Sheet Music Necessary

Sheet music is the written form of music that has all its annotations, changes of chords, melodies and harmonies set for the musicians to play so they can remain faithful to the composer 's original vision. While it may be useful for new musicians and for those who play a lot of classical pieces that require any kind of improvisation, musical scores is not a necessity for many who play other forms of music like rock and roll or blue, because it can be easily learned.

Music Machine, apparently, is much less important than once was. Once printed musical scores of composers were regarded as works of art; praised for its aesthetic value as much as to the composition that has been written about them. Some members of high society would pay large sums for the final copies of theses results ready to go to many great distances to find them. Even today the originals can get an enormous amount of antiques if these findings are for sale at an auction house.

Much of today 's popular music continues to be published. However, it is more for the benefit of novice musicians and the general public than for more seasoned artists. Many of today 's great artists to memorize all of his own music. Having to perform in front of live audiences does not allow most of them have their notes in front of them. The time spent on testing, making albums, and many actions that allows them to obtain memorized all the songs with little difficulty.

Many lay people who can learn to play musical pieces with only listen to them. This is generally called "game by ear." This type of learning is also practiced in many different cultures which is of great store, incidentally, traditional songs and dances to the next generation. Examples of this type of culture can be found throughout the world. Many people may remember that small and listen to someone in your family sing a song to calm them or someone close to them.

There have been many famous composers who have not been able to read a single piece of sheet music. They, however, have created some of the most beautiful pieces in motion and in the world. Examples of these great artists of our modern times include Sir Paul McCartney, Ray Charles and Lionel Bart. Can you imagine that would have been without the ability to create wonderful songs that are responsible in their heads?

The world of music is not what it is because someone wrote the first few notes on a piece of papyrus or scratched out on a piece of bark. However, is a much richer world in which we have treasures that great composers have left behind that could give us an insight into the creative genius they have shown in drafting some of the larger pieces of music in the history of man.

In response to the question, "it is necessary scores for the players?" the answer would be no. However, raises the question: "Where we would be if it were not for the pieces of sheet left by the great?" It also makes one wonder if we are to be culturally if we did not have talent so as not to be able to learn the most complex pieces out there.

read more...

SWING BASS FOR PIANO

The piano style is called "swing bass," because the left hand swings back and forth between a low note (or group of notes, as a 10, alternating with a chord in the middle right below C.

You certainly know the sound of swing when you hear bass, although you may not know his name characteristic. The swing style of play is ideal for the piano because of his left hand, right hand on the ability of piano offers. You can play bass swing on piano with his left hand while his right hand improvised a melody over it.

Swing low registration begins with a lower underlying note is the possibility of a song. Its roots are in jazz the years 1920 to 1940 era. During the 1920's, dance music was very popular in North americas. This dance music is jazz the way. During this period of 20 years, some of jazz 's most creative musicians and composers stretched the limits of this music.

Dance musical tradition dictated glued to melodies as it is written. The pioneers of the swing music and swing under agreements considered necessary that each musician melodies' s interpretation. Improvisation became the norm, and jazz was a new form of musicians who gave a lot of freedom of expression of music.

Of course, these melodies freer requires a line of low support that conform to style swing. The low-swing style developed on the basis of rhythm, harmony, melody and elements. Other names to swing bass are "step" or "striding bass." The unit bass harmonica swing is sometimes tenths in the left hand. The player plays the piano notes that are 10 notes scale away from each other, often with the day 5 of the line between the root and the 10 th (10 th is the same as the 3 rd, with the exception of one octave higher ), Taking great strides in the lower group of notes until the chord around or below C. Often average in the 3 rd pace of a measure of the 5 th of the rope is used as a low note, followed by another line to the 4 th pace.

The unit rhythmic swing bass is a combination of half swing bass note and fourth note walking bass. The walking bass line involves playing bass in a single line, like a bass player is. The jumps are not as extreme in the walking bass. Therefore, a pianist can mix sounds great striding swing with the walking bass. This variety lends itself to a piece of swing and jazz gives only one who feels.

The unit melodic music from swing to improvise during the swing bass are fourth, eighth, sixteenth notes and triplets. Once again, playing with these values of letters to shorten or lengthen the sounds note is at the heart of playing swing and jazz improvisation. A jazz piano player can even the most basic of popular song by adding elements to swing a piece.

The swing bass sound and feel is ideal for the piano because of the lower notes. A pianist may give a low feel a song without a string bass player today. The style of a bass player that can be used part of the song, although the tone is different. This is because low rope creates a warmer sound, while the piano makes a sound more percussive. While a string bass player can range from the shackles of bending and doing glissandos, a pianist can not. The pianist can swing under a sound more articulate, with the harder edge of the keys percussion skills afford.

When piano players must use the low swing style? It is ideal when a song needs a strong bass sound in a solo performance. Without backup musicians to support, pianists can establish its own line of swing low. In addition, a banda missing the services of their bassist pianists can have their swing bass perform emergency services. They can vamp away with his left hand and still have the freedom to create his right hand melodies.

Swing low is ideal to change the mood of a song for jarring contrast. STA semi-classical or traditional folk songs are ideal for this. Their listeners expect that the next logical emanating sounds of piano, as is normal for the piece you are playing. They are familiar with the music and have pre-conceived expectations of how sound. It may surprise by throwing them into a section with swing improvised bass and melody. It will delight and surprise them and keep alert for any surprises in the rest of his game.

Consider the swing under the style of some of his piano. It is a great tool for lending and spark the variety of songs. You are going to add much to his style as the practice of this technique over and keep your audience swinging with his music.

read more...

The New Language Of Today 's Children

by sparta
It seems that the younger generation seriously have lost the art of communication. Yet how is this so, given that communication channels have moved on with technology,

bringing us the mobile phone and email, which should, in theory keep us in touch even more than before?

Well, it 's true. We do have more options but what happened to old fashioned communication skills - you know the ones, talking and writing? Technological gadgets are no longer the domain of adults but of children. If it 's cool and electronic, they have it.
Mp3 players and iPods for their music downloads, electronic diaries and planners for their hectic social lives, mobile phones for that furious texting art, digital cameras and video to record their days and computers and laptops for emailing, photo sharing and more music downloads.

There have been reports that 224 children (unofficial figure) have been injured this year whilst walking and texting at the same time. It is impossible to see where you are going while you are feeding your addiction of texting useless information to your mates in words abbreviated to two or three letters that resembles a code your parents could never decipher.

Injuries have also occurred that can be attributed to the overuse of personal music players blasting music downloads into the ears at point blank range and at mega decibels. Burst eardrums are a common occurrence in the accident and emergency rooms all over the UK as are thick ears received from the parents when the kids don't listen to them.

Email may be a form of communication but what do you get for it and is it any better than snail mail? Of course, in the business arena, not having to wait three days to receive a communication is a godsend and has moved commerce on to unprecedented levels. But for the social life of children, sending an email can surely be nowhere near as satisfying as receiving a letter or am I just being old fashioned?

There is another language building up around emails and mobile phones that means that the English language is evolving into a serious of grunts, abbreviations and smiley faces. Trying to read a text from my daughter is like listening to someone on a dodgy microphone and more often I have to call her to work out what exactly the hell she was on about. I've managed so far that words are often abbreviated by removing most of the vowels, stick a few in and the possibilities are narrowed slightly.

Texts and email that are sent demand immediate responses and the rudeness of young people to put any conversation on hold to answer one of those non-urgent messages is simply infuriating.

Music downloads are another communication killer of our modern times. Wires from the ears used to mean a hearing aid, now they just signal 'don't speak to me I can't hear you'. More like 'don't want to talk to you'! Speaking from personal experience there is nothing more infuriating after a long, hard day at work than sitting on the bus home, craving five minutes peace and being subjected to the tinny racket of someone else 's so-called musical tastes.

Casualty departments report daily of further accidents that have been caused by these personal music players. Walking in front of cars that you can't hear, muggings from people that boldly walk up behind you and would otherwise have been heard were it not for the big band blasting your ear drums and fights that have been sparked by jealousy of someone else 's gadgetry are big social problems. I suggest we go back to talking, writing and listening to music on the wireless. Well, maybe not that far but you get my drift.

About the Author

Parenting expert Catherine Harvey looks at the way kids would rather listen to music downloads than talk to each other.

Article Source: Content for Reprint

read more...

New Music - Bands Heading For The Big Time

by subtv
When a band becomes massive it 's always nice to be the smug person who can claim to seeing them play when know one else knew who they were. Everyone is bound to think that you are the coolest person they know and treat you like some kind of god.

Well not really, but if you do want to see some bands headed for the big time, then here are my tips for the hot bands on small stages this summer.

The Brute Chorus. I have seen the Brute Chorus play in London a couple of times and at Glastonbury this year on the BBC 'introducing' stage. They are signed to Bumpman records (The Hawley Arms label). They have a bluesy folk sound but dirty and rough around the edges. Fans of Nick Cave or The White Stripes would appreciate this band. Catch them at Greenbelt Festival in Cheltenham, 25th August or at Grassroots Festival in Peterborough 6th September.

The Wave Pictures have been together for a quite a long time and the past year has seen them gigging more and release 'Instant Coffee Baby' on Moshi Moshi. You can catch them at The End of the Road Festival in September and I would expect by the end of this summer they will be very big. The Wave Pictures have been one of my favourite bands of this year and I really believe in their world domination potential. They are truly brilliant.

