March 31st, 2009 by admin

there is more than a few advantages in learning to play an instrument.  The piano is a definite favorite, but why is it so popular?  Mastering the piano requires a lot of patience and dedication, and you’ll find that within most of musical styles, there are massively talented musicians that take what seems to be such an ordinary instrument, and create audio masterpieces.

Jazz enthusiasts may have heard of a few of the greats, namely Duke Ellington and Count Basie, as well as many modern jazz artists topping the charts today including Jim Brickman, who’s original piano compositions not only take the air on smooth jazz stations world wide, but also pop, new age, and inspirational stations as well.  And of course, don’t forget the famous rock pianists worldwide, including Paul McCartney, Carole King, Carly Simon, Elton John and Billy Joel. 

There are also a lot of classic and modern rock bands out there, and some of the best ones have included a fifth member on keyboards.  Dennis DeYoung, front man for the band Styx is one of the better known rock keyboardists.  Rick Wakeman of Yes and Tony Banks of Genesis are also exceptional, as well as David Sancious who played for many of the greats, including Bruce Springsteen, Carlos Santana, and Sting.

Playing the piano can expand your musical knowledge and taste to include classical and other styles of music.  You may not know much about this very important musical style, but you may come to like it as you attempt to play works from the classical greats like Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Brahms.  As you hear the different works from the above mentioned classical artists, it becomes more tempting to try to play them.  This will certainly impress your family and friends, and even yourself after your hard work rewards you.  After a while, as you progress and become more natural, it is quite likely that you could end up playing solo or joining a band.  Achieving professional status as a performer can offer you excellent personal and financial benefits.  Naturally, not every piano player ends up in a high paying job, but if it’s something you love to do, it’s certainly worth striving for.

Learning to Play the Piano Today can benefit you in other ways too.

The piano can help you to release your tensions from a busy day, or clear your mind from a stressful situation.  Even when you feel sad, playing the piano can make you feel better as you focus your mind on the music and the sounds you are creating.  The other thing is that piano playing can enhance self-discipline.  You’ll need to commit firmly in order to learn the piano, which will require daily practice.  The same techniques can then be applied to other goals in life. 

So if you are still not convinced why you should play the piano, there are a few more reasons. In some ways, it is easier to learn than becoming a vocalist because you don’t have to worry about being off pitch. That is, unless your piano is out of tune! One quick trip to the piano tuner, and problem fixed!.  Wind instruments require reeds or mouthpieces and guitars require daily tuning and frequent string replacements.  With the piano all you need is yourself and your fingers, warmed up, ready to play!  Lastly, one big reason of learning to play the piano is for personal gratification and achievement.  You can feel a sense of true happiness when you play a composition well.  Bringing music into your life will surely make you a stronger, more energetic person in your mind, body, and soul.

March 30th, 2009 by admin

One of the best things about the Internet is that you can now download music. often times for free, and add it to your MP3 player in just seconds!There are some good free sites, but be careful when downloading from a free site, the quality is not always great. And sometimes those “free” sites include spyware or malware with your download.For free downloads, BeeMP3 is a good site.com offers free music downloads.And great quality, too.

You might feel more comfortable paying for music downloads if you want quality and peace of mind. Amazon has a terrific selection and the price is not too bad, $0.79 to $0.99 per song.

(This article is only about MP3 players, downloads, and Windows-based products and information, sorry to all the Apple fans out there.)!)

There are other free sites out there that I have used to download music, but they are not quite legitimate, and one of the sites I like is always getting into legal trouble with their government for copyright issues  (the site is based somewhere in Europe).  So, I am a bit leery of recommending or linking to that site, or any other sites that are questionable. 

And my recommendation for the best MP3 player on the market today is the Zune from Microsoft. There are plenty of MP3 products on the marketplace today, and there are products that are cheaper than the Zune, but they just do not have the capacity nor the ease of use that the Zune offers. And this is especially helpful for music fans who want to build a huge musical library for your computer and your MP3 player. My 80 GB Zune is maxed out, and I’ve had to remove some files to add more songs. Maybe Santa will get me the 120 next Christmas.

