How To Write Good Songs - Tips In Creating Music As A Guitarist

Are you a guitarist and want to know how to write good songs? As a guitarist and singer, it can be a little intimidating trying to come up with your very first tune. The process can be long and frustrating, but it can also be fun once you break through the creative wall and good songs start flowing out. A good song has two main ingredients, which are a great melody and awesome lyrics.

Before picking up your guitar and starting the process of writing a new song, an important tip to remember is input before output. This means that you first have to listen to songs that you like and which will inspire you to create good music. This is exactly the reason music artists sound like one another in their own genres. Artists inspire one another and challenge one another in writing music.

The first step in songwriting is to create a playlist of music that you like and how you would like your songs to sound. Listen to that playlist every day and just absorb the music. The playlist of songs will soon inspire you and melodies will start popping into your head. When this starts to happen, many tunes will be coming out of your head, and it'll be overwhelming in trying to remember how they all sound.

Therefore, what to remember is to always carry around a digital voice recorder. When a tune forms in your head, take out your recorder and lay it down by singing the melody or by playing it on your guitar. Soon you'll have a whole batch of melodies of potential songs pre-recorded and will make the song writing process a little easier.

During all this, what you should also be doing is coming up with and writing down lyrics for the songs you will be developing. Inspiration for writing lyrics can come from anywhere as well. This can happen while reading a book with lots of descriptive words and creative writing, or it can come from watching a movie. And of course it will also come from your inspirational playlist of music.

Carry around a small notepad or use your cell phone notepad for jotting down lyrics. When it finally comes time to start writing songs, take your guitar and take out your voice recorder and notepad of lyrics. Find and piece together three melodies that go well together, which will be used as the verse, chorus, and bridge. When you're done, you can then use your lyrics to come up with the singing hooks. Soon you'll have many good songs that family, friends and fans will enjoy.

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Learn Piano For You

Do You Want to Play Piano?

Do you listen to the piano and think, I wish that was me? Then why isn't it you? Everyone decides what they want to do in life and everyone is faced with the big hurdle: that is to start. Let us make no mistake that a concert pianist has spent a lot of time practicing, perhaps a very large percentage of their life. But also make no mistake that a moderate amount of time spent in well-guided regular practice will also bear fruit. This could be the new you.

Motivation to Start

When you depress a single key and play one note there is a musical quality associated with that note. It has a pitch and a resonance. from there you learn the progression of notes in a scale and eventually the association of notes yielding harmony in a chord, or if desired a discord.

By selecting a suitable learn to play the piano book or a suitable learn to play the piano software and setting aside perhaps just 15 minutes or 30 minutes a day you will find that as with most things the early learning curve is quite steep. I would be surprised if you are not playing some single note, melody, tunes within the first few days.

Decide now just how important it is to you to learn to play the piano. If it is worth a little time and effort you will be where I was when I decided to teach myself. I must admit that within a short time I became hooked, spending more and more time at practice. Often, after a challenging day at work and traveling I would sit at the piano. Because of the attention required, and as a result of the calming effect of the balance and harmony in the music that I was playing a sense of relaxation and peace took over. You see the bonus benefit that not only was I learning to play the piano, but I was also benefiting from the therapy of music.

This will not happen on day one, but just persevere and be a little patient, and it will happen soon enough.

A Few Words of Lesson

You will already know that it helps to be able to read music. Yes it does, and it is not all so difficult, although initially this can be daunting. Music in its simplicity is not much more than a step ladder that climbs from low notes to high notes. Some of the steps are reduced to a half step signified by a flat or a sharp, suitably represented by symbols. The step ladder spans groups of 5 spaced lines, called a stave. Another symbol at the start of these sets of lines indicates whether it is a higher treble clef, or a lower bass clef or perhaps another of the less numerous clefs.

The individual notes are coded A, B, C, D, E, F, G and then another set of A, B and so on.

Add a time signature, for example where a 4 indicates four notes in each bar segment. So a musician might well count 1, 2, 3, 4 and then 1, 2, 3, 4 and so on providing period and rhythm.

It is clearly impossible for me to teach you all about music in a few short sentences, however in a way it is almost just too simple, says one who knows. Just accept that you can do it, it is not rocket science, it is just enshrined in mystery, until the mystique is pealed away.

Playing by Ear, for Some

Quite apart from the need for music, many can play by ear. This requires attentive listening and keen hearing. You select the notes by their sound, you select groups of notes by the harmony of the notes you are seeking.

I would encourage you to start learning with music and a suitable course of instruction, and let the option of playing by ear be a consideration for the future.

Start Right

It is important to be guided and to have correct instruction so that just as music has its steps, so too you must take it a step at a time. This will avoid unnecessary frustration and it will enable you to progress. The measure of success will become obvious if you assess your progress over months or years of time. Looking back will give you satisfaction and surprise you. Even Mozart didn't start off without those early steps.

There is no doubt that if you put your mind to it, devote regular time each and every day you too will become a pianist, the measure of your talent and effort will be the only limitation on whether you become really great, or like me just enjoy the fun and wonder at how you ever achieved so much. Enjoy!

Ronald Heron plays several instruments, including piano and wants others to share in the wonder of music.

Website: http://www.urban-rise.com/

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Ten Tips for Memorizing Music

Do you memorize sheet music by playing it over and over, hoping it will somehow stick in your brain after playing a song many times through? Sometimes this will work, especially if you are playing a short piece.

If you have ever experienced forgetting where you are at a lesson or recital, you might want to try these ten ideas to make memorizing easier for you.

1. Learn the song first before you begin to memorize it.

2. Use the proper fingering.

3. Practice slowly and steadily at first.

4. Watch your hands as you play.

5. Memorize your hands separately.

6. Memorize small sections, maybe one or two measures of music. Don't try to memorize the whole song in a day.

7. Divide the piece into sections and plan to learn some each day. Then review all the sections. Start anywhere and play through the A and B section of a song. Focus on the ending to the song, so with the knowing the last measure, you can end strong.

8. Analyze the music. Notice notes and sections that repeat. Pay attention to where the music changes. Memorize the dynamics and other markings in the song.

9. Practice mentally away from the piano, tapping your fingers on the table or visualizing the music in front of you.

10. Repetition.

Many teachers consider memorization one of the most important aspects of piano playing. Most books, which discuss the how-to of memorization, stress the importance of understanding the details of musical form. So, start an opening phrase of music and learn it without the music.

Then consider the physical demands the piece of music is making. Look for tricky fingering that comes up at a certain point. Play it many times over and over, remember the feeling. Are your hands playing together or separately? Are they moving in opposite directions? On which notes does the thumb go?

Each time you hit a blind spot, you need to refer to the printed music. Remember that when you hit your first blank moment, open your music book and find the place in the music you couldn't remember. Play through it a few times. Now you've begun to deepen your understanding of the song.

Most importantly, every now and then play the song you memorized because some memorization is only short-term. The advantages to following these points are many. By memorizing, the music is unfolding in a new way.

Diana Rogers is a piano teacher and music teacher for a kindergarten class. A free monthly newsletter is available at http://ladydpiano.com/.

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Teaching Guitar in the 21st Century

Could I be teaching guitar without a computer? I could but I don't! The computer is part of most people lives today with Facebook, Google, Twitter, iTunes and more. It is big part of my teaching business. My uses for the computer include research, developing teacher materials, transcribing, marketing, sales, website, email, and recording.

I research online what other teachers are teaching and how they teach it. I see the good and the bad. This helps me improve my teaching ability. I also shop for books for students and myself to use for lessons. Google books is great for this. You can get "a look inside" of book you are shopping for. You can also see some reviews.

A guitar teacher not using a computer is not being competitive. The ability to produce clean and professional handouts and materials with software greatly improves student's and parents perception of the teacher. I have built a nice folder of files for my students ranging from open chords, notes on the guitar to advanced chords and polyrhythm. I do not have to write things in each lesson. It is already done. I have the printed out or can email them to the student.

I use software for transcribing. I have software that will slowdown MP3's to make it easier and more accurately to transcribe. I save these slowdown versions for students so they can practice songs slowly and gradually speed up to the proper tempo. This is important. The software will also change pitch, which comes in handy with bands that tune down. I can raise the pitch to regular tuning or in the case of drop C or B tunings, to drop D. I do not have to retune my whole guitar. I use another software to write out the songs or solos I am learning. I do this for my students and myself. I also encourage my students to do the same.

I use recording software to record custom backing tracks and exercises for my students. The backing tracks are used for learning to solo with different techniques. When a student learns to play a song, they can record with the backing into the computer during a lesson. Recording songs, techniques, and exercises with a video camera into the computer also helps students practice and review what was done in the lesson.

Other use of the computer for the guitar teacher is a website. A guitar teacher needs a website. When someone is looking for a local teacher, most of them go to Google and do a search. Having a website is necessary to get students. Teachers can develop a website online at various hosting companies. I did this for a while but I was getting annoyed and impatience with having to go online to change or add anything to the site. I eventually bought website software so I have more control and quicker updates to the site. Potential students contact me via phone or email from information posted on my website. Potential students contact me via phone or email from information posted on my website. Current students can go to the site and do ear training, watch videos and more.

