Why do you care about stringing your guitar you may ask. Well the reason is simple. It will make you sound better because if your guitar is properly strung, you will get longer natural sustain.
This is something that no fx pedal can reproduce, clean natural sustain. Of course after you have this sustain you can play with it all you want with your fx pedals.
Many guitarist make the same mistake when stringing a guitar, they don't wind enough of the string onto the tuning peg or they wind too much.
Why is this seemingly simple thing so important? Because the greater the angle between the nut (the top part of the guitar) and the tuning peg, the better the sustaining qualities of the string. Simply put, it makes you sound better. And your strings will not go out of tune as fast. Of course you can always wind too much as well, and then the strings will tend to slip out of tune easier. You want to have just the right amount.
Here is how to string your guitar.
Step 1 - Take all the strings out of the package and lay them out from the thickest to the thinnest. When you go to buy strings, always try and get the same gauge, as changing the gauge could mean problems with intonation, and may require truss rod adjustments.
Step 2 - Turn the tuning peg until the hole is in line with the neck.
Step 3 - Starting with the thickest string - The low "e", thread the string through the bridge (bottom part of the guitar). Each guitar has different ways to do this, but it is usually very easy to see where the strings go.
Step 4 - Next thread the string through the hole in the tuning peg until it is tight. Now back the string up about 3 inches so that it loosens.
Step 5 - Grab the loose part of the string with one hand and with the other start turning the tuning peg. As you turn the peg, hold the string tightly away from the guitar to insure that it wraps tightly, with no slack. This will stop the string from going out of tune as you're playing. When the string is getting tight against the fretboard, You can let go and continue to slowly turn the peg a little bit more and then top.
Step 6 - Make sure as you turn the peg that the string is winding downward, and don't let it flip over itself. Your goal is tog et about 2 1/2 to 3 full winds on each string.
Step 7 - Repeat the process with all other strings, but decrease the amount of slack a little bit each time.
All the best,
Tom Freeland
PlayGuitar.com
This is just one of the hundreds of guitar tips that you will get for free simply by becoming a member of PlayGuitar.com's Guitar Tips. Go to http://www.playguitar.com/guitartips/ and fill out your info. You will be on your way to becoming a better player.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Top Rap Song
After months of email and posts, we've finally compiled and rated what you submitted as the top rap songs of all time. At first we tried to rank these, but we realized that due to the diverse nature of these songs it seemed unfair to do so. Depends on personal opinion, right? Wrong!
Thankfully we came to our senses and threw that notion out the window. Fair? Objective? What fun is that?
The artist that popped up the most on this list is Biggie Smalls (aka Notorious B.I.G.), followed by Tribe Called Quest, 2Pac, The Roots and KRS One/Boogie Down Productions.
Remember this is by no means scientific.
So here they are, your top fifty rap songs of all time. View album information, lyrics and compare prices by clicking the title. As always all gripes and complaints, cheers and pats on the back can be shuffled along to the folks who submitted these...you!
Enjoy y'all.
1. Notorious B.I.G. - Hypnotize
2. Geto Boys - My Mind Playin' Tricks On Me
3. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Tha Crossroads
4. Ice Cube - It Was A Good Day
5. Easy E - Boyz-N-The-Hood
6. 2Pac - California Love
7. Junior M.A.F.I.A. - Get Money
8. Warren G - Regulate
9. A Tribe Called Quest - Bonita Applebaum
10. 2Pac - So Many Tears
11. Cypress Hill - How I Could Just Kill A Man
12. Jay-Z & Notorious B.I.G. - Brooklyn's Finest
13. Dr. Dre/Snoop Dogg - Nothin' But a G Thang
14. Onyx - Slam
15. Public Enemy - Don't Believe The Hype
16. Mc Shan - The Bridge
17. The Roots - You Got Me
18. Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy
19. Wu Tang - C.R.E.A.M.
20. Mobb Deep - Shook Ones Pt. II
21. A Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation
22. Black Rob - Whoa!
23. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony w/ 2Pac - Thug Luv
24. Notorious B.I.G. - Mo' Money Mo' Problems
25. Freestyle Fellowship - Hot Potato
26. Boogie Down Productions - My Philosophy
27. Boogie Down Productions - South Bronx
28. Digable Planets - Nickle Bag of Funk
29. Peanut Butter Wolf - Interruptions
30. Boogie Down Productions - Stop The Violence
31. Channel Live - Mad Izm
32. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five w. Melle Mel - White Lines (Don't Do It)
33. DMX - Let Me Fly
34. A Tribe Called Quest - Find A Way
35. 2Pac - No More Pain
36. The Roots - Silent Treatment
37. Wyclef Jean - Gone Till November
38. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five w. Melle Mel - The Adventures of Flash
39. A Tribe Called Quest - Jazz (We've Got)
40. Aceyalone - B-Boy Kingdom
41. The Roots - Proceed
42. Pharcyde - Passing Me By
43. Public Enemy - Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
44. Push Button Objects - 360 Degrees
45. Redman - Can't Wait
46. Paperboy - Ditty
47. Dr Dre - The Watcher
48. Ugly Duckling - Journey to Anywhere
49. Word Of Mouth - King Kut
50. Puff Daddy - I'll Be Missing You
HipHopCapital.com is the #1 Hip Hop Jewelry retailer on the net. We have all the Bling Bling that you are looking for.
Thankfully we came to our senses and threw that notion out the window. Fair? Objective? What fun is that?
The artist that popped up the most on this list is Biggie Smalls (aka Notorious B.I.G.), followed by Tribe Called Quest, 2Pac, The Roots and KRS One/Boogie Down Productions.
Remember this is by no means scientific.
So here they are, your top fifty rap songs of all time. View album information, lyrics and compare prices by clicking the title. As always all gripes and complaints, cheers and pats on the back can be shuffled along to the folks who submitted these...you!
Enjoy y'all.
1. Notorious B.I.G. - Hypnotize
2. Geto Boys - My Mind Playin' Tricks On Me
3. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Tha Crossroads
4. Ice Cube - It Was A Good Day
5. Easy E - Boyz-N-The-Hood
6. 2Pac - California Love
7. Junior M.A.F.I.A. - Get Money
8. Warren G - Regulate
9. A Tribe Called Quest - Bonita Applebaum
10. 2Pac - So Many Tears
11. Cypress Hill - How I Could Just Kill A Man
12. Jay-Z & Notorious B.I.G. - Brooklyn's Finest
13. Dr. Dre/Snoop Dogg - Nothin' But a G Thang
14. Onyx - Slam
15. Public Enemy - Don't Believe The Hype
16. Mc Shan - The Bridge
17. The Roots - You Got Me
18. Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy
19. Wu Tang - C.R.E.A.M.
20. Mobb Deep - Shook Ones Pt. II
21. A Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation
22. Black Rob - Whoa!
23. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony w/ 2Pac - Thug Luv
24. Notorious B.I.G. - Mo' Money Mo' Problems
25. Freestyle Fellowship - Hot Potato
26. Boogie Down Productions - My Philosophy
27. Boogie Down Productions - South Bronx
28. Digable Planets - Nickle Bag of Funk
29. Peanut Butter Wolf - Interruptions
30. Boogie Down Productions - Stop The Violence
31. Channel Live - Mad Izm
32. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five w. Melle Mel - White Lines (Don't Do It)
33. DMX - Let Me Fly
34. A Tribe Called Quest - Find A Way
35. 2Pac - No More Pain
36. The Roots - Silent Treatment
37. Wyclef Jean - Gone Till November
38. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five w. Melle Mel - The Adventures of Flash
39. A Tribe Called Quest - Jazz (We've Got)
40. Aceyalone - B-Boy Kingdom
41. The Roots - Proceed
42. Pharcyde - Passing Me By
43. Public Enemy - Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
44. Push Button Objects - 360 Degrees
45. Redman - Can't Wait
46. Paperboy - Ditty
47. Dr Dre - The Watcher
48. Ugly Duckling - Journey to Anywhere
49. Word Of Mouth - King Kut
50. Puff Daddy - I'll Be Missing You
HipHopCapital.com is the #1 Hip Hop Jewelry retailer on the net. We have all the Bling Bling that you are looking for.
How to Create Backing Tracks If You Dont Play All the Instruments... or Any
Congratulations! Your singing has become amazing, and it's time the world knew. You've also written some songs that are just kick you-know-what. They need to be recorded, MP3ed and put on the net ASAP. But you've got two problems. First, you can't afford a studio, let alone a band for all this stuff. Second, you don't play all, or any, of the instruments.
Well there is good news. With a deft combination of the internet and today's software, you can do wonders. While it's never going to be the same as a true band in a real studio, which you had better hire for that big record company showcase, you can still create great backing tracks.
First, repeat after me. "I love MIDI." Thank you.
MIDI, to refresh your memory, is like sheet music for a pianist. The paper itself makes no noises, but the pianist gets all the information he needs from it to let us hear Beethoven (especially if the music is also Beethoven!). In your computer set up, the MIDI file is the sheet music, the MIDI sequencer or playback program is the pianist, and your computer's sound card and synthesizer are the piano. That's all you need!
Before we get started, I'll mention the ultimate cover song shortcut - the Internet! There are tons of great MIDI files of almost every piece of popular music out there. All you have to do is find them. If you can't, or you've got your own material, read on. Be legal, though!
If You Play Keyboard or Guitar Well
First, thank your parents for the lessons. Then, get your hands on a sequencer program and record your tracks. Using MIDI, you can choose the instrument sound for everything - all you need to do is input the notes. For drums, you can either record them from your keyboard or use a plug-in drum machine. If you choose to record them, a quick way to do it is to record a couple of measures and then copy/paste to fill out the song. But don't forget to put in some drum fills!
If Your Playing Is Limited to Little or Not at All
For you there are wonderful programs, like Band in a Box and Jammer, to create backing tracks. They are very stylish, meaning, they function in styles. You must, at the very least, know the chords for your song. You simply enter the chords, choose the appropriate musical style, and click a button called "compose" (or some reasonable facsimile). Before you can say "Holy guacamole, Batman," your music is playing. The drawback here is that your band will sound canned. And well it should, for it is! But, have no fear, there are ways to mitigate that quite well.
Making it Human
Best thing? Play what you can, at least the melody. That, in and of itself, will help tremendously, as it's no longer just a band style playing chord progressions.
Next up, record a counterpoint. Counterpoints make ordinary songs exciting. They are secondary melodies that complement the main melody. They usually have a slightly different rhythm, and fill in where the melody has breaks. A great example is in the song "The Winner Takes It All," by Abba. Listen to the theme that is always playing underneath the melody - it really drives the song.
Another thing you can do to put life into your tracks is to customize the style. Depending on how good you are with your software and its capabilities, you can create your own riffs and mix them into the song. Also, vary similar styles throughout the song to break the monotony. And, again, don't underestimate drum fills!
Creative use of layering is a very effective technique. When all the tracks play all the time, it can be very boring. Wait to bring in some instruments till later in the song. That creates a "building" feel. Then, at some point towards the end, take them out again briefly to create a "break" or "bridge". When you bring them back, it is very powerful.
Finally, don't allow any perfection. Yes, you read that correctly. If your music is perfectly aligned rhythmically, it will sound artificial. Live musicians are never precisely on the beat. Almost all programs have a "humanize" function which corrects this automatically. Otherwise, take the time and slide some notes in the piano roll editor window. If you need quantize (rhythm correction) on the recorded tracks, set it to less than 100%.
When you've got your MIDI file, there are two ways to convert it to audio (wav, mp3) for CD burning. The quicker way is with a dedicated program that renders wave files from MIDI files directly. Most software synthesizer programs that have a stand-alone playback feature can do this. Otherwise, open an audio recording program, play the MIDI file, and simultaneously record the output. Make sure your audio recorder is set to receive from the correct input.
If You Play Nothing, and Don't Know Chords or Theory or Anything
Guess what? You are the one who should hire a musician. Yes, I know that some programs will offer both a chord progression composer and even a melody composer. All you would need to do is choose the style. If you are considering going this route, I have one request for you.
PLEASE DON'T!
Sorry to yell, but think about this. The melody is composed by a computer, the chords are composed by a computer, the band is composed by a computer. It is music that is completely composed by a computer. Oh my gosh! How revolting is that?
No, my friend, hire a qualified musician. You sing the song to them, they create the magic. Do not sell yourself short. Your song is important -- it's part of you! Show it the greatest respect and make it as beautiful as you can.
Seth Lutnick is a singer, songwriter and arranger. Visit his website, http://www.getitdone.biz for more on creating and using a home recording studio, and personal action planning.
Well there is good news. With a deft combination of the internet and today's software, you can do wonders. While it's never going to be the same as a true band in a real studio, which you had better hire for that big record company showcase, you can still create great backing tracks.
First, repeat after me. "I love MIDI." Thank you.
MIDI, to refresh your memory, is like sheet music for a pianist. The paper itself makes no noises, but the pianist gets all the information he needs from it to let us hear Beethoven (especially if the music is also Beethoven!). In your computer set up, the MIDI file is the sheet music, the MIDI sequencer or playback program is the pianist, and your computer's sound card and synthesizer are the piano. That's all you need!
Before we get started, I'll mention the ultimate cover song shortcut - the Internet! There are tons of great MIDI files of almost every piece of popular music out there. All you have to do is find them. If you can't, or you've got your own material, read on. Be legal, though!
If You Play Keyboard or Guitar Well
First, thank your parents for the lessons. Then, get your hands on a sequencer program and record your tracks. Using MIDI, you can choose the instrument sound for everything - all you need to do is input the notes. For drums, you can either record them from your keyboard or use a plug-in drum machine. If you choose to record them, a quick way to do it is to record a couple of measures and then copy/paste to fill out the song. But don't forget to put in some drum fills!
If Your Playing Is Limited to Little or Not at All
For you there are wonderful programs, like Band in a Box and Jammer, to create backing tracks. They are very stylish, meaning, they function in styles. You must, at the very least, know the chords for your song. You simply enter the chords, choose the appropriate musical style, and click a button called "compose" (or some reasonable facsimile). Before you can say "Holy guacamole, Batman," your music is playing. The drawback here is that your band will sound canned. And well it should, for it is! But, have no fear, there are ways to mitigate that quite well.
Making it Human
Best thing? Play what you can, at least the melody. That, in and of itself, will help tremendously, as it's no longer just a band style playing chord progressions.
Next up, record a counterpoint. Counterpoints make ordinary songs exciting. They are secondary melodies that complement the main melody. They usually have a slightly different rhythm, and fill in where the melody has breaks. A great example is in the song "The Winner Takes It All," by Abba. Listen to the theme that is always playing underneath the melody - it really drives the song.
Another thing you can do to put life into your tracks is to customize the style. Depending on how good you are with your software and its capabilities, you can create your own riffs and mix them into the song. Also, vary similar styles throughout the song to break the monotony. And, again, don't underestimate drum fills!
Creative use of layering is a very effective technique. When all the tracks play all the time, it can be very boring. Wait to bring in some instruments till later in the song. That creates a "building" feel. Then, at some point towards the end, take them out again briefly to create a "break" or "bridge". When you bring them back, it is very powerful.
Finally, don't allow any perfection. Yes, you read that correctly. If your music is perfectly aligned rhythmically, it will sound artificial. Live musicians are never precisely on the beat. Almost all programs have a "humanize" function which corrects this automatically. Otherwise, take the time and slide some notes in the piano roll editor window. If you need quantize (rhythm correction) on the recorded tracks, set it to less than 100%.
When you've got your MIDI file, there are two ways to convert it to audio (wav, mp3) for CD burning. The quicker way is with a dedicated program that renders wave files from MIDI files directly. Most software synthesizer programs that have a stand-alone playback feature can do this. Otherwise, open an audio recording program, play the MIDI file, and simultaneously record the output. Make sure your audio recorder is set to receive from the correct input.
If You Play Nothing, and Don't Know Chords or Theory or Anything
Guess what? You are the one who should hire a musician. Yes, I know that some programs will offer both a chord progression composer and even a melody composer. All you would need to do is choose the style. If you are considering going this route, I have one request for you.
PLEASE DON'T!
Sorry to yell, but think about this. The melody is composed by a computer, the chords are composed by a computer, the band is composed by a computer. It is music that is completely composed by a computer. Oh my gosh! How revolting is that?
No, my friend, hire a qualified musician. You sing the song to them, they create the magic. Do not sell yourself short. Your song is important -- it's part of you! Show it the greatest respect and make it as beautiful as you can.
Seth Lutnick is a singer, songwriter and arranger. Visit his website, http://www.getitdone.biz for more on creating and using a home recording studio, and personal action planning.
Pakistani Pop Music
Pakistan is blessed with talent and when we talk about Pakistani Music, you can never stop picking up one of the best Pakistani pop song uptill now because there are number of such hit songs nobody can judge the best one in past decades such as "Dil Dil Pakistan" , "Huwa Huwa", "Mehndi ki Raat", "Na Kaho", "Dil Haray", "Ankhain Milanay Walay", "Wakt", "Neeli Neeli Ankhain", "Jaisay Chao Jeo", "Garuj Burus", "No More", "Ankhoun ki Sagar", "Na Tu Aigi", "Addat" left the audience agape and many more. Our artists' are popular all over the world. Many new talented artists in Pakistan are still working hard to bring quality Pakistani music.
