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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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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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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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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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.

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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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Audio Engineering School Produces the Unsung Heroes of the Music Industry

When considering an audio engineering school and the process of recording an album, scenes from a Metallica documentary immediately come to mind: band members - nay, good friends - screaming back and forth at each other at the tops of their lungs, on the verge of breakdown in a deluge of cabin fever, a performance that would make Jack Nicholson proud. Stress can quickly turn the creative process contentious, and too little credit is given to the brave men and women who must bear witness to these banal arguments between overpaid prima donnas, the audio engineers.

Apart from the musicians themselves and the fly on the wall, few know of or appreciate the long hours spent toiling away in pursuit of the perfect sound, the blood, sweat, and tears that form the foundation of every seminal album. In the eye of the storm, the sound engineer must maintain his or her professionalism while converting abstract ideas from the possibly mood-enhanced minds of musicians into tangible sounds. Babysitting millionaires might not be what these unsung heroes signed up for in audio engineering school, but the process of recording, editing, mixing, and mastering an album - and then taking that album on the road - creates a legacy that goes beyond the credit in the liner notes.

John Lennon once wrote, "There's nothing you can do that can't be done; nothing you can sing that can't be sung." It might be hyperbole, but if the Beatles all-encompassing work at Abbey Road Studios is any indication, Lennon and McCartney were intent on doing for the professional recording industry what Magellan and Cortez did to the professional cartography industry. But while explorers may not be happening upon any undiscovered lands anytime soon, the growing audio engineering school admission rate indicates that the youth of America is out to prove Lennon wrong. Sound engineers are by nature an innovative bunch, constantly exploring new sounds and pushing the limits of technology. What began as practicing and studying quickly evolves into experimenting and recording.

While music production is most commonly associated with sound engineers, the skills are equally valuable in the film and television industry. The art of post-production audio - which includes Foley recording and editing, background and sound effects editing, and ADR and dialogue editing - is an integral part of every finished television show and movie that comes out of Hollywood. The knowledge gleaned from an audio engineering school is applicable both inside the studio and outside of it. Having a song sound great in a pair of quality headphones and having that same song sound great at a live performance are two different animals entirely.

A sound engineer must be trained in monitor setup and operation, console operation, lighting and video production, sound reinforcement, and live recording and mixing. Without him, there would be no album, no concert, and no film. While he or she may not discover the riffs, play the instruments, or write the lyrics, the fingerprints of an audio engineer can be seen everywhere.

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 audio engineering 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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Intervals Music And How To Learn Them Quickly

Learning how to name intervals in music has many students in a state of frustration.

Intervals range from the very simple inside major scales, to the more complicated when we deal with chromatic notes and to the seemingly near impossible to work out, when double sharps and flats come into play. To be able to name intervals you need to understand half-tones (semi-tones, half steps) and whole tones, because the distance between 2 notes is counted in 1/2 steps. It is also very helpful to know the circle of 5ths diagram.

Interval names consist of a number (second, fourth etc.) and a modifier (unison, minor, major, perfect, diminished, augmented & octave).

Finding the number is easy in most cases, working out the modifier can get a bit more tricky.

Let's start with the easy ones:

The 8 Simple Diatonic Intervals:

The are measured in every key from the tonic (root note) to the other 7 notes in each scale.

Ex: key of C:

C - C = Perfect Unison (0 semi-tones)

C - D = Major Second (2 half-tones)

C - E = Major Third (4 semi-tones)

C - F = Perfect Fourth (5 1/2 steps)

C - G = Perfect Fifth (7 semi-tones)

C - A = Major Sixth (9 half-tones)

C - B = Major Seventh (11 semi-tones)

C - C = Perfect Octave (12 1/2 steps

No matter what key you're in, unisons, fourths, fifths and octaves are always Perfect and seconds, thirds, sixths and sevenths are always Major. So far, so good.

Now, of course there are other intervals possible in every major key, 48 in fact, between any major scale note and every other major scale note. Here is where the other modifiers come into play.