I feel without the use of the computer for various aspects of my teaching business, I would have less students and less money.

Hopefully, this helps.

Brian has over 18 years Music industry experience and a guitar player for over 30 years. Brian currently teaches in Rockland County, NY. He can be contacted at guitarhelper@guitarhelper.net.

http://www.guitarhelper.net/

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The Homage Technique of Hit Song Writing

People always ask; "How do you write a hit song?" They don't actually ask me that, but I have my opinions just the same. First you need to realize just what is a hit song? Most laymen will say a hit song is any song that appears on the charts, gets substantial radio airplay and sells copies. But if you've ever watched a record company exec listen to your demo tape you know they're listening for a particular song format. They want to hear a short, catchy and unique intro followed by a short, catchy and unique verse followed by a repeating chorus. This is the formula of a hit song. Sound and musical style also enters into it as it can sound immediately passé or dated if the currently popular drum sound or echo effect isn't used but those are arrangement issues, not song writing issues.

Record company professionals always say the surest way to have a hit record is to record a hit song, meaning do a remake of an old hit. As an aspiring songwriter this advise doesn't help you unless you realize that you can rewrite an old hit song. Many people including Paul MacCartney have admitted to using this technique.

Using the Homage approach to hit song writing gives you some advantages such as a ready formed hit song format. You already know how long your intro, verse and chorus are going to be and how many verses and choruses you're going to have. You may also have the key and mode and even the basic chord structure. Mostly though, you will have a mood or vibe from which to build your hit.

A great example of an album chock full of Homage Hits is Paul Revere & The Raiders - Greatest Hits. An American answer to the British Invasion even to the point of wearing Revolutionary War uniforms, their big hits of the era are virtual remakes of the British invaders' songs.

* Just Like Me - This copy of the Kinks' power chord tune, All Day and All of the Night, even features the hectic guitar solo style first heard on the Kink's hit, You Really Got Me.

* Kicks - The twelve string intro with the sliding bass line is right out of the Byrds' Mr. Tambourine Man.

* Hungry - The fuzz tone guitar doubling the bass riff would have been cutting edge in 1966 if not for the Rolling Stone's Satisfaction of 1965.

* Steppin' Out - Listen to the chord structure, the pulsating bass line and the twangy guitar of the intro and then tell me this hasn't anything to do with the Nashville Teens' Tobacco Road.

I'm not criticizing the band at all for recording songs that bare such striking similarities. The Raiders didn't write their material and most of their hits were written by the major songwriters of the day such as Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil (Kicks and Hungry). I am saying that those songs are good examples of taking a proven formula and changing it enough to make it something original and your own. One of the benefits of rewriting a hit song, besides writing a potential new hit, is that because you're consciously duplicating a previous work you know how far to go to make it sound original. Many times you're caught by surprise when you've written what you think is a completely original composition only to have someone point out it is uncomfortably close to an oldie. At least if you do it intentionally you'll know what to expect.

Neal Warner is an artist, writer, filmmaker, member of the multimedia band, The Tooners and founder of Director's Clip the Music Video Sponsorship Site ( http://www.directorsclip.com/ ).

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Music Theory Is Actually Redundant

I have always been fascinated by traditional African percussion. I'm no expert on percussion but I have had the good fortune to study with some great people in many places including Brazil, Uruguay, Senegal and Guinea Bissau. These experiences have influenced me a lot as a person and as a musician. I went to these countries innocently enough, just looking to learn some cool drum rhythms. But what I ultimately learned was a totally different way of relating to music, a different value system. Music serves a different purpose in these places. In my opinion, it serves a better purpose. Its function is not so much to entertain or impress but rather to heal and to connect people with their past, with each other and with nature.

They also have a completely different approach to teaching music. I was surprised when I found out that my percussion teachers had no way of writing down their music. Not only that, but in fact they didn't even have any way to talk about their music! The whole Western idea of half-notes, quarter-notes, rests and measures was completely unknown to them. And I'm talking about some of the most well-known and respected musicians in Brazil and West Africa. These guys are "masters" in the most austere sense of the word. They are incredibly precise and clear-thinking. They have complete mastery over the sound of their instruments and they know a seemingly infinite repertoire of compositions and arrangements. When you get a few of them together to play it's an awesome experience. Their music is thunderous, beautiful, joyful and frightening all at the same time!

When I discovered that they have no names or symbols for the rhythms they play, I figured that their music must be largely improvised, kind of like the hippie "drum circles" that are common in the U.S. and Europe but maybe with a higher skill level. This assumption also turned out to be wrong. In fact the pieces they play are very rigidly defined right down to every last little sixteenth-note. They have different sections with 1st and 2nd endings, codas and the like. And each section consists of multiple parts to be played simultaneously by several different drummers. There are even sections for call-and-response and improvisation. But these are all my words, my way of explaining how their music works. They don't use any of these terms. They don't even know what a measure is. Their music has triplets and eighth-notes, but the musicians themselves have no words to say, "triplets and eighth-notes."

What was most astonishing to me was the absolute perfection and simplicity in their use of time. I mean, if nobody has any concept of a measure or a time signature then probably there will be a few measures with extra beats, won't there? In fact there is nothing of the kind. They play in absolutely perfect 4/4 time, or 3/4 or 6/8 or what have you, with no deviation ever from the basic time signature.

It is actually very easy to notate their music with our Western music staves and symbols because their music is so extremely precise and well-ordered, despite the fact that they live their entire lives without ever analyzing it visually. Being a typical Westerner I was very impressed that people could achieve so much despite the lack of theory. But the real story is about what they are able to achieve as a result of their lack of theory. Unencumbered by a parallel language, they can concentrate entirely on the language of sounds. They simply live inside this world of sounds and they get to know all of its elements so deeply that it never even occurs to them to name the elements that make up their music.

In our own culture we are obsessed with naming things. If we can't reduce something to words we feel like we don't really understand it. In music, this obsession has driven us to invent a staggering number of musical concepts that students are now required to read about and memorize. Every conceivable way to group notes together has been declared a "scale" and has been given some exotic name. Every possible type of harmonic movement has been painstakingly identified and catalogued. College music professors today are more concerned about our ability to correctly name all these techniques than they are about our ability to actually make music.

And yet, despite all our theory and all our names, almost nobody in our society has any idea how music works. Most music theory professors can't improvise or compose anything. Nor can they recognize the harmony in the songs they hear on the radio. Paradoxically, we only begin to understand how music works when we stop asking the question. The question itself pulls us out of the world of sounds and throws us into the world of discussion about sounds. What we are really doing is shifting our attention to a parallel language alongside what was already a very highly organized language. This is why I say that music theory is redundant. Music itself is already so very elegant, so supremely well organized, that its mere contemplation leads one to comprehend it perfectly.

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Singing Exercises Are the Push-Ups of Voice Training

Are singing exercises really mandatory? No, they are not. They are only mandatory if you want to become a successful singer with a long and important career. Sure, some singers may never have done a scale in their lives. But then again, some people win the Lottery with the first ticket they buy. Willie Nelson probably never warbled a mee-mee-mee in his whole life. (Only guessing here; I've never asked) But few people have the charisma and sincerity that we see in Willie. He is a poet who puts tunes to his poems when he reads them.

For the rest of us, the answer to that question is a resounding "YES." Singing is an athletic endeavor. And just like any other athletic activity, in order to be most effective, a subtle combination of brain, body and voice needs to be coordinated. These elements should be awakened by singing exercises so they can work freely together.

A singer needs to sing scales and exercises in order to practice the elements of the techniques they are learning in a "pure" form. By that, I mean, without being distracted by issues like words, rhythm and interpretation. This is the time a singer gets to totally concentrate on the body, brain and voice synergy.

Singing exercises build a kind of muscle memory intended to allow the singer to forget about issues like breathing and support so they can concentrate on performance aspects when they are singing onstage or in the studio. It's too late to concentrate on breathing and support when you're standing onstage. That's when a singer must forget about the basics and perform. You have to rely on muscle memory. And the way to build that muscle memory is to do what every vocal coach hopes you will do, and that is to practice your exercises.

Exercises. That sounds like a lot of work and not much fun, doesn't it? Well, you could be right, but think of them like you would physical training. Crunches aren't much fun either, but when you don't do them, it shows in your performance and in your body.

Fabled violinist Jascha Heifetz made a good point when he said, "If I don't practice one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the public knows it."

For singers, I recommend warm-ups that work like building blocks, starting with the number one, all-time fundamental building block, which is effortless breathing. If you get the breathing part right, you stand a good chance of doing well with the rest of it. If you fail to establish your breathing correctly you will always be off-kilter.

The next step is to incorporate your method of support. Then focus on your resonating system and add it to the mix. I also recommend that as you go through your singing exercises, you begin with scales that are short and in a comfortable voice range for you. Build slowly by gradually lengthening the spread of the notes you sing and begin exploring the boundaries of both upper and lower registers.

There is a temptation to view singing exercises as a mindless activity. Nothing could be farther from the truth. They are only worth doing if you concentrate on building a smooth working machine that incorporates body, brain, and voice. Record yourself and monitor your progress. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. To quote football coach Vincent Lombardi, "Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect!"

