July 7, 2004

That's the thing about tendonitis -- it just sneaks up on you.

It doesn't care that your "Lagrima" rendition once made it to No. 3 on MP3.com's classical guitar charts, or that you're working toward your bachelor's of music degree in classical guitar, and cramming four years' worth of Catholic University playing requirements into two years, with 10-hour-a-day practices.

Maybe that's why it sneaks up on you. At least that's what happened to classical guitarist-cum-software developer Randy Ellefson.

And now that the Gaithersburg resident is rising from the ashes, he's not sneaking up on his illness, like tendonitis did to him, but openly flaunting his album debut with hard rock guitar and Van Halen-esque riffs.

Appropriately titled "Firebard," Ellefson said his first album reflects his struggle with tendonitis, playing on the legend of the phoenix -- a firebird that grew so hot it burned itself to ash before it was reborn -- and the lute-strumming bard of yesteryears.

The all-instrumental album debuted June 29, and Ellefson said he still has trouble believing that two years of recording has finally reached compact disc fruition.

"To be honest, I wish I could stand around and bask in the glow, but I'm so preoccupied with trying to get attention to the album," said Ellefson, who grew up in Burtonsville. "I almost have to have my wife smack me and say, 'You've actually completed the album.'"

After all, just eight years ago, at the age of 25, Ellefson did not know if he'd ever be able to make music again. That's when his right forearm suddenly became tight, then a week later his left forearm tightened, too. The diagnosis: Tendonitis.

Chiropractor Richard Schmitt, of At Last Healthcare in Bowie, said the nature of the guitar lends itself to tendonitis. "Repetitive motions, the way you have to bend your wrist at a very steep angle and do something repetitive... would cause anyone to get tendonitis," Schmitt said.

However, Schmitt added, despite musicians' rigorous practice levels, they are less likely to suffer from tendonitis because their bodies should be conditioned to such a regimen. "They don't just pick up an instrument and start playing," he said. "It's unusual for musicians to get that, because they are accustomed for that. They're usually conditioned for it." But 10 hours a day proves difficult for even the most well-trained musicians, and Ellefson said he thinks his extreme practice levels led to his tendonitis.

"It seems very sudden, but it's been happening gradually without you being aware," Ellefson said. "When the pain finally shows up, you've got it."

As Ellefson was practicing his guitar -- both classical and hard rock -- tendonitis was lurking just arms' length away. And then, suddenly, the excruciating pain was in his arms.

Although unemployment, HMO frustrations, Cortizone shots, anti-inflammatories, physical therapy and an acupuncturist would follow, Ellefson said he did not realize the severity of his diagnosis back in August of 1996. "I really underestimated how bad it was going to be," he said. "I thought maybe I wouldn't be able to play much for a few months, but I didn't realize that I wouldn't be able to play for a full year."

Even after a year of rehabilitation, Ellefson could only play for 10 minutes a day, if that. He said he could barely hold a pencil, and even getting dressed was painful. "People really underestimate the effect tendonitis can have on your life," he said. But for Ellefson, the worst part was realizing that the boy who had been playing guitar since eighth grade would have to put down his guitar to recover.

"I think it was having so many activities that I had planned and was actively pursuing and then having to watch all of those come grinding to a halt," Ellefson said. "My dreams and injuries were tied up in that and one injury took them all away."

He began working with a physical therapist -- an undertaking that eventually became five years of weekly appointments -- and started weight training. Ellefson said he felt like he was making slow progress, restoring the strength in his arms, before suffering a second case of tendonitis.

When Ellefson's life finally started heading back toward music, he said the transition was especially welcome. "Being able to get back to making music was a very emotional experience for me, more so than usual," Ellefson said. "It may have only been 10 minutes, but it was certainly the best 10 minutes of my week."

He said he started by playing his own songs, focusing only on his most simple material. That included "Chimes of Passion," a track that appears on "Firebard." "Chimes of Passion" was "the last song I had started writing before I got tendonitis," Ellefson said. "It's certainly nice to be able to pick up where I left off. ... it's great to have it on my album."

Now able to create music again, albeit painstakingly and more slowly than before, Ellefson is looking to the future, and relying on now-touring bands like Kiss and Van Halen for inspiration.

"At least with bands like Van Halen going out there, it proves that there's an interest in this," he said. "It gives me some hope that even if the radio won't play it, people who love this will still find me."

Instrumental rock guitarist Randy Ellefson has a flowing, almost lyrical style of playing that places song above chops. That said, Rand has plenty of chops for the die-hard shred fan! With a Bachelors of Music in classical guitar (Magna Cum Laude), a couple of tasty endorsement deals (Peavey & Alvarez), and a new CD, "The Firebard", Randy is on a mission to spread the Gospel of Guitar.

"The Firebard", which was released in summer 2004 in Guitarosity Records, is a nod to Randy's bout with tendonitis, which took away his playing for 5 years. Ultimately, Randy conquered it and is currently in rehearsals with his new band for a series of performances. He is also a prolific teacher, with monthly columns at Guitar-Guitar and guest columns at IBreatheMusic, Guitar-9, and other top guitar-centric sites. I had a chance to speak with Randy recently. Check it out!

1) What are your current projects?

Playing live is the main thing. I just formed the band, since I did The Firebard by myself, and am getting the guys up to speed. In the last 6 weeks, I've gotten more new gear than in a decade, too, from a half-stack, effect pedals, a new acoustic guitar, and best of all, I'm building a new custom guitar similar to my others. I can't wait! It'll have my logo painted on it, too, and will be my main live guitar. I have a couple endorsements I'm pursuing. I'm also recording tunes for the next album, writing more articles for websites, and designing another website all about tendonitis. And of course, doing promotion when I can.