We find out that:

Seconds can also be minor (ex: E - F & B - C) (1 semi-tone)

Thirds can also be minor (ex: D - F, E - G, A - C & B - D) (3 semi-tones)

Fourths can be Augmented (ex: F - B) (6 half-tones)

Fifths can be Diminished (ex: B - F) (also 6 semi-tones)

Sixths can be Minor (ex: E - C, A - F & B - G) (8 1/2 steps)

Sevenths can be Minor (ex: D - C, E - D, G - F, A - G & B - A) (10 half-tones)

We can sum up that inside each major scale, 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th intervals are MAJOR or MINOR, while unison, 4th, 5th & octave intervals are PERFECT, AUGMENTED (+ 1/2 step) or DIMINISHED (- 1/2 step).

Thankfully the art of how to name any interval does not get much more complicated than discussed so far. We already know the numbers and possible modifiers but when it comes to the countless chromatic interval possibilities there is one extra dimension we have to cope with:

2nds, 3rds, 6ths and 7ths can also be Diminished or Augmented. That's it!

All that remains is to summarise:

Unison, Fourth, Fifth and Octave Intervals are either Perfect, Diminished or Augmented.Second, Third, Sixth and Seventh Intervals can be Major or Minor and also Diminished or Augmented.

For intervals that are wider than an octave, the rules are simple: Treat ninths like you would a second, tenths like thirds, elevenths like fourths etc.

By far the quickest way to learn the name of intervals is to become really familiar with the major scales and their modes and have the circle of fifths explained thoroughly.

Much more free in depth information on intervals with images, an easy "how to name any interval" formula and "The Ultimate Intervals Finder" (a downloadable pdf file) plus a circle of 5ths chart and explanations on all major scales can be found at: http://www.eartraining-online.com/diatonic-intervals.html

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Time In Music (Or The Leaf On The Stream)

Why is it that some solo artists, combos, bands or orchestras communicate with the listener on an extra special level? They seem to have that extraordinary ingredient that makes them stand out from the crowd.

Is it tuning, technique, tone, personality, grace, ease of execution? To make it onto the top shelf they need all those, but for me, the number 1 element is their sense of TIME.

Imagine that a leaf falls onto a steadily flowing calm stream. The speed of the water represents the time and you are the leaf. When the downbeat falls or the count in finishes, the leaf hits the stream. How to learn rhythm and not rock the leaf? Because whether you push forward (racing) or pull back (dragging), the leaf makes a disturbance on the water.

The great artist allows time to be, he has no need to fight it and his graceful mastery of the instrument permits him to move through a piece of music without creating a ripple on that stream.

Of course this little analogy of mine applies mainly to music that flows at a steady tempo and is a bit more far fetched for colla voce or out of tempo pieces. But even for that style I like the idea of the stream (and the leaf) slowing down or speeding up, simply by making the surface it flows on more level or steeper.

How to accept time in music and flow with it?

Don't hold or touch your instrument with any unnecessary tension. Concrete arms & shoulders holding a trumpet or bowing a cello are a barrier to flowing time.
Be aware of your technical ability at all times.
Resist the urge to show-off, especially if point 2 above is not happening.
Leave any controlling personality traits in the dressing room. It's about acceptance and cooperation.
Learn to play time without pushing or holding back the leaf.
Don't fight it, accept it, go with it. Nothing special needs to happen, just play.
If you want to "dig-in" more (for that slow dirty shuffle groove) simply sit lower in the "water", immerse yourself, nothing else.

How does disturbing the time affect a group of players?

It doesn't matter if there are 2 or 5 or 16 or 60 musicians playing together, the lack of time in music by just 1 or a few is the one sly and hidden element that can make any band or orchestra sound ordinary.

It only needs a pushy drummer or a lagging bass player, a "tempo-bulli" on principle trumpet or a technically inept 2nd viola to create that tell-tale ripple around the leaf and make a piece of music sound uncomfortable.

The most outstanding combos, bands and orchestras, the ones that seem to have the touch of magic, simply consist of musicians who tick all the boxes when it comes to pitch, technique, sound and creativity but who also have accepted the fact that time in music does not have to be messed with.

Just BE the leaf and enjoy the ride.

Be prepared to surrender to the stream, that is how to learn rhythm.