The Runaway Sons are another band about to explode. Lead singer Jim Gipson had been solo for about a year and had supported Bert Jansch and been on tour with Richard Hawley. Early this year he formed The Runaway Sons with close friends Andy Gaines, Benn Chord and Claude Trejonis. The Runaway Sons play bluesy rock and Jims voice has been compared to both Buckley 's , Gram Parsons and Robert Plant. Their live performance is always breath-taking. They have recently supported MGMT, Feeder and had a residency at Proud Galleries, Camden. Catch them at V Festival, 16th August at Chelmsford and 17th at Stafford.

Rosie Oddie and the Odd Squad are one of the most interesting new bands on the scene at the moment. The sound is unique, well crafted pop that will be filling indie dance floors across the country very soon. They stand apart from their peers in many ways, one of the most obvious being Rosie 's inimitable dress sense which has caught bazaar magazines eye as well as several newspapers, winning much admiration. They have had singles released on Bloody Awful Poetry 's label and you will be able to catch them at Bestival this summer.

Mumford and Sons are part of the new West London folk scene, which includes Noah and the Whale who are already set for soaring success, and Laura Marling who was recently nominated for the Mercury Prize. Marcus Mumford fronts the band (and drums for Laura Marling), the songs are full and sublime and beautiful. Listen to the gorgeous 'White Blank Page' and you will fall in love with Mumford and Sons instantly. They too will be gracing The End Of The Road festival to offer the crowds a heavenly bluegrass, folk experience.

So they are my top tips for the big time this summer. I hope you get a chance to check them out.

About the Author

Sub.tv Musicis a website for people who are into new music. It 's a place to discover new music, bands and events in your local area and nation wide with reviews, blogs, photography, interviews, discussion and more, all about your music scene.

Article Source: Content for Reprint

read more...

learn guitar

Every free guitar lesson at ABC LEARN GUITAR is designed to help you build a solid foundation that will last for years to come.
www.abclearnguitar.com/free-guitar-lesson.html


Learn guitar online with 3782 guitar lessons from 45 instructors ... Frustrated by trying to learn guitar from the beginning online? You should be! ...
www.guitartricks.com/ - 57k

Learn Guitar Online at GuitarPlayerWorld.com with Comprehensive Online Guitar Lessons. Free Guitar Lessons and Resources for Guitarists. Learn how to play ...
www.guitarplayerworld.com/

Read Free Guitar Tips to Learn How to Play the Guitar. Tricks will be included in the Express Guitar.
www.guitarcoaching.com/

Learn to play guitar with step by step lessons that teach you the timing, rhythm and magic of a professional.
www.jamorama.com/
read more...

Basic Guitar Set-Up is Affordable and Unavoidable

by drlehrman
The matter of setting up a guitar is not a new vibe, especially if you are a regular reader of my blog. My enthusiasm for a good playing guitar is compelling and becomes infectious to people.

One more time, if you want to play at your top level, than your guitar needs to be set-up, or adjusted properly, which is a rarity for a new factory guitar. Needless to say your guitar will sound better too.

Realistically speaking, any equipment that is not in proper working order or out of adjustment is a hindrance to your success and can be frustrating. An out of tune car, runs poorly, gets bad fuel mileage and is not much fun to drive, get it?

Simply put, here are the steps considered to be etched in granite for a competent, quality guitar set-up:

#1. Talk to your customer and find out as much about their playing style as possible. If you have an opportunity to watch them play their guitar, that is an added bonus. Perhaps you can make a recommendation.

#2. Inspection of the whole guitar is imperative, we need to repair anything worn or broken before we actually start our set-up procedure.'Sight' the neck for straightness and for any warp-age. So the first thing to do is to check the relief, or bow of the neck with a special tool and then adjust the truss rod. Briefly, the guitar must be strung and tuned to concert pitch to check and adjust relief. We go as far as checking relief in the normal 'playing position'. We try for a flat neck, flat necks play and sound better.

#3. Once the neck is flat the frets must be leveled and dressed up. Meaning that rarely will you find a guitar that all the frets are exactly the same height. If not, we use a precision ground leveling file and make sure the frets are all even, then polish them up with a super fine grade fret dressing file. If you have some custom measurements you would like to use, then this is the time to give them to me.

#3. The act of lowering the string action, meaning, getting the strings the proper distance between the frets and strings is a very precise job, and a mess-up requires a new nut to be cut, so we are very careful at how slowly and accurately we go. Measuring the distance with a dial indicator in a special tool is the most accurate way of checking distance. Other ways such as a feeler gauge is a popular and accurate method as well.

That being said, we use special width diamond files to cut the string notches deeper in the nut, using small increments. Until we have the correct distances set for all strings. We also stagger the heights, to put it in terms you understand, the high E string would be the lowest string, then the B would be two thousands of an inch higher. Each string there after, the B, G, D, A & low E and would receive about the same 2 thousands of an inch in height increase over the string before it. A nice touch that makes the guitar easier to play.

#4. Setting the final height of the strings, which is generally measured at the 12th fret is done by adjusting the tremolo or bridge height. The technicalities of this sort of adjustment vary from guitar to guitar. Don't discount it, especially if you play a lot of lead above the 12th fret. Either way, it is a difference maker.

#5. Lastly, and with great precision we need to set the intonation. Intonation is a way of making sure it is in tune anywhere on the neck you are playing. Without getting detailed, the guitar is almost impossible to have and keep in perfect tune. Mainly due to the design, where pushing a string down to the fretboard actually stretches the string a bit and therefore makes perfect tune everywhere on the neck impossible. By intonation of the guitar we get the best of both worlds.

#6. Lastly, I play the guitar for a short while, then recheck and readjust my work, wait until the morning and recheck it again. Then I call my customer. When my customer arrives, I have them play it,and make sure they like it too.

Bottom line, don't get set-up with a guitar that is not set-up. The cost is cheap and the results are "priceless"!

About the Author

For more information about Guitar Players Center, Guitar Center or Guitar Upgrades. Feel free to visit our website, ask questions, share it with others, make comments or simply enjoy.

Article Source: Content for Reprint

read more...

Ten Best Guitar Solos Of All Time

by enrico
The guitar solo is something that is synonymous with rock music. There have been countless rock guitarists come and go over the years, all with a unique take on what makes a great solo.

For as many guitarists as there are playing solos there are far more people listening and forming opinions on them. No one will ever agree on what their favourite guitar solos are, but here are ten of mine in no particular order.

1. For the Love of God by Steve Vai. The seventh song on his breakthrough 1991 album, Passion and Warfare, For the Love of God is often held up to be Steve Vai 's best work. The song is essentially one long guitar solo and covers almost all aspects of Vai 's playing. An inspiration when I first heard it, it was the piece that really showed me the depth of emotion that was possible to convey while playing guitar.

2. Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd. Often revered as having one of the best guitar solos of all time, the guitar playing in Comfortably Numb is outstanding. Pages and pages have been written about this solo, but for me it showed how effective blues phrasing could be in a rock setting. The big draw for me here was the tone as well, Dave Gilmour uses compression wonderfully well to give a warm and punchy tone that fits the song absolutely perfectly.

3. Beat It, solo by Eddie Van Halen. A great song that really comes to life with Van Halen 's guitar solo mid way through. Eddie Van Halen was the defining guitarist of the 1980s and opened up so many techniques and ideas that would be copied endlessly. He has recorded countless amazing solos across his career but I feel that the one in Beat It is among his best. It 's only short but is a pure explosion of his style showcasing breathtaking technique, style, tone and phrasing. If you ever want to discover why Van Halen is such a great guitarist then just listening to this solo should be enough.

4. Always With Me, Always With You by Joe Satriani (live version). I'm picking the extended live version from the Satriani Live! DVD rather than the studio version for this, mainly for Satriani 's wonderful improvisation section at the end of the track. This song showcases just why Joe Satriani is such a good guitar player. I've heard several different live versions of this song, as well as having seen him live a few times in person and he plays just as well every single time. The song is a masterclass in how to solo melodically and tastefully. Satch never makes a mistake either, and everything he plays is done to absolute perfection. You won't find a better played guitar solo, and I doubt you'll find a better player either.

5. Nottingham Lace by Buckethead. I only recently started listening to Buckethead, so it 's hard for me to pick out one solo in particular given that he excels in so many different styles. I picked Nottingham Lace out because it is a marvelous display of his technique as well as his melodic playing. Well worth a try and I'm looking forward to discovering the rest of his back catalogue.

6. Wonderful Slippery Thing by Guthrie Govan. Guthrie Govan is nowhere near as famous as he should be. An English guitar player, he is absolutely phenomenal, with a complete mastery of his instrument and a remarkable ability to play across a huge range of styles. I picked this song as it has been his strongest for many years, and the version on his recent album, Erotic Cakes, showcases his fluid style. A great player, hopefully soon he'll get the recognition he deserves.

7. Goodnight Kiss by John Petrucci. While John Petrucci is most widely known for his lightning fast alternate picking this solo shows that he can pick out some beautiful phrases when playing in a more restrained style. The solo plays smoothly over changes and changes the style of the song superbly to blend into the next track, Solitary Shell. Petrucci is a great guitarist who has managed to blend blues and metal into a unique style, and I feel that this solo is one of his best.

