January 31st, 2009 by admin

Everyone who loves to listen to music dreams of playing the guitar, even if they never do. Those who do take a giant leap towards becoming professional musicians.  Guitars are a great way to express yourself and relax. There are many misconceptions about playing a guitar.Here's some tips on playing the guitar:

Myth: You should learn on an acoustic guitar.
Reality: It’s better to start on an electric guitar because it’s easier to play, has lighter strings, lower action, and a smaller neck. It’s also more interesting for younger players as you can add distortion and effects and keep the learner more interested in the process.

Myth: The best way to ‘get’ a famous player’s sound is buy a pedal that has player presets.
Reality: Although some multi effects DO have some famous presets, it is far better to learn the correct technique to make the sound rather than trying to copy it. The sound made by famous musicians comes from their fingers and talent. You hardly ever find these guys using digital effects

Myth: You have to have a big amp to get a big sound
Reality: Some of the most huge sounds that have been recorded have been done with smaller amps10 -20 watt, tube cranked up loud. Many famous bands have stacks of amps on stage that are empty of speakers and a small amp hidden behind the stack that is mic’d up into the PA system. Some players are also using digital recreations (POD, Digitech) of their amps in the studio but most purist players still use a real amp and analogue pedals.

Myth: You should use lots of ‘string wrap or turns’ around the machine (tuning) head to get stable tuning.
Reality: Although B.B. King does use this method, a better way is to have about 3  ‘turns’ of string on the machine head and about 3-4 turns on the higher strings. However, the best way is to have NO turns of string at all and instead use locking machine heads such as spertzel or grover machine heads where the string is literally locked into place without any string wrap.

Myth: Single coil pick-ups sound the best but they are too noisy.
Reality: While this may be true, there are many ways around this problem. The best way is to use a hum canceling coil.” The other way is to put a “dummy load” pickup in the guitar i.e. a pick up that is wired in the guitar (sometimes under the scratch plate of a strat guitar) but does not produce any sound, it just cancels the hum and noise.

Myth: Cheap cables are just as good as expensive ones and I save money.
Reality: It is way better to buy a good quality cable that has, quite often, a good guarantee. They will last longer and have a big bearing on the quality of sound produced by your guitar. It's no use having a great setup but low quality cable. It's like buying a Ferrari but using cheap tires. Buy the best cable you can afford. Quite often you end up buying one good cable instead of cheap ones every 6 months, making this a much cheaper long term investment.

Myth: There is nothing you can do about strings rusting and losing their tone so may as well buy cheap ones or no name brands.
Reality: There are several ways to make your strings last longer. The simplest method is to always clean your strings after playing with a lint free cloth such as a handkerchief and use a string product such as finger ease or fast fret, which coats the string with a protective chemical.

Products that coat strings in teflon help prevent string corrosion and tone loss. These strings are three times more expensive but they do, in my experience last eight times longer and rarely break as often as regular strings.

There are a lot of myths about playing the guitar. Hopefully this article convinced you they aren’t right and you can play on a new or used guitars, acoustic or electric and still have a good time with the guitar.

January 30th, 2009 by admin

A cd mp3 player can help a person who has a huge music collection that they really do not want to have to get rid of. With the invention of this device, a person can have their cds ready to listen to on their new mp3 player. Technology has finally listened to the consumer in the fact that they offer this great alternative to the regular mp3 players. However, knowing which brand is the best may be the difficultly decision. With a little research, one can understand the differences and similarities that these cool devices offer.

One of the hippest brands of cd mp3 player a person can invest in is the Skullcandy 360. This cool device has a cool subtle curves and the sound is a great as the looks. It also has anti skip technology which will keep the best cd’s in great condition and sounding like a dream. The one thing that the company does request from its patrons is that they do not use fanny packs to carry the player. They offer much cooler looking accessories that a person can invest in if they like.

Another type of cd mp3 player that is great for those looking for a portable mp3 player that is an alternative to the ipod mp3 player is the iPaq Personal Audio Player. This mp3 player has only 64 MB of storage but that can be doubled with an MMC card and that allows for someone to increase their playing time to four hours of music. This player will set a person back $249, but a fifty dollar rebate is included to ease the pain.

Compaq does have other types of a cd mp3 player for a person to choose from. It is more expensive, but over five thousand tunes can be stored. The device will set a person back eight hundred hard earned dollars, but it plays recordable, rewritable, and traditional cds along with being a portable mp3 player. For the die hard music fan, this will prove to be a small amount of money to achieve their ultimate music listening experience.