Nashville vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams helped make stars out of many top artists: Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Dixie Chicks, Miley Cyrus, Huey Lewis, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Jason Aldean, Christina Aguilera...

Author of "Voice Power" AMACOM (NY), Renee offers insider's information via on-line lessons.

Click http://cybervoicestudio.com/ for a PDF of "Answers to Singers' 7 Most Important Questions" and free weekly video NewsLessons.

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The S6 Original Guitar From Seagull

Seagull may not end up being the very brand of guitar that people think of first however they do make tremendous acoustic guitars. And thinking about it thats all that actually matters, I've seen several guitarists claiming the same too, the Seagull S6 Original is amongst the best acoustic guitars for any novice for under $500.

Currently being a guitar that's rated among the finest acoustic guitars for beginners you would expect an awesome instrument and with the Seagull S6 you will not be disappointed. The guitar generates a melodious, warm sound that for the reasonably low price is surprisingly good. Genuinely producing better sound in comparison to that of several guitars that are made by larger brand names priced twice as much. However though it doesn't truly equal the top names in guitars.

I understand that this is a matter of judgment, but I absolutely love the style of such a instrument. I reckon the color on the topside of the body is exceedingly attractive and I really like the finish. The back of the instrument is also a very nice brown and also the pattern of the wood appears to be really good. Also at the back of the machine heads you will come across engraved Seagull's, I'm exceedingly fulfilled with all the small niceties. You're able to probably tell that I am personally very excited with the looks of the instrument and cannot think of anything about this acoustic guitar I'd change.

The Seagull S6 Original Acoustic Guitar is not devoid of some drawbacks however. Many owners have reported that the cedar top being made from soft wood causes it to be susceptible to dents and scratches, nonetheless any guitar (or anything for that matter) will get bumps and scratches just because of use, as long as it sounds an equal. As a good pair of shoes, they get better the more you make use of them and the more worn they get. The missing front strap button it is an additional downside for some players. Except these you will come across no other noticeable weaknesses within the Seagull S6 Beginners guitar making it a brilliant choice for a novice guitar.

It is intended to last and if you are a newcomer that desires to stay away from needing to upgrade in a years time then the S6 is a great selection as it will last you as long as you need it to. This is probably because Seagull doesn't outsource the production over seas. This guitar is made in Seagull's native land of Canada.

All in all, I really like this guitar as it sounds tremendous, looks fantastic, and is not overpriced. I highly recommend it very highly for any guitarist searching for a high class acoustic guitar.

I think that his is a fantastic guitar for the price and the quality. Take a another look at http://seagulls6original.com/

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Essentials of Guitar Parts

Understanding how to play your guitar has been revolutionized with the Web. It really is incredibly easy just before to understand on-line using items like Jamorama, which covers each of the bases. Via reading music along with tabs to playing by simply hearing, Jamorama is really a comprehensive instructional advantage for your start participant in addition to advanced beginner participants.

But before you are free to everything that stuff and start your current acoustic guitar training, you have to educate yourself on the aspects of the guitar. That's where I appear in. Here i will discuss the various from the guitar with regards to a right handed person. In case you are a lefty, only switch a guitar above and also turn back guitar strings.

Thus, you might be holding the guitar on your knee. The body will be regenerating through your correct side. From your bottom part with the physique proceeding on the neck of the guitar, the parts in the guitar are generally:

1. The tailpiece. This particular retains one particular end from the guitar strings. In most cases metal, occasionally features a whammy tavern that come with the idea which is either bolted or perhaps stuck on the system.

2. The body. This really is which pretty shaded, shaped component which is just below your current proper hand. Here is the greatest part of the tool as well as controls the noise of the particular instrument. Usually made of some form of solid wood nevertheless at times many other materials are utilized.

3. The actual decide on ups or even sound hole. By using an electric guitar, you will have a solid opening within the strings within body. By using an electric guitar, there will be between one particular as well as 3 digital pick-ups there (zero hole). Those two have a similar function, which is to move sound and earn everything you enjoy perceptible.

4. The neck. That is sticking out in your quit right now there and is a couple of? toes long. Necks are made from various kinds of components. Most typical are rosewood along with basswood. Top quality instruments may use mahogany the following.

5. The particular frets. These are the basic tiny steel cafes working across the guitar neck. The particular better these are to the system, the closer these are with each other. These kinds of make different hues probable and your fingertips will likely be put only to their rear.

6. The nut. This is where the particular guitar neck joins the headstock. It is a difficult nylon and contains lines in which behave as instructions to the guitar strings.

7. The actual headstock along with tuning keys. This is the uppermost section of the electric guitar and possesses your focusing keys attached with the idea. Your guitar strings will be used from the tailpiece and after that threaded with the intonation recommendations and ripped tight being tuned. The actual intonation secrets might be anything from plastic material to be able to precious metal.

These elements are explained much more thoroughly throughout Jamorama, the internet electric guitar study course that is certainly taking the World wide web by hurricane. You won't find out these aspects of a guitar however more to do with exactly what his or her objective is actually and how to use them in order to adjust the sound.

Want to know more about Fender guitar parts? Learn the basics of electric, bass and acoustic guitar parts by visiting GuitarAction.org now.

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Things You Need For Your Guitar Lessons

So, you decided to take guitar lessons. There are certain items you will definitely need. Let's look at them.

First off you will need guitar. Usually with school programs, the student or parent can rent a instrument from the local music store. With guitar though, most stores do not rent guitars. You might get lucky if you try your local music store. In the end you will probably have to purchase a guitar.

Now in the past, most beginning students learned on acoustic guitar which is fine but you can also start on the electric. Usually the acoustic guitar was less of an investment but now the quality of inexpensive imported electric guitars is good. It also depends on the style of music you want to play. If you are into singer/songwriter style, pop or country, you might go acoustic. If you want to get into metal, rock, etc. go with the electric. I feel the electric guitar is more fun in the beginning and might keep the interest high. Electric strings are closer tot he fingerboard making it easier to press the string and achieve a sound.The strings on a nylon (classical) guitars are softer on the fingers but the guitar has a wider fingerboard. A steel string acoustic guitar might be the hardest but will build strength.

If you go with the electric guitar, you will need small practice amp

Beginner electric guitars come in packages with an amp and accessories. This will get you started. The cable you get to connect the guitar the amp is low quality. Invest in a better cable.

Purchasing a gig bag (soft cover) or case is a good idea. Again, in the guitar packages you should get some type of gig bag. You can do buy an acoustic guitar not in a package, this gives you the option of getting a better bag and accessories.

You will need a tuner. The tuners in the packages usually aren't that great so invest in a decent tuner. You should get one that has a metronome also built-in. A tuner will last a life-time if you take care of them and do not lose them. I've been playing for over 30 years and had only 2 tuner and 2 metronome. I will be purchasing a tuner/metronome to replace my current tuner and metronome. Right now I have two units. I want the convenience of one unit.

Picks will come in the packages. If not, pick up some. They come in different shapes and thickness. I suggest the regular triangle size with either a medium to heavy thickness. You could also try a light pick.

A capo might be necessary if you are playing pop and some rock stuff.

Make sure you have extra strings. Strings do break.

One of the best inventions, I think, is the peg winder. It makes restringing the guitar so much faster. They are inexpensive. I recommend ones with a built-in string cutter that are little more money but again it is nice to have one tool instead of two.

Definitely a music stand for practicing. A guitar stand is a good idea because if the guitar is out on the stand you will be more incline to pick it up and practice and play more.

Get a Teacher. There are plenty of beginning books out there. There are also many online lessons. Eventually you will need a personal teacher. You are human and we are all different. A good guitar teacher can give you the personal attention and guidance you will need to progress that no book, DVD or online video can offer you. Having a weekly guitar lesson also motivates you to get things done.

You need time to practice. You have to schedule practice into your weekly time.

Kids have other activities. Adults are busy with family, work, etc. You have to be diligent with the practice time.

You will need nice, quiet place to practice. You should use a room that is away from distractions. Not the couch in front of the TV. Have a music stand in the room.

Lastly, you need desire, passion, dedication and patience to learn the guitar and music in general. Don't expect to be playing fill songs for awhile. Improvement is done in "baby steps". The more correct practicing you do the faster you will progress.

Hopefully, this helps.

Brian has over 18 years Music industry experience and a guitar player for over 30 years.

He can be contacted at guitarhelper@guitarhelper.net.
http://www.guitarhelper.net/

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How to Motivate Your Child to Play Piano

Have you ever had trouble asking your children to practice piano everyday, or have you ever heard them saying, "I don't want to go to piano class"? These are the most common yet most neglected problems that both teachers and parents are facing today. Often, it is the parents that want the children to take piano lessons because the parents know taking lessons will develop an additional skill for the children. This skill may become a useful tool for them in the future. However, many children do not want to attend piano class because they do not want to practice everyday or simply they do not find a purpose in going to these classes. The following will tackle the first problem as mentioned above and my second article will talk about how can the teachers and parents transform the children into saying "I LOVE piano class!"

"I don't want to practice every day."