We can easily judge Alamgir as the pioneer of music industry who's first big hit was "DEKHA NA THA KABHI HUM NAY YEH SUMMA", and remains the song he is still most identified with, though later songs such as "Yeh Shaam Aur Tera Naam" and "Mein Ne Tumhare Gagar Se Kabhi Pani" continued to add to his composition. Alamgir, it must be said, laid the groundwork that countless others used to break into the music industry. He not only sang well, he was a performer in the true sense of the word. There is no denying Alamgir's contribution to the evolution of the pop music genre in Pakistan.
NAZIA HASSAN was the first one to cross the forbidden Pakistan-India border to sing in an Indian film called "Qurbani" which was "APP JAISA KOI". And later this song became a youth anthem in both India and Pakistan. And next NAZIA, ZOHAIB and BIDDU (an Indian composer) teamed up to release "DISCO DEEWANE" which became the biggest pop selling album till then in Pakistan. The Hasan siblings released one more album, "Boom Boom", in 1984. This second collaboration with Biddu, the undisputed king of Indian filmi disco music, was also a huge success. Their success marked a turning point in the pop history.
And later Vital Sign ventured on to Pakistani television screens with their guitars and a catchy, patriotic song named "Dil Dil Pakistan" in 1986. Their album released in 1987 with gems like "Yeh Shaam" and funky "Goray Rung Ka Zamana".
Then came Jupitars with their evergreen hit songs "Yaroun Yehi Dosti Hai", continued with Hassan Jehangir's "Hawa Hawa" in 1990, "Sanwali Saloni" by Vital Signs in 1991, "Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar" in 1992 by the Strings, Sajjad Ali's "Didi" ripoff "Babia" in 1993, Najam Shiraz's "In Se Nain" in 1995, Junoon's "Saeein" in 1996 or Awaz's "Mr. Fraudiye" in 1997. Junoon came into the race with their World Cup Hit song "Jazaba-e-Junoon Tou Himat na Har". This is only to be expected in a growing industry.
Perhaps the biggest unexpected success of an experimental song, however, was Sajjad Ali's street-wise 1995 hit "Chief Saab". Full of Karachi slang and tough imagery, "Chief Saab", perhaps more than anything else signified the coming age of pop music. It showed that one did not necessarily have to remain within pre-determined saccharine-sweet boundaries to be popular, and that people liked hearing of issues other than puppy love. Partly, as a result of this expansion of the pop market, established musicians from non-pop genres such as qawwali maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan were also drawn towards experimenting within it. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan gave numerous hit one after another and he gave the music for Hollywood movies and as well as for many Bollywood movies too.
The pop band that most successfully seized upon this idea was, of course, Junoon, which used its success with the haunting "Saeein" to recast itself as a completely different sort of band. Here we saw pop again intersecting with folk and vice versa.
In 1994, FM radio brought about another mini-revolution in Pakistani music. From Landhi in Karachi to Krishan Nagar in Lahore, names like female vocalist Hadiqa Kiyani and young Shehzad Roy suddenly became household names. Even iconoclastic recluse virtuosos like guitarist Amir Zaki (whose almost purely instrumental album "Signature" did well in the market) were receiving the kind of airplay the big bands of the '80s could only have dreamed of.
Pop industry had big turnaround when private channels came into the scene, Like IM which became the medium to introduce young talents in the pop industry names like Fuzon, Aaroh, noori, Aks, Ahmad Jehanzaib, Mizraab, Karavan, Ali Zafar, Jal which not only rock the Pakistani pop music but also made their names worldwide. The new arrivals made their presence felt through remarkable individual songs, even though full albums for now seemed beyond most new acts. Ahmad Jehanzaib's Ek Bar Kaho, Fuzon's Ankhon Ke Saagar and Schehzad Mughal's Bas Yunheen were each excellent. The first two were carried by soulful, ardent vocals and the last shone through affecting lyrics. Hot on their heels, honourable mentions must also go to Aks stunningly understated Neela Aasman, noori's jangle-pop perfection Tum Hans Diyae, Junoon's excellent Garaj Baras, Sajjad Ali with Teri Yaad, Aamir Zaki's insightful and incisive People Are People, EP's piledriving Hum Ko Aazma, Najam's infinitely catchy !
Jaisay Chaho Jiyo and Aao Wahan Chalain, Ali Zafar's startling Chanoo ki Ankh, Jal's splendid addat and yes even Ali Haider's insipid but still memorably melodic Chandi Ratain. Abrar's Preeto was the novelty hit of the year. The Pepsi Battle of the Bands did a great job in throwing up a wealth of talent. EP, Aaroh, Brain Massala, Messiah, Schahzad Hameed and others all have Pepsi to thank. The Pepsi Battle of the Bands got all these fledgling bands great exposure.
Recently, a team of talented Pakistani musicians and artists took the long road to Mumbai, via Dubai, possibly to make history, for this was the first time in recent memory that Pakistanis had gone to India to create the background score for a Bollywood film. The film in question is Pooja Bhatt's Paap, and former Vital Sign Shehzad 'Shahi' Hasan, cinematographer Faisal Rafi, singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and studio session player and keyboardist Faiz Ali Naqvi, were the foursome representing the world of Pakistani music in India.
Strings enjoyed considerable success with Dhaani. Probably the most hyped album of the year, with lead single Chaaye Chaaye being the standout favourite. String gave the soundtrack for Spiderman 2 which was a remarkable effort.
Junaid Jamshed's Dil Ki Baat was understated but assured and notwithstanding JJ's quite public and tortured ruminations over religion and music, the album showed that JJ is still competent at middle of the road pop and that Shoaib Mansoor still has the magic touch. Shahzad Roy's Rab Jane was hobbled by his illness and yet catches the fire while Karavan's Gardish seems to have suddenly picked up and was sold like hot-cakes. Schahzad Mughal's Jhoom Lay was one of the most pleasant of surprises of the year.
So this proves that our music industry has dared to move forward with hope rather than skepticism.
About The Author
Faiza Kamal
Hi, i am a student of BS Software Engineering in first year from Karachi University and i am 19 years old.
siddiqi_fai@hotmail.com
We can easily judge Alamgir as the pioneer of music industry who's first big hit was "DEKHA NA THA KABHI HUM NAY YEH SUMMA", and remains the song he is still most identified with, though later songs such as "Yeh Shaam Aur Tera Naam" and "Mein Ne Tumhare Gagar Se Kabhi Pani" continued to add to his composition. Alamgir, it must be said, laid the groundwork that countless others used to break into the music industry. He not only sang well, he was a performer in the true sense of the word. There is no denying Alamgir's contribution to the evolution of the pop music genre in Pakistan.
NAZIA HASSAN was the first one to cross the forbidden Pakistan-India border to sing in an Indian film called "Qurbani" which was "APP JAISA KOI". And later this song became a youth anthem in both India and Pakistan. And next NAZIA, ZOHAIB and BIDDU (an Indian composer) teamed up to release "DISCO DEEWANE" which became the biggest pop selling album till then in Pakistan. The Hasan siblings released one more album, "Boom Boom", in 1984. This second collaboration with Biddu, the undisputed king of Indian filmi disco music, was also a huge success. Their success marked a turning point in the pop history.
And later Vital Sign ventured on to Pakistani television screens with their guitars and a catchy, patriotic song named "Dil Dil Pakistan" in 1986. Their album released in 1987 with gems like "Yeh Shaam" and funky "Goray Rung Ka Zamana".
Then came Jupitars with their evergreen hit songs "Yaroun Yehi Dosti Hai", continued with Hassan Jehangir's "Hawa Hawa" in 1990, "Sanwali Saloni" by Vital Signs in 1991, "Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar" in 1992 by the Strings, Sajjad Ali's "Didi" ripoff "Babia" in 1993, Najam Shiraz's "In Se Nain" in 1995, Junoon's "Saeein" in 1996 or Awaz's "Mr. Fraudiye" in 1997. Junoon came into the race with their World Cup Hit song "Jazaba-e-Junoon Tou Himat na Har". This is only to be expected in a growing industry.
Perhaps the biggest unexpected success of an experimental song, however, was Sajjad Ali's street-wise 1995 hit "Chief Saab". Full of Karachi slang and tough imagery, "Chief Saab", perhaps more than anything else signified the coming age of pop music. It showed that one did not necessarily have to remain within pre-determined saccharine-sweet boundaries to be popular, and that people liked hearing of issues other than puppy love. Partly, as a result of this expansion of the pop market, established musicians from non-pop genres such as qawwali maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan were also drawn towards experimenting within it. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan gave numerous hit one after another and he gave the music for Hollywood movies and as well as for many Bollywood movies too.
The pop band that most successfully seized upon this idea was, of course, Junoon, which used its success with the haunting "Saeein" to recast itself as a completely different sort of band. Here we saw pop again intersecting with folk and vice versa.
In 1994, FM radio brought about another mini-revolution in Pakistani music. From Landhi in Karachi to Krishan Nagar in Lahore, names like female vocalist Hadiqa Kiyani and young Shehzad Roy suddenly became household names. Even iconoclastic recluse virtuosos like guitarist Amir Zaki (whose almost purely instrumental album "Signature" did well in the market) were receiving the kind of airplay the big bands of the '80s could only have dreamed of.
Pop industry had big turnaround when private channels came into the scene, Like IM which became the medium to introduce young talents in the pop industry names like Fuzon, Aaroh, noori, Aks, Ahmad Jehanzaib, Mizraab, Karavan, Ali Zafar, Jal which not only rock the Pakistani pop music but also made their names worldwide. The new arrivals made their presence felt through remarkable individual songs, even though full albums for now seemed beyond most new acts. Ahmad Jehanzaib's Ek Bar Kaho, Fuzon's Ankhon Ke Saagar and Schehzad Mughal's Bas Yunheen were each excellent. The first two were carried by soulful, ardent vocals and the last shone through affecting lyrics. Hot on their heels, honourable mentions must also go to Aks stunningly understated Neela Aasman, noori's jangle-pop perfection Tum Hans Diyae, Junoon's excellent Garaj Baras, Sajjad Ali with Teri Yaad, Aamir Zaki's insightful and incisive People Are People, EP's piledriving Hum Ko Aazma, Najam's infinitely catchy !
Jaisay Chaho Jiyo and Aao Wahan Chalain, Ali Zafar's startling Chanoo ki Ankh, Jal's splendid addat and yes even Ali Haider's insipid but still memorably melodic Chandi Ratain. Abrar's Preeto was the novelty hit of the year. The Pepsi Battle of the Bands did a great job in throwing up a wealth of talent. EP, Aaroh, Brain Massala, Messiah, Schahzad Hameed and others all have Pepsi to thank. The Pepsi Battle of the Bands got all these fledgling bands great exposure.
Recently, a team of talented Pakistani musicians and artists took the long road to Mumbai, via Dubai, possibly to make history, for this was the first time in recent memory that Pakistanis had gone to India to create the background score for a Bollywood film. The film in question is Pooja Bhatt's Paap, and former Vital Sign Shehzad 'Shahi' Hasan, cinematographer Faisal Rafi, singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and studio session player and keyboardist Faiz Ali Naqvi, were the foursome representing the world of Pakistani music in India.
Strings enjoyed considerable success with Dhaani. Probably the most hyped album of the year, with lead single Chaaye Chaaye being the standout favourite. String gave the soundtrack for Spiderman 2 which was a remarkable effort.
Junaid Jamshed's Dil Ki Baat was understated but assured and notwithstanding JJ's quite public and tortured ruminations over religion and music, the album showed that JJ is still competent at middle of the road pop and that Shoaib Mansoor still has the magic touch. Shahzad Roy's Rab Jane was hobbled by his illness and yet catches the fire while Karavan's Gardish seems to have suddenly picked up and was sold like hot-cakes. Schahzad Mughal's Jhoom Lay was one of the most pleasant of surprises of the year.
So this proves that our music industry has dared to move forward with hope rather than skepticism.
About The Author
Faiza Kamal
Hi, i am a student of BS Software Engineering in first year from Karachi University and i am 19 years old.
siddiqi_fai@hotmail.com
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Managing Your Time, when Music isnt Your Day Job
You CAN do everything. What you cannot do, however, is do everything at the same time, or create a day that's longer than 24 hours.
The two most important aspects of time management are acceptance and choice. When you think of time in terms of acceptance and choice, you're never "wrong", "bad", or "lazy", you've just made certain choices. When you think in terms of discipline and willpower, however, your inner critic can really do a number on you. We already have low self-esteem as artists; let's not add to the problem!!
An example of this from my own life is that I choose to live alone instead of with a roommate; that means I also choose higher rent and the need to bring in enough income to cover that rent. When sneaky thoughts of resentment or self-pity creep in to my head, I need to remember the choice that I made, and I need to accept this is how things are for now.
Here are some tips for using choice and acceptance to manage your time.
Decide what you want to have time for. What keeps getting pushed to the back burner or rushed through? How will you spend your time once you've made your songwriting dreams come true and you've become the artist you're meant to be? Nourish this vision until it's clear in your mind. It's essential to know what you're working towards. Remember, you won't always be this busy unless you choose to be.
Choose not to be this busy - for one week, track your time using a time log. You can make one yourself; simply chart out (on paper or on the computer) your day in fifteen-minute intervals and then record what you do in each of those blocks of time. Completing a time log will illuminate how much time you're spending on different things. Look carefully at the choices you're making. What do you most want to do with the time you have available?
Accept your day job for what it is - a source of the financial support you need to eat and live - and write songs! Practice feeling grateful for the job you have, instead of feeling resentful about the time it's taking away from your songwriting. For instance, what recording equipment, CD's, manuscript paper, software programs or musical instruments have you bought from the money you earned in this job? Also, the job is giving you life experiences, and most likely lots of opportunities to interact with other people. Your passion is to communicate with people through your music - how can you take some of that passion and apply it to your day-to-day interactions? What kind of stories do your co-workers have to tell? What ideas do those stir up for you that you can use in your writing?
Look for a "day job" that's meaningful and that's taking you in the direction of your dreams. Do you need some ideas? Try meditating to access inner wisdom and spiritual guidance. If songwriting is your primary passion, what's your second passion? What ELSE gets your juices flowing? There's no need to be in a job that doesn't make you feel alive, in order to support what does. Some artists that I know get lots of fulfillment from teaching children or adults about their craft. Others take jobs that involve public speaking, to give them more experience and confidence talking to groups. Some take jobs in music stores, where they can have lots of time to learn about the newest equipment, meet lots of fellow artists, and get a discount, to boot!
Schedule time with yourself for your songwriting, collaborating and rehearsing. Keep these dates with yourself and others as sacred appointments!
Be good to your body and don't sacrifice sleep for productivity (if you keep doing that, you won't be in much shape to produce anything!).
There are only a couple of things that we really NEED to do every day. Everything else is a choice.
This article was originally published on the Muses Muse Songwriter's Resource website (November 2004) http://www.musesmuse.com.
(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.
Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive her free monthly newsletter, "Everyday Artist", subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/artist-newsletter.html
The two most important aspects of time management are acceptance and choice. When you think of time in terms of acceptance and choice, you're never "wrong", "bad", or "lazy", you've just made certain choices. When you think in terms of discipline and willpower, however, your inner critic can really do a number on you. We already have low self-esteem as artists; let's not add to the problem!!
An example of this from my own life is that I choose to live alone instead of with a roommate; that means I also choose higher rent and the need to bring in enough income to cover that rent. When sneaky thoughts of resentment or self-pity creep in to my head, I need to remember the choice that I made, and I need to accept this is how things are for now.
Here are some tips for using choice and acceptance to manage your time.
Decide what you want to have time for. What keeps getting pushed to the back burner or rushed through? How will you spend your time once you've made your songwriting dreams come true and you've become the artist you're meant to be? Nourish this vision until it's clear in your mind. It's essential to know what you're working towards. Remember, you won't always be this busy unless you choose to be.
Choose not to be this busy - for one week, track your time using a time log. You can make one yourself; simply chart out (on paper or on the computer) your day in fifteen-minute intervals and then record what you do in each of those blocks of time. Completing a time log will illuminate how much time you're spending on different things. Look carefully at the choices you're making. What do you most want to do with the time you have available?
Accept your day job for what it is - a source of the financial support you need to eat and live - and write songs! Practice feeling grateful for the job you have, instead of feeling resentful about the time it's taking away from your songwriting. For instance, what recording equipment, CD's, manuscript paper, software programs or musical instruments have you bought from the money you earned in this job? Also, the job is giving you life experiences, and most likely lots of opportunities to interact with other people. Your passion is to communicate with people through your music - how can you take some of that passion and apply it to your day-to-day interactions? What kind of stories do your co-workers have to tell? What ideas do those stir up for you that you can use in your writing?
Look for a "day job" that's meaningful and that's taking you in the direction of your dreams. Do you need some ideas? Try meditating to access inner wisdom and spiritual guidance. If songwriting is your primary passion, what's your second passion? What ELSE gets your juices flowing? There's no need to be in a job that doesn't make you feel alive, in order to support what does. Some artists that I know get lots of fulfillment from teaching children or adults about their craft. Others take jobs that involve public speaking, to give them more experience and confidence talking to groups. Some take jobs in music stores, where they can have lots of time to learn about the newest equipment, meet lots of fellow artists, and get a discount, to boot!
Schedule time with yourself for your songwriting, collaborating and rehearsing. Keep these dates with yourself and others as sacred appointments!