2) How does this (do these) differ from your past work?

It's been 15 years since I was on a stage, so this is all new territory for me, from playing standing up to playing with other musicians, and all the new gear to create my sound. Being the front man will be interesting! I also need to play lead guitar most of the show, which doesn't leave much room for having a bad night! This has been way too long in coming, partly from tendonitis interfering with it, so I'm excited to finally play for people. As for the next album, the songs and approach are similar, and these are actually earlier songs, but I wanted to do more current stuff when I recorded The Firebard. The songs are a little more direct, I think, and some acoustic guitars will appear on this record, too. The plan is to have the drummer, at least, appear on the next record. He comes up with great textures.

3) Do you have one project that you are most proud of as a guitarist?

That's a tough one. I'll have to cite the more technical lead passages on The Firebard, mostly because it was a long time before I was good at writing such things, believe it or not. I find it much easier to write a melody, and since I don't jam with people much, I don't improvise fast stuff particularly well and don't have guitar licks, really. I write it out, and it ends up being a genuine passage instead of high-speed B.S. I'm not proud of it in the sense of "look how fast I can do arpeggios" but that the technical parts are smooth, melodic musical statements that fit the dramatic arc of the song.

4) Can you give our readers a run-down of your basic gear (live and/or studio)?

All three electric guitars are homemade, with ash bodies, maple necks and fingerboards, Floyd Rose tremolos, and Seymour Duncan Custom pickups, with 5150 strings and Dunlop purple picks. Live I'm using Peavey XXX Head and 412, Morley Bad Horsie 2 Wah, Boss TU-2, GE-7, CH-1, and NS-2. I haven't chosen a delay yet. For the album and when tracking, I used Bomb Factory's SansAmp PSA-1 and Waves effects for EQ, gating, reverb, and delay. My acoustics are both by Alvarez. I have a gear page with some pictures at http://www.randyellefson.com/gear.aspx. I'm videotaping the building of the new guitar, too, and will post that online once done.

5) Who would you cite as early influences, and who are your favorite new players?

I'm funny with influences because I learned very few songs by others before adopting my own style, so very few players affected the way I play. Very often it's the sense of style that influenced me, not the notes they chose. Randy Rhoads, old Metallica, Iron Maiden, Accept, and Coroner were the main bands whose songs I learned. I have always been a rhythm player first and have few direct influences to my lead playing. I always assumed I couldn't play a Randy Rhoads solo, for example, and so never learned them. By the time I could play like that, I had my own approach, though his phrasing is a big influence. This is one reason I don't have many guitar licks – I should've taken some from other people! Acoustically, Rik Emmett of Triumph and those little acoustic bits you find on 80s metal albums were my main influence. As for new players, Evergrey is pretty cool.

6) Can you give a few tips to aspiring players?

Learn to play musically. All the theory and chops in the world won't make you a great player if you don't have musical sense, an appreciation for the vibe or feel, or a sense of what's appropriate. Don't just play the notes, even for simple stuff. In fact, that's the best music to practice giving a shape and character to. Even the start of "More Than a Feeling", which many beginners learn, can be imbued with strong flow, an ebb and tide to the arpeggios. It's all about varying the strength of how the notes are struck. A great player can make this roll, and this musicality, once coming from you, will appear in everything you play.

7) What are your future plans?

Playing live, a new album, endorsements, another website, and more articles are all in the works. I'm off to a good start but am looking to push things to another level and am hoping for bigger things to happen. It takes time, though, and patience isn't really my strong suit!

8) Thanx for talking to us, Rand!

Thanks for the interview and support David! Keep in touch!

Randy Ellefson is a passionate, self-motivated guitarist from Gaithersburg, Maryland (USA) who describes his style as instrumental hard rock and metal, as documented on his latest release, "The Firebard". His guitar of choice is a Homemade Electric (second one built). Ellefson has played guitar since 1984, and openly affirms his career goal, "I’m working toward two more rock albums in the same vein as the first, but with some additional approaches to composition, song structure, and instrumentation. I’m going after licensing opportunities with the music, plus endorsements, and other musicians to play on the next CD, most notably a drummer. An all-acoustic guitar album is also in the works. Increasing the recording and production quality is part of my current plans, as songs for the next album already exist and are ready for recording. Spreading my fan base with every release is something I work on every day."

When prompted to reveal his preferred effect for the guitar, Ellefson responded with, "Distortion," and offered his musicial goals, "Though I can play fast when needed, I tend to focus on melody and reaching a wider audience who is interested in songs more than speed and scales. Nonetheless, my current musical goals included more variation in the lead guitar treatment, such as alternation between guitar licks and themes, and more guitar sounds within a song. Adding to what I can already do helps keep things interesting, and every artist wants to grow." He would love to someday study engineering (to have greater control over his recordings, since he is currently the sole engineer and producer), and is currently listening to Evergrey, Iron Maiden and King Diamond. His greatest satisfaction? "Having a new compositional idea or approach to guitar playing is what drives me, inspires me, and gives my life meaning, purpose, and the will to put up with all those unpleasant parts of life," he states unambiguously.

Ellefson notes ongoing and upcoming projects thusly, "Right now I am promoting The Firebard relentlessly, and when I have time, toying with a new midi keyboard. Songs for the next two albums exist already, so I am playing them and imagining alternate arrangements. Recording may start by summer’s end, and I’m hoping to have a new drummer lined up soon."

Ellefson's discography (available at Guitar Nine Records) includes one solo album ("The Firebard").