Often, students do not like to practice every day because practice is equivalent to extra work for them aside from the day to day school. In fact, there is often enough homework from school that can take up the whole night for the children to complete. Thus, practice piano means there will be less playing time for them. However, have you ever thought do children really like to go to school everyday or sometimes they just go because it becomes a routine or a habit? This is the key to practice piano everyday. If the children practice piano everyday, soon enough, it will become a routine and it will be become a part of their lives like going to school. Thus, for beginners, the key is to ask the children to practice everyday. The duration of the practice can be short, for example, ten minutes. The purpose is to develop a practice habit and allow the children to practice everyday so it will become a daily activity for them. Since the materials at the beginners level is not difficult at all, practice for an hour everyday would not be beneficial to them. Instead, practice only ten minutes but everyday would help them to develop a habit and send a message to their mind that this is part of their daily routine.

Some of you may think, "I already know this, but the problem is to get them to even practice ten minutes a day." In fact, a lot of parents and teachers neglect one important aspect in helping the children to develop this practice habit: the parents need to sit down and practice with the children. This may some obscure in the beginning as some may think that since they have no knowledge of piano they cannot practice with the children. In order to sit down and practice with the children, the parent must sit in during piano class and learn together with their children. As the children is a beginner to piano, so is the parent. The parent will always pick up materials faster than the children in the beginning. Thus, the parent's role at home is more like a mentor than a teacher. The children will not be able to absorb all the materials presented in class. However, if the parents remind their children what they have learned in class, often, children can recall the memory quickly of what they have learnt in class. The key is to practice together. Once the children develop the practice habit, parents will not be needed to practice together with the child.

In summary, parents need to sit in during their children piano class and learn together with them. Then, parents need to practice at home together with their children everyday for ten minutes. Soon, the children will develop the practice habit and parents will not be needed to practice with them anymore. However, some parents may still have a difficult them getting their children to go to the piano and practice everyday, this is because the children do not see a purpose in practicing and they simply do not like piano. When they do not have an interest in piano, this is the main reason that they do not practice everyday. In my next article, I will be talking about how to motivate the children so that they will turn around and say, "I love piano class!"

David Liu, A.R.C.T

David Liu is the founder of Staccato Music School with over 20 years of piano experience. Students rank in Top 2% in Canada under the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) syllabus. 100% exam passing rate. The school offers piano lessons in Mississauga, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Markham. With many real scenarios, the school has successfully transformed many children from hesitating to play piano to practicing twice or even three times a day. For more information, please visit: http://www.staccatopiano.com/, or contact 647 463 0565.

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4 Tips For Songwriting

If you are looking for tips for songwriting, then you have came to the right place! Not everyone can create award winning music, because it takes a special talent, and a lot of work. Do you have the ambition it takes to become a song writer? If you can honestly answer that question with a yes, then you should follow your dream and do everything it takes to become successful.

Below, you will find 4 tips for songwriting.

Tip #1: Use Emotions.

People enjoy listening to music that has emotion. Whether the song is about a woman, a guy, love in general, and even anger. People love songs they can relate to. It helps some people through problems, if they are upset about something, or when they are mad over something. If a person is in love, they might even dedicate your song to a loved one.

Tip #2: Song Structure.

Song structure is a very important part of a song, which most writers already know. Without a good structure, the song is just words. It can be put into a storybook layout, where the song tells a story, or it can just be about something or someone.

Tip #3: Try To Be Different From Other Artists.

Try to remember there are a lot of artists out there, in the world. Anyone can copy from another person and try to duplicate their style, or even try their best to improve it in some way. When you are original and you can offer something different, it's a lot easier to succeed and stay at the top. People look for different types of music, all the time, and the studio managers know this. It's why they look for talent inside of people.

Tip #4: Keeping Up On Songwriting Skills.

A lot of songwriters think they have everything they need to make great songs, but majority of them are wrong. A true songwriter stays ahead of their competition, and staying sharp with their skills. Also, they always look for the newest and best material to help them, when it comes to making songs. They are constantly researching for better ways to help them. This takes a lot of dedication and devotion. It's how they succeed, in this field.

Hopefully, the 4 tips on songwriting I have listed above has helped you. Just try to do your best, always stay positive, and keep believing in yourself. Don't let failing bring you down, because we all fail through out life. Once you succeed and start making great songs, it will be worth everything you have fought for.

Joe Nobles enjoys helping people with their musical talents, and doing what he can to help others succeed in life. He has found one of the Best Tips For Songwriting is believing in yourself, and trying as hard as you can to pursue the dream you have always wanted in your life. For more valuable tips on songwriting, please visit: http://www.squidoo.com/tipsforsongwriting

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Easy Ways to Care for Your Guitar

You've picked out your favorite guitar from the shop. You've brought it home and given it a name. We all have names for our guitars, right? Now you want to learn how to keep your baby in good condition forever.

Think of your guitar like white wine, conditioned properly it'll taste better in 20 years. Follow these tips below and you'll find that the wood aging process will help your guitar sound better than when you purchased it.

Guitar Maintenance 101

The Strings

Taking care of the guitar strings is important. It'll keep your guitar sounding great for months and save you money from purchasing new strings. That being said you should replace your strings before recording music, before live performances (except if you are touring then maybe every few concerts) and anytime when the sound of your guitar seems dull.

To maintain your stings be sure to wipe them down with a cloth after playing. This will remove any oil and debris that has gotten onto the string while playing. There are conditioners you can use but they aren't necessary.

It's also a good idea to wipe down the back of the neck of the guitar at this time.

The fretboard

Maintaining the fretboard can be tricky but your best plan of attack is to clean it when replacing the strings. For this a thorough scrubbing is needed to get the junk out from the crevasses between the frets and the wood surface. Use a damp cloth for this job but be sure to dry out the wood. For this task I recommend a conditioner. It'll help the wood keep the moisture it needs and can provide an extra layer of protection from dirt and grime.

The body of the guitar

This is the easiest part. A simple wipe down of the surface should do you. Every few months it's also a good idea to use a conditioner here as well.

Hardware

On the electric guitar you'll have more to do here then on the acoustic guitar. This first thing for you to do is to make sure all screws, nuts and bolts are tightened. Careful not to over-tighten as this can damage sensitive parts. Your second task is to polish the metallic parts. A wipe with a damp cloth should be enough but you can get metal polish as well. Be sure to test an area first.

Storage

This last maintenance tip is probably the most important but one that many of beginning music students are unaware of. Storage of a guitar can make or brake it's sound. This is because wood is quite sensitive to changes in weather. These tips work well for anyone but are most important for those who live in Northern climates such as Canada because of the extreme weather changes.

Just like white wine in the summer you'll want to keep your guitar in a cool and dry place. Leaving it in the sun is a bad idea. So is leaving it in your car.

The winter is almost the opposite. Keep it in a warm place that is shielded from the elements. You also want to keep the humidity at a consistent level. A good option for this is a sound hole humidifier.

Well, there you have it guitar maintenance 101. You are now ready to rock.

Jordan Stevens continues to inspire people to play music and perform at their best. His music can be heard on the Internet, in short films and on corporate phone systems. He is the Chief Noisemaker at CJSmusic and in his spare time he loves to swim with the fishes in the sea.

If you'd like to learn how to create a brand that will stand out and be heard, check out cjsmusic.ca

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Blues Guitar Lessons

What is Blues?

Blues is a musical genre or musical form originated from work songs, spirituals and field hollers of African American community. The blues musical form is present in all types of Music including jazz, rock & roll and rhythms. Blues musical genre can be played in different instruments like Guitar, Saxophone, Drums, Trumpet and Trombone. Blues is exemplified using different chord progressions, of which the 12 bar Blues chord progressions are very common.

Want Blues Guitar Lessons?

Are you interested in playing blues musical form on your Guitar? Then you have to learn and practice the blues guitar in between lessons. The guitar lessons are available to play different styles of blues like Chicago blues, slow blues, funky blues, jazz blues, boogaloo and much more. You can learn all these styles with various chords and progressions by going through the lessons mentioned below:

Blues Guitar Beginner Lessons

If you are a beginner in learning, then start with beginner lessons including rhythm, minor rhythm, shuffle rhythm, scales, intro licks and basic licks. When you are done with these lessons, begin with blues solos lessons. Then you can proceed with intermediate lessons including two chord licks, low string solo and swing solo.

Blues Guitar Lead Lessons

When you have learnt beginner guitar, you can proceed with the lead lessons to master in blues. The lead lessons include blues licks and solos, classic blues licks, classic double stop licks, bends, movable blues, Jody's shuffle and much more. You have to also concentrate on lessons related to blues rhythm, blues turnaround and acoustic.

Learn all guitar lessons with full care and master them. No doubt that you will soon become a best Guitarist like B.B. King, Leadbelly and Eric Clapton.

It is advisable that you practice the guitar daily to become the guitar player that you have always dreamed of. If you can only practice for five minutes of guitar each day this is far better than practicing for thirty five minutes every single week! It all comes down to hands on time with your guitar, the more you practice in between your guitar lessons the better.