8. Bliss by Paul Gilbert. Again with a player like Paul Gilbert I found it hard to narrow it down to one solo. I knew I wanted something from him in here, but was unsure what exactly. In the end I just picked my favourite song, which also happens to have some fantastic guitar playing in it as well. On Bliss Gilbert shows his Hendrix influence as well as considerable restraint, playing fast just where it is needed for maximum impact. A great player with a fantastic attitude to music.

9. Soma by Billy Corgan. This is pretty much the guitar solo that really started me playing. My biggest early influence was the Smashing Pumpkins, and in particular the album Siamese Dream. The solo in Soma stands out as one of Corgan 's best and is played to perfection as the song reaches its peak.

10. Bold as Love by Jimi Hendrix. A little cliched to include Hendrix perhaps, but his influence on guitar playing is unquestionable. In a similar situation to Paul Gilbert I was unsure of which to pick so in the end just picked my favourite song. Often overlooked for some of his more famous songs I actually feel that Bold as Love displays Hendrix' songwriting at its strongest, of course it helps that is also has the fantastic guitar work you'd expect from him too.

About the Author

Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest is in Gatwick parking at Gatwick parking NCP, Gatwick Maple Manor and Pink Elephant Stansted.

Article Source: Content for Reprint

read more...

How Lyrics Set The Mood For A Song

by redgsr
Lyrics or the words of a song are one of the most important parts of a song. The words of a song form the most recognizable part of a song and they can be considered as the meat of the song. Background beats, voice of the lead singer, sound of guitar are some of the important parts of a song but the lyrics are the most recognizable part of a song.

They are an integral part of any music tune and they turn a song into an appealing song.

It takes good amount of time to come up with appealing and meaningful words for a song and it would be a mistake for any artist to take lyrics lightly. Lyrics have a significant importance and so, it 's very important to take them seriously. When someone listen a song on radio, he 's likely to remember some key lines of the song instead of the background beats and other sounds. It 's much easier to recognize a song with the help of its words instead of using the drum beats to recognize it.

However, the background music is equally important and it should not be neglected. A good song is a song with appealing lyrics and background beats. People usually relate their own life with lyrics of the song, and some people enjoy songs that convey some message or have some meaning. So, it 's very important for an artist to take lyrics seriously. An artist should spend quality time to make sure that the song has appealing lyrics.

It 's very important to understand the words of a song in order to understand the meaning of the song. Some people find it tough to remember the lyrics completely and this is the reason why most of the artists publish the lyrics. Some artists usually giveaway lyrics with the CD, and some artists publish lyrics on their web sites. Also, there are a number of web sites that maintain a collection of lyrics. Some web sites charge a small fee for providing the music lyrics whereas some web sites provide lyrics for free. So, if you're looking for lyrics of a particular song then you should use the Internet to find the lyrics.

However, you should make sure that you use a legitimate web site for finding and downloading lyrics as there are a number of web sites which provide lyrics without the artist 's permission. Also, a number of web sites use different kinds of spyware to infect an end-user 's system. They try to infect the user 's system so as to collect the personal information of the user. So, an individual should use reputed web sites for finding and downloading lyrics.

An individual should use web sites which provide legal and licensed music lyrics. It is also safe to use web sites which provide licensed music lyrics. A simple web search can get you hundreds of web sites which provide music lyrics and you can also use the reviews to find a reputable site. It is also very easy to search lyrics on a web site as a search box is usually available on a web site. An end-user needs to fill-in the required details in the search box in order to search the lyrics of a particular song.

At the end, the words of a song are very important as people remember songs by the words, and you can use the Internet to find the music lyrics.

About the Author

If you want to find the Lyrics for a particular song visit our database of Song Lyrics.

Article Source: Content for Reprint

read more...

zone muic

Musical Instruments for Sale and Music Equipment Store. Professional Sound System Design and Installation Contractor, financing, Jimi Hendrix, Fender, ...

Music Zone, the UK's third largest music and film retailer, has collapsed ... "Music Zone has an excellent store portfolio with a UK-wide footprint covering ...
www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/01/03/cnmusic03.xml - 48k -
Listen new and hot english music online for free. Search songs by album or artist names or by category like rock, pop, jazz.
www.coolmusiczone.com/ - 43k
Music lyrics and mp3 downloads from Eminem, Jay-Z, Nelly, Sisqo, DMX, Aaliah, Destiny's Child and the latest artists, and all the songs from the Marshall ...
Music composition software, download free Midi and MP3 files, etc. ... Freebyte Music Zone ... It produces music notation from a description file. ...
Listen new and hot english music online for free. Search songs by album or artist names or by category like rock, pop, jazz.
www.coolmusiczone.com/ - 43k
read more...

Classical

While a handful of Don McLean scholars may still wonder what day the music died, classical music fans carry the answer around like a yellowed piece of sheet music. The music died today. And it was always better yesterday.


Recent evidence of the end: The Columbus Symphony Orchestra is “at death’s door,” according to an op-ed in The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio’s Greatest Online Newspaper). The Shreveport Symphony Orchestra plans to move core players to a per-service pay model, leading a fan at shreveporttimes.com to accuse the city of treating musicians as “minimum wage servants” rather than as “professionals [who] will keep this city alive long after the established oil and gas money has died off.”

In the U.K., after Royal Opera House Covent Garden Chief Executive Tony Hall announced plans to lure younger opera goers, Opera News Editor John Allison grabbed what eyewitnesses confirm was the very same quill Margaret Dumont used to write her last kiss-off to Groucho Marx and penned an editorial accusing the organization of “showing classic signs of mid-life crisis and going to unseemly lengths to get younger flesh on its seats.”

As always, Canadians are hardest hit. When the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation announced it would disband its in-house radio orchestra, fans erupted, carrying signs that read, “No Kitsch! No Philistines! Don’t Mess With Our Music!,” and vowing to “rescue the great culture of your country.”

The story is told with even more gravity, or at least more words, in books like Lawrence Kramer’s Why Classical Music Still Matters (2007), wherein the author recalls the passion for longhair music that characterized his teen years and laments that despite increases in performances and attendance, “something still feels wrong; something still is wrong.” Or Julian Johnson’s heady Who Needs Classical Music?: Cultural Choice and Musical Value (2002), which employs an approach that “rejects the neutrality implied by the marketplace” to examine the consequences of the music’s “current legitimation crisis.”

As the caveats about ignoring or rejecting the marketplace suggest, reality tells a far less gloomy tale. Classical music enjoys more listeners than it ever has. Wikipedia lists more than 300 orchestras by state in the U.S., and judging by the handful of regions I know reasonably well around the country, it’s still missing a few. The switch to nonphysical delivery of music appears to be helping Beethoven roll back over Chuck Berry: Classical downloads account for 15 percent of iTunes sales, compared to 3 percent of CD sales. Even traditional sales appear robust. This year’s classical crisis follows a short-lived “has classical been reborn?” media hubbub that followed the release of Nielsen SoundScan’s 2006 report card. In that report, sales of classical music were shown to have jumped 23 percent, or 3.6 million units, for the year. Classical CD sales have declined through the first half of this decade but at a substantially lower rate than overall CD sales.

And the performers? Those long-suffering pluggers figure prominently in narratives of decline—fresh-faced kids who ran up steep student loans on the assumption that a trombone degree was the ticket to a happy life. According to a recent study, even that questionable career choice is going unpunished by the market: Salaries for symphony musicians increased more rapidly than the pay for most other groups in the late 20th century.

It may not be fair to argue strictly from the numbers. Classical mavens are bowed down not by statistics but by a general sense of nonprofit struggle, of lost cultural cachet, of terrestrial radio stations that survive by treating the classical play list as elevator music, of elderly season ticket holders who balk at concert programs that include difficult “new” music by the likes of Olivier Messiaen (died 1992) or György Ligeti (died 2006), then complain about their favorite genre’s loss of relevance.

But an interesting study of the symphony business (from which the data on musicians’ salaries are drawn) suggests even some of these day-to-day frustrations among the white-tie music set could be addressed, or at least mitigated, by some of the market discipline the music’s defenders want to reject. “The Economic Environment of American Symphony Orchestras,” produced by the Stanford business professor Robert J. Flanagan for the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, studies the economics of the largest 63 American orchestras, focusing on the “performance gap”—the difference between ticket revenue and operating expenses, made up through donations, government support, and endowment draws. The performance gap has been growing since the co-op model of orchestra performance (in which musicians were paid out of the orchestra’s net profits) died out at the beginning of the 20th century, but the study found managers are not willing to be as “tough-minded about costs” as their for-profit counterparts.

Frugality might mean Mahler’s “Symphony for a Thousand” would have to get by with fewer than 1,000 performers, but it also opens up avenues of innovation. It is the small, unfamous student and chamber ensembles that perform works by new and local composers: Go to any pickup concert or new music festival, and you’ll hear music that is less European, less male, and, if not more interesting, at least less familiar. Large orchestras that perform relatively daring programs, such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic under outgoing director Esa-Pekka Salonen, are rare, in great part because they are locked into rigid, unionized financial models.