A cd mp3 player can help an individual who has a vast music collection. By investing in one of these new technological devices, a person can play their existing cd collection along with enjoying the perks of having a mp3 player at hand. No longer will they have to chose which one they listen to while on the go. Compaq and Skullcandy are just a select few companies that offer these well-rounded devices for the musical consumer.

January 29th, 2009 by admin

When I was 14 years old, I was in a band (I had a used guitar) as we all like to think we were, even if we couldn’t really play anything. We rehearsed once a week and made a lot of nolse rather than music!! But we were enthusiastic and loved the idea of being “rock stars.”

We never really thought about gigs or anything serious, we just plodded along rehearsing in my mates lounge with our 10 watt amps when his parents were at work and we were skipping school. We had no idea how bad we were and I thought I could play anything, anytime, anywhere. I was not yet aware that I had to do some sort of scale or sing in some sort of key!! I just played anything!!!

Eventually, we found our way to the year 10 leaver’s dinner/social at the local memorial hall. In those days, all entertainment was always live. DJs didn’t really exist (yes, it was that long ago!) and so bands were hired. By an act of god, we were that band.

The band that was performing was rather lame, performing songs not really suited for a bunch of hormonally challenged 14 – 15 year old youths. In fact, they reminded me of the scene in the “American pie” movie where the band is doing an awful version of ‘don’t you forget about me’ and all the kids are bored.

A few of friends at school knew my friends and I had ‘a bit of a band going” and suggested we get up and play. All of a sudden our self assurance disappeared and we got all shy. We said we weren't ready. We aren't serious musicians. Fright entered all of us and none of us wanted to go. 

However, next thing we know, the “tough boys” who played football and were athletic heroes came over and told us we should play. We didn’t want too but they insisted. We pushed back. They told us to get on stage or they would punch our heads in.” It appeared we didn’t have a choice.

So with the prospect of our heads being smashed heads and loss of any degree of cool we ever thought we had, we trundled toward the stage. Playing other people's instruments is like wearing someone else's clothes!!! But we got up there any way, ready to be booed off the stage and into the dark recesses of the hall. We played and the place went wild and with everybody dancing and yelling and smiling. We kept playing because it turned out it wasn't so bad afterall. No one, especially us, seemed to really mind at all. Everybody loved it. We kept going and going. The tough boys applauded and the girls smiled. My guitar solos still not in any scale or key but hey, there we were a real band on a real stage!! We were suddenly too cool for school and the “it” thing at school.

What we thought was hell turned out to be heaven and we ended up getting a gig with the other band. It was the start of a long musical career that still continues to this day.

January 29th, 2009 by admin

Classic Rock is a term used to describe bands and artists from the 1970s.”

Most of these artists were highly original and became influential on many bands in subsequent generations to come. No matter what era you were born in, almost any band you listen to has been influenced by artists and bands from the 1970s. Moreover, even if you are only in your teens and you think your favourite band is “totally original,” chances are they were influenced by a musician or group from that era, even if they don’t consciously know it.

This decade was one of the best decades for groundbreaking music. Nothing was copied or rehashed and everyone had their own sound. The 1970s represented a culmination and expansion of sounds that were experimented on in the 1960s. Bands such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix, Free, Allman Brothers, Queen, Black Sabbath, Cream, David Bowie, Status Quo are all examples of acts who made their start in the 60’s but found their sound and style in the 70’s, and therefore gave rise to many other bands who then added their own flavour to these styles. All of these acts were guitar legends.

Lesser known bands such as Uriah Heep, Wishbone Ash, Grand Funk Railroad, Scorpions (who became quite huge in the 80’s), and Thin Lizzy are worthy of mentions but would not necessarily legends, where as other acts such as Queen became absolutely huge and remain so to this day.

It is the same with other rock bands. Every guitarist has heard of the greats but there are other, less known musicians, who were equally influential and deserve attention. Two such examples are Richie Blackmore from Deep purple and Michael Schenker from UFO. Michael Schenkar has influenced many people but most people do not know who he is because they only know his more famous contemporaries.

I could go on for hours about classic rock and there are hundreds of excellent albums that are still available today but some songs and albums deserve special mention for their guitar prowess and are worth your time to have at least a quick listen. Here’s a quick list of four lesser known gems of classic musical genius that are worth a listen:

Deep purple:
Guitarist: Richie Blackmore:
Choice albums:  Made in Japan and Deep Purple in Rock
Songs: Highway Star, Child in Time.
Some of the most blistering guitar work you will ever hear recorded in the early 70’s and held the Guinness Book of Records title as the loudest recording ever made!