And if you are a bit confused with all the technical jargon, I’ve written an e-book about how to create a digital music library on your computer and on your MP3 player.  This e-book makes it really easy to collect a state-of-the-art digital music library that is ultimately inexpensive, completely portable, and will occupy very little space in your home.

Happy downloading!

March 28th, 2009 by admin

In order to speed up the process of learning to play piano, a few steps should be taken.  Some of them are obvious, but they need to be said anyway.  Others, you might not have thought of at all.  Try to memorize these tips to keep you in good stead during the learning process. 

(… and above all, remember that learning to play piano today is quite possible on your own, as there are a number of good training packages available in bookstores or online …)

1.  If you are really not interested in the piano, do yourself and everyone else a favor.  Don’t bother trying.  You may see advantages of being able to play the piano, but your enthusiasm isn’t too strong.  If this is the case, try listening to multiple types of piano music, to see if you begin to enjoy it.  Do not start trying to play until you are happy at the thought of learning. 

2.  Next, play what you enjoy.  In the old days, and often even today, piano teachers spent months with their students before they were allowed to play anything they enjoyed playing.  You will get more gratification if you find ways to play at least simple or improvised versions of songs you know and like. That will keep you going. 

3.  Get right to it.  Don’t dillydally or waste time just to simply learn the scales. Start playing music as soon as you can.  The more frequently you practice, the better you will become.  The more you learn, the more you will play.  It creates an upward spiral that will increase your abilities. 

4.  Try to play on the best piano available to you.  Although don’t be too put off if all you can find is an electric keyboard.  It’s definitely an advantage if you get to use a Clavinova, as it has all of the 88 keys.  Some would say that an upright piano is better still.  Undoubtedly, if you have access to a good grand piano, play it. 

5.  Do your best not to disturb others in the household.  They will almost certainly hear you play.  In most households, this is unavoidable.  Although, try to make sure that you ask permission before you begin to practice, as those who need some quiet time, or need to study will find the noise very distracting.  It could be that they’ve had a hard day’s work, and need some time to relax. If you ignore their feelings, friction between you will make your practice unpleasant. 

6.  Be self disciplined, but not overly so.  Try not to be too self critical.  There are times where it is simply not practical to continue playing. Try not to force yourself to continue, as you may come to dislike each session.  Allow yourself a little leeway.  At the same time, keep up the practice as much as you reasonably can.  Only constant practice can aid you to develop your senses and coordination, in order to eventually achieve mastery. 

7.  Start yourself a journal in order to monitor progress.  If anything is new to you, or confusing, take 5 minutes to check the internet or reference manual .  Write it in a notebook or make a document on your computer to type in all the things you have learned.  You can also write in the notebook what has worked for you and what has seemed to make things harder.  Do not forget to record your accomplishments. 

This is a new learning experience for you, so don’t worry – there’s no rush! Take as much time as you need.  Each time you find something that makes your life easier; remember it so that you can use it again.  This ensures that you advance each lesson, without being stuck on a plateau.

p.s. If you are considering piano lessons for a child, check out the article Tips for Teaching Piano to Children.

March 27th, 2009 by admin

Nowadays, the online lessons are becoming more popular with every hour. Foreign languages, web design, programming can be studied online. One interesting thing is the fact that you cant learn online even how to sing.
An online learning program which  is used very much is Singorama. With this online program, you’ll improve your singing skillsand if you don’t know any singing at all, you will learn ho to. This program is in fact a restricted membership site. For becoming a member, it is mandatory to pay some money.   If you really wish to join Singorama, you won’t find the costs very expensive.
You will see that is a very well organised program and that it will be very simple to start using it. The well organised sections of the Singorama start with the introduction into this online learning program.
The next section offers several hours of audio to begin your music lessons. You will be learned what is the correct way to breathe during singing, or how to understand your voice, vocal methods and singing styles. After finishing the basics, you will receive training exercises that include audios exercises and warm ups for your voice.
After you will finish the course, you will get 3 original songs for you . Special for your voice, those three songs will learn you exact timing, the proper  rythm and instrumental backing tracks.
Even if some people say that Singorma is considered to be a fake site, a scam with the purpose of taking people’s money, there are proofs that this site really helped some people in becoming  better singers. One proof can be considered a little girl from Canada who achieve an important music award after purchasing membership on Singorama. She declared that Singorama  had helped her very much at singing.   Another example of  Singorama’s help is Derick, a retired marine officer. He now has one of the most sold Christmas carols CD in his state. So for sure, Singorma will work if you work a little and  you really wish to learn how to sing. In the end, you won’t have to loose a thing.   You don’t have anything to loose. You’ll have success if you join this program.
You won’t become a music star only joining Singorama. You’ll have to work hard, and also you will follow your dream with any price.   You might become a singer.