Doomsayers might object that a nimbler/cheaper financial model and a greater mix of contemporary work merely replace Mozart with somebody banging trash can lids. This gets to the real assumption encoded in death-of-classical screeds: that fighting the future, ignoring necessity, and blocking innovation (while getting somebody else, preferably taxpayers, to pay for your rarefied tastes) are the way to protect a great tradition.

While this attitude is a recipe for extinction, and helps explain why gatekeepers are dying out while the music they purport to champion is playing louder and stronger than ever, we shouldn’t overlook its appeal, to both the left (which blames late capitalism for the loss of the music’s purportedly once-central role in our culture) and the right (which blames multicultural philistines). You can rarely go wrong singing about a lost golden age, even when there’s beautiful music all around you.



read more...

Top 10 Classical Works You Know, but You Don't Know

As all forms of mass media continue to expand, many movies, television programs, and commercials are continually including classical music in their soundtracks. And as people are becoming more and more familiar with classical music, naturally, their desire to seek and find a particular work increases. However, the problem is that many people don't know the name or composer of the piece. My solution (although small and could never cover the vast amounts of classical music) is to provide you with a list of the top requested and inquired about classical works I receive on a continual basis. Here are ten classical music works you know, but you don't know.

No. 1: O Fortuna from Carmina Burana, by Carl Orff

* By far the most inquired about classical work, O Fortuna is played in hundreds of movies, television programs, commercials, and other forms of media. Many who have heard this famous piece can hum the melody and often describe it as haunting, foreboding, and big. O Fortuna is the opening movement to Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, a work for large orchestra, choir, and solo vocalists.
* Hear O Fortuna in the movies Cheaper by the Dozen, Natural Born Killers, and The Bachelor.

No. 2: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp minor, by Franz Liszt

* When I heard this piece for what I thought was the first time, I was surprised by how familiar it was. After listening to it several more times, it suddenly hit me… I heard it in a Bugs Bunny cartoon 15 years ago (Rhapsody Rabbit, 1946). He was performing the piece in front of a large audience amongst many distractions. I don’t think cartoons are made like that anymore.
* Hear Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp minor in the movies Delirious, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and Shine.

No. 3: Sous le dôme épais (Flower Duet) from Lakme, by Delibes

* Already well known, Delibes’s Flower Duet was made ever-increasingly popular by British Airway’s use of the work in a fairly recent advertising campaign. This classic piece features a duet between a coloratura soprano and and a mezzo-soprano.
* Hear Delibes’s Flower Duet in the movies The American President, Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, and Meet the Parents.

No. 4: Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin

* Almost anyone can recognize Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. Like, Orff's O Fortuna, Rhapsody in Blue is featured in many movies and television shows. Some consider it strictly jazz while others say it's classical, when in all actuality, it's a perfect combination of both. Here's an interesting fact, when Gershwin was commissioned to write the piece, he wrote it so speedily he didn't have time to compose the part for piano. At its first performance, Gershwin improvised the piano part. Later, it was finally composed.
* Hear Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue in the movies Fantasia 2000 and Manhattan.

No. 5: Dies Irae from Verdi’s Requiem

* A great “power” song, people all over the world, even those who dislike classical music, appreciate this work. Verdi’s Dies Irae is arguably the most well known and recognizable movement of the work. Although, many classical music lovers can tell you the name and composer of the piece, the great majority of the world cannot. Its heart pounding rhythms and driving melodies are truly awe inspiring.
* Hear Verdi’s Dies Irae in the movies Battle Royale and Water Drops on Burning Rocks

read more...

Piano Lessons - How to Gently Extend the Practice Session for Beginners

Parents are ofttimes frustrated in the size of instance their children pay at the piano practicing. Most parents conceive their children should be practicing longer, and theyre belike right. What parents don't commonly get, however, is that for teen beginners it takes training to see to how practice! To overcome this acquisition notch parents initially requirement to pore on impact and noesis kinda than product.

Since everything is newborn to teen children, its a nonachievement for parents to adopt likewise much. For example, you haw conceive it would be manifest to your female in piano lessons that they requirement to play their pieces more than digit time, but this meet isn't the housing with children. Most children adopt that because they played a strain erst at bag they hit indeed practiced! What the teen enrollee doesn't see is the piano acquisition process. Help your enrollee by outlining a impact that module termination in improvement. To do this students requirement digit things.

1. A goal;

2. Specific training habits that module hold that goal.

Example for Beginners:

Goal: Assignment Play Song on Page 8 in C Position 7 nowadays apiece day

Good Habit 1 Keep Your Eyes on the Music (Dont Look at Your Hands)

Good Habit 2 Sing the Note Names as You Play Them

Beginning songs for children verify roughly 1 instance to play. Multiply by 7 and you hit 7 transactions of practice. Not a day long time, but with beatific habits this crapper be rattling emotional initially and achieves the content over a hebdomad of practice. If your female has digit pieces of penalization assigned, thats 14 transactions of practice. If your female does this for a some days, however, they module undergo their pieces so substantially that they wont requirement to endeavor them 7 times. Three nowadays would then be enough. That makes the training conference shorter, not longer. Starting with 10 transactions a period of training for a teen originator is reasonable.

As students see more skills, their appointed penalization pieces embellish individual and more complex, and thusly the training instance as it course makes significance to do so. The training conference crapper gradually modify to 15 minutes, then 20, then 25 until the enrollee knows how to administer themselve at the pianissimo for 30 minutes.

The pore at the first should not be solely on size of practice, but on regular training strategies that are effective. In this artefact teen students gradually take the singable groundwork of skills they requirement to play more Byzantine penalization that module order more instance to learn. By centering on weekly goals and limited habits that administer strategy to acquisition students take a aggregation of training habits that amend skills they crapper rely on to see more arduous penalization and training longer.

read more...

Types of guitar

Guitars can be divided into two broad categories, acoustic and electric:

Acoustic guitars

An acoustic guitar is one not dependent on an external device to be heard but uses a soundboard which is a wooden piece mounted on the front of the guitar's body. The acoustic guitar is quieter than other instruments commonly found in bands and orchestras so when playing within such groups it is often externally amplified. Many acoustic guitars available today feature a variety of pickups which enable the player to amplify and modify the raw guitar sound.

There are several notable subcategories within the acoustic guitar group: classical and flamenco guitars; steel string guitars, which include the flat top or "folk" guitar; twelve string guitars and the arch top guitar. The acoustic guitar group also includes unamplified guitars designed to play in different registers such as the acoustic bass guitar which has a similar tuning to that of the electric bass guitar.

Renaissance and Baroque guitars
These are the gracile ancestors of the modern classical guitar. They are substantially smaller and more delicate than the classical guitar, and generate a much quieter sound. The strings are paired in courses as in a modern 12 string guitar, but they only have four or five courses of strings rather than six. They were more often used as rhythm instruments in ensembles than as solo instruments, and can often be seen in that role in early music performances. (Gaspar Sanz' Instrucción de Música sobre la Guitarra Española of 1674 constitutes the majority of the surviving solo corpus for the era.) Renaissance and Baroque guitars are easily distinguished because the Renaissance guitar is very plain and the Baroque guitar is very ornate, with ivory or wood inlays all over the neck and body, and a paper-cutout inverted "wedding cake" inside the hole.

Classical guitars
These are typically strung with nylon strings, played in a seated position and are used to play a diversity of musical styles including classical music. The classical guitar is designed to allow for the execution of solo polyphonic arrangements of music in much the same manner as the pianoforte can. This is the major point of difference in design intent between the classical instrument and other designs of guitar. Flamenco guitars are very similar in construction, but are associated with a more percussive tone. In Mexico, the popular mariachi band includes a range of guitars, from the tiny requinto to the guitarron, a guitar larger than a cello, which is tuned in the bass register. In Colombia, the traditional quartet includes a range of instruments too, from the small bandola (sometimes known as the Deleuze-Guattari, for use when traveling or in confined rooms or spaces), to the slightly larger tiple, to the full sized classical guitar. The requinto also appears in other Latin-American countries as a complementary member of the guitar family, with its smaller size and scale, permitting more projection for the playing of single-lined melodies. Modern dimensions of the classical instrument were established by Antonio Torres Jurado (1817-1892). Classical guitars are sometimes referred to as classic guitars. In recent years, the series of guitars used by the Niibori Guitar orchestra have gained some currency, namely:

* Sopranino guitar (an octave and a fifth higher than normal); sometimes known as the piccolo guitar
* Soprano guitar (an octave higher than normal)
* Alto guitar (a 5th higher than normal)
* Prime (ordinary classical) guitar
* Niibori bass guitar (a 4th lower than normal); Niibori simply calls this the "bass guitar", but this assigns a different meaning to the term than other parts of the community use, as his is only a 4th lower, and has 6 strings
* Contrabass guitar (an octave lower than normal)

The modern Ten-string guitar

The Modern/Yepes 10-string guitar (a classical guitar) adds four strings (resonators) tuned in such a way that they (along with the other three bass strings) can resonate in unison with any of the 12 chromatic notes that can occur on the higher strings; the idea behind this being an attempt at enhancing and balancing sonority.

Main article: Ten-string guitar

Portuguese guitar

In spite of the name, it is not a guitar, but rather a cittern.