I've had the pleasure to sit in bands with that special sense of time.
It was difficult to wipe the smile off my face.

Learn to internalize the beat and become the leaf on the stream: http://eartraining-online.com/best-metronome.html

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Aspiring Singers Are Enrolling in Vocal Training Classes to Put Their Stamp on Contemporary Music

Those who have taken note of the sudden success of Il Volo, the Italian trio of teenagers, have surely had the thought of taking vocal training classes cross his or her mind. The fresh-faced youngsters immediately bring to mind memories of The Three Tenors, what with their blend of booming, operatic voices and the mathematical certainty that there are indeed three of them. And just like Luciano Pavarotti, they hail from Italy. For those aspiring singers who do not naturally possess their pipes and vocal range; a reputable vocal training program will teach everything from proper breathing techniques and protecting the voice to harmonizing and ear training.

A complete vocal education program combines creative and technical development with regular live performance - a thorough curriculum that will allow students to not just sing, but to communicate effectively with their audience. It is imperative for students to find or recognize the vocalists that inspire their creativity. Finding a stylistic identity is Step One when building confidence as a professional performer, since performing live is about more than the ability to belt out the notes.

Students in either an Associate of Arts or Bachelor of Music in Performance program undertake various vocal training classes that will develop, polish, and expand the limits of their vocal instrument. Lyrical interpretation, stage presence, presentation, and microphone techniques are all covered in the vocal performance classes that have been designed to produce skilled yet versatile contemporary vocalists.

An intrinsic knowledge of music theory and vocal techniques will become second nature to any performer worth his or her salt. As such, these vocal training classes serve as a prerequisite to topics related to performance. Learning the anatomy and physiology of the voice, the importance of proper breathing techniques, and how best to protect the voice teaches students about the science of voice production. On the other end of the spectrum, pitch registers, vocal techniques (such as vibrato), sight-singing, and music theory are invaluable skills when it comes time to lay down tracks in the recording studio. Training the ear to distinguish between major and minor scales, intervals, chord qualities, and the like is a necessary component to harmonization.

Even if a potential student is not a tenor or even a fan of opera, vocal training classes will transform each student into a stylistically versatile contemporary vocalist. These programs incorporate regular seminars and clinics with personal counseling sessions with internationally known performers. Classes are the foundation for any well-rounded vocalist. Before a performer realizes her vision on stage or in the studio, she must be capable of working and communicating effectively with her fellow musicians.

Being fully immersed in the music school experience provides students with a supportive network of teachers and students that will allow them to challenge themselves, leaving their comfort zone in their wake. This is where students come up close and personal with musicians who have traveled the path they are on. This blend of classes, workshops, and live performance allows students to explore their individual truth as artists and what skills they bring to the table.

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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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Why Learn Music?

When you've decided to go ahead with music lessons, it can be a big event in your child's life. So, what's in it for them?

Brain development

Music training has many advantages for the student, including better development of the areas of the brain devoted to language and reasoning. Learning music can help to rewire some areas of the left brain to help language processing. Another benefit is in spatial development. This helps the development of mathematical intelligence, pattern recognition and problem solving. In general, learning music through childhood is associated with higher marks and better performance in high school and beyond.

The wider experience

Music comes to us from many countries, and children are exposed to music from other cultures. This helps to encourage tolerance and empathy towards difference without it being threatening.

Teamwork and discipline

Fostering excellence is the work of a good teacher. If a note is out of tune, a student has to learn to get it into tune. It has to be in time, and if playing with others, one has to come in at the right time too. All of these things must be learned, which is excellent discipline and helps the child look for and attain excellence, which translates into other areas of life.

Performance

Performing with others is part of music education. Whether it's a symphony orchestra, big band, recorder group, choir or small ensemble, this is teamwork and discipline, as well as being highly enjoyable to most participants. Rewards come from hard work, and self-esteem is enhanced.

Dealing with stress

The experience of dealing with music exams, preparation and performance will expose the child to some degree of nervousness, as well as achievement. The ability to cope with these events helps them to cope with other stresses in later life, and know that they can come through them safely.

Being more creative

Music is self-expression and creativity. Through learning an instrument, the child may well foster a talent in composing or other aspects of creative work. Working with others can be rewarding and spiritual, leading to a more well-rounded person.