Check out more singorama review here.

March 26th, 2009 by admin

Would you ever consider recording tracks professionally for a career or anything of that sort? Or maybe you have your very own studio that you record in daily. Or do you just love listening to music on the radio or just the good quality sound of music period? If you said yes to any of those questions you may be already thinking about getting an audio system. Compressors and limiters are one of the main tools that professionals decide to use when recording tracks.

I’m sure you have heard someone talk about a song being compressed somewhere before. To get a more professional sound, tracks are usually being compressed usually in every piece of the song. It’s very rare to hear a song that hasn’t been compressed; especially when you can find a track with every single piece of it compressed. If you want to become a professional than you need to invest in professional hardware right?

What exactly is an audio compressor?

If you use any type of audio system for recording vocals, you will eventually need some type of compressor. The audio compressor and limiter will regulate the volume of a track. The volume is reduced when the gain is too loud to level out the two sounds or loud and quiet parts. Gain Reduction has a big role in this process. When the signal input is too high above threshold, gain starts to decrease in other words.

You want to make sure that you’ll getting the best audio compressor for a reasonable price too, right? When it comes to buying or selling compressors or limiters for gain reduction, this site has all the information you’ll need right here in one spot. When it comes to buying or even selling compressors and limiters, advice is available.

You like owning the best of the best? Or do you have more value for the rarest things out on the market. Either way you can know how much you’re spending compared to the person next to you and read others reviews. No need to shop anywhere else. Gain Reduction equipment here!

March 26th, 2009 by admin

You have to admit, it is enjoyable to put practice music to one side, and play any music you feel like.  However, it’s not always so easy to get hold of the sheet music for your favorite songs.  Well, there are a couple of techniques you can use to overcome this problem, and in some ways they are similar.  The first idea is the use of a Fake Book, and the second is to learn how to improvise. 

You can get Fake Books at music stores or by ordering them online.  You can also get a version of the same concept when you come across a simple notation of a song.  A Fake Book, or the like, has only two things to guide you. First, you will get a melody line in the treble clef.  This will usually only show one note at a time – no chords – and it will be a simplified version of the song. 

The second thing you will get with this simple music is a letter above the staff.  The letter signifies the chord you are to play in the bass clef and could possibly add to the treble clef if you are skilled enough.  There will be a letter above the staff each time the chord changes. 

if you have thoroughly learnt the chords, you put yourself in good enough steed to easily use a Fake Book.  You can use the straight chords or invert them.  They can be played as running chords, meaning each note is played separately but in order  Any rhythm can be chosen for the bass clef. 

Using a Fake Book is a somewhat creative endeavor.  It’s up to you and your knowledge of the song to figure out which notes have been left out.  In that regard you are in charge of inventing the music.  You can usually find Fake Books that are fairly current, with music you have heard recently on the radio. 

Yet, if you want to really come up with your own original song or instrumental piece, you can do it better by learning to improvise.  You can learn very complex theory about improvisation, but you can begin with the information you already have.  You need to know mainly about scales and chords. 

Perhaps to make things easier to begin with, choose a C scale, for the main reason that it uses white keys only.  Next, choose some chords within that scale.  For the C major scale, common chords to use are F major and G major.  This is because they do not have any sharps or flats in them. 

Make up a chord progression.  It can be C-F-G-C.  Make sure the chords are played with the left hand.  The base chords are usually played below middle C, but that is not a rule, by any means.  Play them wherever you see fit.  Play them as simple triads or invert them.  Play them in any sequence.  Then keep practicing until it becomes second nature. 

When you are comfortable with your chord progression, you can begin to improvise a melody.  Just play with your right hand, one note at a time to make a melody line.  It may not seem like music at first, but if you keep trying you will eventually come up with an interesting melody line. 