Main article: Portuguese guitar

Flat-top (steel-string) guitars
Similar to the classical guitar, however, within the varied sizes of the steel-stringed guitar the body size is usually significantly larger than a classical guitar and it has a narrower, reinforced neck and stronger structural design. This allows the instrument to withstand the additional tension of steel strings. The steel strings produce a brighter tone, and according to many players, a louder sound. The acoustic guitar is used in many kinds of music including folk, country, bluegrass,pop, jazz and blues.

Archtop guitars
These are steel string instruments which feature a violin-inspired f-hole design in which the top (and often the back) of the instrument are carved in a curved rather than a flat shape. Lloyd Loar of the Gibson Guitar Corporation invented this variation of guitar after designing a style of mandolin of the same type. The typical Archtop is a deep, hollow body guitar whose form is much like that of a mandolin or violin family instrument and may be acoustic or electric. Some solid body electric guitars are also considered archtop guitars although usually 'Archtop guitar' refers to the hollow body form. Archtop guitars were immediately adopted upon their release by both jazz and country musicians and have remained particularly popular in jazz music, usually with flatwound strings. The electric semi-hollow body archtop guitar has a distinct sound among electric guitars and is consequently appropriate for many styles of pop music. Many electric archtop guitars intended for use in rock and roll have a Tremolo Arm.

Ellis 8 string baritone tricone resonator guitar.
Ellis 8 string baritone tricone resonator guitar.

Resonator, resophonic or Dobro guitars
Similar to the flat top guitar in appearance, the sound of the resonator guitar is produced by a metal resonator mounted in the middle of the top. The physical principle of the guitar is therefore similar to the banjo. The original purpose of the resonator was to amplify the sound of the guitar. This purpose has been largely superseded by electrical amplification, but the resonator guitar is still played because of its distinctive sound. Resonator guitars may have either one resonator cone or three resonator cones. Three-cone resonators have two cones on the left above one another and one cone immediately to the right. The method of transmitting sound resonance to the cone is either a "biscuit" bridge, made of a small piece of hardwood, or a "spider" bridge, made of metal and larger in size. Three-cone resonators always use a specialized metal spider bridge.The type of resonator guitar with a neck with a square cross-section – called "square neck" – is usually played face up, on the lap of the seated player, and often with a metal or glass slide. The round neck resonator guitars are normally played in the same fashion as other guitars, although slides are also often used, especially in blues.

12 string guitars
The twelve string guitar usually has steel strings and is widely used in folk music, blues and rock and roll. Rather than having only six strings, the 12-string guitar has six courses made up of two strings each, like a mandolin or lute. The highest two courses are tuned in unison, while the others are tuned in octaves. The 12-string guitar is also made in electric forms.

Russian guitars
These are seven string acoustic guitars which were the norm for Russian guitarists throughout the 19th and well into the 20th centuries. The guitar is traditionally tuned to an open G major tuning.

Acoustic bass guitars
Have steel strings or gut strings and often the same tuning as an electric bass guitar.

Tenor guitars
There is very sketchy background information about tenor guitars on the Internet. A number of classical guitarists call the Niibori prime guitar a "Tenor Guitar" on the grounds that it sits in pitch between the alto and the bass. Elsewhere[citation needed]the name is taken for a 4-string guitar with a scale length of 23" (585 mm) – about the same as a Terz Guitar. The tenor guitar is tuned in fifths, C G D A, as is the tenor banjo and the cello. It is generally accepted[citation needed] that the tenor guitar was created to allow a tenor banjo player to follow the fashion as it evolved from Dixieland Jazz towards the more progressive Jazz that featured guitar. It allows a tenor banjo player to provide a guitar-based rhythm section with little to learn. A small minority of players (such as Nick Reynolds of the Kingston Trio) close tuned the instrument to D G B E to produce a deep instrument that could be played with the 4-note chord shapes found on the top 4 strings of the guitar or ukulele. The deep pitch warrants the wide-spaced chords that the banjo tuning permits, and the close tuned tenor does not have the same full, clear sound.

Harp guitars
Harp Guitars are difficult to classify as there are many variations within this type of guitar. They are typically rare and uncommon in the popular music scene. Most consist of a regular guitar, plus additional 'harp' strings strung above the six normal strings. The instrument is usually acoustic and the harp strings are usually tuned to lower notes than the guitar strings, for an added bass range. Normally there is neither fingerboard nor frets behind the harp strings. Some harp guitars also feature much higher pitch strings strung below the traditional guitar strings. The number of harp strings varies greatly, depending on the type of guitar and also the player's personal preference (as they have often been made to the player's specification). [2] The Pikasso guitar; 4 necks, 2 sound holes, 42 strings] and also the Oracle Harp Sympitar; 24 strings (with 12 sympathetic strings protruding through the neck) are modern examples.

Extended-range guitars
For well over a century guitars featuring seven, eight, nine, ten or more strings have been used by a minority of guitarists as a means of increasing the range of pitch available to the player. Usually, it is bass strings that are added. Classical guitars with an extended range are useful for playing lute repertoire, some of which was written for lutes with more than six courses.

Guitar battente
The battente is smaller than a classical guitar, usually played with four or five metal strings. It is mainly used in Calabria (a region in southern Italy) to accompany the voice.

This Fender Stratocaster has features common to many electric guitars: multiple pickups, a whammy bar, volume and tone knobs.
This Fender Stratocaster has features common to many electric guitars: multiple pickups, a whammy bar, volume and tone knobs.

Electric guitars

Main article: Electric guitar

Electric guitars can have solid, semi-hollow, or hollow bodies, and produce little sound without amplification. Electromagnetic pickups convert the vibration of the steel strings into electrical signals which are fed to an amplifier through a cable or radio transmitter. The sound is frequently modified by other electronic devices or the natural distortion of valves (vacuum tubes) in the amplifier. There are two main types of pickup, single and double coil (or humbucker), each of which can be passive or active. The electric guitar is used extensively in jazz, blues, and rock and roll, and was commercialized by Gibson in collaboration with Les Paul, and independently by Leo Fender of Fender Music. The lower fretboard action (the height of the strings from the fingerboard) and its electrical amplification lend the electric guitar to some techniques which are less frequently used on acoustic guitars. These include tapping, extensive use of legato through pull-offs and hammer-ons (also known as slurs), pinch harmonics, volume swells, and use of a tremolo arm or effects pedals.

Seven-strings were popularized in the 1980s and 1990s in part due to the release of the Ibanez Universe guitar, endorsed by Steve Vai. Other artists go a step further, by using an 8 string guitar with two extra low strings. Although the most common 7-string has a low B string, Roger McGuinn (of The Byrds and Rickenbacker) uses an octave G string paired with the regular G string as on a 12 string guitar, allowing him to incorporate chiming 12 string elements in standard 6 string playing.

The electric bass guitar is similar in tuning to the traditional double bass viol. Hybrids of acoustic and electric guitars are also common. There are also more exotic varieties, such as guitars with two, three,[12] or rarely four necks, all manner of alternate string arrangements, fretless fingerboards (used almost exclusively on bass guitars, meant to emulate the sound of a stand-up bass), 5.1 surround guitar, and such.

Some electric guitar and electric bass guitar models feature Piezoelectric pickups, which function as transducers to provide a sound closer to that of an acoustic guitar with the flip of a switch or knob, rather than switching guitars.

read more...

guitar History

Before the development of the electric guitar and the use of synthetic materials, a guitar was defined as being an instrument having "a long, fretted neck, flat wooden soundboard, ribs, and a flat back, most often with incurved sides".[1] Instruments similar to the guitar have been popular for at least 5,000 years. The six string classical guitar first appeared in Spain but was itself the product of a long and complex history of diverse influences.

Like virtually all other stringed European instruments, the guitar ultimately traces back thousands of years, via the Middle East, to a common ancient origin from instruments then known in central Asia and India. It is therefore very distantly related with contemporary instruments such as the Iranian tanbur and setar and the Indian sitar. The oldest known iconographic representation of an instrument displaying all the essential features of a guitar being played is a 3300 year old stone carving of a Hittite bard.[2] The modern word, guitar, was adopted into English from Spanish guitarra, derived from the Latin word cithara, which in turn was derived from the earlier Greek word kithara,[3] which perhaps derives from Persian sihtar.[4] Sihtar itself is related to the Indian instrument, the sitar.
Illustration from a Carolingian Psalter from the 9th century, showing a guitar-like plucked instrument.
Illustration from a Carolingian Psalter from the 9th century, showing a guitar-like plucked instrument.

The modern guitar is descended from the Roman cithara brought by the Romans to Hispania around 40 AD, and further adapted and developed with the arrival of the four-string oud, brought by the Moors after their conquest of the Iberian peninsula in the 8th century.[5] Elsewhere in Europe, the indigenous six-string Scandinavian lut (lute), had gained in popularity in areas of Viking incursions across the continent. Often depicted in carvings c. 800 AD, the Norse hero Gunther (also known as Gunnar), played a lute with his toes as he lay dying in a snake-pit, in the legend of Siegfried.[6] By 1200 AD, the four string "guitar" had evolved into two types: the guitarra morisca (Moorish guitar) which had a rounded back, wide fingerboard and several soundholes, and the guitarra latina (Latin guitar) which resembled the modern guitar with one soundhole and a narrower neck.[7]

The Spanish vihuela or "viola da mano", a guitar-like instrument of the 15th and 16th centuries is, due to its many similarities, usually considered the immediate ancestor of the modern guitar. It had lute-style tuning and a guitar-like body. Its construction had as much in common with the modern guitar as with its contemporary four-course renaissance guitar. The vihuela enjoyed only a short period of popularity as it was superseded by the guitar; the last surviving publication of music for the instrument appeared in 1576. It is not clear whether it represented a transitional form or was simply a design that combined features of the Arabic oud and the European lute. In favor of the latter view, the reshaping of the vihuela into a guitar-like form can be seen as a strategy of differentiating the European lute visually from the Moorish oud.

