents saw that I devoted hours in my room every single day playing the instrument with such passion, they surprised me with an acoustic-electric Fender guitar, with a cutaway, which they accidentally found in a hypermarket in Shumen. Again, not a guitar from a musical store, but with great quality. They wanted me to have an acoustic that stays in tune and is easy to play, unlike the old Kremona guitars we have.
Fender CD-60CE NAT
In order to play different tunes and experiment on the acoustic, I made an improvised capo with a pencil and rubber bands, before getting a real one from a musical store in Stara Zagora. Years later, in 2016, I bought additional accessories from Varna like a guitar slide and finger picks to play the song "Too Old to Die Young" by Brother Dege.
4. Influence
Of course, my father was my biggest and very first influence. You can say that many guitar things I have as innate talent are inherited from him. Things like playing by ear, that old-school rock-n-roll flavor, and maybe even songwriting. There were also three other major guitarists that build a significant part of my playing style, live performance, songwriting, and even approach to life with this musical passion.
(Queen)
4.1. Joe Satriani
Soon after I started playing the Crafter Cruiser guitar I found a video with Joe Satriani himself showing how to play "Surfing with the alien", which is one of the songs on my dad's cassette that I used to listen to over an over again as a kid. From its solo I learned to tap the string with the edge of the pick, which trick was later paraphrased in the solo of my song "Pythagorean". Then, learned his song "Crowd Chant", because it has a great interaction with the audience. This is one of the tracks that I covered on my very first guitar performance and everyone loved it. I even remember one of the students from the upper grades asked me after that if I had something written by me, so I played one of my mini solos, but have long forgotten what it was exactly.
Joe Satriani's music helped me to become more technical with the guitar and play things like hammer-ons, vibratos, pull-offs, and harmonics. I also started to use the whammy bar and learned cool tricks with it. I am so grateful to have grown up with his art and to learn all these things early on.
4.2. Steve Clark
As a teenager, most of the covers I played were songs from the English band Def Leppard. I was such a big fan that I even drew their yellow and orange logo and glued it letter by letter to the back of my electric guitar. These drawings still remain, but the first letters fell off, so now it says only "Leppard". If I ever have to be in a tribute band, this would probably be it.
2021 Photo
Steve Clark is the guitar player behind the band's most emblematic songs from their hit albums. Examples are "Rock of ages" and "Too late for love", which I also played on my first appearance in high school, and my all-time favorite album is "Pyromania". I noticed Steve through his exceptional playing and low-strapped guitar because aside from being a great musician he also made a great show. As a teenager, I tried to do some of his signature moves and once even wore a scarf like him. Furthermore, Def Leppard's live video concert from 1988 called "Live: In the Round, in Your Face" was my biggest influence on live performance. I wanted to be just like them and dreamed of playing on the same rounded stage. Such influence that once in school I even jumped off the stage during the song and played parts of my solo mid-air.
An interesting personal fact is that, while I am a big fan of Steve Clark, my father likes Jimmie Page from Led Zeppelin, although he is more of a Ritchie Blackmore fan. Here's the kicker... Steve's idol had been Jimmie Page! For this reason, I chose the photo with the double neck guitar, because Jimmie Page used to play that same Gibson EDS-1275 Cherry Red model.
4.3. Brian May
This musician has always been a role-model for me, but his influence is more on the approach with music in my life, not directly with my guitar playing. Brian May is probably the very first name I learned from the rock n roll world. As I mentioned, "Innuendo", especially the flamenco part, was one of Queen's songs played to me as a child on a classical guitar. Along with this, my parents would always give Brian as an example for a musician with various proficiencies and academic successes. Obviously, it had its reflection, because today I am an engineer with academic background and a musical hobby.
My biggest influence came after reading Brian's story in Laura Jackson's book "Brian May: The definitive biography". The year was 2016 and I was third year in university. Got so inspired that I picked up music theory for the first time, which upped my game with songwriting and soloing.
Bulgarian edition
of the book
A less known fact is that after Steve Clark's death in January 1991, follows the death of Freddie Mercury in November of that same year and Def Leppard are a big supporter of Queen, as they know exactly what it feels like to lose a significant band member and dear friend.
4.3. Brian May
This musician has always been a role-model for me, but his influence is more on the approach with music in my life, not directly with my guitar playing. Brian May is probably the very first name I learned from the rock n roll world. As I mentioned, "Innuendo", especially the flamenco part, was one of Queen's songs played to me as a child on a classical guitar. Along with this, my parents would always give Brian as an example for a musician with various proficiencies and academic successes. Obviously, it had its reflection, because today I am an engineer with academic background and a musical hobby.