You can also improvise on a melody you know.  For example, if you wanted to play Jingle Bells, but you do not have the music at hand.  The melody can be easily picked out.  after you have chosen the melody this way, chords can be fit to the melody, simply based on the melodies scale of key.  So as you can see, even though you may not have the sheet music, there are ways you can still play the music without.

Learning to play the piano is easy, even for a beginner. One possible starting point is the no-obligation course at Learning To Play Piano Today. Check them out today, and enjoy your new found skill.

March 26th, 2009 by admin

On March 3, 2009, U2 released their 12th studio album, No Line on the Horizon.

It’s been a while since their last release, 2004’s How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, but it was worth the wait.The album features 11 songs with the best of classic U2 music.

The Irish rockers get back to basics with their strongest offering in years. It was recorded in Dublin, New York, London and Fès, Morocco.  And the good news is that Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, and Steve Lillywhite all helped to produce the album.  But I don’t think this is the best U2 album since Eno and Lanois first worked with the band on 1984’s The Unforgettable Fire.

Magnificent, with its drum crescendos, trademark guitar riffs, and a soaring Bono vocal, is easily the best song on the album and is the second single to be released.  The first song released, Get On Your Boots, is actually a good track; this is the song the band performed at the Grammys on February 8.Get on Your Boots is a fun, foot-tapping track.  However, Boots only hit No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Breathe suggests that the band’s classic approach can still sound contemporary. The album ends with a sad, thoughtful song, Cedars of Lebanon, a track about war and violence. Lyrics like “the right to appear ridiculous is something I hold dear” in the song I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight, show that the band still has a sense of humour.

Unfortunately, sales have not been very strong since the release of the album.  No Line sold just 484,000 copies in its first week of sales. Of course, not many bands would consider 484,000 albums sold a disappointment.However, U2 is not just any band. The Irish band’s last album, 2004’s How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, sold 840,000 copies in the first week.

Even though some of the songs are not that great, overall, I think No Line on the Horizon is a worth adding to your music collection.

For more musical reviews and information, visit the Nostalgia Guy Music blog.

March 24th, 2009 by admin

Thrash metal has had something of a revival of late -Lets look at thrash’s ‘big four’ -Metallica, Slayer, Meagdeth and Anthrax.

• Metallica. One of the bands of the first wave of thrash, Metallica released ‘kill ‘em all’ in 1983 followed by ‘ride the lightning’ and a classic of the genre ‘master of puppets’. After the technicality of ‘And justice for all’, Metallica were catapulted into rock stardom with the ‘black’ album, which cause many to level claims of ’sell out’ at the band. After following 2 more albums, a Napster lawsuit and rehab, Metallica returned with ‘St Anger’, the making of is documented in the movie ’some kind of monster’. They released ‘Death magnetic’ this year, to which people called it ‘the best Metallica in years’. Still no ‘Master of puppets though’.
• Slayer. Coming from Southern California, Slayer wore they Iron Maiden and Judas Priest influences on thier sleeve for the first two albums ’show no mercy’ and ‘Hell awaits’, before finding their voice with the over 1986 classic ‘Reign in blood’. While other metal bands disapeared during the 90s, Slayer survived by doing what they did best -playing Brutal music. Seasons in the abyss, ‘Diabilous in musica’ and ‘Divine intervention’ were all released during this time. Original drummer Dave Lombardo returned after ‘God hates us all’ for ‘Christ illusion’. Rumors persist of the next album being the last one- lets hope that isnt the case.
• Megadeth. After being fired from Metallica, Dave Mustaine put his anger and rage into his new band Megadeth. They released debut album ‘killing is my business and business is good’ in 1985, then much loved albums ‘peace sells’, ‘rust in peace’ amd countdown to extinction’. Megadeth have never had a stable line up, chaging band members constantly over than Mustaine,who called it a day in 2002 after damaging nerves in his hand. But after intensive therapy regained his hand use and re-formed the band in 2004 -and released the albums ‘the system has failed’ and ‘united abominations’.
• Anthrax. Formed in 1981 by guitar players Danny Lilker and Scott Ian, Anthrax’s debut ‘fistful of metal’ is the only album to feature original vocalist Neil Turbin. Anthrax then bought in Joey Belladonna for the next 5 albums -including ’spreading the disease’ and ‘Among the living’. After Belladonna left John Bush of Armored Saint joined the band. Anthrax were then pushed to the side on their new label until Nuclear Blast picked them up and gave us ‘we have come for you all’ in 2004. Anthrax brought Joey Belladonna back in 2005 for a reunion of the classic line up before leaving Anthrax again. The band currently have Dan Nelson on vocals and are releasing a new album sometime this year.

