Session Guitarist

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: This is probably the hardest question, as I am inspired by so many... I admire diverse musicians such as Joe Pass, Pat Metheny, Paco de Lucia, Gary Moore, Eric Johnson, Jeff Beck, John Williams (both the composer and the classical guitarist), Robben Ford, Manuel Barruecos, Yngwie Malmsteen, Marty Friedman, Richie Kotzen, Tuck Andress, Tommy Emmanuel, Eddie Van Halen, Hendrix...

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: My original music as "Doctor 7", where I did everything, from songwriting, to recording/mixing and music production, besides playing every instrument in it. I only hired the singers and the mastering engineer. I am particularly proud of it because it truly reflects who I am as a musician, and I enjoy listening to it, as well as playing it.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: New original material...

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: I worked in the past with Marcelo Vieira, a phenomenal rock singer, who is featured in my song Ghosts.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital for convenience, analog for warmth... However, digital nowadays can sound as good as analog in my opinion.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: To give my best every time, using all my capabilities and skills to produce the best result I possibly can.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Music is my passion, what not to like?

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: It varies... Can be from how much do I charge, to what gear am I using, if I can provide TABS of what I've just played, etc...

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: Guitar players are often associated with "diva behaviour" or big egos, but in my case, I am so straightforward and easy to deal with that I find it funny. However, sometimes I do enjoy playing at high volume! LOL...

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Details about what they want or expect. If they are unsure about something, I need to know why they are unsure, so I can give some guidance and steer.

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Listen to what they (providers) do, and see if it is a good match to what you are looking for. Listen to the provider and try to find something magical or unique about him/her, that could be added to your own music. If you don't see anything unique or interesting, look elsewhere.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: My old Gibson ES125, my Les Paul, my SG and my classical guitar, together with my pedalboard and amp...

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I started playing at 13, and am now 42 y/o... I started playing classical guitar, and very quickly started with the electric guitar as well, playing classic rock (Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, etc.)

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Eclectic. I have a lot of material that covers so many grounds! If you dig deep, you will find jazz, funk, latin music, classical music, rock, tangos, and everything in between!

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: Too many to list (see second question), but the reason is because they have been highly influential in my life, and I would love to see how they do what they do... Learn more from them.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Think outside of the box, always!! Experiment with different sounds, styles and instruments. Try to surprise the listener and tell a story, in the same way a cinema film keeps you seated until the end of it.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Due to my musical background, I work in many styles of music. I grew up in Brasil and Chile, so I listened to a lot of Brazilian music as well as music in Spanish, before moving to the USA for 5 years, and now in the UK, so I have been exposed to A LOT of music in my life. I consider this a fantastic advantage, since my comfort zone is so much bigger than the average musician.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: A strong sense of melody, and a balanced mix of styles that help to make the music stand-out.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Easy answer: What is required!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I normally listen carefully to the piece of music, and imagine what my musical heroes would do if they were hired to work on that piece of music, as a musical benchmark. Then I try to recreate that "musical image" with my own personality and skills.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a nice desktop computer with a Focusrite 2i2, a Sennheiser HD280 Pro (headphones), Reaper as my DAW, S-Gear for guitar amp simulation, some Soundtoys and Slate plugins (and many others), and two nice microphones: Sennheiser E906 and a modded Oktava MK-012 condenser mic.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: The most common task is that the client ask for a guitar rhythm track (acoustic or electric) for a specific song, in any particular style, and occasionally a short guitar solo. For rock material, I am often asked to record longer solos where catchy melodies and complex execution are tailored to inspire awe to the listener. And if the style is Latin music, I am often asked to play melodies on the classical guitar (nylon string).