Conclusion

All of these benefits come from long-term musical training, preferably with a good, professional teacher, an investment in a quality instrument, and lots of positive encouragement from parents and family. Forcing a child to learn when they aren't interested is a waste of time and money. But if they are interested, even if they don't have a lot of talent, they can still enjoy themselves and reap rewards.

(c) Patrice Connelly, 2011

Patrice Connelly is an Australian musician who specialises in early music with her business Saraband Music. She teaches piano, viola da gamba, music history and theory privately and at workshops. She holds a Masters (Hons) degree in Musicology from the University of Sydney. Through Saraband Music, she imports/exports/wholesales/retails, publishes, researches, teaches and writes about music. For more information please visit her website at http://www.saraband.com.au/.

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You need to grade music teacher of guitar?

One of the questions and replies from people who are considering teaching lessons, guitar-"Can I teach guitar I don't have a degree of music?" Short Yes! In this article explain why many teachers aspiring to get into the whole thing hung "degree" and why really is irrelevant.

Let me start by finding that if the user has been already invested years of his life and Tony money in music, good for you! I don't want to minimize Your degree because it has value and you need some career ... but there is a teacher of guitar is one of them. I'm a dropout of school music alone, so I know ... both sides of the fence and I managed to build a very successful guitar teaching business without a degree.

So why do people make such a big matter some degree, anyway? I think it comes from the false belief that students only to hire teacher of guitar that has a certain level of credentials. Nothing could be further from the truth. Credentials may be sure, people give a second look, but not accepting professionalism, expertise or capability provides results for students. At the end of the day as students are paying for is the results ... and you don't need a college degree to be able to provide results. You'll need is the ability to teach, to listen and care.

I know a few people from the school of music and attended who are not already doing music for a living today. They have one or more degrees under their belt, I know all about theory, harmony and composition ..., but they work in a bank or in real estate. Many of them are tens of thousands of dollars of debt and will be repayable loans for students, for the rest of his life. See what I mean? The degree of music does not guarantee success or even the profession of music.

Don't let the fact that you do not have the degree of music from living Your dream and having the kind of life you deserve. You can run your own guitar teaching business, building it to the point that you can make a good living full-time and build the kind of life for sure. The diploma is not required.

So if you can was a Professor of music, they play in the Symphony, or be the best composer might be ... If you get a degree. If you want to be a teacher of successful guitar, you don't need to be degree to do it. Instead, learn all you can about being owners of small businesses and learn how to be more effective teacher. Much better results can be achieved in a much shorter period of time, and you'll receive thousands of dollars rather than due to the thousands.

For some Great resources to help you, be the best teacher, who may visit the Web Start guitar teaching. You'll find lesson plans free guitar, knowledge, and encourage the success as a teacher of guitar.

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Best drum heads as rock music included drum

Over the years and has already gone through hundreds (if not thousands) of the drum heads between replacing them on my personal Kit and install them on a custom drum sets which builds. Some of the heads of the drum are impressed me some and stayed on my set of weeks, but other heads of the drum are to come after my drum set them a few hours of play. This position will show you popuscic what the heads of the drum, which I have been generally trusted in the years to provide me with sound, which makes the engineers. I also sk ± (d) the advantages and disadvantages of each head, and my priorities in how to tune each drum.

My current preferences in heads of the drum for my Kit:

Keep in mind I play mostly rock/pop/Funk.

Snare: Ambassador Remo coated drum Head + Remo Ambassador Snare Head of fog

Advantages: Fairly cheap almost always in store on any online music store, is brilliantly tuned low and finely tuned, high, very articulate, even in the case of notes Duch.
Disadvantages: 1 Ply drum Head can dent easily for heavy hitters, and can be replaced more often.
Tune My tuning: settings both batter and resonant heads to the same pitch, I tried to tune them high enough to give me a mid-range "fracture", as well as giving me response good Memory stick. At the head of a resonant tune LUG near Snare wires, approximately 2 enables deeper than the rest of the head. This allows the Snare wires holding of more sharp and clean snap and snap Snare dowieziono more when you play Ghost notes.