The Vinaccia family of luthiers is known for developing the mandolin, and may have built the oldest surviving six string guitar. Gaetano Vinaccia (1759 – after 1831)[8] has his signature on the label of a guitar built in Naples, Italy for six strings with the date of 1779.[9][10] This guitar has been examined and does not show tell-tale signs of modifications from a double-course guitar although fakes are known to exist of guitars and identifying labels from that period.

Modern dimensions of the classical instrument were established by Antonio Torres Jurado (1817-1892), working in Seville in the 1850s. Torres and Louis Panormo of London (active 1820s-1840s) were both responsible for demonstrating the superiority of fan strutting over transverse table bracing.[11]
read more...

Guitar

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation).
Guitar
Guitar
Classification

String instrument (plucked, nylon-stringed guitars usually played with fingerpicking, and steel-, etc. usually with a pick.)
Playing range
(a regularly tuned guitar)
Related instruments

* Bowed and plucked string instruments

The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four, seven, eight, ten, and twelve string guitars also exist.

Guitars are recognized as one of the primary instruments in blues, country, flamenco, rock music, and many forms of pop. They can also be a solo classical instrument. Guitars may be played acoustically, where the tone is produced by vibration of the strings and modulated by the hollow body, or they may rely on an amplifier that can electronically manipulate tone. Such electric guitars were introduced in the 20th century and continue to have a profound influence on popular culture.

Traditionally guitars have usually been constructed of combinations of various woods and strung with animal gut, or more recently, with either nylon or steel strings. Guitars are made and repaired by luthiers.

read more...

Music Networks - How Bands and Musicians Use Music Networks for Band Promotion

by articles44
The internet continues to revolutionize the music industry and the creation of music networks has helped musicians to promote their bands, sell their music, find band members, buy and sell musical instruments, chat to fellow musicians in the forums, post photos, their music, videos and so much more.

There are many benefits to joining one of the top music networks.

It is best to focus on two or three at the most and create, as well as maintain, a standout profile page for your music or band. If you spread yourself too thin and try to join every music site you come across then you will find yourself struggling to maintain an active profile. If you join one of these music networks then you will gain a massive amount international exposure for your music.

Try to devote 30 minutes each month in updating your profile with new photos, gig dates, videos or music samples. On a more regular basis you may want to respond to forum posts, reply to comments posted on your page and also respond to any emails sent to you. You need to treat these music networks as an advertisement and great way to promote your band. Therefore spending some time on the site could bring about some lucrative and life changing publicity for you.

The key point to gaining the most exposure for your music on these sites is to be proactive and make the most of the features available to you. You will want to post recent photos of yourself or your band. You should add some new photos each month. Try and add some bright and colourful photos of each of your band members as well as some group shots. Ask a friend or partner to take some high quality photos of you while performing.

Music videos are all the rage due to YouTube. You can use a camera to take some footage of the band performing one of their most popular songs. Just as a great video can make your band; a bad video can have a negative impact on your music. If a music venue manager is not the network to look for a band for a gig and they listen to a poor quality live performance then they will just move on to the next band. So make sure the video you submit is one that will impress your viewers.

Why spend time in the forums? Because you never know who is online and who is reading the forum posts. Many of the top music forums not only allow bands and musicians to sign up and create a profile but also music promoters, managers, music venue owners, music producers and professionals from the music industry. As a result, you may just catch the eye of one of these promoters who could give you the lead you need. Post positive and informative posts that will require a similar response. Avoid getting into any personal attacks or conflicts with other forum members. Maintaining a high level of professionalism is of the utmost importance in building the reputation you want to succeed.

What about writing an article? It is quite easy to write an article about a topic you are passionate about and have knowledge in. How can this help you? Well in a music network you have members who are musicians and are therefore craving information to help them with their band or music. As a result you can gain some valuable exposure by adding your name and active link at the bottom of the article. You can basically piggy back these top music networks who already achieve high page rankings in the search engines for your own benefit. Search engines love quality content about a specific topic. As a result these search engines will pick up the keywords used in your article and rank it highly as the article is located on a reputable site. Both these combined will give it a good chance of being spread throughout the internet.

One of the best features is the ability to post your upcoming gigs or events. What other way can you get free advertising for your gigs! When posting your gig make sure all information is correct and if any of it changes be sure to return to your profile and update it. There will be fans that listen to your music samples, watch your videos and then decide on attending one of your gigs if they like what they hear. You don't want to upset them by having them go out of their way to attend your event only to find that the details were changed and there is no gig! Try to include the date, time, cost and location of the event. Some of the top networks will have a feature where your fans can "subscribe" or add their name to an attendance list. This will also allow you to send emails with specific details to these members. This is networking and building a fan base.

Classifieds are also a great way to buy and sell instruments, equipment, search for new band members, post jobs or look for a gig, sell tickets to events and so much more. Make sure you only add the information you want people to see and only use a respectable payment solution provider in the transaction. Most sites leave transactions up to both parties and are not responsible for any disputes or problems with the sale.

Are there dangers associated with music networks? Yes, but only if you post personal information that hackers or people involved in criminal activity can use to spam you or rip you off. The top sites will have internal email systems where your personal email address is protected. They also have a feature that allows you to block any members you wish not to correspond with. Remember that you use these music networks to promote your music and not your personal life and details as a lot of the "Social Networks" do. This is why you should stick to the top music networks that operate with the sole purpose of assisting bands and musicians in promoting their music.

If you maintain an active profile you may just be lucky enough to gain additional exposure from the site. For example, the music networks highlight and profiles a new band each month. This profile puts the band on the front page, generates extra hits for the band 's profile page, spreads their band across the internet due to the quality content in the profile and provides a reputable promotion for the band by a music industry leader. Want to make your own luck? Then be proactive and contact the site team and let them know that you would like to have your band or music be considered to be profiled.

One more great tip is to use "Keywords" in your title for photos, events, profiles etc as these keywords will appear in that page 's URL. This will help for better search engine exposure as they love keywords and targeted content.

The key is where to start when selecting which music networks to join? There are many ways to promote your music and three of the best methods for music and band promotion is by creating a profile on MyBandMate and MySpace Music or posting your music videos on YouTube Music.

So if you want to showcase your music to the world and are not active in these top two music networks then you better get on to it. It takes time, some effort and a desire to make your music reach a global audience. Be proactive, utilize all of the key features to gain maximum exposure and build a fan base by responding to their emails and comments. Don't include any information in your profile that you don't want the world to see. Treat your profile page as an advertisement for your music. You may only have one chance to catch the eye of a music promoter, producer or music venue owner looking for a band so make your profile look professional.

About the Author

To Promote Your Band or Sell Your Music Online for free you should visit MyBandMate.com for more great tips!

Article Source: Content for Reprint

read more...

By: mark321

Do you have an interest in classic guitar music? Maybe you
have heard a master play and now want to learn the same
skills yourself or maybe like many people you have an old
guitar in the house that you have always wanted to learn
to play.

Classical music has been around for many years, dating as
far back as the 16th century. To hear and see a master at
work playing classical guitar music, it might be intimidating
to a beginner, but that does not mean you cannot learn. You
need to start somewhere and you can work at your own pace,
but it is important to take some action. Nothing happens if
you do not take action.

A good place to start might be start searching on the internet
for websites dedicated to guitar music. You will be able to
find several websites where you can get lots of background
information, free tips and even some guides to start you off
in your endeavor. You can also find detailed instruction
courses, which includes textbooks, audio files with sample
songs, and even video that shows you exactly what to do.
But you might want to stick to the free resources available
until you are certain you want to spend the time and money
necessary to become really skillful playing classical guitar
music.

Reading classical music can be a challenge, since unlike regular
sheet music, you will see lots of special notations around the
notes and staves that might confuse you at first. If you bought
a good music book, it should have an explanation of the special
symbols and what you need to do to play them.

Classical music has been around for hundreds of years, and that
is great news for you when it comes to looking for sheet music.
A lot of this kind of music is no longer subject to copyright
and has passed into the public domain, which simply means that
you should be able to find it for very cheap and even free.
Once again the internet can be a great resource for this.

Believe it or not, but your fingernails will play an essential
role in your playing classical guitar music. It is suggested
that you grow out the fingernails on your strumming hand. Your
nails play a huge role in the tone and volume and helps with
speed and accuracy. Also, since the nail is an extension of
the finger, it makes it easier to reach the strings and make
picking much easier.

If you are looking for a new hobby, taking up guitar is a great
choice, and a lot of help is available at your fingertips on the
internet. But remember learning to play any musical instrument
takes practice and dedication.

read more...