Be good to your body and don't sacrifice sleep for productivity (if you keep doing that, you won't be in much shape to produce anything!).
There are only a couple of things that we really NEED to do every day. Everything else is a choice.
This article was originally published on the Muses Muse Songwriter's Resource website (November 2004) http://www.musesmuse.com.
(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.
Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive her free monthly newsletter, "Everyday Artist", subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/artist-newsletter.html
If Setting The Gain Correctly is So Important, Why Dont Mic Preamplifiers Have Meters?
When you first learn how to use a mixing console, you will be shown how to set the gain. Your instructor - either in audio school or in the workplace - will emphasize the importance of this and kick your ass every time you get it wrong, until you can't do anything other than get it right.
Setting the gain correctly optimizes the signal level for further processing in the mixing console. EQ, inserts, auxiliary sends, routing, fading, solo and mixing all depend on having the right signal level for optimum performance, and the gain control is precisely where you set that.
But outboard microphone preamplifiers commonly only have rudimentary metering facilities - perhaps only a single 'clip' LED - or no metering at all! So how can you possibly set the gain correctly?
The answer is that firstly the preamplifier needs to be correctly designed with plenty of output level available. For example, the Manley Labs Mono and Dual Mono microphone preamplifiers can supply up to 30 dBV of output before clipping. That is one hell of a voltage in audio terms - around 30 volts, compared to normal operating level of around one volt.
It's probably fair to say that there is no way you are ever going to clip this brute of a preamp, whatever you are driving. So if there is no possibility of clipping, there is no need for metering.
Where you do need metering is in the equipment you are driving with the preamp, probably your recording system. So the procedure for setting the gain with the Manley preamp is to choose the lowest setting of gain, and also set the 'input attenuate' control to its lowest setting (the attenuator controls the level of signal going into the preamp circuit). Then reduce the amount of attenuation while watching the meter on your recorder. When you are getting a good, healthy signal level with a reasonable margin before clipping on your recording, you have the right settings.
If if the level from the mic is too low to reach a good indication on your recorder's meter, increase the gain as far as necessary but no further.
Setting the attenuator and gain controls in this way will optimize the noise and distortion performance of the preamp.
Now since this is a tube preamp with variable 'character' according to the gain setting chosen, then once you have mastered setting the gain in the technically correct way, you are free to break the rules...
When you see smoke coming from your recorder, that's when to stop!
David Mellor, Record-Producer.com
Setting the gain correctly optimizes the signal level for further processing in the mixing console. EQ, inserts, auxiliary sends, routing, fading, solo and mixing all depend on having the right signal level for optimum performance, and the gain control is precisely where you set that.
But outboard microphone preamplifiers commonly only have rudimentary metering facilities - perhaps only a single 'clip' LED - or no metering at all! So how can you possibly set the gain correctly?
The answer is that firstly the preamplifier needs to be correctly designed with plenty of output level available. For example, the Manley Labs Mono and Dual Mono microphone preamplifiers can supply up to 30 dBV of output before clipping. That is one hell of a voltage in audio terms - around 30 volts, compared to normal operating level of around one volt.
It's probably fair to say that there is no way you are ever going to clip this brute of a preamp, whatever you are driving. So if there is no possibility of clipping, there is no need for metering.
Where you do need metering is in the equipment you are driving with the preamp, probably your recording system. So the procedure for setting the gain with the Manley preamp is to choose the lowest setting of gain, and also set the 'input attenuate' control to its lowest setting (the attenuator controls the level of signal going into the preamp circuit). Then reduce the amount of attenuation while watching the meter on your recorder. When you are getting a good, healthy signal level with a reasonable margin before clipping on your recording, you have the right settings.
If if the level from the mic is too low to reach a good indication on your recorder's meter, increase the gain as far as necessary but no further.
Setting the attenuator and gain controls in this way will optimize the noise and distortion performance of the preamp.
Now since this is a tube preamp with variable 'character' according to the gain setting chosen, then once you have mastered setting the gain in the technically correct way, you are free to break the rules...
When you see smoke coming from your recorder, that's when to stop!
David Mellor, Record-Producer.com
Health and Beauty Tips for Your Brass: Keep It Shiny!
Did you know that the health and beauty of your brass instruments require extra special attention? It's true-their wellbeing and happiness depend upon it. While we're not talking about putting your tuba on a weight-loss program or taking your trumpet to the spa for a makeover, you do need to treat your brass instruments with care or they'll refuse to come out and play. So, grab that brass and get ready for a workout-it's time to clean!
When was the last time you saw a dirty French Horn in the orchestra? Probably never, right? That's because professional musicians know how to take daily, monthly, and yearly care of their instruments. Now's your chance to do the same! Starting with daily care, follow these tips to maintain the health and beauty of your brass.
Note: Because brass instruments vary, be sure to learn the specific cleaning methods for your particular instrument. For example, rotor instruments like the French horns, rotor tubas, and rotor trombones should always be cleaned by an experienced repairperson.
Once a week, lubricate the valves on your brass instrument. Simply unscrew the valve cap and draw out the valve half way. Using the appropriate lubricant, apply a drop of valve oil to the widest part of the valve. Then, press the valve back to its original position. The valves on most brass instruments have a "guide" that helps you to line up the valve. Most often, you'll hear a *click* when you've got the valve perfectly aligned.
If you play a brass instrument, you know what happens after a good session of blowing. You know, "moisture" can build up inside of your instrument. If it's not removed, this moisture can do a real number on the health of your instrument. To be sure you've removed all moisture from your instrument after you're done playing, you'll want do a final blow with the water keys opened. This should help to keep the insides of your instruments happy and dry.
No Fingerprints Please
To keep your brass shining, be sure to wipe down the outside of the instrument after each use. This will help remove oils and perspiration left by your hands.
To spare your brass from unsightly "bruises," be sure to always store your instrument in its case when its not being used. Doing so will not only spare your brass from damage, but it'll also keep your instrument clean. Remember, your instrument case is for your instrument; storing music books, cleaning supplies, or even your lunch inside the case can lead to all kinds of problems with the slides or valves of your instrument.
Once A Month It's Thorough Internal Cleaning Time
To do this, you'll need to take your brass apart completely. You'll also need some supplies, including cleaning brushes, liquid soap, slide grease (if your instrument has slides), and valve oil. If you're not comfortable with any of these steps, take your instrument to a music shop for a professional cleaning to keep it in tip top shape.
Head to your bathroom or kitchen sink and get ready to get dirty!
# Remove all slides, valves and valve bottom caps and place them, except for the valves, in warm, soapy water. Soak the parts in the water for 10 minutes
# As your parts are soaking, run warm water over your valves and use the valve brush to brush out all openings. Give your valves a good shake to remove excess water and let dry
# Depending on your type of instrument, you'll want to brush all its tubes and compartments as well as the valve casings
# Rinse the entire instrument with warm water and be sure to wipe off any excess moisture with a soft cloth. Before moving on to the next step, you'll want to make sure your instrument is completely dry
# If your instrument has slides, apply a little slide grease to each and put back together reassemble
# Replace the valves and apply a drop of oil on each to lubricate. Most valves are numbered, so be sure to put yours back in the correct location
Voila! You're done. You can now go slide that trombone or toot that trumpet to your heart's content. Because you treated your brass with cleanly attention, it'll serve up beautiful music for years to come! Play that horn, Daddy-O!
Jon Butt is the publisher of Musical Instruments Guide , a free resource dedicated to all things musical. From electric guitars to drum sets, tubas to bagpipes, and every musical accessory in-between, the Musical Instruments Guide is packed full of informative articles, find top-rated musical instruments and online merchants
When was the last time you saw a dirty French Horn in the orchestra? Probably never, right? That's because professional musicians know how to take daily, monthly, and yearly care of their instruments. Now's your chance to do the same! Starting with daily care, follow these tips to maintain the health and beauty of your brass.
Note: Because brass instruments vary, be sure to learn the specific cleaning methods for your particular instrument. For example, rotor instruments like the French horns, rotor tubas, and rotor trombones should always be cleaned by an experienced repairperson.
Once a week, lubricate the valves on your brass instrument. Simply unscrew the valve cap and draw out the valve half way. Using the appropriate lubricant, apply a drop of valve oil to the widest part of the valve. Then, press the valve back to its original position. The valves on most brass instruments have a "guide" that helps you to line up the valve. Most often, you'll hear a *click* when you've got the valve perfectly aligned.
If you play a brass instrument, you know what happens after a good session of blowing. You know, "moisture" can build up inside of your instrument. If it's not removed, this moisture can do a real number on the health of your instrument. To be sure you've removed all moisture from your instrument after you're done playing, you'll want do a final blow with the water keys opened. This should help to keep the insides of your instruments happy and dry.
No Fingerprints Please
To keep your brass shining, be sure to wipe down the outside of the instrument after each use. This will help remove oils and perspiration left by your hands.
To spare your brass from unsightly "bruises," be sure to always store your instrument in its case when its not being used. Doing so will not only spare your brass from damage, but it'll also keep your instrument clean. Remember, your instrument case is for your instrument; storing music books, cleaning supplies, or even your lunch inside the case can lead to all kinds of problems with the slides or valves of your instrument.
Once A Month It's Thorough Internal Cleaning Time
To do this, you'll need to take your brass apart completely. You'll also need some supplies, including cleaning brushes, liquid soap, slide grease (if your instrument has slides), and valve oil. If you're not comfortable with any of these steps, take your instrument to a music shop for a professional cleaning to keep it in tip top shape.
Head to your bathroom or kitchen sink and get ready to get dirty!
# Remove all slides, valves and valve bottom caps and place them, except for the valves, in warm, soapy water. Soak the parts in the water for 10 minutes
# As your parts are soaking, run warm water over your valves and use the valve brush to brush out all openings. Give your valves a good shake to remove excess water and let dry
# Depending on your type of instrument, you'll want to brush all its tubes and compartments as well as the valve casings
# Rinse the entire instrument with warm water and be sure to wipe off any excess moisture with a soft cloth. Before moving on to the next step, you'll want to make sure your instrument is completely dry
# If your instrument has slides, apply a little slide grease to each and put back together reassemble
# Replace the valves and apply a drop of oil on each to lubricate. Most valves are numbered, so be sure to put yours back in the correct location
Voila! You're done. You can now go slide that trombone or toot that trumpet to your heart's content. Because you treated your brass with cleanly attention, it'll serve up beautiful music for years to come! Play that horn, Daddy-O!
Jon Butt is the publisher of Musical Instruments Guide , a free resource dedicated to all things musical. From electric guitars to drum sets, tubas to bagpipes, and every musical accessory in-between, the Musical Instruments Guide is packed full of informative articles, find top-rated musical instruments and online merchants
Are iPods Changing the Way We Listen to Music
They're everywhere, and not only are they everywhere, they look cool too. Since its launch in 2001, 10 million have sold and 8 million of those were in 2004. So welcome to the next generation. 8 tracks, records, cassettes, CDs, and now the iPod.
I don't have one, yet. My first taste of it came when my girlfriend got one, and asked if I would set it up for her using my computer. Wearing those now immediately recognizable hip cream coloured headphones, I could feel the eyes of every have-not-an-iPod on me with curiosity and maybe a little jealousy. I even started walking differently. Listening to Led Zeppelin, then Radiohead, and then some Bob Marley on my way to school, there was definitely more spring in my step, and I sat through class in a much better mood than usual. For a mere two days it was in my possession and immediately I could feel myself being sucked into its cult.
And why wouldn't you? An iPod lets you put 10,000 songs inside something the size of a pack of cigarettes. Gone are the heavy, fragile CD cases and the Discman that skips after each step.
Is the iPod changing the way we listen to music? Undeniably. With an iPod, we can take our music anywhere, and not just one album like we could with the walkman. Now we can carry our entire collections everywhere we go. It can play mixes at parties. You can bring it on the commute to work or for a jog. You can save Microsoft Word documents on it and photos for that matter. Don't like a particular song on an album? Delete it. Thanks to the iPod, music has become an even bigger part of our lives because now it's just a click away, and it's exactly how we want it.
Apart from the possibility of our entire collections being with us at all times, the iPod's capabilities have done something even better. By being able to store over 700 albums, the iPod is encouraging us to try types of music we might not have listened to before. When burning a CD to an iPod takes a short few minutes, what's there to lose?
But is it all just a trend? Doubtful, especially with people spending on average 100 pounds on iPod accessories. It's difficult to picture something people now say they can't live without vanishing, unless Apple CEO Steve Jobs finds another way to outdo himself yet again. And on that note now Apple has come out with the smaller, cheaper version of the iPod called the iPod shuffle. Will it have the same impact as its predecessor? Only time will tell.
Spencer Anderson
This article, written by Spencer Anderson, was first published at MusicShopper.info - a great resource for music lovers. Providing information and resources about music shopping, it also has an extensive range of music reviews, music competitions and giveaways, and a popular discussion forum. It is also an important music reference source with a music website directory of more then 1,000 hand-picked sites listed. MusicShopper forum and newsletters subscribers are entered into monthly draws for Amazon voucher.
I don't have one, yet. My first taste of it came when my girlfriend got one, and asked if I would set it up for her using my computer. Wearing those now immediately recognizable hip cream coloured headphones, I could feel the eyes of every have-not-an-iPod on me with curiosity and maybe a little jealousy. I even started walking differently. Listening to Led Zeppelin, then Radiohead, and then some Bob Marley on my way to school, there was definitely more spring in my step, and I sat through class in a much better mood than usual. For a mere two days it was in my possession and immediately I could feel myself being sucked into its cult.
And why wouldn't you? An iPod lets you put 10,000 songs inside something the size of a pack of cigarettes. Gone are the heavy, fragile CD cases and the Discman that skips after each step.
Is the iPod changing the way we listen to music? Undeniably. With an iPod, we can take our music anywhere, and not just one album like we could with the walkman. Now we can carry our entire collections everywhere we go. It can play mixes at parties. You can bring it on the commute to work or for a jog. You can save Microsoft Word documents on it and photos for that matter. Don't like a particular song on an album? Delete it. Thanks to the iPod, music has become an even bigger part of our lives because now it's just a click away, and it's exactly how we want it.
Apart from the possibility of our entire collections being with us at all times, the iPod's capabilities have done something even better. By being able to store over 700 albums, the iPod is encouraging us to try types of music we might not have listened to before. When burning a CD to an iPod takes a short few minutes, what's there to lose?
But is it all just a trend? Doubtful, especially with people spending on average 100 pounds on iPod accessories. It's difficult to picture something people now say they can't live without vanishing, unless Apple CEO Steve Jobs finds another way to outdo himself yet again. And on that note now Apple has come out with the smaller, cheaper version of the iPod called the iPod shuffle. Will it have the same impact as its predecessor? Only time will tell.
Spencer Anderson
This article, written by Spencer Anderson, was first published at MusicShopper.info - a great resource for music lovers. Providing information and resources about music shopping, it also has an extensive range of music reviews, music competitions and giveaways, and a popular discussion forum. It is also an important music reference source with a music website directory of more then 1,000 hand-picked sites listed. MusicShopper forum and newsletters subscribers are entered into monthly draws for Amazon voucher.
Buying The Best Used Silver Flutes
The flute is probably the oldest type of instrument that has ever been played by humanity. Archeologists have found bone flutes dating back 50,000 years in some cases, so it is easy to say that the flute is an instrument that was influential in the development of mankind's musical ability.In our present century, it is one of the most popular types of instruments, and for many budding musical geniuses, it is the first instrument they learn to play. Of course, the flute is not all that expensive, and for that reason, many parents are able to afford to buy one for their child. However, that being said, wouldn't it make more sense to buy a flute for your child after they have proven themselves to be interested enough in the flute to warrant buying a newer one?This is often the case, so many parents will 'test the waters' to see if their kids will continue to be interested in the flute in a few months time by simply buying a used flute. A used flute is a bit less expensive than a new flute, but it accomplishes the same task; making music.If you think that some of the priceless types of flutes in existence right now are 50,000 years old and made of bone, buying a used flute for $15 doesn't seem like that big of a deal. So, when you go out to buy a used flute, where do you go? Before you go online, always check your local area to find out if there are cheap flutes that can be easily bought. At pawn shops, you will probably find used flutes in the price range of ten dollars to thirty dollars, meaning you are going to save a lot of money, and if your child stops playing the flute, you will not be out that much money at all.This is a big difference when you are talking about how much you can save over the course of your child's musical life when you buy used musical instruments instead of new musical instruments. There is no reason why you should think that used instruments are not as good as new instruments, because they are just as good. In fact, they are better because they are much cheaper than the other types of instruments.Buying a used flute will allow your child to use their musical talents on a very easy type of instrument to learn. As well, buying a used flute means you will not be paying to much for something that your child may not keep using in the future.Used flutes are a dime a dozen and there is no better way to test if your child is interested in learning how to play instruments than with a flute. If they are willing to make the commitment to practicing the flute on a regular basis, then they are capable of making the commitment to other types of instruments, like guitars and pianos. Find the used flute that is right for you and nurture your child's gift.
Ibanez SR400 Bass Guitar
The Ibanez SR400 bass guitar is very comfortable to play. The neck is thin up at the headstock, you can move your hand along it well because of the necks finish. The SR400's neck at the back has a matte finish making it very easy to slide your hands up and down the neck. Its easier to play the higher frets because the neck is a bolt-on with a curve where the neck bolts.