Bulgarian edition
of the book
My biggest influence came after reading Brian's story in Laura Jackson's book "Brian May: The definitive biography". The year was 2016 and I was third year in university. Got so inspired that I picked up music theory for the first time, which upped my game with songwriting and soloing.
Less know fact is that after Steve Clark's death in January 1991, follows the death of Freddie Mercury in November that same year and Def Leppard are a big support to Queen, as they know exactly what it feels like to lose a significant band member and dear friend.
5. Songwriting
5.1. First songs
Around the end of April 2011, our class teacher accidentally spotted me in the corridor during break and gave me the task to write a song about the Pythagorean theorem for the following day. Had less than 24 hours and had never written lyrics before. Focused more on the instrumental, which you hear in my song "Pythagorean", I could only come up with the chorus, while the two verses were written in 2021, a decade later. Showed the rhythm to a classmate, who played bass guitar, and on the next day, our whole class was filmed for national TV.
On the other hand, my very first attempts to write instrumentals actually date back to the first half of 2008. On the Crafter electric guitar, I would switch fast between basic chords and hit random notes on the fingerboard to make riffs and mini solos. My favorite chord combination was A, F, and G. Finally used these chords and wrote lyrics to them in early 2012. The song is called "I Won't Cry". It is a fictional love song and my very first song with a full structure. Coming up with the lyrics was the hardest part, of course, so whenever I wrote one line I would look up a word on the internet that rhymes to build the next one. This is how the entire text was written, with the pre-chorus being the only exception. There I just come up with random words and phrases that make a good emphasis. Since the song was originally composed on the electric guitar, it also includes solos and harmonics as texture, but they require a second player, while my current demos are all sound recordings on my phone.
5.2. Composing
Playing the guitar is a spiritual thing for me and is also my escape from reality and stress. I can play for hours alone in a room, completely focused and careless about everything else. One day in late 2016 I grab my Crafter electric, hit the record button, and start pouring out everything I had written to that day. I was surprised to stop the recording 1 hour later, while it only felt like a minute. However, I kept everything a confidential secret until 2021, because it is very meaningful to me and I wanted to protect it from a matter of opinion. Even my closest ones were surprised to find out about most of my work.
Always had this inner motivation to compose and experiment with instrument sound capabilities. For example, when I got the Zoom processor I would try to come up with melodies for the different drum loops and effects. This is how the concept of my early instrumental "Shiftin' Gears" was originally born, where the intro is literally me trying to interpret the drum beat on the guitar. Another experiment was playing the electric guitar with a capo accessory and an interesting melody was born which later became my instrumental "Afterburner". I also use my musical hobby to memorize words and phrases in English, so when I come across something interesting, like an idiom, I would often use it to build context around the main idea. This helps me to diversify and be creative with the lyrics. However, I am only a guitar player, not a singer. In fact, it's a huge challenge for me to sing, but there is no other way to give life to all of my ideas, especially starting as a one-man band.
6. Comeback
6.1. Big Break
In high school, my strengths were math and playing the guitar. Never pursued music, so I had to pick a career with mathematics. This is why I entered a Technical University in the first place and chose the IT industry. In September 2014 my academic journey started and I moved to the big city - Varna. Now I had to share the same room with two other students in the university dorm. These were the first major changes in my life and the reasons why I left the electric guitar back in my hometown. Only had an acoustic around to play, because I couldn't completely let go of this hobby.
6.2. New Hobby
A few months before university I took salsa dance classes and after I moved right next to the dorm there was the same dance studio, so I continued classes there and made new friends. That motivated me to try hip-hop classes because as a teenager I wanted to experience that type of choreography from movies. Got involved in different dance communities over the years until 2019, when I got my diploma from the university and officially started my career in the IT industry. The new major changes were about to take place.
6.3. Waking Up
Living in the big city and working for a national company as a qualified computer engineer is great. On the other hand, from all these life events I lost sight of myself with music. Since 2014 I would pursue a career, socialize with dancing and play only the acoustic behind closed doors. The electric guitar along with all related gear still remained back at home town.
January 2021, while reading Bruce Dickinson's autobiography in his book "What Does This Button Do?" at one point I started to realize bits of what you've read about me so far. Immediately, I put on headphones and play "Fear of the dark" in memory of the good old days, starting on my dad's old Kremona electric guitar. Every emotion possible was triggered. My big life puzzle was finally complete! You already know the whole background story, but I had forgotten who I am for so long. This book was the missing piece to set the flame back, burning like never before.
Bulgarian edition
of the book
Living in a big city and working for a national company as a qualified computer engineer is great. On the other hand, of all these life events I lost sight of myself with music. Since 2014 I would pursue a career, socialize with other activities, and play only the acoustic behind closed doors. The electric guitar along with all related gear still remained back at home town.
January 2021, while reading Bruce Dickinson's autobiography in his book "What Does This Button Do?" at one point I started to realize bits of what you've read about me so far. Immediately, I put on headphones and play "Fear of the dark" in memory of the good old days, starting on my dad's old Kremona electric guitar. Every emotion possible was triggered. My big life puzzle was finally complete! You already know the whole background story, but I had forgotten who I am for so long. This book was the missing piece to set the flame back, burning like never before.
Bulgarian edition
of the book
6.4. New Equipment
Now, I desperately needed to reconnect with my songs on the electric guitar, so I rushed to the music store and found this Stratocaster model by Squier, which has the same shape as my old Crafter Cruiser and a similar sunburst finish. The first guitar from a music store and the manufacturer is acquired by Fender! Bought it along with a new amplifier, guitar strap, bag, cables, picks, and a tuner. Gear similar to my first starter pack, but this time everything was sold as a separate item, not even made by the same manufacturer, and was also 3 times more expensive. I had to spend all my savings but didn't hesitate at all, because I knew deep down that this was the right thing to do and I also would have needed better quality equipment anyway.
Since all my music on the electric guitar is written on a specific multi-effects processor, I knew that at some point I will have to replace it. Looking for an alternative I found out that the company already made a new generation of the same processor in 2019 - "Zoom G1X Four". Great news, because most of the drum loops and effects that I used to create my songs are still there and it has some new features too.
Being a software engineering student, doing my master's degree, and working a full-time job was more than enough stress to stay at home and not go anywhere. This allowed me to save money and quickly buy the new generation effect. After making the transition, my old songs have some changes, but they actually sound better. This was definitely a needed improvement for my songwriting. There is only one thing to keep in mind though if you decide to buy this product. Unlike the old one, this 2019 processor is sold without a power adapter, so I was very surprised to see only 4 batteries in the box and had to buy the adapter separately.
Squier Stratocaster
Zoom G1X Four
(2019)
Now, I desperately needed to reconnect with my songs on the electric guitar, so I rushed to the music store and found this Stratocaster model by Squier, which has the same shape as my old Crafter Cruiser and a similar sunburst finish. The first guitar from a music store and the manufacturer is acquired by Fender! Bought it along with a new amplifier, guitar strap, bag, cables, picks, and a tuner. Gear similar to my first starter pack, but this time everything was sold as a separate item, not even made by the same manufacturer, and was also 3 times more expensive. I had to spend all my savings but didn't hesitate at all, because I knew deep down that this was the right thing to do and I also would have needed better quality equipment anyway.
Squier Stratocaster
Since all my music on the electric guitar is written on a specific multi-effects processor, I knew that at some point I will have to replace it. Looking for an alternative I found out that the company already made a new generation of the same processor in 2019 - "Zoom G1X Four". Great news, because most of the drum loops and effects which I used to create my songs are still there and it has some new features too.
Zoom G1X Four
(2019)
Zoom G1X Four (2019)
Being a software engineering student, doing my master's degree, and working a full-time job was more than enough stress to stay at home and not go anywhere. This allowed me to save money and quickly buy the new generation effect. After making the transition, my old songs have some changes, but they actually sound better. This was definitely a needed improvement for my songwriting. There is only one thing to keep in mind though if you decide to buy this product. Unlike the old one, this 2019 processor is sold without a power adapter, so I was very surprised to see only 4 batteries in the box and had to buy the adapter separately.
6.5. Hello World!
For years I thought that the electric guitar and composing was just a temporary thing, but it stayed. I can't shake it off or stop thinking about it. Despite every major life change and music industry opinion, there hasn't been an hour or a minute on the clock that I haven't passionately played or written songs. You will be surprised how much I care about even the smallest details and can work for days on a single lyric, riff, or solo. Always captured every single musical idea that came to my mind. That big break and the attempt to replace music with other activities also couldn't kill my passion. I just played the acoustic and transferred ideas from it to the electric guitar whenever I visited my hometown.
Marking a milestone with my songwriting in 2021, namely a decade of work, my only goal is to finish all the work I've done for the past 10 years and make my music reachable. While working on finishing my old songs, I even wrote a new one called "Mount Up" to make an accurate presentation of myself for once and have a reminder not to get self-forgetful again. This song is my comeback to the electric guitar and my attempt to set the tone right.
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