John Wesley

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As the lead guitarist for @VerticalHorizonMusic I've been using the Silent Stage concept for the last two years. How does it stack up against the decades of live shows performed through famous amps like Marshall, Matchless, and Bad Cat??? In this video, I dive into our transition to a "quiet stage" setup and the remarkable impact it has had on our performances. For years, traditional amps worked great when we had access to top-notch gear, but unreliable rental amps and poorly maintained equipment often led to inconsistent sound and issues like rattling speakers. Despite missing the experience of traditional amps, the benefits of our quiet stage setup—cleaner mixes, better vocal performance, and improved consistency—make it hard to go back. Modern modeling and sampling technology ensures we deliver a professional sound every night. Tune in for an in-depth discussion and behind-the-scenes look at our innovative live rig! Don't forget to like, subscribe, and comment below with your thoughts! 🎸Join this channel to get access to perks 🎸: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChCXa_Aek_fGkBnjx7u3IQA/join 💥 Become part of my Patreon community 💥: https://www.patreon.com/TheJourneymanGuitarist ☕️ If you like what I do, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/johnwesleymusic 🌟 Connect with me : https://www.instagram.com/johnwesleymusic https://www.twitter.com/johnwesleymusic https://www.facebook.com/johnwesleyofficial 🎸About John Wesley, The Journeyman Guitarist: I'm John Wesley, a guitarist and songwriter with a long career in music. On this channel, I share lessons from my journey—from the late '70s club scene to touring the world in the '90s, recording solo albums, and performing with bands like Vertical Horizon and Porcupine Tree. As a recording artist, sideman, and studio owner, I've learned many valuable lessons, which I hope can help you in your music career. #guitarist #quadcortex #touringmusician
Pro Guitarist Explains the SILENT STAGE
In this video, I walk you through my live #guitar rig setup that I use for my shows with Vertical Horizon, showcasing how I efficiently manage both acoustic and electric sounds on stage. We'll go behind the scenes fro Frederick, MD, on a show day as I’m setting up on stage, discussing each component of my touring #pedalboard We’ll talk pedals and how I seamlessly handle my piezo signals, toggling between acoustic and magnetic outputs easily. I explain how my dual-cable setup, signal feeds into the #quadcortex as well as presets I’ve programmed to match specific songs. This streamlined setup allows me to focus on the performance, providing both consistency and adaptability for every song in the setlist. Join me for a detailed behind-the-scenes look at my live guitar rig! 🎸Join this channel to get access to perks 🎸: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChCXa_Aek_fGkBnjx7u3IQA/join 💥 Become part of my Patreon community 💥: https://www.patreon.com/TheJourneymanGuitarist ☕️ If you like what I do, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/johnwesleymusic 🌟 Connect with me : https://www.instagram.com/johnwesleymusic https://www.twitter.com/johnwesleymusic https://www.facebook.com/johnwesleyofficial 🎸About John Wesley, The Journeyman Guitarist: I'm John Wesley, a guitarist and songwriter with a long career in music. On this channel, I share lessons from my journey—from the late '70s club scene to touring the world in the '90s, recording solo albums, and performing with bands like Vertical Horizon and Porcupine Tree. As a recording artist, sideman, and studio owner, I've learned many valuable lessons, which I hope can help you in your music career.
Pro's Pedalboard Can Do EVERYTHING?!?!