It is not essential to own the custome Les Paul or Strat guitar in order to get the sound of your dream guitar player, the attitude of the player is far more important. Listen to what your teacher says during your blues guitar lessons for the best chance of success.

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Starting Music As An Adult

Hands up if you tried to learn music when you were a kid, and gave up after a while. Didn't like it? Didn't like having to practise? People said something negative? Too hard? Clashed with footie or basketball? The dog ate your theory homework?

Distant memories

Hands up if you're older now, perhaps in your 30s, 40s or 50s. You like music, and you wish you could play, even a bit, just for yourself. But you can't remember how music works. That's a treble clef, right? What's that other thing there? I'll screw up for sure...

Learning music in mid-life is a great thing to do. Most people like music, and even if you only play for yourself when everyone's out, it's an achievement. Lots of people get to their 30s and 40s and think something's missing. Often that thing can be music.

Stimulating the brain

But there are other good things about learning music later. Science is finding that new neural pathways are stimulated. For Alzheimer's prevention, the rule is "use it or lose it". Learning music is like learning a new language. If you could play when you were a child, then it will come back to you gradually. If you never learned, then there's a new, exciting world out there. Even if you've had a stroke, learning to play tunes on a keyboard with one hand could be really exciting and great therapy.

There are a wide range of books for piano, guitar and other instruments out there that were written for adults. Adult tutors are available for most instruments from your local music store.

What to play?

Piano and guitar are common choices. Piano probably because there's one in the house, or an electronic keyboard kicking around that the teenagers have left behind. Maybe guitar appeals because it's portable and you can sing along to your favourite songs as you strum. But you could try flute, sax, recorder, viola da gamba or any number of other instruments. It depends on your budget, time, teacher availability, how close the neighbours are and your personal preference. I don't suggest taking up bagpipes in a high rise.

Buying the instrument

If you buy a bad instrument, you'll always regret it. If you don't have a piano, guitar or other instrument yet, seek advice from a teacher, not a music store. They're there to sell instruments, and usually not look after your long-term musical aspirations, though there could be exceptions. You might find some facility for renting an instrument, which is ideal. But bear in mind that a $200 keyboard is a toy, not a piano, and there is a VAST difference in what can be achieved or learned.

Be the role model

Another benefit is that if you learn music as a parent of small children, you can act as a role model and get the kids more interested. Having music as a natural part of your family life and introducing a wide range of sounds and musical genres helps to broaden everyone's mind and enjoyment. One great thing is that you can experience some of the "speed humps" in the learning process first hand, and be more understanding of the process, or be able to explain it to your child. It's also great to be able to supervise practice from a more knowledgeable point of view.

Find the right teacher

For an adult, the challenge is to find a teacher who is committed to make learning interesting, flexible enough to go with your interests, and who gives positive feedback. Think about what YOU want from piano lessons and don't be afraid to discuss it first with a prospective teacher. Sometimes your second or third choice of teacher may be best for you. Conversely, the first person you find may not seem ideal at first, but may have valuable learning experiences for you. Someone who plays and teaches with passion can be an exciting and challenging musical mentor.

How often are lessons?

Generally weekly lessons give you the best results. When people try fortnightly lessons, they often don't practice much during the first week, then madly try to catch up, having forgotten what the teacher said in the last lesson, or worse, they come to the lesson without having done anything at all. This is a waste of your money and teacher's time and gets very frustrating. Commit to weekly lessons and you'll see a lot more progress. Also bring a cheap notebook to lessons and write down lots of notes for practice. Ask for a practice schedule.

What about online music lessons?

I don't recommend them. There's a lot of potential for misunderstanding, or technical mistakes which are very hard to correct. I haven't seen any good results from using them. Your teacher is (or should be) trained to watch everything from posture to tone production, integrate theory and general knowledge into your training, and be a mentor, advising you on all sorts of musical things. Lessons can be a lot of fun, and I think the interaction with other people is priceless.

Set realistic goals

If you're an older starter, you need to set some realistic goals. You could decide you want to join the opera, and maybe if you work hard enough, have great talent and a great teacher you might make it, but it's generally unlikely. You could just want to play a couple of pieces for yourself, or supervise the kids' practice, or you might want to join a local amateur music group and have fun playing with others. Think about it and discuss it with your teacher. Check the local paper for musical opportunities to work towards.

Go for it!

(c) Patrice Connelly, 2011

Patrice Connelly is an Australian musician who specialises in early music, and teaches piano, viola da gamba, music theory and history. She has an M.Mus (Hons) degree in musicology from the University of Sydney. Her business Saraband Music imports/exports, wholesales/retails and publishes sheet music, and she is involved in research, writing, editing, speaking and teaching music. Visit the Saraband Music website at http://www.saraband.com.au/

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Teach Yourself to Play Music - A Very Basic Lesson for Music and Piano

Finding your way round on the piano is not difficult; all you need to know is one note. With this key note, excuse the pun, you can find every note on the piano. So I can tell you that this key note is the Middle C. To find this key note look to the two black keys left of centre on your keyboard, now the white key left of these two black keys is the Middle C.

From one elusive note, Middle C, this enables you to find every note on the bass and treble lines of your sheet music. These notes that you have on your sheet music relate to the piano by way of the white keys of the keyboard. Using the same process that we used on the sheet music you can find and name every white key on the keyboard. But first you need locate the middle C on your keyboard.

To find this Middle C however we must look at the pattern of the black keys. You will see that they alternate from two together to three together. Now if we place a finger in the centre of our keyboard or piano, you will see a set of two black keys to the left of centre. The white key to the left of these twin black keys is the Middle C. To help you find it easy if you remember that the white key at the centre of every twin black keys is always the note D.

This shows that the nearest C to the centre of your keyboard is slightly left of centre. It is called the Middle C because of its location in sheet music. At this moment do not concern yourself further with the black keys. Now you have your Middle C, to the right of the Middle C is the treble staff or stave of your sheet music and to the left is the bass staff or stave of your sheet music.

With this knowledge and using white notes only, you should be able to play and name every note on the keyboard, from Middle C, go right to D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D and so on to the end of your keyboard, then from the Middle C again go left in reverse alphabet mode to B, A, G, F, E, D, C and so on to the left end of your keyboard. Play and say these notes out loud often and in different order in your practice and you will soon be able to find them at will.

Summing up, in this article, Teach Yourself to Play Music - A Very Basic Lesson for Music and Piano; we found Middle C on our sheet music and from there we found all the notes for the treble and all the notes for the base. Transferring that knowledge to the piano we found Middle C and from there we found all the notes to the right, the treble notes, all the notes to the left, the bass notes and played and named every white key on our keyboard. This has been a very basic lesson in music but I truly hope that it helped to demystify the piano and music in general.

My name is Ken Aindow and I too am a Budding Piano Player. I have always wanted to play music, but never realised just how easy it was to learn until now. From the article above you will now know how easy it is for you to each yourself to play music. If you wish to follow up on this type of easy lessons please feel free to visit my website - Teach Yourself To Play Music. for more free lessons and advice on where to go next.

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How To Tune Drums

So many times I hear students tell me that they need a new snare drum or that their toms are terrible. Sometimes it might be true but before they raid their parent's bank accounts I always offer to check out their existing drums. Often it's a simple case of a poorly tuned drum.

HEADS

If anything does need replacing, it is generally the drum head rather than the drum. Heads reach a point where they are impossible to tune and this will happen more quickly if you're a hard hitter.

When selecting heads, there are many on offer but discussing this in detail is for another article. As a general rule, the thinner heads resonate more freely and therefore offer more tone. These are better for recording purposes and include the likes of Evans G1, Remo Diplomat or Remo Ambassador.

Thicker heads offer more durability so if you're practising at home, or doing rock gigs and can't afford to keep replacing your split Ambassadors, these are worth checking out. For recording purposes they are less useful as they lack the tone and vibrancy of their thinner counterparts. Such options include the Evans G2, Evans EC2, Remo Emporer, and Remo pinstripe.

The bottom head is known as the resonant head. So to allow it to resonate, it is much thinner. Remo Diplomats and the like are great for toms. With the snare drum, some drummers use batter heads on the bottom but many will use the purpose made resonant heads offered by all the top brands.

TUNING

Before putting the new head on, make sure you have cleaned the debris and dust from the inside of the shell and around the bearing edges. Check that the bearing edges are in good condition as any imperfections will result in impossible tuning. If they are damaged, find a music shop that will recut them.

1. Place the head on your drum, place the rim on the head and slot the tension rods down into the lugs. Some people lubricate the tension rods with Vaseline.

2. Tighten each tension rod with your fingers. Always move across the drum and never to the tension rod next to where you started. If you begin at the 12 o'clock position, the next tension rod to be tuned is the one at 6 o'clock (see diagram above). Next you do the one at 1 o'clock, then 7 o'clock, etc. This allows the tension to be spread evenly around the drum.

3. Now, using the drum key start back at 12 o'clock and turn it 180 degrees. Now go round the drum, crisscrossing again with the half turn on each tension rod.

4. Repeat step 3 until the drum is close to the pitch that you want. You will want to do much smaller increments when it is close to the desired sound. Consider a 90 degree or 45 degree turn on each tension rod.