By: Peter Finlay


As an absolute beginner looking to learn the guitar, getting on the right track can be quite confusing. More likely than not, you will be confronted with a variety of conflicting information about who to see and how to start learning guitar. With everyone trying to offer you their own advice, keeping focussed on your end goal can be difficult, although is essential if you're looking to learn how to play the guitar proficiently. So where do you begin when trying to learn the guitar? And how can you ensure your guitar learning experience is as fruitful as possible.


Before even beginning to learn the guitar the first step is to consider whether to learn on your own basis through a book or online, or whether to learn with a tutor through individual or group lessons. This can be an important decision, and one that is crucial to your ability to learn how to play the guitar. If you find self-motivation and dedication easy, you may find learning on your own to be a more cost-effective way of picking up the guitar, and one that proves to be more rewarding in the long run. Alternatively, if you find the prospect of learning quite daunting, it may be a better idea to get in touch with an expert guitar tutor, who will hold your hand through the learning process, and keep you on track to build on your guitar playing abilities. Either way, it is important to ensure you practice everything you cover, and to play at every opportunity to improve your skills and technique, which will provide more stable foundations for becoming a great guitarist.

The first thing to consider when learning to play the guitar is how often you are going to practice, and from where you will access your guitar. As a beginner, it is desirable to pick up a second hand or cheap first guitar. There's no point spending hundreds, or even thousands, on a new top of the range guitar when there is no guarantee that you will be able to play it. When selecting a guitar, you should look for something that is sized appropriately for you, and that sits comfortably when playing. A Spanish or classical guitar is slightly softer on the fingers, although the acoustic guitar is better for smaller hands initially. Obviously each type of guitar has its own specific advantages for more advanced performance, but as a beginner it may be wise to put consideration into the actual size and shape of the guitar and how it fits with you.

Learning to play the guitar can seem like a mammoth task for the complete beginner, but with a few tips in the right direction it doesn't need to be out of reach. With the means to learn and some form of guidance, either through a book, online or through a tutor, learning the guitar can be a fairly straightforward process, and one which can prove to be very rewarding in a short period with drive and determination.

read more...

Whereas making my guitar I did not have access to many implements advanced like something will find in the professional workshop or woodworker’s the nest. I must really sit and make several decisions serious around what would and would not I with for the body. I berkeputusan that, far the back in the time fog ,that the guitar bricklayer will be pretty often carried out all of them with the hands but then the horror in fact that struck me. I quickly realised the secret was, if I could not carry him out on my ship, I will tell the other person to carry him out for me who had the implement and gears! Logical really! That really was the last line how I will make the matter be done with the space and the source of my available production. For wood was cut off as close as dammit to think-ngira before you began. Did I realise this simple matter I possibly would
i can read this

I built my guitar whilst living on my boat “The Nicky J Miller” in the North of Queensland. Naturally, I had a few simple power tools but nothing more than that. I did have access to a rusty old Triton Bench saw and was able to make use of that for cutting the braces but they could have easily been done with a hand saw!

Optional desirable tools! Ones I didnt have!

Bandsaw, a planer, a router (I hate them and don’t own one!)

TOOLS I USED FOR BUILDING MY GUITAR
( strangely enough, I didnt even use all of these tools either!)

· A rusty old Triton workbench (only for the braces)
· A small block plane
· A sharpening stone and some oil
· A set of chisels 6mm to 25mm
· A chisel and plane honing guide (an absolute must)
· A set of cheap saws consisting of a hand rip saw, a small keyhole saw, a retractable exacto type knife.
· A stainless steel scraper.
· Ten or twelve six inch clamps.
· Several small G clamps
· Three cam clamps
· A set of needle files
· A tenon saw
· A hobby type hacksaw
· A dovetail saw
· A coping saw
· A jeweller’s tenon saw with a packet of 000 blades
· A flat smooth woodworkers file .
· Jewellers pincers small
· A small hammer
· A small jewellers vice
· A small red vice.
· A one metre straight edged engineer’s rule (invaluable)
· A one foot steel rule (in inches)
· A foldaway builders steel tape (in inches and millimetres)
· Various sanding blocks (rubber and foam)
· A Bernz-o-matic plumber’s gas torch with a regular nozzle
(I would recommend a larger nozzle)
· Several small assorted fine toothed saws
· Several packets of sandpaper ranging from some cheapo bargains in all grades to some really good expensive non clog stuff ranging from 80 grit to around 800grit….some wet and dry about 400 grit
· A packet of 000 fine wire wool
· A jar of orange shellac (flakes) and a litre of methylated spirits
· Several odd little clamps that were lying around the boat
· A large packet of super big elastic bands
· About twenty very large rubber bands made from an old car tyre
· A twenty-dollar cheap and cheerful folding workbench (a kit from Supercheaps!)
· A tapered reamer from Supercheaps
· A few half decent paint brushes and pots.

ELECTRIC TOOLS
I had the usual electric tools that are usually found around a house or boat. These were as follows:

· An electric drill
· A jigsaw
· A variable speed rotary sander..this is a wonderful tool and I used it for nearly all sanding jobs.. the great beauty of this machine is the variable speed, you can pull it right down to about 75 rpm and it is very gentle to use.. Normal sanders are stupid and lethal and really should be banned! What on earth is the good of a machine that kicks in from nought to twenty thousand revs in a second or two…I hate them, they are only good for cutting roof tiles or steel even then they are still lethal!!
· A six inch rotary bench saw ( never used it!)
· A Bosch variable speed electric orbital sander and a lot of discs ranging from 120grit to 400grit ….( this tool was fantastic for sanding the braces, backs and soundboard)
· A Colt or Dremel mini variable speed rotary drill and kit… I bought a few accessory kits for this machine most of which I did not even use except the rotary sandpaper drums for sanding down the braces to a point! and honestly I just could not have built this guitar without this little wonder of a machine!…sadly, it burned out on the very last stages of the build but I will buy a Dremel next time or even a Ryobi!

These machines are the last word if you need to do any inlaying, but if you do, buy this book;

“The Art Of Inlay by Larry Robinson”….it is indispensable if you are even thinking about tackling any inlaying!

One obvious thing is, of course, Keep your chisels and planers sharp! I have posted another article I have written for a boating magazine called “ How to keep your tools sharp using automotive wet’n’dry paper. You will find it very useful I’m sure!
I also have bought a honing guide and it’s a great little machine too and you can still use the Automotive wet’n’dry to sharpen them too!

HUMIDITY, THE SOGGY QUESTION!
I’m going to say a few words about humidity. When I first said I would make my guitar on a boat, the immediate response was
“ What about the humidity?" Well, firstly in Australia where I built the guitar in summer it is horribly humid and there is no way I would have attempted it then during the Summer or 'wet' as it is known.. However, I have lived on my boat for about seven years and own eight guitars. My boat is beautifully warm and dry and I have never had a problem with any of them at all. I do, however, keep them in their cases at most times. However, in the Winter, it’s a different story, There are many days when the humidity is well below sixty percent and that’s fine for glueing up the guitars. It’s much the same as anyone who lives in a waterside house or apartment….. what do they do? I simple listen to the marine forecast or look at the weather on the computer and they can tell me whatever the humidity was just ten minutes ago! So really, I don’t have a problem with dreaded Humidity folks!
All of this information and much more can be found in Terry's book that he wrote about the build called " How to build a weissenborn lap steel guitar" This can be found on terry's site as well as photos of the build, and even a sound clip of the finished guitar! Thiscan be found at www.buildaweissenborn.com

read more...

Learning Music as an Adult

by duaneshinn
While we have all heard stories of child prodigies and the importance of learning music as a child, an adult can still learn to play an instrument quite well. Even with no prior experience, the right training can help an adult learn to play music just as well as a child. The main thing is to find the right way to learn, whether it 's through a tutor or self-study.

Adult learners come with their own baggage, often from childhood lessons.

Adult piano students may have had bad experiences with music lessons as a child. These can range from scary instructors to endless exercises or abusive teacher-student relationships. Sometimes a teacher may have punished the student for not being skilled enough, while other times a teacher may have pushed a promising student too hard. This is one of the hurdles that come with learning music as an adult.

Accepting the teacher as an authority figure is another difficulty that comes with learning music as an adult. An adult has learned to be independent. An adult wants to take part in the development of curriculum and wants to be able to self-evaluate. It may be difficult for an adult to simply listen and take instruction from a music instructor. So the best avenue for learning music as an adult may be to self-tutor or to find an instructor who teaches by long distance via the internet. There are many wonderful piano courses available nowdays on the web: just type in something like "play piano" on any search engine, and you'll find several.

Though the process of learning music as an adult is different from a child 's , it 's not necessarily harder. For a child, making music is magical, while an adult sees the work involved to get to the music making stage. It 's mainly a mental hurdle that must be overcome. Also, learning music as a child is part of the natural development process, while learning music as an adult is usually part of a larger goal. For example, an adult learns how to play an instrument to join the church worship team.

Learning music as an adult can also be difficult because of ingrained personality traits. Even the most outwardly confident adults get insecure when someone points out their flaws. So it goes with learning music. If a tutor is used, an adult can get embarrassed when the tutor corrects a mistaken note or technique. Some adults may have difficulty breathing and concentrating when they're highly nervous. All of these can lead to a difficult learning environment.