The body of the Ibanez SR400 is contoured very well. There are no sharp edges anywhere. You can play the SR400 standing up or sitting comfortably. If you are sitting down and put the bass on your right thigh, it will stay balanced and not lean one way or another.
The SR400 bass guitar is very playable because the strings are loose. You won't have to play with much force to get a sound, and it won't wear your fingers out so much.
The pickups of the SR400 Ibanez are in "P/J" configuration. There is a split "P" pickup at the neck position and a single humbrucker at the bridge. For each pickups volumn there are three knobs and one for tone.
The Ibanez SR400 bass guitar stays in tune very well. The tuners at the head are 2 on each side, and they are Gotoh tuners. The tuners are not to tight or loose, but they are light enough to keep the strings in tune.
The SR400 bass is good for an intermediate guitarist, and the best thing about it is its neck is so smooth, playable, and thin.
Jeremy Hier is the Business Manager and Webmaster of Best Guitar Deals Jeremy Hier is a freelance writer and regular contributer He likes to offer his advice and tips to consumers looking to purchase acoustic guitars and electric guitars
The body of the Ibanez SR400 is contoured very well. There are no sharp edges anywhere. You can play the SR400 standing up or sitting comfortably. If you are sitting down and put the bass on your right thigh, it will stay balanced and not lean one way or another.
The SR400 bass guitar is very playable because the strings are loose. You won't have to play with much force to get a sound, and it won't wear your fingers out so much.
The pickups of the SR400 Ibanez are in "P/J" configuration. There is a split "P" pickup at the neck position and a single humbrucker at the bridge. For each pickups volumn there are three knobs and one for tone.
The Ibanez SR400 bass guitar stays in tune very well. The tuners at the head are 2 on each side, and they are Gotoh tuners. The tuners are not to tight or loose, but they are light enough to keep the strings in tune.
The SR400 bass is good for an intermediate guitarist, and the best thing about it is its neck is so smooth, playable, and thin.
Jeremy Hier is the Business Manager and Webmaster of Best Guitar Deals Jeremy Hier is a freelance writer and regular contributer He likes to offer his advice and tips to consumers looking to purchase acoustic guitars and electric guitars
Saturday, September 20, 2008
How To Change Your Guitar Strings
Changing your guitar strings might make you feel a litte uncomfortable if you have never done it before, but it's really quite simple and should become a regular part of your guitar care routine. Before you do anything, first take time to make some personal observations such as:
1. Which way do you have to turn the tuning keys to tighten or loosen the strings?
2. How are the strings aligned from the nut to the bridge?
3. Which is the heaviest string?
Taking mental notes will probably save you some frustration and make the job much easier.
Below you will find some helpful steps to follow for changing your strings. Once you've changed your guitar strings a couple of times your confidence should begin to grow and you won't need to refer to these steps any longer. I like to remove all of the guitar strings in order to give my guitar a thorough cleaning, but you can remove and replace them one at a time if you prefer.
Guitar Care and Maintenance Tools:
- Needle-nose Plyers (to cut string ends)
- String Winder
- Soft Cotton Cloth
- Guitar Cleaning Polish (do not use furniture polish, oils, or wax)
REMOVING THE STRINGS
Acoustic Steel String Guitar-
1. Using the string winder , begin slowly loosening the string(s) until completely slack.
2. With the needle-nose plyers, carefully grab the string from the capstan (the part it winds around) and pull through the hole until it is free.
3. Taking the string winder again, use the cut-out at the end of it to grab the pin at the bridge. Gently pull the pin until it comes out of the hole.
4. Continue this process until all the strings are removed.
5. Clean guitar surface thoroughly.
Classic Nylon String Guitar-
Follow steps one and two above. When you come to step three, take your needle-nose plyers and carefully loosen the figure eight knot at the bridge. Pull the string free.
Electric Guitar-
Follow the same procedure as described for an acoustic steel string guitar. However, if you have an electric guitar with a movable bridge you may want to take it to your local music store and have them show you how to do it safely. If the bridge is moved from it's correct position you will not be able to tune your guitar after restringing it.
RE-STRINGING YOUR GUITAR
Acoustic Steel String Guitar-
1. Bend the ball end of the string slightly and place it inside the hole below the bridge. Some steel string guitars do not have pins. When this is the case, just pull the string throught the hole.
2. Line up the string with any grooves in the pin. Insert the pin into the hole, making sure it is secure.
3. Take the other end and insert into the hole on the capstan.
4. Pull the string through leaving a fair amount of slack between the capstan and the bridge.
5. Bend the string at the point it comes through the capstan to keep it secure.
6. Watching out for your eyes, begin turning the key with your left hand. Once you get it started it may be easier to use the string winder. (For safety reasons, you might want to cut off any excess string. I usually wait until after they're all on to do this).
7. As you are winding, apply some tension to the string with your right hand to help keep it taught. Make sure you are winding in the right direction! On the bass strings you will be winding counter-clockwise (away from you). On the treble strings you will go the opposite direction.
8. Continue to wind each string until all the slack is taken up. Do not worry about tuning yet.
9. Cut off all excess string length.
Classic Nylon String Guitar-
1. Put the string through the top of the hole found just below the bridge.
2. Pull about 3 inches through.
3. Bringing the string up over the tie block, pass it underneath itself at the original point of entry.
4. Come down over the tie block again and wrap the end of the string around itself in a figure eight type pattern.
5. Insert the other end of the string down through the hole on the capstan.
6. Wrap the string around the back and then underneath itself in order to secure it in place.
7. As described above, begin turning the key with your left hand while maintaining some tension with the other until all the slack is taken up. With a classical guitar you will wind clockwise on the bass strings and the treble strings.
8. Keep the string as straight as possible as it continues from the capstan through the nut and down onto the neck.
9. You should not have any excess string length, but if you do, cut it off.
Electric Guitar-
Follow the same procedure as described for the acoustic steel string guitar.
I hope you found this information to be helpful. Remember, establishing a good guitar care routine will insure many long years of musical fun and enjoyment!
FREE Reprint Rights - You may publish this article in your e-zine or on your web site as long as you include the following information:
Kathy Unruh is a singer/songwriter and webmaster of ABC Learn Guitar. She has been writing songs and providing guitar lessons to students of all ages for over 20 years. For free guitar lessons, plus tips and resources on songwriting, recording and creating a music career, please visit: http://www.abclearnguitar.com
1. Which way do you have to turn the tuning keys to tighten or loosen the strings?
2. How are the strings aligned from the nut to the bridge?
3. Which is the heaviest string?
Taking mental notes will probably save you some frustration and make the job much easier.
Below you will find some helpful steps to follow for changing your strings. Once you've changed your guitar strings a couple of times your confidence should begin to grow and you won't need to refer to these steps any longer. I like to remove all of the guitar strings in order to give my guitar a thorough cleaning, but you can remove and replace them one at a time if you prefer.
Guitar Care and Maintenance Tools:
- Needle-nose Plyers (to cut string ends)
- String Winder
- Soft Cotton Cloth
- Guitar Cleaning Polish (do not use furniture polish, oils, or wax)
REMOVING THE STRINGS
Acoustic Steel String Guitar-
1. Using the string winder , begin slowly loosening the string(s) until completely slack.
2. With the needle-nose plyers, carefully grab the string from the capstan (the part it winds around) and pull through the hole until it is free.
3. Taking the string winder again, use the cut-out at the end of it to grab the pin at the bridge. Gently pull the pin until it comes out of the hole.
4. Continue this process until all the strings are removed.
5. Clean guitar surface thoroughly.
Classic Nylon String Guitar-
Follow steps one and two above. When you come to step three, take your needle-nose plyers and carefully loosen the figure eight knot at the bridge. Pull the string free.
Electric Guitar-
Follow the same procedure as described for an acoustic steel string guitar. However, if you have an electric guitar with a movable bridge you may want to take it to your local music store and have them show you how to do it safely. If the bridge is moved from it's correct position you will not be able to tune your guitar after restringing it.
RE-STRINGING YOUR GUITAR
Acoustic Steel String Guitar-
1. Bend the ball end of the string slightly and place it inside the hole below the bridge. Some steel string guitars do not have pins. When this is the case, just pull the string throught the hole.
2. Line up the string with any grooves in the pin. Insert the pin into the hole, making sure it is secure.
3. Take the other end and insert into the hole on the capstan.
4. Pull the string through leaving a fair amount of slack between the capstan and the bridge.
5. Bend the string at the point it comes through the capstan to keep it secure.
6. Watching out for your eyes, begin turning the key with your left hand. Once you get it started it may be easier to use the string winder. (For safety reasons, you might want to cut off any excess string. I usually wait until after they're all on to do this).
7. As you are winding, apply some tension to the string with your right hand to help keep it taught. Make sure you are winding in the right direction! On the bass strings you will be winding counter-clockwise (away from you). On the treble strings you will go the opposite direction.
8. Continue to wind each string until all the slack is taken up. Do not worry about tuning yet.
9. Cut off all excess string length.
Classic Nylon String Guitar-
1. Put the string through the top of the hole found just below the bridge.
2. Pull about 3 inches through.
3. Bringing the string up over the tie block, pass it underneath itself at the original point of entry.
4. Come down over the tie block again and wrap the end of the string around itself in a figure eight type pattern.
5. Insert the other end of the string down through the hole on the capstan.
6. Wrap the string around the back and then underneath itself in order to secure it in place.
7. As described above, begin turning the key with your left hand while maintaining some tension with the other until all the slack is taken up. With a classical guitar you will wind clockwise on the bass strings and the treble strings.
8. Keep the string as straight as possible as it continues from the capstan through the nut and down onto the neck.
9. You should not have any excess string length, but if you do, cut it off.
Electric Guitar-
Follow the same procedure as described for the acoustic steel string guitar.
I hope you found this information to be helpful. Remember, establishing a good guitar care routine will insure many long years of musical fun and enjoyment!
FREE Reprint Rights - You may publish this article in your e-zine or on your web site as long as you include the following information:
Kathy Unruh is a singer/songwriter and webmaster of ABC Learn Guitar. She has been writing songs and providing guitar lessons to students of all ages for over 20 years. For free guitar lessons, plus tips and resources on songwriting, recording and creating a music career, please visit: http://www.abclearnguitar.com
Making Music As A Lefty
Author Interview with Ryan Thomson, seacoast New Hampshire resident, and author of a new book advocating left handed violin playing by lefties. - Playing Violin and Fiddle Left Handed.
This piece started out as an actual interview for an internet website article, but the author has expanded it into its present form, while maintaining the "interview" format.
What an interesting book! What prompted you to put this book together?
Almost every single time I've played in public for the last 10 years a listener has asked me why I hold my violin differently from other players, or has commented on the fact that they've never before seen someone play a violin left handed. For example, If you look at any orchestra, you'll notice that every violinist is playing right handed! Its been this way for hundreds of years. Right and left handed people alike play the violin right handed. Violin teachers instruct all of their students to play right handed whether or not they are naturally right handed.
I knew from early on in my own left handed playing experience that I wanted to explore this interesting subject. I found it fascinating that people who didn't know whether I was naturally right or left handed would say things like, "It must be really difficult to play a violin backwards," as if there was some inherent reason why it should be easier to play it right handed.
I listened to such statements from a very unusual perspective. Unlike almost every other violinist in the world, I actually knew from first hand experience what was involved in the process of first learning to play a violin right handed, and then learning how to play it left handed. My experiences demonstrated the fact that its easier and more efficient to use the dominant hand for tasks requiring skill and coordination. For example, I clearly remember practicing to write with my left hand for amusement when I was a child. I learned to do it fairly well, but the results were always less satisfying than writing with my far more coordinated right hand.
I recognized the similarity between hand writing and playing a violin. I began to put my thoughts to paper when I encountered many right handed "experts" who opined with an air of authority on the topic of playing a violin left handed. They pointed out "pitfalls" based entirely on speculation, and strongly discouraged violators of right handed violin playing traditions. Their statements were clearly erroneous when compared to my own experiences and those of many people whom I had interviewed.
In contrast to that, most of the naturally left handed people I'd met were far more knowledgeable about handedness issues and open minded about the possibilities of doing skilled tasks with either hand. Most tools and implements in this world are designed for right handers, and by learning to use them during their lives, the lefties had a great deal of experience in developing ambidexterity, and so could talk about handedness with some authority. I became driven to write a book about the topic.
You say that a disability made the decision for you to play the violin left-handed. Do you mind talking about that?
I used to feel uncomfortable about discussing my disability. As a former professional violinist I experienced a period of lowered self esteem when I could no longer play the violin right handed. Making music on my violin had not only brought great enjoyment to me, but had also enabled me to make a decent living. During the process of mastering left handed violin playing I've regained both the pleasure of playing and the income derived from performing and teaching.
The illness has helped me grow in other ways as well. In between right and left handed playing I took up the accordion, started a cajun band, and won a Boston Music Award Nomination for my accordion playing with my band! I also have more patience, more focus, and I'm a bit more "bulletproof" to the cards that are dealt to me in the game of life. I'm certainly a better music teacher as a result of it as well. The rare condition that I have is named "focal dystonia," which is a genetically determined neurological disorder of the muscular system. I have what the doctors call an "adult onset" version. 14 years ago my brain started sending spurious signals to some muscles in my back behind my right shoulder.
The continuing randomness of these muscle contractions prevents me from properly controlling the motion of a violin bow with my right hand. The bad news is that the condition is permanent, with no cure. The good news is that it can't get worse, can't spread, and really only affects a small range of activities in my life. I'm actually quite healthy in just about every way. I'm a distance runner, physically fit, and a do-it-yourselfer around the house. In fact, if I wasn't a violinist, I would hardly notice my symptoms.
Coming from a family of musicians, do you think this greatly influenced your musical abilities? Would you still be musically inclined even if you weren't encouraged?
I used to watch my mother play the piano from before I could even play music myself. She was obviously involved in an emotional way with melodies that moved her. She always had good things to say about the various musical ensembles that our relatives had formed. At times she also pointed out music performances that she didn't like. I noticed that my father often made music just for fun, in ways that brought pleasure to him, like singing in the shower, or even just playing a tune on a harmonica. As a young child I picked up on all of that.
I always scored higher on school aptitude tests in art and music than anything else. But I also scored very high in science, which I think indicated a talent for analyzing and explaining things. For many years I thought that I was to become a scientist, and have music for a hobby, and so studied science all the way through to the graduate level in college. Doing science seemed like a good way for me to make a living. Meanwhile, I began performing in bands while in college and was taken with the fact that people would pay me for something that was so fun to do. I also noted the great pleasure that music brought to the listeners. This made me want to work harder at improving my musical abilities, and as music became my full time occupation, science became my hobby! I became hooked on the physical "rush" that I would experience when making good music in an ensemble in public performance. It was an feeling similar to that which I'd experience while downhill skiing, a sport which!
I loved to do. I may not have discovered that higher level of pleasure on my own without the efforts of my parents to surround me with music and opportunities for lessons. That's certainly a good case for the importance of music education for young people.
When you first started playing left-handed, is this when you noticed more people complaining about only being able to play right-handed?
No. I heard first from the contrary right handed establishment. When I began playing lefty in public I was still a bit rough at it and some people, particularly other violinists, would often tell me that I was playing the violin "wrong," and that it would be easier for me if I would just play in the "right way." Few of them were interested to hear my explanation as to why I was playing left handed. Not only that, but they didn't even know whether I was right or left handed by nature. and thus their statements seemed counter intuitive to me. I knew that left handed school children got lefty scissors, and righties got righty scissors, and that most children in recent times were allowed to write with their dominant hand, whether it be right or left.
I eventually had a significant experience. I walked off stage after a performance and a man approached me, patted me on the back, and said, "Good job, we lefties have to stick together." I was so surprised at that comment that I didn't know what to say and just nodded at him. After that I started paying more attention to whether people around me were left or right handed in their activities. I eventually met several other left handed musicians, who, noting how I played, and thinking that I was left handed by nature, confided in me that they'd always suspected that they would have been better players if they had played left handed instead of right handed.
They were lefties who had attended grade schools in the 1950's and 60's in which teachers would force them to write with their right hands against their natural inclinations. When they got into music, their music teachers also steered them in a right handed direction, again against their natural inclinations. Finally, when I was well into writing this book, I discovered some lefty musicians who had become so fed up with the right handed bias that they had actually taken the time and effort needed to relearn to play their instruments left handed.
And sure enough, they found that they actually could play better left handed! I've become a lefty advocate, and an activist even, but I also tried to take care in my book to point out some reasons why lefties might consider playing in the traditional right handed way, despite their natural inclinations. I think that my book gives them the information they need to make an intelligent and informed decision.
How long did it take to complete this book? You've included a lot of letters and comments from other violinists.
The book evolved gradually. I guess I started unconsciously gathering information on the very day I began playing the violin left handed. Since I travel widely and perform often in public, a number of other musicians with an interest in left handed playing either heard about me, or saw me perform, and then started writing and calling. I saved their letters and kept up communication with many of them for several years. When the internet became popular the flow of information increased, and aided my progress.
What do family and friends think about your book? I know you've written several in the past, but is this one more special?
I'm fortunate that my family is generally supportive of any creative project that I take on. They seem to appreciate the fact that I work hard at things that I'm interested in. And yes, this book is special to me because I'm personally involved with the subject. I believe in the importance of getting it out into the public eye but at the same time I have little sense about the possible level of public interest in such a topic. The reactions of my friends and peers is wildly varying.