If it is a new head you will want to seat the drum head. Place one hand on the centre of the drum palm down. Place the other hand over it as if giving CPR. Push down fairly hard until you hear a terrifying splitting sound. Now relax, you haven't broken the head. You've just broken it in, allowing the bond between the glue and the rim to stretch to the shape of the drum. This would have happened anyway once you started smacking it with a wooden stick and it would have gone out of tune. Now tune it back up and it should stay there.

FINE TUNING

We are now close to being fully tuned but there is one more stage. To fine tune the drum you must tap the head an inch in from each tension rod. The pitch should be identical on each. That means the drum is evenly tuned. If one area is different in pitch, tweak it with the drum key and use your ear to listen until each part of the drum sounds even. Voila!

SNARE

Generally considered the most important drum of the drum kit, it is also very personal. Listen to ten great drummers and you will hear ten different snare sounds. This is affected by the snare drum shell material, snare heads, bearing edges, tuning, snare strand tension, playing style, and so on. You must find the right head combination and tuning for your own playing.

If the snare is buzzing, there are some solutions you can try:

1. Detune the lugs either side of the snares. You must then tighten the other lugs to compensate. This is the snare (bottom) head only, not the batter head.

2. Tune the batter head, or snare head to a different pitch.

3. Retune the high tom to a different pitch if that drum is causing the sympathetic frequency response.

4. Some drummers tape the snares to the drum head at either end. Experiment with this.

5. If all else fails, smash it with a sledge hammer in an uncontrolled fit of anger and then calmly begin to tune your spare snare drum and hope for better results.

TOMS

These require the same technique as above but the relationships between each tom is important here. Many drummers tune toms a fourth apart. You can use a piano to get an idea of how this interval sounds. Some drummers are very specific and tune to exact pitches whereas others are happy with the approximate sound of the fourth. At the piano, hit a C note. Then go down and hit a G and then finally the D. That is the sound you want to aim for.

The relationship between the resonant and batter head is also important and, again, down to personal preference. As a general rule, the batter head primarily affects the tone, while the resonant head affects the note length. If the batter head is tensioned differently to the resonant head, it will decrease the resonance but may cause a pitch bend effect in the note sustain, which can be undesirable. Tuned to the same tension and the resonance might be too long. It's a case of trial and error to find your preference.

BASS DRUM

In many styles, the bass drum is the easiest to tune as us drummers tend to muffle it to get that thud sound. Some drummers simply finger tighten each lug so that the wrinkles are only just taken out. Some use the drum key and go much tighter. Regarding muffling, some heads such as the Evans E-mad have their own integrated muffling systems. However, often something is placed inside the drum to achieve that dead sound depending on how much boom each drummer wishes to retain.

This might be a pillow, a towel, an EQ cushion (which is basically a more expensive pillow sold by drum head manufacturers) or a dead body (just testing if you're concentrating!). Play around and see what works for you in your particular setting.

TO TAPE OR NOT TO TAPE?

Over the years many different materials have been placed upon drums to achieve certain sounds. These range from gaffa tape, paper towels, wallets, cigarette packets, tea towels, and anything else that does the job. Purpose made solutions include the O-rings and Moon Gel, both of which should be part of any drummers tool box to help control unwanted overtones if and when they arise in different studios or concert halls.

My opinion is that you shouldn't get caught thinking that the use of such techniques are needed in reaction to your inadequacy to tune a drum. If it helps achieve the best sound which ultimately helps you to offer the best drum track that the artist, producer or client is looking for, then do it. Every room causes the drum to react differently and your combination of drums/heads might just need a little helping hand for certain styles in certain situations. Do what you can to get a great sound.

I hope this guide helps a little but there really is no substitute to learning your own way through trial and error. Put in the effort to discover what works, make your mistakes, and learn from them. Whatever you do, don't shy away from it or your drums will never sound their best.

For further drumming advice articles, click HERE

Matt Dean is a professional drummer, tutor and author. He publishes a FREE drum blog full or articles, video lessons and other drumming resources.
http://www.mattdeanworld.co.uk/

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Audio Engineering Courses Are a Must for Those Interested in a Career in the Studio or On Tour

Audio engineering courses will prove to be invaluable for those looking to start a career in the entertainment industry. These courses will teach the tricks of the trade when it comes to recording an album, producing a live show or tour, or even post-production audio for film and television. When choosing the right audio engineering program, it is important to find a program that combines a solid educational curriculum with hands-on experience.

While many students are indeed future professional audio engineers, the rate of artists and producers signing up is on the rise. Sound engineering courses allow an artist to take full control of their projects, or at the very least, communicate their ideas effectively to the engineers.

Worthwhile audio engineering courses feature state-of-the-art studios and industry-standard equipment, such as DigiDesign, SSL, and Neve, designed for the purpose of tracking, overdubbing, and mixing. DigiDesign produces software that serves as a flexible method of practicing, studying, experimenting, and recording at any time, day or night; 24-hour access to the lab is a must. DigiDesign training programs, which are included as part of reputable audio engineering courses, will prepare students for the Pro Tools Operator exam.

Passing this exam allows an engineer to operate the Pro Tools|HD® system in any post-production environment. A reputable program will guarantee studio internships for its students; the practical professional experience gained as an engineering assistant in a top recording studio is unparalleled.

Networking is a huge part of starting a career in this highly competitive field - it's all about who the sound engineer knows, and who knows the him - so making a mark as an intern will serve as a great way for a student to brand herself as a future candidate for full-time employment.

One of the more popular pieces of audio software on the market today is Apple's Logic. When it comes to digital audio production, editing, and sequencing, Logic is used extensively by post-production facilities, studios, arrangers, composers, and other major production companies. Therefore, a reputable audio engineering program will be an authorized Apple training center for Logic. Completing the program and passing the exam will entitle the student to a certificate from Apple as well as a credit on Apple's website as an authorized Logic expert.

Once the audio engineering courses have been completed, students will be prepared to enter the music industry via a wide variety of positions. Live sound engineers, assistant engineers, post-production engineers, sound designers, studio technicians, mastering engineers, studio designers, and more entry-level positions are available to those who have received a certificate in audio engineering.

For those who are interested in movies and television, audio recording and production training is comprehensive. Recording, editing, and mixing music, dialogue, and sound effects will also be possible with classes in location sound recording, ADR recording and editing, Foley recording and editing, and background and sound effects editing.

For those who wish to become a much-needed commodity for touring musicians, audio engineering courses in sound reinforcement, live recording and mixing, console operation, monitors, lighting and video, and stage and tour management is a must. Whether one wants to master an album in the studio, promote the album on tour, or use the songs in a major motion picture, studying and perfecting the craft at a reputable music academy provides the tools needed to make these dreams a reality.

Resource Box:

Musicians Institute, a music school located at the heart of Hollywood, stands as a venue for aspiring and professional artists to master their crafts. Whether a student is taking a vocal, guitar, drums, keys, bass, or music business course in the school, they will receive a music education designed to develop them as well-rounded artists. For more details on the various musical and technical programs offered at MI, call 1-800-255-7529 or visit MI.edu.

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5 Tips You Can Use Today When Learning Your First Chords

Learning your first guitar chords can be very challenging. In fact most beginners quit because playing chords is so difficult at first. So what can you do to stop yourself from quitting? I've listed a few helpful tips that will help to not only keep you on track but also prevent you from giving up on your dream of learning to play guitar.

Tip #1
Practice for no longer than fifteen minutes a day.
Many people when first starting out want to practice for an hour a day. This is a bad idea. Your fingertips need time to build up calluses and might start bleeding if you push yourself too hard. Ideally you should practice until your fingers start to really hurt, usually within first fifteen minutes, and no more!

Tip #2
Never skip a day of practice.
This is very important. In fact if you can't find fifteen minutes a day every day in your busy lifestyle, you might as well save yourself the trouble and don't even attempt to learn guitar. And I mean every day. Why? You need to build muscle memory in your fingers and that takes time and repetition. If you skip even a day of practice it can and usually does send you way back in your progress. So all this hard work you've been putting into it is worthless. Unless you practice every day!

Tip #3
Keep a daily log of your progress.
This is more for motivational purposes. Seeing how much you have improved overtime is a huge ego booster and helps to put the fire back into the whole learning guitar process. It's a good idea to go even farther and video record all of your practices. You will get such a kick out of it when you go back and see just how bad you were in the beginning. That's what I did and it helped me to keep going.

Tip #4
Join forums.
Join guitar forums for support. Guitar forums have hundreds of people going through the same pain as you are. You can get a lot of helpful tips if you run into trouble when learning something and the emotional support you get from your piers doesn't hurt either.

Tip #5
Make sure your guitar is always properly tuned.
This is a no brainer. But for some reason so many beginners, me included, forget about something so crucial to your success in learning guitar. In fact many people think their playing skills suck when in reality their guitar is out of tune. Simple, right?

There is an easy way to learn How To Play Guitar. I get all of my lessons from Guitarzonline. They have a lot of helpful information like Learn Guitar Chords, How Long Does It Take To Learn Guitar and even offer free lessons for beginners. If you're interested in learning guitar you should check their site out. You will be glad you did.