Toms: Remo Emperor Drumheads Tom (the batter side) + Remo Ambassador Drumheads Tom (resonant side)

Advantages: Fairly cheap almost always available in every store more, simplicity in construction timbers drum heads allow properties of bearing edge and wood type references is not obscured by the sound power of dots or rings on the other heads of the drum sound Great tuned in high and low, clear heads adds brightness to Your toms cut range.
Cons: brushes do not use very often, but of course you have coated heads for each brush work.
My tune: each has its own sweet spot to Tom that the drum will resonate at best. I'm trying to find this place sweet and tweak the two heads of the drum for this spring. What does it mean by the "sweet spot" is the tune, which produces the most complete sound without buzzing/flabbiness (because it prevents too loosely) or choked out of tintiness (because it prevents too tight). For my toms detect generically here sweet "just above your finger strained" tuning.

Bass Kick Drum: Evans EMAD2 clear bass drum head with the larger outer ring muffling (the batter side) + Remo Fiberskyn 6 "sound holes (resonant side) Evans drum only inside fittings that come in front of the head of the bass.

Pros: Tons of attack, as well as the low end, extremely easy to EQ during mic'ed up.
Disadvantages: Emad plastic ring that holds the external dampening cracks and always ends with rattlin and eventually you'll either need to tape the ring on the unexpected or completely replace the head drum. You will have to cut your own sound hole Remo Fiberskyn (if you choose to cut a hole) which can be somewhat challenging if your not used in this manner. Fiberskyn is somewhat more difficult to find in store at music stores.
My tune: tune the front of the head where there are no wrinkles, with a moderately strained tuning across the head. Tune strained finger Emad and try to keep out wrinkles (but sometimes it is ok to still have a slight Wrinkle, you judge depending on how it sounds) and Emad Pillow (or towel or small blanket) inside the drum, where only touch the front of the resonate head. Without the cushion of a tangent line at the front of the head'll ringy tone, standing just enough dampens to let the kick punch you in the chest as it should.

I know someone of you reading this will be with me in such a way when it comes to the drum head selection and welcomes comments and rebukes. I'd love to know what are your favorite drum heads and why.

Philip Ellis launches drums p. Ellis, a custom drum company based in Austin, TX and is the author of "How to Make custom drums" available at http://www.makedrums.com/

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Time in music (or leaves in a stream)

Why is it that some of the artists, bands or orchestras experiences to communicate with the receiver at the level of additional special? They seem to have such an extraordinary, which makes them clearly stands out from the crowd.

It is a technique for tuning, tone, personality, grace, ease of implementation? To be on the top shelves need all of these, but for me item number 1 is their sense of time.

Imagine a leaf falls on the ever-flowing stream of calm. The speed of water represents the time and are of a leaf. When the count falls down beat or finish, the leaf, it hits the stream. How to get a rhythm and no rock leaf? Because if you can push forward the (racing) or withdrawn (dragging), leaf makes the disturbance on the water.

Great artist enables time be, he/she does not need to fight him and his smooth mastery of the instrument allows him to move a portion of the music without creating pulsujacego in this stream.

Of course this small analogy anti-personnel applies mainly to music that will sail on a fixed tempo and slightly more far fetched to colla voce is or the tempo of pieces. But even for this style, I like the idea of a stream (or leaf), slowing down or speeding up, making the surface flows on more level or steeper.

Accepting an appointment in music and movement with him?

Does not have or touch your document of any unnecessary tension. Concrete arms and shoulders holding trumpet or bowing cello impede the flow of time.
Be aware of the technical capacity at all times.
Resist the urge to demonstration projects, especially if it happens, point 2 above.
Leave any controlling features of personality in the dressing room. Terms of acceptance and cooperation.
Learning the game time without pushing or holding back leaf.
Don't fight it, to accept it, go with him. Nothing special needs to happen, you just need to play.
If you want to "dig in" more (for this groove slow shuffle dirty) simply sit in is lower "water", Dive, nothing else.

As the disruption of time affects a group of players?

It does not matter if there are 2 or 5, 16 or 60 musicians playing together, the lack of time in music by only 1 or more is one sly and hidden element that you can create a band or Orchestra sound normal.