Many of my friends, although serious musicians, have no interest in handedness issues, and perhaps think that my book is a bit irrelevant. One friend, a classical violin teacher trained at Juilliard, is strongly opposed to the idea of anyone playing violin left handed. Another right handed friend who runs a private violin school for children is very excited about the concept. After reading my book she immediately changed two of her naturally left handed students over to playing lefty violin.
She had been teaching them in the standard right handed way for two months. She was delighted to report to me that after a couple of weeks playing left handed both were progressing far more rapidly than when they struggled along with right handed bowing! My friend now has 8 of her students under the age of 10 playing left handed!
Are you going to be working on any more books in the future?
I'm continually working on book ideas in my head. The information gets churned around until the day comes when I feel the urge to put my fingers to the word processor. In fact, I became inspired to start writing another book on music even before this one was finished! I've started slowly and won't really dig into it until winter comes.
About The Author
Ryan Thomson was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, into a family with a music heritage stretching back to the pioneer days. He grew up in San Diego, California, studied piano as a child, and played in a group recital on live television in 1959. He attended San Diego State University and then moved to New Hampshire in 1976 to study violin repair at the Summer Violin Institute in Durham. The following year he enrolled in a graduate school program of experimental psychology. He designed and taught a college course in the "Psychology of Music," while completing his Master of Arts degree.
While attending college he produced a local bluegrass radio show and also hosted a music show on National Public Radio in New Hampshire. In the summers he traveled to music events across the country, and in 1977 became the northeastern regional champion of the National Fiddle Contest in Weiser, Idaho. After college he decided on a music making career and joined a full time Nashville based country band, touring the eastern USA, playing fiddle 6 days a week in dance halls and honky tonks.
In 1988 he acquired focal dystonia, a neurological disease with a genetic origin which causes improper muscular function. He lost control of some muscles in his right back and shoulder area and had to temporarily give up his career of violin playing. He continued in music however, teaching and performing on other instruments, while he patiently retaught himself to play violin left handed. Ryan now plays violin professionally as a lefty fiddler/violinist. He continues to play banjo, guitar, mandolin, piano, and flute right handed. His primary interest is playing fiddle for folk dances, and he also plays chamber music as a serious hobby in his spare time. Along the way he has won numerous awards for fiddle, banjo, and accordion playing.
Ryan presently lives in Newmarket, New Hampshire, headquarters for Captain Fiddle Publications. He is the author of several books on music, and presently teaches music both at the Phillips Exeter Academy during the school year, and at folk music and dance camps nationally in the summer time. You can contact him and find out about his current activities at:
captainfiddle.com
Ryan Thomson
4 Elm Court,
Newmarket, NH 03857
603-659-2658
cfiddle@tiac.net
This piece started out as an actual interview for an internet website article, but the author has expanded it into its present form, while maintaining the "interview" format.
What an interesting book! What prompted you to put this book together?
Almost every single time I've played in public for the last 10 years a listener has asked me why I hold my violin differently from other players, or has commented on the fact that they've never before seen someone play a violin left handed. For example, If you look at any orchestra, you'll notice that every violinist is playing right handed! Its been this way for hundreds of years. Right and left handed people alike play the violin right handed. Violin teachers instruct all of their students to play right handed whether or not they are naturally right handed.
I knew from early on in my own left handed playing experience that I wanted to explore this interesting subject. I found it fascinating that people who didn't know whether I was naturally right or left handed would say things like, "It must be really difficult to play a violin backwards," as if there was some inherent reason why it should be easier to play it right handed.
I listened to such statements from a very unusual perspective. Unlike almost every other violinist in the world, I actually knew from first hand experience what was involved in the process of first learning to play a violin right handed, and then learning how to play it left handed. My experiences demonstrated the fact that its easier and more efficient to use the dominant hand for tasks requiring skill and coordination. For example, I clearly remember practicing to write with my left hand for amusement when I was a child. I learned to do it fairly well, but the results were always less satisfying than writing with my far more coordinated right hand.
I recognized the similarity between hand writing and playing a violin. I began to put my thoughts to paper when I encountered many right handed "experts" who opined with an air of authority on the topic of playing a violin left handed. They pointed out "pitfalls" based entirely on speculation, and strongly discouraged violators of right handed violin playing traditions. Their statements were clearly erroneous when compared to my own experiences and those of many people whom I had interviewed.
In contrast to that, most of the naturally left handed people I'd met were far more knowledgeable about handedness issues and open minded about the possibilities of doing skilled tasks with either hand. Most tools and implements in this world are designed for right handers, and by learning to use them during their lives, the lefties had a great deal of experience in developing ambidexterity, and so could talk about handedness with some authority. I became driven to write a book about the topic.
You say that a disability made the decision for you to play the violin left-handed. Do you mind talking about that?
I used to feel uncomfortable about discussing my disability. As a former professional violinist I experienced a period of lowered self esteem when I could no longer play the violin right handed. Making music on my violin had not only brought great enjoyment to me, but had also enabled me to make a decent living. During the process of mastering left handed violin playing I've regained both the pleasure of playing and the income derived from performing and teaching.
The illness has helped me grow in other ways as well. In between right and left handed playing I took up the accordion, started a cajun band, and won a Boston Music Award Nomination for my accordion playing with my band! I also have more patience, more focus, and I'm a bit more "bulletproof" to the cards that are dealt to me in the game of life. I'm certainly a better music teacher as a result of it as well. The rare condition that I have is named "focal dystonia," which is a genetically determined neurological disorder of the muscular system. I have what the doctors call an "adult onset" version. 14 years ago my brain started sending spurious signals to some muscles in my back behind my right shoulder.
The continuing randomness of these muscle contractions prevents me from properly controlling the motion of a violin bow with my right hand. The bad news is that the condition is permanent, with no cure. The good news is that it can't get worse, can't spread, and really only affects a small range of activities in my life. I'm actually quite healthy in just about every way. I'm a distance runner, physically fit, and a do-it-yourselfer around the house. In fact, if I wasn't a violinist, I would hardly notice my symptoms.
Coming from a family of musicians, do you think this greatly influenced your musical abilities? Would you still be musically inclined even if you weren't encouraged?
I used to watch my mother play the piano from before I could even play music myself. She was obviously involved in an emotional way with melodies that moved her. She always had good things to say about the various musical ensembles that our relatives had formed. At times she also pointed out music performances that she didn't like. I noticed that my father often made music just for fun, in ways that brought pleasure to him, like singing in the shower, or even just playing a tune on a harmonica. As a young child I picked up on all of that.
I always scored higher on school aptitude tests in art and music than anything else. But I also scored very high in science, which I think indicated a talent for analyzing and explaining things. For many years I thought that I was to become a scientist, and have music for a hobby, and so studied science all the way through to the graduate level in college. Doing science seemed like a good way for me to make a living. Meanwhile, I began performing in bands while in college and was taken with the fact that people would pay me for something that was so fun to do. I also noted the great pleasure that music brought to the listeners. This made me want to work harder at improving my musical abilities, and as music became my full time occupation, science became my hobby! I became hooked on the physical "rush" that I would experience when making good music in an ensemble in public performance. It was an feeling similar to that which I'd experience while downhill skiing, a sport which!
I loved to do. I may not have discovered that higher level of pleasure on my own without the efforts of my parents to surround me with music and opportunities for lessons. That's certainly a good case for the importance of music education for young people.
When you first started playing left-handed, is this when you noticed more people complaining about only being able to play right-handed?
No. I heard first from the contrary right handed establishment. When I began playing lefty in public I was still a bit rough at it and some people, particularly other violinists, would often tell me that I was playing the violin "wrong," and that it would be easier for me if I would just play in the "right way." Few of them were interested to hear my explanation as to why I was playing left handed. Not only that, but they didn't even know whether I was right or left handed by nature. and thus their statements seemed counter intuitive to me. I knew that left handed school children got lefty scissors, and righties got righty scissors, and that most children in recent times were allowed to write with their dominant hand, whether it be right or left.
I eventually had a significant experience. I walked off stage after a performance and a man approached me, patted me on the back, and said, "Good job, we lefties have to stick together." I was so surprised at that comment that I didn't know what to say and just nodded at him. After that I started paying more attention to whether people around me were left or right handed in their activities. I eventually met several other left handed musicians, who, noting how I played, and thinking that I was left handed by nature, confided in me that they'd always suspected that they would have been better players if they had played left handed instead of right handed.
They were lefties who had attended grade schools in the 1950's and 60's in which teachers would force them to write with their right hands against their natural inclinations. When they got into music, their music teachers also steered them in a right handed direction, again against their natural inclinations. Finally, when I was well into writing this book, I discovered some lefty musicians who had become so fed up with the right handed bias that they had actually taken the time and effort needed to relearn to play their instruments left handed.
And sure enough, they found that they actually could play better left handed! I've become a lefty advocate, and an activist even, but I also tried to take care in my book to point out some reasons why lefties might consider playing in the traditional right handed way, despite their natural inclinations. I think that my book gives them the information they need to make an intelligent and informed decision.
How long did it take to complete this book? You've included a lot of letters and comments from other violinists.
The book evolved gradually. I guess I started unconsciously gathering information on the very day I began playing the violin left handed. Since I travel widely and perform often in public, a number of other musicians with an interest in left handed playing either heard about me, or saw me perform, and then started writing and calling. I saved their letters and kept up communication with many of them for several years. When the internet became popular the flow of information increased, and aided my progress.
What do family and friends think about your book? I know you've written several in the past, but is this one more special?
I'm fortunate that my family is generally supportive of any creative project that I take on. They seem to appreciate the fact that I work hard at things that I'm interested in. And yes, this book is special to me because I'm personally involved with the subject. I believe in the importance of getting it out into the public eye but at the same time I have little sense about the possible level of public interest in such a topic. The reactions of my friends and peers is wildly varying.
Many of my friends, although serious musicians, have no interest in handedness issues, and perhaps think that my book is a bit irrelevant. One friend, a classical violin teacher trained at Juilliard, is strongly opposed to the idea of anyone playing violin left handed. Another right handed friend who runs a private violin school for children is very excited about the concept. After reading my book she immediately changed two of her naturally left handed students over to playing lefty violin.
She had been teaching them in the standard right handed way for two months. She was delighted to report to me that after a couple of weeks playing left handed both were progressing far more rapidly than when they struggled along with right handed bowing! My friend now has 8 of her students under the age of 10 playing left handed!
Are you going to be working on any more books in the future?
I'm continually working on book ideas in my head. The information gets churned around until the day comes when I feel the urge to put my fingers to the word processor. In fact, I became inspired to start writing another book on music even before this one was finished! I've started slowly and won't really dig into it until winter comes.
About The Author
Ryan Thomson was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, into a family with a music heritage stretching back to the pioneer days. He grew up in San Diego, California, studied piano as a child, and played in a group recital on live television in 1959. He attended San Diego State University and then moved to New Hampshire in 1976 to study violin repair at the Summer Violin Institute in Durham. The following year he enrolled in a graduate school program of experimental psychology. He designed and taught a college course in the "Psychology of Music," while completing his Master of Arts degree.
While attending college he produced a local bluegrass radio show and also hosted a music show on National Public Radio in New Hampshire. In the summers he traveled to music events across the country, and in 1977 became the northeastern regional champion of the National Fiddle Contest in Weiser, Idaho. After college he decided on a music making career and joined a full time Nashville based country band, touring the eastern USA, playing fiddle 6 days a week in dance halls and honky tonks.
In 1988 he acquired focal dystonia, a neurological disease with a genetic origin which causes improper muscular function. He lost control of some muscles in his right back and shoulder area and had to temporarily give up his career of violin playing. He continued in music however, teaching and performing on other instruments, while he patiently retaught himself to play violin left handed. Ryan now plays violin professionally as a lefty fiddler/violinist. He continues to play banjo, guitar, mandolin, piano, and flute right handed. His primary interest is playing fiddle for folk dances, and he also plays chamber music as a serious hobby in his spare time. Along the way he has won numerous awards for fiddle, banjo, and accordion playing.
Ryan presently lives in Newmarket, New Hampshire, headquarters for Captain Fiddle Publications. He is the author of several books on music, and presently teaches music both at the Phillips Exeter Academy during the school year, and at folk music and dance camps nationally in the summer time. You can contact him and find out about his current activities at:
captainfiddle.com
Ryan Thomson
4 Elm Court,
Newmarket, NH 03857
603-659-2658
cfiddle@tiac.net
Establishing Your Mix
Now that you've spent hours and days and weeks and months recording your musical masterpieces (and you've also read my article "Tips for a Great Recording Session"), you have arrived at my favorite time in the studio; The Mixdown.
But don't think your job is done yet! The mixdown is just as important as recording. As an artist, you have to approach the mixdown from an artist's point of view and stay on the 'creative' side of the fence where it's still possible to shape and mold your songs throughout the mixdown process.
Remember the old "Yin-Yang" principle which states, "whenever you turn something up, something else disappears. Furthermore; whenever you turn something down, something else gets louder". This applies to EQ, levels and almost anywhere you have two or more tracks.
The Beginning Of The End
STOP!! Don't even think about starting your mixdown on the same day you finish tracking. Take a day off, have a break and then come back refreshed with a new perspective.
Now back to business...
First of all, let's "zero the board". This is simply the action of bringing all the faders to the bottom (-∞) and centering all the pan knobs and effects sends.
I know what you're thinking, you're thinking "but our mix sounded good when we were tracking!".
OK, but did the mix actually sound good or were you just accustomed to hearing it that way? That's why zero-ing the board is important. It flushes your memory and allows you to start from scratch. It might even be better to mix a song that you finished recording a while back.
1. Get Kicked.
This is where I prefer to start. Other people like to start with the vocals and build around them. But I'm more rhythm based and prefer to start with the kick drum.
One tricky part of any mix is getting a good gain-stage structure where you don't clip the master faders at the end of your mixing session when all your instrument faders are raised. We must be careful to keep watching the master bus clipping lights to make sure they never get into the red. Here is why the kick is a good place to start.
Play your songs and watch the master bus VU meters. This is probably the only time you will "mix with your eyes". As you're watching the master VU meter, slowly raise the kick fader until the master meter reads about -7dB. If you are a four piece band, then you can leave the kick there and move on. But if you have a really dense tune, then you may have to lower the kick to -8dB or so (to leave room for all the other instruments as they come up).
Now you are set to mix. The kick should be the only channel that you set levels by watching. Every other channel mixed into the song will be with your ears relative to the kick.
2. Moving On
From now on, it's pretty much a free-for-all. Some people like to move on to the bass next, in order to find the balance for the low-end of the song. Other people like to keep working on the drum kit "as a whole" before moving to other instruments. I prefer to move onto the drum kit over-head mics.
They say that a great drum kit sound can be captured using only two over-head mics, and a kick mic. And it's true. Some of my tunes only use three mics on the final mixed versions, even though we had used up to ten mics for the recording of the kit.
If you placed your over-head mics properly (i.e.: so the snare sounds centered in the stereo image, and not skewed to the left or right speaker) then you will have a better stereo image of the drum kit when the mix is finished. Otherwise you might have to do some fancy panning or EQ to get a balanced image with the drum kit.
You can now bring in the rest of the kit underneath the over heads to fill out the sound. I prefer to leave EQ and effects to the very end of the mix, after all of the instruments are playing. Try to place your toms in the same panning position as the overhead mics recorded them. If your floor tom in the overheads is to the right at 3 o'clock then pan your individual floor tom fader to the same position.
And don't forget to check your phase between your mics pointing down and your mics pointing up.
3. Big Bottom
Now I like to add in the bass. Nothing too important here if you have good source audio. I'm also a huge side-chaining fan. I LOVE to side-chain the bass with the kick so the low end frequencies wouldn't fight for space in the mix. It just makes things sound "tighter". Sometimes you may have to eq the lowest of the lows out of the kick in order to make a little more room for the bass to sit in the mix.
4. Pads and More
Here is where I add the "pad" type of sounds. These are sounds that usually have longer sustains and hold the chords of the song. Sounds like strings, sustained electric guitar chords, synth pads, and maybe even some rhythm acoustic guitars are great foundation instruments.
I like to lay these instruments on top of the drums and bass tracks we have already mixed. You can get very creative with the panning of these sounds and create a wide stereo field. This will help make your mix interesting by allowing your lead instruments and vocals sit in the center of your stereo image, attracting attention to themselves.
5. The Vox
Let's finally add the vocals. I usually start off with the lead vocal, and then place all the harmony and background vocals underneath the lead. Sometimes, you can end up putting the vocal a little too high in the mix, and a great way to check this is to turn your monitors way down and listen to the mix at an almost inaudible level. This way of listening to your mix will surprise you, but you have to be confident and trust your ears. If something sounds disproportionately loud at this quiet level, then it is too loud. If you must, then you can compress the vocals too, but that really depends on the song's style. Maybe a few fader rides are a better choice then some static compression.
6. The Rest
You can start adding effects and other fancy shmancy things to your tune. Get funky with automating some pan knobs, fade-in some pads etc.. Here is a good time to get creative.
It's also a very good time to actively listen and re-adjust your mix. Is the kick too loud? Should I put some higher frequencies on the bass? Should I compress the backing vocals more? Is the coffee finally ready?