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How A Good Guitar Teacher Will Help New And Experienced Guitarists

Learning to play guitar just like learning any music instrument can be difficult, you will hear lots of people give advice about regular practice and how spending just 20 minutes a day will make a huge difference. Practicing guitar regularly will of course help you to progress but it is also important to know what to practice. It's no good just sitting and playing something you know over and over again, it's also no good endlessly trying to play something that your skills haven't developed enough for. Practicing something you already know will make you better at it but it will also become very boring and practicing to play something that your guitar skills are simply not ready for will make you extremely frustrated.

So how does someone who wants to learn to play guitar decide just what they should spend their practice sessions playing, this is where a guitar teacher comes in, having a good guitar teacher to keep you focussed on developing the right skills at the right pace is essential, we have all heard of great guitar players who were self taught such as Hillel Slovak from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers & Jimi Hendrix who learnt his style just by experimenting, believe me these are the exception, most guitar players do have a tutor at some stage to help them develop their playing skills.

A guitar teacher is much more than just someone who will to show you all the chords and how to play them well. A good guitar instructor can act as a mentor, someone who will push you to excel & perfect your skills to be better than even you could have thought. They can teach you to open your mind to different sounds and tones and allow to find your own path to making music.

Having a guitar teacher from the outset will help you to learn in a structured way, concentrating on refining key areas of your play and structuring your learning will make sure you are learning the right things at the right time, when you first start to play it is also important to have a guitar teacher who can explain things clearly to you and help you to understand where to focus on to improve your guitar playing, these are the things you will be practicing outside of your lessons to help you progress in to a competent guitar player.

A guitar teacher will also be there to help you over those difficult periods that every musician comes across when we feel like we have hit a wall and can't seem to learn a certain technique, your guitar tutor will help you get past these hurdles and encourage you to stay focussed. Before you know it the wall is past and you find you can competently play the guitar lick or difficult chord you thought seemed impossible.

I have been playing guitar now for over three years, when I first started playing I thought I would be able to teach myself but quickly realised that their were only certain things that I could learn without the guidance of a good guitar teacher. My first guitar teacher didn't work out for me so I moved on to my current one who I have been with for three years and I am still learning and being taught new guitar techniques that improve my playing. If you are a beginner setting out to learn to play guitar a teacher will be invaluable, if you are a more experienced player who is looking to develop their playing skills further a guitar teacher will undoubtedly speed up the learning process.

Steve Spinks is a guitar player based in Brighton, Sussex. Steve has been playing guitar for three years and strives to become a better guitarist.
Guitar Lessons Brighton

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Best Guitar Amplifier for College

When you're going to college, you need an amp that will let you rock out without raising the ire of your roommate or neighbors. Luckily, there are plenty of impressive amps that both sound good at lower volumes and can hang with a band if necessary. We've compiled a list of five, but there are certainly more out there if you look.

We already covered some good beginner amps elsewhere. Any of those would suffice as dorm room amps if you're on a really tight budget. However, there are some little amps out there that sound every bit as good as the big expensive amps. Every amp on this list is driven by tubes, as opposed to the solid-state amps on the beginner list. Without going into too much detail here, tube amps are generally considered the superior type of amplification. The difference in sound his hard to explain, but you'll likely be able to hear it if you ever sit down and compare tube amps to solid-state amps side-by-side.

Marshall Class 5

Only five watts, you say? You'll be surprised by the wallop packed by this little combo amp from Marshall. The tone is sweet, the overdrive is crunchy, and this amp can certainly compete with a drummer in a small venue or practice setting. It even has a headphone jack for silent practice sessions.

VHT Special 6

At six watts, this boutique VHT amp isn't much more powerful than the Marshall, but again, looks can be deceiving. These amps are hand-wired and made in small quantities, yet the price doesn't reflect that level high level of craftsmanship. The point-to-point wiring system used to build these amps also means they're easy to modify, which manufacturer VHT seems to encourage.

Orange Tiny Terror

The Orange Tiny Terror is renowned for its signature Orange distortion and is the most popular tube amp in Orange's line. Its fans love its no-frills design (only 3 knobs, no extraneous effects) and the amount of sound it can put out despite its size. Overdrive the tubes in this amp and you'll be rewarded with classic British crunch for far less money than the price of a stack. It also offers the option of switching from 15 to 7 watts, to make achieving the crunchy sound that much easier at low volumes.

Fender Blues Junior

These little 15-watt amps are, according to Fender, the best-selling tube amps in the world. They boast the styling and sound of the bigger Fender Hot Rod amp series, but they come with the added benefits of being cheaper and smaller. It doesn't get much better than the signature American tube sound of a Fender Blues Junior.

Bugera V-22

Weighing in at 22 watts, the Bugera is the biggest amp on this list. It comes with classy vintage-inspired styling features, including a cool blue jewel light, and also has a smooth-sounding digital reverb. These amps are built in China by Behringer, a well-known sound equipment manufacturer.

In conclusion, a good amp for college is an amp that is compact and offers great tone. However, students may not even be able to afford these amps. If you're really hurting for cash, any of these best beginner amps would do the job just as well for a good college amp.

Cheap Guitarists.com offers news, articles, reviews, and sales for the budget minded guitarist. For newbies, we also provide information on the best beginner's guitars.

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Enrolling in a Bachelor of Music Program Is the Next Step on the Journey That Began in a Garage Band

Most kids are not introduced to the art of playing music through a bachelor of music program. Perhaps they took beginner's lessons when they were young, perhaps they joined the school band in middle school, and if they fall in love with the craft, they may have chosen to form a band with friends.

While playing the same chords over and over again down in Joe's Garage might be a good way to have fun and meet girls, but the best way to grow as a musician and an artist however, - is to obtain a bachelor of music degree. Whether a musician plays the guitar, keyboard, bass, drums, or if he or she is a singer, there is a customized curriculum designed specifically for each instrument that provides the training needed for them to become the player they have always dreamed of becoming. And for those more interested in the business of show, majoring in music business, audio engineering, and film production gives an insider's perspective on what goes on behind the scenes in the industry.

The most compelling reason to make the scholarly leap from amateur musician to student would be the access to professional musicians. There is simply no substitute for a bachelor of music program where students learn from - and play in front of - polished musicians who were once in their shoes. Guitarists, drummers, bassists, vocalists, and keyboardists can expect a performance-based program that emphasizes professional, technical, and creative development.

Frequent clinics and concerts allow the chance to actually see and hear the lessons learned earlier that day in the classroom. Other than perfecting their paradiddles, drummers can expect an immersion into electronic drumming, loops and sequencing, and digital recording. Similarly, keyboardists must be able to not only play the instrument, but take advantage of the instrument's capabilities for sampling, production, digital recording, arranging, and drum programming. A contemporary music institute introduces students to an extremely wide variety of music genres, including jazz, funk, R&B, blues, country, rock, fusion, Latin, and Afro-Cuban styles, among others.

Playing an instrument and writing songs and lyrics is only one-half of show business. There is a great deal more action going on behind the scenes than most audience members ever realize. Receiving a bachelor of music in audio engineering or the music business itself will provide insight into the process of bringing an independent artist to the market.

Marketing and promotion, contracts, personal management, and music publishing are all vital skills to have when an artist decides to take their future into their own hands, start their own record label, or sign other artists with the potential for success. Maybe she will even manage her own artistic career. A film production program will turn an amateur into a professional filmmaker before he knows it. Courses on screenwriting, storyboarding, lighting, cinematography, set design, directing, editing, and VFX creation will show the filmmaker what needs to be done to bring his personal vision to the silver screen.

Whether as a musician, a businessman, or a filmmaker, studying under the tutelage of the professionals is the best way to become immersed into a world that may have previously only existed down in a friend's garage.

Resource Box:

Musicians Institute, a music school located at the heart of Hollywood, stands as a venue for aspiring and professional artists to master their crafts. Whether a student is taking a vocal, guitar, drums, keys, bass, or music business course in the school, they will receive a music education designed to develop them as well-rounded artists. For more details on the various musical and technical programs offered at MI, call 1-800-255-7529 or visit MI.edu.

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Can Anybody Learn How To Sing Opera? Settling The Great Controversy

In the last few years there's been an explosion of interest among the general population in learning how to sing opera. Sure, opera has been a popular art form since its inception but the pop and rock music takeover made the world forget about opera for a while. Even in Europe, where opera singing is greatly admired by the majority of the population, pop and rock concerts sell out while opera houses struggle with ticket sales.

In some countries, such as the United States, most people think of opera singing as some kind of weird, pompous activity that old people go to the theatre to hear. But this attitude is changing at light speed. In an ironic turn of events, opera has slipped into the mainstream of music.

Several famous opera singers such as Pavarotti began to sing pop sings and widely known folk tunes in massive concert halls and arenas and taped their performances to reach even more listeners. Whether they did it to reach more people with their music or because pop pays so well, a lot of these opera singers did renditions of popular songs in an operatic vocal style, which was strange to opera devotees and unusual for pop lovers. Some diehards of each genre considered it a sell-out to mix two totally different styles together. Others responded by saying music is music is music.