UFO:
Guitarist: Michael Schenker.
Choice Albums: Phenomenon and Force It.
Songs: Rock Bottom
It's amazing to think he was only 18 when he did this solo!

FREE: (later to become” bad company” another excellent act!!)
Guitarist Paul Kossof
Album: Best of Free.
Songs: All Right Now, Fire and Water, Mr. Big [live]
It had a simplistic and slow natural style!!! A Les Paul plugged straight into a marshal, no pedals and no tricks.

WISHBONE ASH:
Guitarists: Andy Powell & Ted Turner.
Choice albums: Argus and There’s The Rub.
Excellent melody and twin harmony lead breaks, copied by many acts since! Very complex arrangements.

January 28th, 2009 by admin

Most bands think that getting a record contract the the ultimate goal of bands. In some cases this can be true but generally it can be the start of a whole new bunch of problems that no musician could ever foresee or want.

Contracts are just advances of money given to you that need to be paid back. If it doesn’t sell to expectation you still have to pay the money back somehow. Music companies are a business and they are there to make money not lose it. It is no different than going to a bank and getting a loan to market your music your self, except the recording companies have the methods to make the product sell, get airplay and distribute the product throughout the country or even the world. Recording companies loan you the money to make the music and get their money back by distributing it.  Typically artists make a small fraction on CDs- most of the money comes through merchandise and tours.

If you can get a recording company to get behind your music, that’s good. But beware of recording companies who try to influence and change your sound, often to the point of rewriting your songs and even changing members of your band or, worse still forcing you to record songs made by other peoples.

Here are some horror stories that can happen to musicians who get signed and think they are on their way to fill stadiums around the world.

Getting shelved!
A band gets signed; get some money advanced for recording. The songs are recorded and completed but the record company ‘shelves’ your act and you never sees the light of day but you can’t take your product anywhere else because you are already signed. Often you can’t even play live gigs without giving some of your performance fee to the record company. This happened to Billy Joel who waited his five year contract out playing in piano bars.

The song gets changed.
Often you will be all ready to record your songs and the record company will bring in a co-writer or producer who alters your compositions beyond all recognition to “fit in with label’s style.” You started to make a hard rock album and you end up with a rap album with all your instruments removed and samples replacing them.  You thought you were Metallica only to end up like Jack Johnson. Then you have to go and promote something you really hate and your product is no longer recognizable.

Where did all the money go?
Beware the big advance of money, to make and promote your music. If it doesn’t sell you will have to pay the money back, with interest, just like the banks. How do you pay the record company back? Live gigs, touring, radio shows, shopping centres etc for the next ten years.  How do all those artists who make millions of dollars end up bankrupt? All the bills they didn’t know they had to pay. They had so much fun, they never saw where their money went.

Where did my band go?
Quite often musical differences between band members and record companies are solved by the company getting rid of and replacing any member of the band who doesn’t agree with them. They are always trying to get work for their own players and artists who have already been signed. Quite often you will find all your guitar player’s work re-recorded by the studio guy or producer to fit in with the label’s sound or smooth over tensions within the band.

I thought I was a musician not a pop star.
Increasingly recording companies are trying to “cross media” any act in anyway they can. They will market you anyway they can, and they will get you to do things to increase your and their exposure any way they can. The company may make you do commericals or appear on American Idol. Many recording companies are just offshoots of the big media groups who control TV, radio, music, and the print media, and they will market you anyway they see fit to re-coup their investment in you. Most musicians have a short shelf life so companies want to get as much money as they can before people move on. (We’ve all heard of the sophomore slump!)

Remember that the music business is 95% business and 5% music. Try to go independent if you can, market yourself on the web at sites like Axebay and build your own presence in the world by networking in its guitar forums. If you are very successful in the beginning of you career, you can get more favorable terms from the recording company. If you do get an offer, get a good lawyer. You don't want to have to wait out your contract.

January 26th, 2009 by admin

A young band’s first gig is always an exciting time. Many hours slogging it out in the garage or rehearsal room finally come to fruition with the offer of your first gig.

These days, bands usually get a school or party gig or a shared bill with a few other bands or even a band competition as their first gig. Either way, the experience of the first gig should be enjoyable and exciting. You don’t want it to turn into a nasty experience with everything going wrong, which it will if you are not prepared.

Like Murphy’s Law says “what can go wrong, will go wrong.” Every musician in the world can remember the first time they performed on staged, so make it a good experience not a frightful mess.

First, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! No matter how many times you have performed your songs in the garage, when you get on stage it will all sound different, and, if you don’t know your part 110%, you will get it wrong. In the garage, you are in one small room and quite close to your fellow band mates. On stage, you can be separated a lot and you may not be able to hear the other guys or what they are playing. If you know your songs very well, you will be able play no matter what sound problems you have.

Second, be confident. Rehearse your songs in the order you will perform them especially if you are doing a short set. If you are doing a whole night, rehearse your whole song list as if you are actually doing the gig. This will alert you to any problems such as guitar changes, pedal set up changes, singers might need a “breather” that may make you look disorganized.

Make sure your guitars have new guitar strings (but put them on at least two hours before you play and stretch them in), your drums have at least a new snare skin, check the condition of the kick drum skin too.

Make sure you have new batteries for pedals and especially tuners, and for any wireless systems you may be using. And don’t forget a guitar stand or two!! Have a spare lead close by even if you are using wireless system as it is a good back up.

If you are doing a gig with a bunch of other bands, make sure your accessories such as leads,  tuners , and microphones are clearly marked with your name or at least some special markings, it is strange how much gear goes “walking” at these gigs.

Write a song list/order for all the band members and a few spares if the gig is using a sound or lighting guy. Make notes if you want any special effects done. Each member should write notes on his or her list if they need to remember certain things such as pedal adjustments or guitar changes. A singer can have a cheat sheet to help them remember parts of the song in case they get nervous. However, if you are well rehearsed your should not need it!

Get to the gig early enough to be in no rush and bring as many as your friends as you can. Audiences generally have a ‘sheep’ mentality and if they see or hear a bunch of people making a lot of favourable noises they too will go along and get the vibe.

Enjoy your self and get the whole thing recorded on audio and visual mediums so you can show it to your family and friends and to your grand kids when your old! No band ever forgets their first gig!

January 25th, 2009 by admin

When going about purchasing a vintage electric guitar, one should be aware of some things to look for in the instrument.  Especially when you are dealing with a guitar that has been in use for some time, there are always questions that should be raised.  Vintage electric guitars have many uses today.The condition of a vintage electric guitar is a factor but if it was owned by someone famous that would be more important.  Some are purchased because brand new instruments are too expensive so second hand guitars are the better choice.Collectors are realizing that vintage guitars can appreciate in value very quickly. 

Famous guitar players have helped make their favorite guitars famous too.  Some of the more popular vintage guitar brands are Gibson, Fender, Epiphone and Rickenbacker.  A vintage Gibson electric guitar could cost anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000 depending on the model and year it was manufactured.  The value of a guitar can be determined by its age, model number, and in some cases who played it.  For example, if you had a vintage Fender electric guitar that was played and maybe even signed by someone like Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton, it is highly likely that the guitar could be sold for thousands and thousands of dollars. 

Vintage electric guitars are a great investment – if you know what to look for.If you like guitars, investing in vintage electric guitars can be a lot of fun.  The main thing that you should consider when starting out as a collector of vintage electric guitars is that not all guitars are worth what you think.

Research your instrument before you purchase or you may be stuck with a guitar that is worth more in a junkyard than in your display case.  Ask around people that know about guitars and their values.  There are people who have been collecting for years and years and they would love to help you.

For more information about finding out the value of vintage electric guitars, try looking at http://vintageelectricguitarsite.com There you will find information about vintage Gibson electric guitars, as well as information about investing in the buying and selling of vintage electric guitars.

January 23rd, 2009 by admin

There are so many choices when it comes to picking out a guitar, and that is after you have decided which category your guitar is going to belong to. You decide that you definitely want to learn guitar, but you are torn between acoustic or electric. On one hand it was so cool to see Kurt Cobain jamming out in a special acoustic performance on MTV, but it was also fun to see KISS back in the day. What are you supposed to do? The best thing to do is to learn the difference between the two before deciding where to go from there.

The difference between an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar is simply amplification. An electric guitar needs an amplifier, but they are much easier to play. The electric guitar will cost more because you will have to purchase a good amp, and they both cost quite a bit of money. The acoustic guitar is more limited in shape and size because both shape and size make a difference on the sound that comes from the guitar. Therefore, you do get more of a selection when you choose an electric guitar. Although the electric guitar is easier to learn on, there are obviously limited types of music that you can play with it. So, if you learn with an acoustic guitar, you might find yourself a better musician in the long run.

An acoustic guitar does have choices as well. You can get a steel string or a nylon string guitar. A nylon string guitar is good for playing music styles such as classical, flamenco, and folk. The reason for the particular styles is that the nylon string produces a more tranquil sound. The steel string guitars are louder and you find that they gravitate more towards rock, country, and any other style that requires a louder, more crisp sound. The steel string is played with a pick while the nylon is almost always played with fingers.