When you feel you have a good mix, burn it to CD and listen to it EVERYWHERE! In the car, in the bath, at home, on the TV set, at your friend's place etc., and make a lot of notes. And at the end, if all your notes cancel out, then you are finished!
©2005 Richard Dolmat (Digital Sound Magic)
About The Author
Richard Dolmat is owner, engineer and producer for the Vancouver based recording studio Digital Sound Magic. Visit his site at: http://www.digitalsoundmagic.com
But don't think your job is done yet! The mixdown is just as important as recording. As an artist, you have to approach the mixdown from an artist's point of view and stay on the 'creative' side of the fence where it's still possible to shape and mold your songs throughout the mixdown process.
Remember the old "Yin-Yang" principle which states, "whenever you turn something up, something else disappears. Furthermore; whenever you turn something down, something else gets louder". This applies to EQ, levels and almost anywhere you have two or more tracks.
The Beginning Of The End
STOP!! Don't even think about starting your mixdown on the same day you finish tracking. Take a day off, have a break and then come back refreshed with a new perspective.
Now back to business...
First of all, let's "zero the board". This is simply the action of bringing all the faders to the bottom (-∞) and centering all the pan knobs and effects sends.
I know what you're thinking, you're thinking "but our mix sounded good when we were tracking!".
OK, but did the mix actually sound good or were you just accustomed to hearing it that way? That's why zero-ing the board is important. It flushes your memory and allows you to start from scratch. It might even be better to mix a song that you finished recording a while back.
1. Get Kicked.
This is where I prefer to start. Other people like to start with the vocals and build around them. But I'm more rhythm based and prefer to start with the kick drum.
One tricky part of any mix is getting a good gain-stage structure where you don't clip the master faders at the end of your mixing session when all your instrument faders are raised. We must be careful to keep watching the master bus clipping lights to make sure they never get into the red. Here is why the kick is a good place to start.
Play your songs and watch the master bus VU meters. This is probably the only time you will "mix with your eyes". As you're watching the master VU meter, slowly raise the kick fader until the master meter reads about -7dB. If you are a four piece band, then you can leave the kick there and move on. But if you have a really dense tune, then you may have to lower the kick to -8dB or so (to leave room for all the other instruments as they come up).
Now you are set to mix. The kick should be the only channel that you set levels by watching. Every other channel mixed into the song will be with your ears relative to the kick.
2. Moving On
From now on, it's pretty much a free-for-all. Some people like to move on to the bass next, in order to find the balance for the low-end of the song. Other people like to keep working on the drum kit "as a whole" before moving to other instruments. I prefer to move onto the drum kit over-head mics.
They say that a great drum kit sound can be captured using only two over-head mics, and a kick mic. And it's true. Some of my tunes only use three mics on the final mixed versions, even though we had used up to ten mics for the recording of the kit.
If you placed your over-head mics properly (i.e.: so the snare sounds centered in the stereo image, and not skewed to the left or right speaker) then you will have a better stereo image of the drum kit when the mix is finished. Otherwise you might have to do some fancy panning or EQ to get a balanced image with the drum kit.
You can now bring in the rest of the kit underneath the over heads to fill out the sound. I prefer to leave EQ and effects to the very end of the mix, after all of the instruments are playing. Try to place your toms in the same panning position as the overhead mics recorded them. If your floor tom in the overheads is to the right at 3 o'clock then pan your individual floor tom fader to the same position.
And don't forget to check your phase between your mics pointing down and your mics pointing up.
3. Big Bottom
Now I like to add in the bass. Nothing too important here if you have good source audio. I'm also a huge side-chaining fan. I LOVE to side-chain the bass with the kick so the low end frequencies wouldn't fight for space in the mix. It just makes things sound "tighter". Sometimes you may have to eq the lowest of the lows out of the kick in order to make a little more room for the bass to sit in the mix.
4. Pads and More
Here is where I add the "pad" type of sounds. These are sounds that usually have longer sustains and hold the chords of the song. Sounds like strings, sustained electric guitar chords, synth pads, and maybe even some rhythm acoustic guitars are great foundation instruments.
I like to lay these instruments on top of the drums and bass tracks we have already mixed. You can get very creative with the panning of these sounds and create a wide stereo field. This will help make your mix interesting by allowing your lead instruments and vocals sit in the center of your stereo image, attracting attention to themselves.
5. The Vox
Let's finally add the vocals. I usually start off with the lead vocal, and then place all the harmony and background vocals underneath the lead. Sometimes, you can end up putting the vocal a little too high in the mix, and a great way to check this is to turn your monitors way down and listen to the mix at an almost inaudible level. This way of listening to your mix will surprise you, but you have to be confident and trust your ears. If something sounds disproportionately loud at this quiet level, then it is too loud. If you must, then you can compress the vocals too, but that really depends on the song's style. Maybe a few fader rides are a better choice then some static compression.
6. The Rest
You can start adding effects and other fancy shmancy things to your tune. Get funky with automating some pan knobs, fade-in some pads etc.. Here is a good time to get creative.
It's also a very good time to actively listen and re-adjust your mix. Is the kick too loud? Should I put some higher frequencies on the bass? Should I compress the backing vocals more? Is the coffee finally ready?
When you feel you have a good mix, burn it to CD and listen to it EVERYWHERE! In the car, in the bath, at home, on the TV set, at your friend's place etc., and make a lot of notes. And at the end, if all your notes cancel out, then you are finished!
©2005 Richard Dolmat (Digital Sound Magic)
About The Author
Richard Dolmat is owner, engineer and producer for the Vancouver based recording studio Digital Sound Magic. Visit his site at: http://www.digitalsoundmagic.com
Thursday, September 18, 2008
How To Find The Right Guitar Teacher
Finding a good teacher is not always easy, at any level. At the beginner level it is important to get on the right foot and as an intermediate player you need to know that your teacher really knows his or her stuff if you want to move forward. What it really comes down to is "Are you getting the right information?".
The big problem when it comes to music instruction is that it is not necessary to have any diplomas or awards in order to set up a teaching practice. Conversely, the best teacher may not have a degree in music, just a phenomenal talent for teaching.
The first thing to understand when finding a good teacher is that the best teachers are not necessarily the best players. And it certainly goes that great players are invariably not the best teachers, possibly because they are far too wrapped up in their own playing to be concerned about anyone else. OK, a generalization but a theory with legs.
So let's assume you are just starting out, an absolute beginner, so what do you do? Well, the first resource I would use is your own personal contacts. You may have a friend or cousin that also took lessons and he or she may be able to recommend someone. Music stores often provide instruction and you can also look in your local paper for private instructors. Even do a Google search. It's actually very easy to find a teacher, but can you count on them to feed you all the right information?
Let's assume you have a short list of teachers in you area. I think it is definitely in your interest to make sure that they are teaching simply because they love to teach. Not because they are waiting for their "big break". This is why I think it is important to find a professional teacher, not an aspiring pop star. So you might ask a series of questions:
*How long have you been teaching?
*What teaching qualifications do you have?
*How many other students do you have?
*Can you give me the phone numbers of two of your students?
This may seem harsh, but I just think it is so important to get the right person from the start. Why? because as a student you have no idea whether your potential teacher actually knows what they are talking about. So don't be shy to ask.
As an intermediate student you probably need to rely more on word of mouth to get the right teacher to take you forward. In your local neighborhood, especially if you have been playing a while, you are probably already hooked into who the teachers are so it may not be such a problem.
The other issue, aside from musical expertise, is that your teacher and you need to like each other. If you are to be successful studying together this is so important. I remember growing up that I would excel in the subjects where I actually liked my teacher. And of course I dreaded going to class with those teachers I did not like.
I am happy to say that I really liked all my guitar teachers except for one, and that person lasted just a few lessons. I got lucky with the others there is no question. But other students may not be so lucky. I have heard a number of times that students realized much later that they did not have a good teacher. So at what point do you decide to move on and find a new teacher?
If you have done the prerequisite research I mentioned then this should not be an issue. However, guitar playing is such a personal undertaking that finding the right teacher is relative to each student. What works for one, clearly does not always work for another.
Your teacher should care about you and take an interest in seeing you advance as a player. I think this would be the biggest red flag to me if I was taking lessons all over again. I would want to know that there was some nurturing involved. If you feel that there really is no connection between the two of you then I think this might be a factor you can use to determine whether you move on or not.
It's tricky. As a student you want the best teacher for you but you may not know if there is no barometer to show you.
I also think that many times the student is to blame for being a lousy student. I remember when I used to give private lessons that a few students would come back week after week and had not done any practice at all. I found myself explaining the same things over and over because we couldn't move on until the essential groundwork was covered. These students eventually gave up because they had no drive or ambition to improve. This can be very frustrating for a teacher. Other times extremely talented players would come for just a few lessons because all they needed was a little fuel to go off on their own and practice. They were literally sponges. These students are heaven for teachers!
So do the research, then take a lesson or two and see if that teacher is right for you. If you are serious about working at your instrument then you shouldn't be to blame for being a bad student. At that time it's simply a matter of finding the right person. Don't short change yourself.
Chris Standring is an international jazz recording artist and educator. For more information about his highly acclaimed home study guitar courses please visit http://www.PlayJazzGuitar.com
The big problem when it comes to music instruction is that it is not necessary to have any diplomas or awards in order to set up a teaching practice. Conversely, the best teacher may not have a degree in music, just a phenomenal talent for teaching.
The first thing to understand when finding a good teacher is that the best teachers are not necessarily the best players. And it certainly goes that great players are invariably not the best teachers, possibly because they are far too wrapped up in their own playing to be concerned about anyone else. OK, a generalization but a theory with legs.
So let's assume you are just starting out, an absolute beginner, so what do you do? Well, the first resource I would use is your own personal contacts. You may have a friend or cousin that also took lessons and he or she may be able to recommend someone. Music stores often provide instruction and you can also look in your local paper for private instructors. Even do a Google search. It's actually very easy to find a teacher, but can you count on them to feed you all the right information?
Let's assume you have a short list of teachers in you area. I think it is definitely in your interest to make sure that they are teaching simply because they love to teach. Not because they are waiting for their "big break". This is why I think it is important to find a professional teacher, not an aspiring pop star. So you might ask a series of questions:
*How long have you been teaching?
*What teaching qualifications do you have?
*How many other students do you have?
*Can you give me the phone numbers of two of your students?
This may seem harsh, but I just think it is so important to get the right person from the start. Why? because as a student you have no idea whether your potential teacher actually knows what they are talking about. So don't be shy to ask.
As an intermediate student you probably need to rely more on word of mouth to get the right teacher to take you forward. In your local neighborhood, especially if you have been playing a while, you are probably already hooked into who the teachers are so it may not be such a problem.
The other issue, aside from musical expertise, is that your teacher and you need to like each other. If you are to be successful studying together this is so important. I remember growing up that I would excel in the subjects where I actually liked my teacher. And of course I dreaded going to class with those teachers I did not like.
I am happy to say that I really liked all my guitar teachers except for one, and that person lasted just a few lessons. I got lucky with the others there is no question. But other students may not be so lucky. I have heard a number of times that students realized much later that they did not have a good teacher. So at what point do you decide to move on and find a new teacher?
If you have done the prerequisite research I mentioned then this should not be an issue. However, guitar playing is such a personal undertaking that finding the right teacher is relative to each student. What works for one, clearly does not always work for another.
Your teacher should care about you and take an interest in seeing you advance as a player. I think this would be the biggest red flag to me if I was taking lessons all over again. I would want to know that there was some nurturing involved. If you feel that there really is no connection between the two of you then I think this might be a factor you can use to determine whether you move on or not.
It's tricky. As a student you want the best teacher for you but you may not know if there is no barometer to show you.
I also think that many times the student is to blame for being a lousy student. I remember when I used to give private lessons that a few students would come back week after week and had not done any practice at all. I found myself explaining the same things over and over because we couldn't move on until the essential groundwork was covered. These students eventually gave up because they had no drive or ambition to improve. This can be very frustrating for a teacher. Other times extremely talented players would come for just a few lessons because all they needed was a little fuel to go off on their own and practice. They were literally sponges. These students are heaven for teachers!
So do the research, then take a lesson or two and see if that teacher is right for you. If you are serious about working at your instrument then you shouldn't be to blame for being a bad student. At that time it's simply a matter of finding the right person. Don't short change yourself.
Chris Standring is an international jazz recording artist and educator. For more information about his highly acclaimed home study guitar courses please visit http://www.PlayJazzGuitar.com
So You Wanna Learn How To Start a Record Label?
Well, you love music so much that you have decided you want to start a record label of your own. This can be a very exciting step and a fun one. The good news is, anyone can start their own record label if they know the right steps. It won't be an easy road by any means, but it is possible if you really desire to do it.
Adventuring out and creating your record label is a gutsy thing to do. You can succeed if you follow a few KEY steps and stick with them. Your record label will fail if you don't.
So as the Ramones would say, "Hey Ho, Let's Go!"
Key #1: BE PASSIONATE
You need to love music and be so passionate about it that you are willing to put in the hours of hard work and effort it takes START A RECORD LABEL. If your passionate, you will have that important drive that would make any new start up record label succeed.
Key #2: FIND GOOD TALENT
It is essential when you start a record label to have quality artists on your label roster. This is just common sense. Without good talent, no one will be interested in THEIR music on YOUR record label.
Be sure to check into: THE ULTIMATE RECORD LABEL HANDBOOK on details on HOW to find good talent and all the details on how to
Key #3: LEARN HOW TO MARKET YOUR RECORD LABEL
You can have some of the best artists on your label but the truth is, if you don't market them and your record label, no one will even know. And even worse, no marketing (or poor marketing) will lead to slow sales, which will lead to your own empty pockets. There are very effective ways to market your record label and bands. This is also covered in The Ultimate Record Label Handbook mentioned above.
Now, these are only 3 key steps you need to cover when you start a record label. There are more, but these are essential.
So get out there and start your record label. Don't be afraid, you can do it! Just imagine how much fun it will be owning your own record label and doing what you love! Now, how many people can actually say they LOVE their job? And hey, just remember, it only takes ONE hit song, ONE hit band, or ONE hit album and your label's success can explode!
Stick with these 3 key steps and you will be on your way to a life in the music biz!
Want to start your VERY own record label? Now YOU can! The Ultimate Record Label Handbook will show you how!
D. Herren is an author, webdesigner, and...music lover!
Adventuring out and creating your record label is a gutsy thing to do. You can succeed if you follow a few KEY steps and stick with them. Your record label will fail if you don't.
So as the Ramones would say, "Hey Ho, Let's Go!"
Key #1: BE PASSIONATE
You need to love music and be so passionate about it that you are willing to put in the hours of hard work and effort it takes START A RECORD LABEL. If your passionate, you will have that important drive that would make any new start up record label succeed.
Key #2: FIND GOOD TALENT
It is essential when you start a record label to have quality artists on your label roster. This is just common sense. Without good talent, no one will be interested in THEIR music on YOUR record label.
Be sure to check into: THE ULTIMATE RECORD LABEL HANDBOOK on details on HOW to find good talent and all the details on how to
Key #3: LEARN HOW TO MARKET YOUR RECORD LABEL
You can have some of the best artists on your label but the truth is, if you don't market them and your record label, no one will even know. And even worse, no marketing (or poor marketing) will lead to slow sales, which will lead to your own empty pockets. There are very effective ways to market your record label and bands. This is also covered in The Ultimate Record Label Handbook mentioned above.
Now, these are only 3 key steps you need to cover when you start a record label. There are more, but these are essential.
So get out there and start your record label. Don't be afraid, you can do it! Just imagine how much fun it will be owning your own record label and doing what you love! Now, how many people can actually say they LOVE their job? And hey, just remember, it only takes ONE hit song, ONE hit band, or ONE hit album and your label's success can explode!
Stick with these 3 key steps and you will be on your way to a life in the music biz!
Want to start your VERY own record label? Now YOU can! The Ultimate Record Label Handbook will show you how!
D. Herren is an author, webdesigner, and...music lover!
How Piano Lessons Benefit Young Children
Piano lessons provide a wide range of benefits to young children. Here are my "Top Five."
1. Piano lessons help preserve and develop children's natural creative abilities. The best analogy of how children learn through music that I've found is from Donald Kroodsma's book "The Singing Life of Birds." Every songbird can be identified by the unique song it sings, but a baby bird has to be taught by its parents to sing the family song. Baby birds, like humans, just 'babble' at first. Mother birds sing the family song over and over to the baby birds as they try to repeat it back. At first, the baby birds are only able to sing back one or two notes, but they gradually learn to sing the whole song. And birds with two voice boxes even learn to sing their own harmony parts! Once baby birds learn the family song, they can start developing their very own songs. Similarly, I encourage students to compose their own music after developing needed skills. In my experience, young children in piano are a lot like baby songbirds!
2. Piano lessons help children perfect their natural learning processes. Music is a language, and children are programmed to absorb languages. Studies have shown that kids can most easily learn new languages when they start at a young age. Piano lessons help children develop the very same skills needed to accomplish language arts, like reading. In piano, students learn how to follow directions, scan written materials, think critically, create solutions and translate writing into action. For example, students must look at each note, measure and phrase and decide how to play each note to make the music come to life. Many children (including my own sons) have become much better readers after starting piano lessons. Further, piano lessons involves an interplay of both right and left brain activity that stimulates neural development.
