In mid-November 2021 I received a call from one of my friends offering me the opportunity to play electric guitar for the Puerto Rican Christian singer-songwriter, Samuel Hernández. Here I share the chronicle of this story. Next, is my experience playing lead guitar for Samuel Hernandez.
How I Prepared To Play Lead Guitar For Samuel Hernandez
It is essential to know in depth the material of the author whom you are going to accompany. Fortunately, Samuel Hernández has a fairly extensive and consistent musical career. This allows the initial preparation to consist of multiple days of study listening to his multiple productions.
My initial preparations were practically immediate. Using the Spotify, Tidal and YouTube Music apps; I prepared playlists of the best hits of Samuel Hernández. I also added his most recent production thinking that he would use songs from it for the event. Note I have not yet taken out my instrument at this preparatory stage.
Studying The Song List
I was already expecting a selection of songs between 10 to 15 songs since I was somewhat aware of the interactive format that Samuel Hernández uses in his concerts. So once we received the multitrack for the event it was no surprise to see a list of 14 songs.
This does not necessarily mean that Samuel would sing 14 songs, but rather that from this list he will choose the most appropriate for the purpose of the event. In other words, you have to be ready to play any of these songs.
The Key Lead Guitar Tones & Effects Needed
I begin the study of these 14 songs by investigating who is the lead guitarist of the productions. Fortunately, I already knew the guitarist from the sessions personally. He is nothing more and nothing less than Antonio “Shaka” Rivera. Who I had the privilege of meeting a few years ago at another event with Samuel Hernandez.
Armed with a basic understanding of the equipment Shaka used at this event, I begin to pay attention to the effects and tones of the guitar used in the songs.
The Amps – In the most recent versions of the Samuel Hernandez productions, you can notice the use of two types of amplifiers in stereo. One of them tends to have a more compressed tone than the other with a touch of Overdrive. So in my case, I have decided to use my Two Notes Torpedo CABM+ IRs from a Fender Deluxe (6L6) with 2×12 and a Vox AC30 (EL34) with 1×12 as my stereo amps.
The Chorus – This effect I notice Shaka uses as his base “Clean” with a touch of Overdrive and expansive Hall-type Reverb. Not many know that in reality, this effect is not a simple Chorus but a Tri-Chorus. An effect was used a lot in the decade of the 80s to 90s. Guitarists such as Paul Jackson Jr, Hector Hermosillo, Kiko Cibrian, Roberto Prado Jr., and Michael Landau just to name a few have made the Tri-Chorus their Clean effect of choice as it expands the sound field of the electric guitar to the same level of modern keyboards. This without having to resort to excessive use of overdrive or distortion.
In my case, I will be using Eventide’s TriceraChorus® on one of my H9s with a custom preset to personal taste. In the second H9, I will use a Plate Reverb Algorithm with the option to increase the Mix in case I need more immersion in the tone. The key to the Tri-Chorus and Reverb combo will be determining how much Pre-Delay I let go before activating the Reverb.
The Tremolo – Although used less frequently than the other effects, its use is nonetheless notable. It is very possible that the Tremolo that Shaka uses in the Samuel Hernandez productions is a Harmonic type (Harmonic Tremolo). This seeks to use two types of simultaneous tremolos, where one of them would filter the high frequencies while the other filters the mid-low frequencies alternately either on time or with a set rhythm.
This dynamic between the tremolo filters creates a subtle modulation in the sound of the electric guitar. Especially when letting the full chord resonate. Once again I’ll be using Eventide’s Harmadillo® Algorithm with the Shades preset customized to my liking on my first H9. The reverb will continue to be Plate type with a low Mix as I seek to highlight the Harmonic Tremolo effect.
The Distorsion – That’s right, the use of Overdrives in Samuel Hernández’s songs is already included in the basic sound of the electric guitar. So to excel in solos, Shaka resorts to Hard Clipping Distortion. It should be noted that the Distortion does not have an increase in volume at the time of being activated. Instead, it highlights the mid frequencies and provides Hard Clipping type compression to the electric guitar signal. This in turn causes the guitar solo to stand out and resonate with greater musicality than simply using a Boost on an Overdrive. Which does not mean that it is bad, but that it is another type of sound.
In my case, I will be using The Ratsbane® by Wampler Pedals. A RAT-type distortion to achieve a compressed Hard Clipping-type sound and at the same time raise the correct frequencies when soloing songs. This time I will use a Tape Delay looking to add texture and a Vintage touch to the repeats with a low Mix. I will continue with the Plate reverb also with a low Mix and adjust the Pre-delay to taste.
We do not use rehearsals to learn our individual parts. This is done in personal practices at home. Since rehearsal time is very valuable.
Lead Guitar Rehearsals
Rehearsals have been set up to go over the cuts in the songs and to bond as a band. Note that we do not use rehearsals to learn our parts. This is done in individual practices at home.
So far, the rehearsals have been very fruitful and effective as we spend most of our time adjusting to the changes and musical breaks in the songs. There are a total of four medleys in the set that feature cutoffs, tempo changes, note changes, and style that we’ve been preparing for.
We are very careful not to waste too much time getting every detail out of the recordings as this would greatly limit rehearsal time. Where we invest the most time is in the coordination of the band. That the songs can be heard with a clean sound, the cuts in the songs are precise and the interpretation of the band is emotional. This last point is very important since the singer will seek to interact with the audience and the musicians must be at the same level of emotion as the singer.
Tocando La Guitarra Electrica para Samuel Hernandez
El dia tan esperado ha llegado. El Domingo, 19 de diciembre del 2021. Duespes de asistir a mi Iglesia local en la mañana, me topo con una maravillosa sorpresa al dirigirme al estudio. Para mi sorpresa, Shaka Rivera se encontraba alli. El acompaño a Samuel Hernandez en este viaje.
La Guitarra Electrica que Trajo Shaka
Estuvimos dialogando hacerca de nuestro equipo de sonido. Shaka decidio traer consigo, una Fender Stratocaster del 1992 Japonesa con Floyd Rose Bridge y Nut Locks. Color two-tone Sunburst. En mi caso, traje mi Ricardo Sanchez RP series del 2019 USA con doble Humbuckers un Gotoh 510 bridge y Gotoh locking tuners.
