Hey Synners!
My name is Muz Malek, and I've been in this SGS for quite a while, but I'm just about to get comfortable hanging out here. I'm from a little island called Singapore.
I've been playing guitar for 10 years since I was 15 and was self-taught.
How I started: Back in the day, my sisters were actively listening to stuff like Linkin Park, Green Day, P!ATD, Avril Lavigne, Paramore, N'Sync, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, My Chemical Romance, and many many more from that early to mid 2000's era. I had my fair share of interests in music from listening to theme songs from Hi-5, Pokemon, Digimon, Beyblade, Crush Gear, and many more during that period too. I was much more artistically-inclined compared to academically. I had a flair in drawing as well. I was quite the introvert too and my social circle was small.
Around 2008, I started to really appreciate music. The people around me were listening to A7X, MCR, and more of the rock-band music. I didn't mix around with them as back then, to me, they weren't really good company. But a buddy of mine really influenced me to listen to MCR, to a point where we would take our classroom's broom and acted as if we're playing guitar and mime to MCR songs. He tried to push A7X to me but I was very comfortable at MCR at that time. I wanted to take up drums as I'd watch videos Bob Bryar(former MCR drummer) and would hand-drum to MCR songs. But I never really got a set a drums as they were too bulky and inconsiderably loud to be placed in a flat estate.
In 2009, I started to listen to A7X a lot more after watching the MV for Seize The Day. That particular snippet of Syn playing the solo on top of a coffin was what drew me to them, and I began listening to them a lot more and watched their funny tour moments, making of album & recording, interviews, etc. Just as I was at the peak of inducing myself with the A7X drug, the tragic news of Jimmy's passing came & I cried. It was barely a year I started to love A7X, but I felt the sadness real deep. And that was what moved me to pick up the guitar in 2010.
I wanted to help spread & continue the legacy Jimmy had brought upon to the world. I spent months researching on where to get an electric guitar. I came across a local ad selling a package of strat-copy electric guitar with a 10W amp going for like $100 discount, so I started saving up. I told my dad about it and asked him to drive me to the guitar shop just so I could survey the guitars. At that time, I was halfway into saving, but when my dad dropped me off that day, he passed me the remaining amount I had to save up. I was speechless. My dad's no musician, For 25 years, he's been a taxi driver. No interest in music, no favorite songs or musicians. I never actually asked him why till this day. But that very moment forged a second reason why I still play the guitar till today - my dad. I hope to earn from making music and pay him back the money he gave me with it.
I started by learning the solo to Warmness on the Soul, and then eventually ventured into learning basic power chords along to Green Day songs. By my 6th month of playing, I attempted to learn the crazier solos such as Afterlife, Beast and the Harlot, etc. Sloppy, but when I heard back my recording, I felt like I did well for someone who was barely into a year of playing. Facebook was considerably new back then in 2010, so I used it to post covers and got decent amount of attention from A7X fans locally.
In 2011, I upgraded to a BC Rich Floyd Rose Special guitar to accommodate to more A7X playing(dive bombs, more frets, etc.). I garnered more attention with slightly better gear, where I got myself a Marshall MG15R and some pedals.
In 2012, I graduated high school and moved on to college. I joined a group of passionate guitarists in my school then and that's where I began to really shine.
In 2014, I upgraded my gear and got me a white Synyster Gates custom-S, and I started getting more into Schecter guitars as I'd trade with people during that time. Now I proudly own an army of Schecters both acoustic and electric haha.
Back to the story - as much as I loved and wanted to be in a band, for some reason, it was difficult to commit to one. I decided that in order to continue playing the guitar and performing, I ventured into doing virtuoso stuff like Steve Vai & Joe Satriani. I built a good reputation for myself as at that time, no one in my school or even in the country, was popularizing instrumental music - more so - to pop songs. I attracted a good amount of people by infusing pop songs with guitar soloing. Since I wasn't gifted with a voice to sing, I performed pop songs with karaoke backing tracks, but my guitar "sang" in place of me. It was unique, and my juniors slowly picked up from doing so too. In the process, I taught a bit here and there and also continued to perform pop songs almost everywhere in the country. It's still not popular on a national level, but am working hard to popularize it one day.
But giving myself the opportunity to perform solo was really a great confidence booster for me. It helped me break out of that introvert shell and now I have a much bigger social circle.
Till this day. And my wish to return the favor to my dad still goes on too.
And now, being in SGS, I feel like I'm in a place I've longed for with you guys!
____________________________________________
Check out my cover of "Beast and the Harlot" HERE !
