A look at an mp3 and tab of Rob Szabo's "Trampoline"
While high profile acts like Nickleback, Sum 41 and Avril Lavigne may dominate the Canadian music spotlight, some artists hover just below the popular radar, influencing and inspiring as much as they entertain. Rob Szabo is one of those artists. Making music for the better part of two decades, this Toronto-based performer has built a very loyal and following thanks in part to his years as a member of the dearly departed power trio Groove Daddys and with his ongoing relationship with dynamic rockers Plasticine.
With tours across Canada, five full-length albums, appearances on national and regional television, a video on Much Music (for Plasticine's tune "No One"), Szabo through his various endeavors, has built an occasionally rabid audience who recognize that this prolific songwriter is not only versatile, but also has a fresh perspective and sound. That is why anticipation for his debut solo album A Battery of Tests was so high.
Take a moment to download an mp3 of Canadian singer/songwriter/guitarist Rob Szabo's "Trampoline", from his release A Battery of Tests on the fledgling Basement Bar Records (www.basementbar.net) label.
Trampoline
mp3
from A
Battery of Tests
Basement Bar Records
When you've given the tune a few listens, then take a look at the Trampoline tab.
Songwriting Notes:
Szabo has illustrated some great songwriting and performance techniques in "Trampoline"
that other writers might want to take note of. Here are just a few:
* "Trampoline" begins with acoustic guitar and vocals, then gradually builds, by adding more guitars, bass, harmony vocal, etc. This is a commonly used technique, which allows the instensity of a song to grow, and keep the listener interested.
* Although it's an acoustic-sounding song, Szabo eschews traditional strumming, in favor of plucking. This gives "Trampoline" a dramatically different sound.
* Listen carefully to the guitar part - at times it mimics the melody of the lead vocal. This is a powerful technique, used quite frequently to great effect (for a random example, think of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile").
