by Ricardo Soares

  1. First of all, thanks for the interview! Let’s start with an usual question, how did you interested with music and who were your teachers?

Hello, I am the one to thank for this interview.
Well, my family has several musicians, my grandfather plays the mandolim, my cousins acoustic guitar and it goes like that, I grew up surrounded by it, but I got really intersted about guitar by the age of 13 years olf, when I met some friends who played the instrument and soon after I fell in love with guitar.
I took private guitar lessons with a teacher from Araçatuba, Junião, after with Kiko Loureiro and Edu Ardanuy, I also stuided at Tatui conservatory, Carlos Campos conservartory, I studied Brazilian popular music and Jazz there.

  1. When did you decide to make a living by music? Did you have support from your family?

 

By the age of 15 I started teaching guitar for beginners,   from that moment own, I no longer work... Lol OPS, I never stopped working with music, (I’m kidding, who does his/her living by music knows about that, a lot of people think that musicians are kind of lazy persons, a druggie and etc..., they create this image as all the musicians were bad examples).
By that time I tried to be Office-boy for some companies, but It took a lot of time and I couldn’t study guitar, so I stopped.
I have always been fortunate to have the support from my parents, thanks to God, I really thank the support from my parents, my father Gustão and my mother Clarice... hehe

  1. What were your influences when you start playing? And nowadays, who has gotten your attention?

 

At the beggining I was influenced by Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, Vai, Satriane, Zakk Wylde and I am still a fan of this great guitar players, after
I started listen to a lot of fusio and fazz, I started to be influeced by Frank Gambale, Scott Henderson, Pat Metheny, Pat Martino, George Benson, John Scofield and musicians like that, nowadays I going through a phase very influeced by Dream Theater, I am listening to a lot of John Petrucci, Richie Kotzen, Greg Howe and of course we can’t forget our brazilian guitar players such as Edu Ardanuy, Mozart Mello, Kiko Loureiro, Juninho Afram and etc...

  1. You played for the singer PG (Ex – Oficina G3) during years, inclusively you recorded his cds. Now you play for a really cool fusion project, tell us more about it.

 

Yes, I am playing for an instrumental quartet named QUARTFUZA which is formed by: Adriano Sambatti on the Bass, Ivan Lopes on Drums, myself on the guitar and Jessé on the keyboard, a project into Rock/Fusion.
We play our own compositions and from others great musicians and band, We intend to record a CD pretty soon, and we’ve done some clinics in Brazil.

 

  1. Making a living by music in Brazil is very tough. How do you intend to work with that, since when it comes to instrumental music is much harder?

Actually, I don’t intend to make a lot of money playing instrumental music, as you Said, instrumental music is so complicated here in Brazil.
So I have been working with lessons, workshops,workshows, master classes, free lancers, recording and productions.
But I don’t discard the possibility of making money with instrumental music too...

  1. Besides this fusion project, do you have  other one?

 

Yes, I am really focused at the moment on the recording of my Instrumental CD, thanks God I am astonished with it, the songs sound pretty cool, I am also doing a partnership with Lufe (Ex- Oficina G3 drummer), we are going to record a CD together, guitar and drums with playbacks with guitar and drums, this way people who enjoys the cd can play along too.

  1. Even with such a good experience, Do you save some time for studying? What are your methods? Is there any special tip for whom wants to follow your way on the six strings world?

 

Yes, I study everyday, between a guitar class or other and when I am at home, I think it’s very important for us guitar player to have a study routine and to be always in touch with the instrument.
I am used to separate my study by week, this week I am going to study technique, on the other one improvisation, other one reading and this it the way it goes.
My tip is the followeing, always try to keep the same time studying by day, even it is not that time due to the rush from day by day, but too keep the same time, doesn’t work to study ten hours in a day and to spend three days without studying anything, it’s much more valuable to study a single hour everyday, to make a routine. That’s all.

  1. Besides doing lessons and clinic, you have an online lesosns system, how does that work?

 

Yes, this is pretty cool system, I call it AULA-NET, there have always been people from outside São Paulo who wanted to study with me and due to the distance it didn’t work, so I decided to create this system.
The lessons work as a single lesson, the interested student talks about his need to develop a specific material, after that, It’s developed the material and sent by E-mail or Msn, if we have more lessons,   we can follow from the last lesson, or to talk about a new subject due the student’s need.
All the examples metioned on the written material will be recorded in the mp3 material in two beats, in other words, two timings, slower one and the normal one, which is going to be send in the same package, written document in Word, besides that it’s also avaliable 40 minutes on MSN, to solve doubts about the written material, this making the development of the student easier and making the AULA-NET closer  to a real lesson.
The payment is done by Bank’s deposit.
More information about AULA-NET on the following mail adress:

contato.terdornellas@gmail.com

  1. What’s your equipment you usually use live and at recordings and who are your sponsors?

 

I am using a Pod XT Live, to emulate amplifiers and when it comes about effects I am using Fuhrmann, which I endorse, I use this pedals not because I am their endorse, but because because they’re pretty good,It’s the closest drive to a amplifier ever! These two models, Power Drive and Tube Drive by Furmann.
www.furmann.com.br, get to know them on this website, and also take a look on these videos which I introduce Tube Drive:
http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=oUBMilSMPrs&eurl=http://www.fuhrmann.com.br/v3/dicas.php?id=20 .

  1. How does your song writing work nowadays?

I don’t have a specific way to compose, some Idea usually come to my mind , I take the guitar and I work with these ideas, recording some parts and I start to decide what’s best or not and it is fone, hehe.
I am tactful to not fo that boring songs with just shred on the guitar player, I have paid a lot of attention for the song theme, like bridge and chrous, like it was a sung song soo too.
Thanks god, I am very pleased with the result of this songs, I hope all of you enjoy it!, what helps me a lot, is that I sent Lufe the songs, only with the guitar and he puts the drums parts and send me back, so with the drums , the concept of the song gets clearer.

  1. What’s your advice for guitar players and musician in general who wants to get recognition for work?

My advice is the following: be honest with your work and what the music you are showing, believe at your potential, study a lot, no laziness and be motivated.
Another important thing is to leave this up to God’s hands, and let him take cared of everything, because God works following the intention of our hearts, so see what is really the intention of your heart about recording a CD, in playing, getting exposure, always have good  and blessed intentions,that’s my point of view.

That’s my advice... hehe

  1. Thanks for the interview. Leave your message for Guitar Clinic’s viewers.

I thank the big brother Ricardo Soares for the interview, I also thank people who supported during my work with PG, and keep supporting, Thanks for it.
My cd is coing out in October, as soon as it is out I give  all of your a warning, buy it! Hehehehhe.
I thank a lot my beloved wife Camila for the support, praying, companionship and for standing the noise at home.... heheheh.
Now here goes my contact information...

Contacts – Workshops, Perfomances, Lessons, Recordings and etc...

Phone : +55  (11)-76491955 and 20862985
Site: www.teodornellas.com.br
E-mail: Contato.teodornellas@gmail.com
Youtube: http://br.youtube.com/user/teodornellas

That’s it, a hug and god bless you all:
Téo Dornellas.