In commemoration of 10 years of my guitar journey
My name is Muz Malek, and I've been in this SGS for quite a while, but I'm just about to get comfortable hanging out here. I'm from a little island called Singapore.
I've been playing guitar for 10 years since I was 15 and was self-taught.
How I started: Back in the day, my sisters were actively listening to stuff like Linkin Park, Green Day, P!ATD, Avril Lavigne, Paramore, N'Sync, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, My Chemical Romance, and many many more from that early to mid 2000's era. I had my fair share of interests in music from listening to theme songs from Hi-5, Pokemon, Digimon, Beyblade, Crush Gear, and many more during that period too. I was much more artistically-inclined compared to academically. I had a flair in drawing as well. I was quite the introvert too and my social circle was small.
Around 2008, I started to really appreciate music. The people around me were listening to A7X, MCR, and more of the rock-band music. I didn't mix around with them as back then, to me, they weren't really good company. But a buddy of mine really influenced me to listen to MCR, to a point where we would take our classroom's broom and acted as if we're playing guitar and mime to MCR songs. He tried to push A7X to me but I was very comfortable at MCR at that time. I wanted to take up drums as I'd watch videos Bob Bryar(former MCR drummer) and would hand-drum to MCR songs. But I never really got a set a drums as they were too bulky and inconsiderably loud to be placed in a flat estate.
In 2009, I started to listen to A7X a lot more after watching the MV for Seize The Day. That particular snippet of Syn playing the solo on top of a coffin was what drew me to them, and I began listening to them a lot more and watched their funny tour moments, making of album & recording, interviews, etc. Just as I was at the peak of inducing myself with the A7X drug, the tragic news of Jimmy's passing came & I cried. It was barely a year I started to love A7X, but I felt the sadness real deep. And that was what moved me to pick up the guitar in 2010.
I wanted to help spread & continue the legacy Jimmy had brought upon to the world. I spent months researching on where to get an electric guitar. I came across a local ad selling a package of strat-copy electric guitar with a 10W amp going for like $100 discount, so I started saving up. I told my dad about it and asked him to drive me to the guitar shop just so I could survey the guitars. At that time, I was halfway into saving, but when my dad dropped me off that day, he passed me the remaining amount I had to save up. I was speechless. My dad's no musician, For 25 years, he's been a taxi driver. No interest in music, no favorite songs or musicians. I never actually asked him why till this day. But that very moment forged a second reason why I still play the guitar till today - my dad. I hope to earn from making music and pay him back the money he gave me with it.
I started by learning the solo to Warmness on the Soul, and then eventually ventured into learning basic power chords along to Green Day songs. By my 6th month of playing, I attempted to learn the crazier solos such as Afterlife, Beast and the Harlot, etc. Sloppy, but when I heard back my recording, I felt like I did well for someone who was barely into a year of playing. Facebook was considerably new back then in 2010, so I used it to post covers and got decent amount of attention from A7X fans locally.
In 2011, I upgraded to a BC Rich Floyd Rose Special guitar to accommodate to more A7X playing(dive bombs, more frets, etc.). I garnered more attention with slightly better gear, where I got myself a Marshall MG15R and some pedals.
In 2012, I graduated high school and moved on to college. I joined a group of passionate guitarists in my school then and that's where I began to really shine.
In 2014, I upgraded my gear and got me a white Synyster Gates custom-S, and I started getting more into Schecter guitars as I'd trade with people during that time. Now I proudly own an army of Schecters both acoustic and electric haha.
Back to the story - as much as I loved and wanted to be in a band, for some reason, it was difficult to commit to one. I decided that in order to continue playing the guitar and performing, I ventured into doing virtuoso stuff like Steve Vai & Joe Satriani. I built a good reputation for myself as at that time, no one in my school or even in the country, was popularizing instrumental music - more so - to pop songs. I attracted a good amount of people by infusing pop songs with guitar soloing. Since I wasn't gifted with a voice to sing, I performed pop songs with karaoke backing tracks, but my guitar "sang" in place of me. It was unique, and my juniors slowly picked up from doing so too. In the process, I taught a bit here and there and also continued to perform pop songs almost everywhere in the country. It's still not popular on a national level, but am working hard to popularize it one day.
But giving myself the opportunity to perform solo was really a great confidence booster for me. It helped me break out of that introvert shell and now I have a much bigger social circle.
Till this day. And my wish to return the favor to my dad still goes on too.
And now, being in SGS, I feel like I'm in a place I've longed for with you guys!
____________________________________________
Check out my cover of "Beast and the Harlot" HERE !
In commemoration of 10 years of my guitar journey
Last edited:
