Everyone who loves to listen to music dreams of playing the guitar, even if they never do. Those who do take a giant leap towards becoming professional musicians.Guitars can help people express themselves. People have a lot of misconceptions about playing a guitar.Here is the myths and realities about guitar playing:
Myth: You should learn on an acoustic guitar.
Reality: It’s better to start on an electric guitar because it’s easier to play, has lighter strings, lower action, and a smaller neck. It’s also more interesting for younger players as you can add distortion and effects and keep the learner more interested in the process.
Myth: The best way to ‘get’ a famous player’s sound is buy a pedal that has player presets.
Reality: Although some multi effects DO have some famous presets, it is far better to learn the correct technique to make the sound rather than trying to copy it. Musicians make good sounds because of their talent. You hardly ever find these guys using digital effects
Myth: You have to have a big amp to get a big sound
Reality: Some of the most huge sounds that have been recorded have been done with smaller amps10 -20 watt, tube cranked up loud. Many famous bands have stacks of amps on stage that are empty of speakers and a small amp hidden behind the stack that is mic’d up into the PA system. Some players are also using digital recreations (POD, Digitech) of their amps in the studio but most purist players still use a real amp and analogue pedals.
Myth: You should use lots of ‘string wrap or turns’ around the machine (tuning) head to get stable tuning.
Reality: Although B.B. King does use this method, a better way is to have about 3 ‘turns’ of string on the machine head and about 3-4 turns on the higher strings. However, the best way is to have NO turns of string at all and instead use locking machine heads such as spertzel or grover machine heads where the string is literally locked into place without any string wrap.
Myth: Single coil pick-ups sound the best but they are too noisy.
Reality: While this may be true, there are many ways around this problem. The best way to do this is to use a hum canceling single coil pickup.” The other way is to put a “dummy load” pickup in the guitar i.e. a pick up that is wired in the guitar (sometimes under the scratch plate of a strat guitar) but does not produce any sound, it just cancels the hum and noise.
Myth: Cheap cables are just as good as expensive ones and I save money.
Reality: It is way better to buy a good quality cable that has, quite often, a good guarantee. It will last longer and there will be a big difference quality, which will produce better sounds. It's no good having a great guitar but poor quaility cable. It's like buying an expensive car and using cheap tires. Get the best cables you can purchase. Quite often you end up buying one good cable instead of cheap ones every 6 months, making this a much cheaper long term investment.
Myth: There is nothing you can do about strings rusting and losing their tone so may as well buy cheap ones or no name brands.
Reality: There are several ways to make your strings last longer. The simplest method is to always clean your strings after playing with a lint free cloth such as a handkerchief and use a string product such as finger ease or fast fret, which coats the string with a protective chemical.
The other way is to use long life strings, which Teflon coating to prevent string corrosion and loss of tone. These guitar strings last much longer and break much less often.
There are a lot of myths about learning the guitar. Hopefully this article convinced you they aren't right and you can play on a new or used guitars, acoustic or electric and still have a good time with the guitar.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Common Fallacies about Guitars
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Commong Fallacies People Have About Learning a Guitar
Everyone loves music and dreasm of playing a guitar. Those who do take a giant leap towards becoming professional musicians.Guitars are a great way to relax. However, people have many wrong ideas about how to learn to play a guitar.Here are commons myths about playing the guitar and why they are wrong:
Myth: You should learn on an acoustic guitar.
Reality: It’s better to start on an electric guitar because it’s easier to play, has lighter strings, lower action, and a smaller neck. It’s also more interesting for younger players as you can add distortion and effects and keep the learner more interested in the process.
Myth: The best way to ‘get’ a famous player’s sound is buy a pedal that has player presets.
Reality: Although some multi effects DO have some famous presets, it is far better to learn the correct technique to make the sound rather than trying to copy it. Musicians make good sounds because of their talent. Rarely do these guys use digital effects to create their sounds
Myth: You have to have a big amp to get a big sound
Reality: Some of the most huge sounds that have been recorded have been done with smaller amps10 -20 watt, tube cranked up loud. Many famous bands have stacks of amps on stage that are empty of speakers and a small amp hidden behind the stack that is mic’d up into the PA system. Some players are also using digital recreations (POD, Digitech) of their amps in the studio but most purist players still use a real amp and analogue pedals.
Myth: You should use lots of ‘string wrap or turns’ around the machine (tuning) head to get stable tuning.
Reality: Although B.B. King does use this method, a better way is to have about 3 ‘turns’ of string on the machine head and about 3-4 turns on the higher strings. However, the best way is to have NO turns of string at all and instead use locking machine heads such as spertzel or grover machine heads where the string is literally locked into place without any string wrap.
Myth: Single coil pick-ups sound the best but they are too noisy.
Reality: While this may be true, there are many ways around this problem. The best way to do this is to use a hum canceling single coil pickup.” The other way is to put a “dummy load” pickup in the guitar i.e. a pick up that is wired in the guitar (sometimes under the scratch plate of a strat guitar) but does not produce any sound, it just cancels the hum and noise.
Myth: Cheap cables are just as good as expensive ones and I save money.
Reality: It is way better to buy a good quality cable that has, quite often, a good guarantee. It will last longer and there will be a big difference quality, which will produce better sounds. It is useless to get a good guitar and amp set up but then use a low quality cable. It's like buying an expensive car and using cheap tires. Purchase the best cable you can. Quite often you end up buying one good cable instead of cheap ones every 6 months, making this a much cheaper long term investment.
Myth: There is nothing you can do about strings rusting and losing their tone so may as well buy cheap ones or no name brands.
Reality: There are several ways to make your strings last longer. The simplest method is to always clean your strings after playing with a lint free cloth such as a handkerchief and use a string product such as finger ease or fast fret, which coats the string with a protective chemical.
Products that coat strings in teflon help prevent string corrosion and tone loss. These guitar strings last much longer and break much less often.
There are a lot of myths about playing the guitar. Hopefully this article convinced you they aren't right and you can play on a new or used guitars, acoustic or electric and still have a good time with the guitar.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
My Highschool Band's First Time
When I was 14 years old, I was in a band (I had a used guitar) as we all like to think we were, even if we couldn’t really play anything. We rehearsed once a week and made a lot of nolse rather than music!! We were enthusiastic and loved the notion that we were now rock stars.”
We never really thought about gigs or anything serious, we just plodded along rehearsing in my mates lounge with our 10 watt amps when his parents were at work and we were skipping school. We had no idea how bad we were and I thought I could play anything, anytime, anywhere. Nobday was aware that we had to play in a key or in some sort of scale!! I just played any music!!!
Eventually, we found our way to the year 10 leaver’s dinner/social at the local memorial hall. The enterainment was always live back then. DJs didn’t really exist (yes, it was that long ago!) and so bands were hired. By some miracle, we got to be that band.
The band that was performing was rather lame, performing songs not really suited for a bunch of hormonally challenged 14 – 15 year old youths. In fact, they reminded me of the scene in the “American pie” movie where the band is doing an awful version of ‘don’t you forget about me’ and all the kids are bored.
A few of friends at school knew my friends and I had ‘a bit of a band going” and suggested we get up and play. All of a sudden our self assurance disappeared and we got all shy. We’re not ready we said. We just jam for fun. Fright entered all of us and none of us wanted to go.
However, next thing we know, the “tough boys” who played football and were athletic heroes came over and told us we should play. We didn't want to play but they insisted. We pushed back. Then they said "get on stage or we will beat you up.".” It appeared we didn’t have a choice.
So with the prospect of our heads being smashed heads and loss of any degree of cool we ever thought we had, we trundled toward the stage. It never feels right playing someone else's instruments- it is like wearing someone elses's underwear!!! But we got up there any way, ready to be booed off the stage and into the dark recesses of the hall. Everyone was singing and dancing and yelling while we played. Once we got on stage, it wasn't so bad. No one really seemed to mind. Everybody loved it. We kept going and going. The tough boys applauded and the girls smiled. My guitar solos still not in any scale or key but hey, there we were a real band on a real stage!! We were suddenly too cool for school and the “it” thing at school.
What we thought was hell turned out to be heaven and we ended up getting a gig with the other band. It was the start of a long musical career that still continues to this day.
Great Unknown Guitar Legends
Classic Rock is a term used to describe the rock bands that came out of the 1970s and have become legends and hence classics.”
Most of the musicians were very original and have become a big influence on subsequent generations. No matter what era you were born in, almost any band you listen to has been influenced by artists and bands from the 1970s. Moreover, even if you are only in your teens and you think your favourite band is “totally original,” chances are they were influenced by a musician or group from that era, even if they don’t consciously know it.
This was a ground breaking time for rock. Nothing was copied or rehashed and everyone had their own sound. The 1970s represented a culmination and expansion of sounds that were experimented on in the 1960s. Bands such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix, Free, Allman Brothers, Queen, Black Sabbath, Cream, David Bowie, Status Quo are all examples of acts who made their start in the 60’s but found their sound and style in the 70’s, and therefore gave rise to many other bands who then added their own flavour to these styles. All of these acts were guitar legends.
Lesser known bands such as Uriah Heep, Wishbone Ash, Grand Funk Railroad, Scorpions (who became quite huge in the 80’s), and Thin Lizzy are worthy of mentions but would not necessarily legends, where as other acts such as Queen became absolutely huge and remain so to this day.
It is the same with other rock bands. While everyone knows the greats like Clapton, or Hendrix, or Jimmy Page, there are plenty of other musicians who deserve to be legends. Two such examples are Richie Blackmore from Deep purple and Michael Schenker from UFO. Michael Schenkar has influenced many people but most people do not know who he is because they only know his more famous contemporaries.
I could go on for hours about classic rock and there are hundreds of excellent albums that are still available today but some songs and albums deserve special mention for their guitar prowess and are worth your time to have at least a quick listen. Here’s a quick list of four lesser known gems of classic musical genius that are worth a listen:
Deep purple:
Guitarist: Richie Blackmore:
Choice albums: Made in Japan and Deep Purple in Rock
Songs: Highway Star, Child in Time.
Some of the most blistering guitar work you will ever hear recorded in the early 70’s and held the Guinness Book of Records title as the loudest recording ever made!
UFO:
Guitarist: Michael Schenker.
Choice Albums: Phenomenon and Force It.
Songs: Rock Bottom
Only 18 when it was recorded, he produced one of the most exciting and dynamic solos ever!
FREE: (later to become” bad company” another excellent act!!)
Guitarist Paul Kossof
Album: Best of Free.
Songs: All Right Now, Fire and Water, Mr. Big [live]
It had a simplistic and slow natural style!!! A Les Paul plugged straight into a marshal, no pedals and no tricks.
WISHBONE ASH:
Guitarists: Andy Powell & Ted Turner.
Choice albums: Argus and There’s The Rub.
Excellent melody and twin harmony lead breaks, copied by many acts since! Very complex arrangements.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
How to Change Guitar Strings
Guitar Strings should be changed whenever they start to look or feel rusty, start breaking, lose their tone and sound, or look dull. It is difficult to know how long strings will last as factors such as climate, how often (or not) you play your guitar, whether you are working in a band or just playing at home, all effect the longevity of your strings. In general, when playing a full night, guitar strings will only last about 6 gigs. After that, you risk the embarrassment of snapping a string during one of your glorious solos.
When changing strings leave enough slack to ensure that there is going to be 3 – 5 turns of string around the tuning head. Do no not use too many turns or wraps as this leads to tuning instability and constant string stretching. Make sure you stretch the strings with care. Keep pulling and streching the guitar string while you are connected to your tuner. Remember that nylon strings will always take a great deal of stretching to remain in tune.
There are many interesting products which can assist in tuning stability and make changing strings easy. Two good ones are the Spertzel or Grover locking machine heads. They don't require turns or wraps as they lock the string into the head.
A good idea on electric guitars with tremelo bridges such Floyd Rose types and also on Gibson style ‘tune o matic’ bridges is to change the strings one at a time. This stops the tremolo going completely out of adjustment and, in the case of the tune o matic, from falling off the guitar and losing the whole set up.
Always keep your new strings as clean as possible by wiping them down after each playing and using string life products such as Fast Fret or Finger Ease before and after each playing session. It makes a HUGE difference on the life of your strings and length of a good string tone. You can greatly extend string life by also using strings brands such as Elixir strings, which add about 8 times to the life of strings. However, they are about 3 times more expensive than normal strings.
A essential tool to have is an all in one string crank or winder or string cutter and bridge pin remover such as those made by Planet Waves or similar.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Your First Music Gig
A young band’s first gig is always an exciting time. Many hours slogging it out in the garage or rehearsal room finally come to fruition with the offer of your first gig.
These days, bands usually get a school or party gig or a shared bill with a few other bands or even a band competition as their first gig. Either way, the experience of the first gig should be enjoyable and exciting. You don’t want it to turn into a nasty experience with everything going wrong, which it will if you are not prepared.
Like Murphy’s Law says “what can go wrong, will go wrong.” Every musician in the world can remember the first time they performed on staged, so make it a good experience not a frightful mess.
First, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! No matter how many times you have performed your songs in the garage, when you get on stage it will all sound different, and, if you don’t know your part 110%, you will get it wrong. In the garage, you are in one small room and quite close to your fellow band mates. On stage, you can be separated a lot and you may not be able to hear the other guys or what they are playing. If you know your songs very well, you will be able play no matter what sound problems you have.
Second, be confident. Rehearse your songs in the order you will perform them especially if you are doing a short set. If you are playing the whole night, rehearse the whole set beforehand. This will alert band members of any problems that happen on stage.
Make sure your guitars have new guitar strings (but put them on at least two hours before you play and stretch them in), your drums have at least a new snare skin, check the condition of the kick drum skin too.
Make sure you us new batteries for pedals, tuners, or wireless systems you use. And don’t forget a guitar stand or two!! Have a spare lead close by even if you are using wireless system as it is a good back up.
If you are doing a gig with a bunch of other bands, make sure your accessories such as leads, tuners , and microphones are clearly marked with your name or at least some special markings, it is strange how much gear goes “walking” at these gigs.
Make a song list for all those involved, including the lighting and sounds guys. Make notes if you want any special effects done for you by the sound man. Each member should write notes on his or her list if they need to remember certain things such as pedal adjustments or guitar changes. Singers can use a cheat sheet and write down parts of a song to jog their memory. Rehearse well and you won't have to do that!
Go to the gig early so that you are not rushed. Audiences generally have a ‘sheep’ mentality and if they see or hear a bunch of people making a lot of favourable noises they too will go along and get the vibe.
Enjoy your self and get the whole thing recorded on audio and visual mediums so you can show it to your family and friends and to your grand kids when your old! You will never forget your first gig!
Vintage Electric Guitars Are Collectible
When going about purchasing a vintage electric guitar, one should be aware of some things to look for in the instrument. Especially when you are dealing with a guitar that has been in use for some time, there are always questions that should be raised. Vintage electric guitars have many uses today.Even guitars that have been knocked around a bit can be valuable. Some are purchased because brand new instruments are too expensive so second hand guitars are the better choice.Just like antiques, vintage electric guitars are becoming rarer.
There are many kinds of guitars out there. Some of the more popular vintage guitar brands are Gibson, Fender, Epiphone and Rickenbacker. A vintage Gibson electric guitar could cost anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000 depending on the model and year it was manufactured. The value of a guitar can be determined by its age, model number, and in some cases who played it. For example, if you had a vintage Fender electric guitar that was played and maybe even signed by someone like Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton, it is highly likely that the guitar could be sold for thousands and thousands of dollars.
Vintage electric guitars can fetch extremely high prices. Investing in a hobby like this could take you to various guitar shops, shows, and events across the country. The main thing that you should consider when starting out as a collector of vintage electric guitars is that not all guitars are worth what you think.
Research your instrument before you purchase or you may be stuck with a guitar that is worth more in a junkyard than in your display case. Ask around people that know about guitars and their values. There are people who have been collecting for years and years and they would love to help you.
For more information about finding out the value of vintage electric guitars, try looking at http://vintageelectricguitarsite.com There you will find information about vintage Gibson electric guitars, as well as information about investing in the buying and selling of vintage electric guitars.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Music Industry looses out on battle for illegal downloads
Eventually, the music industry has decided to embrace and accept illegal downloads of music from around the world. According to executives at the Midem conference in Cannes they have decided that illegal downloads of music is un-avoidable. Until very recently, the music industry was in a blind panic about illegal peer-to-peer downloading, they couldn’t stop it! And the industry still can’t! Millions of absolute millions of people from around the world seem to download music free of charge and it seems that the people who made it don’t seem to make a single penny.
An incredible 95% of all digital music in the music industry is downloaded straight off the internet and comes from un-licensed sources like Limewire and Imesh. However the blind panic regarding illegal downloaded music seems to have calmed down a lot. Regardless of how many hard hours he musician has put into playing his classic guitar or grand pianos. The Recording Industry Association of America, which represents US labels, has traditionally been the most aggressive and direct about chasing people who share music files over the world wide web. However, the association has announced that it will no longer sue suspected offenders at it considers the crime as far too broad and generic to prosecute one person.
Digital rights management – the lock placed on a track to attempt to stop people from sharing it was once the central tool to stop piracy from happening. However Apple is now removing DRM from their leading music software, itunes and the leading download store. This move from Apple marks almost a complete defeat for DRM and the music industry as they have been trying to battle music piracy for a very long period of time.
The music industry seems to of reached a dramtic conclusion regarding the sharing of music and it looks as though people have prevailed in the battle. Although, I do feel slightly sorry for the people who were caught out in this rather pointless war. After all, I’m sure we could all say that we have downloaded material off the net and not thought about the consequences.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Does Rocket Piano Really Work?
The basic features of Rocket Piano course make it a clear example of an instrument tutorial; it brings a professional approach to piano playing addressing the needs of first time learners and more advanced piano fans. Theoretical studies and practical guidelines, music readings and lots of piano tips, these are the elements to expect from a course like Rocket Piano, and even if it will not make you a professional it will help you grow!
Rocket Piano characteristics
Rocket Piano program focuses on the learner's perception in what is often labeled as “user-friendliness”: the material is both accessible and entertaining at the same time. The theoretical part is so well integrated in the context and there are such challenging interesting tasks that one can hardly get bored by the music history aspects. The emphasis on the practice part makes all the difference, indicating that Rocket Piano remains suitable for learners of different skill levels.
Although the approach to piano playing available with Rocket Piano is a rather simple one, the learner still needs lots of practice and time. The quality of the execution is not sufficiently stressed if we think of how inefficient amateurish practice can be. Be sure to perform the exercises as correctly as possible, otherwise a faulty execution could stick to your memory and ruin further development.
Rocket Piano will teach you about chords and chord symbol readings, it will open the door to improvisation, it will facilitate the scales and the arpeggios, and finally, it will teach you perform. Although some of these sound like piece of cake, things are far from easy, but the challenges will reveal themselves gradually as you go through the Rocket Piano course.
Too high Rocket Piano hopes?...
To make things clear, one needs to feel music in order to be a true musician, and this special touch usually comes as an innate gift. You either have it or don't. This is actually the explanation for the clear differences in the progress of certain users that despite the high-quality of the Rocket Piano course, still fail to be good at playing the instrument.
All in all, Rocket Piano is a nice approach to the study of this classic instrument. The satisfaction will be great if you actually manage to play the piano really well after using only Rocket Piano as a learning material. No matter the skill level you reach, enjoy the experience all the same!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Play The Violin By Being Self Taught
Trying to figure out how to play violin for beginners and on your own can be extremely difficult and frustrating. It can be an uphill struggle for anyone but your musical education on the instrument need not end before it has begun. You can turn things around and make them fun with disciplined commitment and dedicated learning. Hundreds of thousands of musicians worldwide have sworn on the same commitment. They have all become successful professional musicians. This can apply just as easily to anyone interested in learning the violin but wishing to do it on his own. It is not always necessary to have a personal violin teacher when trying to master the instrument, as long as one has the patience, understanding and determination to succeed by being self taught.
For anyone determined to teach himself how to play the violin, there is one thing that needs to be asked before taking the plunge. How serious are you about doing it? Is your passion for the instrument strong or just something that is on the spur of the moment? A natural love for music is also necessary. It helps to increase tenfold the enjoyment of pursuing your musical education. Dealing with any obstacles will be less difficult if your passion and love for what you do is strong as it pushes you on.
While it is admirable to be self taught, do not exempt the fact that some form of sharing and learning from others would be necessary during your journey. Seek out other violinists and exchange ideas. Learning from others' experience could speed up your own progress. Inculcate their experiences in your own lessons and progression might result quicker. Do not neglect other resources such as picking up a learn violin dvd to gather more insight from other professionals.
Students with teachers often have an extra push or motivation from the latter. If you decide to teach yourself how to play the violin, then self discipline is something you must cultivate and master in order to fulfill your dreams. You must not shirk your responsibilities with regards to violin practice and more effort might be required compared to one who has a personal coach. Make sure that you study your progress and hone in on areas that require improvement.
Many self taught musicians neglect classical musical theory. Trying to make it on your own is tough, and long hours of study will be required to master musical theory. But it helps to make you a better violinist. It is also really necessary to know musical theory in order to become a better violin player as there is no alternative theory system for the instrument. There are many violin lessons online that can provide help in this area and you should turn to them for extra knowledge.
At the end of the day, whether you are enrolled in a music school or choose the self taught path, becoming proficient in the violin requires all your attention to detail, dedication, passion and commitment. Understand that if you remain committed and stick to what you are best at, you can become a great violinist beyond your wildest imaginations. The journey will be long but fruitful till the end.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Taking A Look At Acoustic Vs Electric Guitar
There are so many choices when it comes to picking out a guitar, and that is after you have decided which category your guitar is going to belong to. You decide that you definitely want to learn guitar, but you are torn between acoustic or electric. On one hand it was so cool to see Kurt Cobain jamming out in a special acoustic performance on MTV, but it was also fun to see KISS back in the day. What are you supposed to do? The best thing to do is to learn the difference between the two before deciding where to go from there.
The difference between an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar is simply amplification. An electric guitar needs an amplifier, but they are much easier to play. The electric guitar will cost more because you will have to purchase a good amp, and they both cost quite a bit of money. The acoustic guitar is more limited in shape and size because both shape and size make a difference on the sound that comes from the guitar. Therefore, you do get more of a selection when you choose an electric guitar. Although the electric guitar is easier to learn on, there are obviously limited types of music that you can play with it. So, if you learn with an acoustic guitar, you might find yourself a better musician in the long run.
An acoustic guitar does have choices as well. You can get a steel string or a nylon string guitar. A nylon string guitar is good for playing music styles such as classical, flamenco, and folk. The reason for the particular styles is that the nylon string produces a more tranquil sound. The steel string guitars are louder and you find that they gravitate more towards rock, country, and any other style that requires a louder, more crisp sound. The steel string is played with a pick while the nylon is almost always played with fingers.
If you are truly stuck deciding between the two guitars, you could choose an acoustic/electric guitar and kill two birds with one stone. The blended guitar has a longer neck that resembles an electric guitar, but it also has a more shallow body than the typical acoustic. The draw back to these guitars is that they sound better with an amplifier. They do all right without an amp, but there is a distinct difference in the quality of the sound. The benefit to these guitars is that they are easier to learn on because of the resemblance that they have to the electric guitar.
One thing that is never a good idea is to bite off more than you can chew. You should master whatever you feel the most comfortable with first. For example, many people fall in love with the sound of a twelve-string guitar. This guitar is known for a rich sound that resembles two guitars playing at once. However, the twelve-string guitar would be frustrating and infinitely harder to learn before mastering a simpler six string guitar. You should also pay close attention to your own person preferences. If you want to be a rock star, and you love Aerosmith, buying a huge acoustic guitar would not be the wisest decision because you will hate learning to play. The same rule applies for the next James Taylor; don't invest in an expensive amplifier if it is just not your style.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Great Tips for Learning to Sing
All you have to do is listen to some of the great singers of our time, regardless of the genre of music. People like Julie Andrews and Josh Groban immediately come to mind as two of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard. And let’s face it, we’d all love to be able to sing like those two velvet throated virtuosos. Well, believe it or not, it’s not as hard as you might thing. In this article, I’m going to share 3 killer tips that will improve your singing 100%.
Probably the most important part of singing is the breathing. Most people who sing, even some professional pop singers, do NOT breathe correctly. The correct way to breathe is from your diaphragm, which is just below your rib cage. By doing this, and slowly exhaling as you let out the tone, you will get a fuller and rounder tone, as opposed to singing from your throat, which is what most people do.
The next tip has to do with hitting those high notes. The problem with most people when they sing is that they try to hit that high C exactly. What you actually need to do is reach for slightly above high C, then in actuality what happens is that you hit the note that you were trying to hit. It’s more of a psychological trick than a physical one, but it does work very well.
The final tip has to do with your vocal chords. You need to think of them the same way that you would think of the strings of a piano. The lower notes are longer and the strings are thicker. The higher notes are shorter and the strings are thinner. Thus, when you are singing, you need to shorten the vocal chords when you sing your higher notes, otherwise, the sound will not come out.
You’re probably wondering how to do all this. Well, not a problem. Below in my signature is a review of a great resource that will have you singing like a pro in no time at all.
You may not sing like Andrews or Groban, but you’ll sound darn good. Read my review on one of the most popular singing training system available, Singorama.
Helping You Find The Best Audio Book Download
The audio book download industry has been simplified and expanded through the convenience of the internet. With the internet, anybody can easily get MP3 books to download and save on a home computer or take along on a portable device player. This is convenient for people from all lifestyles. Business people can listen to a variety of business audio books on a long trip. Parents will appreciate their options for children's audio books, too. Whatever your preference, you will undoubtedly find a download that will meet your needs.
With the wide selection available online, the audio book download industry is surely going to have something you will find interesting. Business books make up a considerable part of the audio book industry. You can find a wide array of business categories with a large number of titles in each category just by surfing the internet. When you find one you like, you can get an MP3 download in a matter of minutes. You can even find lectures and motivational materials that you can download and listen to as well as tips for a successful business.
Audio book downloads are available through many companies and websites. One of the most popular places to get your MP3 books is through www.audible.com. Users can download digital recordings of their favorite books for a cost that is less than buying the actual book. With thousands of available titles, users are certain to find something that fits their preferences while expanding their reading perspectives. Internet users can also download their favorite audio book free from popular sites like www.free-books.org and www.freeclassicaudiobooks.com, as well as other sites that are non-profit.
Besides convenience, the audio book download industry provides other services to customers to encourage them to explore other possibilities. Many websites offer a subscription service where subscribers can buy or rent an audio book the same way others rent videos from their local video store. With a membership, you have unlimited access to thousands of audio books. At www.simplyaudiobooks.com, the cost of membership includes the shipping charges and late fees so you just pay a low monthly rate to enjoy your favorite books. You can listen to a wider selection of books to expose yourself to ones you might have otherwise missed by utilizing a low-cost subscription service.
Audio books serve a variety of purposes for today's busy lifestyle. With the popularity of portable media players combined with easy downloads from a number of websites, seeing people walk around while listening to a favorite book is becoming more common. In addition to renting or buying your favorite book, free ones are also available on a few websites that are more educational and informative in nature. Whatever your preferences, chances are there is an audio book download to satisfy your needs and a website that can provide it.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Devil Woman
The song Devil Woman was first recorded in 1976 by a UK singer named Cliff Richard. It made it up to #9 on the UK charts. It made it to number six in the United States. Richard never again reached that level of success on the USA charts. There's a lot to learn about the famous song.
A man named Terry Britten penned it. He was English singer-songwriter who wrote songs for people like Tina Turner, Olivia Newton John, and even Michael Jackson. He also wrote well known songs for some hit movies including Mad Max Beyond Thunder Dome. When Cliff performed Devil Woman Terry played guitar. They recorded it at Abbey Road, a studio made famous by the Beatles.
The song tells a story. A man believes he has been cursed by an evil cat. The man seeks out a gypsy who he thinks can remove the curse. But he's stunned when he learns that the curse didn't come from the cat. It was the gypsy woman placed a curse on him to lure him into her clutches.
Songs like Devil Woman aren't very common. They aren't complex. They use few instruments for their simple tune. Devil Woman is like this. It was recorded with a guitar, some drums, an electric piano and miscellaneous percussion. A singer was involved too.
For a pop song Devil Woman has unique combination of major and minor chords. It's one of the earliest hit songs in the United States to encompass more than an octave of the musical range.
The song has had other performers. One of these is the Accused. The band was founded in 1981 in Washington. Its style is what they called splatter rock. They incorporate sounds from horror movies in their songs. These include shrieking lyrics, and chainsaw like guitar riffs.
In 2005 Cradle of Faith covered Devil Woman. This was an extreme metal band from England. The band called its style any kind of metal. The song was perfect for them.
Devil Woman is a haunting song.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The Devil Went Down To Georgia
The Devil Went Down to Georgia Was first heard by the public in 1979, performed by the Charlie Daniels band. It's remained popular for nearly 30 years, and there's no sign that people will ever grow tired of singing it.
The Devil Went Down To Georgia
An older song called Lonesome Fiddle Blues provides the melody. Charlie added the lyrics. The Devil Went Down to Georgia became the most popular hit the band ever had. The RIAA says that amongst songs with a state name in the title, this is the top seller of all time.
It goes a little like this. It's been a slow year so the devil travels to Georgia in search of souls. He's willing to make deals. When he meets a young fiddler he offers him a deal. There will be a fiddle contest. The devil puts up a golden fiddle. It's worth a lot of money. If the devil wins he gets Johnny's soul.
The Devil Went Down To Georgia
The devil goes first, and he's a hard act to follow. He has a demonic backup band. It seems as if Johnny is doomed. Johnny, however, outplays the Devil. Both Johnny and the Devil agree. The devil hands over the Golden fiddle. Johnny teases is the devil, telling him he's open for a rematch at any time. Johnnie swears in the original version.
Remakes and parodies soon followed. There's a Spanish version called “El Diablo bajo a Georgia”. In the cartoon “Futurama” the heroes challenge the robot devil to a similar fiddle contest to save their robot friend. But after the robot devil plays they beat him in the head with the golden fiddle so they can escape. Primus posted a very good video of The Devil Went Down to Georgia on YouTube. The story is well animated. There was even a sequel by Charlie Daniels. It was called “The Devil Comes Back to Georgia”.
The Devil Went Down To Georgia
The Devil Went Down to Georgia is a song that people sing. Give it a try, you'll know why the title has a ring.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Learn To How to Play a Guitar – What You Need To Start Playing Guitars Like A Pro
Learning how to play a Guitar requires a careful study, a skillful hand and a devoted heart. The Guitar is considered to be the easiest instrument that you can learn and knowing when and where to start is definitely a one notch up.
First thing you need to do is to establish a motivation. This can be done by humming and playing alongside your favorite song. This is a great motivator that you would definitely go out of your way to practice even more. Keep in mind that you cannot study playing any musical instrument if you don´t start reading notes as well as the chords.
When you´ve finally made the part of learning how to read notes which is considered imperative in learning guitar, it is then time for you to ensure that your guitar is tuned properly.
Make it a point that each string is tuned to a specific pitch. A pitch pipe can be used to test the tune of a guitar or on a string to string basis. Deciding on what pick to choose is also essential.
Although this category is often the one to go unnoticed, still it plays a big role as you go on your way to learning how to play the guitar. Picks have several gauges. This can be in the form of either a thin or thick pick.
Learning guitar is probably difficult for a beginner at first but with constant practice humming a tune and strumming altogether doesn´t come with much complexity after all. The simple rule in guitar learning is to keep on practicing.
If you want to learn how to play a guitar, i recommend Ben Edwards Jamorama. Learn how to play a guitar online with Jamorama. There is a 60 day money back guarantee so there is no risk on your part.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Nina Sky
Nina Sky is the name used by the twins Nicole and Natalie Albino for music stage performance. Though they had a childhood marked by music experiences of a variety of kinds, Nina Sky girls only got known on the market in 2004. They both play drums and the guitar and they were educated in a very eclectic music background by their DJ step dad. They composed their first song at the age of seven and by the time they turned ten they were committed to becoming singers. It took some very good years afterwards for Nina Sky to finally get on stage and stay up to personal expectations.
Before hitting the charts, the girls from Nina Sky had temporary jobs as DJs and tried to work their own sound under the guidance of two musical producers, Elijah Wells and Lionel Bermingham, alias the Jettsonz. It is thanks to the Jettsonz that, Nina Sky came to work on their first single Move Ya Body that thrilled listeners by the Caribbean rhythms with some R&B beats. The demo version of the song was very much to the liking of a division president from Universal Records, and a collaboration with the production house followed for Nina Sky.
Move Ya Body remains the song to have opened many doors for Nina Sky but they needed to get better achievements in their musical career. Music promotion became a priority, and they concentrated all their attention in this direction particularly, with their efforts reflected in the increased response to reggaeton music on both sides of the Atlantic. At the end of 2007, Nina Sky terminated their collaboration with Universal Records and signed with J Records, for an album that is still under work. In the meantime the twins made various remixes of other hits like J. Holiday's Bed or Cassidy's My Drink n My 2 Steps
Nina Sky's songs deal with all sorts of topics from love themes and friendship to loss and bitter stuff of an emotional nature. On the other hand the beat of their music is vivid with serious R&B tonalities that don't pass unnoticed on the dance floor Nina Sky even participated to the writing of the famous Betty Wright's song You Deserve for which they also collaborated as guest vocalists. With only two albums, lots of remixes and collaborations, there are many other things to expect from Nina Sky. Will change style or go for the same beat? We're waiting to see.
Jamorama Review – Online Guitar Learning Course
I have been playing guitar for a few years now but never really serious with it. I can do some basic strumming and chords and that´s about it. I´ve been wanting to do some serious guitar learning and decide to find some online guitar learning course. That was when I found Jamorama.
My Jamorama Review
Jamorama is created by Ben Edwards who is a lead guitarist. The course comprises of guitar learning videos as well as some software to help newbie guitarists learn better. All of these are instantly downloadable and you can store them on your computer and begin learning anytime you want.
This is one of the advantages of buying an online guitar course since I don´t necessarily have time to attend guitar lessons every week. I could simply watch the videos anytime I am free.
I am a better learner using videos when it comes to guitar playing. The videos do help a lot as I can see and learn how Ben is playing his guitar. At any point I do not understand, I can always pause or rewind it back. Plus, Ben do provide email support in case I am stuck at any of the guitar video lessons.
The videos are in sequence and I recommend you start from video one or else you might get lost easily. There are over 148 video lessons in Jamorama and each one allows you to watch and learn how Ben plays the guitar.
There is also an upgrade course available if you want to get into playing the lead guitarist. If you want to play guitar in a band, then certainly it is recommended to get it as well. For me, it wasn´t necessary so I passed.
There are also several guitar software such as the GuitEarIt which is a guitar ear training game. Jayde Musica Pro which teaches you how to read music. Guitar Tuner Pro which teaches you how to tune your guitar and the Jamorama Metronome.
Jamorama does offer a lot in the videos and software. This course is more suited for beginners. If you are an intermediate or advanced guitarist, I would advise you not to buy this course as you probably won´t learn much from it.
If you are looking for the best online guitar learning course, check out my Jamorama review. Discover how it can help you learn guitar fast online by reading my in depth Jamorama review.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
My Top Guitar Lessons For Beginners
If you have thought about learning guitar then you have probably thought about taking a electric guitar lesson or acoustic guitar lesson. You should know that you have plenty of options besides going directly to a guitar instructor. It is possible to teach yourself guitar fairly easily. Today we will be taking a look at a guide to help new guitar players start playing in the easiest way possible.
Pick Your Style First
The first thing you need to decide is what type of music you would like to learn. Learning something like country music is not really the same as learning how to play metal or rock. The idea is to learn sond that are your type. You should also make sure that you are learning songs from someone who is an expert at the type of music you would like to play and create. The real trick to this is to find songs that are very easy to learn in your type of music.
Your First Guitar
Some people make the mistake of buying a really fancy and expensive guitar to learn from. This is hardly ever necessary. When you are starting out you need something that is simply to learn from. The odds are that you will want to buy another guitar once your skills do improve. You shouldn't have spend to much more then a couple hundred dollars for a good starter guitar. You may want to consider buying used if you find a good deal. In most cases you want need a used guitar and should be able to buy one that is new at an affordable price.
Should You Take Lessons
Most people can easily teach themselves guitar without the need for taking lessons. There are plenty of learning options for you, such as learning by ear, watching a DVD, or going through a book. But there will always be people who struggle and need to take lessons. If you do take lessons you can expect them to cost you a fair bit. The more lessons you need the more the cost will add up. I would highly recommend that you record your lessons with the instructor so that you can watch them later.
The only way you will ever get good at playing guitar is practice. It isn't easy and it will take you a fair amount of time to master this as a hobby. I would recommend that you try practicing at least 30 to 60 minutes everyday.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Spirit In The Sky
Spirit in the Sky is the song composed by Norman Greenbaum in the late 60s that made history all around the world by lyrics, tune and cultural impact as well. The writer of Spirit in the Sky found his inspiration after listening to a gospel song on TV, and he put the lyrics down in fifteen minutes. It refers to the afterlife and the essence of Christ's sacrifice. Despite Greenbaum's Jewish origins, the Christian dimension of the song did not go unnoticed even if the author claimed that his intention was not that of imbuing the song with religious fervor.
The explanation for the Christian references to sinning that are obvious in Spirit in the Sky are explained by Greenbaum as an attempt to reach to broader audiences, particularly since the concept of wrong doing is common to all cultures and religions, and Christianity doesn't have exclusive rights on it. In terms of sound print, the guitar is the dominant note in the rhythm of the song. It seems that a Fender Telecaster with a fuzz box inside was used in order to to make the sound guitar preponderant.
The characteristics of Spirit in the Sky are amazing by the new sound imprint: psychedelic rock music meets gospel in a combination of tambourines, hand clapping, great drum playing and distorted electric guitar. Though Spirit in the Sky proved a hit, the start was rather small as the record company showed was skeptical about its success because of the uncommon lyrics and original style. Spirit in the Sky saved the album it was part of, since it followed two other single releases which were rated as failures. In a sort of way, the producing company felt compelled to try and save the boat, without even imagining the kind of impact the song would have on the market.
John Lennon rated Spirit in the Sky as a great song, while the Rolling Stones ranked it on the 333rd position in the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Even so, the song hit in the charts in Australia, Canada, USA and United Kingdom, and it had an impact for the foundation stone of glam rock evolution and the more extensive usage of electronic technologies in music making. Due to its content and sound specificity, Spirit in the Sky met the necessities of film making too, being performed in more than twenty films.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Learn To Play Bass Guitar
Allot of people do not think about learning to play the bass guitar when they first decide to learn an instrument. What most people don't realize is that the bass guitar is really the heart and soul of the music. People don't just hear the bass they feel it. This makes the bass guitar one of the most exciting instruments in all of music. For this article we will be taking a look at how to play bass guitar.
To learn the bass you will need to start off by learning the basics first. Make sure that you learn the names of the different parts and what those parts do. Make sure you you know how to tune your guitar, what the names of the different strings are, and then learn the scales. Most experts would also agree that learning the bass is much easier when you start out with a fretted bass guitar.
You need to get good with your fingers if you want to play bass. There are some exercises you can try out to improve your playing. Make sure that you do practice everyday so you can get the basic techniques down. If you don't hold the bass the right way you will find learning to be rather difficult.
It's important that you learn to play songs that you actually like. Learning the bass is allot harder when you are trying to learn songs or music that you don't even like. At the same time these songs need to be relativity simple and easy to learn. If you pick songs that are too hard you will become frustrated and give up on playing all together.