3. Piano lessons help children learn how to stay focused and achieve goals. Piano lessons help children set specific goals and then work towards reaching these goals. Each new piece of music a student learns requires a specific set of skills and playing habits. To achieve these goals students must learn to stay focused and study each note, measure and phrase to understand how to play the song. In doing this students learn to think critically and creatively as they decide how to make the music come to life. Staying focused over time develops good study habits that become natural. This is important because learning to practice good habits that match their goals shows children how to make their dreams come to life!
4. Piano lessons help children develop courage. It takes courage to face challenges without letting our anxiety and worries get the best of us. Piano lessons help students learn to accept challenges such as learning a difficult song, as well as to perform pieces in front of teachers, friends, and families at recitals. Lessons also help kids learn the importance of keeping a positive perspective despite difficulties. Learning to handle uncertainty and stress in a way that minimizes anxiety and maximizes creativity is a valuable life tool. We all need practice at this!
5. Piano lessons teach children to persevere. A key part of accomplishing anything difficult is not to give up easily. As children grow, piano lessons teach kids to try and then try again if they don't initially succeed. However, as Yoda explained to Luke Skywalker, the objective isn't just trying itself, but accomplishing the desired goal -- "Do or do not, there is no try!" Piano lessons teach students how to adjust their expectations if they can't initially master a tough song or skills, and to tackle these big goals by taking small incremental steps. In the end, just like the baby songbirds that eventually learn to sing, students learn that they can accomplish great things and reach their dreams through careful and consistent effort.
Copyright 2005, Cynthia Marie VanLandingham
Cynthia VanLandingham is the owner of TallyPiano & Keyboard Studio in Tallahassee, Florida where she has been teaching piano for 20 years. She is a member of the American College of Musicians, the National Guild of Piano Teachers, a graduate of the Florida State University College of Education, and President of TallyPiano Enterprises, LLC. You can visit her website and download her original compositions free at http://www.tallypiano.com
Cynthia is also an author of a series of exciting books for children, with the mission of Using Music, Art, Science and Literature to Help Children Achieve their Dreams. Her illustrated series for piano students is called, Little Bear's Piano Adventures!TM These stories take young piano students on a Musical Adventure to find out what piano lessons are all about in a fun way that children can easily understand.
For more information about these wonderful books E-mail Cynthia at cindy@tallypiano.com, where you can also subscribe to her free internet newsletter, Piano Matters!
TallyPiano Studio: (850) 386-2425
Hotline: (850) 264-7232
1. Piano lessons help preserve and develop children's natural creative abilities. The best analogy of how children learn through music that I've found is from Donald Kroodsma's book "The Singing Life of Birds." Every songbird can be identified by the unique song it sings, but a baby bird has to be taught by its parents to sing the family song. Baby birds, like humans, just 'babble' at first. Mother birds sing the family song over and over to the baby birds as they try to repeat it back. At first, the baby birds are only able to sing back one or two notes, but they gradually learn to sing the whole song. And birds with two voice boxes even learn to sing their own harmony parts! Once baby birds learn the family song, they can start developing their very own songs. Similarly, I encourage students to compose their own music after developing needed skills. In my experience, young children in piano are a lot like baby songbirds!
2. Piano lessons help children perfect their natural learning processes. Music is a language, and children are programmed to absorb languages. Studies have shown that kids can most easily learn new languages when they start at a young age. Piano lessons help children develop the very same skills needed to accomplish language arts, like reading. In piano, students learn how to follow directions, scan written materials, think critically, create solutions and translate writing into action. For example, students must look at each note, measure and phrase and decide how to play each note to make the music come to life. Many children (including my own sons) have become much better readers after starting piano lessons. Further, piano lessons involves an interplay of both right and left brain activity that stimulates neural development.
3. Piano lessons help children learn how to stay focused and achieve goals. Piano lessons help children set specific goals and then work towards reaching these goals. Each new piece of music a student learns requires a specific set of skills and playing habits. To achieve these goals students must learn to stay focused and study each note, measure and phrase to understand how to play the song. In doing this students learn to think critically and creatively as they decide how to make the music come to life. Staying focused over time develops good study habits that become natural. This is important because learning to practice good habits that match their goals shows children how to make their dreams come to life!
4. Piano lessons help children develop courage. It takes courage to face challenges without letting our anxiety and worries get the best of us. Piano lessons help students learn to accept challenges such as learning a difficult song, as well as to perform pieces in front of teachers, friends, and families at recitals. Lessons also help kids learn the importance of keeping a positive perspective despite difficulties. Learning to handle uncertainty and stress in a way that minimizes anxiety and maximizes creativity is a valuable life tool. We all need practice at this!
5. Piano lessons teach children to persevere. A key part of accomplishing anything difficult is not to give up easily. As children grow, piano lessons teach kids to try and then try again if they don't initially succeed. However, as Yoda explained to Luke Skywalker, the objective isn't just trying itself, but accomplishing the desired goal -- "Do or do not, there is no try!" Piano lessons teach students how to adjust their expectations if they can't initially master a tough song or skills, and to tackle these big goals by taking small incremental steps. In the end, just like the baby songbirds that eventually learn to sing, students learn that they can accomplish great things and reach their dreams through careful and consistent effort.
Copyright 2005, Cynthia Marie VanLandingham
Cynthia VanLandingham is the owner of TallyPiano & Keyboard Studio in Tallahassee, Florida where she has been teaching piano for 20 years. She is a member of the American College of Musicians, the National Guild of Piano Teachers, a graduate of the Florida State University College of Education, and President of TallyPiano Enterprises, LLC. You can visit her website and download her original compositions free at http://www.tallypiano.com
Cynthia is also an author of a series of exciting books for children, with the mission of Using Music, Art, Science and Literature to Help Children Achieve their Dreams. Her illustrated series for piano students is called, Little Bear's Piano Adventures!TM These stories take young piano students on a Musical Adventure to find out what piano lessons are all about in a fun way that children can easily understand.
For more information about these wonderful books E-mail Cynthia at cindy@tallypiano.com, where you can also subscribe to her free internet newsletter, Piano Matters!
TallyPiano Studio: (850) 386-2425
Hotline: (850) 264-7232
Does Your CD Cover $ell (Or Suck)?
Oh, I know the last part of the title (Suck) isn't a very pleasant description to apply to anyone's CD cover. But, in the interest of plain old honesty, and to face our demons head on, I wanted to (again) utilize a worst case scenario that we can only improve from.
And, having said that, think of the average (and not so average) recording artist's CD cover, and I'll bet you will agree that 9 out of 10 CD covers present the artist simply posing while staring straight into the camera.
And, the few artists who want to appear different, unique and diverse, simply either turn sideways, stare into deep space, or gaze downward or backward for their photo sessions.
If you happen to be among the aforementioned guilty, you should realize that by *not* becoming more proactive and aggressive with the visual aspect and design of your CD cover, you are shortchanging the potential of your release from the onset, and not giving it its best possible chance for maximum success.
I first began noticing this overall trend when CDs began replacing albums. And, I believe that the difference was due, in part, to the dramatic reduction in the cover size.
Consequently, I felt that both labels and artists, perhaps, decided (consciously or unconsciously) that the reduction in size did not allow enough room for visual creativity, which is not the case.
But, those are only two reasons. For, I also believe that, while they may be decent to great professional music producers, I have found that most recording artists whom I encounter are amateurs, at best, in respect to marketing their releases from a visual perspective.
And, it's not their fault, because 'visual' just doesn't happen to be the medium in which they work. However, this isn't to say that they can't learn to become much better at pre-selling their releases visually.
But, as an artist, perhaps, your argument is that your music is, primarily, based on the "sonic" aspect...that it will mainly be "heard" and not "seen."
This is, in part, true but also consider that, generally, before your music is HEARD, it is first SEEN (unless you are sending 'plain vanilla' promotion singles to radio or handing them out at will to friends, associates, etc.). And, here is how:
Radio:
Due to added expense, most independent labels forego manufacturing 'singles' and, thus, usually send their complete retail releases out as promotion copies to the media. Hence, the radio music directors and program directors will SEE your release before they open your case to HEAR your music.
And, as the MD/PD takes your CD out of its package, does it, *POW!*, hit him with a bang visually, and immediately instill deeper interest *BEFORE* he hears your music?
Or does your, possibly, average to boring cover instill a blasé feeling that causes the MD/PD to presume that your music is, yet, another below average release, and is a further waste of his valuable time without giving it, at least, a listen?
* Press
The same thing applies to press music editors, reviewers and calendar editors as with radio personnel. Will the press personnel see a boring, posing cover and get that "Geez, here we go again" feeling, or will they assume that your lackadaisical cover will be accompanied by even more boring content, such as your bio, press release, fact sheet, etc.?
* Retail Consumers
While many potential retail consumers will, indeed, "hear" your music first (on radio or in nightclubs), there are also many more potential retail consumers who will not.
And, these particular consumers are the ones who either go to music retailers weekly for new releases and spend additional time browsing, or they may be consumers who are simply weekly browsers seeking the new, unique and creative 'next big thing'.
In either case, for the consumers who espy your CD in their favorite music retail stores...does your cover jump out at them visually, make an immediate impact, and cause them to do a 'double take'?
Does it then make them pick up a copy of your release, maintain their interest and force them to read your credits and song titles?
Subsequently, does it then drive them to a listening station for further review and, hopefully, purchasing it?
Or, will they simply look at, yet, another boring cover and go, "Eh," and replace it for your competitor's that is far more visually attractive, and your competitor's who may also have read this particular article, with one exception...he acted on this information while you did not? :-)
Self-Realization:
Now, get a copy of your CD and take a look at it...I mean take a *really* good look at it. Then, using the radio, press and consumer theoretical perspectives above, honestly ask yourself if your cover has visually maximized its full potential.
Does it readily subscribe to the old U. S. Army slogan, "Be all you can be?" Is it, truly, all that it can be? Is it the best possible cover that you could ever hope for with this release?
Or, do you realize for the first time that you have both shortchanged yourself and your release, and that your cover is probably causing you to lose some significant sales, as it could, indeed, be presented to both the media and consumers much better?
If you now harbor the slightest inkling of doubt, after having given your cover another look, it is also safe to assume that your cover may be a bit questionable to others and, particularly, media professionals as well.
So, let's say that you now realize that your cover is below par, and could be much better...that you can now admit that you truly did not give it your absolute best shot...that, in fact, your cover was an afterthought, at best. How do you get started on "conceptualizing" it from a visual standpoint?
Well, one way is to first consider your title...
If this is your debut release, can you make something unusually funny or witty out of your first or last name? Can either your first or last name present a double meaning, such as Byrd, Love, Green, Wolf, Young?
While those of us with such names are often ridiculed in our early school days, we have the advantage of our "weird" last names standing out and benefiting us in our professional careers. :-)
If your release has a subtitle, or this is your second or additional release, can you put a twist on its title?
The same goes for your songs. I'm betting that you have, at least, one song, regardless of your genre, that can be selected as the title and used as the basis for a very attractive cover and graphic depiction of your music.
For even more information and assistance on making your CD cover a $ales $uccess story, please visit the below link.
http://www.MuBiz.com/services.html#CD_COVER
Kenny Love is president of MuBiz.com,a radio promotion and media publicity service that also provides business and career services to musicians. See the company's corresponding website at http://www.MuBiz.com.
And, having said that, think of the average (and not so average) recording artist's CD cover, and I'll bet you will agree that 9 out of 10 CD covers present the artist simply posing while staring straight into the camera.
And, the few artists who want to appear different, unique and diverse, simply either turn sideways, stare into deep space, or gaze downward or backward for their photo sessions.
If you happen to be among the aforementioned guilty, you should realize that by *not* becoming more proactive and aggressive with the visual aspect and design of your CD cover, you are shortchanging the potential of your release from the onset, and not giving it its best possible chance for maximum success.
I first began noticing this overall trend when CDs began replacing albums. And, I believe that the difference was due, in part, to the dramatic reduction in the cover size.
Consequently, I felt that both labels and artists, perhaps, decided (consciously or unconsciously) that the reduction in size did not allow enough room for visual creativity, which is not the case.
But, those are only two reasons. For, I also believe that, while they may be decent to great professional music producers, I have found that most recording artists whom I encounter are amateurs, at best, in respect to marketing their releases from a visual perspective.
And, it's not their fault, because 'visual' just doesn't happen to be the medium in which they work. However, this isn't to say that they can't learn to become much better at pre-selling their releases visually.
But, as an artist, perhaps, your argument is that your music is, primarily, based on the "sonic" aspect...that it will mainly be "heard" and not "seen."
This is, in part, true but also consider that, generally, before your music is HEARD, it is first SEEN (unless you are sending 'plain vanilla' promotion singles to radio or handing them out at will to friends, associates, etc.). And, here is how:
Radio:
Due to added expense, most independent labels forego manufacturing 'singles' and, thus, usually send their complete retail releases out as promotion copies to the media. Hence, the radio music directors and program directors will SEE your release before they open your case to HEAR your music.
And, as the MD/PD takes your CD out of its package, does it, *POW!*, hit him with a bang visually, and immediately instill deeper interest *BEFORE* he hears your music?
Or does your, possibly, average to boring cover instill a blasé feeling that causes the MD/PD to presume that your music is, yet, another below average release, and is a further waste of his valuable time without giving it, at least, a listen?
* Press
The same thing applies to press music editors, reviewers and calendar editors as with radio personnel. Will the press personnel see a boring, posing cover and get that "Geez, here we go again" feeling, or will they assume that your lackadaisical cover will be accompanied by even more boring content, such as your bio, press release, fact sheet, etc.?
* Retail Consumers
While many potential retail consumers will, indeed, "hear" your music first (on radio or in nightclubs), there are also many more potential retail consumers who will not.
And, these particular consumers are the ones who either go to music retailers weekly for new releases and spend additional time browsing, or they may be consumers who are simply weekly browsers seeking the new, unique and creative 'next big thing'.
In either case, for the consumers who espy your CD in their favorite music retail stores...does your cover jump out at them visually, make an immediate impact, and cause them to do a 'double take'?
Does it then make them pick up a copy of your release, maintain their interest and force them to read your credits and song titles?
Subsequently, does it then drive them to a listening station for further review and, hopefully, purchasing it?
Or, will they simply look at, yet, another boring cover and go, "Eh," and replace it for your competitor's that is far more visually attractive, and your competitor's who may also have read this particular article, with one exception...he acted on this information while you did not? :-)
Self-Realization:
Now, get a copy of your CD and take a look at it...I mean take a *really* good look at it. Then, using the radio, press and consumer theoretical perspectives above, honestly ask yourself if your cover has visually maximized its full potential.
Does it readily subscribe to the old U. S. Army slogan, "Be all you can be?" Is it, truly, all that it can be? Is it the best possible cover that you could ever hope for with this release?
Or, do you realize for the first time that you have both shortchanged yourself and your release, and that your cover is probably causing you to lose some significant sales, as it could, indeed, be presented to both the media and consumers much better?
If you now harbor the slightest inkling of doubt, after having given your cover another look, it is also safe to assume that your cover may be a bit questionable to others and, particularly, media professionals as well.
So, let's say that you now realize that your cover is below par, and could be much better...that you can now admit that you truly did not give it your absolute best shot...that, in fact, your cover was an afterthought, at best. How do you get started on "conceptualizing" it from a visual standpoint?
Well, one way is to first consider your title...
If this is your debut release, can you make something unusually funny or witty out of your first or last name? Can either your first or last name present a double meaning, such as Byrd, Love, Green, Wolf, Young?
While those of us with such names are often ridiculed in our early school days, we have the advantage of our "weird" last names standing out and benefiting us in our professional careers. :-)
If your release has a subtitle, or this is your second or additional release, can you put a twist on its title?
The same goes for your songs. I'm betting that you have, at least, one song, regardless of your genre, that can be selected as the title and used as the basis for a very attractive cover and graphic depiction of your music.
For even more information and assistance on making your CD cover a $ales $uccess story, please visit the below link.
http://www.MuBiz.com/services.html#CD_COVER
Kenny Love is president of MuBiz.com,a radio promotion and media publicity service that also provides business and career services to musicians. See the company's corresponding website at http://www.MuBiz.com.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Playing The Violin Is For Everyone Who Loves Music
Every day musical instruments enrich the lives of people around the world and continue to promote culture and art throughout every society and community, no matter what size or structure. Even those people of the world who live outside the realm of technology enjoy and use musical instruments to tell stories or entertain. Someone who has never played musical instruments but is interested in trying one has quite a selection to choose from
Playing the violin is a wonderful experience and relatively easy to learn if you take it step by step. Firstly however you need to understand the mechanics of the violin so you know where to put your fingers and why.
The main components of the violin are the front, also called the belly, top, or soundboard, usually made of well-seasoned spruce; the back, usually made of well-seasoned maple; and the ribs, neck, fingerboard, pegbox, scroll, bridge, tailpiece, and f-holes, or soundholes. The front, back, and ribs are joined together to form a hollow sound box. The sound box contains the sound post, a thin, dowel-like stick of wood wedged inside underneath the right side of the bridge and connecting the front and back of the violin; and the bass-bar, a long strip of wood glued to the inside of the front under the left side of the bridge. The sound post and bass-bar are important for the transmission of sound, and they also give additional support to the construction. The strings are fastened to the tailpiece, rest on the bridge, are suspended over the fingerboard, and run to the pegbox, where they are attached to tuning pegs that can be turned to change the pitch of the string.