Learn how to use these simple pro tools and exercises to sing on stage with me, John Wesley, a seasoned #guitarist and touring musician with Vertical Horizon! In this video, I’ll share with you the tools I used to learn to sing which I adapted into my show day vocal warm up routine that I use for preparing for a performance to sing on stage. Watch as I demonstrate warm-up techniques,, singing major scales, and practicing intervals to sync your voice with your ear. Learn how visualization and familiar melodies can improve pitch accuracy, as well as other practical tips tailored for aspiring singers. Even if you’ve never felt like a “natural singer” you too can overcome those challenges, improve your singing, and even thrive as a working musician. Embrace your unique voice and remember that consistent practice, even for a few minutes daily, can lead to significant improvement. Video Chapters: 00:00 - 1:33 - Introduction & Background on Singing Experience 1:34 - 7:49 - Preparing for a Performance & Warm-up Routine 7:50 - 8:39 - Importance of Visualizing 8:40 - 12:37 - Scale and Interval Training 12:38 - 15:49 - Interval Identification Techniques 15:50 - 19:04 - Tips and Additional Resources 19:05 - 19:54 - Additional Exercises for Articulation 12:55 - 34:55 - Finding Your Voice & Singing Inspiration 34:56 - 36:46 - Importance of Practice 🎸Join this channel to get access to perks 🎸: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChCXa_Aek_fGkBnjx7u3IQA/join 💥 Become part of my Patreon community 💥: https://www.patreon.com/TheJourneymanGuitarist ☕️ If you like what I do, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/johnwesleymusic 🌟 Connect with me : https://www.instagram.com/johnwesleymusic https://www.twitter.com/johnwesleymusic https://www.facebook.com/johnwesleyofficial 🎸About John Wesley, The Journeyman Guitarist: I'm John Wesley, a guitarist and songwriter with a long career in music. On this channel, I share lessons from my journey—from the late '70s club scene to touring the world in the '90s, recording solo albums, and performing with bands like Vertical Horizon and Porcupine Tree. As a recording artist, sideman, and studio owner, I've learned many valuable lessons, which I hope can help you in your music career. #singer #singing #singersongwriter #vocalexercises #vocalist #singingtips #learntosing #guitarist #vocals #vocalpractice #vocalexercises #musicjourney #musiciansuccess #singingtechniques #workingmusician
Deep lessons on how to SING LIVE!
Join lead guitarist for @VerticalHorizonMusic John Wesley aka The Journeyman Guitarist behind the scenes and back stage as he prepared for an amazing show in Frederick, Maryland. Hit the subscribe button to get more of John's lessons learned as a touring #guitarist on the road for decades. 🎸Join this channel to get access to perks 🎸: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChCXa_Aek_fGkBnjx7u3IQA/join 💥 Become part of my Patreon community 💥: https://www.patreon.com/TheJourneymanGuitarist ☕️ If you like what I do, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/johnwesleymusic 🌟 Connect with me : https://www.instagram.com/johnwesleymusic https://www.twitter.com/johnwesleymusic https://www.facebook.com/johnwesleyofficial 🎸About John Wesley, The Journeyman Guitarist: I'm John Wesley, a guitarist and songwriter with a long career in music. On this channel, I share lessons from my journey—from the late '70s club scene to touring the world in the '90s, recording solo albums, and performing with bands like Vertical Horizon and Porcupine Tree. As a recording artist, sideman, and studio owner, I've learned many valuable lessons, which I hope can help you in your music career. #prsguitars #verticalhorizon #musician #musicianlife #musicianlifestyle #workingmusician #touringmusician #tourlife #touring #rockguitarist #rockmusician #bts #behindthescene
The REAL LIFE of a Touring Rock Guitarist
Bathroom Life Hack from a Pro Touring Guitarist #airport #bathroom #lifehack
Ready to learn to sing? Join me, John Wesley, @TheJourneymanGuitarist as I take you through my transformation from a guitar-only performer to a confident vocalist in this video on how to learn to sing for instrumentalists. With eight albums recorded and countless international performances, I'll share my early struggles and the pivotal moments that shaped my vocal journey. From being told never to sing again by a night club owner to providing vocals for bands such as Porcupine Tree and Vertical Horizon, I'm here to tell you, "Yes, you can sing!" In this video, I'll provide practical tips to help you get started with developing your vocal skills. These include some exercises to strengthen your voice, techniques to connect your ears to your voice, and essential advice on learning harmonies. I'll emphasize the importance of practicing singing along with your instrument and how this skill can open up more opportunities for musicians. Whether you're a guitarist looking to add singing to your repertoire, a vocalist wanting to improve, or a music enthusiast eager to grow, this video is packed