How you choose to learn is up to you. Many people simply learn to play by ear. This may be the best way. However, it is still a great skill to be able to learn how to read some notes. You may want to take lessons from an instuctor, but you should also consider teaching yourself how to play by ear.
You may also want to consider learning bass online. There are a number of good tutorials that can be found or even some affordable lessons that you can take. This just happens to be something you should keep in mind.
Ghost Riders In The Sky
With Ghost Riders in the Sky, Stan Jones opened a great chapter in the history of country music as early as 1948. He had no clue about what a hit his song was going to become, as there dozens of rewrites and versions have appeared along the years. Ghost Riders in the Sky remains a visionary song about a cowboy who sees cattle with red eyes chased by ghost cowboys in the sky. He is warned to improve his life style or never find peace in the after life and be damned for eternity. Moreover, European myths can be read between the lines in the lyrics.
Ghost Riders in the Sky has become a classic by now, and almost all the big names of country music made an attempt at its interpretation. Moreover, it seems the that the famous band The Doors took their inspiration from Ghost Riders in the Sky when they created their Riders on the Storm hit. From all the versions of the material, the one V. Monroe recorded in 1949 was the most popular climbing to the first place in the Billboard charts of the year, and remaining in this position for more than five months.
Ghost Riders in the Sky became part of the soundtrack of the movie Blues Brothers 2000, and then it inspired a heavy metal rendition by a German band. Along the years, several rock musicians aimed at adapting the original country song to the more aggressive sounds and lyrics of rock music, and different success rates were scored. Beside rewrites, new versions and source of inspiration, Ghost Riders in the Sky also fueled all sorts of parodies from the Ghost Writers in Disguise to politically engaged lyrics that some listeners may not even be aware of.
An Irish parody version of Ghost Riders in the Sky deals with the destruction of British helicopters by IRA members, although no such violence has ever occurred. Despite these politically engaged messages that could be added to the Ghost Riders in the Sky, the majority of the performing artists are not aware of them, and sing the song without any reference to terrorist or Republican facts. Last but not least, Ghost Riders in the Sky also stood out as a starting point for the creation of engaged football club songs by supporters. Yet, with all the changes, it is clearly obvious that Ghost riders in the Sky made history in the country music tradition.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Beginner Guitar Lessons For Those Who Want To Learn The Electric Guitar
It has always been your dream to play the guitar. You listen to all those rock and metal songs. You wish you could learn to play just like the greatest guitarist in the world. Now you can! All you have to do is take some good beginner guitar lessons to get started. This article will take an introductory look at what it takes to play and learn guitar.
Most people start learning guitar by studying some books and DVDs. However, it should be noted that many peole find these methods to be difficult. In fact, many people will try the techniques taught in these lessons with allot of frustration. Allot of new guitarists struggle learning the notes and with reading the music. Many would rather learn by ear. This is when you can really see some benefits from having a guitar teacher.
It Starts With The Basics
When you take lessons you will start out with the basics. You will learn how to hold the guitar, the different strings, how to tune the guitar, and how to hold it correctly. When you make a mistake your teacher will correct you. This is the main advantage on having an instructor. With an instructor they can help you with the things that you are struggling with.
A good instuctor can help you pick the right songs to start out learning. It's important that the instructor that you have can teach you the type of music you want to play and listen to. You don't want an instructor who teaches country guitar when you want to learn how to play rock and metal. This will make things frustrating for the instructor and waist your time. Be sure to ask the instructor if they can teach the type of music you would like to learn how to create.
Instuctors can also help out allot when it comes to learning a tablature. A tablature is readable music that guitarists have made. Guitarists use their own type of sheet music. If you already know some sheet music you will have to learn how to read music differently when it comes to guitar. An instructor can help you out a great deal with this.
As you can probably tell learning how to play electric guitar has never been this easy. There are lots of options for you. You can learn online, through DVD, through professional lessons, or simply teach yourself. There is no right or wrong way to go about doing this.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Riders In The Sky
An 80s Western music comic group, Riders in the Sky are the winners of two Grammy Awards for their great performances in famous motion films: For the Birds by Pixar and Toy Story 2. At first, Riders in the Sky had only three members, Douglas Green alias Ranger Doug, Paul Woodrow Chrisman alias Woody Paul and Fred LaBour alias Too Slim, Woody Paul (Paul Woodrow Chrisman) and Ranger Doug (Douglas Green). Joey Miskulin known as Joey the Cowpolka King joined the group to play the accordion in the 90s. The Riders in the Sky have been incredibly active over the years, and their impact on the public has not diminished, on the contrary, respect and popularity just added up to their fame.
The Riders in the Sky stand out not only by their artistic talents but also by the superior education level of the group members: Ranger Doug has a Master degree in literature, Too Slim in Wildlife Management and Woody Paul a PhD in theoretical plasma Physics. {If that is not an impressive array of diplomas, then what is?That really is great academic education!} Even so, Riders in the Sky built personal professional lives not many other groups can boast with; in their twenty-five years of activity in entertainment, they have more than 5,200 live shows, 200 radio acts, 300 television appearances, over 700 Grand Ole Opry participations and three TV series. Add thirty albums to the list and you get the summary of a lifetime dedicated to art.
Other activities of Riders in the Sky include the appearance in CBS morning shows on Saturdays from 1991 to 1992 as well as many Christmas events put together for television purposes. On the other hand, Riders in the Sky remained committed to the traditional Western style that made them famous. On different occasions they have crossed the line between music and comedy, getting into parody representations of great quality. Wit, music talent and respect for the old American spirit are the values to have kept their popularity high for so many years.
The tours and general agenda of the Riders in the Sky are posted on the web page of the group for fans to consult. You can also have a look over the group's biography and check with their awesome hall of fame. For years in a raw, Riders in the Sky received the title of Group of the Year, while also being awarded for albums on a variety of occasions too. These being said, it is explainable why Billboard magazine calls them a major event in the history of American music.