Adults also demand comfort. This is why adults often learn an instrument in their own home. Children are less demanding about the hardness of a piano bench, for example. Adults may have back problems or other conditions that require a high comfort level.

So the basic ingredients for learning music as an adult are adaptable tutoring, reason for learning, confidence and comfort. By taking these key points and seeking the best method of learning for yourself, you can become an adult musical genius -- well, maybe not a genius -- maybe just a person who has more fun. Or maybe you'll be the guy or gal at parties who knows how to play the latest song everyone is talking about. With the right teaching, grown ups can enjoy playing music wherever they go.

About the Author

Duane Shinn is the author of the popular online newsletter on piano chords, available free at "Exciting Piano Chords & Chord Progressions!"

Article Source: Content for Reprint

read more...

The Top 10 Most Famous Pianists Ever

by anutt
There have been many pianists in the 500 years since the piano was invented. However, the majority of them were mediocre, some were good and a very few were absolutely stunning. Many of those who made it to this list began their musical training at a very young age which allowed them to perfect their talent early on. This article will take a look at a handful of the most amazing pianists ever.

1. Sergei Rachmaninoff. Known for having the largest hands of all the most famous pianists, Rachmaninoff was able to span up to 14 notes at a time and he made use of this ability in his compositions, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, 8 Preludes, and others.

2. Josef Hoffman. This young prodigy began performing piano concerts at the tender age of six and at 12, he was the first recorded musician, working with Thomas Edison to create the first musical recordings.

3.

Ludwig Van Beethoven. This young German composer and pianist was famous for his talent on the piano and the fact that he continued to both play and compose after losing his hearing at the age of 26.

4. Vladimir Horowitz. Perhaps one of the best known pianists of the 20th century, Horowitz studied under Felix Blumenfeld and Sergei Tarnowsky. He is well known for his ability to play strong pieces creatively rather than simply banging away on the keys.

5. Fredric Chopin. Chopin is often one of the first composers that young piano students play. He was also a child prodigy, often compared to Mozart. Steeped in the world of music from a young age, he was already playing and trying to compose at the age of six.

6. Wolfgang Mozart. One of the most famous child prodigies, Mozart was playing piano at age three and by five, he had begun to compose songs which were written down by his devoted father. He went on to give concerts from a very young age.

7. Franz Liszt. A virtuoso pianist, this Hungarian began his career at a fairly young age, though little information is available during this period of his life. It is known that not only was he an excellent pianist, he could also play several other instruments, including the cello.

8. Walter Wilhelm Gieseking. Gieseking was unique in that he supposedly never practiced on a piano. Instead, he would sit for hours in complete silence, playing the songs in his mind. Mostly self-taught, the pianist would then perform the piece flawlessly.

9. Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli. A more recent pianist, Michelangeli honed his talent to perfection, producing recordings that were nearly perfect even when unedited. He was notorious for randomly canceling concerts and for his intense focus on the tiny details of the music, often forgetting the big picture.

10. Alfred Cortot. Well known for his amazing recordings and variations of the likes of Chopin, Brahms, Liszt, and many other famous composers. He also added his own variations and twists to the most common of compositions, turning them into something unique and special.

Any list of the greatest pianists is going to be somewhat subjective. Each person has their own preference and there are plenty of great pianists who simply didn't fit onto this list of the top ten. However, you can be sure that the ones who did make it here are truly great pianists and definitely worth listening to when you have the chance. Many of them dedicated their lives to their music and some died while still playing and recording it.

About the Author

The Merriam School of Music is one of the most renowned piano stores in Toronto. Also offering music lessons Toronto and drum lessons Toronto to students of any age and skill level.

Article Source: Content for Reprint

read more...

Musicianship

by kennethwsanders
My friend and melodic drumming performer/artist PASHA had recently posed some intriguing questions regarding “musicianship”
1. Why is it so important?
2. What does it bring us?
3. Why be a drummer and, say, not a sax player?
4. Is being a singer, for example, better than being a drummer?

I think these are some thought provoking questions for drummers. The aspects of musicianship certainly apply to reading and interpreting scored music, but perhaps it is in improvisational performances where it is most demonstrated by drummers.

Let me share some thoughts with you.

By definition, musicianship is the KNOWLEDGE, SKILL, and ARTISTIC SENSITIVITY displayed in performing music. I certainly can not answer the questions posed above in a definitive way. I can only comment about each one and allow you to ponder and formulate your own opinions.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO US? WHAT DOES IT BRING US?
Well, part of “musicianship” involves being a well-rounded musical listener with an attentiveness and appreciation (artistic sensitivity) for many types of music. In order to more effectively interact with other musicians, I believe you must be aware of what the other musicians are actually creating (not just what notes they are playing). I know that if I understand the musical statement being attempted, then I can better contribute something, as a drummer, that supports it. Certainly the “knowledge” of musical styles is an essential element of that ability.

Our constantly developing “artistic sensitivity” also involves what our ears hear and what our mind references when it is heard. Those elements of our “musicianship” allow us to access the contribution we can make to a performance. That is tempered sometimes with the knowledge of what NOT to do also. So what does that bring us? Well, I hope it brings us a much more inspired musical performance.

Certainly the “skills” involved with musicianship include the ability to execute the techniques needed to play our instruments. These skills are developed not only by practice and study, but by exposing our minds to new ideas and concepts. We should, of course, be constantly growing and expanding those skills. Specific drumming “skills” certainly include timing, dynamics, technique, tones, textures, and taste. There is also the ultimate skill of making a tune “feel good”. Duke Ellington called that “making it swing”, others may say “make it rock” or “make it groove”. Whatever we call it, the pulse and mood can be seriously enhanced if we lock in with the mindset of the other players and add that “feel good” element to it.


WHY BE A DRUMMER INSTEAD OF PLAYING ANOTHER INSTRUMENT?
Everyone has to have their own answer for this question. Here’s MY answer.

I started my musical performances at age 3 singing before audiences. At 5, I began studying piano and doing recitals and other performances at school and church. At age 11, I learned guitar and soon began singing and playing the tunes I heard on the radio.
Then when I was 13, I saw a pop music band perform at the local park band shell in a Sunday afternoon concert. When I saw the drummer playing on a set of red sparkle Ludwigs….no more than twenty feet away from me…… it completely captured my soul forever.

I just became so interested and intrigued with drums that I had to make that my musical priority. It wasn’t the piano, or the guitar, that “grabbed me”. It was the drums. It was the musical instrument that just absolutely owned me.

In my reflections now, I see how my musical journey with piano and guitar was the foundation for my later success as a professional drummer. It is because of my experiences with those melodic instruments that I understand musical matters such as chord structures, inversions, and key signatures. It is the reason that when I perform with a band, I not only HEAR what the other musicians are doing, I UNDERSTAND what they are doing and WHY.

That’s why I am a musician who has chosen to focus on drums as my main instrument. No matter what your reason is, commit to being a musician who plays drums….not a drummer who plays along with the musicians. Think about that statement. I hope it will make sense to you.

IS BEING A SINGER BETTER THAN BEING A DRUMMER?
Honestly, I don’t know. I do both. I lead my own bands from the drum chair. In that role I am the lead vocalist, the arranger, and musical director.

Sometimes I do support other acts and whenever I do that, I really watch what the singer is doing. Songs feature the singer and the success of the song is very dependent on the singer’s ability to express the desired emotions. The artists who hire me know that I will focus on helping the singer make that happen. I get a lot of satisfaction doing my part to make performance go down as good as it possibly can.

Drummers, let’s face it. Singers usually are the focal point of performing groups today. Quite often they are the musical attraction that folks come out to see. Singers do get the spotlight and the applause, and most likely, the star on their dressing room. If you can’t accept that fact, then you may have problems finding satisfaction in work as a popular music band drummer.

So is being a drummer better than being a singer? Well, if you need to have the spotlight in order to get your ego buzz……. probably not. If that 's where, in all honesty, you really are; then maybe you would be better fulfilled working as a solo instrumentalist and putting your creative energy into those drumming possibilities.

Terry Bozzio and Dave Weckl (to name just two examples) certainly don’t “compete” with singers. They are the star attraction of their performances. The lack of singing doesn't detract one bit from my enjoyment of their music! They are known for their amazing drum solo work.

Steve Gadd and Russ Kunkel, on the other hand, are famous for what they can add to the singer’s performance. Is one role “BETTER” than the other? You have to answer that question for yourself.


CONCLUSION
Getting back to PASHA’s initial question about the importance of musicianship for us DRUMMERS, I’ll end with this. To me, OUR musicianship is more than just playing the right beats!

It is a receptive attitude.

It is an open-minded approach to the music.

It is a keen state of awareness of style.

It is earned by experience, and continues to grow.

It is knowing what to retrieve from your entire arsenal of drumming knowledge and having the tasty ability to do the “just right” thing at the “just right” moment.

Musicianship, perhaps in the most simple reality, is best defined by the MAGIC the listeners FEEL because of it.



Ken Sanders
IBJAMN in Nashville

About the Author

www.drumsoloartist.com/line/KenSanders

Ken Sanders is a professional musician and band leader in Nashville, TN. He writies articles for the Drum Solo Artist forum wherein, he shares his professional experiences, provides helpful tips and answers questions from drummers world-wide.

Article Source: Content for Reprint

read more...