with practical insights to help you learn to sing. You can find my vocal performance in Porcupine Tree's Half Light: https://youtu.be/XRjZ_3ZLL_I?si=dHcIRmNCmivAp4th 🎸Join this channel to get access to perks 🎸: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChCXa_Aek_fGkBnjx7u3IQA/join 💥 Become part of my Patreon community 💥: https://www.patreon.com/TheJourneymanGuitarist ☕️ If you like what I do, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/johnwesleymusic 🌟 Connect with me : https://www.instagram.com/johnwesleymusic https://www.twitter.com/johnwesleymusic https://www.facebook.com/johnwesleyofficial 🎸About John Wesley, The Journeyman Guitarist: I'm John Wesley, a guitarist and songwriter with a long career in music. On this channel, I share lessons from my journey—from the late '70s club scene to touring the world in the '90s, recording solo albums, and performing with bands like Vertical Horizon and Porcupine Tree. As a recording artist, sideman, and studio owner, I've learned many valuable lessons, which I hope can help you in your music career. #vocals #vocalist #learntosing #singing #singer #singersongwriter #vocalpractice #singingtips #vocalexercises #musicjourney #musiciansuccess #singingtechniques #workingmusician
ANYONE Can SING -- A pro #guitarist approach to vocals
Former Porcupine Tree lead guitarist, John Wesley, plays the iconic intro to the Blackest Eyes on his Gibson Les Paul that paved the way for his career. Check out his lessons and guidance on @TheJourneymanGuitarist
The most EPIC Guitar Tone??? #guitar #lespaul #guitarist
Can a Les Paul Guitar change your life? This one did! In this video I share the story of my "Blackest Eyes Guitar", my first Les Paul, and how this #guitar opened doors early in my music career. Join me, John Wesley, @TheJourneymanGuitarist as I tell the story of this guitar and how it contributed to my joining Porcupine Tree as their touring guitarist. 🎸Join this channel to get access to perks 🎸: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChCXa_Aek_fGkBnjx7u3IQA/join 💥 Become part of my Patreon community 💥: https://www.patreon.com/TheJourneymanGuitarist ☕️ If you like what I do, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/johnwesleymusic 🌟 Connect with me : https://www.instagram.com/johnwesleymusic https://www.twitter.com/johnwesleymusic https://www.facebook.com/johnwesleyofficial 🎸About John Wesley, The Journeyman Guitarist: I'm John Wesley, a guitarist and songwriter with a long career in music. On this channel, I share lessons from my journey—from the late '70s club scene to touring the world in the '90s, recording solo albums, and performing with bands like Vertical Horizon and Porcupine Tree. As a recording artist, sideman, and studio owner, I've learned many valuable lessons, which I hope can help you in your music career. #porcupinetree #gibsonlespaul #gibsonguitars #gibsonguitar #lespaul #lespaulguitar #guitar #guitarist #guitarstory #guitarplayer #musicjourney #musicianlife #musicianjourney #musicstorytelling #musicstories
Guitar Stories - How this Gibson Les Paul Guitar changed my Life -- The Blackest Eyes Guitar
Subscribe to @TheJourneymanGuitarist for practical guitar topics from John Wesley, the lead guitarist for Vertical Horizon and formerly of Porcupine Tree. #prsguitars #guitar
How a pro #guitarist travels with TWO custom @prsguitars in his Enki case
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John Wesley, guitarist, vocalist, song-writer

John Wesley has built a long and varied career as a songwriter, “sideman” guitarist, and recording artist.

His music has been called lyrically sensitive and musically dynamic. His songwriting style incorporates emotionally-charged vocals that evoke the honesty and intimacy of Roger Waters and Patty Griffin coupled with a melodic yet intricate guitar style reminiscent of David Gilmour, Alex Lifeson, Jeff Beck, and Warren Haynes.

Wesley’s guitar-driven acoustic and electric songs represent the cultivation of many inspirations — alternative, progressive, art, and classic rock genres intertwined with poignant lyrics drawn from the poetry of the common man. What really appeals to Wesley's fans worldwide is a spark of sincerity and sensitivity so oft absent in today's mainstream music.


GEAR

Paul Reed Smith guitars
Replay Guitar Exchange
The Gig Rig
Mojo Tones
GHS Strings
Neural DSP

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