In the last couple of years, opera singing and pop have begun to coexist thanks to stars that can do both almost equally well. Singers such as Sarah Brightman, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, The King's Singers and many other talented individuals regularly mix opera and pop songs into their set lists and audiences that used to snicker at opera are now thrilled by the unique, powerful sound.

But can just about anybody learn how to sing opera or is it only meant for the select few who are born with a special talent that the rest of us just don't have? Ever since a British cell phone salesman named Paul Potts and a middle-aged homebody named Susan Boyle won Britain's Got Talent with their operatic crooning, people have been wondering if they too could learn to use their voices in such a spectacular fashion.

So let's settle the debate, shall we? Can ANYBODY learn how to sing opera? The answer is yes! First of all, who am I to say so? I'm a tone-deaf teenage turned opera singer and vocal coach who, like many people, thought singing operatically was a God-given gift until I simply began learning how it's done. I won't bore you with my story because I'd much rather just teach you the basics of opera singing so that you can apply them right away and begin to transform your voice!

You see, everybody is born with the same vocal equipment. We all have legs and we can all run, right? Likewise, we all have voice boxes and we can all learn to coordinate the muscles involved in singing to produce an operatic sound. Now it IS true that to become an elite opera singer such as Pavarotti or Renee Fleming there's a lot of luck, talent and hard work involved. But for the average lover of opera singing who wants to sing at home, for friend and family and maybe even on the local stage, the missing ingredient is simply learning operatic technique and practicing it consistently!

Learning to sing opera starts with a few basic rules that all successful and competent opera singers follow. The first and most important rule of opera singing is to keep the larynx in a low position. The larynx, which is another name for the voicebox or Adam's apple, is the bump found on the front of the neck that moves up and down when you speak and when you swallow. Women, you have these as well. If you put your hand on your throat and swallow a few times, you'll feel the larynx move very distinctly.

A huge part of that rich, operatic sound is the result of simply keeping the voicebox in a low position during singing. How do you accomplish this? Well, it might take some time to train your larynx to stay put but here's an exercise you can use to begin training it right now!

Put your hand on your throat and yawn. You'll notice that when you yawn, your larynx sinks to a low position. Do it a few more times and now take notice of the role that your tongue is playing in lowering the larynx. Your tongue is actually moving back and down and nudging the larynx into this low position. Your job now is to monitor the voicebox whenever you're singing.

As you sing higher notes, you'll notice that your larynx has a tendency to want to rise. Gently ease it down and try again. It may take a few months to almost a year to master this across your entire singing range depending on how many bad vocal habits you've acquired in the past. But once you do, you'll be able to produce an operatic sound on command!

The second crucial part of learning how to sing opera is something called "placement". This refers to where you direct the sounds you produce inside your head. Your head is basically a resonating cavity. If you think of it as a house with several rooms, one room would be the throat, another would be the the nose, another is the mouth and so on. The idea is to "open" all the doors in the house and make sure the notes you sing ring equally in each of the rooms. Why equally? Because if you trap the sound in the nose and close all the other doors, your sound will be nasal and lacking in warmth.

So how do you achieve good vocal placement? It all begins with becoming aware of something called the mask, which is basically the front part of your face. If you close your mouth and hum at a normal volume, you'll notice a buzz in the front part of your face. The area where you're feeling the buzz is called the mask! Now practice getting the buzz going and slowly opening your mouth. As you open your mouth, keep the sound vibrating in that same front area. It should feel like your nose, teeth and even your eyes are buzzing.

Singing operatically requires you to sing into the mask at all times because it's vital for singing in tune, singing fast runs, acquiring vibrato and gives the sound a clear, crisp that carries without the need for a microphone.

I've seen people from very different walks of life, with widely varying intelligence go a very long way thanks to good instruction, stubbornness and daily practice. I hope you realize that even though this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of operatic technique, just about can learn how to sing opera.

Vic Dorfman is a professional opera singer and vocal coach who teaches people of all ages and skill levels around the world how to sing opera and how to become an opera singer.

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Four Effective Ways To Learn Guitar

Be it for the influence of rock music and dreams of becoming a rock superstar or just to fill in those leisurely hours, playing the guitar has become very appealing for many people the world over. The guitar itself is quite an easy instrument to learn but what can be an easy task for some can also be a tedious task for others. Luckily there are various way to learn the guitar and surely you can find one that suites you the best. Listed below are 4 of the most effective ways.

1. Learning by Ear

Learning the guitar by ear can be very fun and effective, especially if you are an intuitive person. Learning by ear is not as hard as it use to be several years ago. With the modern slowing down recordings technology today, anybody can learn to play by ears with a bit of effort.

2. Learning From Guitar Instructional Books

Books use to be the best choice for study in the past before we have the internet. However, there's been great development in guitar instructional book today that you can find thousands of quality guitar instructional books on the market. They range from the complete beginner to the advance player and in any musical style. There's also books that comes with audio CD and this will surely help you understand the material presented in the book easier and faster.

3. Video Guitar Lessons

Video guitar lessons are great especially if you need coaching but want to learn at your own pace. They are available on DVDs in any music store as well as online. Some of the online video guitar lessons are even free and you can learn straight from your browser without the need of a DVD player. Video lessons can be more dynamic and you'll have a better chance to stay focus with the lessons as you'll be inspired with the visual experience. Perhaps the only downside of video lessons is that you can't communicate with your instructor for any difficulties that you might encounter.

4. Private Lessons With A Guitar Teacher

If you can allocate a time for a private guitar class, finding a guitar teacher is another great option. It may cost you a bit of investment but you can benefit from the personalized attention and useful feedback that a teacher could provide. When you're dealing with a real person like a guitar teacher, he or she can customize a teaching program to best suite your needs. You will always have someone to correct your mistake on the spot before it turn into a bad playing habit plus, you'll be surprise of how a bit of motivation from a good guitar teacher can keep you focus with your goal to be good with the instrument.

Playing the guitar is a fun and rewarding experience. It does take effort, time and patient before you can rip the reward but with these learning options that are available to you, there is no reason for you not to succeed.

Eddie Kisah is a guitar teacher and the webmaster for his website edguitar.com. Visit his website for free guitar lessons at http://www.edguitar.com/.

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5 Techniques You Must Learn to Play Piano

"The piano is a complicated instrument."

This, or some variation of this, is what I hear from many students who are just starting out on the piano. If we break it down playing the piano is quite simple. Like many long term goals it is always easier to break down the task into small chunks.

In this post I'll show you 5 quick and easy techniques you need in order to play piano. Master these and you'll be well on your way to stardom.

The Techniques

1. Legato Playing
Legato is a musical term for playing smoothly. In other words, you need to connect all of the notes together. Legato notes are notated with a line over the top of each note. Looks like a rainbow connecting all of the notes.

The best way to start learning legato playing is to do the Yellow Pages walk. As one finger goes up the other should be going down.

2. Staccato Playing
Just the opposite of playing notes in a legato fashion is to play notes staccato. These notes are indicated by a dot above or below the note depending on where the note is placed on the staff. Staccato notes are short and crisp.

To play a staccato note put a block eraser on your wrist. Quickly flick your wrist as you play a note. The eraser should end up on your piano's music stand.

3. Scales
Most students find scales to be boring, we've shown how you can practice scales for fun. Either way scales makeup a large portion of how music is structured. Because of this it is important for you to master this technique.

Think slow an controlled when you first start learning scales. Master the five finger scales first then move onto full octave scales and eventually multiple octave scales. Practice scales in as many different touches and rhythms as you can think of. Remember, slow and controlled.

4. Arpeggios
Arpeggios allow you to span the keyboard quickly. Played expertly with the pedal it can have a harp sound. Arpeggios take the form of a chord but are played in a scale type fashion.

Once you develop flexibility in your hand arpeggios will become easier. Your first task is to learn how to cross your thumb under your hand. Try to keep your muscles loose as you play. Start slow to build confidence. Continue to think of your legato technique. It will also benefit you to do these in staccato form once in a while.

5. Dynamics
We're not talking about physics here...Well maybe we are.

Dynamics are indications in the music about how loud or soft to play. It is notated through a system of symbols that I will cover in a future blog post.

Dynamics are largely controlled by the weight and speed of which you play a note. If you want to play softly then play with less weight and less speed. The opposite would be true for loud dynamics. You should practice this technique while practicing the other techniques. For example, when you play a scale start soft and gradually get louder.

Bonus Technique
6. The Pedal
My students love when they first get to use the pedal. It's a good part of what gives the piano its characteristic sound. The pedal I am going to talk about is the pedal on the right. It is called the sustain pedal. Its job is to bring the dampers off of the strings and let the sound ring, hence the name sustain.

To practice this I recommend counting a simple rhythm and playing the pedal on a predetermined beat. For example, bring the pedal up on beat one and put it down on beat two then hold it for beats three and four..

Jordan Stevens has been instrumental in inspiring people of all ages to learn music and perform at their best. He is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and Mohawk College where he studied piano and composition. Experience, knowledge and a crazy amount of patience is what sets him apart from his peers. Get a free 5 minute video music lesson at cjsmusic.ca

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