Deciding between an electric and an acoustic guitar can be a moot point due to the option of buying a blended guitar. This type of guitar combines the ease of learning generally associated with an electric guitar and the rich sound of an acoustic guitar. The design and style of the blended guitars are also a combination of both kinds of guitars in that the body is similar to an acoustic guitar while the neck generally resembles the electric guitar style. Unfortunately, though, the blended guitar sounds much better when used with an amplifier rather than by itself.

Find the right guitar depends on how comfortable you are with each style. If you are more comfortable with an electric guitar hanging around your neck, that is probably the best fit for you. However, the sounds you want to produce are also important in your decision making. If you want to be a loud rocker-type, you will want to invest in a decent electric guitar with a good amplifier. If you are just hoping to write and play a few love songs to impress the ladies, an acoustic guitar is probably the best style to fit your needs.

January 23rd, 2009 by admin

As a course, RocketPiano shares the characteristics of a tutorial, but it nevertheless gives an insight into the professional approach of music making. Hours of practice, lots of piano exercises, theoretical studies and music reading, these are the elements that best define the experience one should expect from Rocket Piano. Most of the people who order this program are usually interested  in the hobby dimension of music playing, thus, they will receive instructions from a professional without necessarily aiming at becoming one themselves.

What Features do you Find in Rocket Piano?

The approach to piano learning you’ll find in Rocket Piano is a user friendly one, meaning that it addresses basic learning levels with the possibility to develop new skills. The course is pretty fun without giving one the feeling that the theoretical part about the history of music is boring. Rocket Piano focuses on tasks as the most challenging and interesting method to make the student progress.

Like with any other skill you try to develop, piano playing requires quite a lot of time for practice. Rocket Piano mainly focuses on the very quality of the exercises, since lots of amateurish players don’t know how to practice efficiently. Once you get to master the techniques described in the course, ten minutes of practice will equal hours of faulty or improper training. To many people, Rocket Piano will be the course to understanding music language.

Though at first glance the targeted goals of Rocket Piano may look too difficult to achieve for someone completely inexperienced, the impression will change after completing some classes. Melody, chords and chord symbols reading, improvisation, scales and arpeggios, these are only a few of the elements developed in the Rocket Piano course.

Any Disadvantages of Rocket Piano?

To make things clear, one needs to feel music in order to be a true musician, and this special touch usually comes as an innate gift. You either have it or don’t. This is actually the explanation for the clear differences in the progress of certain users that despite the high-quality of the Rocket Piano course, still fail to be good at playing the instrument.

Piano playing is challenging and does bring an enormous satisfaction particularly when you reach a good level after merely studying on your own with nothing else but Rocket Piano. A professional program that aims to train one in the secrets of music making, Rocket Piano will be a simple enjoyable experience for some and a true hobby for some others. Have fun!

January 22nd, 2009 by admin

The song Devil Woman was first recorded in 1976 by a UK singer named Cliff Richard.  It was a big hit, reaching number nine on the UK charts.  It made it to number six in the United States.  It was Richard’s biggest US success.  There’s a lot to learn about the famous song.

Devil Woman

Terry Britten wrote it.  He was English singer-songwriter who wrote songs for people like Tina Turner, Olivia Newton John, and even Michael Jackson.  He had some other hits such as “What’s Love Got to Do with It”.  When Cliff performed Devil Woman Terry played guitar.  The song was recorded at the famous Abbey Road, a frequent recording studio used by the Beatles.

It’s a story in song form.  A stray cat with evil eyes curses a man.  The man seeks out a gypsy who he thinks can remove the curse.  However, the cat did not deliver the curse.  The gypsy cursed him in order to bring him to her.

Devil Woman

Songs like Devil Woman aren’t very common.  They’re pretty simple for songs.  They have a minimum of instruments and generally simple tunes.  Devil Woman  is no different.  It needed only a single guitar, an electric piano, some drums and other percussion.  And of course the singer.

For a pop song Devil Woman has unique combination of major and minor chords.  In US pop songs, it was one of the first to encompass more than an octave. 

The song has had other performers.  The Accused is one of them.  The group began in Washington in 1981.  They perform splatter rock.  Their music includes sounds from well known horror movies.  These include shrieking lyrics, and chainsaw like guitar riffs.

Devil Woman was also performed in 2005 by a group called Cradle of Faith.  This was an extreme metal band from England.  The band called its style any kind of metal.  The song fit them nicely.

Devil Woman

Devil Woman is a haunting song.