This thrash nostalgia made you want to don some converse trainers and retro bags again? Go here.

March 23rd, 2009 by admin

If you have always wanted to learn to play the guitar but private lessons are just too expensive for you then the Guitar lessons on dvd is just the cost effective solution for you. You can realistically become a great guitar player with this program and be playing better then you ever thought you could in less then a year. Before deciding to buy Learn & Master guitar, take time to read testimonials, review their site, and fully read our review of the course.

Here are just a few of the benefits to using the Guitar Lesson Dvd to learn to play and master the guitar. Using this Guitar lesson dvd course is far less expensive then paying for a weekly private lesson that could add up to more then $500 over a full year. The second reason is it's easier to learn to play from a DVD when learning from home on your own. Thirdly, this home study course is all on your terms, so you learn as quickly or slowly as you want or have time for. Fourth, you don't have to worry about schedule conflicts with the rest of your life since there are no time commitments to when you learn or take a lesson with a guitar lesson dvd. Fifth, there are a lot of varying guitar styles to be learned, more probably then you can learn or have time for at private lessons.

What will you get with this amazing home course? With the Guitar Lesson Dvd you will receive 20 DVDs with demonstrations on video with easy to understand and follow instructions to show you exactly what to do and how to play, a printed workbook complete with easy instructions and exercises that follow the videos, CDs that you can jam with to use what you are learning as you go, the professional instruction of guitar pro and instructor Steve Krenz and access to a community with Steve and other students for support and feedback.  

This whole system for learning to play the guitar is jam packed with everything you need in one neat package. Many students have learned to play like pros by using the Guitar Lesson Dvd with all the tools it offers. After you have read the full Learn and Master guitar review and you decide you want to use this DVD for your guitar lessons you will be well on your way to playing guitar like the pros.

March 22nd, 2009 by admin

The Start of Queen Songs

In the dim and distant past, the rock band called Queen rose to fame.

This short article is dedicated to all who played those fantastic Songs by Queen. Freddie Mercury, Brain May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon, which if I remember correctly was the bands line up in 1971.

While a little research revealed they had a grand total of 39 songs on vinyl records. Remember vynil?Black and round and when scratched went click. Of course the one that anyone worth their salt knows is Queen Bohemian Rhapsody. Other stand out songs, We Will Rock You, Killer Queen and Dont Stop Me Now.

The band started out at the end of the 1960's, finding their legs when Freddie Mercury started to front the band and sang lead. The album which seem to bring Queen recognition,was the album 'Sheer Heart Attack'.

History of the band. 1968/9 -1973. Brian May,Tim Staffell joined up with drummer Roger Taylor to form a band called 'Smile' and singed to Mercury Records that year. Tim Staffell was a student at Ealing Art Collage with Farrokh Bulsara. Tim introduced Farrohk to the band and he became a great fan. Tim left to join another band called Humpy Bong,with Farrohk - later changing his name to Freddie Mercury. They changed the name to "Queen". The band did not really settle, until John Deacon joined as bass player in February 1971. There was the quite normal period of time while the band gelled together and not until 1974 that the band hit mainstream success. The Queen 2 album witch reach number 5 in the album charts and had the lead single 'Seven Sea's of Rye'.

Big Time beckonds.

'Sheer Heart Attack' reach number 2 in the UK and sold well in Europe,going gold in US. Then the forth album 'A Night at The Opera' really put the band on the map. Queen songs from the album were of course the now legendary Bohemian Rhapsody and the amazing video which at the time was ground breaking visual effects. The rest they say, is history.

Sadly Freddie Mercury passed away in 1991 and John Deacon retired in 1997.