A violinist makes different pitches by placing the left-hand fingers on the string and pressing against the fingerboard. The strings are set in vibration and produce sound when the player draws the bow across them at a right angle near the bridge.
Among the most decorated characteristics of the violin are its singing tone and its potential to play rapid, brilliant figurations as well as lyrical melodies. Violinists can easily create special effects by means of the following techniques: pizzicato, plucking the strings; tremolo, moving the bow rapidly back and forth on a string; sul ponticello, playing with the bow extremely close to the bridge to produce a thin, glassy sound; col legno, playing with the wooden part of the bow instead of with the hair; harmonics, placing the fingers of the left hand lightly on certain points of the string to obtain a light, flutelike sound; and glissando, steadily gliding the left-hand fingers up and down along the string to produce an upward- or downward-sliding pitch.
Among composers of major solo and chamber works for the violin are Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven in the baroque and classical eras; the Austrian Franz Schubert, the Germans Johannes Brahms, Felix Mendelssohn, and Robert Schumann, and the Russian Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky in the Playing The Violin Is For Everyone Who Loves Musicromantic era; and the French Claude Debussy, the Austrian Arnold Schoenberg, the Hungarian Béla Bartók, and the Russian-born Igor Stravinsky in the 20th century.
You are certainly joining an elite group when you pick up a violin.
Looking for information about the violin? Go to: http://www.mrviolin.com
'Mr Violin' is published by Helen Baxter - The Complete A to Z Of Violin Resources! Check out more violin articles at: http://www.mrviolin.com/archive
Playing the violin is a wonderful experience and relatively easy to learn if you take it step by step. Firstly however you need to understand the mechanics of the violin so you know where to put your fingers and why.
The main components of the violin are the front, also called the belly, top, or soundboard, usually made of well-seasoned spruce; the back, usually made of well-seasoned maple; and the ribs, neck, fingerboard, pegbox, scroll, bridge, tailpiece, and f-holes, or soundholes. The front, back, and ribs are joined together to form a hollow sound box. The sound box contains the sound post, a thin, dowel-like stick of wood wedged inside underneath the right side of the bridge and connecting the front and back of the violin; and the bass-bar, a long strip of wood glued to the inside of the front under the left side of the bridge. The sound post and bass-bar are important for the transmission of sound, and they also give additional support to the construction. The strings are fastened to the tailpiece, rest on the bridge, are suspended over the fingerboard, and run to the pegbox, where they are attached to tuning pegs that can be turned to change the pitch of the string.
A violinist makes different pitches by placing the left-hand fingers on the string and pressing against the fingerboard. The strings are set in vibration and produce sound when the player draws the bow across them at a right angle near the bridge.
Among the most decorated characteristics of the violin are its singing tone and its potential to play rapid, brilliant figurations as well as lyrical melodies. Violinists can easily create special effects by means of the following techniques: pizzicato, plucking the strings; tremolo, moving the bow rapidly back and forth on a string; sul ponticello, playing with the bow extremely close to the bridge to produce a thin, glassy sound; col legno, playing with the wooden part of the bow instead of with the hair; harmonics, placing the fingers of the left hand lightly on certain points of the string to obtain a light, flutelike sound; and glissando, steadily gliding the left-hand fingers up and down along the string to produce an upward- or downward-sliding pitch.
Among composers of major solo and chamber works for the violin are Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven in the baroque and classical eras; the Austrian Franz Schubert, the Germans Johannes Brahms, Felix Mendelssohn, and Robert Schumann, and the Russian Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky in the Playing The Violin Is For Everyone Who Loves Musicromantic era; and the French Claude Debussy, the Austrian Arnold Schoenberg, the Hungarian Béla Bartók, and the Russian-born Igor Stravinsky in the 20th century.
You are certainly joining an elite group when you pick up a violin.
Looking for information about the violin? Go to: http://www.mrviolin.com
'Mr Violin' is published by Helen Baxter - The Complete A to Z Of Violin Resources! Check out more violin articles at: http://www.mrviolin.com/archive
The History Of Drums - A Journey Of Sound
Music and musical instruments are an extremely important part of human history. The use of rhythm and song has long been used to express meaning, and feeling and accompany rituals.
Music has been part of human life for as long as anyone can trace. Early civilizations of humans used music as a way to communicate and express feelings. Out of all of the musical instruments that we see in our society today and use on a regular basis, there is one instrument that stands out in musical history, the drum.
The history of drums is interesting and unique. When you examine this instrument historically, you will find that drums have had a place in almost all cultures around the globe. Variations of drums and drum sets occurred in many different cultures, the standard variety of a drum consisted simply of a hollowed out log or gourd with a piece of skin stretched taunt. Different sizes of gourds and logs created different sounds and beats.
The African Influence
In most African cultures, drums were very important in the use of rituals and religious ceremonies. The people of different African tribes relied on the use of drums to express themselves and when the slave trade began, the drums made the journey across the ocean as well.
African drums and drummers provided a unique sound that heavily influenced Western Rock and Roll music. Those same rhythms and beats still provide a strong influence in today's sounds.
The Early Drum Set
When it was discovered that one player could play two or more drums at the same time, people started placing groups of drums together for one musician to play. These groups were comprised of an assimilation of drums of different cultures and from all around the globe. Cymbals and tom tom drums were brought in from China and the size was adjusted to allow for ease of play when played with drumsticks.
In the early 1930's, musicians slowly discovered with the proper drum placement and a lot of practice, one musician could handle a set of drums, and an entire band of drum players was not required anymore. Thus, a basic kit evolved and took place.
In An Early Kit
The early drum kits were simple in their design, they typically consisted only of:
1) A bass and foot pedal
2) A snare drum
3) Tom Toms
4) A hi hat cymbal
5) One or two sets of hanging cymbals
The Evolution Of The Drum Set
In the 1930's the drum set was heavily influenced by the sounds of the time, and the early forms of Rock and Roll music. The sounds had a strong basic beat backing them.
In the 1950's as Rock and Roll music began to develop, the sounds became more complex and likewise, the drum sets became more evolved, with new additions added to them. Rockers began expanding the drum kits adding more cymbals and tom toms drums to them. In addition, as time went on, electronic drums were added to the drum kits as well. All of these additions allowed the musicians to expand their sounds and diversify their music.
Types Of Drum Kits
In the past, as drums evolved and drum kits developed, new companies were formed and products were fine-tuned and made better. The Ludwig Drum Company is known as one of the most influential and historical drum companies of our time.
The Ludwig drum company was started by a young man who enjoyed playing the drums. He could not find a bass pedal that would hold up to his intense drumming style. He shopped around everywhere and could not find an appropriate pedal, so he fashioned one out of wood. The pedal was superior to anything else on the market. His brother, felt that an even stronger pedal could be created out of a metal product, so they teamed up to create an even better bass pedal. Thus, the Ludwig Drum Company was born.
Ringo Starr, the famous drummer for The Beatles used a Ludwig drum set and was known for preferring the Ludwig drums. He is said to still own the original Ludwig drum set that he played with the Beatles.
There have been many other types of drum kits and company names that have played an important and influential role in the history of drums. Yamaha, Pearl, Tama and Gretsch are all famous brand names whose drums and drum kits have helped form the drum set, as we know it today.
The Future For Drums
What does the future hold for drum sets? No one can be sure. However, with the creation of more and more technology, we can be sure that the sounds will evolve even more. A combination of new sounds and traditional will always be found. And the limit for drum set creation will simply be the imagination of the musicians.
© 2005 http://www.drum-sets-now.com
Kevin Brown is successful author and publisher of many informative websites including http://www.drum-sets-now.com . His websites offer tips and advice on a wide array of topics including drum kits, African drums, percussion instruments and more.
Music has been part of human life for as long as anyone can trace. Early civilizations of humans used music as a way to communicate and express feelings. Out of all of the musical instruments that we see in our society today and use on a regular basis, there is one instrument that stands out in musical history, the drum.
The history of drums is interesting and unique. When you examine this instrument historically, you will find that drums have had a place in almost all cultures around the globe. Variations of drums and drum sets occurred in many different cultures, the standard variety of a drum consisted simply of a hollowed out log or gourd with a piece of skin stretched taunt. Different sizes of gourds and logs created different sounds and beats.
The African Influence
In most African cultures, drums were very important in the use of rituals and religious ceremonies. The people of different African tribes relied on the use of drums to express themselves and when the slave trade began, the drums made the journey across the ocean as well.
African drums and drummers provided a unique sound that heavily influenced Western Rock and Roll music. Those same rhythms and beats still provide a strong influence in today's sounds.
The Early Drum Set
When it was discovered that one player could play two or more drums at the same time, people started placing groups of drums together for one musician to play. These groups were comprised of an assimilation of drums of different cultures and from all around the globe. Cymbals and tom tom drums were brought in from China and the size was adjusted to allow for ease of play when played with drumsticks.
In the early 1930's, musicians slowly discovered with the proper drum placement and a lot of practice, one musician could handle a set of drums, and an entire band of drum players was not required anymore. Thus, a basic kit evolved and took place.
In An Early Kit
The early drum kits were simple in their design, they typically consisted only of:
1) A bass and foot pedal
2) A snare drum
3) Tom Toms
4) A hi hat cymbal
5) One or two sets of hanging cymbals
The Evolution Of The Drum Set
In the 1930's the drum set was heavily influenced by the sounds of the time, and the early forms of Rock and Roll music. The sounds had a strong basic beat backing them.
In the 1950's as Rock and Roll music began to develop, the sounds became more complex and likewise, the drum sets became more evolved, with new additions added to them. Rockers began expanding the drum kits adding more cymbals and tom toms drums to them. In addition, as time went on, electronic drums were added to the drum kits as well. All of these additions allowed the musicians to expand their sounds and diversify their music.
Types Of Drum Kits
In the past, as drums evolved and drum kits developed, new companies were formed and products were fine-tuned and made better. The Ludwig Drum Company is known as one of the most influential and historical drum companies of our time.
The Ludwig drum company was started by a young man who enjoyed playing the drums. He could not find a bass pedal that would hold up to his intense drumming style. He shopped around everywhere and could not find an appropriate pedal, so he fashioned one out of wood. The pedal was superior to anything else on the market. His brother, felt that an even stronger pedal could be created out of a metal product, so they teamed up to create an even better bass pedal. Thus, the Ludwig Drum Company was born.
Ringo Starr, the famous drummer for The Beatles used a Ludwig drum set and was known for preferring the Ludwig drums. He is said to still own the original Ludwig drum set that he played with the Beatles.
There have been many other types of drum kits and company names that have played an important and influential role in the history of drums. Yamaha, Pearl, Tama and Gretsch are all famous brand names whose drums and drum kits have helped form the drum set, as we know it today.
The Future For Drums
What does the future hold for drum sets? No one can be sure. However, with the creation of more and more technology, we can be sure that the sounds will evolve even more. A combination of new sounds and traditional will always be found. And the limit for drum set creation will simply be the imagination of the musicians.
© 2005 http://www.drum-sets-now.com
Kevin Brown is successful author and publisher of many informative websites including http://www.drum-sets-now.com . His websites offer tips and advice on a wide array of topics including drum kits, African drums, percussion instruments and more.
Growing and Keeping Loyal Fan Support
Fan support for musicians is a two way street. You make the music, release the CDs, and play the shows. You need fans to show up at the gigs, buy the CDs, or spread the buzz about you or you don't have an audience. When these two elements are out of balance, your musical endeavors can get sidelined.
That's why it's so important to always embrace the positive, well-meaning encouragement you receive from your fans. If I could sum up what fans want most of all from an artist, it's not only to be reached through your work, but to also be able to reach back in return. It's a great privilege for fans to give back something positive that the artists bring to us.
Here are three ways to keep that fan loyalty working for you:
1. Accept your performance compliments graciously. Maybe you had an off night. Maybe you didn't feel you were in the pocket as often as you expected to be. If people come up to you and tell you they thought you were great, that is exactly what it means to them. They are there to be an encouragement for you. Even though you didn't think you reached anyone, they felt you got through to them. So, don't beat yourself up or diffuse it by saying how lousy you thought you were. Remember, the hearts' desire of the fan is to reach you, too. Say thank you and show your appreciation.
Modesty is always an admirable trait--but don't take it to the extreme. The fans who have spent the better part of a year or so communicating to you why they think you're the best singer are going to feel badly if you say in an interview that you don't have much confidence in your vocal abilities or your performance. That tells the fans they have not been successful in getting the message through to you. That can be very disappointing to fans and make them wonder, well, what's the point of saying anything at all. And there you go, letting encouragement slip through your fingers.
2. Acknowledge your fan base. You can show some love to the fans by doing something to demonstrate that you are connecting with them. Think about a regular communication vehicle above and beyond, such as an email or online newsletter where you make direct communication with fans. If you have a message board on your website, try dropping in now and then just to say hi and let folks know you're hearing them.
Here's one "be aware" in this area, though. If you are one of those with a broad or growing popularity base, you have the challenge of keeping a lot of people who want to be noticed by you happy. It's nice to recognize deserving fans on your websites and other communications. But if you mention the same people too often, it might create the impression of favoritism, which could possibly cause jealousy and hurt feelings among fans. If you do something for one, others might want it as well. So be sure it's as much as you can handle. You would be surprised how many fans do know each other and compare notes!
Besides those fans that are particularly visible or diligently make themselves known, there can be others giving solid support for you behind the scenes. You probably are unaware of them because they may be a little more on the shy side, haven't had the contact opportunities others have or just can't seem to stick out enough for you to take notice. But that's not to say they don't want to hear they are appreciated. So do give credit to those who are due--doing that privately is nice, too. But, be sure you give ALL of your fans those "virtual group hugs" from time to time!
3. Keep communications current. If you have a website, keep it regularly updated. If you don't show enough commitment to keep your information up to speed on gigs, recordings, features and all, people will stop coming by after a while. After all, how can fans encourage you when they don't know where, when and how?
With all of the options that exist for communication between artists and fans, when it's done in a positive, uplifting manner it's a win-win situation for your career and for the people who are out there waiting to enjoy your gifts!
Wendy Vickers is a writer, encourager, life coach, speaker and author of two audiobooks: "Treasures In the Tip Jar: the Art of Awesome Fan Support" (from which this article is taken) and "Out of the Jar...And Into the World." Wendy offers resources, encouragement and support for musicians at her websites http://wendyv.com and http://embraceencouragement.com
That's why it's so important to always embrace the positive, well-meaning encouragement you receive from your fans. If I could sum up what fans want most of all from an artist, it's not only to be reached through your work, but to also be able to reach back in return. It's a great privilege for fans to give back something positive that the artists bring to us.
Here are three ways to keep that fan loyalty working for you:
1. Accept your performance compliments graciously. Maybe you had an off night. Maybe you didn't feel you were in the pocket as often as you expected to be. If people come up to you and tell you they thought you were great, that is exactly what it means to them. They are there to be an encouragement for you. Even though you didn't think you reached anyone, they felt you got through to them. So, don't beat yourself up or diffuse it by saying how lousy you thought you were. Remember, the hearts' desire of the fan is to reach you, too. Say thank you and show your appreciation.
Modesty is always an admirable trait--but don't take it to the extreme. The fans who have spent the better part of a year or so communicating to you why they think you're the best singer are going to feel badly if you say in an interview that you don't have much confidence in your vocal abilities or your performance. That tells the fans they have not been successful in getting the message through to you. That can be very disappointing to fans and make them wonder, well, what's the point of saying anything at all. And there you go, letting encouragement slip through your fingers.
2. Acknowledge your fan base. You can show some love to the fans by doing something to demonstrate that you are connecting with them. Think about a regular communication vehicle above and beyond, such as an email or online newsletter where you make direct communication with fans. If you have a message board on your website, try dropping in now and then just to say hi and let folks know you're hearing them.
Here's one "be aware" in this area, though. If you are one of those with a broad or growing popularity base, you have the challenge of keeping a lot of people who want to be noticed by you happy. It's nice to recognize deserving fans on your websites and other communications. But if you mention the same people too often, it might create the impression of favoritism, which could possibly cause jealousy and hurt feelings among fans. If you do something for one, others might want it as well. So be sure it's as much as you can handle. You would be surprised how many fans do know each other and compare notes!
Besides those fans that are particularly visible or diligently make themselves known, there can be others giving solid support for you behind the scenes. You probably are unaware of them because they may be a little more on the shy side, haven't had the contact opportunities others have or just can't seem to stick out enough for you to take notice. But that's not to say they don't want to hear they are appreciated. So do give credit to those who are due--doing that privately is nice, too. But, be sure you give ALL of your fans those "virtual group hugs" from time to time!
3. Keep communications current. If you have a website, keep it regularly updated. If you don't show enough commitment to keep your information up to speed on gigs, recordings, features and all, people will stop coming by after a while. After all, how can fans encourage you when they don't know where, when and how?
With all of the options that exist for communication between artists and fans, when it's done in a positive, uplifting manner it's a win-win situation for your career and for the people who are out there waiting to enjoy your gifts!
Wendy Vickers is a writer, encourager, life coach, speaker and author of two audiobooks: "Treasures In the Tip Jar: the Art of Awesome Fan Support" (from which this article is taken) and "Out of the Jar...And Into the World." Wendy offers resources, encouragement and support for musicians at her websites http://wendyv.com and http://embraceencouragement.com
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