Only needs a pushy drummer or bassist clothing, "the pace of the bull" on a trumpet or technically inept Viola 2nd warning to create this pulsujacego around the leaf, and awkward piece of music.

Major moves, scopes and orchestras, the ones that seem to have a touch of magic, simply include musicians who tick all the boxes when it comes to travel, technique, sound and creativity but who also accepted the fact that time in music doesn't have to be messed with.

Just be a leaf, and enjoy the ride.

Be prepared to resign in a stream, that is how to teach rhythm.

I had the pleasure to sit on the bands with this special sense of time.
It was difficult to wipe the smile off my face.

Learn how to internalize the beat and become a leaf in the stream: http://eartraining-online.com/best-metronome.html

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You can learn how to play music-very basic lesson to Demystify music and piano

Teaching yourself to play the piano is a very satisfactory experience. Not only because learning game your favourite songs on the piano but also learn how to read music notes, opening the door to other forms of music and the chance to learn other instruments. Here I hope to see a very basic lesson in music, but I truly hope that helps to demystify music and piano.

When you learn to rise to the scales and chords plus ground-rules for music in General, you find that this new knowledge can be transferred to other instruments. For example, if you already know where middle c is for piano and where c is the sheet music of the middle and you can find it on the guitar from there work among all the other comments.

Essentially then, where is the c middle? Must assume that everyone's sheet music from a very early age. In any sheet music will see five line between sheet of any shape of the symbol on the left. Below these lines you see another set of five lines with a not so blue on the left.

At this time will be known as the upper and lower Treble clef symbol symbol is known as a Bass clef will (IPA base), as in the bass. These symbols are important because later it appears in the science of music, but now we will concentrate on two sets of five rows and spacing.

Two sets of five lines, along with their corresponding symbols are collectively called stave. A little history here; at some time in the distant past these two sets of five-line stave, where as one. That is To say, were joined by another line that a total of eleven lines. In Western classical music at the time and disruption from some quarters these lines separated into two sets of five lines that now we see, and the line, who joined them in the Centre of the disappeared.

This bit may confuse you a bit, but believe me is valid; Note that this znikaniem centerline represented still exists very much, but we write when we need, also two notes in the spaces either side of that line. Guess what, it should be noted that the line representing? So guess and is Middle c.

So when you see the Note below the top five line or above the bottom five lines with a small quantity of a single horizontal line through it, that is Middle c. I believe that the reasons for separating the two sets of lines was treble that it sometimes runs to bass guitar and bass have banded to treble. So it would be virtually unreadable, if they were to merge, so the treble bass exploit space between borrow notes from each other. You may need to read this explanation again to grasp it.

All Western music is marked by the first seven letters of the English alphabet, A, B, C, D, E, F and g. After drawing myself two sets of five line width of the space between, or, better still, if you have some blank sheet music, write in c, the Middle, such as squashed the ball with a small horizontal line through it and place it in the center distance between two sets of five lines. Now we can write the letter c next to it so that we know that this is the middle c. Then we want to write in all the other comments in a diagonal line from bottom to top, beginning the c. Middle

Looking at the seven notes in our set of seven and knowing the alphabet we can write the next note above middle c, which is d. Next note will be on line at the bottom of our tonality, a set of five lines, and so will e. next note will appear in the space above the line e and F, which is to represent the next line g, the next room at the top of A, the next line up, B, and so on to the top line, which can be found in the is f.

Now that the tones of the notes are on our sheet that we can go in reverse with middle c and the letters (b) in the space below it. Next we can start the bass lines, place a top row of the bass then g next place down and f on the next line, and so on until the lower bass line, which will Now be read g. that all notes of the bass line to the top of the lower tones of the line represented by f. you will see that every letter is used three times in the very simple notation of Western music.

My name is Ken Aindow, and I'm too Budding Piano Player. I have always wanted to play music, but never realized just how easy was it to learn. With article above, you will now know how easy it is to learn how to play music. If you want to respond to this type of simple lessons you are welcome to visit my website-Teach yourself to play music for a more free lessons and advice on where to go next.

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